Teaching Without Words and Transcendence in an Individual's"Becoming a Good Person"——Reinterpreting the Educational Philosophy of the Analects of Confucius
While strengthening its social adaptability to the times,modern education needs to attach importance to educational transcendence so as to promote the development of an individual"becoming a good person."Confucius told his disciples that he wanted to"teach without words,"indicating that he intended to direct them to the understanding of the endless reproduction and renewal of all living creatures during the cycle of the movement of heaven and earth.This suggested three levels of education:teaching with words,which was the starting point and basis of education;teaching without words,which was the middle link of education;and telling disciples to understand the endless reproduction and renewal of all living creatures during the cycle of the movement of heaven and earth,which was the fundamental direction of education.Changing from teaching with words to teaching without words,Confucius aimed to tell his disciples to put their body and mind to the meeting with the moving heaven and earth,cycling seasons and growing creatures so as to enjoy an integral life in the"harmony of man and nature."In terms of the path of the development of education,teachers needed to activate the body and mind of individuals by teaching them the Six Arts(rites,music,archery,riding,calligraphy and arithmetic),and cultivate their consciousness of benevolence;help them to obtain the moral basis of their access to reality in social interaction through the unity of benevolence and courtesy;and resort to the consciousness of the cycle of the movement of heaven and earth to seek the unity of benevolence in their communication with each other,and the cycle of the movement of heaven and earth so as to cater to their need to"become a good person"at a higher level of integrity.With an attitude of insatiable learning and tireless teaching,Confucius leads us to the round trip between man and heaven to help us to find the courage and strength to live perseveringly and firmly in heaven,earth,man and things,and achieve transcendence in our"becoming a good person."His desire to"teach without words"reminded his disciples not only to follow his doctrine but also to learn to turn to the cycle of the movement of heaven and earth so as to achieve a higher level of integrity of their life.This reminds us that a teacher's artificially-made teaching or instruction is very important,but he cannot stubbornly adhere to it;instead,he needs to help his students to seek the fundamental basis for their individual existence on earth so as to help them to achieve transcendence in their"becoming a good person"and the possible integrity of their life.
an individual's"becoming a good person"Confuciusteaching without wordsholistic educationtranscendence
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