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Confucius

How a Man Became a Mountain

The Classics of Confucius (by Confucius)
The Classics of Confucius : Book of Hist... (by Confucius)
Sketches of Confucius (by Kan, T. L)
The Analects of Confucius (by Confucius)
The Sacred Books of China : the Texts of... Volume Vol. 1-2 (by Confucius)
Confucius and Confucianism : Four Lectur... (by Walshe, W. Gilbert)
The Economic Principles of Confucius and... (by Huan-Chang, Chen)

As the legend goes, the rare qilin visited Confucius' mother Yen Ching-tsai before his birth. The qilin, that sacred chimera and prince of four-footed creatures, which walks on clouds so as to not damage even a single blade of grass, is said to only appear at the birth or death of a great sage or during the reign of a good king. The strange beast brought to Ching-tsai a tablet of jade on which was engraved words to the effect, "The son of the essence of water shall soon succeed to the withering Chou, and be a throneless king."

And so it was. Confucius was born September 28, 551 BC, under the protection of two dragons in the sky. Five old wise men, said to be immortals of the sky, descended to Earth to see the child. He would grow into his prophecy well. By his early teenage years, goodness, loving others (which became known as ren), and harmony between people—the basis of Confucianism—were already established in Confucius' heart.

There is little biographical information on his life. It's known that his family was aristocratic, although by the time of his birth his parents had very little money. It is believed that he led a rather uneventful life. Many take it as a lesson how commitment and study might lead a regular person to great works.

And although he might not have gained the immense amount of followers his study was due during his lifetime, Confucianism would be adopted as a core state ideology by the first Han dynasty a three centuries later. Confucius' teachings lived on in many other regards, not least of these being his revolutionary teachings on education. He taught a self-disciplined and multi-disciplinary approach towards knowledge and integrity through the Six Arts of archery, calligraphy, computation, music, chariot-driving, and ritual, and always focused studies inward, whether it be on a person's inner life or the inner workings of a body politic.

Confucius believed in education for all who wanted it, and dedicated his life to turning teaching into a life-long vocation rather than the itinerant tutoring that it was. His step-by-step, committed process was at the root of everything he did and taught. "The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones."

Confucius is still considered as one of the most influential people who ever lived. For some of his books, check out The Analects and the Sacred Books of China: The Texts of Confucius.

By Thad Higa