Confucius And The Modern World: A Study In Atemporality

Today, September 28, is the date (on the Gregorian calendar) generally agreed upon as the birthdate of Confucius in 551 BC in what is present-day Shandong Province, China. Though there is no authentication of this date, and though many of the facts of his life are unclear, this date is widely celebrated as his birthdate.

Good enough; no sense in getting hung up on details.

Any of us would be hard pressed to find someone who, growing up, did not learn many of the wise things Confucius taught, as he is considered by many to have been the world’s first professional teacher.

t me share my favorite – and then tell you why it is my favorite:

“If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.”

Well…

In seventh and eighth grade (1959 and 1960), I had an English teacher whom I still consider the single greatest teacher I ever had – quite a designation, as I had a number of absolutely great ones from elementary school through college.

I have never stopped thinking about him – he is the reason I write with joy and pride – and decided to do a search – about a decade ago. Lo and behold, his name came up – on LinkedIn, of all places. Could that be? Could he have still been around? A few more seconds of thought, a quick estimate of his age when he taught me – and my conclusion was a simple no. He’d be something like 115 – and not likely to be hanging around on LinkedIn.

But the name was there, so I sent an email stating that a man with the same name was the greatest teacher in my life – and asking if there was any relation there.

Sure enough, this was his son (probably about my age), who replied with obvious joy. In his return email, he asked me (among other things) about myself and, specifically, what I do.

Since I did several things, I mentioned the most obvious and relevant. “Teach,” I answered.

“My father would be very happy,” said he in return.

That’s the 100 years Confucius was talking about. My great teacher took care of the first 50; we all need to be working on the next.

Atemporality: Timelessness

Atemporality refers to the quality of being outside of time or not bound by temporal constraints.

In philosophy it stirs the thought of discudding the nature of existence and whether certain entities (like abstract concepts or deities) exist independently of time.

In literature and art it xplores themes that reflect timelessness or an eternal moment, often to convey a sense of universality or permanence.

In our case here, it connects Confucius with my English teacher. And me. And you.