Confucius Teachings: The Virtuous Character of a Gentleman (Part1)
 
Confucius (551 – 479 BC) once said, "The orchids grow in the woods, and they let out their fragrance even if there is no one around to appreciate it. Likewise, men of noble character will not let poverty deter their will to cultivate in the Tao and establish virtue." A gentleman knows the truth about life. Regardless of what his circumstances are, he adheres to moral principles in doing things and conducts himself by following the teachings of the saints. Wherever he goes, he spreads his kindness and influences those in contact with him, so that others also respect and value ethics and justice. The effectiveness of his teachings and influence exemplifies his virtuous character. The following are a few stories about Confucius and his disciples that were documented in The Analects of Confucius and The School Sayings of Confucius.
 
A Gentleman Speaks with His Actions
 
On one occasion, Yan Hui asked his teacher Confucius, "Are there any common characteristics in what sly men say? A man of virtue has to be perceptive of the deception." Confucius replied, "A gentleman speaks with his acts. His words are matched by his deeds. In everything he says and does, he practices the principles promoted by the saints. A sly man only shows off his eloquence. He is quick at making demands on and finding fault with others, while contributing nothing of importance. A gentleman treats others with sincerity. When he sees friends in violation of ethics, he warns them of the consequences and persuades others to act out of conscience. His words come from his heart because he genuinely cares about the wellbeing of others. As a result, the friendship tends to deepen afterwards. The sly men appear to have formed an alliance for making trouble. However, they cannot help but quarrel and pull knives on each other's back."
 
Confucius also said, "The gentleman thinks of virtue; the sly man thinks of comfort. The gentleman thinks of the sanctions of law; the sly man thinks of favors which he may receive." This describes what is different in the minds of these two types of men. The gentleman does not follow the crowd, let alone conspire with others. All he thinks about is how to practice virtue and justice. The sly man worries about himself all the time. The gentleman adheres to rules and exercises self discipline. The sly man places personal gain ahead of everything else, and his mind is filled with minor advantages and convenience. It is mentioned in the Standards for Students, written during the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912 AD), "Remind the other party with kindness; virtue is established on both sides. Turn a blind eye to another's mistake; principles are lost on both sides." This is another example of how a sly man acts differently than a gentleman.
 
A person's words and deeds are based on his thoughts. A gentleman nourishes the thought of kindness and rationality. His words and acts are consequently full of love, kindness, and generosity. When a gentleman appears in a region, his pure, kind thoughts will influence people around him, awakening the conscience of other people and planting the seeds of integrity and kindness.
 
Using Wisdom to Avoid a Fight
 
Confucius and his disciples were traveling to the State of Song when they passed by the region of Kuang. The local people mistook Confucius for Yang Hu, a man who brutally attacked the Kuang people. They immediately alerted Jianzi, the chief of the Kuang region. Jianzi hastily gathered soldiers in full armor, and they rode horses to besiege Confucius and his followers.
 
Zilu, one of the disciples of Confucius, was brave by nature. He was offended as soon as he saw the fierce Kuang people surrounding them. He seized a weapon in preparation to fight. Confucius stopped him and said, "How could men who are cultivating and practicing kindness and justice not be able to stop this kind of brutality? It is my fault to not have widely taught the ancient poems and great works and promoted etiquette and music. After King Wen of the Zhou Dynasty passed away, all of the ancient texts and culture were passed to me. If the Heavens wanted to eliminate the culture of the Zhou dynasty, I would not have received this knowledge. If the Heavens did not want to eliminate this culture, then what can the people of Kuang possibly do to me? Come, Zilu. You play the music and sing the lyrics, and I will join you."
 
Zilu put down his weapon and brought out a zither. He started playing and singing. Confucius joined him. After three rounds of singing, the people of Kuang realized that Confucius was a saint, not the brutal Yang Hu. They took off their armor and left.
 
