Filial Piety Essay

Evolution of Filial Piety in Ancient China

The roots of filial piety remain deeply grounded in Chinese culture and exerts a large influence on people’s mindset even in modern time. Though it is mostly known to be associated with Confucianism, its origin dates back to the early Shang, Xia, and Zhou Dynasties during 21st BCE to 221 BCE . Given its incredibly enduring presence in history, it is interesting to observe how the concept of filial piety adopts different representations according to the changing social and political scenes in China throughout the ages. One particular period in ancient China that was accompanied by noticeable evolution in people’s outlooks on this ideology is the time following the fall of the late Han Dynasty and during

Filial piety, as portrayed by traditional Confucian literature such as the Canon on Filial Piety, appeared to be an ideology that may provide stability to the state system. The thought is that those who are filial to their parents develop into worthy individuals who will serve the state and the kingdom with respect. “What he undertakes in order to serve his father, he does to serve his lord; his reverence for them is the same.” Serving one’s parents is the first step in the process of cultivating a reputable self to be a subject of the king and the state. In the words of the Master, Confucius, “the beginning of filial piety is serving one’s parents; the middle is serving one’s ruler, and the end is establishing oneself.” The Canon of Filial Piety informs its readers about the universal representation of being filial, such as through mourning and/or serving the state as a worthy individual. There is little specificity about what exactly constitutes being filial given that there is little detail about the set of actions that marks the definition of servitude to parents and the state. Instead, it mainly highlights the destination the individual should embark. Bearing this belief system adopted by the early Han in mind, it is possible to see why people turned away from involvement

The Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, Lives of Filial Offspring, and The Original Vow of the Bodhisattva of the Earth Sanctuary have characters with personality and depth, which makes it easier to put an identity to the narrative. The Canon of Filial Piety, on the other hand, adopts an impersonal approach and does not give a name to the individuals mentioned. The stylization of the two categories of literatures relates to the representations of filial piety each adopts; giving the characters personality is parallel to the new focus on cultivating the self on a personal level, while have nameless individuals coincides with the idea of serving the greater community before developing into a reputable individual through pious deeds. Furthermore, along with giving characters more depth, early medieval filial piety narratives integrate endings about successful endeavors as a result of filial deeds. These endings often illustrate the benefits associated with leading a pious life by serving one’s parents, such as striking a jackpot that would support the entire family , or the being able to travel to the realm of the afterlife to find one’s parents . This is significantly different from the Canon of Filial Piety, which does not have any mentioning of receiving benefits from