How to Read “Those who succeed through evil means leave nothing to their descendants”
gehōjōju no mono wa shison ni tsutawarazu
Meaning of “Those who succeed through evil means leave nothing to their descendants”
This proverb means that success gained through dishonest methods will not be passed down to future generations.
Even if someone obtains wealth or status through fraud, embezzlement, bribery, or other immoral means, it will only last one generation. The next generation will not inherit it.
People use this saying to warn someone who is tempted to use dishonest methods for quick gains. It also helps calm those who feel anxious seeing others prosper through wrongdoing.
The proverb is also quoted when teaching the importance of living honestly.
Today, not everyone continues the family business. But the essence of this proverb remains unchanged.
It expresses a universal truth: success built on a dishonest foundation will eventually crumble.
Origin and Etymology
The word “gehō” (外法) likely comes from Buddhist terminology. In Buddhism, the correct teachings and path of practice are called “naihō” (inner law).
In contrast, evil paths and dishonest methods are called “gehō” (outer law). It means methods that deviate from the proper path.
“Jōju” (成就) means achieving a goal or fulfilling a wish. Therefore, “gehō jōju” means achieving goals through improper methods.
This includes gaining wealth through dishonest means or obtaining position by deceiving others.
The latter half, “leave nothing to their descendants,” reflects Japan’s family system and cultural emphasis on bloodlines.
Before the Edo period, passing down family businesses and property through generations was extremely important. However, things gained through dishonest means have a weak foundation and don’t last long.
This proverb was born from observing this pattern.
No clear first written source has been confirmed. But it likely formed from combining Buddhist ideas of cause and effect with Japanese values that honor family.
It expresses the universal lesson that wrongdoing always brings consequences, using the time scale of descendants.
Usage Examples
- That company grew rapidly through fraudulent loans, but as “those who succeed through evil means leave nothing to their descendants” says, it eventually went bankrupt
- He gained his position through backdoor admission, but like “those who succeed through evil means leave nothing to their descendants,” his family fell into ruin in his son’s generation
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has been passed down for generations because it answers a fundamental human question. That question is: “Does dishonesty really not pay?”
We encounter situations daily where honest people seem to lose out. We see people succeed through dishonest means, and our hearts may waver.
We might question why we should live honestly.
However, this proverb provides an answer by expanding the time frame. Dishonest success may shine in the moment, but it lacks sustainability.
This is because things gained through dishonesty lack the foundation of trust. A foundation without trust will inevitably collapse.
The deeper insight lies in the phrase “leave nothing to their descendants.” This isn’t just about losing material wealth.
It’s about understanding that the way of life of someone who commits wrongdoing doesn’t positively influence the next generation. Children learn by watching their parents’ backs.
What will children learn when shown success gained through dishonest means?
Our ancestors understood this truth. True success comes only from things built through proper methods, and these have power that transcends time.
This power takes the form of invisible trust and respect, passed down across generations.
When AI Hears This
From an information theory perspective, the crucial difference between legitimate techniques and evil means is “compressibility.”
In Shannon entropy, information with patterns and regularity has low entropy. It can be efficiently compressed and transmitted.
Legitimate techniques have logical structure explaining “why we do it this way.” Therefore, they can be accurately transmitted to the next generation with minimal information.
Evil means, however, are a patchwork of ad-hoc methods. For example, legitimate approaches teach “cut at this angle because it’s mechanically optimal.”
Evil means can only say “just do it this way.” This is a high-entropy state—information with high randomness and no visible pattern.
Information theory proves that such unstructured information is extremely vulnerable to transmission noise.
More importantly, human memory and oral tradition are themselves noisy communication channels. According to Shannon’s channel coding theorem, transmitting information accurately in noisy environments requires redundancy.
This means supplementary information explaining “why it works this way.” Legitimate techniques have this redundancy, so they can be restored even with some transmission errors.
Evil means lack restoration clues. They degrade with each generation and are completely lost within a few generations.
This is the inevitable result of accumulated information copy errors.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern people is that integrity in the process is true value. This lesson holds special importance in today’s society, which strongly emphasizes results alone.
You may be in a difficult situation right now, tempted by shortcuts or tricks. But stop and think.
What do you truly want to leave behind? Temporary success, or a way of life you can be proud of?
Things built honestly and sincerely have invisible strength. This becomes confidence that supports you in difficult times.
It becomes the reason people trust you. It becomes wealth passed to the next generation.
This “invisible wealth” is what continues to hold value across time.
You don’t need to be perfect. Just keep making choices you won’t be ashamed of before your conscience.
This way of living positively influences not only yourself but also those around you and even the future. Your choice today might become someone’s hope tomorrow.
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