Life and Death from a Junzi’s Standpoint (Literature & Language Essay)

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Life and Death from a Junzi’s Standpoint
Confucius is one of the most prominent philosophers of all time. His ideologies are mostly traditional. He related many subjects to a junzi or a man who has an exemplary humane moral and conduct.
D.C. Lau translated Confucius’ “The Analects.” In the book XI, line 12 of this book, there is a remarkable statement that goes as, “You do not understand even life. How can you understand death? (Lau, 96)”
It means that a person can only truly understand the beauty that life offers when he can comprehend the meaning behind death. It is like reflecting the concept of life and end with the maturity of that of a child. A child does not fully understand these concepts, thereby making him less concerned about what life has to offer. A child only thinks that one may be taken away, but he cannot comprehend how one cannot come back. Although a child’s curiosity allows him to explore the world, he cannot truly fathom the fruits of the world’s labor, thereby making him take life for granted.
Moreover, the statement on life and death has an implied metaphorical meaning where life is compared to pleasure while death is compared to sorrow. Indeed, an individual without eagerness to discover the delights of what is within and without cannot understand what real regret means. A person without this understanding may equate life and death as the same entities.
Finally, Con...