Confucius the man and his thoughts

This week's event

Pay attention to the "Everyone's Little Book" and forward this tweet to the circle of friends, and send screenshots to the background. The editor will select 5 lucky readers from it, give away a volume of "Everyone Reads", and announce the winning list on January 23 (Sunday).

01

Confucius and his people

Confucius (552 BC – 479 BC), courtesy name Qiu, was a Lu chinese from the Spring and Autumn Period, whose ancestors were nobles of the Song Dynasty. Later, Kong's father Jia, who served as the Grand Sima in the Song Kingdom, was killed for some reason, and his son Mu Jin's father fled to the State of Lu, thus having a branch of the Kong clan in the State of Lu.

Confucius's father was named Shu Liang Qi, a doctor of the State of Lu. Only two years after Confucius was born, his father died, and his mother took him out of the Confucius family and moved to Queli (present-day Qufu, Jining, Shandong Province).

Confucius was an orphan and widowed mother when he was a child, and he experienced hardships, and he once said: "I am also a lowly person, so I can despise things." (Analects of Zihan)

When he grew up, Confucius served as a vassal of ji shi, the ruling physician of the State of Lu. At the age of 36, due to civil unrest in the country of Lu, he avoided the state of Qi and did not return to the country until the age of 43. By the age of 52, Duke Ding of Lu appointed him zhongdu zai, and later promoted to the position of Grand Sikou (大司寇) to administer the state on behalf of the Ji clan.

When Confucius was 57 years old, because he saw that there was no hope in the politics of the State of Lu, he resolutely abandoned the high-ranking official Houlu, who was "regent", and led his main disciples to leave the State of Lu, hoping to govern other princely states and practice his political ideals.

After leaving the country of Lu, Confucius began to travel among the nations, successively between Wei, Cao, Song, Zheng, Chen, and Chu, and everywhere he went, the monarchs treated him with courtesy and even gave him the qualification of "listening to his government", but no one was willing to give him the authority to govern.

In the eleventh year of the Duke of Lu'ai, Confucius returned to lu from weiguo at the age of 69, and was revered as the elder of the country, and several of his students were also appointed. Fourteen years after the Duke of Lai, Confucius died.

Throughout Confucius's life, since he left the country of Lu at the age of 57, he has no profession, and there is no related affairs, and he is a purely free scholar, so he has made great achievements. Looking at his achievements, two points are most commendable: First, he was "interested in learning" from an early age, was an example for learners, and thus became the most knowledgeable scholar of his time. Learning is the root cause of his success. Second, he guided his students in the second half of his life, sorted out and advocated traditional political science, so that the later Confucian school had works (inherited and created), theoretical systems, and teams, and became irreplaceable manifestations.

Through the advocacy of Confucius and his disciples, he put forward his own value system and gained unprecedented publicity. This value system exhibits positive characteristics: First, it is a model of mainstream values, reaching the height of "sacred". Second, it is necessary to integrate and tolerate heresy and reach the height of "power." Third, the pursuit of the greatest utilitarianism, with "government" as the tool, "benevolence" as the banner, "courage" to bear, "wisdom" to cope, has reasonable practical value.

Confucius was revered as a saint by later generations, and is also a veritable "most holy" in the history of Chinese civilization. The values of this sage's existence are: First, any natural person should pursue the attainment of a perfect personality, and Confucius can be called "the engineer of the human soul" and discusses the constituent elements of the ideal personality. Second, the ills faced by society throughout the ages are the same, and Confucius can be called the "attending physician of social diseases", and he prescribes the formula for the treatment of these common diseases. In the terminology of Chinese medicine, the medicine in this prescription is "benevolence", the medicine is "courtesy and righteousness", and the adjuvant medicine is "filial piety, faith, loyalty, diligence, learning, friendship, energy, zhi, gentleness, goodness, gong, thrift, jean, respect", etc., so that the medicine is "profit".

The so-called saints are those who have reached the highest level of comprehensive evaluation. Because of this, we should all look to Confucius as an example of observation, analysis, and emulation.

Confucius had a profound impact on future generations, and the Confucian ideas he advocated laid the foundation of socio-political thought, the axis of traditional Chinese culture, shaped the soul of Chinese, and intervened in everyone's thoughts and lives. In addition, Confucianism is a powerful force in world culture, it is pure, pragmatic, has few side effects, and has a potential competitive advantage in the world's various cultural systems.

Today, our study of Confucius from multiple angles is of great significance. We must explore its thoughts and thinking, so as to improve our own level of being a person; we can also find mainstream values for society and build a national value ideology.

On issues related to Confucius's birth equality, the author has written "The Biography of Confucius", which can provide more information, and welcomes everyone to refer to and criticize.

