CONFUCIUS (551 BC - 479 BC)
For more than 2,000 years, the Chinese people have been guided by the ideals
of Confucianism. Its founder and greatest teacher was Confucius, whose humane
philosophy also influenced the civilizations of all of eastern Asia, by way of many
legends spread to illustrate Confucius' beliefs. According to one story, he and his
disciples passed a cemetery where a woman was weeping beside a grave. "My
husband's father was killed here by a tiger, and my husband also, and now my son
has met the same fate. That's why I'm crying," she explained to them. When they
asked her why she did not leave such an unlucky place, she answered that, in this
place, there was no oppressive government. "Remember this, my children," said
Confucius, "oppressive government is fiercer and more feared than a tiger." In such
teaching and with such wise sayings, Confucius tried to bring people to a virtuous
way of life and a respect for the teachings of the wise men of older generations. He
always said of himself that he was a "transmitter, not a maker". He collected and
edited the poetry, the music and the historical writings of what he considered the
golden age. Confucius laid no claim to being more than a man. Yet when he died, he
was revered almost as a god. Temples were erected in his honour in every city of
China. His grave at Kufow, in what is now Shandong Province, became a place of
pilgrimage. Though Confucianism is commonly called a religion, it is rather a system
of moral conduct. Confucius did not talk of God but of goodness. He did not teach
about any god, saying simply, "Respect the gods, but have as little to do with them
as possible." His attention was centred on making people better in their lifetime.
E X E R C I S E 1: Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
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