Analects 4.19 · Li Ren
“While your parents are alive, do not travel far; if you must travel, let them know where you are going.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
父母在 不遠遊 遊必有方 (fù mǔ zài, bù yuǎn yóu, yóu bì yǒu fāng) means “While your parents are alive, do not travel far; if you must travel, let them know where you are going.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 4 (Li Ren), Chapter 19.
父母在 不遠遊 遊必有方
- Pinyin
- fù mǔ zài, bù yuǎn yóu, yóu bì yǒu fāng
- Translation
- While your parents are alive, do not travel far; if you must travel, let them know where you are going.
- Source
- Analects, Book 4 (Li Ren), Chapter 19
What does this passage mean?
This passage gives concrete guidance on filial devotion. The final word in “when you travel, have a destination” means one’s direction or destination. In Confucius’s era, with limited transport and communication, a distant journey carried the danger that one’s family might never learn whether one lived or died. Telling parents where one was going was not mere courtesy but an act that spared them anxiety. The instruction not to travel far does not demand abandoning one’s dreams; it asks us not to forget our responsibility of care.
How can we apply it today?
Many people today live apart from their parents for study, work abroad, or a regional assignment. The sentence cannot always be applied literally, but its spirit remains sound. Even amid a busy life, we can call, ask how our parents are, and tell them how we are doing. A smartphone makes this easy. We can practice “have a destination” simply by letting them know where we are and what we are doing.
Questions to reflect on
- ·When did you last contact your parents?
- ·Have you felt a conflict between pursuing your dreams and meeting your responsibilities to them?
- ·What can you do to ease their worries?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 父 | fù | father | 4 | 父 (father) |
| 母 | mǔ | mother | 5 | 毋 (do not) |
| 在 | zài | exist | 6 | 土 (earth) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 遠 | yuǎn | far | 13 | 辵 (walk) |
| 遊 | yóu | wander | 13 | 辵 (walk) |
| 遊 | yóu | wander | 13 | 辵 (walk) |
| 必 | bì | certainly | 5 | 心 (heart) |
| 有 | yǒu | exist | 6 | 月 (moon) |
| 方 | fāng | direction | 4 | 方 (square) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “While your parents are alive, do not travel…” mean?
父母在 不遠遊 遊必有方 (fù mǔ zài, bù yuǎn yóu, yóu bì yǒu fāng) means “While your parents are alive, do not travel far; if you must travel, let them know where you are going.” It comes from the Analects, Book 4 (Li Ren), Chapter 19.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 4.19: Book 4 (Li Ren), Chapter 19.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Many people today live apart from their parents for study, work abroad, or a regional assignment.The sentence cannot always be applied literally, but its spirit remains sound.