How to Read “May the one who first made burial figurines have no descendants”
Hajimete yō wo tsukuru mono wa sore nochi nakaranka
Meaning of “May the one who first made burial figurines have no descendants”
This proverb means that those who create bad precedents will surely face consequences.
The person who first starts a harmful custom or undesirable practice will negatively affect future generations through their actions. As a result, they will bring misfortune upon themselves.
People use this saying when someone tries to establish an undesirable new custom or rule in an organization or society. It also applies when criticizing someone who has already created a bad precedent.
The phrase often appears in contexts emphasizing that “the person who first breaks the rules bears heavy responsibility.”
In modern times, this lesson applies to many situations. These include dishonest workplace practices, the beginning of school bullying, and the origins of harmful social customs.
Bad precedents influence those who follow and can eventually become normalized. This creates real danger.
That’s why this proverb serves as a stern warning. The person who first opens a bad path commits a serious wrong, and their punishment is inevitable.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is believed to come from the ancient Chinese text “Mencius.” The word “yō” refers to figurines buried with the dead in ancient China.
Originally, people practiced human sacrifice, burying living people with the deceased. Later, they began burying figurines instead of living people.
Mencius criticized the person who first created these burial figurines. Even though they were just dolls, burying human-shaped objects with the dead was dangerous.
He feared this practice might eventually lead back to burying living people. He saw it as a first step toward reviving an evil custom.
The phrase “sore nochi nakaranka” carries strong condemnation. It means “may that person have no descendants.”
In ancient China, having one’s family line end was considered the greatest misfortune. This made the phrase the harshest possible curse.
This proverb warns about the danger of creating bad precedents through the concrete example of burial figurines.
Even an action that seems like an improvement can lead to terrible results in the future. Mencius’s deep insight shows that the person who takes that first step bears grave responsibility.
Usage Examples
- The predecessor who started fraudulent accounting practices was like “May the one who first made burial figurines have no descendants,” and ultimately fell to ruin along with the company
- If you easily permit the first rule violation, you create the cause of organizational corruption, just as “May the one who first made burial figurines have no descendants” warns
Universal Wisdom
This proverb teaches us how crucial the first step is in human society.
We often think “just this much” or “just this once.” But that small deviation becomes permission for those who follow. Eventually, it develops into an irreversible bad custom.
Why do people create bad precedents? They focus on immediate benefits or convenience and lack the ability to imagine long-term consequences.
Perhaps they have the arrogance of thinking “I’m special.” However, history proves that those who create bad precedents always face consequences.
This isn’t supernatural punishment. It’s very real cause and effect. They lose society’s trust, face criticism from future generations, and become victims of the very bad customs they created.
This proverb has been passed down through generations for good reason. Our ancestors deeply understood the human weakness of “wanting to choose the easy path.”
They also recognized the danger of group psychology where “people follow if there’s a precedent.”
One person’s actions have the power to ripple through entire societies. This proverb continues to question us across time about the weight of that responsibility.
When AI Hears This
From a complex systems science perspective, the act of “making figurines” that this proverb warns about reveals a surprising structure.
Burial figurines as “substitutes for the dead” seem like just adding one new parameter to the system. But in complex systems, a single change in initial conditions exponentially expands its influence over time. This is “sensitivity to initial conditions.”
Mathematically expressed, the difference between two states expands over time as e^(λt). When λ is positive, an initial difference of 0.001 becomes 1000 or even 10000 over time.
Introducing figurines as “imitation” was exactly this small difference. It created a logical chain of “then maybe burying living people is acceptable,” amplifying into the enormous tragedy of human sacrifice.
Modern AI development has the same structure. It started as a small step to “imitate human intelligence a little.”
But this system is nonlinear. The moment it crosses a certain threshold, uncontrollable self-replication or unexpected behavior might emerge.
As meteorologist Lorenz discovered, a butterfly’s wings in Beijing can cause a storm in New York. Similarly, small technical decisions in laboratories might irreversibly change humanity’s entire future.
Confucius intuitively grasped the terror of this nonlinear causality without equations.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people to be aware of the “power as precedent” that our actions carry.
The action you choose today might become someone’s standard tomorrow. At work, at home, in your community, the attitude you first demonstrate greatly influences those around you.
People in positions of authority and influence especially need to take this lesson to heart.
A leader’s small dishonesty or cutting corners sends the message “this is acceptable” to the entire organization. Conversely, creating good precedents can positively influence those around you.
In modern society, with the development of social media, one person’s actions spread more widely than ever before.
Therefore, the responsibility of being “the first person” has become even heavier. When you make the right choice today, it becomes someone’s courage in unseen places. It has the power to guide society in a better direction.
The courage not to create bad precedents and the determination to create good ones matter deeply.
That is the precious gift this proverb offers to those of us living in modern times.
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