As the old saying goes: "行善积德". This proverb encourages people to perform acts of kindness to build virtue. In times of famine, wealthy families would donate grain to relieve starving refugees, which was considered an act of merit. In times of peace, releasing fish and turtles into rivers or birds into the wild—a practice known as "放生"—was also seen as a virtuous deed. Later, some even began catching birds on the first day of the Lunar New Year to release them, calling it "爱生灵".
During the Spring and Autumn period, the State of Jin established its capital in Handan. Zhao Jianzi, a highly influential minister of Jin, had a peculiar habit: during the New Year, he would have the common people catch doves and bring them to his manor so he could perform "releasing life" rituals.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the people of Handan flocked to Zhao Jianzi's residence, eagerly presenting doves so that he could release them. Zhao Jianzi was delighted and granted generous rewards to those who brought the birds. From morning till night, people arrived in an endless procession to offer doves.
After watching for a long time, one of Zhao Jianzi's retainers asked him about the purpose of this practice. Zhao Jianzi replied, "Releasing life on the first day of the year demonstrates my compassion and love for all living beings!" The retainer then advised, "Your compassion is indeed rare and commendable. However, have you considered this: if the entire population knows you intend to release doves, they will race against each other to catch them to please you. As a result, many more doves will be killed or injured. If you truly wish to save them, it would be better to issue an order prohibiting their capture. By rewarding people for catching so many doves just to release them later, your so-called 'mercy' cannot even compensate for the harm you have caused them."
After hearing these words, Zhao Jianzi paced back and forth in his manor with his hands behind his back. After a period of deep reflection, he nodded silently and said, "You are right."
This fable exposes the hypocrisy of certain individuals who care only about outward appearances and reputation, performing acts of "kindness" that lack real substance and actually cause more harm than good.
