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This very small "Classical book on the filial piety" recites a Confucius lesson to his disciple Zeng Shen 曾參 on how to behave towards a senior, be it the own father, an elder brother or the ruler. The dialog-like text has probably been compiled by Zeng Can's own disciples. In spite of its smallness, this text is the core of Confucian social thinking which gives every person a defined position in the social context. In the Confucianist's eyes, behaviour following ones own position assured the stability of the familiy, the society, and the state. Social disorder would end in chaos and war.
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Exemplarious translation:
１０．紀孝行章
子曰：「孝子之事親也，居則致其敬，養則致其樂，病則致其憂，喪則致其哀， 祭則致其嚴，五者備矣，然後能事親。事親者，居上不驕，為下不亂，在醜不爭 ；居上而驕則亡，為下而亂則刑，在醜而爭則兵，三者不除，雖日用三牲之養， 猶為不孝也。」
An orderly description of the acts of filial piety
The Master said, 'The service which a filial son does to his parents is as follows: In his general conduct to them, he manifests the utmost reverence; in his nourishing of them, his endeavour is to give them the utmost pleasure; when they are ill, he feels the greatest anxiety; in mourning for them (dead), he exhibits every demonstration of grief; in sacrificing to them, he displays the utmost solemnity. When a son is complete in these five things (he may be pronounced) able to serve his parents. He who (thus) serves his parents, in a high situation, will be free from pride; in a low situation, will be free from insubordination; and among his equals, will not be quarrelsome. In a high situation pride leads to ruin; in a low situation insubordination leads to punishment; among equals quarrelsomeness leads to the wielding of weapons.If those three things be not put away, though a son every day contribute beef, mutton, and pork to nourish his parents, he is not filial.'
１１．五刑章
子曰：「五刑之屬三千，而罪莫大於不孝。要君者，無上；非聖人者，無法； 非孝者，無親，此大亂之道也。」
Filial piety in relation to the five punishments
The Master said, 'There are three thousand offences against which the five punishments are directed, and there is not one of them greater than being unfilial. When constraint is put upon a ruler, that is the disowning of his superiority; when the authority of the sages is disallowed, that is the disowning of (all) law; when filial piety is put aside, that is the disowning of the principle of affection. These (three things) pave the way to anarchy.'
１６．感應章
子曰：「昔者明王事父孝，故事天明；事母孝，故事地察；長幼，故上下治； 天地明察，神明彰矣！故雖天子，必有尊也，言有父也；必有先也，言有兄也。 宗廟致敬，不忘親也；修身慎行，恐辱先也；宗廟致敬，鬼神著矣。孝悌之至， 通於神明，光于四海，無所不通。《詩》云：『自西自東，自南自北， 無思不服。[3.1.10.(244)＜文王有聲＞]』」
The Influence of Filial Piety and the Response to it
'The Master said, 'Anciently, the intelligent kings served their fathers with filial piety, and therefore they served Heaven with intelligence; they served their mothers with filial piety, and therefore they served Earth with discrimination. They pursued the right course with reference to their (own) seniors and juniors, and therefore they secured the regulation of the relations between superiors and inferiors (throughout the kingdom). When Heaven and Earth were served with intelligence and discrimination, the spiritual intelligences displayed (their retributive power). Therefore even the Son of Heaven must have some whom he honours; that is, he has his uncles of his surname. He must have some to whom he concedes the precedence; that is, he has his cousins, who bear the same surname, and are older than himself. In the ancestral temple he manifests the utmost reverence, showing that he does not forget his parents; he cultivates his person and is careful of his conduct, fearing lest he should disgrace his predecessors. When in the ancestral temple he exhibits the utmost reverence, the spirits of the departed manifest themselves. Perfect filial piety and fraternal duty reach to (and move) the spiritual intelligences, and diffuse their light on all within the four seas; they penetrate everywhere. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "From the west to the east, From the south to the north, There was not a thought but did him homage."'
Translated by James Legge
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