[One Thousand Characters a Day] Wisdom from the Analects, 'Studying People' <2>

Editor's NoteConfucius left a saying through the ancient story of 'Il-igwanji (一以貫之)' that "There is only one principle that connects people and the world." This means that the wisdom to understand oneself (me) and others (others) is not separate but interconnected. Through self-reflection and correction (忠, Chung), one can learn how to understand and face others (恕, Seo). Furthermore, sincerity (誠, Seong) is the practice and way of life that mediates and connects these teachings of Chung and Seo. Continuously reflecting and training oneself to correct one's faults is also a journey toward the "completion of being human." The text contains 1012 characters.

Confucius said about Zichan, "He possessed the four ways of a noble person: in his conduct, he was respectful; in serving his superiors, he was reverent; in nurturing the people, he was benevolent; and in commanding the people, he was righteous." (子謂子産 有君子之道四焉 其行己也恭 其事上也敬 其養民也惠 其使民也義)"

Confucius spoke of Zichan: "He had the four ways of a noble person. His behavior was respectful, his service to superiors reverent, his care for the people benevolent, and his governance righteous." - Gong Yajiang

In The Doctrine of the Mean, Chapter 13, Confucius speaks of the four ways of a noble person. "There are four ways of a noble person, but I have not properly practiced even one. I have not served my parents as I require my children to do. I have not served my ruler as I require my ministers to do. I have not served my elder brother as I require my younger brothers to do. I have not been the first to give as I require my friends to do."

Here, Confucius clearly explains how to practice his core philosophy of benevolence (仁), that is, Chung (忠) and Seo (恕), in life. He called it 'Gisobulyok Mulsieoin (己所不欲 勿施於人)', meaning "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself." This is similar to the Western philosophical Golden Rule, "Treat others as you would like to be treated." However, Confucius laments that he himself has not fully practiced this. Of course, he is not literally saying he fails to practice it properly; rather, he teaches us that recognizing others by putting aside oneself is so difficult that we must constantly reflect and strive.

In the example, Confucius also mentions the four ways of a noble person when praising Zichan, the famous prime minister of the State of Zheng. The expressions differ slightly from those in The Doctrine of the Mean, but the meaning is the same: one must fulfill the duties of a person. The Chinese character for benevolence (仁) is composed of the characters for person (人) and two (二), indicating that the core of benevolence lies in the proper relationship between people, especially those closest to us.

- Jo Yoonje, Studying People, Cheonglim Publishing, 18,500 KRW