Chinese filial piety culture

Author: Wan Bengen et al. / Country:
Publisher:
Publishing Time: 2001-01-01
Features: In the ethical and moral system of Confucianism, "filial piety" holds an extremely important position. Represented by Confucius and Mencius as the pre-Qin Confucian scholars, they pointed out that among a person's virtues, none is greater than filial piety. Serving parents and practicing filial piety are the foundation of being a person. The representatives of the new Confucianism in the Song Dynasty, such as Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, and Zhang Zai, elevated filial piety to a universal virtue, emphasizing its role in daily ethical life. The influence of Confucian filial piety was widespread, and it had an especially profound impact on the development of ancient Chinese medical science. This is because Confucius, Mencius, Cheng, and Zhang, not only advocated filial piety and paid attention to medical knowledge, but even included medical practice within the scope of filial piety. Later generations of physicians all revered Confucianism, and thus a relatively special relationship existed between medicine and Confucianism. Confucius and Mencius' views on filial piety first had a certain impact on the development of ancient medicine. From the Han and Jin dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties, many famous physicians proposed the idea that understanding medicine was a form of filial piety. For example, Zhang Zhongjing, revered as the "Sage of Medicine," said: "Pay close attention to medicine, thoroughly study medical techniques, use them to treat the illnesses of the ruler and parents, and help the poor and oppressed" (Preface to the Treatise on Cold Damage)., a Jin Dynasty scholar, said: "Receiving one's parents' body, with an eight-foot torso, yet being ignorant of medicine, is what is called a wandering soul. If one is not proficient in medical knowledge, even with loyal and filial hearts and benevolent and kind natures, when the ruler and parents are in danger and children are in distress, there is no way to help them. This is why the sages and scholars thought deeply and argued extensively, exhausting the principles." (Biography in the Book of Jin). Chu Cheng of the Southern Qi Dynasty, in his book "Chu's Legacy," said: "A physician is not someone who lacks benevolence and love; they cannot be entrusted; not someone who lacks intelligence and understanding; they cannot be entrusted; not someone who lacks integrity and virtue; they cannot be trusted. Therefore, in ancient times, when using physicians, they must select descendants of famous families. Their virtue enables benevolence and tolerance, and their intelligence enables them to understand and resolve complex issues. They can understand the order of the heavens and earth and deities, and they can clearly understand the numbers of life and death." Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty also said in the Preface to the Emergency Thousand Gold Essential Prescriptions: "If the ruler and parents are ill and cannot be cured, it is not loyalty or filial piety. If there are sick and suffering people seeking help, they should be treated as if they were the closest relatives." These statements all reflect the spiritual essence of Confucius and Mencius' filial piety views, believing that filial sons and loyal ministers must always ensure the health of the ruler and parents and must study and master medical techniques. The statements of Zhang Zhongjing,, Chu Cheng, and Sun Simiao historically pioneered the theory of combining medicine and filial piety. This shows that Confucius and Mencius' views on caring for parents and their desire to master medical knowledge easily resonated with physicians who took saving lives and healing the sick as their duty. This also reflects the common desire of people in social life to hope for the health and longevity of their parents. Song Dynasty Neo-Confucianism was a peak in the development of Confucianism. The founders of Neo-Confucianism, such as the Two Chengs and Zhang Zai, comprehensively elaborated on the filial piety views of Confucius and Mencius and made more attempts in practice, particularly in their love and admiration for medical skills, thus making the relationship between filial piety and medicine even closer and forming a unique theory of combining medicine and filial piety. Since Neo-Confucianism became the dominant ideology in the later feudal society, its influence on medicine became more significant. The school of Lu Learning founded by Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi has always been regarded as the orthodox of Neo-Confucianism. The Two Chengs were knowledgeable in medicine and. Regarding pulse-taking, the Two Chengs said: "Those who live a long life have naturally deep qi and blood, and pulse breaths, which have deep roots and firm