The Great Sage Confucius

" When I am walking with two others, there's always one who can teach me something - his strength, I can emulate; his weakness, I can use for self-correction"

Learn from people's mistakes too... not only their successes...


" I've tried going without food for a day and without sleep for a night , thinking ; but that wasn't as beneficial as learning ."

Take action in learning... apply what you have read... learn from applying the theory in real life.

There is so many insights... and so many beautiful cartoon in the book...

" We are not birds and bees. Since I'm a man, who else should I live with but other men. If this world had peace, I would not be trying to change it ."













In Spring and Autumn period, the six essential skills to have was :

(1) li  : rituals
(2) yue : music
(3) she : archery
(4) yu : driving ( a war chariot )
(5) shu : reading and writing
(6) shu : arithmetic

Confucius placed emphasis on li, the rituals of Zhou . He taught that one should not speak or act unless it accords with li, and when a man reaches such a state, the whole world should regard him as a benevolent man.

" The Book of Change is extensive and profound. One cannot understand it without a certain amount of experiences in life. If Heaven can grant me more years, such that I can read it again when I am in my fifties, I am certain I shall not make any mistakes or cause negligence for the rest of my life."

Is experience important? Some things are best learned with experience... to give flesh to the skeletons of theory..

Lao Tze vs Confucius :

Confucius : Please tell me about benevolence.
Lao Tze : Benevolence signifies a degenerate heart. If Man's heart is pure, what need is there for benevolence?
Does the whiteness of the crane come from constant washing?
Does the blackness of the crow come from constant dyeing?
When the streams are dry, the fishes are land-trapped; they have to keep one another wet with their saliva. Benevolence is like this.

Read more in his 4 books and 5 Classics :


Confucius 4, 5 ,6

(1) 4 books : The Analects ( Lun Yu )
                      Mencius ( Meng Zi )
                     The Great LEarning ( Da Xue)
                      The Doctrine of the Mean ( Zhong Yong )

(2) 5 Classics : Book of Songs ( Shi Jing )
                         Book of History ( Shang Shu )
                         Book of Rites ( Li Ji)
                         Book of Change ( Zhou Yi ... Or Yi Jing... I-Ching )
                         Spring and Autumn Annals ( Chun Qiu )
(3) 6 skills :  Li ( rituals )
                      Yue ( music )
                       She ( archery )
                       Yu ( driving a chariot )
                        Shu ( reading and writing )
                        Shu ( arithmetic )

And his Golden Rule ...

 "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself "


His teaching Style : " teaching according to ability "

He taught 4 subjects : 1. Wen ( culture)
                                    2. Xing ( conduct )
                                    3. Zhong ( loyalty )
                                    4. Xin ( trustworthiness )


Practicing an elicitation method of teaching , he said :

" I never enlighten anyone who is never driven to frustration by the urge to seek knowledge. Nor do I illuminate anyone who is never driven to frenzy by the urge to seek knowledge. When I have pointed out one corner of a square to him, and he cannot make the connection with the other three, i will not teach him again."