This picture is a broken wall photographed by Japanese netizens, with a few mysterious lines on it.
As soon as the picture came out, netizens made textual research and identification. Some netizens think this is a Taoist figure to ward off evil spirits, others think it is a curse spell, and some even say it may be a supernatural phenomenon.
Later, someone finally saw that when the photo was turned over, it was just a few lines of ancient Chinese characters.
After repeated identification, this line of Chinese characters is: "filial piety is auspicious virtue, thieves and traitors are fierce virtue."
This line of words comes from China's ancient book Zuo Zhuan in the Spring and Autumn Period, which is also commonly known as Zuo Zhuan.
This sentence was said by Ji Wenzi, a doctor from Lu State. At that time, the prince of Jun State, a dependency of Lu, killed his father and gave his father's treasure. Duke Lu accepted and gave him a fief. Ji Wenzi resolutely opposed it and ordered people to drive him away. Duke Lu was confused. Ji Wenzi said this sentence: "filial piety is auspicious, thieves and traitors are fierce." It means that the Prince of the State of Ju is disloyal and unfilial. Hiding him in Lu is a big murder. We should drive him away.
In fact, it is a tradition of China people to dig out ancient books from the wall.
When Qin Shihuang burned books to bury Confucianism, Confucius, the ninth generation grandson of Confucius, quietly hid Confucian classics such as The Analects of Confucius, Shangshu, Chunqiu, Xiaojing and Book of Rites in the wall of Confucius' former residence in Qufu. In the Han Dynasty, some people tore down houses and built houses before they found these books on the wall.
Later, these Confucianism spread all over the world, and also spread to Japan across the ocean.
In 285 AD, Wang Ren, a Baekje from the Korean Peninsula, visited Japan and took ten volumes of The Analects with him. The Japanese were surprised when he told the general idea of the book. Japanese aristocrats and monks first set off an upsurge of studying The Analects of Confucius, and sent a large number of people to China to buy Confucian classics, including Zuo Zhuan. These are all recorded in the ancient Japanese history books "Koji" and "The Book of Japan", which are also written in Chinese characters.
Japanese people like Zuo Zhuan, mainly because it contains the spirit of scholar-officials' loyalty. In particular, the historical background of Zuo Zhuan is that there are many small countries, which are conquering each other, much like Japan's Warring States period. The intricate relationship among monarch, retainer and samurai makes it easier for Japanese to perceive the spirit of Zuozhuan in Confucian classics.
In fact, after reading this sentence in Zuo Zhuan on the wall, the Japanese should be ashamed.
After all, the ancient Japanese advanced their culture by learning Confucian classics. There are four words in this sentence: "Thief and traitor". From 1894 Sino-Japanese War to 1945, the Japanese invaded China with ulterior motives and stole many China cultural relics.
"Filial piety and loyalty are auspicious virtues, while thieves and Tibetan traitors are fierce virtues." I hope Japan will take a warning.