D.C. Lau the analects of confucius

TheAnalectsofConfuciusThemostimportantoftheschoolsofChinesePhilosophy,certainlyintermsofitspervasiveinfluenceuponChinesecivilization,istheonefoundedbyConfucius(551-479B.C.).Confuciuslivedinatimeofgreatpoliticalandsocialunrest,atimewhenChinawasdividedintoanumberofwarringstateseachruledbyrulerswhoruledbyforce,andwhosesubjectslivedinaconstantstateoffear.Confuciusdevotedhislifetomoralandsocialreform,travelingwidelythroughoutChina,offeringhissocialandmoralteachingstovariouslocalrulers.Whiletheseideaswerenotimplementedduringhislifetime,theyhavehadafar-reachingimpactonsubsequentChineseandAsiancultureingeneral.TheprimarysourceforthephilosophyofConfuciusistheAnalects,acollectionofsayingsassembledbyhisdisciplessometimeafterhisdeath.ThephilosophyoftheAnalectsismarkedbyanabsenceofmetaphysicalspeculationandaconcern,aboveall,forthecorrectsocialandpoliticalorderingofhumansociety.Confucianphilosophyisalsodistinguishedbyitshumanism.Confucius'moralsystemisnotbasedupontranscendentprinciplesoruponarewardandpunishmentsystembaseduponwhathappensafterdeath.Instead,Confuciusarguedthatsocialreformcannotcomefromaboveandwithoutbutratherfromwithin,fromwithinthehumanheart.Basicallyoptimisticabouthumannature,Confuciusbelievedintheperfectibilityofthehumancharacter.Ifeachpersoncoulduncoverthevirtuewithinthensocietywouldrightitself.TheMastersaid,“AtfifteenIsetmyheart(xin)onlearning;atthirtyItookmystand;atfortyIcametobefreefromdoubts;atfiftyIunderstoodtheDecreeofHeaven(Tianming);atsixtymyearwasattuned;atseventyIfollowedmyheart’sdesirewithoutoversteppingtheline.”(II/4)TheMastersaid,Yu,shallItellyouwhatitistoknow.Tosayyouknowwhenyouknow,andtosayyoudonotwhenyoudonot,thatiswisdom(zhi).(II/17)TheMastersaid,DoIpossessknowledge(zhi)?No,Idonot.Arusticputaquestiontomeandmymindwasacompleteblank.IkepthammeringatthetwosidesofthequestionuntilIgoteverythingoutofit.(IX/8)TheMastersaid,Iwasnotbornwithknowledge(zhi)but,beingfondofantiquity,Iamquicktoseekit.(VII/20)Chi-luaskedhowthespiritsofthedeadandthegodsshouldbeserved.TheMastersaid,Youarenotableeventoserveman.Howcanyouservethespirits?MayIaskaboutdeath?Youdonotunderstandevenlife.Howcanyouunderstanddeath?(XI/12)TheMastersaid,HehasnotlivedinvainwhodiesthedayheistoldabouttheWay(dao).(IV/8)TheMastersaid,ItisManwhoiscapableofbroadeningtheWay(dao).ItisnottheWaythatiscapableofbroadeningMan.(XV/29)TheMastersaid,IsetmyheartontheWay(dao),basemyselfonvirtue(de),leanuponbenevolence(ren)forsupportandtakemyrecreationinthearts.(VII/6)OnewhoengagesingovernmentbyPotency(de)maybecomparedtotheNorthStar;itoccupiesitsplaceandallthestarspayhomagetoit.(II/1)TheMastersaid,Heaven(Tian)isauthorofthevirtue(de)thatisinme.WhatcanHuant’uidotome?(VII/23)Confucius,Inkonsilk,MingDynastyDaoTianmingDeIntroductiontoAsianPhilosophyTheAnalectsofConfucius—2Onenotpersistentinmaintainingvirtue(de),notsincereinhistrustintheWay(dao),howcanyoutellwhetherheisthereorisn’t.(XIX/2)TheMastersaid,Havethefirmfaithtodevoteyourselftolearning,andabidetothedeathinthegoodway.Enternotastatethatisinperil;staynotinastatethatisindanger.ShowyourselfwhentheWay(dao)prevailsintheEmpire,buthideyourselfwhenitdoesnot.ItisashamefulmattertobepoorandhumblewhentheWayprevailsinthestate.Equally,itisashamefulmattertoberichandnoblewhentheWayfallsintodisuseinthestate.(VIII/13)TheMastersaid,WhentheWay(dao)prevailsinthestate,speakandactwithperiloushigh-mindedness;whentheWaydoesnotprevail,actwithperiloushigh-mindednessbutspeakwithself-effacingdiffidence.(XIV/3)ChiK'angTzuaskedConfuciusaboutgovernment,saying,Whatwouldyouthinkif,inordertomoveclosertothosewhopossesstheWay(dao),IweretokillthosewhodonotfollowtheWay?Confuciusanswered,Inadministeringyourgovernment,whatneedisthereforyoutokill?Justdesirethegoodyourselfandthecommonpeoplewillbegood.Thevirtue(de)ofthegentleman(junzi)islikewind;thevirtueofthesmallmanislikegrass.Letthewindblowoverthegrassanditwillsurelybend.(XII/19)TheMastersaid,WealthandhighstationarewhatmendesirebutunlessIgotthemintherightwayIwouldnotremaininthem.Povertyandlowstationarewhatmendislike,butevenifIdidnotgetthemintherightwayIwouldnottrytoescapefromthem.Ifthegentleman(junzi)forsakesbenevolence(ren),inwhatwaycanhemakeanameforhimself?Thegentlemanneverdesertsbenevolence,notevenforaslongasittakestoeatameal.Ifhehurriesandstumblesonemaybesurethatitisinbenevolencethathedoesso.(IV/5)TheMastersaid,Thegentleman(junzi)hasmorality(yi)ashisbasicstuffandbyobservingtherites(li)putsitintopractice,bybeingmodestgivesitexpression,andbybeingtrustworthyinwordbringsittocompletion.Suchisthegentlemanindeed!(XV/18)TheMastersaid,Inhisdealingswiththeworldthegentleman(junzi)isnotinvariablyfororagainstanything.Heisonthesideofwhatismoral(yi).(IV/10)TheMastersaid,Whatthegentleman(junzi)seeks,heseekswithinhimself;whatthesmallmanseeks,heseeksinothers.(XV/21)Tzu-lu,whentravelingwith[Confucius],fellbehind.Hemetanoldman,carryingabasketonastaffoverhisshoulder.Tzu-luasked,HaveyouseenmyMaster?Theoldmansaid,Youseemneithertohavetoiledwithyourlimbsnortobeabletotellonekindofgrainfromanother.WhomayyourMasterbe?