novelaction Chapter 367 Filial piety is the root of everything
Chapter 367 Filial piety is the root of everything
The phenomenon of crows feeding their parents is often seen in nature:
When the little crow's wings gradually become strong and powerful, and the old crow can no longer fly freely and find food like before due to age and physical decline, the little crow will take the initiative to take responsibility and take good care of its mother.
This behavior has undoubtedly become a model of filial piety in human society. It tells us that when children grow up, they should do their best to take care of their elderly parents.
In comparison, the lamb kneeling to suckle is more affectionate.
When sucking milk from their ewes, lambs often kneel on the ground, as if using this gesture to convey their deep gratitude to their mothers - they know that it is their mother's milk that gives them the strength to grow vigorously.
Therefore, "the lamb kneeling to suckle" naturally evolved into an act full of gratitude, symbolizing the sincere gratitude for the boundless maternal love.
From the perspective of human ethics, this proverb more clearly highlights the truth that children should be grateful, respect and repay their parents for their upbringing.
At the same time, this proverb also encourages us to extend this feeling of gratitude to all aspects of life, not only to be grateful to family and friends, but also to have awe for the entire society, cherish the contributions of others, and work hard to give back to society.
To sum up, the meaning contained in this sentence goes far beyond a simple description of animal behavior, but rather is a profound advocacy and promotion of the human concept of filial piety.
It reminds us that no matter what cultural environment or historical period we are in, respecting parents and repaying kindness should be regarded as vital moral qualities.
“Even crows repay their parents by feeding them, and lambs kneel down to beg for milk.” This sentence comes from an unnamed work from the Ming Dynasty in China - Zeng Guang Xian Wen.
The original text reads: "Crows repay their parents by feeding them, sheep kneel to suckle their mothers, and horses never betray their mothers."
This passage conveys the following message:
The lamb knows to express its gratitude to its mother by kneeling down to suckle milk, and the crow knows to feed its mother who is too old to find food in order to repay her for raising it; horses will not deceive their mothers who gave birth to them.
These phenomena undoubtedly tell the world that children should fully understand the way of filial piety and put it into practice.
It is rumored that when old crows lose the ability to find food on their own, young crows will spit out the food they have swallowed to feed their elderly parents. This behavior is a vivid portrayal of animals in nature "repaying their parents" after they become adults.
In addition, the saying "crows repay their parents by kneeling down to feed their sheep" may also come from the book "One Hundred Filial Piety Classics".
The relevant sentences from the "Hundred Filial Piety Classics" are as follows:
Lambs know filial piety when they kneel down to suckle their mothers, and crows feed their parents in return. If a person does not know filial piety, he is no better than an animal and is truly pitiful. Filial piety is the first of all virtues, and we should know that filial piety is the root. Chanting the Buddha's name and doing good deeds is also filial piety, and filial piety relies on the power of the Buddha to surpass the nine heavens. Great filial piety, great filial piety, filial piety is infinite and boundless.
The general meaning is: lambs kneel down to suckle their mother's milk, and they know how to be filial to their mothers; crows will feed their parents in return when they grow up to repay their kindness. However, if a person does not know filial piety, he is worse than animals, which is really sad and lamentable!
Among various behaviors and good deeds, filial piety should be ranked first, and we should understand that the word "filial piety" is the root of everything.