Shri Confucius - 551 BC., China

About Shri Confucius

Shri Confucius was born in China in the state of Lu in 551 BC.
Son of an aristocratic but impoverished family: his father died when he was three.

With the support and encouragement of his mother, Confucius was very diligent in his studies.

Living in a period when corruption, wars and anarchy were the basis of politics, he decided to put his attention to the study of the classics i.e. to rediscover of old values. Since his vocation was teaching he founded a school.

After his mother's death, according to tradition, Confucius could not exercise public office for three years; so he dedicated this time to the study of his favourite subjects: music, ancient rites and texts.

This intense study allowed him to render into mottos the wisdom of the ancestors and to formulate precepts in order to regulate the behaviour of a man as a member of society.

He also wandered around China with his students, laying a foundation of rules that has been practiced by his numerous disciples and followers in China for more than two thousand years.

When he was 50, the Duke Ting appointed him governor of Chung-Tu, capital of the Lu state, enabling him to realise his life-dream: to demonstrate on the practical level the grounding of his ethical beliefs and politics.

His administration was so perfect that it was considered a golden age for the state and, furthermore, as there were no crimes committed during that period no criminal laws were applied!

But the successful results provoked the jealousy and enmity of the court and Confucius was forced to leave Lu. So he started his wanderings that lasted for well over 13 years, offering his service to various princes. He returned to Lu when he was 69.

It is said that seven days before dying he had a dream that warned him of his death. After reciting a few lines of the Book of the Odes (“This is how the mount T'ai collapse/the big tree is fallen/and the sage wither as a flower”) and once more lamenting his sorrow because he could not make the princes accept his ideas; he retired in his room and died. It was 479BC.