Born in 551 BC, Confucius has made the greatest contribution to Chinese culture of anyone in history. When he began teaching in his early （twenty）, he soon began to attract many disciples（弟子）. He was not only a scholar, but also a man had political ideals. But when his ideals could not （realize）, he resigned. After his resignation from government service, he spent his last years （teach） and editing earlier writings. It is generally believed that Confucius preserved the literature of China for later times. Fearing that it would be lost during the troubled era in which he lived, he gathered earlier writings to prepare are called the Five Classics. He also left behind him the Analects, collection of sayings, which were put together by his disciples. Confucius was born only a few years after the Buddha. Unlike the Buddha, however, he did not seek to escape from the world, but wanted to find a way man to be happy on earth. He thought that human nature was good, not bad. If men would think and act （proper）, he believed, most evils would disappear. In government he believed that the ruler was like the father in a family. He also stressed the importance of education, good manners, and tradition. Highly （value） by the Chinese people, his thoughts and teachings formed the foundation of a great philosophy, Confucianism. Over the last 2,000 years, his philosophy （continue） to influence China and the rest of the world.
