The Teacher for All Ages— Thus Spoke Confucius
文／蔡子容
儒學一直以來都是中華文化道德史最重要的起源之一，儒家的核心價值也一直都是備受推崇的主流思想，作為將儒的思想發揚光大的孔子，不只以「學」一字開啟了教育普及的大門，也奠定了自身在思想界與教育界的地位，他對「仁」的探討、對「天」、「命」的解釋，使得儒學不僅僅只局限於人文道德與社會政治，更是為此學說增添了一分宗教色彩，更被後世的百姓奉為崇拜與信仰的對象，儼然變成了當今台灣地方信仰不可或缺的部分。
Confucianism has always been one of the most important origins of the moral history of Chinese culture. The core values of Confucianism have consistently been upheld as mainstream thought. Confucius, who greatly promoted Confucian thought, not only opened the door to widespread education with the concept of "learning," but also established his own status in the realms of thought and education. His exploration of "benevolence" and his explanations of "heaven" and "fate" expanded Confucianism beyond just human ethics and social politics, adding a religious dimension to the doctrine. As a result, Confucianism has been revered and worshiped by later generations, becoming an indispensable part of local beliefs in contemporary Taiwan.
簡述至聖先師的學與教
A Brief Summary of the Learning and Teaching of the "Great Sage and Teacher" Confucius
孔子本名孔丘，字仲尼，相傳他的先祖是出奔到魯國的殷商王室，在父親早逝後，家道中落，雖說從小貧苦，但孔子卻深知「學」的重要性，在十五歲時便「志於學」——立志專心求學，他敏而好學且不恥下問，就如同他自己所說的那般：「三人行，必有我師焉！」只要對方有學問、有才識，無論身分地位為何、無論出身家境為何，他都能謙遜地與之交流，做到真正的「學無常師」。
Confucius, whose given name was Kong Qiu and courtesy name Zhongni, is said to have descended from the royal family of the Shang dynasty, which had migrated to the State of Lu. Despite facing poverty after his father's early death, Confucius understood the importance of "learning" from a young age. At fifteen, he dedicated himself to studying. He was intelligent, eager to learn, and unashamed to ask questions. As he famously said, "When three people walk together, there is always something I can learn from them." He believed in learning from anyone with knowledge and talent, regardless of their status or background, embodying the principle of "having no constant teacher."
他開班授課，廣收天下學子為弟子，但凡能交上他所規定的拜師費「束脩」，他皆來者不拒，這種「有教無類」的私學制度打破了「學在官府」的傳統，讓知識不再被貴族所壟斷，平民老百姓甚至賤民都能享有受教權，讓封閉的階級制度有了流通的可能性，也證明了他作為至聖先師對於整個社會的貢獻。
Confucius started a private school, accepting students from all over, as long as they could afford the modest tuition fee. His inclusive approach, known as "teaching without discrimination," broke the tradition of knowledge being confined to government officials. This allowed ordinary people, even those of low status, to access education, challenging the rigid class system and proving his immense contribution to society as the "Great Sage and Teacher."
而他之所以會持有這種態度，原因離不開儒家的核心思想「仁」。若是熟讀《論語》便可知，雖「仁」一字被提及高達百次之多，但孔子從未給「仁」一個明確的定義。當子貢問仁時，孔子回答道：「夫仁者，己欲立而立人，己欲達而達人。」意思是：「所謂仁人，只要能做到自己想成功時也幫別人成功，自己想得到時也幫別人得到，就可以了。」當仲弓問仁時，孔子說道：「己所不欲，勿施於人。」白話來說便是：「自己不願做的，不要強加於人。」換司馬牛問仁時，孔子回道：「仁者其言也訒。」意味著：「仁者言談謹慎。」由此可知，孔子會依不同弟子、不同時期與不同心境回答問題，雖說沒有固定的說法，但大抵離不開仁愛、禮樂、信義、孝悌、忠恕、恭敬等道德修養的範圍。從此議題中，我們不只可以看見孔子如何「因材施教」，也得以知曉孔子是如何期盼弟子們能夠陶養自身的德行與性情，擁有寬闊的胸襟與對他人的關懷，並將所學回饋於哺育自己的社會上。
His attitude was deeply rooted in the Confucian core value of "benevolence" (ren). The "Analects," a collection of his teachings, mentions "benevolence" over a hundred times, yet Confucius never defined it explicitly. When his disciple Zigong asked about benevolence, Confucius responded, "A benevolent person helps others achieve what they wish to achieve." To Zhonggong, he advised, "Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself." When asked by Sima Niu, he replied, "A benevolent person is cautious in speech." These varying answers highlight Confucius's adaptive teaching style, addressing each student's context and needs, while emphasizing moral qualities like kindness, propriety, trustworthiness, filial piety, loyalty, tolerance, and respect. From this discussion, we can see how Confucius practiced "teaching according to ability" and aimed to cultivate his students' moral character and temperament. He hoped they would develop broad-mindedness and empathy, using their knowledge to contribute positively to society.
