034, the six relatives are discordant and have filial piety
Old Man Mountain is not the name of a mountain, but a place name. In later generations, there is a legend of "Sixty Years Old Mountain", which is said to be from some wild tribes. After their tribesmen reach the age of sixty, they will be sent to the nearby mountains and left to fend for themselves.
When it self-destructed, such a mountain was called Old Man Mountain. However, the actual situation was slightly different from the legend, and even different from what many people in later generations thought.
There is no such custom in the northern wilderness of Bayuan where Huwa was born when he was young. In the village where Huwa was young, strong men went out hunting, and women went to the back mountains to pick various foods. The whole tribe would search collectively and process various useful foods.
Later, various crops were planted around the village, and people also raised livestock and poultry in the village.
During the day, the adults went out to work. In addition to making fires to cook, processing and repairing various utensils, the old people also looked after the children in the village. Although each family had its own house, the whole village worked together to build the house, and the income from the work was
All harvests belong to the whole clan and are then distributed uniformly.
Except for the tools that they collect materials and process in private, the tribesmen do not have much private property, and they do not have the custom of "going to the mountains when they are old". In fact, in such an environment, the elderly are the wealth of the tribe.
After years of hard work, almost everyone will suffer from various hidden diseases, and there is a lack of medical treatment. Ordinary injuries are often a test of life and death. People's average life span is very short. If you can live to be sixty years old, you must have an innate physique.
A strong man, and also lucky enough.
They have experienced enough things, and they know how to survive in difficult and dangerous situations, and how to better protect themselves and their clansmen when encountering accidents, otherwise they will not survive that long.
They also know how to build houses and make various tools better than other tribesmen, are familiar with the habits of various beasts, know how to hunt them more easily, can distinguish various plants in the mountains, and know which things and what parts are used.
How to process it, and even use simple medicines to treat common injuries and illnesses.
Each of these elders is a valuable asset and a respected elder in the village. So when did the custom of "going to the mountains when old age" appear and under what circumstances did it appear?
When Taihao was the emperor, the country of China had the tradition of "respecting the elders of the clan". Under the rule of the three generations of emperors, the Qing Emperor, the Yan Emperor, and the Yellow Emperor, none of the Chinese tribes have this custom of "going to the mountains when they are old". Huwa
There is also no Ba Yuan where it is located. It can be seen that it is not bound to appear, nor should it appear.
But this custom exists in Baiyue Land, and it may also exist in some other remote areas. What is going on? Huwa stood on the top of the mountain, and the immortal consciousness enveloped the entire mountain and the villages outside the mountain. After a long time, it slowly calmed down again.
Xu withdrew his gaze and looked into the distance. His gaze seemed to have traveled through time and space, and he saw the long river of evolution of the world.
In ancient times, it was difficult for tribes to survive. Especially in years of famine, they suffered from hunger and cold, and were often unable to feed the entire population. The food and clothing should be given to the strongest laborers and young children as much as possible. The elderly and weak could hardly survive. This is a cruel fact and a necessity for survival.
, is not a custom. Moreover, according to the tradition of primitive tribes, as long as they are not completely unable to survive, all tribesmen can receive food and clothing.
However, in some special circumstances, there are some old and weak people who have lost the ability to work. They know that they will not be spared during the famine, but they do not want to drag down their tribesmen and future generations, so they take the initiative to leave the village and enter the mountains to find their own destination. This is a kind of self-
Sacrifice, people who do this often know that they are dying.
Such things must have happened more or less over the long years, but is this the origin of the custom of "going up the mountain when old"? I'm afraid not. This custom may be related to this, but it is definitely not caused by it.
Under normal circumstances, no one would be willing to voluntarily give up their tribe and family, let alone those elders who have a very important position and are respected by the entire tribe. And old people are not necessarily weak. Many elders in the wild tribes still persist even when they are very old.
Working until the end of time.
Those who can live a long life in that kind of environment are those who are born with a strong body or rich in survival wisdom. A strong body and survival wisdom can be passed on to future generations. Their heirs are often equally strong or smart, and are more likely to be born in the village.
A strong family can, in most cases, provide for its elders.
As for some helpless things that happen under extreme circumstances, they are not enough to evolve into guidelines for daily life. So how did this custom of "going to the mountains when old age" come about?
