CONFUCIUS AND THE CLASSICS.
Confucius! Confucius! How great was Confucius!
Before him there was no Confucius!
Since him there has been no other.
Confucius! Confucius! How great was Confucius!
One-third of the human race would probably join in honoring Confucius.
The 340,000,000 of Chinese would, without doubt, accept the sentiment
of the verse at the head of this chapter--taken from a popular history
of Confucius. No man in any country has left so decided an impression
on his countrymen for so long a time as Confucius has left upon the
Chinese. He was, without question, a great man, and was wise far
beyond the men of his age. His sayings, writings and deeds stand out
above those of his countrymen. He found the moral sense and religious
observances of his countrymen very much debased during his time,
and set himself to reform them by reviving the ancient observances
and teaching the highest principles of pure morals and beneficent
government.
THE BACKGROUND OF THE PICTURE.
Before looking at the story of Confucius’s life let us pause to look
at the times in which he lived and his surroundings. He was born in
the year 550 B.C. He was “a transmitter and not a maker,” as he said;
so it is important that we should see what there was for him to
transmit. We must look into the past history of the Chinese people,
into their traditions and habits, and, above all, their early religion.
In dim antiquity the Chinese people came into the valley of the Yellow
River, through Central Asia, from the west, which was, perhaps, the
cradle of the race. They journeyed across the weary wastes of the
Mongolian Desert until they came to the fertile plains along the great
Hwang Ho. The mountains were clad with forests. By the regular rains
and fruitful soil the labors of the people were rewarded by abundant
harvest, and they gradually took possession of the land. The aboriginal
tribes gradually yielded to their superior prowess, discipline and
civilization. Colonies were planted all over the land under the control
of chieftains, or, as Mencius calls them, “Pastors of Men.” The history
of China, down to about 2356 B.C., is made of legendary stories. With
this period the “Book of History,” which Confucius edited, begins. Dr.
R. K. Douglass, of the British Museum, thus describes the reign of the
two first emperors and the religion of their times:
[Illustration: TRADITIONAL LIKENESS OF CONFUCIUS.]
Anciently there was an Emperor Yaou, all-informed, intelligent,
accomplished and thoughtful; and if we are to accept the received
account of his reign, this description does not do more than justice to
his character. His first care, we are told, was to advance the able and
virtuous to offices in the State, and finally he united and harmonized
the myriad States of the Empire; and, lo! the black-haired people
were transformed. He appointed astronomers to calculate and delineate
the movements and appearances of the sun, the moon, the stars and
the zodiacal spaces; and he then determined the four seasons and the
length of the year. He adopted intercalary months, and the calendar he
arranged is that which is still in use in China.
On the death of Yaou, Shun who had shared his throne for some years,
succeeded as sole emperor. Like his predecessor, he was profound,
wise, accomplished and intelligent. He was mild, respectful and quite
sincere. The report of his mysterious virtue was heard on high, and
he was appointed to take the throne. One of his first public acts,
after having still further perfected the astronomical calculations
of Yaou, was to sacrifice to Shang-te, the Supreme Ruler or God.
“Thereafter,” we are told, “he sacrificed specially, but with the
ordinary forms, to Shang-te; sacrificed with purity and reverence to
the six Honored Ones; offered appropriate sacrifice to the hills and
rivers; and extended his worship to the hosts of spirits.” This is the
first mention we have in Chinese history of religious worship, though
the expressions used plainly imply that the worship of Shang-te at
least, had previously existed. It is to this Supreme Being that all
the highest forms of adoration have been offered in all ages. By His
decree kings were made and rulers executed judgment. In His hands were
the issues of life and death, and he whom He blessed was blessed, and
he whom He cursed, was cursed. In all probability there was a time when
the worship of Shang-te was the expression of the pure monotheistic
faith of the Chinese. By degrees, however, corruptions crept in, and
though Shang-te always remained the supreme object of veneration, they
saw no disloyalty to Him in rendering homage to the powers of nature
which they learnt to personify, and to the spirits of their departed
ancestors, who were supposed to guard and watch over, in a subordinate
manner, the welfare of their descendants.
