He carried Rice for his Parents

The Book of Filial Duty, by Ivan Chen, [1908], at sacred-texts.com

No. V

He carried Rice for his Parents

In the Chou dynasty lived Chung Yu, also a disciple of Confucius, who, because his family was poor, usually ate herbs and coarse pulse; and he also went more than a hundred li to procure rice for his parents. Afterwards, when they were dead, he went south to the country of Ch‘u, where he was made commander of a hundred companies of chariots. There he became rich, storing up grain in myriads of measures, reclining upon cushions, and eating food served to him in numerous dishes; but, sighing, he said: "Although I should now desire to eat coarse herbs and bring rice for my parents, it cannot be!"

"Alas!" said Chung Yu, "although I was a scholar, yet my parents were poor; and how was I to nourish them?" Exhausted he travelled the long road and cheerfully brought rice for his parents. Pleasantly he endured the toil, and exerted his utmost strength without any commendation. At that time his lot in life was hard and unfortunate, and he little expected the

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official honours he afterwards enjoyed. But when his parents were dead, and he had become rich and honourable, enjoying all the luxuries of life, then he was unhappy and discontented; not cheerful as in the days of his poverty, nor happy as when he ministered to his parents' wants.