The Daoism, Essay Example

I come from a larger family, not of brothers and sisters, but of aunts and uncles and cousins, and many people who have become such good friends that they are like family members. When I was very young we did not have much money, but children often do not understand things like money when they are young. I was not really ware that we did not have much money, because I always had food to eat and a bed to sleep in. When I was only about ten years old, my grandfather died, and I was too young to really understand what this meant to my mother. I just knew that it made my mother very sad, and that was the first time that I had the feeling of wanting something that I did not have. I wanted my grandfather to return because I missed him, but mostly I wanted him to return so that my mother would no longer be sad. After reading the works of Confucius, I can look back on this event in my life with a greater appreciation for what things are truly valuable in life, and what things are just materials or objects that can be replaced, or can be left behind with no real loss.

In order for me to explain how the words of Confucius help me see this event in a different way, I must first tell something of my grandfather’s life story. His life had a direct impact on how I was raised and the values and lessons I learned from my family, and now that I am older I can look back and see this more clearly. From reading the Analects, I learned some valuable insights about the concept of ren, which is translated into English as the idea of human virtue. The concept of ren is complicated or can be seen as having multiple layers or aspects. It can even be used to mean different things depending on the way it is used in a sentence or a story. In some sense ren can describe the feeling of connection and love between people, and it also includes aspects of compassion and respect. It may be very difficult to define ren in simple terms, because it is an idea about emotion and values and humanity itself. Even if I am not able to define ren in one sentence, I do know that the story of my grandfather’s life and the example he set for his family is the best way I can demonstrate what ren means to me.

My grandfather on my mother’s side was an important member of our family. In Chinese culture the father is the central figure in the family, but this does not mean that the mother or her family members are forgotten. My mother’s father was considered to be a great man by those who knew him and remembered him, and the story of his life has been shared among our family for as long as I can remember. My grandfather was born into a poor family who lived in the countryside and who worked as farmers, raising vegetables, pigs, and chickens to eat and to sell at the local market. I do not remember my grandfather very well, but I do sometimes remember him telling me stories of what it was like for him as a child, growing up on a farm. As an old man he lived near us in the city, and no longer had to work. But I can still see my memory of him as a big, strong man, and I imagined that even as a child he was strong and powerful.

My grandfather used to tell me and my cousins how important it was to go to school and to become educated. Sometimes when I was little I did not want to go to school, and my mother would remind me of my grandfather’s words about the importance of education. I would sometimes think to myself that I would rather work on a farm, feeding chickens and tending crops, instead of sitting in classrooms practicing my writing and mathematics. The truth is that I did not really know how hard it was to live the life my grandfather lived, so I did not see then how easy my life was compared to his life as a child. Now that I have more experience and understanding, I can see how my grandfather set an example of Confucian values. In the Analects Confucius only took from the world what he needed. He “fished but not with a net; he shot but not at a roosting bird (he did not take unfair advantage of inferior creatures). My grandfather worked hard on the farm, but he also took great care of the animals. When he had more than he could eat he would share with his neighbors, and when they had more than they could eat they would share with him.

When I was a very young boy, I remember how my grandfather would play with me and my young cousins. He was always a happy and joyful man, and he loved to play games with his grandchildren. He was from a generation that was raised before China’s one-child policy, so he had several children of his own. They grew up in a very different time, when the social and political conditions in China were rapidly changing. The country was becoming more modern and developed, but the government remained very powerful. It was not common for Chinese people to have their own farms or business any longer, as the government took control of things like that. My grandfather still believed in hard work, however, and he encouraged his children to work hard at school and their jobs. He also believed that it was important for people to enjoy life, and he would often sing songs to us when we were little children. I was reading the part of the Analects that describes Confucius and how he treated other people, like “when Confucius was pleased with the singing of someone he was with, he would always ask to have the song repeated and would join in.” This was very much like what my grandfather would do, although I did not know at the time that he was living as an example of Confucius.

My grandfather was always kind to everyone, even to people who were mean or unfriendly.  Confucius taught that people should treat others the same way they wished to be treated, and this is exactly the way my grandfather behaved. He treated others with kindness and generosity, and most of the time he was treated with kindness in return. Even in the times when his kindness was received with anger or rudeness, he did not seem to mind. He would explain to me that people sometimes had problems in their lives that made them sad or angry, and that they did not always realize that they were treating other people badly because they were caught up in their own feelings. Instead of responding to these people with anger, my grandfather taught me that it was much better to be kind to them, because maybe that kindness would help lift their anger. Even if it did not help them right way, it was possible that they would go along and be kind to the next person they met. In some ways this seemed silly to me as a child, and when someone was angry with me I would not often be kind to them in return. As I grew older, however, I began to understand the wisdom of my grandfather’s words.

In the Analects, Confucius comments on many of the issues that affected the life of my grandfather, and also of my mother and myself. My grandparents and my parents worked hard, but we did not have fancy possessions. Confucius stated “having only coarse food to eat, plain water to drink, and a bent arm for a pillow, one can still find happiness therein.” When I was growing up we often ate coarse food and drank plain water, but there was much happiness in my family, because there was mutual respect, honor, and love. “Riches and honor acquired by unrighteous means are to me as drifting clouds,” said Confucius. My grandfather may never have gained great wealth, but he did have great honor, and he had acquired it through the righteous means of hard work. Confucius also stated that “sometimes I have gone a whole day without food and a whole night without sleep, giving myself to thought. It was no use. It is better to learn.” In this statement it can be seen that Confucius placed the greatest value on learning, even above food or sleep. This demonstrates the importance of education, and makes it clear that the opportunity to learn is something that is more valuable than any wealth or riches.

When my grandfather passed away, he did not leave much money for the family, because he had never made great wealth. What he did have was of much greater value, however. He had love and honor of his family, and he had the joy of seeing his hard work bring new opportunities to his children and grandchildren. These are things that are of great value, although it is sometimes easy to forget that when life is difficult. For someone who is hungry, love and honor alone will not put food on the table, and when someone is without a home, love and honor will not build a house to sleep in. The lessons of Confucius show that true love and honor are joined with actions, and the way that we treat our families, friends, and even strangers is how we demonstrate these feelings. When Confucius teaches about ren, he is also teaching about behavior and not just emotions or ideas. True virtue is not just about how we think or feel, but about how we treat other people.

Now, as I am getting an education that my grandfather did not have the opportunity to receive, I can see what Confucius means when he said “it is better to learn.”My grandfather placed great value on education and hard work, and he served as an important role model for me. When he died I did not yet understand how he was a perfect example of the concept of ren, but as I gain more experience in life I can see that he was very much like Confucius. In the AnalectsConfucius says “”if I may not grieve for this man, for whom shall I grieve?” I will always grieve for my grandfather, but I will also be grateful for him for teaching me the meaning of ren.