Story of 孔子[KongZi](8)

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From 27th ruling year of 鲁昭公 [Lu3ZhaoGong] (B.C. 515) to 9th ruling year of 鲁定公[Lu3Ding4Gong] (B.C. 501), this was the important ten plus year period of 孔子[Kong3Zi]'s educational career. During this period, his students, besides those from his home State 鲁[Lu3], were coming from feudal States of 齐[Qi2], 楚[Chu3], 晋[Jin4], 秦[Qin2], 卫[Wei4], 陈[Chen2], 吴[Wu2], and others.

孔子's teaching and tutoring mainly aimed at the goal of developing talents that have both ability and integrity serving the government; its study content to be lectured included aspects of how to be a person, and that of how to be an official; the textbooks used were classical literature from <诗>[Shi - the Poem], <书>[Shu - the Book], <礼>[Li3 - Decorums], <乐>[Le4 - music] and others. He opened four disciplines: "文"[Wen2 - language], "行"[Xing2 - behavior], "忠"[Zhong - royalty], "信"[Xin4 - trust].

<诗>[Shi], later also known as <诗经> [ShiJing], with its contents divided into three parts, "风" [Feng], "雅" [Ya3], "颂" [Song4]. Because <诗> was widely applied in all aspects of social gathering at the time, 孔子 emphasized its teaching, and formed a teaching style with the characteristics of "温柔敦厚 " [WengRou2DunHou4 - gentle and honest], believing that by studying it his students not only could develop language communication skill, but also acquire knowledge of different subject matter. He once said: "小子何莫学夫<诗>? [Xiao2Zi3He2Mo4Xue2FuShi? - Why don't you students study the Poem?] <诗>, 可以兴, 可以观, 可以群, 可以怨. [Shi, Ke2Yi3Xin4, Ke2Yi3Guan, Ke2Yi3Qun2, Ke2Yi3Yuan4. - (Studying the) Poem can let you be creative in metaphor, can let you be observant in nature, can let you resonant with others, can let you criticize the imperfection] 迩之事父, 远之事君; 多识于鸟兽草木之名." [Er2ZhiShi4Fu4, Yuan3ZhiShi4Jun; DuoShiYu2Niao3Shou4Cao3Mu4ZhiMing2 - it can let you service your father and your country, it can let you know the names of various birds, beasts, herbs, and trees.] 孔子 pointed out, that poem learning ought to be for the purpose of application, otherwise it's useless no matter how much you have learned. He said, "诵诗三百, 授之以政, 不达; 使于四方, 不能专对; 虽多亦奚以为?" [Song4ShiSanBai3, Shou4ZhiYi3Zheng4, Bu4Da2; Shi3Yu2Shi4Fang, Bu4Neng2ZhunDui4; ShuiDuo, YiXiYi3Wei2? - (someone who can) recite three hundred poems, but couldn't handle the task of managing the country when was asked to; was made as an ambassador to foreign country, but he couldn't work there independently. So it's useless for him to learn that many poems] Therefore, without learning poems, not only (students) would have difficulties in language communication, but also be at a loss when dealing with people and business.

<书>[Shu], also known as <尚书>[Shang4Shu], or <书经>[ShuJing]. It contained recorded literature material of social, historical, and political events existed before 东周[DongZhou] dynasty. Because 孔子 especially held in esteem of 文武之道[Wen2Wu3ZhiDao4 - 东周 dynasty Emperor Wen and Emperor Wu's way of governing], he advocated imitation of these two formal great emperors their way of ruling a country. Therefore, when 孔子 gave lecture on <书>[Shu], he asked his students to use the example of 文武之道 as the law of governing, educating, and being. <礼>[Li3], be known as <仪礼>, was a work on various rites and decorums. 孔子 believed, failed to learn <礼>, one would behave improperly as a person, therefore it would be difficult for him to gain a foothold within the society. <乐>, which was <乐经>, already lost at the time. 孔子 as a learned musician, sufficiently realizing the effect of music in civilization for a society, he therefore promoted the West Zhou Dynasty's Rite-Decorum-Music doctrines, namely to emphasize it in state governing, to advocate it in adjusting of people's behavior, as well as to edify people's disposition; therefore the education of music not only could impart music knowledge and music theory, but also elucidate music's implied moral effect.

In the course of teaching, 孔子 first paid attention to ethical education, then the ability education at the same time. He once instructed his students to be "志于道, 据于德, 依于仁, 游于艺" [Zhi4YuDao4, Ju4YuDe2, YiYuRen2, You2YuYi4 - ideal in principle, depending on morality, adhesive to REN my philosophy, engaging in art activities], and brought forward requirements for his student to follow: "弟子: 入则孝, 出则悌, 谨而信, 泛爱众, 而亲仁. 行有余力, 则以学文." [Di4Zhi3, Ru4Ze2Xiao4, ChuZe2Ti4, Shen4Er2Xing4, Fan4Ai4Zhong4, Er2QingRen2. Xing2You3Yu2Li4, Ze2Yi3Xue2Wen2. - Disciples, inside the house you should respect your parents, outside the house you should listen to your older brother, be cautious to believe others, give your love to everyone, and get close to REN my philosophy. After that if you still have energy, go read and increase your knowledge]. As to students' talent education, 孔子 used 六艺 [Liu4Yi4 - six arts] as curriculum. 六艺 were 礼, 乐, 射, 御 书, 数[Li3, Le4, She4, Yu4, Shu, Shu4], namely, decorum, music, archery, calligraphy, arithmetic, those six lessons. During the course of lecturing, 孔子 spoke elegantly, teaching style being flexible, and especially taught according to students' ability to learn, paying attention to gratify a student's thirst for knowledge and ability for independent thought. Thereby, most of 孔子's students were morally superior and everybody had something to show talent wise. They later effected an important role in spreading and development of Confucianism.

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