Ran Geng
Ran Geng (Chinese: 冉耕; Wade–Giles: Jan Keng; 544 BC – ?), also known by his courtesy name Boniu (Chinese: 伯牛; Wade–Giles: Po-niu), was one of the most prominent disciples of Confucius. Confucius considered him his third best disciple, after Yan Hui and Min Sun, in terms of moral conduct.[1]
Ran Geng was a native of the State of Lu, and was only seven years younger than Confucius. He was from the same clan as Ran Yong and Ran Qiu, two other prominent disciples of Confucius.[2] When Confucius served as the Minister of Justice of Lu, Ran became the magistrate of Zhongdu.[1] He contracted a vile disease, possibly leprosy,[3] and died young. Confucius lamented his early death with great pain.[1]
In Confucian temples, Ran Geng's spirit tablet is placed the fourth among the Twelve Wise Ones, on the west.[2]
Notes
- 1 2 3 Confucius 1997, pp. 201-2.
- 1 2 Legge 2009, p. 114.
- ↑ Han 2010, p. 4571.
Bibliography
- Confucius (1997). The Analects of Confucius. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-506157-4.
- Han, Zhaoqi (2010). "Biographies of Disciples of Confucius". Shiji (史记) (in Chinese). Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company. ISBN 978-7-101-07272-3.
- Legge, James (2009). The Confucian Analects, the Great Learning & the Doctrine of the Mean. Cosimo. ISBN 978-1-60520-644-8.
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