THE CLASSIC OF FILIAL PIETY, A CONFUCIAN TEXT: DELIVERING THE “UTMOST PLEASURE” TO ONE’S PARENTS

Filial Piety, a principal tenet of Confucian philosophy, is a “virtue of respect for one’s parents, elders, and ancestors.”

At its root(s), the notion of filial piety was considered an unquestioned building block in Confucianism because devotion to the parents was inextricably linked to devotion to the state.

But it became even larger than that if conceivable, and in time eclipsed the widespread adherence to ren or benevolence and yi, righteousness, in terms of “blind loyalty.”

The Classic of Filial Piety attributes this to Confucius: “In serving his parents, a filial son reveres them in daily life; he makes them happy while he nourishes them; he takes anxious care of them in sickness; he shows great sorrow over their death that was for him; and he sacrifices to them with solemnity.”

Chinese tradition has long held that Filial Piety is the single-most valued, exalted and significant virtue “to be cherished throughout the span of one’s parents lifetime…and to be a filial son is the uppermost duty of any Chinese son.”

An unfortunate truth in today’s faster-than-the-speed-of-sound world of ours is that deep and firmly-entrenched historical traditions (and their accordant behaviors) erode and ultimately are wholly shunned, sometimes all-too-quickly.

In the context of progress and the present/future, this is easily understood. But thankfully, not universally acknowledged.

As Ron Lieber the NYT Your Money columnist so ably points out in his 07/30/2016 offering, the concept of “giving back” to parents is still alive and kickin’.

And in this country to boot.

While the “underwear tradition” thought to have been birthed following the Korean War — young adults buying red thermal underwear for their parents as a token of gratitude and as a practical item representing (inexpensive) warmth in a time when money and working heating systems did not abound — exists in related forms today, more extravagant luxuries are likely procured in keeping with the times.

Lieber cites the case of one Justine Chang, daughter of Sunny Chong and a recent graduate of Cal-Berkeley.

Working for an international law firm in San Francisco has positioned Chang to lay down about six grand as a down payment toward an Audi Q7 for her mother who in her wildest dreams never would have been able to afford such a vehicle.

But Chang relied more perhaps on an insurance settlement she had received after her own car was lost in a fire. And with saved earnings from part-time employment beginning when she was fifteen, the dutiful daughter has taken her family out to eat and bought them gifts routinely.

This practice is so deeply-ingrained that it is second-nature to her.

“You should know intuitively how much they gave up for you,” she says “and do whatever you can to make sure they have a comfortable life…I didn’t think it was a Korean thing.”

Aaah.

Therein lies the golden nugget, the piece de resistance.

It shouldn’t be “a Korean thing.”

Nor should it remain buried in Confucian lore purely for traditionalists and history buffs.

Filial Piety and all it encompasses should span the test of time and bind generation to generation past, present and future, ad infinitum.

To ensure its perpetuation the young need only remember one thing.

If they’re lucky, they too will grow old.

[Editor’s Note: This piece was written by Mr. Kaplan in July 2016.]