In this way, many rich people in Shandong often travel around the world to bring back their compatriots. One day, while traveling around the world, Zi Gong met a group of slaves from Lu, so he was kind enough to bring them all back, and he didn't want state bonus compensation, and said he was willing to bear the expenses and didn't need state subsidies. He thinks he is noble.
However, it has led to a bad phenomenon. There are fewer and fewer people coming back to redeem people, and no one from other countries has brought them back. Moreover, the state gives less and less bonuses to the rich people in Lu who bring back slaves, and those who bring back slaves will be gossiped by others when they take the money.
Zi Gong was puzzled and asked the master Confucius. Confucius cursed after hearing this: "Zigong, you are a disaster to the country and the people!" " "
Confucius explained that the laws of the country are good laws, allowing the rich to redeem slaves and the state subsidizes them. The rich will be called good people, and the rich will do so more and more. But because your self-righteous kindness was destroyed, you redeemed the people who had no money, and the country thought, yes, the rich earned the money of the country, and redemption is also an obligation. There is no need to give them money. Although the rich lost their bonuses, they were squeezed out by other people's gossip, so why did the rich take the trouble to find another job?
Zi Gong listened to Kong's words and thought it was really like this!
Everything in the world is inseparable from righteousness and benefit. Lu's original law was to pursue a fair word and bring back compatriots in distress. Rich people will not lose money with state subsidies, but will be praised. However, Zigong's practice has improved everyone's view of "righteousness". Rich people bring their compatriots home in trouble, not only without subsidies, but also because they ask the state for money, which naturally goes against the original intention of the state.