According to the work ‘The Tale of Kieu’ by Nguyen Du: During the Ming dynasty, King Gia Tinh, in Beijing (China), there was a family with the surname Vuong, which had three children: Thuy Kieu, Thuy Van, and Vuong Quan.
During the Qingming Festival, (Lễ Thanh Minh), the sisters went to sweep the graves, and Kieu met Kim Trong (a Confucian scholar). The two were mutually pleased and then promised each other for a lifetime. However, misfortune struck when Kieu’s father, Vuong Ong, encountered a calamity. Out of filial devotion, Kieu sacrificed her own body and sold herself to obtain the gold to redeem her father from prison. After 15 years of wandering, enduring harsh winds and rain, Kieu, feeling pitiful for her tragic fate, jumped into the Tien Duong River to commit suicide. Because her karmic debt was not yet fulfilled, she was saved by the nun Giac Duyen and brought to the pagoda to cultivate herself. Later, Kim Trong found her again; although the maiden’s beauty had faded, because of Kieu’s loyalty and filial devotion, Kim Trong respected and loved her even more.
Mr. Nguyễn Du remarked:
“Considering Thúy Kiều’s misfortunes,
Entangled in love, free from evil lust.
With profound affection, repaying deep gratitude,
Selling herself yet her filial heart moves heaven.”
Here, the Holy Teacher only mentions Kiều’s filial piety, “forsaking love for filial duty,” daring to sacrifice her own happiness to repay her foster parents’ kindness.
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