The book of filial duty

Once upon a time Confucius was sitting in his study, having his disciple Tsêng Ts‘an to attend upon him. He asked Tsêng Ts‘an: “Do you know by what virtue and power the good Emp...

In order to prevent the people from treating their parents with cruelty, the Emperor first sets an example to them by showing a dear love to his mother; and in order to teach th...

Any man will be secure in his position, however high it may be, if he does not behave himself in a haughty manner; and will be ever able to keep his wealth if he is frugal and c...

If we do not put on such dress as our good Emperors of old would forbid, if we do not speak such words as they would forbid, and if we do not behave ourselves in such a way as t...

From the manner in which we should treat our father we learn how to treat our mother. The love toward them is the same. From the manner in which we should treat our father we al...

To do the necessary in every season (such as growing crops in spring and reaping harvest in autumn), to do the utmost to make lands as fertile as possible, and to be frugal in t...

On hearing what Confucius said about filial duty, Tsêng Tzŭ remarked: “How great is the use of filial duty!” Here Confucius continued: “Filial duty is the constant doctrine of H...

The good Emperors of old ruled the Empire by means of filial duty, and dared not neglect the ministers of their vassal states. How much less the dukes, marquises, earls, viscoun...

Tsêng Tzŭ asked: “Is filial piety the highest of all the virtues possessed by a great sage?” To this Confucius replied: “There is nothing so great in the world as man, and there...

Confucius said: “A filial son has five duties to perform to his parents: (1) He must venerate them in daily life. (2) He must try to make them happy in every possible way, espec...

To threaten the sovereign with force is an act which shows that the wrongdoer does not know the duty of an inferior to a superior; to say anything against the government founded...

Confucius said: “The best way to teach the people to love their sovereign is for the sovereign first to love his own parents; to teach them to be polite to each other is for the...

Confucius said: “When a ruler wishes to teach his people to love their parents, he does not go to their family every day to teach them. He teaches them by his showing reverence...

Confucius said: “A true gentleman is always filial to his parents, and in order to fulfil his duty to them to the fullest extent, he also serves his August Master with patriotis...

Tsêng Tzŭ said: “I have heard all that you said about parental love, filial love, reverence to elders, how to treat parents every day, and how to please them by making oneself k...

The good Emperors of old were not only filial to their parents, but also to the Supreme Father and Mother—that is, Heaven and the Earth. When an Emperor can live in harmony with...

Confucius said: “A good man always endeavours, while he is in the service of his sovereign, to express the utmost loyalty during audience with his August Master, and thinks at h...

Confucius said: “When a filial son loses his parent, he, of course, cannot help crying piteously. He cannot feel happy when he hears music. He will have no appetite for food, ho...