Chapter 7 7. Understanding Confucius
Who knows Confucius?Confucius said publicly that no one understood him.
The Master said: "If you don't know me, you are the husband!" Zigong said: "Why do you know me?" "The Analects of Confucius Xianwen")
Confucius said: "No one understands me." Zigong said: "Why does no one understand the teacher?" Confucius said: "Don't hate the sky, don't blame people, learn the knowledge of the world extensively, and then comprehend the profound truth, understand me Yes, probably only the sky!"
Among the three thousand disciples of Confucianism, there were seventy-two masters.Why did Confucius say that no one understood him?Is it because he didn't teach well, or did the students not study hard?In fact, there are several simple ways to understand Confucius.First, understand the ambition of Confucius.Confucius said: "The old are comforted, friends trust, and the young are cherished." ("The Analects of Confucius Gongye Chang") To make the elderly feel comfortable, make friends trust each other, and make the young people take care of, this is Confucius' lifelong philosophy ambition.Without understanding this, it is impossible to understand the thought of Confucius.Second, understand the meaning of "kill one's life to become benevolent". "Benevolence" is the consistent "Tao" of Confucius.Confucius believed that to live in the world, one must realize that human nature is good, and sacrificing one's life for doing good is a requirement of fulfilling one's life. Not only is it not a sacrifice, but it is a kind of fulfillment.And what is goodness?The good is the realization of proper relations between me and others. "Others" start from parents, brothers and sisters, to everyone in the world.Therefore, Confucius' ambition is based on the idea that human nature is good.Only by understanding this can one understand his thinking.However, some of the people mentioned here seem to know Confucius, but not his students, but Taoist hermits.
The son struck the chime in Wei, and those who passed through the gate of the Confucian family said: "If you have the heart, hit the chime!" Then he said: "It's contemptible! Is it so? I don't know it, it's all over." Deep If it is severe, if it is shallow, it will be uncovered.'" The Master said: "It is fruitful! The end is difficult. Passing by the door, he said: "The sound of the chime contains a deep meaning!" After a pause, he said: "The sound is squeaky, too persistent! No one understands me, so just give up. The so-called 'deep water, wear clothes' Walk over; if the water is shallow, pick up your clothes and walk over.'" Confucius said: "With this kind of resolute abandonment of the world, there will be no difficulties."
This person is really a bosom friend of Confucius.Because he could understand Confucius' heart just by hearing Confucius knocking the chime. "Contemptible!" Contemptible is not noble enough, detached enough, too persistent. "Deep is harsh, shallow is exposing" comes from "The Book of Songs Beifeng Pao with Bitter Leaves". Pick up your clothes and walk over.What does that mean?This man advised Confucius, you don’t have to be arrogant when you were born in a troubled world; since you want to care about the world and become an official in politics, don’t be afraid to get involved in the pot, and don’t be afraid to do things with others that are not in line with the same trend; the real world Although it is dark, but you do not give up, you must persist to the end!It doesn't have to be like this!No one understands you, just give up, enjoy yourself, and be alone!After hearing this, Confucius replied that with this kind of resolute abandonment of the world, there is no difficulty.Why?Because he can't bear to leave this world, and can't bear to be alone. He wants to use every opportunity to improve the society, and he can't live a good life alone.Therefore, even if you meet someone who understands you, but "the way is different, and you don't conspire with each other", there is no way.
The Spring and Autumn Period in which Confucius lived was a troubled time.People cannot choose the era in which they live, but they can choose their attitude towards dealing with things in the era.In troubled times, people can stick to principles and persevere, or they can muddle along and be passive and do nothing.Because troubled times cannot be changed by the power of one person or a few people.The route chosen by the group of hermits is to leave this society and choose another way of life to live their own lives and make themselves happy.Because if you continue to struggle and make little change to the society, but sacrifice your whole life, then you might as well choose to live a life of self-satisfaction.These people are extremely intelligent, but they did not express their thoughts in the form of writings like Laozi and Zhuangzi, but lived in seclusion in various places and often migrated.
Confucius encountered such people several times during his travels around the world.In addition to the "Lotus Man", he also met a wild and unruly Jieyu in Chu State.Jieyu passed by Confucius' carriage and sang: "Feng Xi Feng Xi! What is the decline of virtue? Those who have gone can't be persuaded, but those who come can still be pursued. That's all, now the politicians are dying!" ("The Analects of Confucius Micro "Zi") He compared Confucius to a phoenix, which is a rare and noble bird, that is to say, he admitted that Confucius's knowledge and moral realm were extremely high.But "the decline of He De", why do you have to run around for political affairs, live in fear, and often sleep in the open, making you so depressed?Then, he reminded Confucius that the past can no longer be regretted, and the future can be grasped; that's all, the current politicians are very dangerous.After hearing this, Confucius wanted to get out of the car and talk to the hermit, but Jieyu avoided it.
On the surface, it seems that these hermits are smarter, knowing that it will not work, but accepting it as their own destiny.But Confucius knew it was impossible, but still did it, and the final result was still not good, but why?Because Confucianism has a historical concept: life will be passed on, history will develop, and society will evolve. What people in this era cannot do today may not be impossible for the next generation or the next generation.Human life has its limitations and its pitiful side, but human life also has a sublimated great sentiment, which can break through the limitations of time and space, echo with people from different times and places, and produce resonance.This is why we are still reading and discussing Confucius today after thousands of years.This is also a manifestation of Confucianism's feelings for entering the world. I always believe that as long as I have the ability, I must do my best to improve society.Although the hermits' comments on Confucius were sharp and admirable, and Confucius himself had a sense of bosom friend, but that was all there was to it, and they could not go on to participate in grand events and benefit the common people.
