Confucius said…

Confucius said, “If you are courteous, you will not be disrespected. If you are generous, you will gain everything. If you are honest, people will rely on you. If you are persistent, you will get results and if you are kind, you can employ people.” Life seems to really be easy when you think about it, if only we lived and lead by this very simple virtue.

Last Sept. 28, 2024, a very memorable ceremony was held at the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong Province, China, hometown of the ancient philosopher Confucius honoring his 2,575th birthday. Confucius, as we all know, was an educator and philosopher who founded the school of Confucianism which has deeply influenced China. In his honor, people from all over the world celebrated this occasion, giving thanks to the spirit of the Master and all the sages and, in the words of Confucius, expressed how good works done now will encourage future prosperity among descendants even through the modern era.

It was once told that in the middle of the dark age when feudal princes and marquises fought for power, a talented Confucius was born and while grasping at straws for any method of survival, the Master of All Sages would establish Confucianism. With benevolence as its foundation and courtesy as its core, the main purpose of all this is simply to put a highlight on family, country and appeasing the common aspirations of all people in the world.

Confucianism teaches us that our standard of living must be upheld by righteousness in both words and deeds, where wisdom is found and being magnanimous in all circumstances. I suppose in a nutshell, what Confucius simply means is we must all do whatever it takes to achieve peace, whether it be in our family, our country and extending to the people of the world.

Practicing loyalty and forgiveness, according to Confucius, begins at home, as family loyalty is the basis for learning how to interact with others.

Not doing unto others what you don’t want them to do unto you is another principle of Confucianism, where we are called to forgive injuries and be reconciled to our enemies and invoke God on their behalf.

As a Christian, one can relate to such teachings, considering we are fundamentally taught to live by the very same principles. The main idea of Confucianism is the importance of having a good moral character which can affect the world around a person through harmony and balance in unity of action that is carried forward from generation to generation.

According to Confucius, human relationships are based on love and duty and that the way to happiness is achieved by abolishing war and working toward unity in the world. Being deeply founded on benevolence, Confucius teaches us that politics should reflect the same virtues where sufficient food, sufficient armaments and the people’s trust in government should be intact and if other components were to be removed, what remains should be the people’s trust in governance for without it, nothing can be established.

In the end, the teachings of Confucius influenced both western and eastern philosophy and for thousands of years, Confucianism has greatly influenced social structures and human relationships in China. As for unity, something surely all of us should strive for, the teachings of Confucius emphasize the importance of social harmony and political stability.

But if it is one thing that impacts me most about the teachings of Confucius, it is the virtue of integrity where truthfulness and reality in one’s words and actions eliminate all doubt and confusion and promote all individuals to a higher level of morality.

Life is really simple, Confucius said, but it is we who choose to make it complicated; hence, if there is one good thing we all can learn from ancient history and the Master of All Sages, it would be to reflect on the past to determine our future, for roads were made for journeys and not destinations and wherever we go, we go with all our heart.