The Origins of an Extreme Filial Practice

The practice known as “cutting flesh to serve parents” (割股奉亲) represents one of history’s most extreme expressions of filial piety. This phenomenon first emerged during the Sui dynasty (581-618 CE) or slightly earlier, as evidenced by records from the Tang dynasty monk De Xuan’s inscription about Sui official Chen Gaoren’s act of cutting his own flesh to treat his ailing parent. The earliest clear documentation appears in the Kaiyuan era (713-741 CE) of the Tang dynasty, when medical texts began recording cases of people using human flesh as medicine.

What makes this practice particularly striking is its inherent contradiction with another fundamental Confucian principle: that one must not damage the body received from parents. This paradox reveals the complex and sometimes conflicting nature of traditional filial piety in Chinese culture, where parents could harm children (as in the legendary Emperor Shun’s story), but children could never reciprocate – even when harming only the flesh originally given by their parents.

Medical Beliefs Behind the Practice

The medical rationale for this extreme practice originated from ancient beliefs about tuberculosis treatment. Early records specifically mention human flesh being used to treat “consumptive disorders” (瘵疾) or “emaciation with consumption” (羸瘵) – terms referring to tuberculosis. The 713 CE case of Wang Zhidao cutting his thigh meat to treat his mother’s “bone steaming” (骨蒸) disease – another term for tuberculosis – demonstrates this specific application.

In pre-antibiotic eras, meat consumption was indeed considered therapeutic for tuberculosis patients across cultures. European medical traditions recommended raw meat, while Indian Ayurvedic texts prescribed game meat and marrow. Chinese medical classics like “Secret Essentials of the Outer Terrace” (外台秘要) recorded using mutton and venison for lung diseases. The transition from animal to human flesh likely occurred during times of scarcity when obtaining animal protein proved difficult, making a filial child’s own flesh the most accessible alternative.

Cultural and Religious Influences

Several cultural currents converged to make this extreme practice socially acceptable despite its violation of Confucian norms. Buddhist teachings played a significant role through stories like the “Medicine King Burning His Body” from the Lotus Sutra and Jataka tales of self-sacrifice. These narratives, popularized through texts like the “Forest of Pearls in the Garden of the Dharma” (法苑珠林), provided religious justification for bodily sacrifice.

Simultaneously, Central Asian customs of self-mutilation as emotional expression influenced Tang society. Historical records describe Turkic and Sogdian mourning rituals involving face-cutting (剺面), practices that gradually entered Han Chinese behavior. The Tang imperial family itself demonstrated this cultural blending when Prince Li Chengqian reenacted Turkic funeral customs, complete with simulated face-cutting.

The Government’s Role in Promoting Extremism

Tang dynasty policies unintentionally encouraged these extreme displays through their reward systems. The state offered substantial incentives including:

– Public commendation and honorary plaques
– Tax and corvée labor exemptions
– Official appointments (during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign)

These tangible benefits led to widespread imitation, with some individuals progressing from thigh-cutting to even more extreme acts like liver removal or eye-gouging to demonstrate superior filial devotion. By the late Tang, the practice had become so common that scholar-official Pi Rixiu lamented how commoners competed in these displays to win official rewards and local fame.

Confucian Dilemmas and Criticisms

The practice created deep divisions among Confucian scholars. Supporters like Liu Zongyuan praised such acts as genuine expressions of filial sentiment that could move heaven itself. Opponents led by Han Yu vehemently objected, arguing in his “Reply to the Hu County Man” that:

1. Mutilating the parental body constituted ultimate unfilial behavior
2. Those who died from such acts committed grave offenses against filial duty
3. Rewarding basic filial obligations distorted moral standards
4. Many participants sought merely to avoid taxes and labor duties

Despite these criticisms, the practice persisted because it tapped into deep cultural values while offering material benefits. Even Neo-Confucian scholar Zhu Xi later softened the opposition, acknowledging that while the method was excessive, the underlying filial intention deserved praise.

The Practice’s Long Decline

Attempts to suppress the custom began as early as the Later Liang dynasty (907-923), when Emperor Zhu Wen banned rewards to stop people using “filial piety” as a draft-dodging tactic. Subsequent dynasties alternated between prohibition and tolerance:

– Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) officially prohibited commendations
– Ming dynasty (1368-1644) canceled all related rewards
– Qing dynasty (1644-1912) saw gradual decline with modernization

Remarkably, the practice persisted in some regions well into the 20th century, demonstrating how deeply this extreme expression of filial piety had embedded itself in Chinese cultural consciousness, long after its medical rationale had been disproven.

Modern Reflections on an Ancient Paradox

The historical trajectory of “cutting flesh to serve parents” reveals several enduring insights:

1. The tension between different Confucian values created space for extreme interpretations
2. Religious and cultural syncretism enabled practices that violated core principles
3. Well-intentioned government incentives can distort moral behavior
4. Medical ignorance combined with filial devotion produced dangerous customs
5. Cultural practices often outlive their original purposes

This historical phenomenon serves as a cautionary tale about how moral systems can produce unintended consequences when extreme behaviors become tied to social rewards and recognition. It also highlights the complex interplay between medicine, morality, and state policy in traditional Chinese society – a dynamic that continues to resonate in modern discussions about cultural values and medical ethics.