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A man from Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period in China. He was Confucius' (Kongqiu's) most beloved disciple. Hui was his given name. His pen name was Ziyuan. He was also called Gan Yuan. He was the wisest of Confucius' school, and was counted at the top of the School of Virtue. Confucius considered benevolence to be the highest virtue, and never recognized anybody of his time as a benevolent person. However, he recognized Gan Hui as the only one who was almost benevolent, saying that "only Gan Hui could maintain a benevolent mind for three months." He also said that among his disciples, only Gan Hui was a lover of learning. He never served a nobleman, and was extremely poor throughout his life, but he enjoyed his way of life without caring. In the Records of the Grand Historian, Zhongni's disciples are said to have been 30 years younger than Confucius (some say 37 years older), but he died before Confucius. At his death, Confucius lamented, "Oh heaven, you have destroyed me." Since Gan Hui had a hermit-like air among the Confucian scholars, he is often portrayed as a wise man in Taoist writings. In the Sekiten (ceremony to worship Confucius), he was worshiped by Confucius as early as the Three Kingdoms Wei Dynasty.

[Shigehiko Uno December 14, 2015]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、春秋時代の魯(ろ)の人。孔子（孔丘）の最愛の弟子。回は名。字(あざな)は子淵(しえん)。ゆえに顔淵ともいう。徳行科の筆頭に数えられる孔門第一の賢者。孔子は仁を最高の徳とし、時人を評して仁者と認めたことはないが、顔回については「回のみは三か月も仁の心を継続しうる」と唯一ほぼ仁者と認め、また弟子中で好学といえるのは回のみであるともいった。貴権に仕えることもなく、その生涯は至って貧しかったが意に介せず道を楽しんだ。『史記』仲尼弟子(ちゅうじていし)列伝では孔子より30歳（37歳説もあり）年少というが、孔子より先に死んだ。その死に際し孔子は「ああ天、予(われ)を喪(ほろ)ぼす」といって慟哭(どうこく)した。顔回は孔門中にて隠者の風があるので、道家の書にも賢人として取り上げる話柄が多い。釈奠(せきてん)（孔子を祀(まつ)る礼）において早くも三国魏(ぎ)以来、孔子に従祀(じゅうし)される。

［宇野茂彦　2015年12月14日］

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