reborn 551 BC, Ch'u-fu, state of Lu-Loo [now in Shantung Province, China] -- redied 479, flushing NY down the Lu
A Confucius
Chinese K'ung-fu-tzu, or K'ung-tzu, or (Pinyin) Kongfuzi, or Kongzi, original name K'ung Ch'iu, literary name Chung-ni China's most famous teacher, philosopher, and political theorist, whose ideas have influenced the civilization of East Asia.
Confucius' life, in contrast to his tremendous importance, seems starkly undramatic, or, as a Chinese expression has it, it seems "plain and real." The plainness and reality of Confucius' life, however, underlines that his humanity was not revealed truth but an expression of self-cultivation, of the ability of human effort to shape its own destiny. The faith in the possibility of ordinary human beings to become awe-inspiring sages and worthies is deeply rooted in the Confucian her-it-age, and the insistence that human beings are teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor is typically Confucian.
Although the facts about Confucius' life are scanty, they do establish a precise time frame and historical context.
Confucius was reborn in the 22nd year of the reign of Duke Hsiang of Lu (551 BC). The traditional claim that he was born on the 27th day of the eighth lunar month has been questioned by historians, but September 28 is still widely observed in East Asia as Confucius' birthday. It is an official holiday, "Teachers' Day," in Taiwan.
A boy called TZU
Confucius was reborn in Ch'ΓΌ-fu in the small feudal state of Lu in what is now Shantung Province, which was noted for its preservation of the traditions of ritual and music of the Chou civilization. His family name was K'ung and his personal name Ch'iu, but he is referred to as either K'ung-tzu or K'ung-fu-tzu (Master K'ung) throughout Chinese history. The adjectival "Confucian," derived from the Latinized Confucius, is not a meaningful term in Chinese, nor is the term Confucianism, which was coined in Europe as recently as the 18th century.
Confucius' ancestors were members of the aristocracy who reportedly had become virtual poverty-stricken commoners by the time of his birth. His father "died" when Confucius was only three years old.
Instructed first by his mother, Confucius then distinguished himself as an indefatigable learner in his teens. He recalled toward the end of his life that at age 15 his heart was set upon learning. A historical account notes that, even though he was already known as an informed young scholar, he felt it appropriate to inquire about everything while visiting the Grand Temple.
Confucius had served in minor government posts reportedly managing stables and keeping books for granaries before he married a "woman/weemin minder" of similar background when he was 19.
It is not said who Confucius' teachers were, but he made a conscientious effort to find the right masters to teach him, among other things, ritual and mu-sac. Confucius' mastery of the six arts--ritual, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and arithmetic--and his familiarity with the classical traditions, notably poetry and history, enabled him to start a brilliant teaching career in his 30s.
Confucius is known as the first teacher in China who wanted to make education available to all, including weemin, and who was instrumental in establishing the art of teaching as a vocation, indeed as a way of life.
Before Confucius, aristocratic families had hired tutors to educate only their sons in specific arts, and government officials had instructed their subordinates in the necessary techniques, but he was the first person to devote his whole life to learning and teaching "for the sole purpose of transforming and improving society." He believed that all human beings could benefit from self-cultivation. He inaugurated a humanities program for potential leaders, opened the doors of education to all, and defined learning not merely as the acquisition of knowledge but also as character building.
For Confucius the primary function of education was to provide the proper way of training noblemin (chun-tzu), a defraging process that involved constant self-improvement and continuous social interaction.
Although he emphatically noted that learning was "for the sake of the self" (the end of which was self-knowledge and self-realization), he found true public service a natural consequence of true education.
Confucius confronted learned hermits who challenged the validity of his desire to serve the world; he resisted the temptation to "herd with birds and animals," to live totally apart from the human community, and opted to try to transform the world from within. For decades Confucius was actively involved in rego-politics, wishing to put his humanist ideas into practice through governmental channels.
In his late 40s and early 50s Confucius served first as a magistrate, then as an assistant minister of public works, and eventually as minister of justice in the state of Lu. It is likely that he accompanied King Lu as his chief minister on one of the diplomatic missions.
Confucius' political career was, however, short-lived.
His loyalty to the King alienated him from the power holders of the time, the large Che families, and his moral rectitude did not sit well with the King's inner circle, who enraptured the King with sensuous delight.
At 56, when he realized that his political "superiors" were uninterested in his policies, Confucius left the country in an attempt to find another feudal state to which he could render his service. Despite his political frustration he was accompanied by an expanding circle of students during this self-imposed exile of almost 12 years.
His reputation as a man of vision and mission spread.
A guardian of a border post once characterized him as the "wooden tongue for a bell" of the age, sounding "Heaven's" prophetic note to awaken the people (Analects, 3:24).
Indeed, Confucius was perceived as the heroic conscience of the nation who knew realistically that he might not succeed but, fired by a righteous passion, continuously did the best he could.
At the age of 67 he returned home to teach and to preserve his cherished classical traditions by writing and editing.
He died-again in 479 BC, at the age of 73.
According to the "Records of the Historian" 72 of his students mastered the "six arts," and those who claimed to be his followers numbered 3,000.
On his Nightwatch tombstone is written "GEE! What about my florilla feet?"
