Confucius said: "If I can train myself and cultivate above, I will not be without teachings."

This chapter is "The Analects of Confucius": Shu Er Chapter

Original text

7.7 Confucius said: "I have done more than 1 by myself, and I have not taught you anything."

Notes

① xiū: a bunch of dried meat, that is, Ten strips of dried meat were one of the most meager greeting gifts in ancient times.

Translation

Confucius said: "As long as someone takes the initiative to give me ten sticks of dried meat as a gift when meeting, I will never fail to teach him."

Interpretation< /p>

Students’ greeting gifts

In people’s minds, Confucius is a selfless saint. When accepting disciples, does he need tuition fees or greeting gifts? This is a very real problem. In this chapter, Confucius gave an answer to this: "As long as someone takes the initiative to give me ten pieces of dried meat as a greeting gift, I will never fail to teach him." The meaning of this sentence is very clear, but later generations will There are major differences in the understanding of the original meaning behind the sentence.

First of all, there is no dispute that "Shuxiu" is a greeting gift and not a tuition fee. In other words, Confucius opened a private school and accepted apprentices for lectures without charging tuition fees. When Confucius was young, his family was poor, but After he reached adulthood, his economic conditions improved due to his career in politics. It was in his middle age and later years that Confucius no longer needed tuition fees from students. Moreover, for a poor and studious disciple like Yan Hui, , Confucius also gave him alms. Judging from historical data and Confucius' behavior, the possibility of Confucius charging tuition can be basically ruled out.

Although Confucius did not charge tuition, there is no such fact that Confucius did. Objection. The focus of the question is why Confucius received the greeting gift. One opinion is that Confucius taught without distinction, but valued the students' desire to learn. If he voluntarily gave the "Shu Sui", it means that the student came to study sincerely. . If there is no meeting ceremony, it is doubtful whether he has sincerity in studying. Those who hold this opinion believe that whether to perform the apprenticeship ceremony or not shows that Confucius valued etiquette throughout his life. Is there a standard for sincerity in studying? If you have this attitude, then teach him. If you don't have this attitude, forget it. There is also a view that if there is no "Shu Xiu" greeting ceremony, Confucius will not accept him as his disciple. It means that Confucius valued material interests.

Based on various historical materials, it is not difficult to find that the former view correctly understands Confucius' painstaking efforts, and the latter view is a distortion of Confucius' original intention. Confucius valued etiquette and valued the sincere academic attitude behind the etiquette, not the dried meat. In Confucius' view, the greeting ceremony was not only a sign of respect for the teacher, but also an expression of dedication to learning, so it should be collected.

But later, some teachers deliberately distorted the idea and emphasized that students should give gifts to teachers. For example, now, some teachers are greedy for personal gain and accept gifts from students or parents with peace of mind. However, their behavior will not only lose the original feelings of their classmates. That respect will also destroy the teacher's personal dignity. Historically, some very rare teachers will deliberately divide students into three, six or nine grades, treat them differently, and take the opportunity to ask for gifts from students. There is no moral virtue at all. If someone criticizes this, not only are they not ashamed, but they will also use the behavior of a saint to accept gifts, which is really shameful and ridiculous.

Understand Confucius's "Shuxiu" correctly. "The original intention of "can not only clear some people's misunderstandings about Confucius, but also help correct the current bad atmosphere in the education sector, so it has important practical significance. As teachers, we should understand our professional mission and professional ethics, and consciously resist material temptations. , to be a respected preacher.