In many places, it originally originated from disputes over private property. The formation of this custom was not because the entire tribe lacked food and clothing to survive, but precisely because of the abundant private property. In ancient times, many tribes shared things, such as
Tools and fields have gradually become private property. This is also because of the development of production and the progress of society. People no longer need to work collectively as in the past.
If you make tools and cultivate fields, and you have enough to support yourself and still have a surplus, then the tools you make or the fields you cultivate as a family or family unit become private property, and the surplus properties can be used to exchange with others, forming accumulated wealth. And
People themselves have become a kind of private property, that is, slaves.
The earliest slaves were foreigners captured in tribal conflicts. The slaves worked for their masters, and the harvest they earned could not only support themselves, but the surplus goods could also be enjoyed by their masters. When slaves were old and weak and could no longer work, sometimes
They will be abandoned. If they want to return to their own clan, in most cases it is impossible, and they often have to fend for themselves in the mountains and wilderness.
It is cruel to treat slaves in this way, and it will not become a custom within the tribe to treat the people of the tribe. However, the occurrence of this kind of thing has left an impression on many people, and even inspired some.
There are widowers in the tribe who have lost their children due to various reasons. However, they have their own private property, such as houses and fields, and there are often greedy people who want to seize it. For example, some powerful people find excuses to seize their private property.
It cannot be said that driving people out to fend for themselves has never happened. This is also one of the sources of customs.
In the process of the tribal public property gradually evolving into the private property of the family and the family, it is often unavoidable that the old and the weak have no one to support them. However, being unsupported at home is not the same as being driven out of the village to fend for themselves.
There are also various battles within tribes. The leaders of each tribe and village are decided by public recommendation, and the person who obtains the leadership status is actually the winner of the battle. The alternation of old and new leaders is the shadow of the birth of the earliest abdication system.
Abdication is not as gentle as many later generations think. Unless it is an absolutely strong leader who can guarantee that his position will be passed on to the designated heir, and this heir has cultivated or inherited the power that can consolidate his position, otherwise it will definitely go through a process.
Fighting. The process is often cruel and can lead to huge internal friction and even division.
In some cases, the new leader will exile the old leader who has lost power, that is, drive him out of the tribe and leave him to fend for himself in the mountains. This kind of thing may also be one of the sources of this custom.
Struggles for property sometimes occur within a family. For example, when descendants drive away their old and frail elders, they do not have to spend support and can appropriate and divide their own property. But no matter what the situation is, there must be a person.
Excuses, using this excuse to persuade others, including yourself, are the earliest sources of customs.
Such a custom was initially just a reason some people gave for their actions. Those who "went up the mountain" were not voluntary but had to do so. However, in a closed environment and in an age of ignorance, once this kind of thing was repeatedly publicized, it formed
Once a custom is established, it will be passed down from generation to generation.
Under the cloak of customs, some people think that it is wrapped in human nature. But this is not true human nature. It goes against everyone's simplest wishes and is inconsistent with the reason why people are human. As Huwa sees today, this so-called
The custom is still just an excuse.
The tiger baby floated down from the top of the mountain and appeared in front of the three old men he saw for the first time. The three old men were cooking something to eat. When they saw the tiger baby falling from the sky, they were so frightened that they sat down on the ground, then quickly got up and knelt down and said
: "Are you a god in heaven?"
According to Huwa's knowledge, gods and immortals are two different things, but it was difficult for him to explain it clearly to these old men, so he nodded. The three old men kowtowed repeatedly and said: "Master Immortal, how come you are here? Could it be?
The mountain god has heard our prayers, has God sent you to rescue us from our hardships?"
Upon hearing this, he knew that they did not go up the mountain voluntarily. Huwa said calmly: "You don't have to be polite, please stand up and talk. I was just passing by here and saw someone living in the mountains, so I came down to see what was going on.
What happened? Where are you from? There are villages and fields nearby. Why do you live here in the wild? Tell me all the reasons."
Huwa actually doesn't have to show up to know the situation, but his appearance means that he is involved in something.
Among the three old men, an old man and the old woman were a couple. They came from Xiaozhu Village at the foot of the mountain. The couple originally had an adult son who also married a wife and had children. However, the old couple’s daughter-in-law, grandson, and granddaughter all
He died in a flood. Three years ago, his son was recruited by Master Fangfeng to participate in flood control. He also died of an epidemic during flood control.
