"I have five out of ten and am determined to learn, thirty and standing, forty and not confused, fifty and knowing the destiny, sixty and obedient, seventy and doing what the heart desires, not exceeding the rules." --"Analects for Government"
This passage, which Chinese familiar to all, is actually a great thinker's summary of his life.
Kong Qiu, the illegitimate son who lost his father at the age of three, was expelled from the court with his mother, and lived a hard life in Qufu Que, following the ass of the ceremonial official every day to play with cats and tigers, and thoroughly understood the importance of learning;
When he was in his twenties, Confucius opened China's first private school, and slowly accumulated some fame, during which Qi Jinggong also named and wanted to meet when he visited Luguo, and his career was finally "established".
Around the age of forty, Kong Qiu or went out to exchange and study, discussed with the monarchs of the nations, or commented on the policies of the characters, and gradually learned to become rich and knowledgeable, so he called himself "not confused".
▲ Confucius sees Lao Tzu
Confucius, who was more than fifty years old, successively served as Zhongdu Zai (in charge of housekeeping and household slaves), Sikong (in charge of construction and land), and Dasikou (in charge of criminal law), and zai zai. During the period of great rule of the Country of Neilu and the return of the people to their hearts, it caused panic among the nations, and inevitably touched the interests of the traditional forces of the State of Lu, coupled with the lazy government of Lu Dinggong, the three parties used a cold bench to try to make Confucius retreat.
The author believes that Confucius was an open-minded and idealistic reader, and after perceiving the intentions of all parties, he decisively abandoned the high-ranking official Houlu and took his disciples to sleep in the land of Shenzhou.
The author went through the history books, although he was extremely disgusted, but the Lu monarch did not have an unfavorable idea of Confucius, and the reason why he ran away was that he did not want to eat vegetarian food or collude with the same stream.
In such a state of mind, a phrase "knowing the destiny of heaven" does not seem to be enough to describe this willingness.
But what even Confucius did not expect was that whether it was the degree of knowing the Mandate of Heaven or the magnificent life after that, it was only at this time that it had just begun.
Even more, he never thought that if his life stopped here, his achievements might only be buried in the "Hundred Families", far less than the unique part of this ancient and modern.
The fifty-five-year-old Confucius insisted on leaving the motherland, the main purpose of which was to continue to promote the so-called "self-denial and restoration".
"Ceremony" is the "Zhou Li" compiled by Zhou Gongdan, the founder of the Zhou Dynasty, which stipulates in detail the specifications, music and food used by nobles at all levels in various occasions such as sacrifice, condolence, reception, military and wedding crowns (Auspicious Bingjun Jia), but is not limited to the code of conduct according to the rules, zhou gong's intention is that the nobles at all levels have their own land and perform their duties, which has the authority of Zhou Tianzi and the stability of the Jiangshan Society.
▲The Tomb of Qin Gong No. 1 uses the Tianzi-level "Yellow Intestine Inscription"
However, since the beginning of the Spring and Autumn Period, the war for hegemony has lasted for more than two hundred years, the Zhou royal family has long become a common rubber stamp, all kinds of trespassing things are not strange, and the "Little Spring and Autumn" of the nations is also vigorous.
Confucius hated all this, and he put forward the plan of "self-denial and retribution", hoping that all classes would set strict demands on themselves and work together to return to the harmonious state of the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
Unfortunately, it is obvious that this is a thankless job.
According to historical records, Confucius and his party "went to Lu, rebuked Qi, chased after Song and Wei, trapped between Chen Cai, so they rebelled against Lu", and for thirteen years they were displaced, and they were scattered wearing stars and wearing moons in the Central Plains, and the people they saw were either "I have not seen good virtue as lustful people", or puppets who were suspended by the powerful ministers, whose political ideas were not adopted by the princes, and the team was repeatedly in danger.
The first stop on the tour was the Weiguo, known as the "Country of Gentlemen", who was mistaken for an enemy by the locals in Kuang (place name) and arrested and imprisoned for five days.
"King Wen is neither, nor is Wen in the same place?" The Heavenly One will mourn Sven Ye, and the deceased shall not be allowed to be with Sven Ye. Heaven has not lost Sven also, Kuang ren what to do! "--Historia. Confucius Family
Confucius, who was imprisoned, was very optimistic, he felt that he was carrying the inheritance of King Wen of Zhou, unless god wanted to destroy Zhou Li, otherwise what could others do to him?
