Death - Confucian Pages

Analects 19.25

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Nineteen

Original Text:

陈子禽谓子贡曰子为恭也仲尼岂贤于子乎子贡曰君子一言以为知一言以为不知言不可不慎也夫子之不可及也犹天之不可阶而升也夫子之得邦家者所谓立之斯立道之斯行绥之斯来动之斯和其生也荣其死也哀如之何其可及也

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Chen Ziqin said to Zigong, “You show reverence to Confucius, but how could he be more worthy than you?”
Zigong replied, “A gentleman can be judged wise or unwise on the basis of a single comment—this is why one cannot fail to be careful in one’s speech. One cannot equal the Master anymore than one can climb a stairway to the heavens. Had the Master acquired control of a state or noble family, then, as they say: ‘When he raised them up, they would stand; when he led them forward they would advance; when he comforted them they would come; and when he moved them they would become harmonious.’ His birth was glorious and his death was universally mourned. How could anyone equal him?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Chen Ziqin said to Zigong, You are being too modest. How could Zhongni be a worthier man than you?
Zigong said, The gentleman speaks one word and shows that he is wise, speaks one word and shows that he is unwise. Therefore, he must be careful how he speaks. Our Master can no more be equaled than one can mount a stairway to the sky. If our Master were to preside over a state or a powerful family, then, as the saying has it, If he raised them, they would stand; if he led, they would go forward; if he chose peace, they would flock around; if he moved, they would move in harmony. In life he is glorious; in death, deeply mourned. How, then, could he be equaled?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 18.1

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Eighteen

Original Text:

微子去之箕子为之奴比干谏而死孔子曰殷有三仁焉

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The Master of Wei left his side, the Master of Ji became his slave, and Bi Gan remonstrating with him and was therefore put to death. Confucius said, “In them, the Shang had three Good men.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Weizi left the state; Jizi became a slave; Bi Gan reprimanded him and was killed. Confucius said, The Yin had three who were humane.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 17.21

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Seventeen

Original Text:

宰我问三年之丧期已久矣君子三年不为礼礼必坏三年不为乐乐必崩旧谷既没新谷既升钻燧改火期可已矣子曰食夫稻衣夫锦于女安乎曰安女安则为之夫君子之居丧食旨不甘闻乐不乐居处不安故不为也今女安则为之宰我出

子曰予之不仁也子生三年然后免于父母之怀夫三年之丧天下之通丧也予也有三年之爱于其父母乎

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Zai Wo asked about the three-year mourning period, saying, “Surely one year is long enough. If the gentleman refrains from practicing ritual for three years, the rites will surely fall into ruin; if he refrains from music for three years, this will surely be disastrous for music. After the lapse of a year the old grain has been used up, while the new grain has ripened, and the four different types of tinder have all been drilled in order to rekindle the fire. One year is surely long enough.”
The Master asked, “Would you feel comfortable then eating your sweet rice and wearing your brocade gowns?”
“I would.”
The Master replied, “Well, if you would feel comfortable doing so, then by all means you should do it. When the gentleman is in mourning, he gets no pleasure from eating sweet foods, finds no joy in listening to music, and feels no comfort in his place of dwelling. This is why he gives up these things. But if you would feel comfortable doing them, then by all means you should!”
After Zai Wo left, the Master remarked, “This shows how lacking in Goodness this Zai Wo is! A child is completely dependent upon the care of his parents for the first three years of his life—this is why the three-year mourning period is the common practice throughout the world. Did Zai Wo not receive three years of care from his parents?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Zai Wo asked about the three-year mourning period, saying that one year should be long enough. If the gentleman goes three years without performing rituals, the rituals are certain to decline; if he goes three years without performing music, music is certain to be lost. The old grain has been used up; the new grain has ripened; drills have kindled new fires to replace the old ones—surely one year is long enough!
The Master said, Eating rice, wearing brocade—would you feel right doing that?
Yes, I would, said Zai Wo.
If you would feel right, then do so. But when a gentleman is in mourning, if he ate fine food, it would have no savor; if he listened to music, it would bring no joy; if he lived in ease, it would not feel right. Therefore, he does not do so. But now you would feel right, so you may do so.
After Zai Wo had left, the Master said, Yu (Zai Wo) has no humaneness! Only after a child is three years old does he leave the bosom of his father and mother. The three-year mourning period is a custom common to everyone in the world. Surely Yu, too, enjoyed his three years of loving from father and mother!
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 16.12

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Sixteen

Original Text:

齐景公有马千驷死之日民无德而称焉伯夷叔齐饿于首阳之下民到于今称之其斯之谓与

Translation:

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“ ‘Duke Jing of Qi had a thousand teams of horses, and yet on the day he died, the people could find no reason to praise him. Bo Yi and Shu Qi starved to death at the foot of Mt. Shouyang, and yet to this day the common people still praise them.’ ”
“Is this not an example of this?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Duke Jing of Qi had a thousand teams of four horses, but the day he died, the common people of Qi could think of no bounty to praise him for. Bo Yi and Shu Qi died of hunger on Mount Shou-yang, yet to this day the common people praise them. This is what the saying means.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 15.35

