Chapter 763: Young scholars, ah!

Young scholars, ah!

April 14: Young scholars, ah!

The hardships of his youth left a deep imprint on Confucius's spirit; when he grew old, recalling those hardships, he still sighed endlessly and said: "In my youth I was lowly, therefore I was capable of many menial tasks." Confucius's meaning: "When I was young, I was poor and lowly; to survive I did many rough, heavy jobs, and was despised and looked down upon by people."

Some say that poverty in youth is life's "first bucket of gold"; perhaps precisely because Confucius had life's "first bucket of gold", it spurred his diligent efforts, thereby achieving the sage's illustrious reputation and adding brilliance to Chinese civilization's history.

The frustration of Confucius's youth is closely linked to his mother's intentional nurturing. Why did Mother Kong take the young Confucius away from his paternal home to her maternal home? Being an orphaned widow with no support is only one reason; the main reason is that, as Confucius was a child of an illicit union, he suffered discrimination, and such an environment would harm the young Confucius, affecting his physical and mental health and hindering his growth.

Confucius was his mother's sole hope; for this 'sole hope', Mother Kong devoted all her heart and blood, wishing to raise Confucius into someone useful to society. And at that time, the standard for being useful was understanding rites.

Mother Kong fully understood that among people devoid of rites, one cannot learn rites! Mother Kong was quite clear about this.

Discussing rites is always inseparable from one's living environment. Confucius's mother knew that her natal home, Qufu, was the political and cultural center of Lu state, a very civilized place with a good cultural environment, conducive to personal growth.

The wise Mother Kong, using her own wisdom, made an astonishing move: taking her 'sole hope' and leaving her original homeland to head toward a civilized land.

Sima Qian said that, nurtured in a good environment, Confucius from childhood understood how to be a person and how to act; he was well versed in ritual rules. When Confucius summed up his life experience, he also said: "At fifteen I set my heart on learning; at thirty I stood firm; at forty I had no doubts; at fifty I knew the Mandate of Heaven; at sixty I heard with comprehension; at seventy I could follow my heart's desire without overstepping the line." Confucius's meaning: "At fifteen I resolved to study; at thirty I could understand all rites and achieve something; by forty I had no doubts about any matter or ritual rule; at fifty I understood that everything in life is heaven's will, the arrangement of fate, an unchangeable truth; at sixty, hearing any words, I could grasp their causes and effects; at seventy, I could follow my heart's desire, doing anything I wished as long as it conformed to proper rules."

This is the result of Confucius's youth being nurtured by a good environment: from a young age he understood human morality, the principles and norms of being a person, and throughout his life he could strive unceasingly and make progress.

Later, when Confucius taught, he once instructed his students thus: "A younger brother at home should be filial; abroad, respectful; cautious and trustworthy; loving all and drawing near to the benevolent; if there is energy left after conduct, then devote it to literary study."――――

Young scholars, ah, at home you must be filial to your parents; when you go out, you must respect your teachers and superiors; your speech must be cautious; in conduct you must be trustworthy; moreover, you must love others as yourself, draw near to those around you who are noble gentlemen, and keep away from those around you who are vile petty people. Only by doing so can you learn true knowledge, laying the foundation for being good persons, doing good deeds, and pursuing good scholarship in the future.