Confucius once said:
These words were Confucius’ late-life reflection on his own journey of growth. Today, however, many treat them as milestones one must achieve at certain ages – for instance, “thirty and standing” supposedly means one should have accomplished something by thirty.
But for Confucius himself, what did these stages actually mean? And how did a man revered as the “Greatest Sage” end up being called a “stray dog” – and even laughing about it?
The Early Years: Finding His Footing
In his twenties, Confucius had a son, Kong Li, and took up a minor post as a warehouse keeper. Around the age of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, he started a private school and gradually gained a reputation.
The most direct evidence of his rising stature came at thirty. In 532 BC, Duke Jing of Qi and his minister Yan Ying visited the State of Lu and specifically summoned Confucius to discuss the rise of Duke Mu of Qin. This shows that by thirty, Confucius had already made a name for himself among the feudal lords – which is likely why he claimed to have “taken his stand” at that age.
First Exile: The Qi Detour
Time passed. In 517 BC, Duke Zhao of Lu was forced into exile after a power struggle with the Three Huan – the noble clans of Jisun, Shusun, and Mengsun. Confucius, who had offended the powerful Ji family by criticizing their use of the eight-row dance (a ritual reserved for the emperor), followed the duke into exile in Qi.
To support himself and his disciples, Confucius became a retainer to Gao Zhaozi, a senior minister of Qi, hoping this would bring him closer to Duke Jing and lead to an official position.
In 516 BC, his chance came. Duke Jing of Qi twice asked Confucius for advice on governance. Confucius proposed that “the ruler should act like a ruler, the minister like a minister, the father like a father, and the son like a son” and that “governance lies in frugality”. The duke was impressed and planned to grant Confucius land in Nixi.
But Yan Ying stepped in and blocked the appointment. He argued that Confucian scholars were “glib and cannot be governed by law; arrogant and self-righteous, they cannot be subordinates; they promote lavish funerals and ruin families with lavish funerals, which cannot be made custom; they wander about begging and cannot serve the state”. In short: Confucians don’t fit the Qi way.
The duke abandoned the idea. Later, when a Qi minister plotted against Confucius, the duke – pleading old age – refused to take sides. Confucius had no choice but to flee back to Lu.
Rise and Fall in Lu: From Minister to Wanderer
Back in Lu, Confucius resumed teaching and worked on editing the Book of Songs, the Book of Documents, the Book of Rites, and the Book of Music. He was eventually appointed Minister of Works (in charge of water conservancy and construction), and in 500 BC, he was promoted to Grand Minister of Justice, with authority over state affairs.
However, his political career was short-lived. In 498 BC, Confucius launched the “Dismantling of the Three Cities” (隳三都) to weaken the power of the Three Huan clans. The plan ultimately failed, and his conflict with the Three Huan intensified.
In 497 BC, at the age of 55, Confucius left Lu and began his fourteen-year journey through the states.
The Long Wandering: A Life on the Road
During his travels, Confucius’ fortunes swung wildly – one moment a honored guest of a ruler, the next a suspect under surveillance. He faced multiple life-threatening dangers and days of hunger.
In 492 BC, at age 60, Confucius was passing through the State of Zheng on his way to Chen. In the capital of Zheng, he became separated from his disciples and stood alone outside the East Gate, waiting for them to find him.
A passerby from Zheng told Zigong, one of Confucius’ disciples who was searching for him:
“Outside the East Gate there is a man – his forehead looks like Yao’s, his neck like Gaoyao’s, his shoulders like Zichan’s, but from the waist down he is three inches shorter than Yu the Great. He looks worn out, like a stray dog.”
When Zigong found Confucius and relayed these words, the 60-year-old sage – who had reached the age of “obedient ear” – did not get angry. Instead, he laughed with delight and said:
Why did he accept it?
Why would a man later revered as the greatest sage so readily embrace such an insulting label?
First, because it was true. By age 60, Confucius had been wandering for years, rejected by one state after another – suspected in Wei, hunted in Song, ignored in Zheng. He was a wanderer with no home, no anchor.
Second, it showed his magnanimity. At the age of “obedient ear,” Confucius no longer cared about others’ opinions. He could face his situation with candor – even humor.
Third, there was a deeper meaning. In an age when the old order was collapsing – no enlightened king above, no worthy ministers below – Confucius wandered like a stray dog precisely because he carried the whole world in his heart. He was not without a home; rather, he took the world as his home, but the world refused to take him in.
The Final Return
After years of wandering – and no one willing to put his ideals into practice – Confucius finally made his way back to Lu. He returned not with political ambitions, but with a quiet acceptance that his path lay elsewhere. It was in teaching, not in governing, that his legacy would endure.
What his self-mockery teaches us
The story of the “stray dog” reminds us that even the “Greatest Sage” spent his sixties struggling between ideals and reality. He led his disciples through countless hardships, traveling from state to state to promote his teachings – only to be rebuffed at every turn.
But it is precisely this spirit – persevering for one’s ideals without flinching, refusing to give up even when reduced to a “stray dog” – that makes Confucius most worthy of our admiration. Through his own example, he showed that true greatness lies not in always standing on the heights, but in choosing to keep moving forward even after falling into the depths.
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