Three holes in study tour ｜ Chapter 4 ⑥： Xingtan

　　Editor's Note: This article is selected from the book "Three Holes of Study Tour" by Chen Xiaoxia, secretary of the Party Committee, dean and researcher of the Mencius Research Institute of Nishan World Confucianism Center. Through the fictional capital university, Professor Cheng Chuanru and Professor Wen Changhao led their granddaughter Wen Guangwen and grandson to understand Tianyi's personal tour in Qufu, the ideological essence and spiritual characteristics of Chinese excellent traditional culture were integrated into the study tour by asking the right questions.

　　Professor Cheng and his party visited the apricot altar after four people visited it.

　　Tianyi asked, "Grandpa, is the apricot altar also a building with special significance?"

　　Professor Wen said: "Now the apricot altar is not only a building with special significance, but also a memorial building built to commemorate Confucius' altar teaching."

　　Wenwen asked, "Grandpa, did Confucius build an altar to give lectures?"

　　Professor Wen said, "Please ask your grandmother to explain this question to you."

　　Professor Cheng said: "There is an ancient legend about this issue. According to legend, Confucius set up a teaching in Xingtan, accepting 3,000 disciples and teaching the six arts. In those days, Confucius built an altar in his own courtyard, and moved a small ginkgo tree to plant beside the altar, so it was named Xingtan. Confucius gives lectures in Xingtan every day, and disciples from all directions gather. The legend of Confucius' building an altar and teaching is recorded in the book Annotation of Kong Shangren's New Quelizhi. Kong Shangren introduced the general situation of Confucius Temple in his book, saying:' Confucius Temple, according to legend, was the place where the apricot altar was preached at that time. It was weak on Wednesday, worshiping the walls and protecting them, all covered with powder and sheltered with tile wood. Xingtan, where Confucius preached. Several old apricots have withered away. " It can be seen from here that the Xingtan was the place where Confucius gave lectures in the past, located in the Confucius Temple built after the death of Confucius. As for the specific location of the Xingtan, it is recorded in "Annotation of Kong Shangren's New Quelizhi Volume V":' Xingtan, in front of Dacheng Hall of Confucius Temple, is also the site of the Sage Professor Hall. Emperor Hanming toured the east, visited Confucius' old home, and personally ruled this hall, and ordered the Crown Prince and the kings to speak in the hall. The backyard is destroyed, that is, it is a stone altar. There are a few apricots, old stems and new flowers, and I want to see Shengze Cloud. " It can be judged that the specific location of the apricot altar is in front of the Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple. When Confucius built an altar to give lectures, the altar was not just a high platform made of earth, but also built a lobby on it, and it continued until the Han Dynasty. After Emperor Han Ming, the church was destroyed, leaving only a few high altars and preserved apricots, which still opened new flowers. "

　　Wen Wen asked, "Grandma, is the apricot altar in the Confucius Temple the same as what Zhuangzi said?"

　　Professor Cheng said: "In Zhuangzi Miscellaneous Articles Fisherman, he said:' Confucius swam in the forest and sat on the apricot altar. Disciples read books, while Confucius plays the strings and drums. " As a result, some people doubt whether the apricot altar in the Confucius Temple really existed. In fact, Confucius gave lectures in more than one place. He not only spoke on the apricot altar in the house, but also led his disciples to visit and give lectures in the suburbs. It is natural to give lectures in the suburbs and sit on the apricot altar. The apricot altar mentioned here may be a natural highland surrounded by apricot trees, but it cannot be said that the apricot altar built by Confucius in the house does not exist. Of course, after the death of Confucius, the apricot altar in the Confucius Temple and the lobby above it were destroyed. Until the Song Dynasty, there was no apricot altar building in the Confucius Temple. "

　　Tianyi asked inexplicably, "Grandma, what kind of apricot tree does the apricot in the apricot altar refer to?"

　　Professor Cheng said: "There is no unified view on whether the apricot tree in Xingtan is a ginkgo tree or an ordinary apricot tree. However, it is recorded in "Annotation of Kong Shangren New Quelizhi, Volume 5 of Quelizhi":' In the southwest of Confucius Temple Poetry Hall, in front of Gulubi, it is 10 feet and 5 feet high, or it is called Ginkgo biloba above the apricot altar set up by the master.' It can be seen that at first, the apricot tree next to the apricot altar was ginkgo tree. In Confucius' view, ginkgo is fruity, which symbolizes that disciples are all over the world; The trunk is straight and upright, and it never leans out, symbolizing the integrity of the disciples; Nuts can be eaten and used as medicine to treat diseases, which symbolizes that disciples can benefit the country and people's livelihood after their studies. However, later, when the memorial of the apricot altar was built, people changed the apricot in the apricot altar in the Confucius Temple into an ordinary apricot tree according to the apricot altar in Zhuangzi Zapian Fisherman, which is regrettable. "

　　Wenwen asked, "Grandma, when was the apricot altar we are seeing built?"

　　Professor Cheng said, "Let your grandfather tell you this question."

