2. So, here comes the problem. How did Confucius collect tuition fees? According to historical records, Confucius accepted "music training" from students when he accepted them. Others, there is no record of Confucius charging tuition fees. What is this "binding"? "Bundle" is similar to today's meat cured products such as ham and bacon. This is actually not tuition, but a gift from the teacher. In other words, as long as you accept the gift of "biography", you will become a disciple of Confucius.
However, this question has not been answered. Does Confucius charge tuition? In fact, according to the tradition of China, Confucius only accepts gifts from his disciples, and does not accept tuition fees from his disciples. However, you should not interpret running a school by Confucius as free education. Confucius did much more than free education. Not only does he not charge tuition fees, but he also raises his disciples and pays them. Therefore, a disciple like Yan Hui can live a poor but decent life by following Confucius all his life without going out to find a job.
4. Don't be surprised that Confucius didn't charge tuition for running a school, but also paid for raising his disciples, because this is a tradition in China since ancient times. Since ancient times, China people never have to pay tuition fees. As long as a master is willing to accept you, do you mean to give a master a gift to live and work with him and start learning skills? Not only do you learn skills, but he also teaches you how to be a man. Before you finish your studies, your host will take care of your food, clothing, housing and transportation, and a good host will give you pocket money. So it makes sense to be called a "master" before. The man who teaches you craft is really another father in your life, so it is the truth to be a teacher for one day and a father for life. When the master is full, if you want to go out and work alone, you can leave the master and continue to work with him. The master will pay you. So did Confucius. His disciple, like Yan Hui, has been with him all his life.
We have a big misunderstanding about Confucius now, that is, Confucius runs a school like we do today, Confucius talks above and students take notes while listening below. Actually, that's not the case at all. What Confucius really teaches, students can't learn through language and writing at all. What Confucius taught, in today's words, was a transformation training of mental system, which could not be communicated or displayed under the knowledge background at that time. As students, they can only live and work with teachers, and try to figure out and understand this psychological system change by observing teachers' words and deeds in daily life and work. Therefore, learning is a "very frustrating" effort. This kind of hard study can only be learned by living and working with Master, and by observing and thinking. When you see this, there may be a problem. What does Confucius use to support his disciples and pay their salaries? If our ideology can cross the era of Confucius, we will find that there is a great demand for "rites and music" in that era of Confucius. How did this demand come from? The schemer will share it with you in a later article. Confucius didn't run a school at that time, but was just a "ritual and music" consulting service company.
6. The vassals of the vassal states and the big families of the vassal states all hope to regulate their usual activities, festivals, weddings and funerals with rites and music, which is the same reason that we like to have traditional etiquette and ostentation and extravagance now, and there are deeper reasons than the present ostentation and extravagance, so the consultation and service of "rites and music" had a great market at that time. However, at that time, there were not many people who were really proficient in the whole set of etiquette and music norms, but Confucius was the top expert of that era, proficient in various traditional etiquette and music laws and regulations ... It is conceivable that the huge market faced by Confucius is not limited to Lu, but also the market of Confucius in other vassal countries. Faced with such a big market, Confucius can't do it alone. He will find a large number of disciples to help him. He also needs to cultivate talents in this field, so that the company can become stronger and bigger. These people who followed Confucius' apprentices were later disciples of Confucius.
7. Moreover, during their study, they found that the "rites and music" advocated by Confucius is not a simple etiquette. Behind Confucius' "rites and music" was the transformation of the mental system with unclear language at that time, and they learned to learn from a large number of elites. Just like the famous McKinsey company today, once you leave McKinsey, you can become the CEO of other big companies, and so can Confucius' disciples. Once they leave McKinsey, they are all pillars of the country. We now think that Confucius was poor, which is a misunderstanding. Confucius specially provided "rites and music" consultation and services for the aristocratic class. How can Confucius be poor? He's rich! The more apprentices he receives, the more prosperous his business is.