Two years ago, the news of their son's death came, and the two old men were deeply saddened. However, the patriarch asked them to go up the mountain according to custom, because they were already sixty years old.
As for another old man named Yazhu, he actually has two sons and a daughter. His daughter had already married to another village, and he was "sent" to the mountain by his two sons, also on the grounds of custom. Yazhu
We were originally neighbors with that old couple, so we continued to live next to them and lived in the mountains for nearly two years.
Huwa sighed: "Time is not short! How did you survive?"
The climate in the Baiyue Land is humid and warm. Although the winter is not that cold, living in the mountains is easy to catch diseases. Without clothes and food, it is a miracle that you can survive for such a long time. There are dozens of people in the mountains, here
It is the so-called Old Man Mountain in the five nearby villages, but Huwa paid special attention to these three old men because they have lived here the longest.
The old man from Yazhu replied: "I brought yam with me when I went up the mountain. It can be cut open and grow on the ground, so I planted a lot of it in the mountain. I was good at hunting when I was young. Now I can't catch big animals, but I can still catch snakes and rats.
catch."
The old woman also said: "When I was young, my grandfather taught me to identify things in the mountains. I know what is edible and how to use it. My wife is good at building houses and using local materials in the mountains. Although they are simple, they can still be used."
Shelter from wind and rain..."
It can be seen that these three old men are all in very good physical condition. They are still old and can still work. Even in the mountains and fields, they can barely support themselves. Moreover, they have mastered various survival skills passed down from generation to generation. When they were young,
They must all be very capable.
Huwa asked again: "Did you go up the mountain voluntarily?"
Yazhu sighed: "Of course not! Although I am old, I still have some strength. I can support myself and don't have to drag others down. Even if I die, I want to die in my own home without anyone else having to worry about it. But there is a custom in the village to go up the mountain at the age of sixty.
, the two sons were sent away by force. I had no choice but to be weak and unable to resist."
Huwa asked the old woman again: "Who owns your house and property in the village now?"
The old woman replied: "The patriarch's nephew."
Huwa asked again: "The custom is like this, you are helpless, weak and difficult to resist. So in this area, does everyone in this area go up the mountain when they are sixty years old?"
The old Yazhu man replied: "Of course not! Those nobles are not. Unless they have lost power, they will be sent to the mountains for this reason. Even in the village, there are many people who do not send them away after they are over sixty.
, either saying that he has not yet reached his age, or that he has not aged yet. In fact, who can tell clearly how old he is?"
This is true. Many villagers don't care about time at all. At their age, sometimes they can't even tell how many years they have lived. Even if there is a so-called custom, some people don't want to send the elders of the family up the mountain, so they just tell their age.
Not yet old or old; let alone powerful nobles, those people are simply not short of support.
There are indeed some people who are old and homeless and go up the mountain on their own due to customs; there are also people who are forcibly sent up the mountain by their descendants who do not want to support them. Most of these people who go up the mountain have some internal reasons, but in fact they are all out of necessity.
Another old man had a rather indifferent temperament and seemed not very good at talking. At this moment, the old woman said again: "We have no one to rely on, so we live here... Lord Immortal, are you really here to rescue us?"
Huwa replied: "When a child is born, who can survive on his own? He depends on his mother, his family, and his clan. He is not helpless, but it is difficult to rely on him. I was just passing by, but
If I meet you and show up to meet you, I won't ignore you. Don't worry, just answer my questions."
The old man from Yazhu said excitedly: "I didn't want to go up the mountain at first. I argued with my two sons and the tribesmen, and said that I would sue heaven. But they said that the gods in heaven would not care about such nosy matters. Even the high officials in the world would not do it.
If a person wants to cultivate and become an immortal, he must cut off his emotions and ties with worldly affairs. Will you really care about us, Lord Immortal?"
Huwa: "The gods in the sky may not care about it, but I am not in the sky at this moment, but right in front of you. What I care about is not you, but the things that happen to me. This is not a custom, it is actually a traitor. It is not your fault to go up the mountain.
As you wish, when you were still young, you should not have considered cheating as a custom.
The traitorous style is indeed hateful, but you, old man Yazhu, are also responsible for teaching your children the wrong way. The traitorous style has been passed down to this day, and everyone in the clan is responsible for it. No matter who said what you just said, but I tell you that there are unfilial gods in the world."
Old man: "Master Immortal, what do you mean by this?"
