Category: Confucius

The Superior Man (Analects of Confucius)

7/27/2016

Tsze-lu asked what constituted the superior man. Confucius answered, “The cultivation of himself in reverential carefulness.”
       “And is this all?”
       “He cultivates himself so as to give rest to others.”
       “And is this all?”
       “He cultivates himself so as to give rest to all the people.”
Confucius confessed, “The way of the superior man is threefold, but I am not equal to it. Virtuous, he is free from anxieties; wise, he is free from perplexities; bold, he is free from fear.”
Tsze-kung also asked what constituted the superior man.  Confucius replied, “He acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions.”

Defining Virtue, Wisdom, and Boldness
As a class or in groups, discuss a definition and your thoughts on the meaning of the following words: virtue, wisdom, and boldness.

Discussion of Virtue, Wisdom, and Boldness

In groups or as a class, discuss the above quotes. What do you think of the quote. Do you like it or not? Why? Do you think the quote is true 100% of the time? When might it be true and when might it not be?

Introductory Discussion Questions
If a man desires to be superior to other men, what actions should he take?
Is is better to seek betterment of oneself only, or to seek the betterment of others? Why?
What should a person do about anxieties?
What should a person do about perplexities?
Which are more important, actions or words? Explain...

Synonym Matching
constituted worries
asked panic
cultivation made up of
cultivates gardening
way promotes
equal to it path
anxieties answered
fear questioned
replied able to do it


Antonym Matching
superior simplicity
carefulness before
confessed inferior
free from remains silent
perplexities carelessness
bold timid
acts denied
speaks enslaved by
afterwards does nothing

Listening Blank Fill

Tsze-lu asked __________ constituted the superior man. Confucius answered, “The cultivation ________ himself in reverential carefulness.”
       “And is this all?”
       “_________ cultivates himself so as to give rest to ______________.”
       “And is this all?”
       “He cultivates himself so ___________ to give rest to all the people.”
Confucius _________________, “The way of the superior man is threefold, _____________ I am not equal to it. Virtuous, he ____________ free from anxieties; wise, he is free from ____________________; bold, he is free from fear.”
Tsze-kung also _______________ what constituted the superior man.  Confucius replied, “He ___________ before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to ________________ actions.”

Word Bank Fill in the Blank

Tsze-lu asked what constituted the superior ____________. Confucius __________________, “The cultivation of himself in reverential carefulness.”
       “And is this all?”
       “He _________________ himself so as to give rest to others.”
       “____________ is this all?”
       “He cultivates _____________ so as to give _____________ to all the people.”
Confucius _________________, “The way of the superior man is threefold, but I am not equal to it. Virtuous, he is free from anxieties; wise, he is free from perplexities; bold, he is free from ____________.”
Tsze-kung also ________________ what constituted the superior man.  Confucius replied, “He acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his ________________.”

confessed
rest
fear
asked
actions
himself
man
cultivates
answered
And

Pair Work Discussion Questions
A
What did Confucius believe would make a man superior. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Did Confucius feel that he was up to the task of being a superior man?
Do you think it is possible to be free of perplexities? Why or why not?
What does Confucius believe about the relationship between actions and words?
What practical steps could we take to lessen stress in our lives?
B
How do you think cultivating one's self would bring rest to others?
Do you think it is possible to be free of anxieties? Why or why not?
Is it possible to be free of fear? Why or why not?
Do you think it is important to act before speaking? Why or why not?
What practical steps could we take to lessen fear in our lives? Is fear ever a good thing? When?

Writing
Write a letter or paper that encourages a friend or young person to cultivate virtue, wisdom, and boldness. The paper should include practical steps for promoting these three things.

Homework
Find your favorite quotes about virtue, boldness, wisdom, and the relationship between actions and words. Translate them into English if necessary, and be prepared to share your favorites with the class.

Exercise Answers
Synonym Matching: constituted-->made up of, asked-->questioned, cultivation-->gardening, cultivates-->promotes, way-->path, equal to it-->able to do it, anxieties-->fears, fear-->panic, replied-->answered.
Antonym Matching: superior-->inferior, carefulness-->carelessness, confessed-->denied, free from--> enslaved by, perplexities-->simplicity, bold-->timid, acts-->does nothing, speaks-->remains silent, afterwards-->before.
Listening Blank Fill: what, of, He, others, as, answered, but, is, perplexities, asked, acts, his
Word Bank Fill in the Blank: man, answered, cultivates, And, himself, rest, confessed, fear, asked, actions.

Key Words and Sentence
Constituted 构成
Cultivation 养殖
Reverential Carefulness 虔诚的细心
子曰：「君子道者三，我無能焉：仁者不憂，知者不惑，勇者不懼。」

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Self-examination and Leadership (Confucius)

1/22/2016

The scholar Tsang once said of himself: “On three points I examine myself daily, viz., whether, in looking after other people’s interests, I have not been acting wholeheartedly; whether, in my intercourse with friends, I have not been true; and whether, after teaching, I have not myself been practicing what I have taught.”

