5.22
When the Master was in Chen he said,”Let us go back, let us go back! The little ones at home are headstrong and careless. They are perfecting themselves in all the showy insignia of culture without any idea how to use them.”
子在陳曰：「歸與！歸與！吾黨之小子狂簡，斐然成章，不知所以裁之。」
Notes
This lament from the Analects by Confucius during his travels in the state of Chen reveals both his disappointment over political setbacks and his unwavering commitment to nurturing disciples.
It profoundly embodies the Confucian wisdom: ‘When successful, better the world; when thwarted, cultivate oneself’ and the foundational stance of ‘education as the root’.
Confucius’ journey through states aimed at ‘practicing the Dao’ — promoting benevolent governance and restoring ritual culture. After three unproductive years in Chen, he soberly recognized: Rulers obsessed with power struggles would never embrace his ideals. His decision to ‘return home’ was no retreat, but a strategic pivot:
Since political change proved impossible, he would return to Lu State to cultivate disciples into noble persons, entrusting them to perpetuate the Dao.
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