Confucian Classroom

The class was about to begin, the students were already seated waiting patiently for the class to begin. At the appointed time, a senior student gave a call for all students to stand up. In a well modulated voice he lead them in paying respect by bowing to the portraits of all the elders and then to the teacher.

This was a class for studying Lunyu or the Analects of Confucius. We'd be studying only three verses today, out of about 500 verses in Lunyu. We have class once a week and I started wondering how long it would take to actually finish the whole book.

It was done in the traditional manner with the teacher reading aloud in clear pronunciation and diction part of a verse and the student followed suit. This went on till we completed the three verses and then the whole thing was repeated again, and again, yet again - rote learning. More rote learning followed: each student was required to stand up, take a bow and read aloud and the teacher would make corrections. Chinese being a tonal language, the pronunciation, tone and pause had to be right.

After all students had taken their turn, the senior students by turn came to the front to give their interpretation of the verses. Some were profound and some mediocre but it's alright as everyone was here to learn and be a better person. The teacher spoke last and then class was concluded in the formal way it was started. Students who had questions stayed back to talk with the teacher.

Thus ends my first lesson in Confucian classics.