The Analects is a record of the words and deeds of Confucius and his superiors, a classic work of Confucianism, and an important part of traditional Chinese culture. Many of the dialogues in the Analects not only reflect the wisdom and personality of Confucius, but also show the learning process and growth process of his people. Among them, Zigong is one of the important ** of Confucius, he is smart and quick-witted, good at words, has asked Confucius many times for advice on various issues, and has been appreciated and taught by Confucius. This article will take a dialogue in the Analects as an example to analyze Zigong's self-reflection and Confucius's guidance, and the connotation and significance of the idea of "poverty without flattery, wealth without arrogance" in the Analects.
The Analects of Yongye records Zigong's question to Confucius about how to deal with the rich and the poor, as well as Confucius's answers. The original text is as follows:
Zigong said: "Poor but no flattery, rich but not arrogant, what is it? Zi said: "Yes." Those who are not poor are happy, and those who are rich and courteous. Zigong said: ""Poetry" cloud: 'If you cut like a discussion, if you think like grinding', what does it mean to be with? Zi said: "Give also, you can say that the "poem" has been completed, and tell the past to know the future. ”
In this dialogue, Zigong first put forward a hypothesis, that is, if a person is not flattering when he is poor and not proud when he is rich, such a person can be called a good person. Confucius replied that such a person could, but he was not as good as a person who was happy when he was poor and paid attention to etiquette when he was rich. Zigong quoted a poem from "The Book of Songs, Xiaoya, Dang" and asked if this poem was what it meant. Confucius replied that Zigong could only talk to him about the Book of Songs if he said this, because he had been able to learn from the past and thus understand the truth of the future.
This dialogue reflects the process of Zigong's introspection and Confucius's guidance. Zigong's question shows his thinking on the issue of wealth and poverty, and also shows his evaluation of himself. He believes that being poor and having no flattery, being rich and not arrogant, is a kind of moderation attitude, a character that is not affected by the outside world, and a state of self-satisfaction. He hoped to be affirmed by Confucius, and he also hoped that he could reach such a level. However, Confucius's answer broke Zigong's idea and put forward higher requirements. Confucius believed that being poor and having no flattery, being rich and not arrogant, although it is a good character, but it is not perfect enough, and there is a better realm, that is, being poor and happy, and being rich and courteous.
Happiness here does not refer to a negative endurance, but to a positive enjoyment, a love of life, and a pursuit of morality. The good gift here does not refer to a form of observance, but to an inner cultivation, a contribution to society, and a respect for humanity. Confucius believed that such a person is a true gentleman, a true sage, and a true happy person. After listening to Confucius's answer, Zigong thought of a poem in the Book of Songs, which uses the metaphor of learning and pondering to describe the process of continuous learning and progress of a person. Zigong asked Confucius if the poem was a reference to the issue they were discussing. Confucius replied that Zigong's question showed that he had a certain degree of poetic literacy and was able to draw wisdom from ancient poetry to guide his own behavior. Confucius also told Zigong to tell others about their conversations, so that others could also benefit from them.
In this dialogue, Zigong's self-examination and Confucius's guidance are an interaction between teachers and students, as well as a manifestation of the way of learning. Although Zigong has a certain knowledge and morality, he is not satisfied with his current situation, and still wants to learn from Confucius, learn from the Book of Songs, learn from the ancients, and learn from the future.
2024 Travel Guide Although Confucius was a great thinker and educator, he did not impose his own views on others, but used a heuristic method to guide Zigong to think, discover, and improve. Confucius also encouraged Zigong to spread their dialogues so that more people could get inspiration from them, so as to achieve a kind of knowledge sharing and value inheritance. This kind of dialogue not only shows the connotation and significance of the idea of "being poor without deceit, rich without arrogance" in the Analects, but also shows an educational philosophy and learning method in the Analects, which still has important inspiration and reference for our study and life today.