The late Ming Zen monk Dao Sheng has a sympathetic understanding of Confucianism, and has a special empathy and insight into the person and learning of Confucius, as well as a fine interpretation of the Analects. Therefore, in this paper, we will try to clarify his words in order to see the wonderful meaning of Buddhist interpretation of Confucianism. Although the focus of Confucianism has been on the “what he likes to learn” of Yanzi, the key phrase of 'not to relent in anger, not to be unsettled by one’s own fault', has not been properly explained; and Confucius' views on the issue of "life and death" have also been subject to disagreement outside of the Confucianism. It so happens that Daosheng has a surprising discussion on these two controversial topics, so this paper examines them in three ways: (1) First, by using Daosheng's explanation of "not to be incomplete", we will explore the possibility of a new interpretation. Although it is out of the tradition, it can provide a new perspective. This paper will lead to a response to the question of “human finitude”. (2) The extreme of such finiteness is death. It is generally believed that the Analects of Confucius does not speak much about death, and that the few chapters that have been recorded are a reflection of the superficiality of the later generations. (3) The two quotations from the previous two chapters are used to illustrate the characteristics of Confucius' teachings corresponding to Zen. In conclusion, this essay has brought out two new interpretations of Dao Sheng's chapters to see how he affirms Buddhism through Confucian texts. What are the deeper meanings implied by the interpretations? And what does he say about Confucius' teachings? Let us see how Dosheng and Confucius have developed over the ages.