The Master said, “To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men; and the employment of the people at the proper seasons” (Confucius Analects Book 1).

Brainstorm
Think of words that describe a good leader. Students call words out, and the teacher writes them on the board.

Introductory Discussion Questions
What are some important things to think about throughout your day?
What are some things you like to do with all your heart?
What qualities do you like in a friend?
Is it more important for a government to be careful about spending or to create jobs? Explain.
What are the qualities of a good ruler?

Synonym Matching
Examine                                                     talking
Myself work
Viz.   times
Intercourse                                                 look closely
Practicing                                                    doing
Employment                                               I
Seasons                                                        namely

Antonym Matching
Love                                                           false
Examine                                                     serve
Wholeheartedly                                          learning
True                                                            hate
Teaching                                                     halfheartedly
Rule                                                            ignore
Business                                                     play

Listening Blank Fill
The scholar Tsang once said of himself: “On ________ points I examine myself daily, viz., whether, in __________ after other people’s interests, I have not been _________ wholeheartedly; whether, in my intercourse with friends, I _______ not been true; and whether, after teaching, I have ______ myself been practicing what I have taught.”

The _________ said, “To rule a country of a thousand ___________, there must be reverent attention to business, and ___________; economy in expenditure, and love for men; and ______ employment of the people at the proper seasons” (Confucius Analects Book 1).

Word Bank Fill in the Blank
The scholar Tsang once said of himself: “On three ____________ I examine myself daily, viz., whether, in looking after ___________ people’s interests, I have not been acting _________________; whether, in my intercourse with friends, I have not ___________ true; and whether, after teaching, I have not _____________ been practicing what I have taught.”

The Master ____________, “To rule a country of a thousand chariots, __________ must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; ____________ in expenditure, and love for men; and the _______________ of the people at the proper seasons” (Confucius Analects Book 1).
been
points
employment
other
wholeheartedly
economy
myself
said
there

Pair Work Discussion Questions
A:
When helping other people, should we do it with all of our heart or not? Why?
What things may a teacher teach but not practice themselves?
What may happen if leaders are insincere and do not tell the truth?
Is it important for normal people to be careful about how much money they spend? Why?
What part of this reading did you like the most?
B:
What may happen if we are not true with our friends?
What do you think a ruler’s attitude toward business should be like?
What action/s may show that a ruler loves his people?
How do rulers create jobs and employment?
What is something in your life that you could examine daily?

Word Puzzle
Across
1.     When a person does something with all their heart, they do it _________________.
2.     The USA and China are both a ____________________.
3.     When a person looks closely at something, they ___________________.
Down
1.     When a person must give away money, it is an _____________________.
2.     A person who has no job is looking for _________________.
3.     A person who loves to read books and study things is a _____________.
4.     When a person does something every day, they do it __________________.
5.     To do something in truth without joking is to do it with ____________________.

Vocabulary Tic Tac Toe
Divide the class into teams of about three or four.
Give a word from the reading. Each team must create their own sentence using the word given to them. If they correctly produce a sentence using the word, they can play their turn on the board. If they make a mistake, their turn is forfeited.
Note: if classes are large, the teacher may want to have words cut out before hand for the teams to draw from.

Debate
Team A: Government should be smaller and spend less money.
Team B: Government should be large and create many job opportunities.
Teams spend time developing arguments and then debate one another.

Writing
Write about what you think are the three most important characteristics of a good leader. Tell why they are important.

Research
Search the internet for some good leadership quotes. Pick a few favorites and share with your classmates.

Key Vocabulary
scholar 学者
examine 检查
viz 即
interests 利
acting 做
wholeheartedly 竭诚
intercourse 说
friends 朋友
true 真正
teaching 教学
practicing 实践
master 主
rule 治
country 国家
thousand 千
chariots 四轮马车
reverent 虔敬
business 业务
sincerity 诚意
economy 经济的
expenditure 支出
employment 业

Exercise Answers
Synonym Matching: examine-->look closely, myself-->I, Viz.-->namely, intercourse-->talking, practicing-->doing, employment-->work, seasons-->times.
Antonym Matching: love-->hate, examine-->ignore, wholeheartedly-->halfheartedly, true-->false, teaching-->learning, rule-->serve, business-->play.
Listening Blank Fill: three, looking, acting, have, not, Master, chariots, sincerity, the,
Word Bank Fill in the Blank: points, other, wholeheartedly, been, myself, said, there, economy, employment
Word Puzzle: Across: 1. Wholeheartedly, 2. Country 3. Examine.
Down: 1. Expenditure, 2. Employment, 3. Scholar, 4. Daily, 5. Sincerity.

The Superior Man (Analects of Confucius)

Self-examination and Leadership (Confucius)

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