How did Confucius drink?

From the "Analects of Confucius" and "Book of Rites" and other literature, it can be seen that Confucius drank alcohol, and his drinking capacity was not bad, but he did not have a hobby for alcohol. He was not addicted to alcohol, and he participated more in various social activities. It’s just a matter of drinking alcohol appropriately during ceremonial activities, but you should also be a little particular about drinking. However, because there are very few records about Confucius’ drinking in early literature, what we can know about Confucius’ drinking is actually limited. Let’s take a look at how Confucius drank from four aspects:

1. Confucius drank well.

Chapter 6 of "The Analects of Confucius? Xiangdang" introduces Confucius's view on food, including drinking. Among them: "There is no limit to wine, but there is no chaos." It can be seen that Confucius had a good drinker, so he dared to say this confidently. Of course, compared with today's wine-making technology, the wine-making technology in Confucius' era was not high, the alcohol content was not high, and the amount of wine was relatively large. In addition, Confucius once asked himself: "When I go out, I serve the officials, and when I enter, I serve my father and brother. I don't dare to be reluctant in funerals. If I am not tired of wine, what is it to me?" He mentioned "If I am not tired of wine, what is it to me?" ?”, meaning: “How far have I done this without worrying about drinking?” Confucius was very humble. In fact, he did all these things and did them very well. He was an example for everyone to learn from. And his "not tired of drinking" shows from one side that Confucius was very confident in drinking, had a good foundation, and his drinking capacity could be said to be quite good.

2. Confucius had a very good wine virtue

Confucius said: "Only wine is immeasurable, and it is not as good as chaos." On the one hand, it shows that he can drink and has a large capacity for drinking. On the other hand, it also shows that he is good at drinking. I can control my drinking very well and in moderation. I don’t drink too much, I don’t get drunk, and I don’t cause trouble. Confucius's drinking practice and attitude also had a great influence on later generations. We know that the amount of alcohol varies from person to person. Some people have good health and drink a lot, while some people are even allergic to alcohol and do not drink alcohol at all. Therefore, the specific amount cannot be used as a limiting standard. Confucius very rationally used the three words "not as good as chaos" as the setting for the limit of drinking, that is, the upper limit is not to be in a coma. The best state of drinking is to be drunk but not drunk, to be slightly drunk but not too drunk. If you are drunk, you will be laughed at if you lose your composure. The wonderful thing about Chinese wine culture is that people show great artistic creativity when they are drunk but not drunk, such as calligraphy, painting, drunken boxing, etc. This cultural characteristic is not unrelated to the golden mean advocated by Confucius. Confucius himself had a very good drinking ethic, that is, he practiced the virtue of moderation. When drinking, he was good at grasping the right measure according to the time and place, and not messing up. There is no record in any literature that Master Kong was drunk or disorderly. And I believe that Confucius really reached that state of freedom later on: he could follow his heart's desires without violating the rules. When it comes to drinking, the rule is: don’t mess around. Normally, anyone can feel it when they drink too much. The key is whether they can restrain themselves after feeling it. If you insist on not drinking, no one will be able to force you to drink. Therefore, anyone who is drunk is responsible for himself. Tao Yuanming's great-grandfather, Tao Kan, was once a powerful figure. Once, his mother, Zhan, criticized him for drinking too much. Tao Kan immediately knelt down and swore: From now on, he would obey his mother's orders and never drink more than three drinks. From then on, Tao Gong never drank more than three drinks, and he never got drunk in his life. This also achieves what Confucius said is "no two mistakes."

3. Confucius’s drinking etiquette

"The Analects of Confucius? Xiangdang" is an article that records Confucius’ daily life. Chapter 7 says: If the table is not straight, you will not sit down. When the villagers drink wine, the stick comes out, and this comes out. It is recorded here that when Confucius attended a banquet held in the village, he had to wait until all the elderly people left the banquet before going out. This is a ritual for villagers to drink and have a banquet. Of course, there were more rituals recorded in the "Book of Rites" during this period. In fact, many social occasions, including various sacrificial activities, often involve drinking, and everything should be done according to etiquette requirements. Confucius was a master of etiquette, so he must have been the first to set an example. He followed the requirements of etiquette completely in daily life, and drinking wine was no exception.

4. Confucius was particular about his drinking

Confucius was very particular about his diet. He would not eat this or that, and he would eat whatever he wanted. In the past, he was criticized for being too particular, but in fact, looking at it now It makes sense. What he pays attention to is food safety and hygiene, and scientific food health. On the contrary, it is a very cultural expression. It is wrong to criticize as in the past. Section 6 of "The Analects of Confucius? Xiangdang" says: "Selling wine and selling preserved meat will not eat it.

"That is, he does not drink the wine bought in the market and does not eat the dried meat he buys. As for why he does not drink the wine bought in the market, it may be that he is not confident about the hygiene of food from unknown sources. Food preservation has a short shelf life. Perhaps it has already appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period. Of course, the wine-making process at that time was not complicated, and most families could make it. Confucius was very particular about drinking, and would not drink it casually. He would usually drink wine made at home or from a reliable source.

In summary, Confucius is indeed a good example for our younger generations to learn from, and his drinking methods are worthy of learning and carrying forward!

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