Regarding this paragraph, I want to refine two key points.
The first point is that as a dutiful son, he has actually fulfilled three moral obligations. The functions of these three ethical duties are as follows: the first is "the foundation of the people is exhausted", the second is "the righteous preparation of life and death", and the third is "the filial piety is coming to an end".
Let's analyze the functions of these three moral obligations.
The first kind, "being born for the people", is to fulfill the obligation of social ethics, that is, to die for parents' health, but also to fulfill the obligation as a person. Therefore, as a son of man, we are also a member of the social country. Now you are eager for your parents' health. In fact, you have done your duty of social morality. This is the completion of the first ethical role.
Then the completion of the second ethical role is the responsibility of the ethics of life and death. This is to further expand the moral responsibility of the Son of Man to his parents from birth to death, and to publicize the moral responsibility of guarding all people from birth to death. What is important to us is the process of parents from birth to death. As a son of man, we can fulfill this obligation, and we can also expand it to publicize and protect everyone's moral responsibility from birth to death. So there is life and death, this kind of life and death event. Therefore, fulfilling the ethical obligation of life and death is also a very important ethical task.
The third role is the duty of filial piety ethics, that is, to die through filial piety, to become a model of filial piety, to be imitated by others, and to complete the duty of filial piety ethics of "standing on the road, being famous for later generations, and finally being filial"
Therefore, we can see that these three kinds of ethics, whether as social ethical obligations, life and death ethical obligations, or even filial son ethical obligations, are all explained by responsibility ethics, not a power-based ethics as mentioned in the West. Therefore, from these three ethical responsibilities, we can see the characteristics of the Book of Filial Piety: "the origin of the people is exhausted", "the righteousness of life and death" and "the filial piety is related to death".
Secondly, I want to explain what the meaning of "final" is about "filial son's business is over".
So please note that my translation here means that this particular form of filial piety has come to an end, but I still miss my parents all my life. This is how I translated it. I think it should be translated correctly, otherwise I will think that filial piety will end when the funeral is over. The "last" here means that in the external specific etiquette form of serving my parents, I have come to an end from birth to death, and then I have to face a moment when there are no living parents, and my inner memory begins.
Just like the words "the end of the book of changes, so you know the theory of life and death" in the Book of Changes, it means that saints judge the beginning of everything, so they know their life. Then we pursue the end of everything, so we know why he died, so we pay attention to the way of ending, that is, every life has its beginning and its end. But the end is not the end, but the beginning of another journey.
I have a special explanation, but I'm not sure it's correct. After preparing this chapter, I will share my achievements with you. My experience is this. The road to the destination refers to a journey of spiritual life from a specific material form.
The key lies in the word "anti", which means return, return. Return to what? Our heart is to return to the original life, how parents gave birth to me, raised me, raised me, loved me and thanked me. Usually when your parents are alive, you don't think so. Now that I have passed away, it is a spiritual feeling of remembering gratitude. It is no longer just a filial act to ask questions and give medicine to soup before dying. Therefore, the word "final" refers to doing one's duty as a child while alive, and always remembering to be grateful after death. This is my understanding of the "ending" of the "filial son's affair".
Finally, I will make a simple summary in this chapter. As the last chapter of the Book of Filial Piety, bereavement actually has its special significance.
People who don't know the world think that this kind of funeral is to tie the children's hands and feet, but if we really look closely, we will find that this is a true filial son's inner gratitude to his parents and a natural external behavior. Therefore, scholars will say that Confucianism is a kind of pure-hearted ethics, not utilitarian ethics or interest ethics.
In this chapter, if you look at the classic texts from the internal essence, you will easily understand that external body movements, including external etiquette forms, are actually natural extensions. Where a dutiful son is filial, you will naturally do it. You know best whether you are sincere enough.
In addition, Confucianism also formulated funeral etiquette, changed customs and maintained political and social stability through the mode of filial piety. Later, the Han Dynasty used the Book of Filial Piety to govern the country, which laid the foundation for the stability of the empire for more than 400 years. However, the system has been implemented for a long time, and the problem of internal essence has been paid less and less attention. Funeral or all etiquette has become a kind of benevolence that stays in the form and misses the most fundamental childlike heart, so it is inevitable that some problems will arise. Therefore, the ancients said that "time is important" and time is "time", which means that the etiquette system can change with the times, but the core spirit of the whole etiquette is the connotation of benevolence, benevolence and benevolence. This is an unchangeable and most important core. We should treat this chapter with this most important core essence, so as not to misunderstand this chapter and only pay attention to this form. The above is my understanding of this chapter, and I will share it with you. (Note: The text is the lecturer's manuscript, which is slightly different from the audio. )
Think about a problem
1. What are the functions of the three ethical duties fulfilled by the dutiful son?
As a dutiful son, he fulfilled the obligation of "loving his parents when he was born and mourning when he died", in fact, he fulfilled three ethical obligations. The functions of these three ethical obligations are: the first is "the foundation of giving birth to the people has been exhausted", the second is "the meaning of life and death has been prepared", and the third is "the filial duty has been completed"
2. What do you mean by "over"?
The word "final" means that you can do your duty to support your children when you are alive, and you can always remember your gratitude after you die.
3. As the last chapter of the Book of Filial Piety, what is its special significance?
People who don't know the world think that this kind of funeral is to tie the children's hands and feet, but if we really look closely, we will find that this is a true filial son's inner gratitude to his parents and a natural external behavior. Therefore, scholars will say that Confucianism is a kind of pure-hearted ethics, not utilitarian ethics or interest ethics.