Enlightenment from Mozi's story

There is an account in Volume 12 of Meng Gong's Mozi, which is quite memorable.

It is said that there is a young man studying in Mozi's school. He is healthy and quick-thinking, but he has no intention of studying. Mozi wanted him to study with himself, so he recommended him to be an official and advised him to study. Encouraged by good words, young people began to study hard. After a year, the young man asked Mozi for an official position. Mozi refused his request and told a story about Lu.

Lu has five brothers. When his father died, the eldest son drank every day and was not buried. The four brothers advised him to buy wine after burying his father. After his father was buried, the eldest son asked his fourth brother for wine. The younger brothers all refused, saying that you buried your dad and we buried our dad. "Is my father alone?" If my son is not buried, people will laugh, so I advised him to be buried. "Is it just our father? People will laugh at you if you don't bury it, so I advise you to bury it.

Mozi used this story to tell young people: Now you study and do righteousness, so do I. "Am I the only one who does righteousness?" If you don't learn, people will laugh and persuade your son to learn. "Is it just my righteousness? If you don't study, others will laugh at you, so I advise you to study.

A lot of things should be done by myself. This is my job and has nothing to do with others. Let's not do it for a certain benefit or someone. If you don't have this benefit or no one, will you give up? The ultimate loss is yourself.