7 Wise Confucius Sayings

(Photo by Kathy Zhuang on Flickr)

I was reminded about who Confucius was, while I watched the opening ceremony to the Beijing Olympics 2008 last Friday. Despite the many controversies leading up to the Games, the show had proceeded on. Confucianism was highlighted during a segment of the show, which had a giant scroll unrolling on the ground; taking the audience through the many rich aspects of Chinese culture, history and tradition.

I started to recall some of the Confucius teachings I was taught as a child, during Chinese classes in school. Sad to say, since graduation, I have not read his teachings for a long time as my first language has always been English. I mused what better way to revive my interest into the Chinese classics, than to write an article and share with all my readers? With the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony being such a visual treat, I can’t resist but add more photo images (all credited to Kathy Zhuang on Flickr) to my post today. So here goes…


Who was Confucius?

Confucius (September 28, 551 BC – 479 BC) was a Chinese social philosopher, whose teachings are well known for their emphasis on personal and government morality, family values, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. His thoughts became so popular that they had been developed into a system of philosophy known as Confucianism. Popularity was not confined to China either. It spread to Korea, Japan and Vietnam and was introduced to Europe by Jesuit Matteo Ricci.

In class, we often chanted the term “Confucius Says” just before quoting each saying in Chinese. All in all, he must have made a thousand wise philosophical observations. I am going to pick only 7 for discussion here:

1. Studying Enriches Your Life

Confucius Says “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”

Because of his focus on study, Confucius is widely revered as the Greatest Master. Contrary to common beliefs, he was not interested to build a systematic theory of life or develop a formalism of rites. Instead, he inspired his disciples to relentlessly study the outside world, whether members of the poor or elite, and to think deeply for themselves.

Confucius encouraged the love for studying. He had many quotes about learning, telling us that life presents many opportunities for important lessons. He specifically advised not to accept words as they were but to reflect in deep thought for wisdom to arise.

2. Do What You Love

Confucius Says “If you enjoy what you do, you’ll never work another day in your life.”

Would you believe that Confucius was the first (or amongst the first) to encourage you to love what you do? Here was a man who must have enjoyed what he did tremendously, to advise you the same.

There is every bit of truth in this saying. Since you spend most of your waking hours working, it will be a pity that you do not love what you are doing. I would further add to this saying: You can expect to shine, only when you begin to feel alive! Alive-ness grows out of Being in Love!

3. Start To Take Action With A Single Step

Confucious Says “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

In my last post on Walk on Water with 7 Magic Stones, I also mentioned this point about taking action. We cannot begin a journey if we do not even take the first step.

This saying is about commitment too. We are not truly committed until we prove it in actions. Remember the quote “Action speaks louder than words”? So if you have been wanting to do something for the longest time, do not wait to take actions. With the very first step you make, it becomes easier to take the second, then the third, and the fourth and so on.

4. Pick Yourself Up Every time You Fall.

Confucius Says “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Fear can stop you from ever trying. You start to imagine the worst and predict that you are going to fail even before you start. However, fear is limiting. It stops you from being great or becoming the success that you deserve. Hence, do not allow your fears and worries obstruct your way. Instead, demonstrate every courage in pursuing your dreams.

Still, there may be times when things go astray, even while you hope for the best or ask for divine guidance. You begin to fall. Well, instead of staying on the ground, show tenacity. Stand up to the test. Your turning points are those whereby you learn to pick yourself up against all adversities.

5. Learn Appropriately From Others

Confucius Says “When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inward and examine ourselves.”

We learn by modeling. We look up to others, not because they are wealthy or good looking but more so, by the values they uphold. Confucius defined the values as “gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness”. Regardless, it will be a good idea to decide for yourself what values you wish to emulate and who you can learn from. Having a good role model can inspire you to better yourself.

Of greater significance is the second part of the above saying. When we are confronted with a person who does not uphold good values, what do we often do? We criticize. We mock. We disrespect. Yet, in doing so, we forget to look at ourselves.

6. Do What Your Heart Tells You To

Confucius Says “If, when you look into your own heart, you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about, what is there to fear?”

If you are motivated by pure intentions, then there is really nothing to worry about. Your conscience is clear. You need not fear unnecessarily for you have intended well.

Still, there is no denying that even with good intentions, things may not happen as expected. If your actions inadvertently resulted in mistakes, they are known as foolish actions and not as actions borne out of ill will. Remember: There are no marks awarded for self punishment or harsh judgement!

7. Let Go Of Past Hurts

Confucius Says “To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.”

If someone has done you wrong, do you forgive and let go or do you hang on your hurt? Unfortunately, many of us choose to grieve over the wrongdoing and stubbornly cling on to it. What you perhaps do not realise is that holding on the hurt closes your heart. It does not allow you to love completely. You are just storing anger inside.

I cannot proclaim letting go to be an easy process, especially if you say that the act is a major crime committed against you. The only solution I can offer, in this instance, is that it is best you release your hurt and anger by EFT or the Sedona Method. You do not even need to confront the other party if you don’t want to. With the release, you will be in a much better position to move on.

People Have Come From Afar; How Happy We Are

I sat glued to my TV set last Friday. The opening ceremony to the Beijing Games was awesome! The show was a huge display of China’s historic achievements and success; in a brilliance of lights, sound and color.

In addition to the usual Olympic motto (“One World. One Dream”), the show highlighted one of Confucius sayings: People have come from afar; how happy we are. While we might not have agreed with everything that China has done in the run-up to the Games, the message was clear that night: China wanted to be friends with the world.

There is hope yet for greater world peace and freedom. Let’s also not forget that essentially – We Are One!

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