02

The Analects of its book

Confucius brought many students, "History of Confucius's Family": "Confucius taught with "Poems", "Books", Rituals, and Music, and his disciples covered three thousand Yan, and there were seventy people who were proficient in six arts. "Confucius taught three thousand students, which is of course a very exaggerated statement, but it is still credible to say that he has ten or dozens of outstanding disciples.

Confucius had a strong charisma, and most of the students admired him and regarded what he said as a golden rule.

The Analects of Wei Linggong: "Zi Zhang asked for action, And Zi Yue said: 'Faithful in words, respectful in deeds, though barbaric in the state, deeds are done.'" Unfaithful in words, disrespectful in deeds, though in the state, what do you do? Standing sees its participation in the front, and in public opinion it sees that it depends on the balance, and then the husband then acts. 'Sons of Zhang Shu gentlemen. Writing "faithful in words and deeds with devotion" to the gentleman is to be used as a motto at any time to warn oneself.

Analects of Yang Goods: "Zi Yue: 'Giving desire is speechless.'" Zi Gong Yue: "If the son does not speak, then what will the boy say?" The Son: "What is the word of heaven?" Four hours of action, a hundred things are born, what is the word of heaven? This text shows that the students regard confucius's words as golden words, the source of truth. Confucius was in charge of production, and they specialized in trafficking. "If the son does not speak, then the boy will not be able to say anything", revealing the fact that there exists between the master and the disciple of Confucius. Confucius compared himself to heaven, indicating that his confidence as a saint was also very strong.

Students often asked Confucius questions, in fact, to take his pockets and put his machine of truth in a state of output. His answers are very incisive, and the students naturally cherish them, and often record the Q&A afterwards, and the "Zi Zhang Shu Zhu Gentry" is more typical. In addition, Confucius's usual words and deeds experience, which students think is valuable, will naturally be recorded. Students also tend to communicate with each other what they ask or to their students (Confucius's disciples).

After The death of Confucius, the students launched an initiative to compile the records of Confucius's words and deeds accumulated in each person's hands and their own records of consultation. Later, Confucius's disciples continued to flesh out this compilation, adding to the records of their own teachers' words and deeds, and so on. After the records of the disciples of Confucius and the disciples of the retransmission, the book "Analects" was born. The Book of Han and Yiwen zhi: "In the Analects, Confucius answered the words of his disciples, the people of the time, and the disciples and received the words of his master. At that time, the disciples each had their own records, the master was a pawn, and the disciples were discussed with each other, so it was called the Analects. Hanxing, there are Qi and Lu zhi said. ”

The content of the Analects comes from two generations of disciples of Confucius, and unlike official books such as the Zhou Yi, the Book of Shang, and the Book of Poetry, it is the first veritable private work in Chinese history.

According to Bangu's account, the meaning of "Analects" is "compiled (Confucius) language." The meaning of the word "on" is "compilation". "History of Taishi Gong Self-Introduction": "For the taishi, there is no forgetting what I want to write... Confucius repaired the old and abolished, on the "poems", "books", "Spring and Autumn", then scholars still have it... Yu wei tai shi and fu on the history of the world..." In this text, three "theories" are used, and the meaning of the words is "compilation".

The original meaning of the word "discussion" is "discussion", "Commentary": "Discussion, discussion." From words, from words. But the "discourse" of the "Analects" is not pronounced here, and the flat sound "lún" is a false loan, and its original word should be "侖". "Explanation of Words": "Oh, Siye." From the book, from the book. Duan Yu's note: "The collection of pamphlets will be followed by the second order, and its literary reasoning will be sought." The so-called "collection of pamphlets" means "compilation".

The book "Analects" includes the following three parts: one is some of Confucius's usual speeches and some of the disciples' usual speeches; the other is some of Confucius's dialogues with his disciples and others, some conversations between disciples or between disciples and others; third, some of the behaviors of Confucius and his disciples, and some of the words and deeds of the sages.

Confucius taught students that their subjects were ritual, music, archery, imperial court, calligraphy, and mathematics. Some people say that the Analects are students' class notes, which is certainly not true. Most of the "Analects" embodied in the "Analects" are extracurricular teacher-student exchanges and student observation records, which can be counted as a kind of extracurricular teaching-related activities.

The Analects vividly embody Confucius's values of "self-cultivation" and "governing others", and its status is very important. It is the first private work of Chinese society, and compared with the books that have developed and matured later, there are naturally some unsatisfactory places. For example, its content arrangement is often just a messy copy together, and the logical conformity is not done well. When the reader wants to understand the basic confucian views on a certain issue, he needs to make full use of all the scattered materials in the book, make full use of the rules of affairs, and perform a "puzzle"-like operation to get the whole picture.

Since the Analects often provide a verbal record of fragments, when reading, the reader often has to have the awareness and ability to restore the whole context, the ability to deduce the whole through the part, and the ability to deduce the complete meaning through only a few words, otherwise it cannot be accurately understood.