foundations. The pulse originates from the Yangming meridian, circulates downward, and reaches both pulse points naturally, so it is here that the pulse is taken. Another path flows from the head downward to the large (Tai Chong) point on the foot, which is also like the pulse points." The "" (qìkǒu), also known as "" (cùnkǒu) or "" (màikǒu), refers to the radial artery on the inner side of the radial head of both hands. However, the Two Chengs did not understand the exclusive method of taking the pulse at the "" (cùnkǒu) commonly used in modern Chinese medicine, but rather the whole-body diagnostic method of "" (bùjiǎ jiǔhòu) proposed in the Suwen·Sanbuji. Therefore, the "" (Dà Chōng) point on the foot is also a pulse-taking point. Pulse-taking is the most difficult of the four diagnostic methods of inspection, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation. Wang Shuhe of the Jin Dynasty said in the Preface to the Pulse Classic: "The principles of the pulse are subtle and its form difficult to discern. It is easy to understand in the heart but difficult to grasp with the fingers." The understanding of pulse patterns entirely depends on the physician's accumulated experience. Yet the Two Chengs could, like physicians, discern the complex pulse patterns of "tense, tight, floating, and empty, which are similar and interrelated," and distinguish between life and death, showing their profound expertise in pulse-taking. The Two Chengs also understood pharmacology. In The Collected Works of the Two Chengs, Volume 15, it is said: "A physician who does not master the principles will not fully understand the properties of prescriptions and medicines, only knowing to treat according to the properties of things, not knowing how they change after combination. For example, (Hézi) and (Huáng) combine to form black, and once black appears, yellow and white disappear. Similarly, one and two combine to form three, and once three appears, one and two disappear. Once three is formed, seeking one and two again; once black is formed, seeking yellow and white again—that is not understanding the properties of things. The ancients exhausted the principles of things, tasting their flavors, smelling their odors, distinguishing their colors, and knowing that certain things combine to form certain properties." This discusses the combination and decomposition of drugs, emphasizing the need to carefully identify the color, odor, and taste of single herbs to understand the properties and efficacy of prescriptions. Of course, among various medical knowledge, the Two Chengs seemed more familiar with mental health knowledge, which is clearly related to the Confucian tradition of emphasizing moral cultivation since Confucius and Mencius. They believed that the reason people doubt their own health is that "those who doubt their illness have doubts in their hearts even before anything happens" (Volume 3 of The Collected Works of the Two Chengs). For treating insomnia, "it is better to recite auspicious words than to count beads" (Volume 2, Part 1 of The Collected Works of the Two Chengs). For hallucinations of seeing lions, the patient "should chase and grasp what they see, but there is nothing there, and over time, the doubt will be cured" (Volume 11 of The Collected Works of the Two Chengs). For example, regarding fear, The Collected Works of the Two Chengs, Volume 18, records: "Someone asked: Why do people often feel frightened when alone in a room or walking in the dark? The answer is: It is simply because their understanding of the principles is unclear. If they can understand the principles, they will know what they fear is illusory, and then why fear?" The inner fear is just because they do not understand the nature and principles of things, so they proposed the general treatment method of "understanding the principles can cure fear" (Volume 1 of The Collected Works of the Two Chengs). "Anger" is the easiest emotion to erupt and the hardest to control. Excessive anger is very harmful to the body, and how to control anger has always been an important topic in Confucian self-cultivation. The Two Chengs proposed the method of controlling anger with reason, saying: "Human emotions are easy to erupt but hard to control, especially anger. When angry, one should quickly forget the anger and observe the principles of right and wrong, which can also show that external temptations are not worth hating, and the way of thinking has passed half the way." (Volume 15 of The Collected Works of the Two Chengs). That is, when about to anger, one needs to adjust by observing the right and wrong of the situation, which will eliminate the cause of anger and return to a state of calm and balance. This is clearly a practical psychological therapy. Among a person's various emotions, the Two Chengs, like Confucius and Mencius, also emphasized "joy." For example, they said: "A benevolent