Pursuit of Comfort: A Taboo for the Ancient Chinese People

Published: Thursday 12th October 2006

Pursuing comfort excessively and equating comfort with happiness is as harmful to a person as poisonous wine. Therefore, the ancient Chinese people considered it a major taboo. There is a Chinese saying: "people survive with worry and danger but die in comfort." Although comfort doesn't always lead to death, it intensifies laziness and may cause people to indulge themselves and lose their willpower.

Lunyu records a sentence by Confucius: "Having nothing to do after eating a full meal is not good. Can't one at least play a game of chess? Even playing chess game is better than idling."

Meng Zi also said, "When people have good food and warm clothes and live comfortably but are not educated, they are similar to animals. A sage worries about this, so he sent a teacher to teach people etiquette and morality." Ancient Chinese believed comfort could be harmful. Having a comfortable life without proper education may lead people to an evil path and commit deeds that are no different from those of animals.

During the Three Kingdoms period, the king of one of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei, once sighed with a tear, "In the past, I had been always on horseback and carried no meat on my legs. Now I don't ride any more, and the meat has come back. Time flows like water. I'm getting old, but I haven't achieved anything. I cannot help but feeling sad!"

Tao Kang, an official during the Jin Dynasty, moved 100 ceramic containers outside every morning and carried them back to the house every night. Others were curious and asked him why. He said, "I'm trying my best to work for the country. If I'm too comfortable, I'm afraid I cannot fulfil my responsibility well. Therefore I work out often." Later, he became governor of eight states and was very famous.

Ancient Chinese said that flowing water will not rot and hinges on the doors do not decay due to movement. We only have a few decades to live our lives. If we indulge ourselves in a comfortable life, we are bound to be lazy, aimless and passive. Then we will be afraid of hardship and see our willpower become weaker and weaker. When we are faced with setbacks, we might give up and achieve nothing. In addition, when one cares for comfort too much, he might bring disasters to himself. Those who have a lot of achievements are definitely strong and diligent people.