Even under siege, Confucius remained calm. He first looked at himself to see if he was at fault. If not, he then carried on with his teaching and influence through etiquette and music. His acts demonstrate the difference between him and Yang Hu. The people of Kuang realized that Confucius was a courteous, gentleman, a saint, despite his similar appearance to that of Yang Hu. They were moved and ashamed. As a result, they took off their armor and left peacefully. Confucius changed people with his virtue; he turned the dangerous situation around. Confucius exemplified the kindness of a man with a kind heart. Others could feel his generosity and sense of responsibility for carrying on traditional culture.

君子之德风 (上)
 
孔子说：“芝兰生于深林，不以无人而不芳；君子修道立德，不为穷困而改节”，君子是明了人生真谛的人，无论在任何环境中能够坚守道义而行事，秉承圣贤的教诲而做人，其所到之处能润泽、教化一方，使人们崇尚道义。这种善于教化和感化，正是仁人君子的德风。以下为《论语》、《孔子家语》中记载的几个故事。
 
君子以行言
 
有一次，颜回问孔子说：“小人说的话有什么共同特点吗？作为君子，不能不加以分辨啊。”孔子回答说：“君子用自己的行动来说话，言行一致，在一言一行中，力行圣贤之道；小人只是逞口舌之能，一味要求和指责别人，自己却不做实事。君子待人以诚，当了解到朋友有不符合道德仁义的时候，会义正词严地给予劝诫并向周围人劝善，内心是出自于爱护他人的责任心，事后朋友间关系会更为亲近；小人却站在共同作乱的基础上，看起来表面一致，转过背来就互相攻击。”孔子还说：“君子怀德，小人怀土。君子怀刑，小人怀惠”，是说君子和小人每天心中惦记的事情是不同的。君子不随波逐流，更不会同流合污，每天牵挂的是怎样实践道义；小人则惦记的就是自己的个人空间。君子心中始终有一份规矩、法度，不得超越；小人则考虑的是个人的私利，满脑子想的是个人的恩惠和小便宜。如《弟子规》所云：“善相劝，德皆建。过不规，道两亏”，小人所为正好与君子相反。
 
一个人的言行皆由心而发，君子以仁存心，以理存心，言行自然善良仁厚，仁者爱人。当一个地方出现一位仁人君子，其纯正的善念自然会对一方产生影响，唤醒人的道德良知，扎下淳厚良善的美德。
 
匡人解甲
 
孔子率弟子前往宋国，到了匡地时，由于阳虎曾经施暴力于匡地的人民，当地人看到孔子的外貌与阳虎很相似，于是便以为阳虎又来了，赶快报告给匡地的主宰简子。简子听后，马上率领士兵，披上铠甲，驱马前往，将孔子一行人团团围住。子路生性勇猛，一见匡人来势汹汹地围攻，不知何故，非常不悦，拿起兵器便要与他们对战。孔子见了，立即制止子路说：“哪有修行仁义之人，改变不了世俗的凶暴呢？不讲授诗书，不学习礼乐，那是我的过错。如果以阐述先王之道，喜欢古代典章制度作为过失，那就不是我的过错了。周文王死了以后，文化典籍不都在我这吗？天如果要消灭周的文化，那么我也就不会掌握这些文化了；既然天不想消灭这些文化，那匡地的人又能把我怎么样呢？来！子路，你来唱，我来和。”子路听了孔子之教，便放下兵器，拿出琴开始弹唱起来，孔子于是和著音乐唱起来，唱了三遍之后，匡人知是圣人，并非阳虎，于是脱去铠甲，离开了。
 
孔子在被匡人突然围困的紧张气氛中，却能平心静气，先检点自己有无过失。如无，继续以礼乐教化世人，弹琴唱歌。这一举动，与阳虎完全不同，匡人一下明白了，此人虽貌似阳虎，却是一位彬彬有礼的君子、圣人，感到惭愧和感动，解甲而归。孔子以德化人，扭转了危局，被称为善之善者也，使人感受到其宽广仁厚的胸怀和以承继传统文化命脉为己任的浩然之气。