Filial piety and brotherly obedience are surely the roots of benevolence.”
In the same chapter, Confucius also said, “Young people should be filial to
their parents at home and respectful to their elder brothers when they are out.
Being serious and trustworthy, and loving extensively and being close to those who are humane.
When all this is done and there is time for other things, they should study the classics.”
In the chapter Tai Bo, it is also recorded: “If those in high position are sincere and affectionate
to their parents and relatives, in the common people will there arise humane feelings.”
We know that “rite” is the external and formalized existence
formed by a set of decrees, regulations and rituals,
which regulate and constrain human conducts.
While Confucius integrates the hard shells of etiquette norms
into people’s daily lives,
and endows the human mental basis ——benevolence.
and the root of “benevolence” is “being filial to parents” and “being respectful to elder brothers”,
which are based on
the love of family members.
Thus, Confucius does not direct emotions in daily life
to external things or mysterious state,
like Christian worships the God,
and Muslims adore Allah,
Confucius, however, melts emotions in daily life into the relationships and fellowships
based on parent-child love inward.
Just as what Mencius said
“Expand the respect of the aged in one’s family to that of other families;
expand the love of the young ones in one’s family to that of other families.
So, the ruthless rite is remolded
through humanization
to become internal demand in people’s heart
but not the external need psychologically.