Whenever the Master was singing in a group and heard something that he liked, he inevitably asked to have it sung again, and only then would harmonize with it.
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
If the Master was singing with others and one of them happened to be particularly good, he would invariably ask the person to repeat the piece and then he would join in.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Minister of Crime in the state of Chen asked, “Can we say that Duke Zhao [of Lu] understood ritual?”
Confucius answered, “Yes, he understood ritual.”
Confucius then retired. With a bow, the Minister invited Wuma Qi to approach and said to him, “I have heard it said that the gentleman is not partial. Is the gentleman in fact partial after all? His lordship took as his wife a woman from the state of Wu who was of the same clan, and then called her ‘Elder Daughter of Wu.’ If his lordship understood ritual, who does not understand it?”
Later, Wuma Qi reported this conversation to Confucius. Confucius said, “How fortunate I am! If I happen to make a mistake, others are sure to inform me.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The minister of crime of the state of Chen asked whether Duke Zhao of Lu understood ritual. Confucius replied, Yes, he understood ritual.
After Confucius had retired from the scene, the minister of crime signaled to Wuma Qi to step forward and said, I have heard that a gentleman is not partisan, but some gentlemen appear to be partisan indeed! Duke Zhao took a wife from the state of Wu, but because she was of the same surname as Duke Zhao, she was referred to simply as Wu Mengzi. If Duke Zhao understood ritual, then who doesn’t understand ritual?
Wuma Qi reported this to Confucius. The Master said, How fortunate I am! If I make a mistake, someone is certain to let me know.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The people of Hu Village were difficult to talk with [about the Way]. Therefore, when a young boy from the village presented himself for an interview, the disciples hesitated to let him in.
The Master said, “In allowing him to enter, I am not endorsing what he does after he retires. Why are you being so extreme? If a person purifies himself to enter, I accept his purification—I make no guarantees about what he will do once he leaves.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The people of Hu village are hard to talk to. A young man came for an interview with the Master. His disciples were troubled by this.
The Master said, My concern was with what brought him, not with what he did after he left. What was so wrong about that? When a person comes to you in good faith, give him credit for the good faith. Don’t expect guarantees for what comes after.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “No doubt there are those who try to innovate without acquiring knowledge, but this is a fault that I do not possess. I listen widely, and then pick out that which is excellent in order to follow it; I see many things, and then remember them. This constitutes a second-best sort of knowledge.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, There are those who do not have knowledge and yet make things. I’m not that way. I hear much, choose what is good and follow it, see much and keep it in mind. This is the next best thing to knowledge.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “A sage I will never get to meet; if I manage to meet a gentleman, I suppose I would be content. An excellent person I will never get to meet; if I manage to meet someone with constancy, I suppose I would be content. [Yet all I see around me is] nothing masquerading as something, emptiness masquerading as substance, limitation masquerading as grandness. I think even constancy will be hard to find.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, A sage I have never managed to see. If I could see a true gentleman, that would be enough.
The Master said, A truly good person I have never managed to see. If I could see a person of constancy, that would be enough. With nothingness pretending to possession, emptiness pretending to fullness, want pretending to affluence, true constancy is hard to find.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “Do you disciples imagine that I am being secretive? I hide nothing from you. I take no action, I make no move, without sharing it with you. This is the kind of person that I am.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, You young men, do you think I’m hiding something? I’m not hiding anything. I take no actions that are not taken in conjunction with you. That’s Qiu for you.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
