HOUGHTON MIFFLIN Online Leveled Books father died when he was only two or three. ... He also warned...

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

1032424

6.4.17

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Online Leveled Books

Level: X

DRA: 60

Genre:Informational Text

Strategy:Question

Skill:Fact and Opinion

Word Count: 2,349

6_025179_OL_LRSE_CVR_L17_Confucius.indd 1 2/12/10 12:06:11 PM

by George Capaccio

ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: 4 Joe LeMonnier / Melissa Turk

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Cover Martin Norris / Alamy; 1 Tongro Image Stock; 3 Martin Norris / Alamy;6 Bettina Strenske / Alamy; 7 Tongro Image Stock; 8 Visual Arts Library (London) / Alamy; 9 (bkgrnd) PhotoDisc / Essentials; 9 Visual Arts Library (London) / Alamy; 10 Kevin OHara; 15 Getty Images; 16 (bkgrnd) PhotoDisc / Essentials; 17 Hemera Technologies

Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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Printed in China

ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02517-9ISBN-10: 0-547-02517-3

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If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt School Publishers retains title to the materials and they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited.

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Table of Contents

Who Was Confucius? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

An Unusual Childhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Ancient China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Confucius as a Young Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

A New Path in Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Looking to the Past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Caught Up in Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Putting His Ideas to the Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Making Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The Long Road Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The Last Days of Confucius. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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Who Was Confucius?Confucius (kuhn FYOO shuhs) loved to fish. But he never

used a net. He thought a net would give him an unfair advan-tage over the fish. Treating others fairly was an important part of his philosophy. So was having respect for all living things.

By most accounts, Confucius was a large man who stood nearly seven feet tall. He had a long beard and a distinct lump on his forehead. However, archaeologists have not excavated any images of him from his lifetime.

His name at birth was Kong Qiu. When he began to teach, his students called him Kongfuzi, or Master Kong. Many centuries later, European missionaries in China referred to him as Confucius.

A dignified scholar and teacher, Confucius had many interests. He enjoyed archery, horseback riding, and playing a stringed instrument called a qin (chin). He knew over 300 songs by heart and devoted part of each day to dancing with his students as another way of teaching them about life.

3

Artists believe Confucius looked something like this.

4

An Unusual ChildhoodShortly before Confucius was born, his mother is said to

have come face to face with a mythical creature. In some tales of Confuciuss life this happened in a dream. In other tales, the meeting took place while his mother was awake. The creature looked like a unicorn. To his mother, it was a sign that her child would perform great deeds. According to legend, she tied a ribbon around the animals horn before it fled from view.

Ancient ChinaConfucius was born over 2,500 years ago. He grew up in

the kingdom of Lu in what is now China. During that time, China was a patchwork of independent kingdoms often at war with each other. There was no central source of power.

China During the Time of Confucius

5

Instead, each kingdom had its own ruler who had a private army and depended on the loyalty of the nobles who served him.

Most people of ancient China did not belong to the aristocracy, or upper class. They were farmers and craftspeople who lived poor, desperate lives. Their taxes paid for the rich lifestyle of the nobles. Confucius was born into a world where government dishonesty, constant warfare, and an unjust social system were common.

His father died when he was only two or three. His mother had to raise Confucius on her own. It probably wasnt easy for her. His early experiences of poverty left its mark on his character. Later in life, he taught that learning should be useful, not just a pastime for thoughtful people.

Confucius understood, even as a child, that he had been born for an important purpose to honor his fathers memory by performing the proper rituals. He took great pride in learn-ing about these rituals and practicing them at home.

Confucius would put this knowledge to good use when he grew up. He became highly respected as an expert in ceremonies and rituals. In China at the time, the business of government was conducted according to strict rules of etiquette, or manners. For instance, meetings with foreign diplomats had to follow these rules exactly. Later in his life, Confucius served as a government advisor. He would make sure things ran smoothly and that all the rules were observed.


6

The Chinese have celebrated the Lantern Festival for centuries.

Confucius as a Young ManWhen he was 19, his mother arranged for him to marry.

After the couple had their first child, Confucius went to work in a grain warehouse. He had to keep track of how much grain was coming in and going out. With his knack for numbers and his eye for detail, Confucius mastered the task easily.

Confucius later worked as a civil servant, or official, in the government. He and his wife had two more children.


7

The couple did not get along and eventually parted ways. Confucius soon began to attract the attention of the ruling class. They admired his skill as a master of ceremonies. They also noticed that he was becoming a first-rate collector of traditional songs and poems. In ancient China, a great deal of knowledge was passed down by word-of-mouth from one generation to the next through songs and poems. Books were rare.

Chinese books are often written in columns and read from top to bottom.


