"The most important thing is to respect relatives, the second is not to be humiliated, and the second is to be able to support" comes from "Book of Rites: Sacrifice for Righteousness".

1. Original text

Zengzi said: "There are three kinds of filial piety: the first is to respect relatives, the second is not to be humiliated, and the second is to be able to support."

Gong Mingyi asked Zengzi Said: "Master, can you be filial?"

Zengzi said: "What do you say and do! What do you say and do! What a gentleman does to be filial is to first inherit his will and teach his parents to follow the way. Shen, Zhizhi How can a caregiver be filial?"

2. Explanation

Zengzi said: 'There are three levels of filial piety. The first level of filial piety is to honor one's father and mother, the second level of filial piety is to not insult one's parents' honor, and the third level of filial piety is to be able to support one's parents. "

Zengzi's student Gong Mingyi asked Zengzi: "Teacher, can you say that you have achieved the word 'filial piety'? "

Zengzi replied: "What kind of words are these! The so-called filial piety of a gentleman is to do what the parents want to do without waiting for their parents to express their opinions. At the same time, it can reassure the parents that everything they do is in line with the right path. I am just able to support my parents, how can I say that I have achieved the word "filial piety"! "

Extended information

Other discussions on "filial piety" in "Book of Rites"

1. Zengzi said: "The body is also the remains of the parents. . Do you dare to be disrespectful by carrying the remains of your parents? It is not filial piety to live in an unkind place; to be unfaithful to the king is not filial piety; to be disrespectful to officials is not filial piety; to not trust friends is not filial piety; to fight without courage is not filial piety; if the five things fail, disaster will happen to relatives, how dare you be disrespectful? Hengshi Tanxiang, taste it and recommend it, it is not filial piety, but nourishment. The so-called filial piety of a gentleman is what people in the country say about Yuan Ran: "Fortunately, I have a son!" ’ This is what is called filial piety. "

Explanation: Zengzi said: "'My body is the remains of my parents. How dare you not be careful when doing things with your parents' remains? If you are not dignified in daily life, you are unfilial; if you are not loyal to the emperor, you are unfilial; if you play around with your work, you are unfilial; if you don't keep your words to your friends, you are unfilial; if you are not brave in battle, you are unfilial.

If you fail to do these five aspects, it may appear that you are being punished, but in fact it will harm your parents’ remains. From this point of view, do you dare not be careful! Eating delicious delicacies and offering sacrifices at every age cannot be regarded as filial piety. It can only be regarded as the so-called filial piety for raising a gentleman. People all over the country admire him and say with joy: "Fathers and mothers who have such a son are really lucky!" ’ This is what is called filial piety.

2. Confucius said: "It is not filial piety to cut off a tree or kill an animal at the wrong time."

Explanation: Confucius said: "Even if you cut down a tree, you will not be filial." Even if you are hunting an animal, as long as you cut it down and kill it at the wrong time, it is unfilial."

3. There are three kinds of filial piety: small filial piety requires hard work, medium filial piety requires hard work, and great filial piety is not enough.

Explanation: There are three levels of filial piety: small filial piety only requires efforts, medium filial piety requires making achievements, and great filial piety requires having everything one wants.

Four. Thinking of kindness and forgetting about work can be said to be an effort. Respecting benevolence and peace of mind can be said to be the result of hard work. It can be said that there is no shortage if you give generously and prepare things. When parents love them, they praise them but never forget them; when parents hate them, they fear them but have no resentment; when parents have faults, they remonstrate without disobeying them; when parents are gone, they must ask for grain from the benevolent and offer sacrifices to them. This is called the end of ceremony.

Explanation: Missing your parents’ nurturing grace and forgetting about fatigue can be said to be a contribution. Practicing benevolence and righteousness can be said to have made meritorious deeds. Benefits were widely given to people, and people brought gifts to participate in their own sacrifices. It can be said that they got everything they asked for. If your parents love you, you will happily remember them forever. If my parents don't like me, I will be afraid and reflect on myself, but I won't complain.

When your parents make mistakes, you can politely advise them, but you cannot contradict them. When your parents die, even if you are so poor that you have to borrow money to hold sacrifices, you will not beg from evil people. This is called lifelong filial piety.