Confucius

Author: Gao Guang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: When writing about Confucius, I always see a melancholic Confucius in my mind, sitting in a carriage, watching over humanity with resentment, worry, and affection. He is a true philosopher, alongside Jesus, but he is more realistic, more concrete, and more humanized. The fundamental difference between him and Jesus is that he was truly a human being. The heavier the burden of morality and culture on Confucius, the less human-like he becomes, lacking the root of humanity. Through the ages, emperors have used Confucius as a symbol, turning him into something that resembles nothing—a teacher, a philosopher, a flesh-and-blood ordinary person, or a man with seven emotions and six desires. This is not quite right. Did Confucius love his family? Did he love his family members? If such love truly existed, what did it look like? Was it constantly on his mind, or was it so that it seemed unbelievable? Also, Confucius meeting Nanzi is often said to be the most topic, but did he love Nanzi? Did he ever feel moved by her? People have painstakingly portrayed Nanzi as a woman of loose morals, as if only this could make the man appear as a moral gentleman. They believe that only a Confucius who is detached from the world is a sage, a great and revered wise man. The greatness of Chinese culture lies in the philosophical thoughts and detachment of the ancient Chinese. They valued human life above all else and repeatedly reflected on humanity's understanding of the meaning of life. Looking at Laozi's Bagua diagram and Confucius's Analects, without focusing on the surface of the educators, but truly exploring their breakthroughs in understanding life, we would realize that ancient Chinese culture is even more profound and extensive. It is humanized, profound, and practical. The essence of Chinese culture lies in the skillful coexistence of the natural world, culture, and philosophical thought—there is nothing beyond this.