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A New Path in Life It wasnt only the nobles who were impressed with

Confuciuss wide-ranging knowledge. Young men who were eager to learn found Confucius to be a masterful teacher. One

of his first students was a teenager named Zilu. He was only a few years younger than Confucius. As the years passed, Zilu became one of his most loyal followers and friends.

Confucius continued to study, teach, and serve in the government. Because of his loyal service and dedication to learning, the chief minister in charge of the government officials allowed Confucius to travel to the kingdoms capital city. He also granted the young scholar a yearly income. In return, Confucius was expected to occasionally

advise the ruler of the kingdom, whose title in English was the Shining Duke.

When Confucius traveled to the capital, the highlight of his visit was his meeting with the keeper of the royal library. The keepers name was Li Er. He counseled Confucius to pay less attention to Chinas past and more to the world around him. He also warned Confucius that if he continued in politics he was bound to create enemies. Li Er may have sensed the dangers that lay in store for the young man.

The emperor ridesin his chariot.


Today Li Er is known as Lao-tzu (low dzuh), the founder of

Taoism (DOW iz um). According to legend, Li Er gave up his

position at the royal library after meeting Confucius. Already

an old man, he spent the rest of his life living as a hermit.

He left behind a written record of his teachings called the

Tao Te Ching. This book is the basis of Taoism, a philosophy

of life very different from what Confucius taught. Taoism

encourages people to stay in touch with nature and to

look inside themselves to find what is true

and good.

The Beginning of TAOISM

Li Er was a well-known scholar and thinker.

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Looking to the PastConfucius understood what it was like to be poor. While

most of the people lived in poverty, their rulers enjoyed all sorts of privileges. Many who held powerful positions in government abused their power. Members of the ruling class inherited their wealth and status. They could not be removed from office. And crime was common at all levels of society.

The Jinci Temple was built to commemorate Tang Shu Yu, a prince during the Zhou Dynasty.


11

To Confucius, this was intolerable. In response to the disorder and inequality around him, he chose to look to Chinas past. He hoped to find lessons from the past that could help China in the present.

Confucius believed that Chinas earliest rulers, who had preceded the current ones, had ruled honorably. There had been peace, and these rulers were worthy of respect and admiration. At least this is how Confucius imagined what early Chinese civilization was like! He believed ways had to be found to restore China to what it once had been.

In order to bring about reforms, Confucius wanted the rulers of Chinas warring kingdoms to put his ideas into prac-tice. Today his ideas may not sound very remarkable. But 2,500 years ago, they were considered revolutionary, even dangerous. Confucius argued that citizens have a duty to criticize those government officials who abuse their power. He also taught that a persons right to govern should depend on ability not on whether he came from a noble family. Government ministers could acquire the skill and knowledge they needed through education. And education, he said, should be open to all, rich or poor.

Confuciuss attempts to have his ideas adopted put him at odds with those in power. The rulers of these kingdoms were not about to give up their privileges without a fight.

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Caught Up in ConflictWhen Confucius returned home, a civil war was about to

erupt. Nobles from rival families got into a fight at a rooster contest. But the fight masked a much deeper conflict namely, which family would succeed the Shining Duke as ruler, whose death was near.

During the argument, someone insulted the Shining Duke. When the Duke learned of this, he led his army against one of the families. But a second family came to its aid. The combined armies of the two families were able to defeat the Shining Duke. To save himself, he fled to a nearby kingdom.

Confucius soon joined him. He had been a supporter of the Shining Duke. If he had remained behind, the new rulers might have imprisoned or even killed him. On their journey, he and his companions came upon a woman weeping beside a grave. A tiger had killed her entire family. When Confucius asked why she didnt leave, she answered that she would rather face a tiger than live under a cruel government.

Confucius did not stay long in this other kingdom. At first, he was welcomed at court and enjoyed the confidence of the Honorable Duke, the ruler there. But one of the ministers plotted against Confucius. This minister resented Confuciuss influence, and cautioned the Honorable Duke to keep his dis-tance. The Duke listened. When Confucius found himself shut out from the goings on at court, he decided to return home.


13

Putting His Ideas to the TestA new government was now in power. Confucius could see

how badly the leaders were performing their duties. He feared that peoples needs were not being met. Rather than work in the government, he devoted himself to teaching.

Confucius welcomed students from every background. He taught his students all the rules they would need to know to become good government officials. He also encouraged them to think for themselves.

One of his favorite students was a young man named Yan Hui. Like Confucius, he had come from a poor family. But his temperament was different. Yan Hui was shy. When he spoke, the other students had to lean forward to hear him.

Confuciuss students were expected to know about Chinas most famous kings. They had to learn the elaborate ceremonies that honored the gods. These were believed to prevent natural disasters such as floods, fires, and famine.