In his ancestral home of the Song Dynasty, Sima Huan wanted to kill him, and Confucius also felt that his mission had not yet been achieved, when there was a mandate of heaven to protect him;
Zheng Guoren laughed at his body parts like ancient and modern sages, but when assembled together, they resembled a lost dog (its jaws resemble Yao, its necklace is like Gao pottery, and its shoulders are born, but it is less than three inches below Yu. Tired as a dog that has lost its family), Confucius also laughed and said that what has not been seen before is true, like a dog.
After turning around, he found that they were not as good as Lu Guo, but Confucius had always believed that "Heaven" had given him the mission of carrying forward the Zhou Li.
So, what exactly is the so-called "day"?
Confucius's "heaven" is obviously a moral heaven that can reward good and punish evil, and this is precisely the concept of mandate of heaven inherited from the Western Zhou.
The Yin merchants destroyed by the Zhou people were a magnificent civilization, the towering "Tianyi Shang" made the Zhou people from the countryside of Xi'an worship, the well-made chariots and bronze weapons trembled, and the bloody altar made their souls tremble, because the bodies of the princes of the four directions were the noblest sacrifices.
▲ He is also the one who interprets the dream
So why did they fail? According to the zhou people's contemplation, it is not enough to rely only on sacrifices, perhaps the heavens only care for virtuous people.
Therefore, Zhou Gong invented a concept that would affect the future three thousand years - respecting heaven and protecting the people: "Heaven" will only give the "mandate of heaven" that rules the world to those who have "virtue", once the ruler "loses morality", he will also lose the protection of heaven, and a new virtuous person can be born and replaced, such as king Wu.
In any case, although it contains private goods, the concept of "virtue" appeared for the first time in the sky of Chinese cultural history, and it was also the initial awakening of the humanistic spirit, which laid the foundation for the characteristics of Chinese not blindly following the gods and Buddhas.
The learned Confucius naturally knew the meaning of "virtue", and he tried to promote not only the ritual sense of Zhou Li, but also a high-grade universal value.
Ironically, however, Confucius's ancestors came precisely from the bloody and barbaric Merchants, and as the sixteenth grandson of Wei Ziqi, when children of the same age were devoted to playing with mud, he had a kind of fiddling with the ritual ceremony (Chen Lidou, Set Up a Ceremony), and accidentally became a lifelong undertaking, conscientiously performing the duties of a framer for the conquerors who had already been destroyed.
The yin people are the most "good ghost gods", and the sacrifice of the living with the river of blood has turned the dialogue with the heavens into a power rent-seeking, but Confucius, as a descendant, has lashed out at the funeral of the human figurines...
It is really a real "violation of the ancestral precepts"!
Of course, Confucius, who learned to be rich in five cars, also had his own unique understanding of the "Mandate of Heaven".
Zi Gong Yue: "Can the alliance be evil? Confucius said, "If you want to make an alliance, God will not listen." ”
Confucius and his party were detained by the Weiguo rebel Gongsun Clan when they passed through Puyi, and Confucius promised the other side not to go to the Wei capital and signed a covenant, but did not change the original route after leaving. Zigong asked, can the oath of alliance be broken? Confucius said that the oath of alliance made by being threatened would not be ignored by God.
Honesty or not is a matter of principle of the ancients, the Book of Rites and Sacrifices says that "it is to his integrity, rather than to be loyal", Confucius himself also said that "people have no faith, do not know what they can do", not to mention that the blood alliance is stared at by God, as a saint openly "double standard" is appropriate?
This question will not be discussed in depth, it can be known that Confucius is not pedantic, perhaps he just feels that this move is not contrary to the "moral day" in his heart, and whether he goes to Weidu has nothing to do with the victory or defeat of this war, doesn't it?
This is also in line with Confucius's consistent philosophy, he said that "the son does not speak strangely and chaotically", and admonished his disciples to "respect and stay away" from the ghost god.
"No words" is not to talk about research as a daily life, "respect" refers to the heart of reverence, Confucianism never advocates the pursuit and worship of ghosts and gods, the important thing is that the right path is in the heart, if you do not worship ghosts and gods with righteous thoughts as the master, then you must be controlled by ghosts and gods, when humanity is the standard of practice, if righteous thoughts decline, evil thoughts are the lord.
▲ "Confucius Sees Nanzi" is a famous public case in the Spring and Autumn Period
Of course, Kong Shengren also had a less moral time, the beautiful and charming Lady Nanzi of Weiguo was once alone with him, although there were no witnesses, but outside he heard the bell ringing, and afterwards he was questioned by Zilu, Kong Shengren finally lost his attitude for the first time in the history, Sima Qian said that he jumped up and swore to the heavens: "If I don't care, God will punish me!" God will punish me! (To those who do not, Heaven hates it!) Heaven forbid! ）
It can be seen that it is very likely that something happened between the two sides, but I don't know if Confucius also felt in his heart that it was another "alliance"?
