📖 Meaning
To bury the dead with proper funeral rites and to care for and support the living survivors. It embodies the traditional Confucian ethic of fulfilling one's duties toward both the deceased and those who remain. This form is a variant of the idiom '送往事居'.
📜 Origin Story
The specific origin story is not recorded in the authoritative source (出处: 无); this form is a variant of the more common '送往事居'. Both express the ancient Chinese ethical principle, rooted in Confucian rites (礼) and filial piety (孝), that one must conduct proper funeral rites for the departed and at the same time nourish and sustain the living. This pairing of duty toward the dead and duty toward the survivors echoes classical ideals such as 慎终追远 found throughout the Confucian tradition. Here the character 视 (to attend to) is used in place of 事 (to serve) in the standard form.
💡 Example Usage
孝子贤孙当送往视居，既安逝者，亦慰生人。
A filial descendant should honor the dead with proper rites and care for the living, giving peace to the departed and comfort to the survivors.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 送往视居
- Pinyin: sòng wǎng shì jū
- Literal Translation: send off, the departed, tend to, the living
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4