Entries from Come Sit a While that draw on the words of Confucius.
Kong Qiu — the man the Western world calls Confucius — was born around 551 BC in the small state of Lu, in what is now Shandong province in northeastern China. He spent thirteen years wandering from state to state with a small band of devoted students, seeking a ruler wise enough to govern well for the benefit of his people. He found none. He returned home and spent his final years teaching and compiling the ancient texts of Chinese civilization. His most beloved students died before him. He wept without restraint at their passing. He died around 479 BC having never seen his ideas implemented on the scale he had hoped. His teachings, compiled by his students into the Analects, became the moral foundation of Chinese civilization for over two thousand years. The man who died believing he had failed is studied and revered by more people, across more centuries, than almost any human being who has ever lived.
Entries featuring Confucius
- The Steadfast Soul (2026-06-09)
Drawn from 1 entries · refreshed July 24, 2026