person does not worry, they enjoy the heavens" (Volume 15 of The Collected Works of the Two Chengs). "A benevolent person has it within themselves, so why worry? Everything not within oneself, chasing external things, is worry. Enjoying the heavens and knowing one's destiny is why they do not worry. This is what is meant." (Volume 1 of The Collected Works of the Two Chengs). Of course, the "joy" here, like Confucius and Mencius, also involves value judgments in terms of ethics and morality. The poetry of Cheng Hao everywhere reflects the emotional experience of "joy." In his poem "" (Accidental Composition), he writes: "Clouds are light, the wind is gentle, near noon; beside flowers and willows, I pass the river. People do not recognize my heart's joy, thinking I am idly learning like a youth." In another poem, "" (Accidental Composition in Autumn), he writes: "Retiring to a humble lane, Yan Hui finds joy; not seeing Chang'an, Li Bai feels sorrow. In the end, one must gain something; my heart is everywhere, always at ease." "When idle, there is nothing but ease; waking by the east window, the sun is already red. Quietly observing all things, they all find joy; sharing the joys of the four seasons with others." Here, the joy expressed is tranquil, leisurely, and self-possessed, clearly reflecting the principles of. In summary, the medical knowledge of the Two Chengs was indeed systematic and comprehensive, showing their extraordinary passion and dedication to this field. In the realm of morality, is benevolence the foundation, or is filial piety the foundation? In the theory of human nature, is filial piety the first of human nature, or is benevolence the first? This has been a major topic debated by Confucians since the Eastern Han Dynasty until the Qing Dynasty for over a thousand years. The essence of this debate actually involves how to correctly understand the philosophical foundation, behavioral norms, and ethical standards of traditional morality, which is worth in-depth discussion. This article traces the historical origin of the debate between benevolence and filial piety, hoping to gain beneficial practical insights from it, and thus this article is written to seek advice from experts.
I. The Historical Origin of the Debate on the Order of Benevolence and Filial Piety
In the ideological system of the Analects, Confucius regarded benevolence as the highest moral standard, while ethical behaviors such as filial piety, fraternal duty, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, and courage were considered moral concepts subordinate to benevolence, which is without doubt. However, regarding the direct relationship between the concepts of benevolence and filial piety, Confucius himself did not provide a complete discussion, "did not propose a moral system" (as Mr. Zhang Dai-nian put it). In the Analects, Confucius mentioned "benevolence" 105 times and filial piety 19 times. While excluding the statements of his disciples such as Zengzi and Yuzi about benevolence and filial piety, there is only one statement where he mentions benevolence and filial piety: "When disciples are at home, they practice filial piety; when they are abroad, they practice fraternal duty. They are cautious and trustworthy, love all people and are close to benevolence. If they have surplus strength after fulfilling these duties, they should study literature." Here, "benevolence" refers to benevolent people, so it is difficult to say which is prior between benevolence and filial piety. However, his disciples Yuzi and Zengzi had different views, leading to two interpretations. Yuzi said: "A gentleman focuses on the root; when the root is established, the way is born. Filial piety and fraternal duty are the root of benevolence!" Yuzi advocated that filial piety and fraternal duty are the root of benevolence, and that they come before benevolence. Zengzi, on the other hand, said: "Be cautious at the end of life and follow the distant; the people's morality will return to." In the Book of Filial Piety, Zengzi recorded Confucius' words: "Filial piety is the root of virtue, and the origin of education." Here, not only did Zengzi advocate that filial piety is the root of virtue, but it seems that Confucius also advocated it. Nothing is greater in a person's actions than filial piety, making it the root of virtue. Due to the different views of Confucius and his disciples on the relationship between filial piety, virtue, and benevolence, this laid the groundwork for the intense debate on the order of "benevolence and filial piety" after the Han Dynasty, resulting in two major schools of thought: one advocating filial piety first, and the other advocating benevolence first; one revering Yuzi, and the other revering Zengzi, which then led to the debate on the "co-praise of Yu and Zeng." The co-praise of Yu and Zeng and the debate on the order of benevolence