By now, one of Confuciuss first students became a govern-ment minister. You may remember him: His name was Zilu. Because of Zilus new position, he was able to offer Confucius a job as the mayor of a small town. At last, Confucius could test his theories. He lost no time in getting the townspeople to change their ways. He insisted they show respect for their ancestors and behave politely toward one another.

14

Making ChangesConfucius changed public ceremonies to make them mea-

sure up to the highest standards. He chose songs he thought would educate the people. His reforms were a big success. The crime rate fell. It was said that if something was lost in the street, it would stay there until the rightful owner claimed it.

Thanks to this success, Confucius was next appointed as the Minister of Justice of the kingdom. He could exercise even greater control over how the government was run. A major obstacle to his reforms, however, remained the nobles. They decided which laws to obey. Whenever they didnt get their way, they threatened to ruin the government. Confucius was deter-mined to limit their power. He wanted them to give up their private armies and tear down the walls that protected their land.

Confucius convinced the new ruler, the Decisive Duke, to go along with his plans. One noble family surrendered. Others did not. The Dukes followers soon found themselves in a standoff. His ministers grew more and more unhappy with Confucius as the conflict went on.

Soon, Confucius found that the Decisive Duke wouldnt listen to him. Confucius was outraged by the behavior of the Duke, his ministers, and the nobles. So he quit his post and left the kingdom once again.

Confucius may have walked through a lush landscape like this one as he traveled from one kingdom to another.


15


16

Do not be concerned about others not appreciating you.

Be concerned about your appreciating others.

Conduct guided by profit is cause for

much complaint.

In serving parents, make suggestions tactfully, and if

your aspirations are not pursued, still respect and do not

disobey, bear burdens and do not complain.

Some Sayings of Confucius

The Long Road HomeFor the next 13 years, Confucius and his most devoted

followers wandered from one kingdom to another. He tried to find a ruler who would put his ideas to use. He never did. Feeling like a failure, he returned home. Now in his late six-ties, he dedicated his final years to revising the history of the kingdom, called The Spring and Autumn Annals.


17

The Last Days of ConfuciusOne day Confucius learned that a strange creature had

been captured. According to legend, when Confucius saw the creature he began to weep. It had a lustrous horn in the middle of its forehead. A faded ribbon was tied to its horn. Was it the same animal his mother had seen or dreamed of many years ago? Or was it a replica? Confucius believed it was the same one and that it was a sign that his life was nearly over. A few years later, Confucius was dead. His ideas were not.

Some future rulers of China, such as the first emperor, Qin Shihuang (chin shir hwong), would try to stop the spread of Confuciuss ideas. But other rulers, such as those of Chinas Han Dynasty, did put his ideas into practice.

So Confuciuss ideas did not disappear. Honoring ones parents and ancestors; caring for the young and the elderly; and treating others with respect these are some of the principles that guided Confuciuss life. Today, his teachings still influence people all over the world.

Although Confucius wrote with a brush, people today use calligraphy pens to make Chinese characters.

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Glossaryaristocracy (ayr ih STOK ruh see) n. the upper class of a

society

civil servant (SIV uhl SURV uhnt) n. a government official

qin (chin) n. a stringed instrument

Taoism (DOW iz um) n. a philosophy of life that teaches people to be in touch with nature and to look inside themselves to find what is good and true

warehouse (WAYR hows) n. building where goods and products are stored

RespondingTARGET SKILL Fact and Opinion Which

statements in Confucius are facts? Which are

opinions? Copy and complete the chart below.

19

Text to Self Write a paragraph that explains the

information on Pages 4 and 5 about what China

was like in Confuciuss time. Be sure to include

the main ideas.

Write About It

Fact

Confucius was raised by his mother.

It probably wasnt easy for her.

Opinion

??


In a famous quotation, Aung San Suu Kyi said,

Please use your freedom to promote ours.

What freedoms do you value most? Why? Write

a letter to the editor of a Burmese newspaper

explaining the freedoms you have and why they

are important to you.

Write About It

20

TARGET SKILL Fact and Opinion Decide

whether an idea can be proved or is a feeling

or belief.

TARGET STRATEGY Question Ask questions

about a selection before you read, as you read, and

after you read.

GENRE Informational Text gives facts and examples

about a topic.

TARGET VOCABULARY

archaeologists

dignifi ed

distinct

elaborate

excavate

lustrous

mythical

precede

replicas

temperaments


HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

1032424

6.4.17

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Online Leveled Books

Level: X

DRA: 60

Genre:Informational Text

Strategy:Question

Skill:Fact and Opinion

Word Count: 2,349

6_025179_OL_LRSE_CVR_L17_Confucius.indd 1 2/12/10 12:06:11 PM

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