
[Zichan and the Fish]
Zichan (子產) was a high official in the State of Zheng (鄭國) in the Spring and Autumn Periods in China. During that time, there were territorial wars going on between states. Zichan assisted the other officials in governing the state and therefore the State of Zheng can maintain order and its people were able to live peacefully and happily.
Whenever people presented him with live seafood to eat, Zichan would refuse to kill and eat those creatures. He could not bear to be the cause of the suffering and sacrifice of all those lives. Hence, he always had the aquatic creatures taken to a pool and liberated. Whenever he saw the fish living happily in the pool, he would say with uninhibited delight. His kindness extended universally to every kind of living creature.
All creatures are equal. All animals have the right to live like humans.