Teacher's Day - Confucius

September 28 is a Confucian Holiday celebrating the birth of Confucius. It is also celebrated as Teachers' Day. While many confuse Confucius ism with a religion, it is actually more of a philosophy. Confucius was not a priest or a deity, he was a teacher.

Confucius was born around 551 BC in the small state of Lu. He was born into an aristocratic family, although there is debate as to whether he had any money or not. During his life he served many influential people and his teachings became not only fundamental to Confucian philosophy, but to the general Chinese philosophy.

The 6th century BC China was a bad time politically and socially in China. Leaders had lost their way.  There was a greater emphasis on the people serving the leader instead of being there to support the people and grow a strong community.   Ethics and integrity meant little to the leaders of the time. Confucius was disgusted by this development. At the time, he was a widely unknown teacher. He attempted to revive society by re-introducing the great moral teachings of the past.

At the cornerstone of his teachings was the belief that ethical considerations should be the guiding principle of government. He did not accept the idea of a strict legal system. He believed the primary task of a ruler was to promote the welfare and happiness of the people. The ruler should be a role model, his behavior should be better than everyone else. The leader’s strong ethical behaviors would influence the people's behaviors. Customs and voluntary adherence would be the best way to achieve and maintain an orderly society. Furthermore, he believed leadership should be given to the educated, not the noble. 

Confucius never wrote many of the quotations we see today. After his death, many of his disciples gathered and compiled his teachings. Here are a few quotations:

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."

"Forget injuries, never forget kindness."

"He who will not economize will have to agonize."

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

"Respect yourself and others will respect you."

Throughout history, we have seen many teachers influence the world. Jesus, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Buddha, and Confucius have significantly changed the world and redefined the way many of us view right from wrong.

Who are the teachers in your life that have influenced you the most? What qualities do they have that make them an effective and influential teacher? If possible, please provide a couple of your favorite sayings learned from your teachers.