THE FILIAL DUTY OF A SON 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, especially when the meal is served. (3) He must take extra care of them when they are sick. (4) He ought to show great sorrow for them when they are dead. (5) He must offer sacrifices to his deceased parents with the utmost solemnity. If he fulfils these duties, then he can be considered as having done what ought to be done by a son.” A son ought not to feel proud of the high position he occupies, ought not to show dissatisfaction with his inferior position to that of others, and ought not to act against the natural feeling of the public. If he is proud and haughty when he is a high official, he will soon bring ruin upon himself and his family; if he feels dissatisfied with his lower position, he may be led to do illegal acts; and if he does anything contrary to the public feeling, he will probably be the object of attacks. Having thus wronged himself, he cannot be considered as a filial son, although he treats his parents every day to luxurious meals. CHAPTER XI THE FIVE PUNISHMENTS The criminal law consists principally of five punishments, which are directed against three thousand offences. Of them, disobedience to one’s parents is considered the most heinous crime. 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 by the wise men of many generations gone by is an act which shows that the speaker does not know what law is; and to say that a son need not be filial to his parents is also an act which shows that the speaker does not know what is the natural relation and duty between a son and parents. Such acts will no doubt lead the man to a wrong course of life. CHAPTER XII AMPLIFICATION OF THE “IMPORTANT DOCTRINE” 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 sovereign himself first to be polite to all his elders; and to improve bad manners and customs is for him first to pay attention to the composition of the music played in the country. “What is etiquette? It is simply due respect to one’s elders. If I respect the parents, the son will be pleased; if I respect the elder brothers, the younger ones will be pleased; and if I respect the sovereign, all the ministers will be pleased. I respect only one person, but I please thousands upon thousands. Those to whom the respect is paid are few, and those whom I please are many. This is what is called an ‘important doctrine.’” CHAPTER XIII AMPLIFICATION OF “THE HIGHEST VIRTUE”