Well, after more than two thousand years, so many people read it, especially in the Song Dynasty, so many important philosophers studied Confucius. Do they understand Confucius?uncertain.It can only be said that if Confucius' ambition and the principle of "killing one's life to become benevolent" are not clearly stated, it is doubtful whether they are Confucius' bosom friends.
When I was studying in the United States, I had a Japanese classmate in my dorm room.One day I was chatting with him on campus, and an American female classmate came over. She was from the same department as the Japanese, and the three of us chatted together.While chatting, the female classmate suddenly thought of something, pointed at the Japanese and said, you Japanese are notorious because you discriminate against women.This Japanese classmate had read it, and immediately pointed to me and said, you can’t blame us Japanese, it’s all Confucius’ fault.
The Master said: "It's just that women and villains are difficult to raise. If they are close, they will not be inferior, and if they are far away, they will complain." ("The Analects of Confucius·Yanghuo")
Confucius said: "Only women and villains are difficult to get along with; if you get close to them, they will be rude; if you stay away from them, they will complain."
Confucius must not have expected that this sentence has been regarded as evidence of his discrimination against women throughout the ages, making him the target of attacks by modern feminists.But is this statement correct?I think it's a misunderstanding.There are two possibilities for people to speak, the first is to describe the social phenomenon at that time, and the second is to express their specific opinions.Confucius said this sentence, I think it belongs to the first category, describing the social phenomenon at that time.In ancient society, "men have divisions, women have home", "men dominate outside, women dominate inside", women do not have equal opportunities for education.If a person does not have the opportunity to receive education, it will be difficult to develop his potential, and then he will not be able to be economically independent; if he is not economically independent, it will be difficult to stand upright in personality, and his mind and vision will be greatly restricted. The situation of getting along is understandable.Therefore, although Confucius' words are sharp, they are indeed true in ancient times.Moreover, we must not think that only women in ancient China were wronged.As far as I know, in Athens in the Greek era, most women were also active at home, and had few opportunities to participate in social, political, military and other public affairs, so they were also very wronged.This unreasonable situation was common in many ancient nations.
Today's women are quite different from ancient women in terms of educational opportunities, economic capabilities, and self-awareness.If Confucius had been born in this era, he would have deleted the word "female" and criticized only "villains".Therefore, it is really necessary to criticize Confucius for discriminating against women without considering the background of the times. Now we only need to turn our attention to the "little man", because in today's view, the villain can make no distinction between ancient and modern, men and women.
What kind of person is a "little man"?Here is the person who is opposite to the "gentleman".Confucius seems to say that there are only two kinds of people, one is a villain and the other is a gentleman.When I read it when I was young, when I read about gentlemen and villains, I felt a little inferior, because we seemed to be "little people", which was obviously too bad.It was only later that I learned that "little people" also refer to children, and children who have not yet entered school are "difficult to raise", which is probably the experience of every family.After the child grows up, his mentality has not changed, and he is still the same as when he was a child. He lives by instinct, desire, and impulse, and is easily influenced by others. This makes him a real villain.why?Because he lacks "will".The difference between a villain and a gentleman is whether there is "aspiration".The so-called "a gentleman establishes a constant aspiration, and a villain always aspires to aspire", the most important of this ambition is to transform oneself.The most precious place for a person to live in the world is that he can learn, think, find good things, and try to learn and practice. What changes is not only the outside, but also the inside. Through self-cultivation of virtue, persist in Ideals, adhere to principles, and achieve the purpose of life.Confucius first created civilian education, the purpose is also to cultivate talents, reduce villains, and guide them to aspire to study, so as to make life turnaround.
There are many comparisons between a gentleman and a villain in the book, such as "a gentleman is not compared with others, and a villain is compared with others", "a gentleman is a metaphor for righteousness, and a villain is for profit", "a gentleman is magnanimous, and a villain is more concerned".In today's society, "villains" are by no means limited to ordinary citizens. Even high-ranking officials and dignitaries show an attitude of "the one who is close will not be inferior, and the one who is far will resent" when facing higher authority. Favored and arrogant, words and deeds are rude; alienated, and consciously abandoned, but still arrogant.I sometimes think that I am no exception. I teach in a university. If the principal treats me very well, I will naturally feel superior and proud; if the principal ignores me, I will inevitably complain in my heart.Therefore, it is a fairly common phenomenon that "the one who is near is not inferior, and the one who is far away is resentment". It is a manifestation of human nature. Few people can pass this level.
Knowing this, you probably won't blame Confucius for discriminating against women.Confucius' father passed away when he was three years old. His mother brought him up. He has nine half-sisters. Who do you think he discriminates against?Confucius valued that every human being has intrinsic value.No matter men or women, as long as they are educated, can develop their potential, choose the right direction of life, and make continuous progress, they are worthy of recognition; if they refuse to make progress, they will inevitably be considered "difficult to raise" by Confucius.
In fact, Confucianism pays more attention to complying with the relevant etiquette and laws according to one's own status in actual situations. It does not really discriminate against women, as we can see from the performance of Mencius.Le Zhengzi, a student of Mencius, once hoped that the ruler of the state of Lu would take the initiative to visit Mencius, but some people opposed it on the grounds that "the funeral of Mencius was more than the funeral of the former".Mencius' father died first is called "front mourning", and his mother died later is called "later mourning".Mencius's funeral for his mother was far more luxurious and grand than that for his father.Why?Because Mencius was a scholar when he was young, when his father passed away, he could only do the funeral for his father with the etiquette of a scholar; later when he became a doctor, and his mother passed away, of course he did the funeral for his mother with the ceremony of a doctor, and He later became richer and bought the best coffin for his mother.As a result, he was misunderstood that he held a more grand funeral for his mother.In fact, it is not at all about father or mother, but about the identity, role, and capabilities of being a son.People are born of their parents, and the parents are male and female, so you can't favor males over females.To tell the truth, we sometimes have a deeper affection for our mothers.Therefore, don't misunderstand that Confucius discriminated against women. If someone discriminates against women, it has absolutely nothing to do with Confucius.
