Scholars in the Yuan Dynasty compiled a collection of poems, which specifically recorded 24 dutiful sons who felt deeply moved from ancient times to the Song Dynasty. It's called Twenty-four Filial Pieties. From our point of view today, some of these deeds may be contrary to human feelings and some may be incredible, but what this book praises represents the purest and most glorious quality of human beings and will always inspire future generations.
Shun Di's deeds are recorded in Historical Records and other ancient books. Shun's experience is quite shocking. It is no longer a simple "grandma doesn't love uncle". Both parents and brothers want him dead. Shun's name is Zhong Hua, and his father is blind. His name is Gu Sou. Shun's mother died young and married a second wife. The new wife also brought a son named Xiang. Gu Sou is confused, which is even more wonderful for mother and son.
Even if Shun doesn't recruit her stepmother, her stepmother is still discussing with her own son to kill Shun. Shun's filial piety is very famous, and he is also very modest and patient. No matter where he goes to farm, fish and make pottery, people everywhere are influenced by him to compete for gifts. When Emperor Yao knew about it, he began to inspect him and gave him a lot of cattle, sheep and property. Shun's stepmother and younger brother, like jealousy, tried many times to kill Shun and take possession of his property.
Instead of stopping it, Gu Sou murdered Shun and his wife and stepson. For example, he went to the granary to repair the ceiling. His parents and brothers drew a ladder below and set the granary on fire. Shun was so lucky that he jumped down and ran away with two hats. Once again, let Shun dig a well, which is almost deep. When Shun was at the bottom of the well, the three men began to fill the well to bury people alive. Shun is more careful. He dug a secret passage to the ground and escaped.
But Shun is not disgusted at all. Instead, he shows more respect for his parents and more care for his younger brother. When Shun and his stepmother need to work hard, Shun will wait on them sooner or later. But when they tried to kill Shun, they couldn't see anyone else. Later, after more than 20 years of assessment, Shun inherited Yao and became the leader of all tribes in the world, treating his parents and brothers as before.
Shi Zaishun filial piety touched the sky, and the elephant helped him plow the fields.
"Mencius Zhang Wan" recorded that "Shun went to the field and cried for the sky". Working in the fields, I looked up and cried. At that time, Shun was fifty years old. Zhang Wan is a disciple of Mencius. He asked Mencius, why did Shun cry so sadly? At that time, he was already the master of the world. Mencius said that Shun was "resentful". Although he is rich in the world, he can't get his father's love and will never be happy for him. When I am old, I still cry when I think about it. Mencius' analysis further proves Shun's filial piety, and his parents' position in his heart is the first in the world.
Wang Yangming, a master of "Mind Learning" in Ming Dynasty, also mentioned Shun in Biography. When Wang Yangming was in Jiangxi, a father and son had an argument and quarreled endlessly, asking Wang Yangming to judge for them. Wang Yangming didn't ask right and wrong, only said a few words. As a result, before the words were finished, the father and son left in tears and made up. Wang Yangming's disciple was surprised and asked him what he said. Mr. Wang said, "I said Shun is the most unfilial son and the most loving father in the world."
Disciples are even more surprised. Wang Yangming explained: "Shun often thinks that he is the most unfilial, so he can be filial. Gu Sou often thinks that he is the most caring, so he can't be kind. " At this point, we understand that Wang Yangming's irony is that the two sides each hit fifty boards, which deeply shocked the father and son in the quarrel. This sentence seems simple, but in fact it contains the most profound philosophy of life.