[Illustration: MONUMENTAL GATEWAY ERECTED IN HONOR OF
CONFUCIUS.]
During this reign the empire was divided into twelve provinces, and
ministers of agriculture, crime, works, forests, religious worship
and of music were appointed. That the standard of morality was high,
even at this early period, appears from the conversations which are
reported between Shun’s vice-regent Yu and one of his advisers. In
answer to the question put by Yu: “What are the nine virtues?” the
minister replied: “Affability combined with dignity; mildness combined
with firmness; bluntness combined with respectfulness; aptness for
government combined with reverence; docility combined with boldness;
straightforwardness combined with gentleness; easiness combined with
discrimination; vigor combined with sincerity; and valor combined with
righteousness.”
THE STORY OF THE SAGE’S LIFE.
Heih, the father of Confucius, was a military officer of great bravery
and immense strength. He was married to Yen Ching Tsai, Confucius’s
mother, when he was seventy years old. Confucius, the child of this
aged couple, was born, so the legends say, in a cave in Mount Ne.
The legends tell how his birth was heralded by strange signs and
appearances, how fairies attended the birth of him of whose coming Yen
Ching Tsai had been warned by genii. While he was yet a boy, he loved
to play in arranging the vessels of the temple-worship, and listened
earnestly to the stories of the reigns of Yaou and Shun. When fifteen
years old, he gave himself to more earnest study, and when nineteen
he was married. His married life was unhappy, and after a year or
so he was divorced from his wife. Soon after this, being very poor,
he accepted the office of keeper of the stores of grain, and in the
next year he became the guardian of the public fields and lands. When
twenty-two years old, Confucius gave up his offices and became the
teacher of an earnest band of students. He refused to teach dull or
idle scholars. He said: “I do not open the truth to one who is not
eager after knowledge, nor do I help any one who is not himself anxious
to explain. When I have presented one corner of a subject, and the
listener cannot from it learn the other three, I do not repeat my
lesson.” When twenty-eight years of age, Confucius studied archery, and
in the next few years studied music under the celebrated music-master,
Siang. The master directed his pupil to learn the air composed by the
sage Wan Wang of ancient days. Confucius at once took the lute, and
in obedience to Siang’s instructions, commenced to play the air. He
continued it day by day.
“Five days went by, and still Confucius
Played all day long the ancient simple air;
And when Siang would teach him more he said:
‘Not yet, my master, I would seize the thought,
The subtle thought which hides within the tune.’
To which the master answered: ‘It is well.
Take five days more!’ And when the time was passed
Unto Siang thus spoke Confucius:
‘I do begin to see, and yet what I see
Is very dim. I am as one who looks,
And nothing sees except a luminous cloud;
Give me but five more days, and at the end,
If I have not attained the great idea
Hidden of old within the melody,
I will leave music as beyond my power.’
‘Do as thou wilt, O pupil!’ cried Siang
In deepest admiration; ‘never yet
Had I a scholar who was like to thee.
And on the fifteenth day Confucius rose
And stood before Siang, and cried aloud:
‘The mist which shadowed me is blown away;
I am as one who stands upon a cliff,
And gazes far and wide upon the world,
For I have mastered every secret thought,
Yea, every shadow of a feeling dim
Which flitted through the spirit of Wan Wang
When he composed that air. I speak to him,
I hear him clearly answer me again;
And more than that, I see his very form:
A man of middle stature, with a hue
Half blended with the dark and with the fair;
His features long, and large sweet eyes which beam
With great benevolence--a noble face!
His voice is deep and full, and all his air
Inspires a sense of virtue and of love.
I know that I behold the very man,
The sage of ancient days, Wan Wang the just.’
“Then good Siang lay down upon the dust,
And said: ‘Thou art my master. Even thus
The ancient legend, known to none but me,
Describes our first great sire. And thou hast seen
That which I never yet myself beheld,
Though I have played the sacred song for years,
Striving with all my soul to penetrate
Its mystery unto the master’s form,
Whilst thou hast reached it at a single bound;
Henceforth the gods alone can teach thee tune.’”
