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.
Confucian
Family Dishes
China boasts of 8 major
style of cuisines: Sichuan, Suzhou,
Anhui, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shandong,
Hunan and Fujian. In Shandong
cuisine, Confucian Family Dish is its
foremost representative.
Popular
CFD include:
Shrimp Cooked with Pine
Nut Kenals (松子虾仁)
Fish Cake Cooked with Pine Nut Kenals
(松子鱼糕)
Tofu Stewed in Earthen Pot (砂锅豆腐)
Assorted Tofu Dish (一品豆腐)
Quick Stir-fry with Tufu (炒小豆腐)
Candied
jujube
Here
is a recipe of Hot Candied Golden Jujube
(拔 丝 金 枣)
Materials:
Fat and red jujube 400
g
Hew jelly 75 g
White sugar 150 g
Preparations:
1, Wash jujube, boil in
water until soft, transfer to a
plate, remove the skin and pit;
2, Cut hew jelly into
short chips, insert into jujube;
3, Coat jujube with
flour and fry in hot oil;
4, Add oil and white
sugar in a hot wok and stir until the
sugar turns golden brown. Return
jujube to the wok and quick stir to
allow an even coating;
5, Transfer jujube to a
plate. Ready to serve.
China
stories are told at wenhousecrafts.com
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