The grandsons of Cai Jing, the notorious prime minister, who grew up in riches, could not tell wheat from rice.
One day, while having a meal, Cai Jing said, ”You eat rice every day. Do you know where it comes from?”
“From the mortar,” one hazarded. Cai Jing laughed.
”No, it doesn’t!” said the other. ”It comes from rush-mats. I saw it!” In those days rice was transported into the capital in bags made of rush-mats, hence the conclusion.
Allegorical Meaning
This parable exposes the dangerous disconnect between elite privilege and foundational labor, critiquing how systemic insulation breeds profound ignorance of societal sustenance mechanisms.
Ignorance from Privilege:
The grandsons, raised in luxury, demonstrate complete ignorance about basic food sources, mistaking processing tools (mortar) or transport containers (straw mats) as the origin of rice.
Satire on Elite Disconnect:
The story satirizes how urban elites in feudal China could be utterly detached from agricultural production that sustained their privilege.
Educational Warning:
It implicitly criticizes parenting that neglects practical education. Cai Jing’s laughter suggests recognition of this failure in upbringing. Elite culture rewarding cleverness over knowledge and wisdom.
The fable ultimately warns that privilege without grounded knowledge creates distorted worldviews, emphasizing the importance of holistic education connecting people to life’s fundamental processes.
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