Confucius (551 – 479 BC), also called Kong Qiu, was born in the kingdom of Lu (now Qufu City) during the period of Spring and Autumn Periods (770 – 476 BC). He was a great educator, statesman, and philosopher. He advocated the Confucianism philosophy for governing a country and serving the people, and he dedicated his whole life to promoting moral standards and urging kings to govern their countries with benevolence. He never wavered in his determination, in spite of all of the difficulties that he faced. He pursued the truth, ideals, and flawless moral character. He was righteous, kind, modest, and polite. He was loyal to the country and cared about the people. He greatly influenced his students and people of later generations. The following illustrates how Confucius guided his students to be true gentlemen.

Does a gentleman use a sword for self-defense?

When Zilu first met Confucius to seek knowledge, Zilu was dressed in full armor to greet his potential teacher. Upon meeting Confucius, Zilu pulled out his sword and exercised in front of him. Zilu asked, "Teacher, didn't ancient gentlemen use swords for self-defense too?"

Confucius said, "Ancient gentlemen pursued loyalty and righteousness as their goal in life and used benevolence for self-defense. They did not need to step out of their rooms to know about major affairs occurring a thousand miles away. They used loyalty and trust to inspire bad men and used righteousness and benevolence to calm evildoers. What did they need to use a sword for?"

Zilu admired what he heard very much and sighed, "Alas, this is the first time I have heard this. I want to be a humble student of yours from now on!"

Confucius planted the seeds of benevolence in Zilu right at the outset of his studies. He was careful to ensure a good start. Zilu followed Confucius all the way until the end, and his mindset kept improving all the while.

君子之道在于明德

孔子名丘，字仲尼，春秋时鲁国（今山东曲阜）人，我国历史上伟大的教育家、政治家和思想家。倡导经世济民的儒家学说，一生以弘扬道德仁政为己任，历尽坎坷却矢志不渝。他对真理、对理想、对完美人格的追求，他的正直、善良、谦虚、有礼，他对国家的忠诚与对百姓的关心，都深深的感染著他的学生和后人。以下为孔子指导学生做正人君子的几个故事。

     君子以剑自卫乎
子路开始向孔子求学时，身著戎装、全副武装的来拜见老师孔子，见到老师后，拔起剑就舞了起来，问：“老师，古时的君子，也是用剑来自卫的吧？”

孔子答道：“古时的君子，以忠义为人生追求的目标，用仁爱作为自己的护卫，不出房间却知道千里之外的大事。有不善的人，就用忠信来感化他；有侵扰的人，则用仁义来安定他们。这样，又何须持剑使用武力呢？”

子路听了非常敬佩，感慨道：“啊！我今天才听到这样的话，我愿从今以后，至诚恭敬的向您求教！”

孔子在子路求学伊始就种下了“仁”的种子，可谓慎于始。子路后来一直追随孔子，思想境界也在一直不断提升。