　　Professor Wen looked into the eyes of two children who were eager for knowledge, and said with a smile: "During the Jubilee of Song Dynasty, that is, between 1017 and 1021, when Daofu Kong, the forty-fifth generation grandson of Confucius, supervised the repair of the Confucius Temple, he widened the temple, demolished the original main hall of the Confucius Temple, moved it northward for reconstruction, and built the old foundation left by the main hall of the Confucius Temple into a brick altar, surrounded by apricot trees, which was called the apricot altar. In Jin Dynasty, a pavilion was built on the apricot altar, which was a pavilion with a single eaves to rest the mountain. Yuan Shizu was rebuilt in the 4th year of Yuan Dynasty (1267), and it was changed into a single-eaved cross ridge in Hongzhi in Ming Dynasty. When it was rebuilt in the 3rd year of Qin Long in Ming Dynasty (1569), it was converted into a double-eaved cross ridge and octagonal stone eaves column, and the apricot altar has today's scale. In other words, the Xingtan architecture we see now is a relic of the Qin Long period in the Ming Dynasty. Xingtan is 12.5 meters high and 7.34 meters wide, with three rooms on each side. The altar base has two floors, the plane is square, and each side in the southeast and northwest has stamped feet and carved moire patterns. Xingtan square pavilion has double eaves, yellow tile and Zhu column, and cross knot ridge. The top is supported by four circular stone pillars and twelve octagonal stone pillars outside, with wooden red columns between them and carved stone columns around the wooden red columns. The upper and lower eaves are covered with smallpox, and the upper ceiling center is covered with eight caissons, decorated with small arches and painted with golden panlong, which is especially large and colorful in Yi Long. There are two stone tablets in the Xingtan, and a stone tablet in the east of the back is the word' Xingtan' written by the literati Dang Huaiying in the third year of Jin Cheng 'an (1198), which was erected in the pavilion by Sun Kongyuan, the 51st generation of Confucius. In the south, a tablet is "Xingtan Zan" written in calligraphy by Emperor Gaozong of Qing Dynasty, which reads:' It is worthwhile to start again.Several trees have crimson branches in the east wind. Is it that the world is more beautiful than flowers, and civilization will last forever. There are corridors around the pavilion, and apricot trees are planted all around. There is a stone incense burner in front of the apricot altar, about 1 meter high, with simple shape and exquisite carving. It is a cultural relic of the Jin Dynasty. There is a poem titled "The Apricot Altar" written by Confucius' grandson in the 60th generation:' The ruins of Lucheng are empty, and the instrument is returned to the piano's imagination. The unique apricot altar is early in spring, and the flowers are old and red every year. " "

　　Wen Wen said: "Grandma, Confucius' teaching in Xingtan has a far-reaching influence on China and even the whole world. Is this related to Confucius' educational thought of' teaching without discrimination'?"

　　Professor Cheng said: "Confucius began to accept disciples to give lectures when he was about thirty years old. In the history of education in China, he is the first educator with the most far-reaching influence who has been engaged in teaching activities for more than 40 years in his private capacity. According to legend, he has 3,000 disciples and 72 proud students. Before Confucius, "learning was in the government" and education was "classy", that is to say, only a few nobles had the right to receive education. Confucius put forward "there is no class in teaching", which broke the frame of "learning is in the government". Confucius' students can study with Confucius as long as they present a' bundle' as a meeting gift. Among Confucius' students are Yan Yuan and Ran Qiu of Lu, Zixia and Zigong of Wei, Sima Geng of Song, Ziyou of Wu, Gongsun Long of Chu and Qin Zu of Rong of Qin. In terms of birth, there are Meng Yizi and Nangong Shi from noble backgrounds, Ran Mi from poor backgrounds, Zi Gong from businessmen, and Yan Zhuoju, a thief of Liang's father. "

　　"This fully reflects Confucius' innovation in education, which is really amazing. Teaching students in accordance with their aptitude is also a unique method in Confucius' teaching. " Professor Wen commented.

　　Professor Cheng went on to say: "Confucius' teaching students in accordance with their aptitude means educating them in different ways according to the characteristics of each student. He focuses on cultivating talents in four subjects: morality, speech, politics and literature. He once told people: Yan Yuan, Min Zikai, Ran Boniu and Zhong Gong are outstanding students in virtue; In terms of speech, there are talented students who kill me and pay tribute; High-caliber students in politics include Ran You and Zi Lu; Excellent students in literature include Ziyou and Zixia. Confucius paid great attention to inducing and enlightening in teaching methods, and educated students according to their weaknesses. On one occasion, Zilu asked Confucius,' I heard something I should do, should I do it at once?' Confucius thought about it a little and replied,' If there are fathers and brothers, you should ask them first. How can you do it as soon as you hear the news?' Ran You also asked the same question, but Confucius agreed to do it at once. The student Gong Xihua felt strange and asked Confucius why he had two different answers to the same question. Confucius smiled and said to Gong Xihua,' Ran is timid and hesitant, so he told him to do it at once. Zilu is impatient, so I told him to do it slowly.' Gong Xihua heard an epiphany. "

　　[Introduction to the author]

　　Chen Xiaoxia is currently the party secretary, dean and researcher of Mencius Research Institute of Nishan World Confucianism Center, and is a distinguished professor of many universities. Long-term commitment to history and culture, the development history of Confucianism, the development of cultural industries, and the study of youth education, especially the research on the innovation and development of traditional cultures such as Confucian culture. He has presided over nearly 20 national, provincial and municipal social science planning projects, published 12 personal monographs such as Research on the Innovative Development of Traditional Culture in the New Era, Research on Social Morality and Fashion —— From the Perspective of Rural Revitalization Strategy, and Three Holes of Studying Tour. He has published more than 100 academic papers and literary works in Guangming Daily, People's Political Consultative Conference, Confucius Studies and Theoretical Journal, and many achievements have won national and academic awards.