Hidden Analects

Author: Xin Yan Dun Wang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-02-03
Features: If it is true that Confucius's life before his death was filled with tragedy, then his posthumous fate was filled with comedy. Almost every ruler of successive dynasties tried to interpret Confucius according to their own needs; these interpretations, when layered upon one another, not only made Confucius's image more obscure but also appeared quite absurd. For thousands of years, Confucius has been passed down in China in this manner, influencing generation after generation of Chinese people. And along with him, his Analects have also survived amidst a myriad of interpretations. Which interpretation comes closer to the essence of the matter? Or, which interpretation comes closer to the true face of Confucius? People have found it increasingly difficult to answer this question. In this sense, any "Confucius" is, in fact, the real Confucius, the Confucius in the minds of the interpreters. These Confucii are more often not derived from the Analects but must be grounded in its foundation, existing in a space between resemblance and dissimilarity... If it is true that Confucius's life before his death was filled with tragedy, then his posthumous fate was filled with comedy. Almost every ruler of successive dynasties tried to interpret Confucius according to their own needs; these interpretations, when layered upon one another, not only made Confucius's image more obscure but also appeared quite absurd. For thousands of years, Confucius has been passed down in China in this manner, influencing generation after generation of Chinese people. And along with him, his Analects have also survived amidst a myriad of interpretations. Which interpretation comes closer to the essence of the matter? Or, which interpretation comes closer to the true face of Confucius? People have found it increasingly difficult to answer this question. In this sense, any "Confucius" is, in fact, the real Confucius, the Confucius in the minds of the interpreters. These Confucii are more often not derived from the Analects but must be grounded in its foundation, existing in a space between resemblance and dissimilarity. Thus, getting closer to Confucius has become increasingly difficult. The only possibility is to return to the starting point and reread the original text. It is better to create your own Confucius in your heart than to accept one that has been interpreted by others. As the saying goes, "Eating someone else's chewed bread has no taste," and reading the Analects should be the same. When I first saw the manuscript of The Hidden Analects, I strongly felt that the author had put in considerable effort while reading the original text. The Analects was compiled by Confucius's students over two and a half thousand years ago, recording the conversations of their teacher. Many of them were in the vernacular of the time, vivid, lively, and full of human interest, making them not particularly difficult to understand today. On the other hand, many later interpretations have placed one hat after another on the Analects, leaving us lost in a fog and unable to discern its truth. The Hidden Analects may aim to restore the original face of the Analects without being limited by any of the previous interpretations. The author's approach is to read the original text seriously, carefully its meaning, and thus find the interpretation he believes comes closest to the original intent of Confucius. The author avoids playing with concepts or delving into obscure matters. He avoids falling into the mire of the Yin-Yang Five Elements framework of the Qin and Han Confucianism or the Mind-Nature Ontology framework of the Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism, instead connecting it to reality and personal experience, bringing the Analects back into the realm of daily life and the real society, and recovering the once-lost human qualities and functions. This point will surely be confirmed by the readers from his book. If the Analects has a nature, then this realistic human vitality is its nature. Therefore, the Analects is not just read but also practiced. Another characteristic of the Analects is its practicality. Sitting and debating theories or engaging in abstract speculation are both detours in reading the Analects. As we all know, the story of "losing the sheep on a diverging path" is a warning to be particularly cautious about when reading the Analects. Cheng Yi of the Song Dynasty once said, "Before reading the Analects, one is of this kind; after reading, one is still of this kind—just as if one had not read at all." Cheng Yi meant to emphasize that reading the Analects must be implemented in 'being a person,' that is, in personal cultivation. Hegel held little regard for the Analects, mocking it as merely "maxims for social conduct." This cannot be entirely wrong, but it is not comprehensive or profound either. In reality, even if it is just "maxims for social conduct" or "personal cultivation," it is still far from being that simple, as it still contains very profound concepts and ideals about human nature. In this regard, the author has also put in great effort. At the end of each chapter and section, he has written brief comments, notes, and explanations, some of which are richly referenced and quoted, but more often, they are reflections and discussions combined with real-life experiences. Reading these parts often gives us some inspiration.