When I am working on the farm, I think of the ancient Confucians more than I ought. In early Confucian tradition, it was understood that the body and life you have is a gift from your ancestors. This of course explains much where Confucian expectations of filial virtue are concerned. After all, having a life and body constitute a significant sort of debt to discharge. Filial deference and gratitude seem a tricky business to me – hard to do when you’re the younger, nice to get ...
