How cruel is the funeral clay pot grave? Put the living in graves, and send a meal and a brick

"Grief and Reflection: The Heavy History of the Ancient "Clay Pot Tomb")

A tragedy between life and death

For China, an ancient civilization, filial piety has always been an important moral code. It can be seen from the Han Dynasty's implementation of the "filial piety" system that filial piety enjoys a high status in Chinese society. However, in this cultural tradition that values filial piety, there has been a heinous funeral custom - "clay pot grave".

As the name suggests, the so-called "clay pot grave" is to bury the elderly alive in a grave similar to a clay pot. The details of this type of burial are gruesome: children send elderly people over 60 years old to a pre-dug cave, deliver one meal a day, and gradually seal the entrance with bricks until the old man starves to death in a small, dark space. Even if there are filial children who are willing to chat with the dying elderly, for most of them, they will undoubtedly face despair and despair in the last days of their lives.

How cruel is the funeral clay pot grave? Put the living in graves, and send a meal and a brick

Needless to say, the funeral custom of "clay pot graves" is extremely cruel. It seriously violates the core values of filial piety in traditional Chinese culture. It is an unacceptable tragedy for an elderly person who should have been supported by his children to do his best, but in the end he died in such a tragic way at the hands of his children.

How exactly did this type of funeral come about? Is its appearance real? There has been a great deal of controversy throughout history about this troubling issue.

The difficulty of survival and the decline of morality

In order to understand the historical phenomenon of "clay pot tombs", it is necessary to analyze it in the context of ancient Chinese society. As we all know, during the long years of feudal society, the living conditions of the broad peasant class were often very poor. Years of war, natural disasters and exploitation by rulers have made it difficult for many ordinary people to make ends meet.

In such an environment, the elderly who have lost their ability to work have undoubtedly become a heavy burden on the family. Medical care is poor, and it is difficult for even the elderly in good health to receive adequate care. For some elderly people who have difficulty moving and need to rely on others to take care of them, their survival situation can be imagined. In contrast, taking the initiative to send the elderly to the earth for peace may seem like a helpless choice at the time.

Of course, we cannot agree with this approach, but we must also admit that in such a difficult environment, many ordinary people may not be able to make better choices at all. They had to make a difficult trade-off between food and clothing and spiritual sustenance. When the question of survival is far greater than the moral pursuit, the weaknesses in human nature are exposed.

Even more troubling is the fact that, even in such extreme circumstances, the practice of "clay pot graves" is not a universally accepted funeral custom. It is clearly at odds with the prevailing values of Chinese society, so it is rarely found in official historical records. Even if there are relevant records of wild history, they are often questioned and denied. This shows that even in the most difficult circumstances, most people still cannot agree with this kind of dehumanization and moral abuse.

The shadow of history and the mourning of reality

Although the existence of the funeral custom of "clay pot graves" has been controversial, we still have to face up to this heinous history. Even if it is not universal, its very existence is enough to provoke us to reflect deeply on human nature and morality.

This practice of burying living people in tombs is undoubtedly the greatest violation of human dignity and the value of life. As a cultural tradition that values family ethics and filial piety, Chinese society has undoubtedly suffered a heavy blow in this regard. The despair and pain of the old people dying in the dark and narrow caves, as well as their disappointment and anger towards their children, have undoubtedly cast a shadow on the moral construction of Chinese society.

And in this age of relative affluence, we still see some disturbing phenomena. The so-called "gnawing old people" are those children who do not want to make progress and are parasitic on their parents' pensions and inheritances. Not only do they fail to fulfill their responsibility to support the elderly, but they become a burden to the elderly. This kind of indifference and exploitation may seem less direct than the cruel practice of "crockpot graves", but it also exposes the ugly side of human nature.

From ancient times to the present, filial piety has always been a virtue that Chinese are proud of. However, it is undoubtedly sad that this virtue is being trampled on again and again. How exactly should we reinvent this beautiful tradition and bring it back to life in the modern world? This is undoubtedly an important topic worthy of our deep consideration.

Reflection and hope

To solve this problem, we first need to face up to the truth of history. Although the sad historical fact of "clay pot tomb" was once denied, its existence has become self-evident with the increasing number of archaeological discoveries. We must have the courage to face this fact instead of running away and avoiding it. Only then can we truly reflect on this historical lesson and prevent similar tragedies from happening again in the future.

Second, we must also deeply reflect on some of the disturbing emerging phenomena that have emerged in contemporary society. The emergence of the so-called "gnawing old people" is undoubtedly closely related to the gradual decline of traditional filial piety virtues. We should not simply exhort them in a morally preachy way, but we should fundamentally analyze the crux of the problem. What is causing the moral decay of the younger generation? How can we reshape their values and sense of responsibility through education and other means? These are all questions that require serious consideration.

Finally, we need to believe that despite all the frustrations in reality, the beautiful tradition of filial piety has not been extinguished. In today's era of relative affluence, we should have the confidence and determination to awaken this tradition and let it shine again in the context of a new era. It's not only

First of all, we should start with family education, subtly influence the next generation, and let the spirit of filial piety become the natural expression of their behavior. Parents should lead by example, take care of their elderly parents with love and patience, and let their children feel this responsibility and warmth. At the same time, school education should also incorporate the spirit of filial piety into the curriculum, teach it to students in a vivid and vivid way, and cultivate them to establish correct values from an early age.

Second, the government and all sectors of society should also give more support and guidance. The government can introduce relevant laws and regulations to increase the punishment of behaviors such as "gnawing the elderly", and at the same time formulate more perfect pension policies to reduce the burden of family support for the elderly. All sectors of society should also make the virtue of filial piety in the whole society through various publicity activities, so that more people can realize the importance of this tradition.

Only with the joint efforts of the whole society can we truly make the concept of filial piety widely recognized and practiced in modern society. This will not only make our family relationships more harmonious, but also fill the whole society with warmth and hope. Let's work together to build a better tomorrow that respects the elderly and loves our relatives!