The Star of Vietnam: The Ancestor of Vietnamese Confucianists

The life of Confucian scholar Chu Van An (1292 - 1370) was associated with the career of "cultivating people". He contributed to affirming the role of education in the prosperity of the nation and people. At the same time, his personality was a shining example of an intellectual.

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In the collection of poems Vinh su tri tap by Thoat Hien Dang Minh Khiem of the Le dynasty, there is a poem as follows: " The seventh execution of the memorial to the citadel, then retired from office/Chi Linh is an old and peaceful place/The noble spirit and integrity are a mirror of the ages/The scholars look up to Thai Son ". The Confucian scholar that "the scholars look up to" is Van Trinh Cong Chu Van An.

According to information from the Chronicle of the Dynasties , during his lifetime, the place where Chu Van An lived was called Van Thon. That land was Quang Liet village, Thanh Tri district, Ha Dong province in the past, now part of Hanoi . "He built a school on a large mound in the middle of the lagoon to teach students. From near and far, hearing his reputation, many people came to study." At his school, Man Hien later reported that "the people of that district built a temple to worship him right on that site", showing the recognition and honor of his virtue and contributions to the people and the country in the field of education. Knowing his profound knowledge and his intelligence, King Tran Minh Tong invited him to be the Rector of the National University, a place to train talented people for the country, equivalent to the Principal today.

Tinh tú đất Việt: Ông tổ của các nhà Nho nước Việt- Ảnh 1. — Statue of Chu Van An in the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam relic

Under the teachings of a good teacher with profound knowledge, many students later became famous, passed exams and became high-ranking officials, pillars of the Tran Dynasty. Among them, Pham Su Manh and Le Quat were both his students, made a career, and left a good name in life. For example, Le Quat, according to Nam Quoc Vi Nhan Truyen, was from Thanh Hoa , good at literature, had the merit of eliminating superstition, spreading Confucianism, and was praised by King Tran Du Tong in poems. Pham Su Manh was a Thai student (doctor) under King Tran Minh Tong, held the positions of Tham Tri Chinh Su, Tri Khu Mat Vien, and then Nhap Noi Huu Nap Ngon, according to Hai Duong Phong Vat Chi . These two people were called the Le - Pham couple by the people when their literary talent and fame were equal.

Even, as Viet su tieu an quoted book Sou di ky , the prestige, virtue and reputation of teacher Chu Van An's class even made the Dragon King's son know about it and come to the mortal world to study. Then, because the people were facing a great drought and crop failure, the Dragon King's son sacrificed himself to save the people. Although we know this is just a legend, it is also a folk mark honoring Chu Van Trinh's talent and virtue in influencing and educating both ghosts and gods.

Studying the development of Confucianism during the Tran Dynasty, Professor Nguyen Dong Chi in his work History of Ancient Vietnamese Literature stated that Chu Van An was a champion of Confucianism, and "made many achievements in gaining monopoly for his religion in the 14th century"... Accordingly, "Chu An's school later created a separate school in the Confucian community that had a great influence later on".

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Many of Mr. Chu's students became famous, and despite their high reputation, they were very polite when they visited him. That's why they "often came to visit, bowed under the bed, and were very happy to talk to him [Chu Van An] for a moment," Phong Tuc Su recorded. On the contrary, Mr. Chu was not afraid of his students, even though they had high positions, because he was not afraid of power. For his students, even though they had achieved high grades, according to the above book, "if something went wrong, he would scold them severely, sometimes yelling and chasing them away"; "if someone was bad, he would scold them severely, even shouting and not letting them in," Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu wrote. That shows his seriousness and discipline in educating his students.

Tinh tú đất Việt: Ông tổ của các nhà Nho nước Việt- Ảnh 2. — The book *"History of Ancient Vietnamese Literature"* , printed in 1970, highly appreciated the role of Chu Van An in the development of Confucianism during the Tran Dynasty.

After Chu Van An died, he was posthumously awarded the title of Van Trinh Cong and worshiped in the Temple of Literature. According to Viet Su Tieu An, during the Tran Dynasty , there were 3 people worshiped in the Temple of Literature: Chu Van An, Truong Han Sieu and Do Tu Binh. However, this book still writes: "Today, in the house west of the Temple of Literature, there is still Chu Van An's memorial tablet. As for Han Sieu and Tu Binh, they were stripped away, no one knows since when, but looking at this, one can see that people have the same human heart and heavenly principles." Today, in the complex of relics of the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, incense smoke still rises from the altar of the "eternal teacher" of Vietnam.

Chu Van An's educational career was analyzed, evaluated and highly respected by later generations, so the title "ancestor of Vietnamese Confucian scholars" is not too much. "A thousand years later, hearing about his demeanor, wouldn't it make the deceitful become upright, the weak learn to be independent? If we don't find out the reason, who would know that his posthumous name is worthy of the man he was. He truly deserves to be considered the ancestor of Vietnamese Confucian scholars and worshiped in the Temple of Literature", Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu recorded. ( continued )

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