There is an article in "The Analects of Confucius" called "The Style of a Gentleman". I want the full text!

Cultivating oneself, managing one's family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world. Cultivating oneself well is the prerequisite for being a person in politics.

When talking about the way of self-cultivation in the Analects of Confucius, we have to mention the "gentleman's style".

The word "junzi" appears as many as 107 times in the Analects, a classic with only 20,000 words.

But what exactly is the definition of a gentleman in the eyes of Confucius himself and even in Confucian theory?

This is obviously not something that can be summed up in one sentence, so let us go back to the original text of The Analects and do a brief analysis.

1. The filial piety of a gentleman (1) Youzi said: "It is rare for a man to be filial to his younger brother, but likes to offend his superiors; it is rare to find someone who is not fond of offending his superiors, but likes to cause trouble. A gentleman is committed to his roots, and the Tao is born from his foundation. He is also filial to his younger brothers.

, which is the foundation of human beings." ("The Analects of Confucius? 6.1 Xueer") In this article, the style of a gentleman is reflected in the word "filial piety".

A filial person should be filial to his parents; a jealous person should respect and love his elder brother.

"Filial piety" is the core of Confucian culture and the most basic point among the qualities necessary for a gentleman in Confucian thought.

"Today's filial piety means being able to raise. As for dogs and horses, both can be raised. How can we be different if we are disrespectful?" Even dogs and horses, out of instinct, know that they should provide for their parents; and as a gentleman, of course, more than just knowing

Instead of supporting your parents, you should serve your parents with a grateful and filial heart.

Only by achieving this basic point can we establish our foundation and develop to a higher level in moral cultivation.

In today's prosperous society, we are busy with rapid changes, but I believe that the foundation of a gentleman is still the so-called "filial piety."

The standards we use to measure whether a person is excellent include academic qualifications, status, financial resources, etc., but "filial piety" is the most basic and most authentic essence of a person.

We peel off all the whitewashing that this society attaches to people, and among the most human purity left behind, there must be a word "filial piety".

I have seen many people behind bars more than once. They may have committed murder and arson, but without exception, when talking about the elderly people they care about at home, they shed tears and regret it.

At that moment, I saw the last and most dazzling light of a person, then I would say that he is a good person who has done something wrong.

On the contrary, if a person is talented and full of knowledge, but cannot be filial to his parents and care for his family, then how can we believe that he can help his friends and dedicate himself to his career?

In Chinese tradition, filial piety comes first among all good deeds. We should be grateful and reciprocate to establish the foundation of a gentleman.

(2) "One must not know the age of one's parents. One is happy, the other is fearful." "The Analects of Confucius·Li Ren" The age of parents cannot be kept in mind. On the one hand, they are happy because they live long, and on the other hand, they are young.

Things are high and worrying.

This slightly contradictory mentality vividly portrays the heart of a filial son.

The tree wants to be quiet but the wind doesn't stop, the child wants to be raised but cannot be loved. This is perhaps the most helpless and heart-wrenching sadness in the world.

Our parents devoted their youth to us unreservedly and watched us grow up.

But often when we are full-fledged, we suddenly find that our parents have suddenly grown old overnight.

Therefore, we can only cherish their sunset time with anxiety and heartache.

The so-called gentleman means that he can appreciate the dedication of his parents and always remind himself that the time to repay his parents is limited, and he should not leave it to regret later.

The filial piety of a gentleman is precisely reflected in this joy and fear.

And I think the emotion of fear is actually deeper and more moving.

Only when we always have this ruthless fear of time in our hearts can we have deep love and deep affection.

2. The Learning of a Gentleman (3) Confucius said: "A gentleman is knowledgeable in literature, and when he makes an appointment with etiquette, he can also be with his husband." ("The Analects of Confucius? 6? 1 Yong Ye") In "The Analects of Confucius·Wei Zheng", Confucius

It was once said that "a gentleman does not have utensils." The so-called utensils, like utensils, only have a certain purpose.

This is clearly in contrast to what is meant by “eruditeness” in this chapter.

The "Analects of Confucius Translation and Annotation" says, "The scope of ancient knowledge was narrow, and Confucius believed that it should be omniscient. Later generations also said that it is the shame of Confucianism to not know anything." It can be seen that in Confucius's mind, a true gentleman should be different

To the "man of all kinds of craftsmanship".

People who have many skills are often good at one thing and not as good as others, and they make a living by relying on one skill.

A "gentleman" should have extensive knowledge.

But in fact, under the social and cultural background of the time, it was already a great thing to be able to make a living with one skill. It is no wonder that some people ridiculed Confucius for being "erudite but not famous" and therefore criticized him as a "gentleman"

"Not a tool" view.

But if we think about it from another angle, the so-called "gentleman has no tools" actually explains an attitude towards life. Just as Zhuangzi said, "My life has a limit, but my knowledge has no limit." In other words, the "gentleman" explained by Confucius

"No equipment", if we regard it as a requirement for his attitude towards studying, as well as for many gentlemen, then it is not a bad idea.

In fact, Confucius also showed this attitude throughout his life. It is recorded in Sima Qian's "Historical Records" that "Confucius liked "Yi" late in life and prefaced "Tuo", "Xi" and "Xiang".

", "Shuo Gua" and "Wenyan". After reading "Yi", Wei compiled three unique words: "If I had been there for a few years, I would have been very good in "Yi"." Confucius was still in his later years.

He is so obsessed with "Yi" that he even hopes to live a few more years to "understand" "Yi" thoroughly, which shows his eagerness to learn.

The gentleman's extensive knowledge is actually the result of this eagerness to learn.

(4) Knowing something means knowing it, and not knowing it means not knowing it. This is knowing.