When I was in middle school, a teacher taught Confucius a sentence: "Zi said: 'If I am self-cultivated, I am not without instruction.' ("The Analects of Confucius Shuer")" The teacher translated it into: Confucius said, I brought my own When jerky comes to me, I will teach you everything.As a result, the classmates roared with laughter.Translated in this way, Confucius seems to be running a cram school, as long as you pay the tuition fee, I will teach.Later I read Mr. Feng Youlan's "History of Chinese Philosophy". When talking about Confucius, he said that he was a holy teacher. I compared him with the Greek philosopher Socrates. At the end of the comparison, Mr. Feng said that Confucius was still not as good as Su Grates, why?Because Socrates taught students without charging tuition fees, and severely criticized others for charging tuition fees; but Confucius charged tuition fees, and publicly stated: "As long as the tuition fees are paid, I will teach everything." Mr. Feng also added, saying This cannot be blamed on Confucius, because life is always maintained, and teaching fees are understandable.
When I read this passage, I felt very emotional. Is this really the case?After carefully collecting all kinds of information and studying carefully, I found that everyone has wronged Confucius.Because the "shuxiu" mentioned here does not refer to dried meat, but refers to people who can perform the ritual of shunxiu, that is, people over the age of fifteen.In other words, Confucius is willing to teach children as long as they are over fifteen years old.This is exactly the heart and ambition of "teaching without discrimination".As for whether to bring such a small gift as jerky, it is irrelevant.Why do you say that?First of all, if the pronunciation of this sentence is "self/before/above", it may have the meaning of "I bring/a small gift or tuition/come to see me".However, judging from the syntax of the ancients' speech, there is nowhere in the entire "Thirteen Classics" that is expressed by "self...above", but the syntax "from...above" appears twice. "Zhou Li·Qiu Lian Si Kou" records that "from the population above, all are recorded in the edition", that is to say, children over one year old (with teeth growing) must register for household registration.This is undoubtedly for "age".Therefore, this sentence of Confucius should be pronounced as "self/practice and repair/above", starting from the age of fifteen.Because in ancient times, when men entered school at the age of fifteen, the ceremony they prepared was Shuxiu, and the age of the man who performed this ceremony can be called "Xing Shuxiu".Zheng Xuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty wrote a note for "Shu Xiu" that is: .
The second reason is that the word "自" appears 20 times in the poem, ten of which are referred to as "From", for example, "A friend comes from afar", from afar.There are also ten times when the subject of the reflexive verb is "self", such as self-dao, talking about oneself; self-humiliation, insulting oneself; there will be no object after that.And in ancient times, unlike today's calendar, it is easy to know how old you are this year.In ancient times, how old did you ask a person?He said it was a year older than last year.How old were you last year?One year older than the previous year.I don't know how old it is.The ancients cared more about whether you had passed a certain stage. For example, when a girl is sixteen years old, she needs to have her hair tied up and tied up.When a boy meets a boy, he will ask if he has been crowned. When a man is 20 years old, he will perform the crowning ceremony to show he is an adult.Xingshuxiu means that when noble children go to college at the age of fifteen, ten bundles of jerky are given away, and later they are used to represent the age of fifteen.Confucius himself did not have the opportunity to go to university. He was very determined to learn, and he visited famous teachers everywhere for advice. In the end, he achieved great success, extended himself to others, and gave back to the society.He asked his disciples to "seek the Tao and not seek food" and "worry about the Tao and not worry about poverty", so how could he loudly publicize that he would charge his followers?
Another reason is that it was made up by Confucius' students. If this sentence really has a negative meaning of "collecting jerky", it may be deleted.But in fact, this sentence fully confirms Confucius' mind that he can teach without discrimination.Besides, he has three thousand disciples, and each of them will send ten bunches of jerky, which means thirty thousand bunches of jerky. How can they eat it?Will you survive if you eat it? There is an ironclad sentence in "The Analects of Confucius Xiangdang": "Don't eat preserved wine in the market." Confucius paid great attention to food hygiene. He didn't eat wine and dried meat bought in the market. How could he tell his students, If you send the jerky, I will teach you?This completely violated Confucius' living habits.
Many people said that Confucius didn't accept jerky, so what would he do with his life?In fact, when Confucius was young, he worked as a grassroots civil servant, managing warehouses and pastures. Later, his main source of income was attending funerals for others.Funeral is a noble profession in ancient times, because no one dies in life since ancient times, and once passed away, experts are needed to help with the funeral.So Confucius had his living resources. We really don’t need to worry about this. Instead, what we have to worry about is that his students are not very advanced, so that later Mohist scholars criticized that Confucius’s students were really outrageous. I heard that rich people Happy to die, why?Here comes the chance to eat.It can be seen from this that the students of Confucius also regarded funeral affairs as an important living resource.This is what the teacher taught.But they forgot one thing, you have to be sad and considerate of the bereaved family when you have a funeral, and you can't think that this is my chance to eat, as if I am going to work, and you must not have such thoughts.
Confucius' life was very simple, even poor.Many examples of this can be found here.So when he was teaching, his disciples sincerely sent a small gift, and he had no reason to refuse it.But the importance of the matter should not be confused. It is said that Confucius had to charge jerky as a tuition fee for his teaching. I think it is not the case.Because a student like Yan Yuan was poor, Confucius praised him very much.Treating "Shuxiu" as a tuition fee is really trying to save the belly of a gentleman with the heart of a villain.
