Classical Readings of the Analects

Author: Shanxi Ancient Books Publishing House
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-06-01
Features:
19.20 Zigong said, "A gentleman's faults are like the eclipses of the sun and moon: when he makes a mistake, everyone sees it; when he corrects it, everyone looks up to him." (320)
19.21 Wei Gongzhu Chao asked Zigong, "Where did Zhongni study?" Zigong replied, "The way of Wen and Wu has not perished from the earth; it is still among people. The worthy recognize its greater aspects, while the unworthy recognize its smaller aspects—there is Wen and Wu's way in everything. How could the Master not study? And why should he have a constant teacher?" (157)
19.22 Shusun Wushu spoke to the ministers in the court, "Zigong is more virtuous than Zhongni!" Zifu Jingbo reported this to Zigong, who said, "Compare it to a wall: Zigong's wall is only as high as the shoulder, allowing one to glimpse the beauty of the house. The Master's wall is many feet high, and without knowing the entrance, one cannot see the beauty of the ancestral hall or the richness of the officials. Those who find the entrance are few. It is no wonder that the Master is spoken of in this way." (054)
19.23 Shusun Wushu slandered Zhongni. Zigong said, "Do not do so! The Master cannot be slandered! The virtue of others is like hills, which can still be climbed over; but the Master is like the sun and moon—no one can surpass them. Even if people want to cut themselves off from the sun and moon, what harm does it do to them? It only shows their lack of self-awareness."
19.24 Chen Ziqin said to Zigong, "You are so respectful, but is the Master really more virtuous than you?" Zigong replied, "A gentleman judges by a single word whether he knows or does not know—words must be spoken with caution. The Master's reach is like the heavens, which cannot be climbed by steps! When the Master governs a state or a family, he sets an example, and people follow his way; he pacifies them, and they come; he moves them, and they harmonize. His life was glorious, and his death was mourned. How can anyone compare to him?" (053)
The Twenty-Second Chapter: Yao's Sayings
20.1 Yao said, "Ah, Shun! The mandate of heaven is upon you. Be true to the center. If the four seas are in dire straits, your heavenly fortune will end forever." Shun also passed this on to Yu. He said, "I, who am lesser than you, dare to use black oxen for sacrifice and dare to openly declare to the great and ancient emperors: I dare not forgive crimes. The emperor's ministers do not conceal them; they are in the emperor's heart. If I have faults, do not blame the myriad states; if the myriad states have faults, the blame lies on me." The Zhou dynasty was generous to the good, and the good were prosperous. "Even though they are close relatives, the benevolent are better. The faults of the people lie on me alone." He carefully measured weights and measures, reviewed laws and regulations, restored abandoned officials, and the governance of the four sides was carried out. He revived destroyed states, continued broken lineages, and raised the worthy, and the people of the world turned their hearts to him. What he valued most: the people, food, funerals, and sacrifices. He was lenient and gained the people's support; he was trustworthy, and the people trusted him; he was diligent, and he achieved success; he was fair, and the people were pleased. (434)
20.2 Zizhang asked Confucius, "What must one do to govern?" Confucius replied, "Respect the five virtues and eliminate the four vices, and then one can govern."
The Eight Exiled People: Bo Yi, Shu Qi, Yu Zhong, Yi Yi, Zhu Zhang, Liu Xiaohui, and Shao Lian. Confucius said, "Those who do not lower their aspirations or disgrace themselves are Bo Yi and Shu Qi." He said of Liu Xiaohui and Shao Lian, "They have lowered their aspirations and disgraced themselves. Their words conform to norms, and their actions are well-considered—this is enough." He said of Yu Zhong and Yi Yi, "They live in seclusion and speak freely, keeping themselves pure and exercising authority in moderation." As for me, I am different—I have no fixed principles." (342)
20.2 The great master Zhi moved to Qi, the second-in-command Gan moved to Chu, the third-in-command Liao moved to Cai, the fourth-in-command Que moved to Qin, Gu Fangshu entered the river, Bo Touwu entered the Han, and Shao Shiyang, Sheng Qing, and Xiang entered the sea. (014)
20.3 The Duke of Zhou said to the Duke of Lu, "A gentleman does not abandon his relatives, nor does he make his high ministers resentful. He does not abandon the old without good reason. He does not demand perfection from one person." (437)
20.4 The Zhou dynasty had eight distinguished men: Bo Da, Bo Shi, Zhong Tu, Zhong Hu, Shu Ye, Shu Xia, Ji sui, and Ji Rou.
