Confucian views on life and death are as follows:

Confucianism believes that death is the end of natural life. Since people are born, they can't avoid old age, illness and death. Death is an extremely natural phenomenon. Therefore, in The Analects of Yan Yuan, there is a saying that "all people have died since ancient times, and people have no faith" and there is also a saying that "life and death have life, and wealth is in the sky".

Death is not controlled by human power, but a natural result, so Confucianism believes that people need not lament death excessively. However, Confucianism believes that people live in this world, besides "natural life", there is also "value life" to be completed, and people must use natural life to realize their value life, so people must cherish life.

So, when Yan Yuan died, Confucius used the word "misfortune" in The Analects of Confucius and wept for him. This is not only from the profound friendship between teachers and students, but also from the worry that the "orthodoxy" may be lost. It is a great pity for Confucius that Yan Yuan's natural life is too short to realize his value life of governing the country and leveling the world.

therefore, Confucianism believes that a gentleman should be kind to himself and cherish his life. In The Analects of Confucius, Confucius once advised Zilu not to "cross the river and die without regret", and in Xian Wen, he also criticized that "if a man forgives his horse, he will blaspheme himself in the ditch". In his view, it is not worthwhile to sacrifice one's life easily for courage of blood or small faith and righteousness.

In Mencius, I also advised people not to "stand under the rock wall" and take unnecessary risks. Therefore, despite Guan Zhong's defection to Qi Huangong, Confucius still praised him, because he did his duty to the social country and completed his own value life. For the same reason, Confucianism does not think that longevity is a good thing.

Confucius once said in the constitutional question of the Analects of Confucius that his friend Yuanrang was a thief because he was young but not inferior to his younger brother, but long and silent, and never died when he was old. "If a person only has a natural life and lives very old, but he can't complete his own personality and value life, he might as well not live; Natural life is by no means the purpose of human life.