孔門十哲 The Ten Disciples of Confucius
孔門十哲，是指的是孔子門下的十位學生，即：顏子、子騫、伯牛、仲弓、子有、子貢、子路、子我、子遊、子夏的合稱，儒客傑出代表，受儒教祭祀，為歷代儒客尊崇，作為榜樣。《論語·先進》載，「子曰：『從我於陳蔡者，皆不及門也。德行：顏淵、閔子騫、冉伯牛、仲弓；言語：宰我、子貢；政事：冉有、季路；文學：子遊、子夏。』」
The Ten Disciples of Confucius, refer to the ten students who studied under Confucius, namely Yan Zi, Ziqian, Boniu, Zhonggong, Ziyou, Zigong, Zilu, Ziwo, Ziyou, and Zixia. They were outstanding representatives of Confucianism and are worshipped in Confucianism as exemplary figures. In the Analects of Confucius, it is recorded that “Confucius said, of those who were with me in the country named Chen and Cai, there were none to be compared with the ten disciples. Yan Zi, Ziqian, Boniu, and Zhonggong were outstanding in their virtue. Zai wo and Zigong were good at communication. Ziyou and Zilu were outstanding in their handling of affairs. Zixia and Ziyou were proficient in literature.”
德行 Virtue
- 顏淵，即顏回，字子淵，追贈兗公，唐玄宗贊：「杏壇槐市，儒術三千。回也亞聖，某也稱賢。四科之首，百行之先。秀而不實，得慟焉。」
- Yan Yuan (Yan Zi), also known as Yan Hui or Ziyuan, was posthumously conferred the title of Yan Gong. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang praised him, saying, “Among the myriad Confucian scholars, Yan Zi was extraordinary and was praised by others. He excelled in the four subjects of virtue, language, affairs, and literature. He was the first to practice whenever he discovered a good deed. It is a pity that his talents were unable to spread widely due to his early death.”
- 閔子騫，即閔損，字子騫，追贈費侯，源乾曜贊：「惟顏亞聖，惟閔比德。讓宰善辭，安親順色。動靜無間，中正是則。非經即禮，至孝之極。」
- Min Ziqian, also known as Min Sun or Ziqian, was posthumously conferred the title of Fei Hou. Yuan Qianyao praised, “Among Confucian scholars, Yan Zi was extraordinary, and Min Ziqian was highly virtuous. He was good at speaking in a courteous and respectful manner, and knew how to please his parents. He was versatile and principled. He was well-versed in both the classics and manners, and was a model of filial piety.”
- 冉伯牛，即冉耕，字伯牛，追贈鄆侯，姚崇贊：「 顓門隸業，入室推賢。名惟科首，行則士先。是為上足，寧同及肩。亡之命矣，懷之喟然。」
- Ran Boniu, also known as Ran Geng or Boniu, was posthumously conferred the title of Yun Hou. Yao Chong praised him, saying, “He came from a distinguished family and learned under Confucius. He was considered the third-best disciple, after Yan Hui and Min Sun, in terms of moral conduct and always acted like a true gentleman. He treated everyone equally, and it is a pity that he passed away so young.”
- 仲弓，即冉雍，字仲弓，追贈薛侯，張嘉貞贊：「諸侯為邦，雍也可使。道在於政，政期於理。用刑者何，居敬則已。況禮況德，聞之夫子。」
- Zhonggong, also known as Ran Yong or Zhonggong, was posthumously conferred the title of Xue Hou. Zhang Jia Zhen praised, “He was capable of governing a state, and Confucius trusted him. He believed that the key to governance was in adhering to principles, rather than simply relying on punishment. He emphasized the importance of propriety and virtue, which were the teachings of Confucius.”
言語 Language
- 宰我，即宰予，字子我，追赠齐侯，元行冲赞：“临淄辩〇，学以致禄。惩彼不勤，见嗤朽木。激兹忠孝，贻毁新糓。政事登科，而不庇族。”
- Zaiwo, also known as Zaiyu or Ziwo, was posthumously conferred the title of Qi Hou. Yuan Xingchong praised, “He was skilled in eloquence. He studied hard and achieved success. He admonished those who were lazy and unmotivated, and was criticized for being harsh. He emphasized the importance of loyalty and filial piety, and left behind a legacy that was admired by many. He was successful in governance and did not show any favoritism towards his own family.”
- 子贡，端木赐，字子贡，追赠黎侯，韦抗赞：“闻一知二，〇〇〇〇。计就吴灭，言行鲁兴。……”
- Zigong, whose given name was Shanmu Ci, known as Zigong, was posthumously conferred the title of Li Hou. Wei Kang praised him, saying, ” He had a remarkable ability to gather additional information from a single statement. He devised strategies that contributed to the downfall of Wu dynasty, and his words and actions helped to revitalize Lu dynasty.”
政事 Political Affairs
- 冉求，冉求，字子有，追赠徐侯，宋璟赞：“文之礼乐，适可成人。目以政事，方为具臣。岂才不足，宁道斯屯。其谓国老，眇然清尘。”
- Ran Qiu, also known as Ziyou, was posthumously honored with the title of Xu Hou. Song Jing praised his proficiency in the rites and music, which made him capable of instructing others. He was also skilled in governance and served as a competent minister. Despite his considerable talent, he remained diligent in his pursuit of improvement. Known as “the wise” due to his impartiality even in his old age, he was highly respected.
- 季路，名仲由，即子路，追赠卫侯，陆馀庆赞：“伟哉英士，既列且忠。宿言无诺，〇〇〇〇。〇〇〇〇，〇山气雄。燔台〇〇〇，〇〇〇〇。”
- Jilu, also known as Zilu, and with the given name Zhongyou, was posthumously granted the title of Wei Hou. Lu Yuqing lauded his character, stating that he was a remarkable and devoted individual who always honored his word.
文學 Literature
- 子游，言偃，字子游，追赠吴侯，卢从愿赞：“文学高士，弦歌政声。动则不径，虑乃先〇。立言宏远，执礼专精。升堂入室，凛凛犹生。”
- Ziyou, also known as Yanyan, was posthumously conferred the title of Wu Hou. Lu Congyuan spoke highly of him, describing him as a highly educated scholar whose words and music carried great political influence. He was decisive in his actions and spoke with great foresight, always upholding the highest standards of ritual propriety. Whether in public or private, he exuded an air of dignity that left a lasting impression on all who encountered him.
- 子夏，卜商，字子夏，追赠魏侯，裴灌赞：“孔门好学，文章粲然。言诗属传，师圣齐贤。德不喻法，人何怨天。见疑夫子，离群久焉。”
- Zixia, whose given name was Bushang, was posthumously conferred the title of Wei Hou. Pei Guan praised him as a dedicated scholar with a brilliant mind. He was proficient in both poetry and history, and his wisdom rivaled that of the sages. Zixia embodied virtues that could not be fully expressed through laws, and thus it was unjustifiable for people to blame fate for their misfortunes. Despite being misunderstood, Confucius persevered in his beliefs and remained separated from society for a prolonged period.