This term describes the state of being able to clearly discern all principles of things and no longer feeling perplexed. It originates from the Analects (Wei Zheng chapter): “At fifteen, I set my heart on learning; at thirty, I took my stand; at forty, I was free from doubt; at fifty, I knew the…
The term originates from the Analects. Confucius once stated, “At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth” (or “At sixty, my ears were attuned”).
Confucius (551–479 BC) was a thinker, statesman, and educator of the late Spring and Autumn period, as well as the founder of the Confucian school of thought. Born Kong Qiu, with the courtesy name Zhongni, he was a native of Zouyi in the State of Lu (located in present-day southeast Qufu, Shandong Province).
Chu Zi asked Mencius: “The king sent someone to secretly observe you – does he really have any qualities that make him different from ordinary people?”
When Zengzi (Zeng Zi) lived in Wucheng, Yue invaders approached. Someone said to him, “The enemy is coming – why not leave?”
Gong Du Zi (Gongdu Zi) asked Mencius: “Everyone in the state says Kuang Zhang is unfilial. Yet you not only associate with him but also treat him with great courtesy. May I ask why?”
Yu the Great and Hou Ji lived in times of peace. Yu passed by his own home three times while controlling floods but never entered; Hou Ji tirelessly taught farming to feed the people. Confucius praised them.
Mencius said: “Speech without factual basis brings misfortune. And the one who bears the consequences of this misfortune is the person who blocks or suppresses the worthy.”