孔門十哲

曾參 Zeng Zi

曾參shēn（前505年－前432年），字子輿，春秋末期魯國南武城（山東平邑縣）人，儒家主要代表人物之一，孔子的弟子，而子思便曾是他的門人，世稱「曾子」，有宗聖之稱。曾提出「吾日三省吾身」的修養方法，將孔子提出的「吾道一以貫之」歸納為「忠恕」。相傳其著述有《大學》、《孝經》等儒家經典。同時，他亦為《二十四孝》中「嚙指痛心」的主角。平邑存曾點、曾參兩父子墓，曾姓後裔均把曾參作為自己的開派祖。

Zeng Shen (505 BC – 432 BC), courtesy name Ziyu, was a native of Nanwu City, Lu State (present-day Pingyi County, Shandong Province) during the late Spring and Autumn period. He was one of the main representatives of Confucianism and a disciple of Confucius. His student, Zisi, was known as “Master Zeng” and was highly respected. Zeng Shen proposed a self-cultivation method of “I examine myself three times a day,” and he summarized Confucius’s doctrine of “The way I speak is consistent with a basic principle” as “loyalty and forgiveness.” According to legend, he wrote several Confucian classics such as “The Great Learning” and “The Classic of Filial Piety.” He was also the main character in the “Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars” story of “Biting off one’s finger and enduring the pain.” The tombs of Zeng Dian and Zeng Shen are both located in Pingyi County, and Zeng’s descendants regard him as the founder of their family tradition.

曾參

生平 Biography

曾子是夏禹的後代，姒姓。曾子的父親曾點（字皙）是孔子早期弟子之一，行為不拘一格，有狂者的氣質。其「舞雩詠歸」的誌向得到孔子的讚許，也成為後世儒士所追求的精神境界。
Zengzi was a descendant of Xia Yu and his family name was Si. Zengzi’s father, Zeng Dian (Zi Xi), was one of Confucius’s early disciples and had an unconventional personality with a wild temperament. His behavior and his expression of spirit while blowing the wind and singing on the stage of the dance performed at the Yushan Temple won the praise of Confucius and also became the spiritual realm pursued by later Confucian scholars.

曾子於公元前505年（周敬王十五年，魯定公五年）生於東魯，小孔子四十六歲。他後來移居武城，十六歲時拜孔子為師，積極推行儒家主張，是孔子學說的主要繼承人和傳播者。孔子的孫子孔伋（字子思）師從曾子。孔伋後又傳授孟子。
Zengzi was born in 505 BC (15th year of the reign of King Jing of Zhou, 5th year of Duke Ding of Lu) in eastern Lu, he was 46 years younger than Confucius. He later moved to Wucheng and at the age of 16 became a disciple of Confucius. He actively promoted the teachings of Confucianism and was one of the main inheritors and disseminators of Confucius’ philosophy. Kong Ji (Zisi), the grandson of Confucius, was a student of Zengzi. Kong Ji later taught Mengzi.

魯哀公三年（公元前492年）曾參十四歲時「躬耕於泰山之下，遇大雨雪旬日不得歸，因思父母，而作梁山之歌。」（見《淮南子》）魯哀公十六年（公元前479年）曾參二十七歲時，孔子卒，曾參若父喪而無服，守孔子墓。魯哀公二十七年（公元前468年）曾參三十八歲。武城大夫聘曾參為賓師，設教於武城。曾參五十歲時，「齊聘以相，楚迎以令尹，晉迎以上卿，皆不應命。」魯悼公二十一年（公元前446年）曾參六十歲。與子夏、段幹木等設教於西河一帶。魯悼公三十五年（公元前432年）曾參卒，年七十四歲。
In the third year of Duke Ai of Lu (492 BC), Zengzi, at the age of fourteen, “while working hard on the foothills of Mount Tai, encountered heavy rain and snow for ten days and could not return home. Thinking of his parents, he wrote the Song of Liangshan.” (from “Huainanzi”). In the sixteenth year of Duke Ai of Lu (479 BC), at the age of twenty-seven, when Confucius died, Zengzi mourned him as if he had lost his own father and guarded Confucius’ tomb without mourning clothes. In the twenty-seventh year of Duke Ai of Lu (468 BC), at the age of thirty-eight, Zengzi was appointed as a guest teacher by the Wucheng State and taught there. When Zengzi was fifty years old, “the State of Qi invited him to serve as prime minister, the State of Chu invited him to be their chief minister, and the State of Jin invited him to be a high official, but he declined all their offers.” In the twenty-first year of Duke Dao of Lu (446 BC), at the age of sixty, Zengzi, along with Zixia, Duanganmu, and others, established a school in the Western River region. In the thirty-fifth year of Duke Dao of Lu (432 BC), Zengzi passed away at the age of seventy-four.

