Recently, "China in the Classics" broadcast the fifth issue of "Analects", which once again received rave reviews. An Analects, precipitating the classics of the sages of a thousand years, the root soul of civilization, and also records many moving stories and friendships, and the teacher-student relationship of Confucius and his disciples is one of them.
Confucius had many disciples in his lifetime, "Seventy-two Sages of Confucius" and "Ten Philosophers of Confucius" are outstanding representatives, and when it comes to Confucius's most proud and beloved disciples, Yan Yuan and Zilu are two names that cannot be bypassed.
Two of Confucius's favorite disciples
(Excerpt) Author/Li Changzhi
At the age of sixty-nine, Confucius' only son, Kong Li, died. Losing a son in old age is ultimately a sad thing. But even more unfortunately, two years later, when Confucius was seventy-one years old, unpleasant things came one after another.
First of all, in the spring of this year, someone hunted in the western suburbs of Luguo and hunted an animal like a unicorn. The unicorn is a benevolent beast in legend, and when it appeared, it always thought that the world should be peaceful, but now that it has been killed, Confucius feels that this is not a good sign. (The Legend of the Spring and Autumn Ram)
Soon, Confucius saw the death of his most proud disciple, Yan Yuan.
Confucius was very important. Yan Yuan lived in poverty, but he did not relax his study because of poverty. Confucius once said, "Yan Hui (Yan Yuan's name Hui, Zi Yuan) is so good!" Eating coarse rice, drinking water, living in a narrow and small alley, and dying of sorrow in others, but Yan Hui was still happy as usual. (Zi Yue: "Xianya, huiye!) A piece of food, a scoop of drink, in the dark alley, people are overwhelmed, and they will not change their happiness. ——" The Analects of Yongye )
Confucius once said: "Tell a person how to learn, and never slack off after listening, probably only Yan Hui." (Zi Yue: "He who speaks without being lazy, his return is also with him!") ——"Analects of Zihan")
Yan Yuan not only learned Confucius's optimistic, positive, and diligent spirit, but also learned Confucius's modesty. He was originally a very clever man, and Confucius once asked Zigong (Confucius's disciple, formerly known as Duanmu ci) and said, "If you compare yourself with Yan Hui, who do you think is smart?" Zigong said, "How dare I compare to him?" When Yan Hui heard one, he could realize ten, and I could hear at most one and realize two. Confucius said, "By the way, you can't catch up with him." Neither you nor I can catch up with him! (Zi Zi Gong Yue: "Who is the female and the hui?") "How dare you look back?" Back also smell one to know ten, give also smell one to know two. Zi Yue: "Furuye." I and the female Furuya. ——" The Analects of Gongye Long Story"
Even if Zigong was smart, he could not catch up with Yan Yuan, and even Confucius admitted that he could not catch up. But Yan Yuan was usually so humble that he was like a fool. Confucius said: "I talked to Yan Hui for a day, and he did not refute it, it was like stupidity. But examining his private words and deeds can give play to what I am saying, which shows that he is not stupid. (Zi Yue: "I will not contradict my words with my reply all the time, like foolishness.") It is enough to withdraw and save its selfishness, and it is not foolish to return. ——" The Analects of The Analects of Government)
Confucius was a politically enthusiastic man, but he was not very obsessed with fame and fortune. Yan Yuan was also like this. In the eyes of ordinary people, Yan Yuan has the talent of a prime minister, but he is not in a hurry to become an official. Therefore, Confucius once said to Yan Yuan: "If you have the opportunity, you can realize your ideals, and you can rest assured without a chance, only me and you can do it." (Zi said Yan Yuanyue: "If you use it, you can do it, and if you give it up, you will hide it, but I am a husband with Er!") ---Analects of the Analects))
In short, Yan Yuan is a little Confucius. When such a disciple died, Confucius certainly wept bitterly. When he first heard the news, he said, "God wants my life, God wants my life!" (Yan Yuan died, Zi Yue: "Oh! Heaven forbid! Heaven forbid! ——" The Analects and Advanced Texts)
Confucius wept so much that he didn't even feel that he was in mourning. Someone else said, "You're mourning so much!" He said, "Mourn? If this man dies and does not mourn, who will mourn? (Yan Yuan died, and the son wept and mourned.) The follower said: "Sons and daughters." "Do you have any condolences?" Who is not a lady to mourn for? ——" The Analects and Advanced Texts)
The next year Confucius encountered another unfortunate incident, that is, his closest disciple Zilu (that is, Zhongyou, Zilu is his word) also died. And Zilu died a terrible death.