We are all familiar with the saying "If you don't cut right, you don't eat".Confucius would not eat the meat if it was not cut right.At that time, our impression of Confucius was really bad.It's good to eat meat, why are you so picky?Later, when I read the original passage, I realized that Confucius’ pickiness about food was more than just “wrong cutting and not eating”. There were eight kinds of things he didn’t eat, and three kinds of things he didn’t eat too much.
I never tire of fine food, and I never tire of fine food.The fish is hungry and the meat is defeated, so I don't eat.Lust is evil, do not eat.Smelly, do not eat.Lost cooking, not eating.From time to time, do not eat.If you don't cut right, you won't eat.If you don't get the sauce, don't eat it.Although there is a lot of meat, it does not make Shengshi angry.But there is no limit to wine, not chaos.Buy wine and sell dried meat, but don't eat it.Do not withdraw ginger food, do not eat too much. ("The Analects of Confucius Xiangdang")
Food is not satisfied with exquisite cooking, nor is meat satisfied with finely cut meat.The taste of the food changes after being left for a long time, and the fish and meat are rotten, so they don't eat it.If the color is ugly, don't eat it.If it smells bad, don't eat it.If it is not cooked properly, do not eat it.Do not eat dishes that are not in season.Do not eat meat that is cut in the wrong way.Do not eat without matching seasoning.Even if you eat more meat, it will not exceed the amount you eat.Only drink without the specified amount, but never drunk.Don't eat the wine and dried meat you bought.Ginger is not removed with food, but not too much.
Some people think that Confucius was a gourmand based on the fact that "he never tires of food, and he never tires of fine food". The word "disgusted" had different understandings in ancient times. Some people understood that the more exquisite the food, the better, and the more carefully the meat was cut, the better.In fact, it is not. The meaning here is that Confucius does not care whether the food is exquisite or meticulous, because he can enjoy himself very much.He once said that he "sparse food, drink water, bend his arms and sleep on it, and enjoy himself in it. Unrighteousness and riches and nobles are like floating clouds to me." ("The Analects of Confucius Shuer") Simple life, don't care.He praised Yan Yuan for "a sack of food, a ladle of drink, in a back alley. People can't bear their worries, and they don't change their joy when they return. It's wise to return!" ("The Analects of Confucius·Yong Ye"), it can be seen that Confucius never let go of the enjoyment of life on heart.
But why did he not eat eight kinds of food?health considerations.As the saying goes: "Diseases come in through the mouth, disasters come out from the mouth." In ancient times, medicine and hygiene were not well developed, and once sick, it was not easy to cure.How to do it?Prevention is better than cure, and the best way to prevent it is to be careful about what you eat.For example, if you cut meat in the wrong way, don’t eat it.When I was young, I didn't quite understand this sentence. I didn't realize until I was fifty years old that the meat was cut in the wrong way, and it was really not easy to chew. In addition, when I got older, my teeth were not good, and it might not be digestible after eating.Therefore, Confucius seems to be picky about his diet, but he actually regards diet as a way to maintain health and enjoyment, and he should have paid more attention to it.
Confucius also said not to eat too much food, not to eat too much meat, not to drink too much wine, and not to eat too much ginger.These lived experiences are very relevant to real situations.For example, the amount of alcohol a person has is related to his or her physical and mental condition. Today, when you are in a bad mood, you get drunk after a glass of wine. I once saw a friend who was in an extremely bad mood. When everyone was having a meal, he disappeared after a glass of wine. Why?I went under the table and got drunk; and when I was in a good mood, it was often "a thousand cups of wine are too few for a bosom friend."It is not known how much Confucius drank, but he never got drunk and lost his mind.He said that he "did not refuse to be reluctant in funerals, and was not sleepy because of alcohol." When he was doing funerals for others, he dared not try his best to run the funerals well and not cause any trouble because of drinking.It shows Confucius' attitude towards life: Do everything properly and do your part. Even for drinking and having fun, there are clear rules and enough is enough.It does require a high degree of self-knowledge and self-control.
Confucius is a person who attaches great importance to physical health and keeps in good health.In addition to being picky about food, his daily routine also has many reference points.For example, "Don't talk while eating, don't talk when sleeping", don't talk when eating, and don't talk when sleeping.Doing so is not only beneficial to health, but also can cultivate people's concentration to do everything well.For another example, "Sleeping is not a dead body, staying is not a guest". When sleeping, you don't lie flat on your back like a dead body; when you sit on weekdays, you don't kneel on the mat like seeing a guest or being a guest.Both of these things seem to be in line with the regimen.Sleeping on the side is a correct and comfortable position, especially sleeping on the right side, which is better for the stomach.When living at home on weekdays, of course, you don’t have to feel stiff like sitting or sitting as a guest. You should have the freedom and comfort of your own home.Even taking medicine for illness, Confucius was very cautious.Once when he was ill, Ji Kangzi, a senior official in the state of Lu, gave him medicine. Confucius "worshiped and accepted it", but said: "I don't know the properties of this medicine, so I dare not take it." Based on this, some people think that Confucius may Deep knowledge of medicine.Because medicine must be symptomatic and cannot be taken casually. What is good medicine for one person may be poisonous for another person, so don't be careless.