and filial piety lasted for over a thousand years, with the earliest intense debate beginning in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Historical records of the intense debate on the order of benevolence and filial piety in the Eastern Han Dynasty are found in the Biography of Yan Dun in the Book of the Later Han. During the "May Fourth Movement" period, the New Culture Movement began a comprehensive reflection on Chinese culture and launched a fierce critique of Confucian thought, and the Book of Filial Piety was naturally one of the targets of the critique. From our perspective today, the Book of Filial Piety indeed contains content that promotes feudal ethical morality and hierarchical concepts. However, if we cross the long river of two thousand years of history, enter the chaotic era of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States, enter the silent minds of thinkers who were out of step with their time, and carefully search for it, what conclusions will we draw? Using the principles of historical materialism to analyze the social reality and thought of that time, placing it in its proper historical and intellectual context, and drawing a more just conclusion would be necessary. Based on this perspective, the author analyzes the content of the Book of Filial Piety from three aspects and believes that it is the crystallization of the wisdom of filial piety in pre-Qin Confucianism. First, from an ethical perspective, the formation of the Book of Filial Piety represents a new height in the development of Chinese filial piety culture. Humans are emotional beings, and emotional bonds caused by the same blood are a kind of innate psychology determined by genetic genes. Filial piety is the manifestation of this innate psychology of humans. The character "" (xiào) appeared in Shang Dynasty oracle bone inscriptions; by the Zhou Dynasty, the emergence of the patriarchal system led to the great development of the concept of "." Filial piety to ancestors and parents, respect for elder brothers, and friendship with younger brothers were established through this subtle and gradual process, solidifying the patriarchal system's feudal relationships. In the Book of Changes·Xu Bu Chuan: "After heaven and earth exist, then there are things; after things exist, then there are men; after men exist, then there are husbands and wives; after husbands and wives exist, then there are fathers and sons; after fathers and sons exist, then there are rulers and subjects; after rulers and subjects exist, then there are superiors and subordinates; after superiors and subordinates exist, then propriety and righteousness can be placed." From this passage, we can see that propriety and righteousness first originated from blood relationships and then spread to individuals in society. The reason is that the family is the cell of society, the most basic production and consumption unit in social groups. Therefore, the relationships within the family became the most basic ethical relationships in ancient Chinese society. In a family, the relationship between parents and children is important, especially the father-son relationship. The ethical norms of this father-son relationship in the Confucian thought system are "filial piety." Among the pre-Qin schools, Confucianism was the most concerned with the relationship between self and others. In their respective ideological systems, they elaborated on and argued for "." In Confucius' view, "" was undoubtedly the first step in his thought of rectifying the social order of "ruler-ruler, minister-minister, father-father, son-son." "A disciple is filial at home and fraternal abroad; cautious and trustworthy, loving all people and close to benevolence. If they have surplus strength after fulfilling these duties, they should study literature." "For three years without changing the way of the father and son can be called filial." "Meng Yi asked about filial piety. Confucius said: do not violate. Serve them with propriety when alive; bury them with propriety when dead; sacrifice to them with propriety.", as the orthodox successor of Confucius' thought, "If one is not harmonious with their parents, they cannot be a person; if one is not filial to their parents, they cannot be a son." "Even a young child does not know how to love their parents; as they grow older, they do not know how to respect their elder brothers. Loving one's parents is benevolence; respecting elder brothers is righteousness. There is nothing else, it is reaching it everywhere." Xunzi opposed blindly obedient filial piety. In the Xunzi·Zi Dao, he said: "Understanding the meaning of following and not following, and being able to practice respect, loyalty, trustworthiness, and sincerity with caution, can be called great filial piety. It is said: follow the way, not the ruler; follow righteousness, not the father." This is what is meant.