應，讀去聲，作動詞用，回答之意;不可讀平聲，而解作應該。呼，是高聲叫喚：父母或者在遠處，或者在別個房間，所以當父母需要我們時，就會提高了聲音來叫。假如我們不馬上答應，父母或者會以為我們不在，或者會以為我們沒聽見。於是一叫再叫的，嗓子叫啞了都有可能;再不然就是發起脾氣來了!這都很傷健康的。真孝順的孩子，不會希望父母傷身體，更不會裝聾作啞，甚至於被叫煩了，還反過來怪父母。
1.WhenMotherandFatherarecalling,answerthemrightaway.
Whenourparentsarefarawayorinanotherroom,theymaycallouttouswhentheyneedus.Ifwedonotrespondrightaway,theymaythinkthatwearenotaroundorthatwedidnothearthem,andtheywillkeepcallinguntiltheybecomehoarseorlosetheirtemper,neitherofwhichwouldbegoodfortheirhealth.AtrulyFilialchildwouldnotwanthisparentstoruintheirhealthlikethat.Hewouldnotpretendtobedeaformutewhenhisparentscalledhim,andhewouldnotdaretodisobeythemevenifheisannoyedatbeingcalled.
命是當面吩咐，或者是很威嚴地命令，或者是很和藹地交待，總之都得趕快去做，不要找藉口，拖拖拉拉的，或是陽奉陰違，當面答應卻背後搗鬼;又或者做得心不甘情不願的，甚至人前，背後發牢騷。這都不可以的。
2.Whentheygiveyoudirections,obeythemwithouthesitation.
Whenourparentstellustodosomething,whethersternlyorgently.weshouldobeythemrightawayandnotlookforexcusestoprocrastinate.Weshouldn'tactobedientinfrontofourparentsbutthendisobeythembehindtheirbacks;norshouldwedothingsinareluctantmannerandkeepcomplaininginfrontofourparentsorbehindtheirbacks.
教，在這裡也是個動詞，念平聲，教導。父母的人生經驗比我們豐富，當他們在指導我們怎麼待人，處事，接物時，我們都要恭恭敬敬地仔細聽明白，牢記在心。不可以當那話是耳邊風，看父母像老骨董。所謂「眾人是我師，我是眾人師。」別人不管好的不好的，都可以做我們的一面鏡子，何況是對自己的父母?父母說得對，要聽從;說得若不合理呢!也可以拿來做參考改進之用，怎麼可以不恭敬呢?
3.Whenyourparentsneedtoinstructyou,respectfullydoasyou'retold.
Ourparentsaremuchmoreexperiencedthanweare,andsowhentheyinstructusonhowtocommunicatewithotherpeopleandhowtohandlevarioussituations,weshouldlistenrespectfullytotheirwords,makesureweunderstandthem,andrememberthembyheart.Weshouldn'tthinkourparentsaretooold-fashionedandsimplylettheirwordsgoinoneearandouttheother.Itissaid,"Allpeoplearemyteachers,andIameveryone'steacher."Whetherotherpeoplearegoodorbad,wecanalwayslearnsomethingfromthem;howmuchthemorecanwelearnfromourparents!Weshouldlistentoourparentsiftheyareright,ofcourse;andiftheyareunreasonable,weshouldstillberespectfultothem,butnotfollowtheirexample.
再說假如我們做錯了，或者不能滿父母的心意，父母免不了要責備，或者疾言厲色地罵一頓，或者只溫和地教訓幾句。不管怎麼樣，都要溫馴地接受，不可爭辯，更不可強詞奪理來惹父母傷心生氣。
4.Wheneveryourparentsmustscoldyou,acknowledgeyourerrorsandfaults.
Ifwedosomethingwrongorweletdownourparents'wishes,theymayscoldusseverelyorgentlyremonstratewithus.Nomatterhowtheyreact,weshouldcompliantlyaccepttheiradmonition,andnotarguewiththemormakethemangryorupset.
為什麼把這四項放在孝道之首?因為這是居家生活中，最常面臨的事情。父母子女間是否慈愛、孝順，在這些日常應對中，最容易反映出來。若做子女的，做不到這些，卻說有孝心，任誰也不相信的。可是我們人哪!最容易在這些日常的小事上忽略過去，以為沒什麼要緊;殊不知日積月累的，就足以傷透父母的心了!口口聲聲：「我是有那個孝心的!」有心無行，又有什麼用?