From the concept of health preservation of Confucius, we can know that he is an all-round thinker. He not only talks about some noble ideals of life, but also pays attention to all aspects of the actual situation of life. Starting from daily food, clothing, housing, and transportation, he takes every step On the right path of life, don't forget the ideal of life because of eating, drinking and having fun.And these health preservation concepts are not only useful to the ancients, but also very useful to us today.Nowadays, many people suffer from the so-called "rich man's disease", most of which are caused by problems in diet and living habits.After the economic prosperity, we should not only focus on the enjoyment of food, but try to strengthen the cultivation of life.Because the real happiness is not outside, the pleasure you get from the outside will gradually decrease with the diminishing stimulation effect, and finally seek pleasure instead of pain; but through self-cultivation, the happiness from the inside is truly lasting .Confucius repeatedly emphasized that we should pay attention to food because the time in life is very precious, and we should seize the time to cultivate ourselves. Although illness is inevitable, we must always try to avoid it.
The shortest autobiography in human history is said by Confucius, only thirty-seven words: I am ten to five and I am determined to learn, thirty to stand up, forty to not be confused, fifty to know the destiny, sixty and (ears) obedient, At seventy, do what you want without exceeding the rules. ("The Analects of Confucius")
When I was fifteen, I was determined to learn; when I was thirty, I could stand in the world; when I was forty, I was free from confusion; when I was fifty, I could understand the destiny; , you can do whatever you want without breaking the rules.
This is the self-description of Confucius' life.But I want to drop the word "er" (sixty and (er) smooth), because this word not only does not make sense in the context of the whole passage, but also has nothing to do with Confucius' life and deeds.First of all, the word "er" appears four times in the text, and it is used as a particle twice, which has no meaning, such as "the ear of the preface and opera" ("The Analects of Confucius·Yanghuo"), "Ru De Ren Yan Erhu" ("The Analects of Confucius") "Yong Ye"); another time pointed to the ears, "the ears are full of yang" ("The Analects of Confucius Taber"), and the ears were filled with the melody of music; the fourth time it was "sixty and the ears are smooth".Judging from the other stages of Confucius' self-reported life, such as "aspiring to learn, standing up, not confused, knowing the destiny, following one's heart and not overstepping the rules", they are all themes he repeatedly stated in the book, but he has no words about "ears are smooth". mentioned.
Looking at what Confucius did around the age of sixty, it has nothing to do with ears.From the age of fifty-five to the age of sixty-eight, he traveled around the world and traveled everywhere.Once Zilu entered the city early in the morning, the gatekeeper asked him where he came from?Zilu said: "He came from the Confucius family." The gatekeeper said, "It's the one who knows it can't be done." Is that the one who knows it won't work and still has to do it?It can be seen that many people at that time described Confucius as "knowing what is impossible and doing it".Why do you still do it when you know that your ideal cannot be realized?Because we have to follow the destiny.
Confucius once went to a small place on the border of Wei State, called "Yi". The "Yifengren", that is, the border officials of this place, wanted to meet Confucius.After the talk, this man came out to comfort Confucius' students and said, "Why are the second and third sons in mourning? There has been no way in the world for a long time! Heaven will regard the master as Muduo." Students, why should you worry about not having an official position?The world has been in chaos for a long time, and God wants to use your teacher Confucius as the muduo to educate the people.In ancient times, there were Jinduo and Muduo. Jinduo has a golden mouth and copper tongue. The bell inside is made of copper. The sound is harsh and sharp when knocked. It is generally used in military operations.Muduo has a golden mouth and a wooden tongue, with a blunt voice, representing propaganda and enlightenment.The Yifeng people said, God wants to use your teacher as Muduo, which means that it is Confucius' destiny to educate the people.When Confucius was traveling around the world, his life was in danger twice, and he also appealed to heaven.The first time he was in Kuang, he said, "The heavens have not lost their culture, so what should Kuang people do?" ("The Analects of Confucius·Zihan") If God does not let our culture disappear, what can Kuang people do to me?The second time in the Song Dynasty, Sima Huanji wanted to kill him. He said: "I am born with virtue, how can Huanji give me?" God is the source of my virtue in this life, so what can Huanji do to me?It can be seen that Confucius is confident that he is fulfilling the mandate of heaven, and he has nothing to fear, thinking that you can do nothing to me.This is exactly his obedience to the destiny based on knowing the destiny and fearing the destiny.Therefore, "sixty and smooth" is following the destiny, and has nothing to do with ears.If you can’t prove this, you can read the original text. Every sentence “and” is followed by a verb: while aiming to learn, to stand, not to be confused, and to know the destiny. Why is there an extra ear behind "sixty"?It's really puzzling.
The early Confucian classics such as "Mencius", "Xunzi", "Great Learning", "The Doctrine of the Mean" and "Yizhuan" do not mention the word "er Shun" anywhere.Mencius especially likes to learn from Confucius. If Ershun is the state of Confucius at the age of 60, there is no reason for Mencius not to study and develop it.But Mencius only talked about obeying the destiny, and Yi Zhuan also mentioned obeying the destiny.The concept of obedience to the destiny is understandable in ancient times. "Submission" means subordinates to superiors, such as obedience to parents, obedience to the king, obedience to elders, etc.It was clearly stated earlier that at fifty one knows the destiny, and later one must obey the destiny, and obey the destiny known at the age of fifty.
I once chaired a small international conference in the Netherlands.A scholar also did some research on Confucianism. I told him that this "ear" is extra, and it should be sixty and obey the destiny.He thought it was very reasonable, but he added a sentence at the end, saying that we foreigners think "Ear Shun" is very mysterious, the more mysterious the better, because if many people think you are mysterious, they can guess.There is indeed some speculation that the "ear" is related to the saint.In the traditional Chinese characters, the word "Holy" (Traditional Sheng) follows the ear from the mouth, which shows that the ear must be straight from the mouth to be holy.If this explanation is correct, then Confucius claimed that "sixty and ears are smooth", wouldn't it be the same as claiming to be a saint or at least close to a saint?But Confucius clearly said, "If you are holy and benevolent, how dare I?"
