In Chinese traditional culture, filial piety has influenced the lifestyles and beliefs of  the Chinese people for thousands of years, thus becoming an important traditional spirit.  Indeed, filial piety binds every member of the family together and serves as a force that  cohesions society and maintains national stability. It is thus the most significant asset in  Chinese traditional culture. We can study it but cannot ignore it; we can criticize its feudal  and negative fronts, but we cannot abandon its fine and benevolent facets. The ancient seal character for “filiality” depicts a scene consisting of an upper part and a lower  part: an elderly person with a bent back, white hair flowing, leaning on a cane at the top, and  a child reaching out with both hands to support the elderly from below. The original meaning  of the Chinese character “filiality” (xiao 孝 ) is clearly explained as follows in Shuowen Jiezi,  a Chinese dictionary compiled by Xu Shen during the Eastern Han Dynasty. The upper part of  this character represents the aged parents, while the lower part represents the offspring; with the  “aged parents” above and the “offspring” below, the combination of these two parts signifies  the core connotation of “filial piety”, namely, “the offspring follows and obeys their parents”.  In terms of action, the “offspring” carrying the “aged parents” symbolizes that the aged parents  are physically frail, requiring the offspring to carry them as a means of transportation, filled with  feelings of gratitude, repayment, and care. From the perspective of homophonous cognates, the ancient Chinese phonology of “filiality”  (xiao 孝 ) is the same as “goodness” (hao 好 ). The oracle bone script of the Chinese character  “goodness” contains a left part and a right part. The left part depicts a married woman kneeling  to nourish her infant; the right one represents a “child”. The overall graphic conveys the  meaning of young offspring snuggling next to his or her mother, filled with innate family  affection. Thus, the character signifies dearness and affection. As the Chinese characters “filiality” and “goodness” belong to the same etymological  root, and the connotation of “filiality” also includes the meaning of love and affection,  the definition of “filiality” is the manifestation of affection towards one’s parents and  obedience to their wishes. It is an outflow of deep feelings for one’s loved kinsfolk, sincere gratitude for life, and uncomplaining reciprocation. For children to love their parents, being  finial means they should have an extremely humble and harmonious mindset. Just as a crow  knows to repay kindness by taking care of its parents and a little lamb kneels to receive  milk from its mother, filial piety towards one’s parents is an innate instinct of humans and a  natural emotion that comes with birth. In particular, elevating filial piety to a “way” of man  is unique in China, as stated in The Works of Mencius, “The course of Yao and Shun was  simply that of filial piety and fraternal duty.” How can filial piety be achieved? Records in the classics of ancient China can give us  sensible clues. According to the Book of Rites, “The repairing of the ancestral temple and  the reverential performance of the sacrifices were intended to teach the people to follow  their dead with their filial duty.” Another record can be found in the chapter “Canon of  Yao” in the Book of Documents, “(Emperor Yao) was able to promote moral values, so  that amity prevailed in his clan. He then clarified the hierarchical order of tribal officials.  Only when this was done could all vassal states, big and small, prosper in harmony, and  the people become friendly with each other.” Virtue and filial piety were also the moral  guidelines of the ruling class in the Zhou Dynasty, as “virtue towards heaven” and “filial  piety towards ancestors” were the distinctive features of Zhou ethics. The Chinese character  “filiality” already appeared frequently on inscriptions on Western Zhou bronze vessels,  with at least 112 inscriptions touching upon filial piety. The explanations of filial piety in the classics of ancient China are featured with  humanity. For example, in the Book of Documents, Emperor Shun was said to live in  harmony with his relatives by his filial piety. In Analects, Confucius once said, “The filial  piety nowadays means the support of one’s parents.” In the Book of Rites, filial piety has  three degrees. “The highest is the honouring of our parents; the second is the not disgracing  them; and the lowest is the being able to support them.” In The Works of Mencius, Mencius  emphasized that we should honour old people as we do our own aged parents. These  records all highlight the beauty of filial piety. The Chinese concept of filial piety originates from Confucius’ thoughts on filial piety.  Numerous discussions on filial piety can be found in Analects, even including specifics on  how to practice filial piety in daily ethics. Confucius pointed out that filial piety to parents  involves supporting them, respecting them, and loving them. He said, “A young man should be devoted to his parents at home and respectful to his elders outside it.” “While his parents are  living, a son should not go far abroad; if he does, he should let them know where he goes.” Mencius, the “Second Sage” of Confucianism, was active during the mid-Warring States  period. He provided a more detailed explanation of the behavioural norms of filial piety. “Of  all which a filial son can attain to, there is nothing greater than his honouring his parents.”  “When your parents are alive, serve them according to ritual. When they die, bury them  according to ritual and make sacrifices to them according to ritual.” The ancient Chinese also proposed “governing the country with benevolence and  filial piety”, which means to use family reverence to bring proper order to the empire,  thus regarding filial piety as the highest principle of man. This principle was centrally  demonstrated in Classic of Filial Piety written in the early Han Dynasty. The rulers of  the Han Dynasty vigorously praised those who were filial and respectful to their elders  and diligent in farming. In the biographic sketch of emperors in the Book of Han Dynasty and Book of the Later Han Dynasty, there were as many as 32 instances of nationwide  commendations and conferment of noble titles to those who exemplified filial piety  and respect. At that time, an official position was specifically established for those who  practiced filial piety and integrity well. Confucius believed that filial piety was the best form of education. This thought  permeated his entire spirit of filial piety and has had positive implications for both family  and social life. Confucius said, “He who loves his parents will not dare (to incur the risk  of) being hated by any man, and he who reveres his parents will not dare (to incur the  risk of) being contemned by any man.” Confucius summarized the core content of filial  piety education into three points, “It commences with the service of parents; it proceeds  to the service of the ruler; it is completed by the establishment of character.” Confucius  also proposed that humanity was the foundation of being human and that filial piety  and brotherly obedience were surely the roots of humanity. According to his viewpoint,  humanity was the highest realm of humans, but filial piety marked the root of that, making  it beyond all else. Filial piety is a natural expression of innate nature and the beginning of all virtuous  actions, as the saying goes, “Of all the virtues, filial piety comes first.” In the Book of Documents, Emperor Shun was said to be able by his filial piety to live in harmony with  his kinfolk, indicating that saints and sages gained popular support through practicing filial  piety, which in turn led to their becoming saints and sages. As such, Shun was listed as the  first of The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars. Most of the stories associated with filial piety in The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars are  derived from The Biographies of Filial Sons compiled by Liu Xiang, a Confucian scholar  and litterateur of the Western Han Dynasty. 

......

Shen Hong

Winter 2021