Confucius was a philosopher in the sense he emphasised personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity, writes MEERA S. SASHITAL.
Confucius was born in 550 B.C. in the state of Lu which was part of the modern province of Shantung. His father was, Shuh-liang Heih and as the commandant of the district held an important post. Since he had only daughters he married again and the young wife, Ching-tsai prayed for a son performing many propitiatory rites. God appeared in her dream and said “You shall have a son, a sage and you must bring him forth in a hollow mulberry tree.” Hearing this oracle Shuh-liang Heih arranged for his wife’s confinement in a cave in a hill that was called “Hollow Mulberry Tree.” As per the oracle they were blessed with a son.
It is said when Confucius was born, dragons and nymphs appeared to guard the entrance of the cave. The mother seemed to have heard sweet strains of music and a voice saying “Heaven is moved at the birth of thy holy son. This child who was to become a great man one day had already on his body forty-nine marks and the words: “He will originate principles and settle the affairs of men,” Besides, near the cave a spring had swelled up miraculously and a Unicorn had brought a tablet inscribed: “The son of the essence of water shall succeed to the withering Tsow and be a throneless king.”
Confucius from his childhood was very intelligent and saintly. He lost his father at the age of three and was brought up by his mother in great hardship and poverty.
Though Confucius did all kinds of work from a shepherd to book-keeper for their living, his mind was for learning and becoming a sage. Marriage proved a fetter for him. At twenty-two he began his career as a teacher and sage by founding an academy or institution which expounded the principles of the right conduct and government.
In 517 B.C. two youths of high status became his disciples and with them he continued his historical research in the Imperial Library. Confucius was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. Confucius is traditionally credited with having authoured or edited many of the Chinese Classic texts including all of the Five Classics.
He also studied Music in the Imperial Court. Music was his passion, so much so that “it made him forget the taste of food”, and he introduced it in his scheme of government. He was very particular in observing right table manners and etiquette too.
Confucius was a philosopher in the sense he emphasised personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. Confucius’s principle had a basis in common Chinese tradition and belief. He championed strong family loyalty, ancestor worship, respect of elders by their children and of husbands by their wives. He also recommended family as a basis for ideal government.
Confucius was by no means religious. He seldom practised religious rites. He stressed more on the conduct of life. He believed in the principles like moderation, chastity, non-violence and other virtues. He espoused the well-known principle or motto “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” He was almost an agnostic for though he admitted the existence of spiritual powers, he did not concern much with them. Confucius was a sage, a teacher and a reformer. He did not care for spiritual questions like man’s birth or his death or of the soul after his death. Confucius was interested only in the practical conduct of life while it lasted.
Confucius spoke of himself “I have striven to become a man of perfect virtues, and to teach others without weariness.” His ideal man was “ the superior man who carried out in his daily conduct what he professed. He was an idealist, as well as a practical businessman.
After the collapse of Qin Dynasty, Confucius’s thoughts received official sanction and were further developed into a system known as Confucianism. By summer of 501 B.C. the then hereditary families viz. Ji, Meng and Shu succeeded in expelling their rival Yang Hu from Lu. By then Confucius had become wellknown for his teachings and families came to see the value of proper conduct and righteousness.
Thus, that year (501 B.C.), Confucius came to be appointed as the governor of the city of Chung-tu. He brought marvellous reforms with ethical codes with the help of his two disciples.
With his magic qualities of governing he brought loyalty, goodness and virtues among the people. He became idol of the people and was praised by all. His reforms defended the weak, improved trade and communications. People were freed from oppression and all got justice. But his good deeds were not appreciated by the Prince of Ts’s who caused the downfall of Confucius.
Yet, everywhere Confucius was treated and welcomed with much reverence but he refused to live on charity. The new Prince and government recalled him but it was too late. He returned to Lu but lived in solitude in the heart of Nature. During the last years of his life, he spent in writing and instructing his disciples. It was here that he composed the only book – the Ch’un Ch’u King, or book of Spring and Autumn – a collection of periods covering two-hundred and forty-two years.
Confucius was not a founder of religion or a philosophy or any form of government. He said he was only a “transmitter, not a maker.” He laid more emphasis on our ethics and conduct of life. One of the deepest teachings of Confucius was the superiority of personal exemplification over explicit rules of behaviour. His moral teachings emphasized self-cultivation, emulation of moral exemplars, and the attachment of skilled judgement rather than knowledge of rules.
Confucian Ethics may be considered a type of Virtue Ethics. His teachings it is said rarely rely on reasoned argument and ethical ideals and methods are conveyed more indirectly, through allusion, innuendo and even tautology. For these reasons, according to many commentators, Confusius’s teachings may be considered as Chinese example of Humanism.
Confucius died in 470 B.C. at the age of seventy-three. The love of his disciples outweighed even the patronage of any prince. Today the books of Confucius, the most sagely ancient teacher, have become famous far and wide and his teachings and sayings are on everybody’s lips in China and still ring in the ears of millions of his followers all over the world. His favourite saying was “The cautious never err.”
Outside his native city of K’Luh-low on a green hill in the family cemetery a marble statue of Confucius commemorates the last resting place of China’s “most sagely ancient teacher, all-accomplished, all-informed king.”
