【Source】The Confucian Analects of the Family: Chapter on Reflection (The Kung-tzu Chia-yü · Chih-ssu).
【Meaning】To carry rice to support one's parents; describes someone who is exceptionally filial.
【Historical Anecdote】
Zilu (also known as Zhong You), a native of the State of Lu during the late Spring and Autumn period, was one of Confucius’s most prominent disciples, renowned for his expertise in governance. He was a favored student of Confucius, known for his straightforward, courageous character and profound filial piety. However, in his youth, Zilu came from a poor family and lived on coarse grains and wild vegetables for years. Once, his elderly parents wished to eat rice, but there was not a single grain at home. What could he do? Zilu thought that if he crossed several mountains to borrow some rice from relatives, he could fulfill his parents’ wish. So, the young Zilu climbed over hills and traveled over ten miles to fetch a small bag of rice from his relatives. Seeing his parents enjoying the fragrant rice, Zilu forgot his exhaustion. Neighbors all praised Zilu as a brave and filial child.
After his parents passed away, Zilu traveled south to the State of Chu. The King of Chu greatly admired Zilu’s learning and character, appointing him to a high-ranking position with a hundred chariots and horses. His household accumulated more than ten thousand bushels of grain. Sitting on layered brocade cushions and feasting on sumptuous banquets, Zilu often missed his parents and sighed, “How I wish I could live as I once did—eating wild vegetables like lühuo and carrying rice from a hundred miles away to support my parents. But alas, that is no longer possible.” Confucius praised him, saying, “In serving your parents, you gave your utmost in life and remember them with longing in death!”
【Growth Insight】
“The tree wishes for stillness, but the wind won’t stop; the child wishes to care for his parents, but they are no longer there.” This was the lament of Gao Yu after his parents’ death, echoing Zilu’s sentiment. Filial piety cannot be measured by material offerings alone; it lies in the sincerity and reverence you feel toward your parents. The time we have to honor and care for our parents diminishes day by day. If we fail to act promptly, we will be left with lifelong regret. Filial devotion must be timely; we should not wait until it is too late to miss our parents and mourn their absence. Yet today, many children lack the virtue of respecting their parents and elders. They are self-centered and selfish. Think about it: how can a child who doesn’t even respect his parents be considered a good child? How can he be a good student? As adults, how can he respect the elderly and care for them? How can he shoulder the responsibilities of family and society? “Giving your utmost in life and remembering them in death”—Zilu sets the finest example for us all.