Zhu Xi thought well and painstakingly, and believed that the ear is smooth, "the sound enters the heart, and nothing is violated. Knowing it is the best, and you can get it without thinking." These four sentences are worthy of scrutiny. "Sound into the heart" means that you understand everything you hear, but in fact it's just "not confused". "Nothing violates" refers to whether it is one's own feelings or the reflection of others' opinions, which cannot escape the criticism of "Xiangyuan". "To know the best, to get it without thinking" can refer to the "Doctrine of the Mean" "Give it without force, get it without thinking, calmly and moderately, and a sage is also", which also regards Confucius as a sage.Scholars of later generations can certainly regard Confucius as a sage, but Confucius himself definitely would not think that he had reached the realm of a sage at the age of sixty.He started with "aspiration to learn", and the specific content of what he learned was ritual, so "standing at thirty" is based on ritual.Standing in the world and communicating with others, at the age of forty, I understand the truth of what should be done in the world, so I don't get confused.Then, after learning and progressing, gaining a thorough understanding of personal destiny and mission is called "knowing the destiny".Then, at sixty, he obeyed the destiny and traveled around the world, hoping to get the king to walk the way and stabilize the people of the world.At the age of seventy, he has reached the state of "following one's heart and not exceeding the rules", which means that he has become one with the destiny.Therefore, no matter how you explain Confucius' life, "Ear Shun" is puzzling.So the truth may be: "ear" is an extra word.
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When it comes to teachers, everyone is probably a little serious, especially teachers like Confucius, who are revered as "the most holy teachers", are probably like statues, who rarely speak, are unsmiling, and have a dignified appearance.But in fact the real Confucius has a great sense of humor.Sima Qian mentioned a story in "Historical Records: The Family of Confucius": Confucius took his students to travel around the world, and when he arrived in Zheng State, he separated from the students.After walking away, Confucius waited under the city gate, waiting for the students to come to him.At this time someone told Zigong that there was a man standing under the city gate, with a forehead like Yao, neck like Gaoyao, shoulders like Zichan, and was three inches shorter than Yu from the waist down, like a homeless dog.Zigong found his teacher and told him this passage.After hearing this, Confucius said, yes, what he said is correct, I am a bereaved dog. (The original text is: Confucius was suitable for Zheng, and lost with his disciples. Confucius was independent of Guo Dongmen. Zheng people may say that Zi Gong said: "There are people in Dongmen, whose mantles are like Yao, their items are like Gaoyao, and their shoulders are like Zichan. I want to be less than three inches below Yu, and I am like a bereaved dog." Zi Gong told Confucius the truth. Confucius smiled happily and said: "The shape is the end. But it is said to be like a bereaved dog, yes! Yes!") Now there are people Based on this, Confucius was described as a "sorrowful dog", but they did not understand that this was actually a manifestation of Confucius' humor.
