Confucius' Childhood Story
What do you imagine Confucius' childhood was like? Did he enjoy a happy family and good education?
In fact, as we mentioned last time, Confucius' father was over 60 years old when he was born. It's not surprising that his father died when he was only three years old, and his mother passed away fourteen years later. He had to live in poverty with only himself to rely on, suffering untold humiliation.
Confucius was both fortunate and unfortunate during his early years. The hard life had tempered and trained him. After he established his reputation, an imperial grand minister asked Zi Gong, one of Confucius' disciples, “ls Confucius a sage? How was he able to become a versatile man?" Zi Gong replied, “Heaven bestowed on him wisdom, so he is a man of many talents." When Confucius heard what had been said, he said it was the poverty in his childhood that had taught him such talent