No wonder he couldn't understand. In this area, no one knew what filial piety meant. Even if they had similar vague ideas and concepts, no one had made a clear summary and guidance. What Huwa was talking about at this time was filial piety.
, the true meaning is what Ziqiu once said, "Don't forget where you come from, don't forget what virtue has taught you, and don't forget how you established the world."
Filial piety is not only the responsibility of children, but also the responsibility of parents. No interactive relationship is isolated. Everyone has different identities at the same time. How can children know filial piety if their parents do not follow their example?
Moreover, the filial piety mentioned by Ziqiu is not just a simple internal family ethics, which is only the most direct form of expression. It is a foundation for laying down the moral principles that society should have. It is the common consciousness of the social group and the understanding of the society.
The way of heaven and humanity.
But Huwa is not Ziqiu. He did not answer directly like that. Even if he answered like that, it would be difficult to explain it clearly to these three old men in a few words. He just sighed: "The world has a beginning, and it is considered the mother of the world. Now that it has its mother, it is
Knowing his son. Now that he knows his son, he will return to guard his mother, and she will not be in danger."
The eyes of the three old men were all confused. The words of the gods were really inscrutable, and they did not dare to ask. But Huwa asked again: "Is it just like this in the nearby villages, or is this custom common in all tribes in Baiyue?"
It seems that the old man from Yazhu has been to many places when he was young, and he is considered a well-informed person. He thought for a while and replied: "According to what I heard, various tribes in Baiyue had this custom in ancient times, but not everyone
All tribes have it. Later, the northern tribes moved here, and they did not have such customs. Later, many places in Baiyue no longer had this custom, but some new tribes also had it."
The old man from Yazhu couldn't explain exactly what happened. He had just heard some legends, but Huwa understood it. Jiuli did not have the custom of "going up the mountain when old". Huali, Wuli, Shui
The remnants of the three tribes of Li moved here and after integrating with the local people, many local tribes also gave up this custom, but a few new tribes learned this custom.
Nowadays, the Fangfeng clan is in charge of all the tribes in Baiyue, but the Fangfeng clan is letting it go as long as it does not interfere with his own affairs.
This custom is inconsistent with Chinese etiquette and law, and directly violates the Gaotao Code that the emperor wants to promulgate. When Boyu controlled the floods, he was blocked in promoting Chinese education in Baiyue. Fangfeng could let Boyu control the floods, but not anyone else.
He took care of the affairs of Baiyue, including promulgating rituals and laws, and giving orders to ban this custom. He believed that this was interfering with Baiyue's affairs, and it was an offense to him.
Hearing this, Huwa nodded and said: "I have something to do and want to see Mr. Fangfeng. Please wait and see me here." After saying this, he flew away and continued to Zongcheng to find Mr. Fangfeng. In addition to asking Mr. Fangfeng to hold on, he
Zhankongren came to help, but it seemed that there were other things to discuss, and Huwa couldn't help but sigh secretly.
When some problems do not arise, the corresponding concepts may not need to be emphasized deliberately. For example, when Huwa was young, the simple people of the Bayuan Beihuang tribe did not know what deception was until a Huahai Village man deceived the Lu tribe into giving them eggs.
, and everyone realized that this was a lie! Then everyone knew the concept of integrity and how important it is.
"Respecting the clan elders" and "going up the mountain when old" are both tribal customs, but their meanings are completely opposite. Some people, some things, and some paths, if they deviate from the human way contained in the way of heaven from the beginning, will often become more and more deviated.
The farther away they are, the tribes that have been discontinued or even become extinct have existed since ancient times, but it is difficult for future generations to know.
This also shows the importance of the teachings of saints. Isn't it because Gao Tao compiled "Five Religions" to talk about filial piety and kindness because there is such a thing in the world?
When Huwa flew into the air, he turned around and flicked his fingers, and there seemed to be invisible sweet rain falling down. The dirt on the three old men was gone, their somewhat cloudy eyes were clear again, and their muscles and bones seemed to have regained the strength of their youth. The trees on their bodies
The leather cogon leaves disappeared and were replaced by clean linen clothes.
They just felt like they were in a daze. When they came back to their senses, several hours had passed, and the tiger baby had long disappeared. Several people looked at each other and suddenly burst into tears. Today they actually met a god, who was inexplicably rejuvenated and hurriedly raised his head to the sky.