思想 Ideas

曾子曾提出「慎終，追遠，民德歸厚」的主張。又提出「吾日三省吾身」（《論語·學而》）的修養方法，即「為人謀而不忠乎？與朋友交而不信乎？傳不習乎？」曾參言道：「士不可以不弘毅，任重而道遠。」「仁以為己任，不亦重乎？死而後已，不亦遠乎？」（《論語·泰伯》）「可以托六尺之孤，可以寄百裏之命，臨大節而不可奪也。君子人與？君子人也？」（《論語·泰伯》）。著述有《大學》、《孝經》等儒家經典，後世儒家尊他為「宗聖」。在儒家文化中與孔子、孟子、顏子、子思共稱為儒家五大聖人。
Zeng Zi proposed that “treating the funeral of parents with caution and reverence in offering sacrifices to distant ancestors can make people’s hearts turn to kindness.” He also put forward a method of self-cultivation, saying “I reflect on myself repeatedly every day” (Analects of Confucius, Book 1). He asked, “When doing something for someone else, have I put in my best effort? Have I been honest and trustworthy in my interactions with friends? Have I studied diligently the lessons taught by my teachers?” Zeng Zi said, “Scholars cannot lack broad aspirations and perseverance, because their responsibilities are significant, and the road they must travel is long and distant.” He asked, “Is it not a great task to realize benevolence and virtue? Is it not a distant goal to strive for until one’s death?” (Analects of Confucius, Book 8). He also said, “Can one be considered a gentleman if they can be entrusted with the responsibility of a young and inexperienced ruler, or entrusted with the power to manage the country’s affairs, and yet, when faced with critical situations, not change their strong will?” (Analects of Confucius, Book 8). Zeng Zi’s writings include “The Great Learning” and “The Classic of Filial Piety,” which are classic Confucian texts. In later generations, Zeng Zi was honored as the “Ancestor of Saints” in Confucianism, alongside Confucius, Mencius, Yan Zi, and Zi Si, collectively known as the Five Great Saints of Confucianism.
曾子性情沈靜，不屈從、不茍合，齊國欲聘之為卿，辭而不就。《韓詩外傳》說曾參五十歲時，「齊聘以相，楚迎以令尹，晉迎以上卿，皆不應命。」孟氏使陽膚為師，問於曾子。曾子曰：「上失其道，民散久矣。如得其情，則哀矜而勿喜。」(《論語·子張》)「天下有道，則君子欣然以交同；天下無道，則衡言不革；諸侯不聽，則不幹其士；聽而不賢，則不踐其朝。」（《大戴禮記·解詁》）
Zengzi had a calm and steady disposition, and he refused to yield or compromise. When the state of Qi hoped to hire him as a minister, he politely declined. According to the “Han Shi Wai Zhuan,” when Zengzi was fifty years old, “the state of Qi sent people to invite him to be prime minister, the state of Chu sent people to invite him to be chief minister, and the state of Jin sent people to invite him to be minister, but he did not accept any of the invitations.” When Mengzi let Yang Fu serve as a judge, Yang Fu sought advice from Zengzi. Zengzi said, “The rulers have lost the way, and the hearts of the people have been