一孔录子曰：父在，观其志；父没，观其行；三年无改于父之道，可谓孝矣。The Master said: While his father lives, observe his intentions; after his father dies, observe his conduct. If for three years he makes no change to his father's way, he may be called filial.
常The common reading
Even if the father was wrong, change nothing for three years.
注Key words in the commentary
“父在，子不得自专，而志则可知；父没，然后其行可见” — while the father lives the son cannot act on his own, but his intent can be known; after the father's death his conduct can be seen.
家What other commentators say
Yin Tun: “如其道，虽终身无改可也；如其非道，何待三年” — if the way was right, never change it; if it was wrong, why wait three years? You Zuo: it refers to “在所当改而可以未改者耳” — things that ought to be changed but can wait.
读How Yikonglu reads it
What is wrong, change now; what can wait, let wait — that is time given to what one cannot bear to let go. Today: the small factory a father left behind.
核Check every citation
Every commentary line quoted in the video: the original wording, who said it, and the page in the base edition. “Paraphrase” marks our summary, not the commentator's words.
| Quoted text | Source | Page |
|---|---|---|
| “行，去声” | Zhu Xi's commentary | page 20 |
| “父在，子不得自专，而志则可知。父没，然后其行可见。故观此足以知其人之善恶。然又必能三年无改于父之道，乃见其孝” | Zhu Xi's commentary | page 20 |
| “如其道，虽终身无改可也。如其非道，何待三年。然则三年无改者，孝子之心有所不忍故也” | Yin Tun, quoted by Zhu Xi | page 20 |
| “三年无改，亦谓在所当改而可以未改者耳” | You Zuo, quoted by Zhu Xi | page 20 |
音Pronunciation
| Character | In the line | Read as |
|---|---|---|
| 行 | 观其行 | xìng |
| 没 | 父没 | mò |
页Pages of the base edition
Yikonglu, Analects Xue er (Book 1) 1.11 “While the father lives, observe the son's intent”, https://yikonglu.com/en/lunyu/xue-er/11.html, version 2026-11-03.Last checked: 2026-11-03. Changes are logged on theerrata page.
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