Whyarethesefoursentencesplacedatthebeginningofthediscussiononfilialpiety?Theydealwiththemostcommonsituationsthatoccurinourhomes.Wecaneasilytellfromobservingthedailyinteractionsbetweenparentsandchildrenwhethertheparentsarelovingandthechildrenarefilial.Ifthechildrenclaimtobefilialandyetfailtopracticethesefourbasicrulesindailylife,whowillbelievethem?Unfortunately,wetendtoneglectthesesmallmattersofdailylifeandthinkthattheyarenobigdeal.Wedon'trealizethatifwegraduallyaccumulatethesebadhabits,wemayendupbreakingourparents'hearts.What'stheuseofclaimingtobefilialifwedon'tactuallypractice?
以前中國古時有個叫丁蘭的男子，性情十分粗魯，對相依為命的母親總是非打即罵，自己還不覺得那是不孝。有一天，他在田裡工作，忽然看見小鹿是跪著吃母鹿的奶，再看看枝頭的小烏鴉，忙進忙出的找食物餵老烏鴉;他猛然省悟到自己比禽獸還不如，決定等下母親送飯來時，要好好表現一下孝行。
InancientChina,therewasamannamedDingLanwhowasaroughfellow.Althoughheandhismotherhadonlyeachothertorelyupon,heoftenscoldedandbeathismotherwithoutanysenseofshameforhisunfilialconduct.Onedaywhenhewasworkinginthefields,hesuddenlynoticedafawnkneelingdowntodrinkitsmother'smilk.Healsosawsomeyoungcrowsbusilylookingforfoodtofeedtheiragingmother.Reflectingonthewayhetreatedhisownmother,herealizedthathewasnotevenasgoodasananimal.Hemadeuphismindtobefilialtohismotherfromthenon.
母親送飯來得晚了，正急得害怕要挨打了，一見兒子朝他奔來，嚇得飯盒一丟，返身就逃。丁蘭一看更急得邊追邊叫媽，母親邊跑邊哭：「唉呀!我這回被抓到，準被打死了!真苦命啊!這樣活著沒意思啦!」見著池塘就跳了下去;等丁蘭趕到，水面只浮著一塊薄木板，再也找不到母親了!於是乎，悔恨交加的丁蘭便把木板當作母親，寫上母親的名字，供奉起來。這就是中國人供奉祖先牌位的由來。
Butitjustsohappenedthatonthatparticularday,hismotherwaslateinsendinglunchtohim,andshewasafraidshewouldbescoldedandbeatenagain.Asshehurriedlywalkedtowardherson,shesawDingLanrunningtowardher.Terrified,shedroppedthelunchboxandturnedandfled.WhenDingLansawhismotherrunningaway,heshoutedoutandranevenfaster,tryingtotellherhisintention.Hismothercriedassheran,thinking,"Ifhecatchesmethistime,he'llbeatmetodeathforsure!Whatmisery!It'smeaninglesstoliveinthisworld!"Andsowhenshereachedtheriverbank,shethrewherselfinandcommittedsuicide.WhenDingLanreachedthatplace,hesawonlyapieceofwoodfloatingontheriver.Knowingthathewouldneverseehismotheragain,hepickedupthewoodandtookithome,wherehetreateditashismother.Hecarvedhismother'snameonit,setitonthealtar,andmadeofferingstoit.AndthustheChinesecustomofsettingupmemorialplaquestotheirancestorsbegan.
雖然丁蘭省悟了自己過去忤逆母親的不孝，但已是「樹欲靜而風不止;子欲養而親不待了!」所以孝順父母要及早，更要從這些每日的應對做起，培養自己的恭敬心，那便是孝的初步了!
AlthoughDingLandeeplyregrettedhisrebelliousbehavior,itwastoolate.Sothereisasaying,"Thetreewantstobestill,butthewindkeepsonblowing:achildwishestorepayhisparents'kindness,buttheyaregone."Ifwewanttopracticefilialpiety,weshouldstartearlybydevelopingarespectfulattitudetowardourparentswhenweinteractwiththemindailylife.Thatisthefirststeptobeingfilial.
摘自法界佛教總會(孫果秀注釋)