scattered for a long time. If you can uncover the truth in a trial, you should be sad and compassionate, rather than complacent.” (The Analects of Confucius, Zizhang) “When the world is in order, the gentleman will gladly make friends; when the world is in chaos, he will not change his words of justice. If the lords do not listen, he will not associate with them; if they listen but lack talent and virtue, he will not participate in their politics.” (The Book of Rites, Explaining the Meaning)
曾參察覺到「天圓地方」說存在的矛盾，提出「如誠天圓地方，則是四角之不揜也。」（《曾子·天圓》）《曾子·天圓》中指出：「陽之精氣曰神，陰之精氣曰靈，神靈者品物之本也。陰陽之氣各從其行則靜矣。偏則風，俱則雪，交則電，亂則霧，和則雨。陽氣勝，則散為雨露；陰氣勝，則凝為霜雪。陽之專氣為雹，陰之專氣為霰。霰雹者，一氣之化也。」
Zeng Zi noticed the contradiction in the theory of “Heaven is round and Earth is square” and pointed out, “If Heaven is truly round and Earth is square, then the corners of the Earth would not be covered by Heaven.” (Zeng Zi, “Heaven is Round”) In “Zeng Zi, Heaven is Round,” it is stated that “the essence and energy of Yang is called Shen, and the essence and energy of Yin is called Ling. Shen and Ling are the roots of all things. The qi of Yin and Yang moves separately, then there is tranquility. When it is biased, there will be wind. When it is together, there will be snow. When they interact, there will be lightning. When it is chaotic, there will be fog. When it is harmonious, there will be rain. When Yang energy prevails, it is scattered as rain and dew; when Yin energy prevails, it condenses as frost and snow. When the Yang energy is concentrated, it forms hail, and when the Yin energy is concentrated, it forms sleet. Sleet and hail are transformations of the same energy.”
《曾子·大孝》說：「天之所生，地之所養，人為大矣。」認為人是天地間最偉大的，「天地之性為貴」（《孝經》）。《小戴禮記·禮運》中說：「人者五行之秀氣也。」荀子繼承並發展了這一思想，認為人不是順應自然，屈從於自然，而是能動的改造自然。「從天而傾之，孰與製天命而用之。」（《荀子·天論》）發現並重視人的作用，這是儒家思想的特點。
In “Zengzi’s Great Filial Piety”, it is said: “Man is the most magnificent being in the world, nurtured by the earth and created by heaven.” It holds that humans are the greatest beings in the world and that “the nature of heaven and earth is precious” (The Classic of Filial Piety). In “The Book of Rites” (Xiao Dai Li Ji), it is said: “Man is the most refined of the five elements.” Xunzi inherited and developed this idea, holding that man does not merely submit to nature, but can actively transform it. “It is better to control one’s destiny than to praise the heavens by following them.” (Xunzi, On Heaven) It discovered and valued the role of humans, which is a characteristic of Confucian thought.

