He throws away his dignity to survive(草間求活)
There was a famous minister in the Eastern
Jin Dynasty of China, his name was Zhou Yi.
There is a story about him recorded in the
history books.
In 316 AD, the Western Jin Dynasty was
defeated by the army of the (former Zhao) Kingdom, and the king of the Western
Jin Dynasty was killed. The Western Jin Dynasty fell.
In 317 AD, a royal member of the Western
Jin Dynasty named (Sima Rui) announced the establishment of the Eastern Jin
Kingdom in Jiankang City, Jiangsu Province, China.
The establishment of the Eastern Jin
Dynasty was mainly due to the help of a very powerful family at the time, whose
surname was Wang.
There are two leading figures in the Wang
family, one of whom is named (Wang Dao). Wang Dao served as the Prime Minister
of the Eastern Jin Kingdom, and Wang Dao controlled the highest administrative
power of the Eastern Jin Kingdom.
The name of another person in the Wang
family is (Wang Dun). Wang Dun served as the general of the Eastern Jin
Kingdom, and Wang Dun controlled the largest military force in the Eastern Jin
Kingdom.
Because the power of the Wang family was
too great, it caused fear in the heart of King Sima Rui of the Eastern Jin
Kingdom. Therefore, a few years after the establishment of the Eastern Jin
Kingdom, Sima Rui began to think of ways to weaken the power of the Wang
family.
Sima Rui's behaviour made Wang Dun very
angry. In 322 AD, Wang Dun launched a military coup. Wang Dun led his army to
capture the capital of the Eastern Jin Kingdom.
Zhou Yi was close in age to Wang Dun and
Wang Dao, and the three of them were good friends.
After Wang Dun captured the capital of the
Eastern Jin Kingdom, the ministers in the central government of the Eastern Jin
Kingdom saw that the situation was wrong, and most of them took the initiative
to show their goodwill to Wang Dun and expressed their willingness to
surrender.
Those ministers who surrendered to Wang Dun
told Zhou Yi
Now that Wang Dun has taken control of the
Eastern Jin Kingdom, if you don't express your willingness to surrender to Wang
Dun, you may be killed.
Zhou Yi replied to the ministers.
We are all officials of the central
government of the Eastern Jin Kingdom. We are loyal to the King of Eastern Jin
Kingdom. How can you betray the king?
I won't throw away my dignity just to
survive like you. I will not surrender to Wang Dun.
Zhou Yi rebuked Wang Dun in public and
accused Wang Dun of being disloyal. Wang Dun felt very angry at being publicly
rebuked, so he ordered Zhou Yi to be killed.
In 322 AD, Zhou Yi was publicly executed at
the age of 54. He died quietly, defending the values he believed in.
This idiom is used to describe a person who
throws away his dignity in order to survive.
Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts
do you have after listening to this story?
If you were a minister of the Eastern Jin
Kingdom, would you choose to surrender to Wang Dun or accuse Wang Dun? What do
you think is more important, life or dignity?
I hope this story can give you some new
insights.
Click on a word to see suggestions or
rewrite the whole sentence.
草間求活(He throws away his dignity to survive)
中國的東晉王朝有一個著名的大臣，他的名字叫做(周顗)。
歷史書上記載了一個他的故事。
西元316年，西晉王朝被(前趙)王國的軍隊打敗，西晉王朝的國王被殺。西晉王國滅亡。
西元317年，西晉王朝的一個皇室成員名字叫做(司馬睿)的皇室成員在中國江蘇省的建康市宣布成立東晉王國。
東晉王國可以成立，最主要的是得力於當時一個勢力很大的家族，這個家族姓王。
王姓家族中有兩個領導人物，一個名字叫做(王導)。王導擔任東晉王國的宰相，王導掌握了東晉王國的最高行政權力。
王姓家族中的另外一個人的名字叫做(王敦)。王敦擔任東晉王國的將軍，王敦掌握了東晉王國中最大的一股軍事力量。
由於王姓家族的勢力太過龐大，造成東晉王國的國王司馬睿內心的恐懼，因此司馬睿在東晉王國成立幾年之後，開始想辦法削弱王姓家族的勢力。
司馬睿的行為讓王敦覺得很生氣，西元322年，王敦發動軍事政變，王敦率領他所掌握的軍隊攻陷了東晉王國的首都。
周顗與王敦和王導的年紀相近，他們三個人原本是好朋友。
王敦攻陷東晉王國的首都後，東晉王國的中央政府內的大臣們看到情勢不對，絕大多數都主動向王敦示好並且表示願意臣服。
這些臣服於王敦的大臣們對周顗說。
現在王敦已經控制了東晉王國，你如果不表示願意臣服於王敦，你可能會被殺。
周顗回答這些大臣。
我們都是東晉王國的中央政府的官員，我們效忠於東晉王國的國王，你們怎麼可以背棄國王呢?
我不願意像你們一樣為了活命而丟棄自己的尊嚴。我不會臣服於王敦。
周顗公開的責備王敦並且譴責王敦的不忠誠，王敦被公開譴責他覺得很憤怒所以他下令殺了周以。
西元322年，周顗在他54歲那一年被公開處決，他為了捍衛他所認定的價值所以他死得很從容。
這句成語被用來形容一個人他為了活命而丟棄自己的尊嚴。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
你如果是東晉王國的大臣，你會選擇臣服王敦還是指責王敦呢?你認為生命與尊嚴何者比較重要呢?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為晉書-列傳39-周顗傳