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Showing posts from April, 2013

Thousand pieces of gold for one single character

Lü pû-wei was a successful merchant, He schemed his way into politics and served as regent and Chancellor for the king of the state of Ch'in. Lü assembled many scholars to compile and encyclopedic book called Lü's Annals. On completion this book, Lü pû-wei suspended 1000 pieces of gold at the gate of his palace, which he offered as a reward to anyone who could suggest an improvement of it by adding or expunging a single character. Of course no one was able to claim the rewards.

How Confucius buried his mother in the same grave with his father at Fang

Confucius was born by 'illicit union'. When he was three years old, his father Kong He died, and he was raised by his mother Yen zhengzai. When he was twenty-four, his mother died. According to the ancient rules of propriety, he wanted to bury his mother in the same grave with his father, but the problem is, he did not know his father’s grave, it might be because  his mother never told him where his father's grave was. So Confucius had his mother’s body coffined in the street of Wû-fû. He stayed beside the coffin in mourning dress, with his lame brother Meng Pi. Those who saw it all thought that it was to be interred there, so carefully was everything done, but it was only the coffining. By inquiring of the mother of Man-fû of Zâu, he succeeded in learning his father's grave was at Fang. When Confucius had succeeded in burying his mother in the same grave with his father at Fang, he said, ‘I have heard that the ancients made graves only, and raised no mound over...

Confucius conducting an archery meeting

Once, when Confucius was conducting an archery meeting in a vegetable garden at Kio-hsiang, the lookers-on surrounded it like a wall. When the proceedings reached the point when a Master of the Horse should be appointed, he directed Dze-lû to take his bow and arrows, and go out to introduce those who wished to shoot, and to say, ‘The general of a defeated army, the Great officer of a ruler-less state, and any one who has schemed to be the successor and heir of another, will not be allowed to enter, but the rest may all enter.’ On this, one half went away, and the other half entered. After this, wishing to send the cup round among all the company, he further directed Kung-wang Khiû and Hsü Tien to raise the horns of liquor, and make proclamation. Then Kung-wang Khiû raised his horn, and said, ‘Are the young and strong here observant of their filial and fraternal duties? Are the old and men of eighty here such as love propriety, not following licentious customs, and resolved to maintai...