The Death of Confucius

At the beginning of spring in the 16th year of Duke Liao's reign (479 B.C.), Confucius, who had long insisted on teaching his students in private schools, fell ill. But Confucius himself knew that this was just a return to the light of day.

One morning, Confucius' pupil Zigong came to see him, and he was up early that day. From the song, Confucius' helplessness about old age, sickness and death, and the fact that the flesh will eventually break down!

Zi Gong held Confucius up and asked, "Early in the morning, you are not yet well, why have you come to the gate?"

Confucius said, "I was waiting for you to come. If you hadn't come, it would have been too late."

Zigong reassured Confucius, "Teacher, don't think nonsense, you will get well."

Confucius had foreseen that his death was near, and he said, "Last night I had a dream that I was sitting between two pillars being offered sacrifices by people. The coffins of the Xia dynasty rested on the eastern steps, the coffins of the Zhou dynasty rested on two steps, and the coffins of the Yin dynasty rested between two pillars. My ancestors were Yin people, so I probably won't live long!"

When Zigong heard Confucius say this, he hurriedly helped him into the house and made him lie down. Zi Gong was about to comfort him when Confucius spoke again, "No one knows me!"

Zigong replied, "How can you say that no one understands you?"

"Only in the cold of winter do people know that pines and cypresses do not wither!" Confucius said to himself, "Nor do I blame Heaven, nor do I blame anyone; I have studied hard all my life, and only Heaven knows what I have achieved!"

"You have passed on your knowledge to us, and we will pass it on again; your achievements will be known to future generations." Zigong reassured Confucius, saying.

"However, from today onwards, I can no longer speak." When Confucius heard Zigong say this, his heart seemed to take some comfort. If the students could pass on what they had learned from Confucius, that would be pretty good!

"If you don't say anything, what do we base our work on," Zi Gong seemed to want a nod from Confucius.

"If the Lord does not say a word, if he does not say anything, there is still spring, summer, autumn and winter, and everything grows as it should." What Confucius meant was let everything be as it is and let nature take its course, and if his own students were interested in spreading Confucius' culture and thoughts, they would certainly compile his thoughts and culture into a book, and would also certainly pass them on to the next generation, thus passing them on from generation to generation.

Seeing that Confucius had little strength left in his speech, Zi Gong did not pursue the matter any further. Zi Gong held back his tears and thoughtfully tucked Confucius in. From that day onwards, Confucius did not speak again and did not eat anything for seven days in a row. Seven days later, Confucius finally left this earth.

After Confucius' death, Duke Liao of Lu, the ruler of the state of Lu, made a tribute to Confucius, in which he addressed him as "Father Ni". The Duke of Lu mourned Confucius, saying, "God was not kind enough to leave this old man behind, leaving me alone on the throne. Woe is me! Father Ni, I no longer have a role model!" The students buried Confucius' body next to the water in Suribachi, north of Qufu, in what is now known as the 'Confucian Forest'.

In Confucius' time, sons were expected to observe mourning for three years after the death of their father. However, Confucius' son, Kong Li, only lived to the age of 50 and died prematurely, which means that his son died before Confucius.

In ancient times, fathers were not allowed to take on their own sons as students, so Confucius' son, Kong Koi, had to look after his mother at home and study on his own. Fortunately, not only did Kong Koi look after his mother well, he had also married and had children, and was lucky enough to have a clever child, Kong Kai. Confucius's son, Kong Li, was a filial son who stayed at home to look after his mother and raise Confucius's grandson, Kong Kai, in order to support his father, Confucius, as he travelled around the world lecturing.

On one occasion, after travelling around the world spreading rituals and moral culture, Confucius returned to Lu to enjoy his family's happiness. The three of them, Confucius, Kong Koi and Kong Kai, were talking together.

Kong Koi said to his father, Confucius, "My son is better than your son."

Then he said to his son, Kong Kai, "Your father is not as good as my father." After hearing this, Confucius and Kong Kai laughed out loud. Thus, Confucius' son sacrificed himself in order to fulfil his father Confucius' educational endeavours. As a filial son, Kong Koi cared for his mother at home to raise his child, Kong Kai, and supported him in his studies of his grandfather Confucius' ideas. Under the tutelage of Confucius' favourite pupil, Zeng Zi, Kong Kai achieved great success. During the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, Kong Kai was hailed as the 'Marquis of Yishui'. In the Yuan dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Wen Zong, he was also courted as the 'Duke of Shu Sheng'. It was often called 'Shu Sheng' by later generations. Confucius' grandson, Kong Kai, not only achieved great success, but also nurtured another sage in ancient Chinese history, Mencius. Mencius was the favourite pupil of Confucius. He not only inherited Confucianism from his grandfather Confucius, but also the idea of the Middle Way, and inspired and educated Mencius, resulting in the famous Mencian thought which had an important influence on the Song dynasty's philosophy. Without Confucius, the legacy of Confucianism would probably not exist today.

Thus, from this perspective, although Kong Li did not achieve much, he had a good son, Kong Kai, who inherited the ideas of Confucius and taught them to his students, represented by Mencius, to carry them forward, and in this way, Kong Li also contributed, for not only was he a filial son, but he also raised Kong Kai, the grandson of Confucius, who carried on Confucianism for him. However, Kong Koi died before Confucius and therefore did not have the opportunity to observe Confucius' mourning.

Fortunately, like Confucius' children, Confucius' students observed mourning for him. After Confucius' death, the students were so sad as if they had lost their own father that many of them built sheds over Confucius' grave and kept it for three years. After three years, Zigong was still reluctant to leave and he stayed by Confucius' grave for another three years.

Confucius, a native of Suanyi in the state of Lu, was born on 28 September 551. After a lifetime of serious practice, Confucius had already attained the five eyes and six faculties while he was still alive. Confucius was 71 years old when he finally died on 11 April 479 BC.

Confucianism has been the main thread of Chinese culture from the time of Confucius to the present day, among the traditional Chinese cultures of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Confucius is the inheritor of ancient Chinese culture and the founder of 5,000 years of Chinese culture.