Now, at the age of thirty, he became famous. Many youths, sons of
nobles, became his willing scholars. At this time he visited Lao-tsze,
the founder of Taoism. While in the capital, where Lao-tsze lived,
he entered an old temple where he found a metal statue of a man
with a triple clasp upon his mouth. On the back of the statue were
engraved the words: “The ancients were guarded in their speech, and
like them we should avoid loquacity. Many words invite many defeats.
Avoid also engaging in many businesses, for many businesses create
many difficulties.” “Observe this, my children,” said the sage to his
disciples. “These words are true, and commend themselves to our reason.”
He visited various great cities and courts of emperors, and everywhere
was received with honor. Confucius was saddened by the sight of so
much disorder. Soon after writing the “Book of Odes” and the “Book of
History,” he became magistrate of the town of Chung-Too. He now had an
opportunity of putting his principles of government to the test, and
the result partly justified his expectations. He framed rules for the
support of the living, and for the observance of rites for the dead; he
arranged appropriate food for the old and the young; and he provided
for the proper separation of men and women. And the results were, we
are told, that anything dropped on the road was not picked up; there
was no fraudulent carving of vessels; coffins were made of the ordained
thickness; graves were unmarked by mounds raised over them; and no two
prices were charged in the markets. The duke, surprised at what he saw,
asked the sage whether his rule of government could be applied to the
whole State. “Certainly,” replied Confucius, “and not only to the State
of Loo, but to the whole empire.” Forthwith, therefore, the duke made
him Assistant Superintendent of Works, and shortly afterwards appointed
him Minister of Crime. Here, again, his success was complete. As soon
as he was appointed he began to carry the laws into effect by punishing
high-handed criminals and ere long good government resumed its sway.
[Illustration: TEMPLE OF CONFUCIUS, THE CHINESE SAGE, IN
PEKING.]
Though eminently successful, the results obtained under his system
were not quite such as his followers have represented them to have
been. No doubt crime diminished under his rule, but it was by no means
abolished. In fact, his biographers mention a case which must have been
peculiarly shocking to him. A father brought an accusation against his
son, in the expectation, probably, of gaining his suit with ease before
a judge who laid such stress on the virtues of filial piety. But to his
surprise, and that of the on-lookers, Confucius cast both father and
son into prison, and to the remonstrance of the head of the Ke-clan
answered: “Am I to punish for a breach of filial piety one who has
never been taught to be filially minded? Is not he who neglects to
teach his son filial duties, equally guilty with his son who fails in
them? Crime is not inherent in human nature, and therefore the father
in the family, and the government in the State are responsible for
the crimes committed against filial piety and the public laws. If a
king is careless about publishing laws, and then peremptorily punishes
in accordance with the strict letter of them, he acts the part of a
swindler; if he collect the taxes arbitrarily without giving warning,
he is guilty of oppression; and if he puts the people to death without
having instructed them, he commits a cruelty.”
Confucius had great faith in the power of example. He could not carry
out all his schemes nor always adhere to his rules. Yet the people
rejoiced in his rule, and at their work sang songs, describing him as
their saviour from oppression and injustice. The tendencies of the
times were against the enthusiastic reformer, yet he struggled on.
After he was dismissed from office in Loo he became the counselor of
princes. He went from State to State, and ruler to ruler, until he was
sixty-nine years old. He never lost confidence in himself or in his
mission. One morning, in the spring of the year 478 B.C., he walked in
front of his door, saying:
“The great mountain must crumble;
The strong beam must break,
And the wise man withers away like a plant.”
He was now without honor among the princes. As he said, “No intelligent
monarch arises; there is not one in the empire who will make me his
master. My time is come to die.” That same day he took to his bed, and
after a week’s sickness he died. He was buried with great tokens of
respect by his disciples.
TEACHINGS AND WRITINGS OF THE CHINESE SAGE.
No man, probably, has been treated with so much contempt during his
lifetime, and with so much veneration after his death, as Confucius.
