Disciple of Confucius It is uncertain which state Bu Shang came from. Different ancient sources name his birthplace variously as either
Wey,
Wei, or Wen (溫). Modern scholars, including
Ch'ien Mu, generally believe he was from Wei. Born in 507 BC, he was 44 years younger than Confucius. The most frequently mentioned characteristic of Bu Shang is his love of book learning, and he was well versed in the
Classics. He recommended broad, committed learning, and more than a millennium after his lifetime, his phrase, "Reflect on things near at hand" (
jinsi) was used as the title of one of the most important works of
Neo-Confucianism, by
Zhu Xi. However, he had a "tendency toward pedantry", and sometimes treated learning as "an end unto itself". While lavishing praise on him for cultural learning, Confucius mildly criticized Bu Shang for his pedantry, reminding him of the greater ultimate importance of virtuous action over learning. The
Analects and the
Book of Rites record a number of Bu Shang's sayings, one of the best known being, "Life and death are a matter of Destiny; wealth and honor depend on Heaven".
Later life Bu Shang, along with
Yan Yan,
Zeng Shen,
You Ruo,
Zhuansun Shi, and
Tantai Mieming, was among the disciples of Confucius who continued teaching after the death of their Master. Bu Shang established a school at Xihe (west of the
Yellow River) in the
State of Wei, where he taught numerous students, including
Marquess Wen of Wei (r. 445–396 BC), the ruler of the state. His other influential students included Tian Zifang (田子方), Zhai Huang (翟璜), Duangan Mu (段干木), and Wei Cheng (魏成), all high-ranking ministers of Wei. According to tradition,
Gongyang Gao and
Guliang Chi, authors of the
Gongyang Zhuan and the
Guliang Zhuan respectively, two of the
Three Commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals, both studied the
Spring and Autumn Annals under Bu Shang. Bu Shang lived a long life. When his son predeceased him, he wept inconsolably and became blind. ==Legacy==