A young lady with a child coming to a strange place would surely have attracted all sorts of suspicion at that time. This suspicion was something that Confucius would become accustomed to because it soon became clear he was no ordinary child. Among his peers, Confucius was regarded as somewhat precocious and was extraordinarily sensitive to social snobbery. A thoughtful, rational and engaged child, the young boy nurtured habits of contemplation and a determined persistence.
Over 2,500 years ago, Jueli was a slum on the outskirts of Qufu, far from the inner city where the aristocracy lived. Life cannot have been easy for Confucius and his mother. In spite of their straitened circumstances, Yan Zhizai had great expectations for her son. In those days, one who wanted to advance in the world had to gain proficiency in certain kinds of skills, such as six arts—poetry, reading and writing, rituals, music, charioteering, and archery. Of these, rituals, music, and especially charioteering and archery, were most important. Confucius diligently mastered these arts, but his real passion was reserved for rituals: namely the ritual system of ancient times.
The so-called ritual system was in fact a set of rituals that were employed to regulate people’s behavior. The State of Lu Confucius inhabited then was a small state ruled by the Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC-256 BC). During this period, the country was effectively governed through the use of rituals. It is widely believed that the Zhou Dynasty jurist law was effectively implemented for only 40 years during its many hundreds of years of existence.
The first king of the State of Lu was Zhougong, younger brother of Zhouwuwang, the first monarch of the Zhou Dynasty. Zhougong advocated a policy of ruling by convention and ritual. Books and learning were greatly treasured in Lu and the state became renowned as a land of ceremony and propriety. Growing up in such an environment was a profound influence on the development of the young Confucius.
Unfortunately, incessant wars that broke out then ruined such a policy of ruling by convention and ritual. Confucious, yearning for social peace and stability, believed that behaving oneself and being loyal to the state and filial to parents were the keys to achieving his goals.
In 535 BC, Confucius’ mother passed away and he determined to mourn her death for three years. That a young man, only 17 years old, should do what was then regarded as such an astonishing thing made a great impression on the people who heard of it. The story even reached the ears of Luzhaogong, king of the Lu State, who came to regard Confucius with special respect.
When 19 years old, Confucius got married, and the next year he became a father. At that time his reputation for erudition had made him a well-known figure both locally and further afield. Luzhaogong himself sent an emissary to present him with a ceremonial carp as a token of congratulations. Confucius felt extremely honored by the gesture and gave his son the name Kong Li (the Chinese character of Li here means carp).
Some 2,500 years have passed. The place where Confucius and his descendants once lived—the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu—has now become a famous tourist shrine. In 1999, it was listed as a World Culture Heritage site by UNESCO.
For 10 years, there are 3 million people from every corner of the world who visit the hometown of Confucius each year to pay their respects to the originator and creator of a powerful and long-lasting cultural legacy.
In 2000, the Chinese Government held a grand ceremony to mark the 2,550th anniversary of the birth of Confucius. Chinese scholars, scholars of Chinese descent and experts on Confucianism from all over the globe came to discuss and pay homage to the greatest cultural philosopher in Chinese history.
Confucius was regarded as a sage by the emperors of countless past dynasties. His influence is not confined to the land of his birth. Confucian temples have been established in South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Indonesia of Asia, as well as in Europe. The number of such temples had reached almost 2,800 by the 19th century.
The 2,000-plus years since Confucius lived have witnessed countless wars and fighting. Kings and dynasties have come and gone with dizzying regularity but the worship ceremonies associated with Confucianism have almost never been interrupted. This begs the question as to what miraculous strength there was in the life and thoughts of this man that could endure and prosper for some 2,500 years and still remain potent today in the midst of the 21st century.