His life was a standing protest against the iniquities of his time. The
teachings of Confucius are contained in three thin volumes, called the
Lun Yu, or “Confucian Analects;” the Ta Hioh, or “Great Learning;” and
the Chung Yung, or “Doctrine of the Mean.” Confucius also edited the
Yeh King, or “Book of Changes;” the She King, or “Book of Odes;” and
the Shoo King, or “Book of History.” He derided spiritual teaching,
did not refer to the future life, and had little to say about the
gods. As to where man came from, or where he was going, Confucius was
never troubled. He taught, man is master of his own happiness and
destiny. He might, by his own efforts, become the equal of heaven. As
to morals and good government Confucius’s teachings rank high. He was
really a Statesman and Reformer, rather than a Religious Teacher. Some
selections from his three books will be of use as illustrating the
style and substance of his teachings:
THE WISDOM OF THE SAGE.
“Is he not a man of complete virtue who feels no discomposure, though
men may take no note of him?”
Tsăng, the philosopher, said, “I daily examine myself on three
points--whether, in transacting business for others, I may have been
not faithful; whether, in intercourse with friends, I may have been not
sincere; whether I may have not mastered and practiced the instructions
of my teacher.”
The Master said, “He who aims to be a man of complete virtue, in his
food does not seek to gratify his appetite, nor in his dwelling-place
does he seek the appliances of ease; he is earnest in what he is
doing, and careful in his speech; he frequents the company of men of
principle, that he may be rectified. Such a person may be said, indeed,
to love to learn.”
The Master said, “I will not be afflicted at men’s not knowing me; I
will be afflicted that I do not know men.”
The Master said, “At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning.
“At thirty, I stood firm.
“At forty, I had no doubts.
“At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven.
“At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ _for the reception of
truth_.
“At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without
transgressing what was right.”
The Master said, “The superior man is catholic and no partisan; the
mean man is a partisan and no catholic.”
The Master said, “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought
without learning is perilous.”
The Master said, “For a man to sacrifice to a spirit which does not
belong to him is flattery.
“To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage.”
The Master said, “A man should say, ‘I am not concerned that I have no
place; I am concerned how I may fit myself for one. I am not concerned
that I am not known; I seek to be worthy to be known.’”
The Master said, “The reason why the ancients did not readily give
utterance to their words was that they feared lest their actions should
not come up to them.”
Tsae Yu, being asleep during the daytime, the Master said, “Rotten wood
cannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not receive the trowel.
This Yu!--what is the use of my reproving him?”
The Master said, “I have not seen a firm and unbending man.” Some one
replied, “There is Shin Ch’ang.” “Ch’ang,” said the Master, “is under
the influence of his lusts; how can he be firm and unbending?”
Tsze-kung said, “What I do not wish men to do to me, I also wish not to
do to men.” The Master said, “Tsze, you have not attained to that.”
The Master said, “Not to do to others as you would not wish done to
yourself.”
Tsze-kung asked, saying, “Is there one word which may serve as a rule
of practice for all one’s life?” The Master said, “Is not RECIPROCITY
such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to
others.”
“When one cultivates to the utmost the principles of his nature, and
exercises them on the principle of reciprocity, he is not far from the
path. What you do not like, when done to yourself, do not do to others.”
Tsze-loo said, “I should like, sir, to hear your wishes.” The Master
said, “They are, in regard to the aged, to give them rest; in regard to
friends, to show them sincerity; in regard to the young, to treat them
tenderly.”
The Master said, “Admirable, indeed, was the virtue of Hwuy! With a
single bamboo dish of rice, a single gourd dish of drink, and living
in his mean, narrow lane, while others could not have endured the
distress, he did not allow his joy to be affected by it. Admirable,
indeed, was the virtue of Hwuy!”
The Master said, “They who know _the truth_ are not equal to those
who love it; and they who love it are not equal to those who find
delight in it.”
The Master was mild, and yet dignified; majestic, and yet not fierce;
respectful, and yet easy.
Tsăng said, “When a bird is about to die, its notes are mournful;
when a man is about to die, his words are good.”
Confucius, in his village, looked simple and sincere, and as if he were
one who was not able to speak.
Tsze-loo asked about government. The Master said, “Go before the people
_with your example_, and be laborious in their affairs.”
The Master said, “The progress of the superior man is upwards; the
progress of the mean man is downwards.”
The Master said, “In ancient times, men learned with a view to their
own improvement. Nowadays, men learn with a view to the approbation of
others.”