TamatsuLab
Confucius

Business, Thought, and Management Articles --- About Analects of Confucius --- Life is a Hardship Trip

Life is a Hardship Trip

Here we will think about life as a hardship trip.

Life is a Hardship Trip

Confucius suffered various hardships to dare to correct the way in a time when the world was disturbed and the ideal way was not done. It may be said that the last years of Confucius were just a series of hardships. He suffered because he persisted his beliefs.
Life is a hardship trip. Many people wish to spend a comfortable life without suffering, if possible. But those who live in a comfortable life will give up just by having a bit of a pain.
The more human beings try living in a comfortable life, the more they will be lazy, bend their beliefs and compromise on their destiny. They will not be able to endure suffering, and will have no power to resist evil. Then they would become just complainers.
People are tried their true value when they are thrown into hardships. Trouble grows human beings. The hardship is, as it were, a chance for human training given by heaven. If you just bend your beliefs to avoid suffering, you will be corrupted.
Even no food, even his life was in danger surrounded by soldiers, Confucius remained Confucius to the last. Confucius exactly showed its true value when he faced difficulty.
The hardships are inherent in life. And we do not know when our suffering will strike us. By reading the Analects you can touch the suffering Confucius received and his behaviors. That is something we must cherish for our living today.

*Return to About Analects of Confucius

About Analects of Confucius

Analects and Its Influence
Analects is words and deeds recording of Confucius and his disciples. We do not know by who and how the words and deeds are summarized. But maybe they were made by disciples after the death of Confucius.
Attitude to Learn
Analects tells us importance and preciousness of learning. Humans continue to learn for a lifetime. As far as we are learning, we can be humans. Learning enhance our life.
Filial Piety
It is often said that "Be good and dutiful to your parents". Basically filial piety is to respect and follow one's own parents. It is not just giving them something, inviting them to a trip, or massaging them.
Humanity and Justice
Humanity and Justice are the moral discipline that must be obeyed. Or they are mercy of mind (humaneness) and thread of things (righteousness). Some people say humanity and justice are a kind of greetings to obtain something.
Courtesy and Court Music
Courtesy and court music had been the cornerstone of politics in ancient China. Because courtesy is to keep the order of society, and court music has soothing effect grabbing the hearts of people.
Tao in Analects
The word "Tao" of Confucius is often seen in Analects. "If I hear Tao in the morning, I am happy to die in the evening" is the famous short sentence. What did Confucius mean by saying "Tao" here? Maybe "Tao" for Confucius meant the ideal state of the nation.
How to Educate
We can find many tips in Analects to spread the academic - ie. "teaching" - as well as to cultivate academic - ie. "learning". In other words, the Analects shows how to guide and teach people, the way of education.
Virtue
Confucius tells a lot to us. Analects has a number of shining words. Among them, the most precious treasure of mankind is "virtue".

Modern Society and Human Beings

Humans in Social Organizations
We live in a social organization. Many people can not live without staying in a social organization. They cling to their positions in a social organization and they are spending days complaining.
A Guide for Family Love
Perhaps the 20th century was the century when the family collapsed. As industrialization and urbanization rapidly proceeded, nuclear families advanced, and number of living alone grew sharply. The shared life by the former large family became frowned.
Life is a Hardship Trip
Confucius suffered various hardships to dare to correct the way in a time when the world was disturbed and the ideal way was not done. It may be said that the last years of Confucius were just a series of hardships. He suffered because he persisted his beliefs.
Do not Abandon the World Daringly
When social organizations become corrupt and begin to collapse, the right people will lose their place. Some people escape to a foreign country, abandon the world and move to countryside, or they die their own lives.

Return to Top of the Page