Page 122 - Gan's Family History
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of a celebrated scholar. Yet, he could His sorrow for Yan Hui and his
not understand why Confucius, who inability to affect the destiny of the
called Yan Hui, "son," did not follow state of LU robbed Confucius of some
the spendthrift custom of the great of the serenity he had achieved
and provide a magnificent, showy during his last years.
funeral at which he, the true father
might look forward to playing a Update on Yan Hui.
starring role. Instead, Confucius had
ordered, as he had done for his own The following article, extracted from
son Po Yu, a single-walled coffin. the Lonely Planet Travel Book has a
Confucius explained to the old write-up on QuFu, which is the
man "You see, I call all my pupils birthplace and resting place of
son, regardless of whether they are Confucius, in Shandong Province. Of
brilliant or not. When my own son particular significance is the fact that
died, I buried him in a single-walled situated in the grounds, leading to
coffin for that was all I could afford." the Tomb of Confucius, stands a
The old man's eyes wandered temple, which carries the clan’s
suspiciously down the wide veranda namesake. The name of the temple
to the pleasant garden where is called Yan Hui Miao (Temple).
Confucius's oxcart stood with its
brightly painted wheels. "You could QUFU
sell your chariot," he said.
Confucius was greatly The town of QuFu is of monumental
depressed at his inability to explain significance to the Chinese as it is the
to this poor man the modest habits birthplace of Confucius, with its
proper to a scholar. However, the harmonies of carved stone, timber
same subject was agitating the and fine imperial architecture. 28
hearts of the disciples, some of whom September mark the date of
were rich. Very likely, they had let Confucius' birthday.
economy have its way with Po Yu,
who was not truly a member of the Kong Lin (Confucian Forest)
group, but most of them had looked
upon Yan Hui as the future leader of North of the Kong Fu, about 2 kin up
their school and they felt he should Lindao Lu is the Kong Lin, the largest
have a double-walled coffin. And so, artificial preserved cemetery in
they contributed to a pool, which China. This timeworn route has a
provided their deceased colleague kind of 'spirit way' lined with ancient
with a funeral that was all his father cypresses.
could have desired.
But Confucius rebuked them.
"Yan Hui thought of me as a father
and I want to treat him as I did my
own son. But you would not let me.
I am not pleased my sons."