傳說故事 Legendary Story

曾子受杖 Zengzi being punished with a wooden stick

傳說曾子於瓜田除草，不慎割斷瓜根，曾點大怒，用棍子將曾子打昏，倒於瓜田，良久始甦，曾子清醒後向父親認罪，他隨後操琴唱歌，以示身體健康。孔子知道這事後，告訴曾參說「小杖則受，大杖則走，今參委身待暴怒，以陷父不義，安得孝乎！」曾參回答：「參罪大矣！」
According to legend, Zengzi was weeding in a melon field when he accidentally cut off a melon plant’s root. Zeng Dian (his father) flew into a rage and beat Zengzi unconscious with a stick. He lay unconscious in the melon field for quite some time before eventually regaining consciousness. When he came to, Zengzi confessed his mistake to his father and played music while singing to show that he was physically sound. Upon hearing of the incident, Confucius told Zengzi that it was acceptable to endure a light beating, but that one should flee if a large stick is used. Now you let your father vent his anger and punish you, but you let him fall into unrighteousness. Can this be called filial piety?” Zengzi replied, “My mistake was very serious!”

嚙指痛心 Gnawing one's fingers and feeling pain in the heart

「曾參，字子輿，事母至孝。曾參采薪山中，客至，母無措。參不還，乃嚙其指。參忽心痛，負薪以歸。跪問其母，母曰：有客忽至，吾嚙指以悟汝耳。」
Zeng Shen, also known as Ziyu, was very filial to his mother. One day, while he was collecting firewood in the mountains, a guest came to visit, and his mother didn’t know what to do. Zeng Shen didn’t return promptly, so he bit his own finger. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his heart and he carried the firewood back home. He knelt in front of his mother and asked her what had happened. His mother replied, “A guest suddenly came, and I bit my finger just to let you know.”
這就是古代著名的「二十四孝」中的「嚙指痛心」。曾參入山打柴，家裏來了客人，母親不知所措，就用牙咬自己的手指。曾參忽然覺得心疼，背起柴迅速返回家中，跪問緣故。母親說：「有客人忽然到來，我咬手指讓你知道。」This is the famous “Gnawing one’s fingers and feeling pain in the heart” story from the ancient Chinese classic “Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars”. Once, Zeng Can went to the mountains to collect firewood, and when a guest arrived at his home, his mother didn’t know how to handle the situation and bit her own finger. Feeling a sudden pain in his heart, Zeng Can quickly returned home with the firewood on his back and asked his mother what happened. She replied, “A guest suddenly arrived, and I bit my finger to let you know.”

主要封贈 Main posthumous titles and honors

曾子自唐高宗始有封贈，宋有追加，宋度宗時升列四配。明正統時重建專廟。明嘉靖時，訪求曾子後裔，授以世職。
Zengzi was first given posthumous titles during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. The Song Dynasty later added more titles, and during the reign of Emperor Duzong of Song, he was elevated to the rank of one of the Four Sages. During the reign of the Ming Dynasty’s Emperor Zhengtong, a dedicated temple was built for him. During the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty, descendants of Zengzi were sought out and appointed to hereditary posts.

其歷代主要的封贈如下：The main imperial honors and titles conferred on Zengzi throughout Chinese history are as follows:

178年（漢靈帝光和元年），敕畫曾子像於七十二子之中。
In 178 AD (Han Lingdi Guanghe 1st year), an imperial order was issued to depict the image of Zengzi among the 72 disciples.
668年（唐高宗總章元年），贈曾子為太子少保。
In 668 (Tang Gaozong’s Zongzhang 1st year), Zengzi was posthumously granted the title of Taishi Shao Bao.
712年（唐睿宗太極元年），加贈為太子太保。
In 712 (Tang Ruizong’s Taiji 1st year), Zengzi was promoted to Taishi Tai Bao.
720年（唐玄宗開元八年），特塑曾子像坐於十哲之次並諧禦製曾子贊。
In 720 (Tang Xuanzong Kaiyuan 8th year), a statue of Zengzi was erected, seated among the Ten Philosophers, along with the inscription “Zengzi’s Praise in Harmony” .
739年（唐玄宗開元二十七年），贈曾子為郕國伯。
In 739 (Tang Xuanzong’s Kaiyuan 27th year), Zengzi was posthumously granted the title of Chengguo Bo.
1009年（北宋大宗祥符二年），晉升為瑕邱侯。
In 1009 (Northern Song Dynasty Daizong Xiangfu 2nd year), he was promoted to the Marquis of Xiaqiu.
1111年（北宋徽宗政和元年），改封為武城侯。
In 1111 (Northern Song Dynasty Huizong Zhenghe 1st year), he was renamed as the Marquis of Wucheng.
1267年（南宋度宗鹹淳三年），升郕國公。
In 1267 (Southern Song Dynasty Duzong Xianchun 3rd year), he was elevated to the Duke of Cheng.
1330年（元文宗至順元年），追尊為宗聖。
In 1330 (Yuan Wenzong’s Zhishun 1st year), he was posthumously honored with the title of Zongsheng.