Introduction to the life and deeds of Confucius

I. Early Education

Confucius's early life was extremely difficult, he said, "I am young and cheap, so I can do more despicable things." When Confucius was three years old, Shulianghe died and was buried in Fangshan Mountain in the eastern part of Lu, and his mother did not tell Confucius where the tomb was located. Yan moved to Qufu Que Li and raised him. As a young boy, Kong Zi used to set up ceremonial vessels (chopping boards and beans) for rituals and practiced performing rites and rituals as a kind of game.

Confucius' mother died when he was 17, and Confucius wished to bury his parents together. In order to inquire about his father's burial place, he stopped his mother's coffin at the intersection (五父之衢) and inquired from passers-by. Later, his mother's neighbor, Father Man's mother, told Confucius where Shulianghe's tomb was located, and Confucius then buried his parents together in Mount Fang. The next year, when Confucius was mourning for his mother, the Jisun clan held a banquet for people of the rank of scholar (飨士). Confucius went there, but was reprimanded and refused by Yang Hu, a vassal of the Jisun clan. However, many later scholars doubt that this incident is a forgery.

At the age of 19, Confucius worked for the Jisun clan, a nobleman of the state of Lu, as a clerk, a commissioner, and a petty official in the field, managing storage and animal husbandry. Married Song people Qi Guan as his wife, the next year Qi Guan gave birth to a son. Lu Zhaogong sent people to send carp to congratulate, the son will be named Kong Carp, the word Bo Yu. Kong Carp first Confucius and died, there is a surviving son Kong Kai, the word Zisi.

At the age of 23, Confucius began to teach in the countryside, and his students included Yan Yu (father of Yan Hui), Zeng Dang (father of Zeng Sen), and Ran Keng. In the seventeenth year of Duke Zhaogong of Lu, the ruler of the state of Tancheng, Tanzi, visited Lu[15]. Tantanzi was so learned and skillful that the 27-year-old Confucius admired him. Han Yu's "Teacher's Commentary" has the words: "Confucius teacher Tantanzi." Confucius successively "asked Laozi about rituals, learned to play the qin from Shixiangzi, and visited carambola for music."

Around the age of thirty, some of his first disciples came to him. Since then, Confucius has been engaged in the cause of education, and he has collected a wide range of disciples, who have been passed on to three thousand disciples and seventy-two sages. He was the first to advocate teaching without discrimination and teaching according to ability, and became the pioneer and representative of academic downward mobility and private lecturing at that time, so he was honored as the "Teacher of the World" and the "Most Sage Teacher" by later generations.

Secondly, when he was thirty-five years old, Duke Zhaodong of Lu was defeated by the Jisuns, Shusuns, and Mensuns, who were in power in Lu, and fled to Qi, and Confucius then left Lu for Qi. Confucius once talked about music with the Qi tai shi, and heard and practiced the great beauty of shao music, and did not know the taste of meat for three months. When Duke Jing of Qi asked Confucius about his government, Confucius said, "The ruler is a ruler, the minister is a minister, the father is a father, and the son is a son."

Duke Jing of Qi said, "Good! The letter is as if the ruler is not a ruler, the minister is not a minister, the father is not a father, and the son is not a son. Even though there is corn, I can eat it?" His day and asked the government in Confucius, Confucius said, "The government in the section of wealth." Duke Jing wanted to appoint Confucius as the Nixida Daifu, but was advised against it by Yan Ying, the prime minister of Qi, who thought that Confucius would interfere with the culture of Qi. Later, when he learned that the Qi minister wanted to harm Confucius, Duke Jing had no choice but to dismiss Confucius, who returned to Lu to gather disciples and give lectures.

Three, first served in the state of Lu

Lu Dinggong nine years, 51 years old Confucius served in Lu, at first for the Zhongdu Zai (Zhongdu for the present day Shandong Wenshang County), a year later to do the Sikong, then promoted to the big Sikou, during the period of time, but also perform the regent affairs.

In the 10th year of Duke Ding of Lu's reign, Duke Ding of Lu and Duke Jing of Qi met in Jiegu, in which Confucius achieved diplomatic victories and caused Qi to return Wenyang and other areas of Lu that had been encroached upon by Qi.

In the thirteenth year of Duke Ding of Lu, Confucius planned a political and military campaign to re-establish the authority of Lu's office, hoping to reduce the power of the three Huan, so he first abused the Shusun clan's fiefs, and then abused the Jisun clan's fiefs, but his siege of the city of Kouyi failed.

In the 14th year of Duke Lu's reign, Confucius killed Shao Zhengmao, a member of Lu's great government; however, it is believed that the Shao Zhengmao incident was fabricated by later scholars who were influenced by the Legalist school of thought.

Because the state of Lu under the rule of Confucius had been improving quite a bit, which aroused the fear of the Qi people, Li Mou, a great doctor of the Qi, designed to present the female Le Wenma to Lu so that Duke Lu would not be concerned with the imperial government, and to make it difficult to bridge the differences in morality and policy between Confucius, Duke Lu and Ji Huanzi, etc., so that Confucius finally went to Lu and Wei.

Fourth, traveling around the world

After leaving Lu, Confucius traveled around the world at the rate of many disciples, passing through Wei, Cao, Song, Zheng, Chen, Cai, Ye, Chu, etc., but he was never reappointed. In the meantime, in Kuang, Song, Pu and other places, Confucius and his party were trapped and in danger many times.