The Nineteenth Chapter: Zizhang
19.1 Zizhang said, "A gentleman faces danger and gives his life, considers gain with righteousness, thinks of reverence in sacrifice, and feels sorrow in mourning—this is enough." (339)
19.2 Zizhang said, "To hold virtue without breadth, to believe in the way without firmness—how can one be certain of existence? How can one be certain of non-existence?" (143)
19.3 A student of Zixia asked Zizhang about making friends. Zizhang asked, "What does Zixia say?" The student replied, "Zixia said, 'Give to those who are worthy and reject those who are not.' Zizhang said, 'That is different from what I have heard. A gentleman respects the virtuous and accepts the many, praises the good and shows mercy to the incapable. If I am the greatest among the virtuous, what can I not accept? If I am not virtuous, people will reject me—how can I reject others?'" (324)
19.4 Zixia said, "Even small paths have something worth observing. But if one goes too far, it may become muddy, so the gentleman does not pursue them." (131)
19.5 Zixia said, "To know what you do not know each day and not to forget what you can do each month is to be a good learner." (150)
19.6 Zixia said, "To learn broadly and be firm in purpose, to ask earnestly and think deeply—there is benevolence in this." (164)
19.7 Zixia said, "Craftsmen work in their workshops to complete their tasks, and gentlemen study to attain the way." (130)
19.8 Zixia said, "The petty person always tries to excuse their faults." (322)
19.9 Zixia said, "A gentleman has three transformations—his appearance is solemn, his demeanor is warm, and his words are stern." (300)
19.10 Zixia said, "A gentleman believes before he burdens the people; without belief, they think it is harsh toward them. He believes before he advises; without belief, they think it is slander against them." (436)
19.11 Zixia said, "Great virtue does not cross boundaries, but small virtue may vary slightly." (334)
19.12 Ziyou asked Zixia's student, "When it comes to cleaning, responding, and proper conduct, that is enough. But this is the lesser part. If the fundamental part is lacking, how can it be?" Zixia heard this and said, "Ah! Ziyou has gone too far. The way of the gentleman—what should be transmitted first? What should be left behind? Compare it to plants and trees, which are distinguished by categories. How can the way of the gentleman be misrepresented? Those who have both beginning and end—can they be but the sages?" (192)
19.13 Zixia said, "To govern well, then study; to study well, then govern." (459)
19.14 Zixia said, "Funerals should reach the point of sorrow and stop there." (228)
19.15 Ziyou said, "My friend Zhang is difficult to match, but he is not yet benevolent." Zengzi said, "Zhang is grand, but it is hard to be a peer of benevolence with him." (415)
19.16 Zengzi said, "I heard from the Master, 'No one achieves selflessness on their own; they must do so through mourning for their parents.'" (252)
19.17 Zengzi said, "I heard from the Master, 'Mengzhu's filial piety is something others can do; but not changing his father's officials or policies—that is difficult.'" (250)
19.18 The Meng family appointed Yang Fu as a judge and asked Zengzi. Zengzi said, "When the superiors lose the way, the people have long been scattered. If you understand the truth, then pity them but do not rejoice!" (488)
19.19 Zigong said, "The evil of Zhou was not as severe as this. That is why the gentleman dislikes being in the lower stream—the evils of the entire world gather there." (264)
[Materials]
Preface
1. Origin Once, when discussing quality education, I said, "We should learn from Confucius's teaching philosophy." A teacher immediatelyed, "Are we supposed to learn from Confucius's cramming and rote memorization?" I was speechless. We cannot deny that most people still lack understanding of Confucius, so there was an urge to introduce him, but it was never acted upon. Later, reading Youth Reference, I noticed many external messages coming in, and I realized how far behind we had fallen. Here is a summary:
- Swiss Love Family, Not Officials (January 13, 2000) A country of only 7 million people, Switzerland, has 25 Nobel Prize winners. When asked about these names, the Swiss would proudly recite them; but when asked about their highest leaders, many did not know.
- Three Cultural Shocks in Japan (March 9, 2000) Workaholics: People work until they are exhausted, and even an hour after, the office is still bustling with people looking for more work. Hunger-Free: Japan's GDP ranks second in the world, but "carrying a bit of hunger and cold" is a cultural characteristic. Civilized and Orderly: On Sundays, the 100-plus kilometers of roads leading to Tokyo are completely congested, yet the order is not disrupted. Almost all traffic is in the same direction, with few oncoming cars and no traffic police. In seven or eight hours, no car was seen overtaking from the wrong lane or honking impatiently.
- I Paid a "Burial Fee" for a Dead Tree (July 27, 2000) After World War II, defeated Germany lacked fuel. When winter came, Germans shivered in the cold but did not cut down a single tree in the forest.
- A Smart Society Is Too Foolish (September 14, 2000) In Bulgaria, many Chinese are successful in business—taxes are based on self-declaration, but few Chinese report their actual income. Enjoying such tax "privileges," they have accumulated enough wealth over the years. Moreover, they pass on their "experience" to newcomers and mock tax officials as "foolish Lokovski."
- In the UK, Train Stations Have No Ticket Checks, and No One Evades Tickets Platforms are completely open, but no one. Renting a boat in the lakes requires no deposit or document withholding—just buy a ticket and get a boat. When returning, there is no ticket check or boat inspection—just tie it up as usual, and you are done.
- A Chinese Student Sent a Watch Back to China, but Only an Empty Box Arrived When the student reported this to the British postal service, they compensated him without requiring any proof.
These facts, though not shocking, at least show our. They should make every Chinese reflect. It is not terrible to have flaws, but it is terrible to ignore them or cover them up, even to the point of being proud of them—that is the real horror and real sorrow.
Here, I mention the strengths of others not to deny their weaknesses, nor mention our weaknesses to deny our strengths and make us feel worthless. Instead, we should take the strengths of others to compensate for our weaknesses—“choose the good and follow it, and correct the bad.”
When discussing China's backwardness, many attribute it to economic factors or related issues, such as a large population, scarce resources, and low national quality, including labor quality. Few link it to moral quality or mental state. For a great nation that has long prided itself on being a "civilized ancient country," this is undoubtedly a great shame and a perfect irony.
In my view, the state of the nation is closely related to the lack of understanding or disregard for Confucian thought. To change this, popularizing Confucian thought among the people is undoubtedly an effective means. Thus, I began to classify and organize the origins of Confucianism, starting with the Analects.
The world outside is wonderful, but the things inside are helpless. The reason developed countries are advanced is their high moral and ethical quality: being kind to others, upholding morality, being dedicated to their jobs, and caring about the people. All of this—can it not be a strong driving force for economic development?
Therefore, when we admire their remarkable achievements, we must not forget the comprehensive efforts they made to achieve them; when we praise their social atmosphere, we must not forget the role each individual plays in shaping it.
Just like watching a sports competition—if you only admire the champion without thinking about the hard work and effort they put in, or if you only watch the exciting performances without learning anything, then you have wasted your time watching the game.