Confucius usually talked to his students, sometimes his tone was very relaxed.There are two passages that stand out clearly.The first paragraph: Wucheng of the son, hearing the sound of string songs.The master smiled and said, "Why do you use a ox knife to cut chickens?" Ziyou said to him: "In the past, I also heard that the masters said: 'A gentleman who learns the way loves others, and a villain who learns the way is easy to use.'" Said: "Second and three sons! Yan's words are true, and the preface is the ear of the play." ("The Analects of Confucius Yanghuo")
When Confucius arrived in Wucheng, he heard the sound of playing the piano and singing poems.Confucius smiled and said, "Why do you need to kill a chicken with a knife that kills an ox?" Ziyou replied, "I have heard my teacher say before: 'When an official learns the principles of life, he will love others; government order.’” Confucius then said to the students: “Everyone, what Yan said is correct. I was just joking with him just now.”
The so-called "gentleman" here is an official, and the "little man" is an ordinary person. The "Tao" of learning Tao refers to the principles of life and affairs contained in it.As a disciple of Confucianism, of course I learned it from my teacher, and then when I was the county magistrate in Wucheng (now Pingyi, Shandong, Nanweizhuang Township, Xiaoyi near Qufu), I used it to educate the common people and teach them to sing poems. , Learn the ancient arts.And Confucius thought it was a way of governing the country, and after Ziyou learned it, he used it to govern a county, which seemed like making a fuss out of a molehill.Ziyou felt that the teacher was criticizing him, so he refuted it.Confucius was a little embarrassed when he heard this, so he had to say, students, what Ziyou said was correct, and I was joking with him just now.This passage has two characteristics. First, Confucius "smiles with a smile", which is very cute. Second, Confucius said "the ear of the preface and play", which means that Confucius also likes to joke.因为他看到学生学习之后，能够把所学用在实际工作上，他这个当老师的当然很开心。
子游这个学生是很特别的。《礼记·礼运》里说：“大道之行也，天下为公。选贤与能，讲信修睦，故人不独亲其亲，不独子其子，使老有所终，壮有所用，幼有所长，矜寡孤独废疾者，皆有所养。男有分，女有归。货恶其弃于地也，不必藏于己；力恶其不出于身也，不必为己。是故谋闭而不兴，盗窃乱贼而不作，故外户而不闭，是谓大同。”这一大段描写人类理想中的大同社会的话，就是孔子参加完祭典之后，出来告诉子游的，子游把它记了下来，而且学以致用，表现出来孔子学生应该有的水平。
第二段体现孔子幽默感的话是在一次大难之后。
The son is afraid of Kuang, the queen of Yan Yuan.子曰：“吾以汝为死矣。”曰：“子在，回何敢死？”（《论语·先进》）
孔子被的群众所围困，颜渊后来才赶到。孔子说：“我以为你遇害了呢？”颜渊说：“老师活着，回怎么敢死呢？”
孔子有个弟子，曾为鲁国季氏的家臣阳货驾车，现在也为孔子驾车。阳货曾经欺负过匡人，所以匡城老百姓把孔子和他的弟子团团围住。围住之后准备动手，孔子看情势危险，就拿出琴来唱诗。匡人听到里面传来弹琴唱诗的声音，就想会不会是搞错了，阳虎这个大老粗大概不会有这么好的修养吧。结果一打听，果然认错人了，这才跟孔子的学生们道歉。危机解除之后，颜渊才赶过来。兵荒马乱之下，劫后余生的孔子看到自己最喜爱的学生，心情大好，喜出望外。他说，颜渊啊，我还以为你遇害了呢。颜渊也很幽默，回答说，老师您还活着呢，我怎么敢死。从这段对话中可以看出他们师生之间的深厚情感。
孔子在匡城事件中也说过一句大家很熟悉的话，“天之未丧斯文也，匡人其如予何？”上天如果不想让我们的文化传统消失，匡人又能对我怎么呢？这是孔子的自信，他知道自己的使命是要把文化传统传承下来，方法之一就是透过不断的教育学生。在生命遇到危险时，他把自己内心最深的信念表达出来，同时也跟学生开开玩笑，自我解嘲。
我一个朋友在高校担任校长二十多年，退休后有一天碰到我，说你是学哲学的，能不能我给一点建议。我问什么建议。他说我现在年纪大了，很怕死，怎么办？我说你千万不要怕死，你要是不死才要害怕，怎么别人都死了就你没死呢？这当然有点开玩笑的意味，但事实上死与生是非常自然的事情，只不过我们中国人偏偏对“死”有点忌讳，楼房没有四楼，门牌号码没有四号，跟“死”相似的发音都不想听到。最近几年“生死学”很热门，很多学校开设了这样的课程，市面上也出版很多书。有一本《西藏生死书》，我看了之后发现整本书并没有讲生，而是专门谈死亡的，原文应是《西藏死者书》，但是死人的书谁敢买呢？所以写成《西藏生死书》，让人觉得对于生也可以了解。