Fifth, during the stay in Wei

Confucius arrived in Wei, when traveling to Chen, passing through Kuangcheng, Yanqi lifted the strategy and pointed to the gap outside the Guo, saying, "In the past, I entered here, by the lack of it." Because of his tall stature, Confucius was mistaken by the people of Kuang for the Yanghu of Lu, and was rounded up. Feeling angry, Zi Lu seized his halberd and prepared to engage, but was stopped by Confucius. During the process Confucius had been separated from Yan Hui and at one point thought that Yan Hui was dead.

Duke Ling of Wei offered Confucius the same salary as when he was in Lu. After living there for some time, he was flattered and left.

Confucius returned to Wei after a few months in Pucheng. When he met Nanzi, the wife of the Duke of Wei, Confucius faced the north and bowed his head to the ground without looking at him; Nanzi, the wife of the Duke of Wei, also bowed to Confucius again in the curtain. When Zi Lu learned of this, he was very upset over this matter, and did not say anything on the surface, but Confucius understood in his heart, so Confucius swore to Zi Lu to the sky and said, "If I am not right, let the heavens loathe me!" A few months later, the Duke of Wei Ling and his wife Nanzi were traveling in the same car, with Confucius as the second and the rest of the officials in the back, waving and roaming through the market. Confucius was ashamed of this incident, and when Yanqi asked what the shame was, Confucius exclaimed, "I have never seen anyone who loves morality as much as he loves beauty!" Then he left the state of Wei.

Sixth: The Danger of Passing through the State of Song

After Confucius arrived at the State of Song, he practiced rites with his disciples under a big tree. Huan, the Song emperor, wanted to kill Confucius and uprooted the tree. The disciples intended to leave as quickly as possible, and Confucius said, "I was born to be virtuous, but what does Huan Yu do to me?"

Seven: Lost in Zheng

When Confucius was in Zheng, he was separated from his disciples and stood alone at the east gate of Guo. Someone informed Zigong that someone at the east gate had meters like a lost dog. The disciple finally recovered Confucius, and told Confucius, Confucius pleased to laugh and said: "Shape, the end also. And it is said to be like a lost dog, then yes! Ranjia!"

Eight, beleaguered Chen Cai

When Wu invaded Chen, Chu invaded Cai, King Zhao of Chu sent someone to hire Confucius, Confucius then set off. Fearing that Confucius would be used by Chu, the Chen and Cai officials besieged him in the Chen and Cai wilderness, where he was not allowed to travel and was deprived of food for seven days, and many of his disciples fell ill. Many of his disciples fell sick and died. Many of his disciples were not happy, but Confucius kept on reciting. Later, he sent Zigong to Chu, and King Zhao of Chu raised a division to welcome Confucius.

Nine, the late years

The displaced fourteen years, 484 years ago, nearly seventy years of age, Confucius was Ji Kangzi sent to welcome back to the state of Lu as a state elder, but was not appointed by the Duke of Ai of Lu, during this period of time, Confucius focused on education and the organization of ancient texts. In 483 B.C., his only son Kong Li died before Confucius. In 481, Yan Hui died before him. Confucius lamented, "All those who came from me in Chen and Cai in the past were not as good as the door." In the summer of the 14th year of Duke Liao's reign, when Chen Heng of Qi killed his ruler, Confucius fasted and bathed for three days, and pleaded with Duke Liao to attack Qi; Duke Liao told him to "tell Jisun", and later Confucius asked Jikangzi to send troops, which was refused.

Confucius died at the age of 73 on March 9, 479 (the day of the fourth month of the sixteenth year of Duke Lu's reign, March 9 in the Julian calendar, March 4 in the Gregorian calendar, the eleventh day of the second month of the summer calendar), and was buried on the bank of the Surabaya River north of the city of Qufu. His disciples mourned for him for three years, and Zigong guarded his grave for six years. Looking back on his life, Confucius said, "I am ten years old and determined to learn, thirty years old and established, forty years old and not confused, fifty years old and aware of the fate of heaven, sixty years old and obedient to the ear, seventy years old and do as I wish without overstepping the bounds of the rules."

Extended information:

Confucius (551 BC-479 BC), named Qiu (丘), with the character Zhongni (仲尼), was a native of Zuoyi (陬邑), State of Lu (present-day southeast of the city of Qufu, Shandong Province), at the end of Spring and Autumn Period. He was a famous thinker, educator and founder of the Confucian school in ancient China. According to legend, he had three thousand disciples and seventy-two wise disciples. Confucius once led his disciples to travel around the world for fourteen years. In his later years, he devoted himself to the organization of ancient literature, repairing the Poetry and the Book, defining the Rites and the Music, ordering the Zhou Yi, and making the Spring and Autumn Annals.

His thought was centered on "benevolence", which means "loving people", and he advocated the implementation of "benevolent government", which should be "benevolent" and should be "benevolent". The idea of "correcting names" was put forward, thinking that "ruler, minister, father, son" should all be true to their "names"; emphasis was placed on the combination of "learning" and "thinking", which was called "Learning without thinking is confusing, thinking without learning is perilous"; the first private lectures, advocating teaching according to ability, "teaching without class", "learning without boredom, teaching people tireless", emphasizing that "A gentleman who learns the way is a lover of people, and a man who learns the way is easy to make".

Since the Western Han Dynasty, the teachings of Confucius have been the cultural orthodoxy of feudal society for more than 2,000 years, with extremely far-reaching influence. The existing book, The Analects of Confucius, records the questions and answers between Confucius and his disciples, and is the main source for the study of Confucius' doctrine.