Nowadays everyone lives selfishly and seeks only the leisure in which to indulge his own desires. They look on all the beauties of nature-the rivers and mountains, the breeze and the moon-as their own to enjoy, forgetting what the shrine of the Sun Goddess stands for. The common man thinks of his life as his own and refuses to perform his duty to his lord. The samurai regards his household as his own private possession and refuses to sacrifice his life for his state. The feudal lords regard their domains as their own and refuse to serve King and Country. Unwilling to serve King and Country, at home they cherish only the objects of desire and abroad they willingly yield to the foreign barbarian, inviting defeat and destruction. Thus the scenic beauties they enjoy will not long remain in their possession.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The passage laments that people prioritize personal pleasure over duty to higher ideals, leading to societal decline.
- In plain terms
- People focus on selfish enjoyment and ignore responsibilities, causing decay.
- What can you take from it?
- Neglecting duty for personal pleasure harms society.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What balances personal freedom with collective responsibility?
- How can societies reinvigorate a sense of duty?
Another view
The view is rooted in a specific historical and cultural context.
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