Confucianism advocates self-cultivation and moves towards the goal of "gentleman" through self-cultivation. "Gentleman" is a perfect person who is excellent in everything, the limit of people's progress, it is a relative existence, people can only approach it infinitely, it is impossible to finally achieve. The book "Analects" shows various examples of gentlemen's words and deeds. Through these cases, readers can deduce the macro and micro standards of a gentleman as the direction of their own efforts.

The Analects have a very important position in the history of Chinese culture and have always been valued by people. Because it is the scope of the imperial examination, the ancient literati all memorized it like a stream and studied it in depth. Song Dynasty Luo Dajing "Crane Forest Yulu" Volume VII: "Zhao Pu Zaixiang, renyan Pu Shandong people, the reader stops the Analects, Gai Yi Shaoling said also." Emperor Taizong tried to ask Pu pu in this way, and Pu Luo should not, and said: "The subject knows in his life, and he sincerely does not come out of this." In the past, he used to rule the world with his half-auxiliary Taizu, and now he wants to bring peace to his half-auxiliary Majesty. 'Pu Zhi Xiang Ye is not worthy of the Analects, and his words are the most important in the world. This is the source of the phrase "half of the Analects rule the world." In fact, why does the Fundamental Influence of the Analects on Man need half of it? Often, just a few words are taken and enshrined as a guideline, which is enough to benefit a lot. For example, the opening sentence: "Learn and learn from time to time, don't you say it?" "If cheng can study hard all his life and enjoy it, will his level of being a person still low?" It can be said that "a sentence of the Analects is good for oneself." Those who have read the Analects, recognized the Analects, and are willing to follow the concept of the Analects to behave in the world are obvious compared with those who have not read the Analects. The author often encourages himself with "sixty and obedient ears", feeling that he has gone up to a big step, and his attitude towards people and things is very different from before, thinking that it is a key progress, and whenever he treats a person well and treats a good thing, he often steals joy in his heart.

I have been practicing language all my life and am a person with "language fetish". Over the years, I have been engaged in Confucianism, and I have a habit of composing poetry, so I have written some poems around the topic of Confucianism, such as this one:

Yong Ru

Kun Pu Qian opened all kinds of cuteness, and Taihe Yuan Qi was self-sufficient.

Yao Feng Shun Yu Ren Tu Guang, Yin Wu Zhou Wen Li Dao Ping.

Zhen Yusheng jin harmonious world reason, through the heavens and the earth to conform to people's feelings.

It is universally applicable, and the litigation of all families is integrated.

After completing the detailed explanation of the Analects, there was actually a "Habit of the Analects", and on a whim, each text of the Analects was "poetic" and more than 600 poems were obtained. In ancient times, there were "Qi Theory" and "Lu Theory", this group of poems, can be called Bai's "Poetry Theory", right? In the history of the Analects, it can also be regarded as a thing, right?

For example, the Analects of Wei Zheng: "The Son knows: 'I have five out of ten and am determined to learn, thirty and standing, forty and not confused, fifty and knowing the Mandate of Heaven, sixty and obedient, seventy and obedient to the heart, not exceeding the rules.' Poetry:

Zhixue climbed since he was a teenager, and he was versatile and knowledgeable.

Integration is not confused, and the courage to inherit the destiny of heaven is clean.

Hua Jia can hear the words and ears, and gu rarely wants to be self-conscious.

After six realms of perfection, the example is brilliant day and month.

Another example is the Analects of Gongyechang: "Zizhi Nanrong: 'The state has no way to abolish, and the state has no way to be exempt from torture.'" 'To his brother's son and wife.' "Poetry:

Nan Rong Cheng Junjie, from the world to Domu.

There is a way to stretch one's mind and avoid falling into the sky.

He knows both the strategy of the country and the way out.

Confucius sincerely praised and rewarded him as a niece and husband.

Another example is the Analects of Gongyechang: "Zi Zhi Zi Zi Zhi: 'Gentleman Is Like a Man!'" Lu no gentleman, Si Yan Ti Si? Poetry:

Mi Zi is solid and mellow, and the master is a handsome disciple.

Qinming single paternalization, Debu Shumin Pleasure.

Can't bear to deceive it, follow the good for a lifetime.

Zhongni sincerely appreciated and sighed at Lu Zhongshu.

Each chapter of the Analects has a corresponding poem or poems as interpretations, complementing each other perfectly: Oh! It turns out that the Analects can still be read like this!

In the Jin Dynasty, Du Prezhi's "Zuo Chuan" was known as the "Left Transmission" fetish, so Du's notes are still popular in the world. I think that no matter what people do, they should dive into it and cultivate "fetishes" in order to promote things and innovate, which is the so-called "craftsman spirit", right?

Criticism of this book is welcome!

END