始於祭孔
The Origin of the Confucius Worship Ceremony
為紀念孔子對中華文化發展的貢獻，孔子過世的第二年便為孔夫子立廟，保存了孔夫子生前所穿戴的衣、冠、琴、車、書等遺物，為史上第一座孔廟，如今的山東曲阜孔廟的前身。而漢高祖劉邦則是第一位以太牢之禮（全牛、全羊、全豬）祭祀孔子的君主，從今往後，只要諸侯卿相到魯國地界，就都會先去拜謁孔子才會開始工作上任。
To commemorate Confucius's contributions to Chinese cultural development, a temple was erected in his honor the year after his death. This temple preserved his personal belongings, such as his clothes, hat, zither, chariot, and books, marking the first Confucian temple in history and serving as the precursor to today's Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong. The first emperor to offer a grand sacrificial ceremony to Confucius, involving a full bull, sheep, and pig, was Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty. From then on, any noble or official visiting the State of Lu would pay respects to Confucius before commencing their duties.
據《禮記》〈文王世子〉中記錄到：「凡學，春官釋奠於其先師，秋冬亦如之；凡始立學者，必釋奠於先聖先師。」其中，「釋奠」便是指祭祀先師，是周朝時弟子表達對師長的懷念與尊敬的時刻，當時的先師並沒有任何指稱，只是到了隋唐時期，此一詞語漸漸被用於代稱孔夫子，於是釋奠變成為祭孔儀典的專稱。
According to the "Book of Rites" (Liji), specifically the chapter "Wen Wang’s Heir," it is recorded: "Whenever there is a school, the officers of spring will offer sacrifices to the former teachers, and in autumn and winter as well; whenever a school is established, sacrifices must be made to the former sages and teachers." The term "sacrifices" (釋奠) refers to ceremonies honoring former teachers, a tradition from the Zhou Dynasty where students expressed their remembrance and respect for their teachers. Initially, these ceremonies did not refer to any specific teacher. However, by the Sui and Tang dynasties, this term gradually came to be associated with Confucius, transforming the sacrifice ceremony into a specific ritual dedicated to him.
釋奠
Sacrificial Ceremony to Confucius
釋奠典禮的規格在各朝各代都有所不同，但不外乎都是隨著孔夫子的封號而越來越隆重，儀節越發繁複，參與人員也越來越多，但儀典中的講禮、行禮與盡禮正式代表著到達「仁」的唯一途徑。
The specifications of the sacrificial ceremony to Confucius, known as "Shidian," have varied throughout different dynasties, becoming increasingly grand and complex as Confucius's titles grew more prestigious. Despite these changes, the essential elements of paying respects, performing rituals, and fulfilling ceremonial duties remained constant, representing the singular path to achieving "benevolence" (ren).
