Seek
not beliefs, seek awareness
One Humanity, One Family
– A Message from
Confucian (551-479 BC)
30 September 2006
A
grand ceremony to commemorate the 2557th
anniversary of the birth of Confucian was
held Thursday morning (September 28) in
the sage’s birthplace Qufu, Shandong
Province.
The
ceremony was observed by over 7000
people, with 400 from overseas.
In
the sound of young students chanting
passages of The Analects (《论语》),
and the bells intoning in a dignified and
measured marching pace, the gate of
Confucius Temple slowly swung open, while
in a distance, a procession was
approaching.
Procession
Leading
the way in front were nine chariots
accompanied by 72 flags in an antiquate
fashion, each chariot driven by a pair of
young men in traditional costume, which
was followed by a large congregation of
2557 representatives. Upon arrival, the
delegates filed into the temple through
two gates: Gate of Virtue the Heaven and
Earth (德牟天地)
and Gate of Way the Past and Present (道冠古今).
An annual dialogue with the past began.
As
all pipe and string instruments broke
loose, lauding The Oneness of Heaven
and Man, from incensories, perfumed
clouds wavered up to the sky. In that
symphonic moment, 2557 dignified bodies
bent low, marking their deep respect for
a devoted promoter of the universal unity
and harmony. Then, responding in a
time-honoured fashion, a eulogy was
enunciated, paying tributes to one of the
greatest teachers in history:
“白云舒卧, 紫霞纵横, 红缠杏坛, 绿掩碑亭。
“共缅先师, 追远慎终, 志道据德, 心正意诚。”
"White clouds
with purple streaks,
Red altar among green trees …
Herein we review, the master’s
teachings,
Closely we follow, the sage’s
footsteps."
In
the closing melodious statement Let’s
Unite under Heaven (《天下大同》),
the narrative ground of Chinese tradition
was reclaimed.
Kids
in traditional Chinese youth costume
dancing in ceremony
The
echo of the past with a thousands-year
old aspiration is loud: When we are one
in heart, life on earth could be
elegantly simple and content.
One
humanity, one family. The legacy of
Confucius does not just belong to the
Chinese. It belongs to the whole world.
Confucian’s
descendant Kong Xiangkai led the chanting
of The Analects
(Original photo
by: Zhan Xiaodong, People Daily)
It
is estimated that there are 2 million
descendants of the Confucian living all
over the world, with Shandong and
Zhejiang being their main settlement
areas.
Quotes
by Confucian:
得众则得国, 失众则失国.
By gaining the hearts of
the people, the territory is gained; by
losing the hearts of the people, the
territory is lost.
国家不以聚集财富为利益, 而以实行道义为利益.
The prosperity of a state
can not be gained through accumulating
wealth; it can only be achieved by
upholding the righteousness.
道之以死, 齐之以刑, 民免而无耻; 道之以德, 齐之以礼, 有耻且格.
If the people be led by
laws, they will try to avoid the
punishment with no sense of shame; If the
people be led by virtue, they will
discern right from wrong.
听讼, 吾犹人也. 必也使无讼乎.
In hearing litigation, I
am not wiser than anyone else; but what I
am striving to achieve is to cause the
people to have no litigation.
不能正其身, 如正人何?
If one cannot rectify
himself, what has he to do with
rectifying others?
不患无位, 患所以立; 不患莫己知, 求为可知也.
I am not concerned that I
have no place but how I may fit myself
for one; I am not concerned that I am not
known but seek to be worthy of knowing.
己所不欲, 勿施于人.
Not to do to others as you
would not wish done to yourself.
夫仁者, 己欲立而立人, 己欲达而达人.
The man of virtue wishing
to stand firm himself as well as help
others to stand firm; wishing to be
succeed as well as help others to
success.
刚、毅、木、讷近仁.
Being firm, enduring,
simple, and modest, one is near to
virtue.
恭近于礼, 远耻辱也.
When one treats others
with respect, he keeps far from being
disgraced.
君子泰而不骄, 小人骄而不泰.
A supreme man has a
dignified ease without pride; a mean man
is full of pride without a dignified
ease.
知之为知之, 不知为不知, 是知也.
When you know a thing, to
acknowledge you know it; when you do not
know a thing, to acknowledge you do not
know it. And this is knowledge.
学而不思则罔, 思而不学则殆.
Learning without thought
is fruitless; thought without leaning is
dangerous.
有教无类
A teacher shall make no
distinguish between different social
classes among his students.
Confucius Prize
The
United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has
issued on September 23 its first annual
Confucius Prize to India and Morocco for
their outstanding contributions in
providing equal opportunities in
education for the poor and
underprivileged.
The
event was part of a ceremony marking the
2,557th Anniversary of Confucian’s
birth.
After
the award ceremony, Confucian Family
Dishes were presented to the guests.
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