It turns out that the sub-road is brave and unscrupulous. Confucius had warned him more than once. Once, Zilu asked Confucius, "If you lead the three armies, who will you take with you?" Because Zilu was known for his bravery, he thought confucius must have said to take him.
But Confucius said, "I will never bring anyone who fights a tiger with bare hands, nor will I bring anyone who is reckless and reckless and has no preparation or preparation to cross the river." I want people who can be cautious and vigilant in the face of war, who are good at planning and can succeed. (Zi Lu said: "Zi Xing three armies, then who is with whom?") Zi Yue: "Violent Tiger Feng He, who dies without regret, I will not be with him." He who is afraid of things will also be afraid, and he who is good at plotting will also be afraid. ——" The Analects of the Analects"
Confucius also believed that zilu was too straight, too good and strong, and I was afraid that it would be difficult to end well. ("If it is also by reason, it must not be dead.") ——" The Analects and Advanced Texts)
Zilu was the most enthusiastic about Confucius's cause, and although he was often reprimanded by Confucius because of his outspokenness, his feelings for Confucius were always very good. Although he was often scolded by Confucius, because Zilu was a straightforward person, Confucius was the easiest to speak the truth to him, and at the same time Zilu also had many strengths, such as: integrity, bravery, doing what he listened to, doing what he said, without any hesitation, and if others pointed out his faults, he would be happy (Mencius Gongsun Ugly), and so on, so Confucius was still very fond of him.
Zilu eventually died in Weiguo, and before he died, he was seriously injured and his hat was broken. Zilu said, "When a good man is dying, the hat must still be worn correctly." "He lost his breath as he tied his hat.
As soon as Confucius heard of the change in Weiguo, he felt uneasy and said, "Gao Chai (i.e., Zi Lamb, who was also a disciple of Confucius) can still return safely, and Zhongyu must have sacrificed." (The Left Biography)
Soon the fierce letter arrived, and Confucius began to cry in the courtyard. At this time, there was a condolence, and Confucius immediately returned the salute. Confucius finished crying, and then asked how Zilu had died, and the messenger said, "Hǎi, meat sauce, here as a verb, referring to a kind of torture in ancient times." Confucius hurriedly asked someone to cover the sauce eaten in the house, for fear of feeling uncomfortable after seeing it. ("Li Ji Tan Bow")
The deaths of Yan Yuan and Zi Lu were a heavy blow to Confucius. One was the best disciple, the other was the closest disciple, who had endured a number of tribulations, had spent thirty or forty years together, and had left him in his old age.
Text from /"The Story of Confucius" Selected articles have been deleted
Photo from/"China in the Classics" program
In these delicate daily conversations,
Confucius did not seem to be a "saint",
Nor does it have the name of "Master of All Ages",
For those disciples who loved him,
He is only the simplest: the master, the master.
This teacher taught them:
The self-cultivation belief that "virtue is not alone, there will be neighbors",
The way of dealing with the world that "do not do to others what you do not want,
The attitude of "learning without thinking is reckless, and thinking without learning is ruining",
The wisdom motto of "Knowing is knowing, not knowing is not knowing, is knowing also",
The goal of life is that "a soldier must not fail to carry out his perseverance, and the task is heavy and the road is long"...
These educational concepts are infused with the wisdom of the sages,
Even today, it can still be seen.
This deep and generous teacher-student relationship,
Even today, it is still moving.
Producer 丨 Xu Bing Editor-in-Chief 丨 Wang Ruolu
Editor 丨 Yang Yuting Proofreader 丨 Gao Shaozhuo