最初，漢高祖在曲阜孔廟以太牢重禮祭孔；漢平帝元始元年，孔子被追封為「褒成宣尼公」；多年後，漢明帝在太學與郡縣學祭祀孔子與其門下七十二弟子，開啟了各地學府祭孔的傳統；到了魏晉南北朝時期，祭孔規章制度都開始以「王者之制」為範本，孔廟的建立則從「坐西朝東」改為「坐南朝北」的帝王位，樂舞採用宮懸與六佾；唐宋以後，孔子開始被稱聖（先聖）、稱公（隆道公）、稱王（文宣王），唐玄宗主祀的祭孔大典更是用上了八佾，制同天子；明清開始，孔子被封為「至聖先師」，成為眾所皆知的萬師之表。
Initially, Emperor Gaozu of Han offered a grand sacrifice to Confucius at the Confucius Temple in Qufu. In the first year of Emperor Ping of Han's reign, Confucius was posthumously honored with the title "Duke of Extolled Achievement." Many years later, Emperor Ming of Han initiated the practice of sacrificing to Confucius and his seventy-two disciples in the Imperial Academy and local schools, establishing a tradition of honoring Confucius in educational institutions nationwide. During the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the regulations for sacrificing to Confucius began to follow the "royal system." The orientation of Confucian temples shifted from "facing east while seated west" to "facing north while seated south," akin to imperial positions. The music and dance adopted the court's "six-row dance" format. In the Tang and Song dynasties, Confucius was elevated in status, being referred to as the "Former Sage" (先聖), "Duke of Promoting the Way" (隆道公), and "King of Propagated Culture" (文宣王). The grand sacrificial ceremony presided over by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang even employed the "eight-row dance," matching the ceremonial standards for the emperor. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Confucius was enshrined as the "Great Sage and First Teacher," recognized as the paramount teacher of all time.
伴隨著釋奠規模的擴大，祭孔時的禮儀、祭器、頌詞與樂舞等不免開始因地而異，台灣北、中、南部也各有不同，如北部是「明制樂佾」、中部為「明制樂，清式舞佾」、南部則是「清制樂佾」，只有祭孔日期是依照蔣經國先總統所訂定的孔子誕辰紀念日（九月二十八日，同為教師節），但無論祀典體制、規章如何，此祭奠儀式都代表著儒家所重視的禮樂教化，更是提醒全國人民「以禮治國」的理念。
As the scale of the Shidian ceremony expanded, the rituals, sacrificial vessels, hymns, and dances began to vary by region. In Taiwan, the northern, central, and southern regions each have distinct practices: the north follows the "Ming Dynasty music and dance" tradition, the central region uses "Ming Dynasty music with Qing Dynasty dance," and the south employs "Qing Dynasty music and dance." However, the date for the ceremony is universally observed on September 28th, designated as Confucius's birthday and also Teacher's Day by former President Chiang Ching-kuo. Regardless of the specific rituals and regulations, the sacrificial ceremony underscores the Confucian emphasis on ritual and music education. It serves as a reminder to the nation of the Confucian principle of "governing the country with propriety."
聖之時者
The Timeless Sage
孟子作為歷史上另一位重要大儒就曾經這樣說過：「孔子，聖之時者也。」其意為孔子的思想能適用於任何朝代，孔夫子以孜孜不倦的態度不斷學習向上，又以誨而不倦的精神教育世人何為「仁、義、禮、智、信」，他的個人人格、學識、對當代思想的貢獻、對後世社會的影響是無庸置疑的，這麼一位不靠家世背景、投入終身學習、將自身奉獻給教育的偉人值得我們的尊崇，如今民眾能夠接受普及教育，也都是透過這位聖人所奠定的基礎才得以實現，我們應當時刻感謝他的付出與努力，思考他所提出的價值觀與所依循的人生目標，能帶給我們什麼樣的啟發與指教，為成為一位更好、更堅強的人而努力吧！
Mencius, another significant Confucian scholar in history, once remarked, "Confucius is a sage for all ages." This statement implies that Confucius's ideas are applicable across all eras. Confucius demonstrated an unwavering commitment to learning and self-improvement, and he tirelessly taught others the principles of "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith." His personal character, scholarly contributions, impact on contemporary thought, and influence on future societies are indisputable. Confucius, a great man who did not rely on his family background, dedicated his life to learning and education. He is deserving of our utmost respect. The widespread access to education that people enjoy today is built upon the foundation laid by this sage. We should constantly be grateful for his dedication and efforts. Reflecting on the values and life goals he proposed can provide us with inspiration and guidance, motivating us to strive to be better and stronger individuals.
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