孔子很少谈生死的问题，里一段关于生死问题的对话，只不过不太凑巧，也不太理想。
季路问事鬼神。子曰：“未能事人，焉能事鬼？”曰：“敢问死？”子曰：“未知生，焉知死？”《论语·先进》子路请教如何服侍鬼神。孔子说：“没有办法服侍活人，怎么有办法服侍死人？”子路又问：“胆敢请教死是怎么回事？”孔子说：“没有了解生的道理，怎么会了解死的道理。”
鬼神包括天神、地袛、人鬼等超自然的存在或力量。子路问，人应如何和他们保持适当的关系？孔子的回答很清楚：先懂得如何与人交往，然后自然知道如何与鬼神交往。在此请注意：孔子从来不曾怀疑或否定鬼神的存在，只是希望我们善尽人事，再以合宜的态度对待鬼神。子路再问死亡是什么？孔子说“未知生，焉知死”，一个人只有知道如何生与为何生，才能明白死的意义；若不认清生是怎么一回事，也就不肯能明白死是怎么一回事。换句话说，离生而言死，只是诞妄；离死而言生，只是愚蒙。但是许多人根据这句话判断孔子连“生”都没有搞清楚，更不要谈“死”了。因为死亡这个题材是所有宗教都谈的话题，孔子作为儒家的代表不能谈死亡，一比就比下去了；宗教界的人会说儒家只谈活着的道理，短短几十年有什么好谈的，我们宗教谈死后有轮回，有审判，很多东西可谈。但这么说是很冤枉的，为什么？因为孔子并不是没有搞清楚生死，只是因材施教这样告诉子路罢了。如果提这个问题的是颜渊或者子贡，孔子肯定会有不同的说法，但偏偏提问的人是子路。子路这种行动派的学生喜欢实际的政事、军事，不喜欢去做一种比较思辨的、深刻的、形而上学的思考，。
根据我的简单统计，这本薄薄的书里，“生”一共出现过十六次，“死”出现三十八次，有谁敢说孔子不知死的道理？一个不了解死亡的人会说“杀身成仁”吗？会说“朝闻道，夕死可矣”吗？我以为“朝闻道，夕死可矣”是里最深刻的一句话。早上明白了人生正道，懂得为何而生为何而死，那么晚上即使要为此而牺牲生命，也是无所遗憾的。朱熹的学生问，孔子难道不希望一个人闻道之后有实践道的机会吗？譬如听懂了道，给半年时间实践，之后再死不是比较好吗？朱熹说，当然是希望如此。但朱熹这样讲也不太对。人活在世界上最重要的一件事是生命的转向，生命转向“道”，转向光明，就发生了“质变”，一切都值得；生命如果没有转向，做再多的好事，只是“量”，不是“质”，很可能进一步退两步。举两个简单的例子，第一个例子是耶稣被钉在十字架上，左右两边各钉了一个强盗。左边的强盗嘲笑耶稣；右边的强盗跟耶稣说，如果你真的是神的儿子，就请你原谅我吧。耶稣回答，你今天晚上就能上天堂。What's the meaning?因为这个强盗觉悟了自己的错误愿意悔改，虽然他已经被钉在十字架上，来不及做什么好事，但只要悔改了，就会上天堂。另一个例子大家更熟悉，是佛教所说的“放下屠刀，立地成佛”，这与孔子说的“朝闻道，夕死可矣”不是类似的意思吗？
因此，“朝闻道，夕死可矣”包涵着一种深刻的宗教情怀，而孔子所坚持的“道”就是“仁”。他说：“志士仁人，无求生以害仁，有杀身以成仁。”行仁即是人生的目的所在。人有自然的生命，随着时间的演进，走过生老病死的过程；但是没有人会以死亡为人生目的，却总是设定一些值得奋斗的价值理想，譬如个人的人格修养、事业成就、嘉言懿行或者家族的生命绵延、声名美誉，以及国家社会的繁荣安定，由小康走向大同等。这些价值理想的范围很广，但是可以用一个字“仁”来概括，其要点则是：每一个人活在世间，都有重要的使命，因此应该珍惜生命，好自为之。
常常有人问我，孔子到底有没有信仰？这是一个非常严肃的问题。我的答案是：当然有。但是孔子从来不谈他的信仰，为什么？因为信仰是一个人内心最深刻的关怀，不能随便去说，孔子也不是宗教家。但是我们可以从他最谨慎的三件事看出他对信仰的态度。
子之所慎：齐、战、疾。 ("The Analects of Confucius Shuer")
孔子以慎重的态度对待的三件事是：斋戒、战争、疾病。
这三件事是有顺序的。排第三的是疾病。孔子对于什么食物不吃，什么食物不多吃，非常谨慎。他生病时，会小心不乱吃药，因为古代医药卫生不太发达，人一生病，一不小心就很难治好了，因此岂能不慎？排第二的是战争。孔子对战争的态度很谨慎，因为战争是一种群体性的作战，决定国家的兴衰荣辱与个人的生死存亡。孔子认为战争不到绝对必要时，根本毫不考虑。譬如他称赞六个人合乎行仁的要求，但其中五位的遭遇都相当悲惨，只有一位管仲得享荣华富贵。孔子为什么称赞他？因为管仲利用外交手段避免了战争，让春秋初期各国之间透过外交合约而维持和平。“微管仲，吾其被发左衽矣”（《论语·宪问》）；孔子说，没有管仲的话，我们可能已经沦为夷狄，披头散发，穿着左边开口的衣襟了。“被发左衽”是北方少数民族的习俗，管仲辅佐齐桓公运用外交政策抵御当时某些北方民族对中原地区的侵扰，保护了周王室与诸侯国，使中原的典章制度和传统文化不至于消亡，所以孔子称赞他。
但孔子最谨慎的事是“斋戒”，这恐怕是很多人没有料到的。孔子对于斋戒的谨慎超过对个人疾病和群体战争的担忧。Why?因为古人斋戒只有一个目的：祭祀。祭祀的对象是祖先与神明，合称鬼神。斋戒在顺序上排第一，表明孔子对于鬼神的诚敬态度。他尊重人的理性与职责，但并未因此怀疑和否定鬼神的存在。他对于祭祀的表现，论语中有一段话：祭如在。祭神如神在。子曰：“吾不与祭如不祭。”（《论语·八佾》）
祭祀时有如受祭者真的临在。祭鬼神时有如鬼神真的临在。孔子说：“我不赞成那种祭祀时有如不祭祀的态度。”
前两句话不是孔子说的，是弟子对他祭祀时的描述，形容他的虔诚。 “如”是在弟子看来“好像”，在孔子则真心相信祖先成为鬼神，祭祀时庄重虔诚，好像祖先站在面前一样。学生问他，老师祭祀时这么庄重是怎么回事呢？孔子说了一句话：“吾不与祭如不祭”。一般的解释，连朱熹注解的在内，都断句成“吾不与祭，如不祭”，翻译成“我没有参加祭祀，就好像我没有祭祀一样。”这根本不成话，难道别人没有参加祭祀，可以像是祭祀过一样吗？合理的断句应是“吾不与，祭如不祭”，我不赞成那些祭祀时好像不在祭祀的人，亦即心不在焉、马马虎虎的人。唐朝韩愈提到这句话，说孔子“讥祭如不祭者”，祭祀时态度散慢、随便，好像不在祭祀的人，孔子是予以讥讽和批判的。Why?因为祭祀是何等重要的事，一个人如果对祖先也心意不诚，他又怎能对别人讲求信义呢？对个人如此，对国家亦然。当时渐入乱世，人心浮动不安，信仰也趋于俗化，祭祀是为了现实功利，缺乏虔诚态度。孔子除了以身作则外，还能多说什么？但是无论如何，他公然反对“祭如不祭”的人，也算表达了一番苦心。
从孔子对待祭祀的态度中可以看出，孔子当然是有信仰的。其实，古人有宗教信仰是非常普遍的现象。说：“天生烝民”，天是老百姓生命的最后根源。但是老百姓不是父母生的吗？当然，不过父母再由父母所生，往上推溯，推到最后还是要有个最后根源，古人称它做“天”，亦即相信“天生烝民”。这是中国传统的信仰，这种信仰的影响非常深远。譬如帝王作为人间的统治者，被称作“天子”，天的儿子，代表他的政治权力的合法性基础来自全民信仰的“天”。“天”是老百姓的父母，天子替天行道，所以天子有义务照顾老百姓，这是他的“天命”。孔子也信“天”，但他有一个转变叫“五十而知天命”。以前很少有人敢说这样的话，因为天命是神圣的符号，只有帝王可以得到天命，但孔子说他五十岁时了解了自己的天命，亦即讲明人性自觉的潜能与使命，像“木铎”一样，教化百姓，唤醒苍生。换句话说，从孔子开始，每一个人都可以觉悟到自己的天命。以儒家来讲，这个天命就是肯定人性向善，这一生要择善固执，最后止于至善。这是每一个人都应该做到的要求，每一个人都有的天命。
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