The Tree
Character Classic.
A children's guide to the
teachings of Confucius.
 !aragraph 1
verse 1
ë
!eople at birth,
Are naturally good.
Their natures are similar;
Ren zhi chu
Their habits become

 Different.

Xing ben shan This first verse exemplifies one of

the fundamental differences
 between Eastern and Western
thought. Confucianism assumes
Xing xiang jin that people are born pure, while


Judeo--Christian thought assumes
Judeo
that people are born inherently
evil.
Xi xiang yuan
 !aragraph 1
verse 7
s
Jade that has not been polished
cannot be used.
A person that has not studied
Yu bu zhuo
cannot know righteousness.

 This verse by its self is also an

ancient Chinese proverb.
bu cheng qi

ë 
Ren bu xue


Bu zhi yi
 !aragraph 1
verse 25-
25-27
Ã
 Kindness between father and child,
Harmony between husband and wife,
Fu zi en fu fu cong
Friendliness from elder brothers,
 Respect from younger brothers.
Xiong ze you di ze gong !recedence between elders and youth,

  Support between friends,

Respect from the sovereigns
Chang you xu you yu peng
Loyalty from the subjects.
 These ten obligations
Jun ze jing chen ze zhong Are the same for all.
ë
These three verses summarize the
Ci shi yi ren suo tong
Confucius model for family structure.
 The Confucian Classics
!aragraph 2 is an introduction to the Confucian Classics. Confucius is
widely excepted as the greatest philosopher of China and
East Asia. Often called the Greatest Master, Confucius taught his
students to at all times seek personal moral perfection, and
continuously study the outside World. The works of Confucius can be
summarized by his most ethical teaching:

›

 
› 
Adept Kung asked: "Is there any one word that could guide a person
throughout life?Ơ The Master replied: "How about 'shu' [reciprocity]:
never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself?"
Analects XV.24
This is in essence a negative form of the Golden Rule.
 !aragraph 2
The Confucian Classics.
There is the analects,
×
In twenty chapters.
In this, the various disciples
Lun yu zhe Have recorded the wise sayings
(of Confucius).
 The Analects is considered
er shi pian the central work of Confucianism
and thusly continues to have
 formidable influence on East Asian
!hilosophy.
Qun di zi


ji shan yan
 !aragraph 2
Verse 4
Ô

The works of Mencius in seven
chapters. Speak of the road to
Meng zi zhe virtue, talk about benevolence
and righteousness.
 Mencius is often considered to be
qi pian zhi
the most renowned Chinese

 philosopher second only to

Confucius Himself. His view of
Jiang dao de Confucian thought is generally
considered to be orthodox
 Confucianism.
shui ren yi
 !aragraph 2
Verse 7
m٦
The ƠClassic of Filial Pietyơ mastered,
and the ƠFour booksơ done,
the Ơsix Classics,ơ
Xiao jing tong
can be started

Í
Filial Piety is the fundamental virtue of

Chinese society. Filial Piety is in
Si shu shu essence knowing your place in the
family and acting accordingly.

Ÿ
 Ÿ The four books are: The Analects,
Mencius,, the Doctrine (way)
Mencius
Analects,
(way),, and The
Ru liu jing Great Learning.
Learning. And the six Classics
are: The Book of Poetry, The book of

@
Documents, the Book of Changes, The

Rites of the Zhou, The Book of Rites
hi ke dou and The pring and autmn Annal
 The Dynasties
!aragraph 3 contains a list of the Dynastic history of China. Thought
the life time of the three character classic paragraph 3 has been
updated several times to bring up to date as well as to make it
politically correct for the time.
 !aragraph4 verse 1

Ÿ ¶
The Classics and the philosophers
mastered, read the histories.
Examine the connection between the
Jing zi tong
eras, know the ends and the

 beginnings.

The rest of !aragraph 4 lists the all

Dou zhu shi
the dynastys of china starting with

 Xi, Nong, and the Yellow Emperor

and ending with the !eopleƞs
Kao shi xi Republic of China.

@
Zhi zhong shi