A Debt of Gratitude Beyond Death 結草報恩 결초보은

A Debt of Gratitude Beyond Death 結草報恩 결초보은

Meaning

"Repaying Kindness Beyond Death" literally means "tying grass to repay a favor."

It refers to never forgetting a kindness received and repaying it even after death.

The Story

During the Spring and Autumn Period of ancient China, a nobleman of the State of Jin named Wei Wuzi had a young concubine.

When Wei Wuzi first became ill, he told his son Wei Ke:

"If I die, let her remarry and live her own life."

Later, as his condition worsened and his mind

became clouded, he changed his will and said : 

"If I die, bury her with me." 

After Wei Wuzi's death, Wei Ke chose to follow his father's first wish, spoken while he was clear-minded. 

He spared the young woman and helped her marry someone else, allowing her to live a new life. 

Years later, Wei Ke found himself in great danger on the battlefield while being pursued by an enemy commander named Du Hui. 

Suddenly, Du Hui stumbled and fell as if his feet had been caught by something in the grass. 

Wei Ke escaped death and captured the enemy commander. 

That night, an old man appeared in Wei Ke's dream and said : 

"I am the father of the woman whose life you saved." 

"To repay your kindness, I tied the grass around the enemy commander's feet and caused him to fall." 

From this story comes the idiom "Repaying Kindness Beyond Death" — a reminder that true gratitude never fades, even after death.