CONFUCIUS - His teaching and practices (2)
His aim of education was in constant self-improvement, and
as he believes that when a person gets educated the class/social distinction
gradually diminishes. To change the society people should be trained to be become
noble, as that when they enter into public service the natural outcome will be
revitalization of the social system such as family, community, society, state
and whole country.
To him education was for everyone, a student was a person
who had desire to get educated and each one of tem was destined to be educated
according to his individual characteristic. To him to be educated was not only
by learning the text by heart but by understanding the sense of the text,
further thinking about the text must go hand in hand with the learning of the
text.
Much of his approach to education was not having long
discourse on the subjects, but his usually poses questions with relevant
passage and let the students reach the right answer, He promoted the ideas “to
educate all despite their social statue” and “ to teach according to the
students’ characteristics”. He was one of the first of those who broke the
tradition regarding education being the exclusive privilege of the aristocrats.
He not only imparted knowledge, but also consistently
influenced his pupils by his example. His private life was a real guiding way
for his doctrines. His thirst for knowledge was his delight and he remain
humble enough to learn from anybody; from sage like LaoTzei and even from a seven
year old child. “When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my
teachers. I will select their good qualities and follow them, know their had
qualities and avoid them.”
His pursuit of truth was constant and ever with diligence,
so was his perfection of personality and ideas; his integrity; his dealing
always with kindness to others, his modesty and courteousness was exemplary.
He follows whatever he said to others. “Do not give others what you do not want
yourself”, and he treated others with utter honesty and tolerance and he was
ever ready to help others.
Confucius teaches that me are responsible for their actions
and especially for their treatment of others. We can do little or nothing to
alter our fated span of existence but we determine what we accomplish and what
we are remembered for.
He wants to turn his student into gentlemen who carried
themselves with grace, spoke truthfully, and demonstrated integrity in all
things. He strongly disliked “petty men”, who could use clever talk and pretentious
manner to win popularity.
His ethics were to focus on the virtues of self namely
sincerity and the cultivation of knowledge.