Zi Yue: "There is no word for desire." Zi Gong Yue: "If the son does not speak, then what will the boy say?" Zi Yue: "What does Heaven say?" Four hours of action, a hundred things are born, what is the word of heaven? --The Analects. Yang Goods》
The meaning of this passage is that one day Confucius said that he wanted not to speak, and Zigong felt that if you did not give some instructions, then how could this Analects continue to be compiled? Confucius retorted, "Did heaven speak?" The four seasons run as usual, and don't hundred things grow as well? ”
Speaking of this, presumably the compilation of the Analects has reached the final stage, and Confucius's life is nearing its end.
After thirteen years of travel, Confucius suddenly found that he had tossed and turned all his life, and this unpleasant world had not changed in the slightest, and he had some doubts about the "Mandate of Heaven" that had once been said, but he did not give up, because there was still a great work waiting for him.
▲Guan Erye's favorite reading is "Spring and Autumn"
At the age of sixty-eight, Confucius returned to Lu with his disciples and started the compilation of the Spring and Autumn Classics, and he also successfully entered the realm of ear shun: he used his ears to hear the hidden voice, that is, the true thoughts of the person who spoke.
This oldest surviving history book covers the history of the Eastern Two Hundred and Forty Years, which lasted for three years but only left more than 10,000 words, not too little, this history book that is simplified to the point of outline uses the "Spring and Autumn Brushwork" of "small words and great righteousness" to record the value orientation of the Chinese ancestors, and has the magic of "the fear of chaotic ministers and thieves" and "the way of the three kings of the Ming Dynasty, the discipline of discerning people"!
This is obviously a work that looks to the future, and the mission that I Kong Qiu has not been able to complete today should be carried forward by "Spring and Autumn" for me.
However, its last stroke was something that no one had ever imagined.
In the spring of the tenth year, The Western Hunt was captured. --"Spring and Autumn"
This pen obviously violates the principle of "no words and strange forces and chaotic gods", what is "hunting", the hunting of the nobles, the beast unicorn did not fall from the sky, but was captured by a lowly woodcutter, so he sent words to cover up his downfall.
Confucius kept covering his face and sobbing, and his tears stained his body (anti-fold wipes of his face and his robes), which was even more sad than when Zilu and Yan returned to the world, and he also chanted in a broken voice, "Who are you really here for?" For whom" (who is coming)?
Yes, this kind of chaotic world of collapse and happiness has descended on the beast and has been captured by the contemptible husband, is it that God is blind?
In the same year, Qi Hou was "killed" by Tian Hengzi, and confucius, who was seventy years old, entered the palace after fasting and bathing for three days to see Lu Aigong and asked to send troops to preside over justice, but the Manchu Dynasty Wenwu was indifferent!
The whimpering of the "Qilin" was like the last cry of Li Le, and Kong Qiu no longer believed in the Mandate of Heaven, but instead made the Spring and Autumn Period a permanent suspension (the next two years were written by the disciples).
The Analects and the Spring and Autumn Period stopped, and the disciples, temples, texts, and history books did not matter, he knew that he could no longer see the hope of success, and he was also doubting whether everything he had done was meaningful, and these things were no longer important, only because he chose to let go.
At the end of his life, Confucius had an epiphany about the ultimate meaning of life: from the heart, do not exceed the rules, and finally be able to do whatever you want, just do whatever you want.
Confucius died three years later, and he did not think that the Qin Emperor in the future realized the ideal of "books with the same text, the same track with the car, and the same people" (from "Zhongyong"), and han Wu held him up to the shrine and became the spiritual totem of the Chinese nation.
In the Spring and Autumn Period of Li Xianggong, Shen Sheng, Jie Zhitui, Hongyan, Wu Zixu, Yu Rang and other remnants of Li Le died one after another, the people of the world were sad and confused at the same time:
What is right and wrong, and what is right and wrong?
What holds the bottom line for us is Confucius and Confucianism, who have inscribed the humanistic spirit of Li le on the classics and also imprinted in the blood of the Chinese nation, whether it is as good as Hai Rui or pretending to be Zhu Xi, China's mainstream values have never been distorted.
Looking at today, whether it is a glamorous traffic star or a "tyrant" who crosses the sea of commerce, no one can betray the moral standards defined by Confucius and continue to exist, because that is the background of Chinese civilization.
Confucius will eventually complete the "Mandate of Heaven" on his shoulders.