Filial Duty
Filial Duty, Chapter 6: The Filial Duty of Common People
A son's filial duty begins with serving parents, extends to serving the ruler, and culminates in establishing oneself.
Translation
CHAPTER VI
THE FILIAL DUTY OF COMMON PEOPLE
To do the necessary in every season (such as growing crops in spring
and reaping harvest in autumn), to do the utmost to make lands as
fertile as possible, and to be frugal in their expense, in order to
keep their parents in comfort, is the filial duty of the common people.
From the Emperor downwards to the common people, every one has the same
duty imposed upon him, and there is no instance in which we can find
that a man cannot fulfil this duty.
Practical Reading
This chapter lays out the threefold path: serve your parents well, serve your ruler loyally, and establish a good name for yourself. The progression moves from the intimate to the public to the lasting.
A useful reflection: are you neglecting one sphere at the expense of another? Someone who excels publicly while neglecting family has incomplete filial duty. Someone who cares for parents but acts without integrity in the wider world also falls short. The ideal is integration—letting the same virtues shape both domestic and public life.