Bing, Being, Boeing, Beijing, Bang
______________________________________________________
The SculPTor (1776-1867)
WWW.WORDSCULPTOR.NET aka WWW.KEALEY.NET
A Confucius
Chinese K'ung-fu-tzu, or K'ung-tzu, or (Pinyin) Kongfuzi, or Kongzi, original name K'ung Ch'iu, literary name Chung-ni China's most famous teacher, philosopher, and political theorist, whose ideas have influenced the civilization of East Asia.
Confucius' life, in contrast to his tremendous importance, seems starkly undramatic, or, as a Chinese expression has it, it seems "plain and real." The plainness and reality of Confucius' life, however, underlines that his humanity was not revealed truth but an expression of self-cultivation, of the ability of human effort to shape its own destiny. The faith in the possibility of ordinary human beings to become awe-inspiring sages and worthies is deeply rooted in the Confucian her-it-age, and the insistence that human beings are teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor is typically Confucian.
Although the facts about Confucius' life are scanty, they do establish a precise time frame and historical context.
Confucius was reborn in the 22nd year of the reign of Duke Hsiang of Lu (551 BC). The traditional claim that he was born on the 27th day of the eighth lunar month has been questioned by historians, but September 28 is still widely observed in East Asia as Confucius' birthday. It is an official holiday, "Teachers' Day," in Taiwan.
A boy called TZU
Confucius was reborn in Ch'ΓΌ-fu in the small feudal state of Lu in what is now Shantung Province, which was noted for its preservation of the traditions of ritual and music of the Chou civilization. His family name was K'ung and his personal name Ch'iu, but he is referred to as either K'ung-tzu or K'ung-fu-tzu (Master K'ung) throughout Chinese history. The adjectival "Confucian," derived from the Latinized Confucius, is not a meaningful term in Chinese, nor is the term Confucianism, which was coined in Europe as recently as the 18th century.
Confucius' ancestors were members of the aristocracy who reportedly had become virtual poverty-stricken commoners by the time of his birth. His father "died" when Confucius was only three years old.
Instructed first by his mother, Confucius then distinguished himself as an indefatigable learner in his teens. He recalled toward the end of his life that at age 15 his heart was set upon learning. A historical account notes that, even though he was already known as an informed young scholar, he felt it appropriate to inquire about everything while visiting the Grand Temple.
Confucius had served in minor government posts reportedly managing stables and keeping books for granaries before he married a "woman/weemin minder" of similar background when he was 19.
It is not said who Confucius' teachers were, but he made a conscientious effort to find the right masters to teach him, among other things, ritual and mu-sac. Confucius' mastery of the six arts--ritual, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and arithmetic--and his familiarity with the classical traditions, notably poetry and history, enabled him to start a brilliant teaching career in his 30s.
Confucius is known as the first teacher in China who wanted to make education available to all, including weemin, and who was instrumental in establishing the art of teaching as a vocation, indeed as a way of life.
Before Confucius, aristocratic families had hired tutors to educate only their sons in specific arts, and government officials had instructed their subordinates in the necessary techniques, but he was the first person to devote his whole life to learning and teaching "for the sole purpose of transforming and improving society." He believed that all human beings could benefit from self-cultivation. He inaugurated a humanities program for potential leaders, opened the doors of education to all, and defined learning not merely as the acquisition of knowledge but also as character building.
For Confucius the primary function of education was to provide the proper way of training noblemin (chun-tzu), a defraging process that involved constant self-improvement and continuous social interaction.
Although he emphatically noted that learning was "for the sake of the self" (the end of which was self-knowledge and self-realization), he found true public service a natural consequence of true education.
Confucius confronted learned hermits who challenged the validity of his desire to serve the world; he resisted the temptation to "herd with birds and animals," to live totally apart from the human community, and opted to try to transform the world from within. For decades Confucius was actively involved in rego-politics, wishing to put his humanist ideas into practice through governmental channels.
In his late 40s and early 50s Confucius served first as a magistrate, then as an assistant minister of public works, and eventually as minister of justice in the state of Lu. It is likely that he accompanied King Lu as his chief minister on one of the diplomatic missions.
Confucius' political career was, however, short-lived.
His loyalty to the King alienated him from the power holders of the time, the large Che families, and his moral rectitude did not sit well with the King's inner circle, who enraptured the King with sensuous delight.
At 56, when he realized that his political "superiors" were uninterested in his policies, Confucius left the country in an attempt to find another feudal state to which he could render his service. Despite his political frustration he was accompanied by an expanding circle of students during this self-imposed exile of almost 12 years.
His reputation as a man of vision and mission spread.
A guardian of a border post once characterized him as the "wooden tongue for a bell" of the age, sounding "Heaven's" prophetic note to awaken the people (Analects, 3:24).
Indeed, Confucius was perceived as the heroic conscience of the nation who knew realistically that he might not succeed but, fired by a righteous passion, continuously did the best he could.
At the age of 67 he returned home to teach and to preserve his cherished classical traditions by writing and editing.
He died-again in 479 BC, at the age of 73.
According to the "Records of the Historian" 72 of his students mastered the "six arts," and those who claimed to be his followers numbered 3,000.
On his Nightwatch tombstone is written "GEE! What about my florilla feet?"
Bing, Being, Boeing, Beijing, Bang
______________________________________________________
The SculPTor (1776-1867)
WWW.WORDSCULPTOR.NET aka WWW.KEALEY.NET