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Fifteen

Original Text:

子曰民之于仁也甚于水火水火吾见蹈而死者矣未见蹈仁而死者也

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The Master said, “Goodness is even more vital to the common people than water or fire. I have seen people perish from walking through fire and water, but have never seen anyone perish by walking the path of Goodness.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, Humaneness is more vital to the people than water or fire. I have seen people die from treading on water or fire, but I have never seen the person who died from treading the path of humaneness.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 15.20

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Fifteen

Original Text:

子曰君子疾没世而名不称焉

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Other Translations:

The Master said, “The gentleman is troubled by the possibility that his name will go uncelebrated after his death.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, The gentleman is pained to think that after he has left the world his name will not be remembered.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 15.9

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Fifteen

Original Text:

子曰志士仁人无求生以害仁有杀身以成仁

Translation:

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The Master said, “No scholar-official of noble intention or Good person would ever pursue life at the expense of Goodness, and in fact some may be called upon to give up their lives in order to fulfill Goodness.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, The man of high ideals, the humane person, never tries to go on living if it is harmful to humaneness. There are times when he sacrifices his life to preserve humaneness.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 14.40

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Fourteen

Original Text:

子张曰书云‘高宗谅阴三年不言何谓也子曰何必高宗古之人皆然君薨百官总己以听于冢宰三年

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Zizhang asked, “The Book of Documents says, ‘Gaozong stayed in his mourning hut, and did not speak for three years.’ What does this mean?”
The Master replied, “We do not have to confine ourselves to Gaozong—all of the ancients were the same. When their lord passed away, for three years the hundred officials would all see to their own tasks, under the direction of the Prime Minister.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Zizhang said, The Book of Documents states that Gao Zong was in his mourning hut for three years without speaking. What does this mean?
The Master said, Why only Gao Zong? The men of ancient times all did this. When the ruler passed away, the officials under him for three years took all their instructions from the prime minister.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 14.21

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Fourteen

Original Text:

陈成子弑简公孔子沐浴而朝告于哀公曰陈恒弑其君请讨之公曰告夫三子孔子曰以吾从大夫之后不敢不告也君曰‘告夫三子者之三子告不可孔子曰以吾从大夫之后不敢不告也

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When Chen Chengzi assassinated Duke Jian, Confucius ritually bathed himself and then presented himself at the court of Duke Ai, reporting to him, “This Chen Heng has assassinated his lord. I ask that you punish him.”
The Duke replied, “Report it to the Three.”
Confucius said, “Having held rank below the ministers, I did not dare to not report this. Now my lord says, ‘Report it to the Three.’ ” He then went and reported it to the Three, who did not approve his request. Confucius remarked, “Having held rank below the ministers, I did not dare to not report.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Chen Chengzi assassinated Duke Jian of Qi. Confucius bathed, washed his hair, proceeded to court, and reported to Duke Ai, saying, Chen Heng (Chen Chengzi) has assassinated his ruler. I request that he be punished.
The duke said, Report that to the three leaders of the Ji family.
Later Confucius said, I follow the high officials—I would not dare to leave such an event unreported. The ruler said, Report that to the three leaders of the Ji family.
When he went and reported to the three leaders, they declined to act. Confucius said, I follow the high officials—I would not dare to leave such an event unreported.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 14.17

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Fourteen

Original Text:

子贡曰管仲非仁者与桓公杀公子纠不能死又相之子曰管仲相桓公霸诸侯一匡天下民到于今受其赐微管仲吾其被发左衽矣岂若匹夫匹妇之为谅也自经于沟渎而莫之知也

Translation:

Other Translations:

Zigong asked, “Guan Zhong was not a Good person, was he? When Duke Huan had Prince Jiu murdered, Guan Zhong was not only incapable of dying with his master, he moreover turned around and served his master’s murderer as Prime Minister.”
The Master replied, “When Guan Zhong served as Duke Huan’s Prime Minister, he allowed him to become hegemon over the other feudal lords, uniting and ordering the entire world. To this day, the people continue to enjoy the benefits of his achievements—if it were not for Guan Zhong, we would all be wearing our hair loose and fastening our garments on the left. How could he be expected to emulate the petty fidelity of a common husband or wife, going off to hang himself and die anonymously in some gully or ditch?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Zigong said, Guan Zhong was not a humane man, was he? When Duke Huan put to death the ducal son Jiu, he not only could not bring himself to die with Jiu but went on to become prime minister to Duke Huan.
The Master said, With Guan Zhong as his prime minister, Duke Huan was able to become leader of the feudal lords and impose order on the empire. Even to this day, our people benefit from what he did. Without Guan Zhong, we would be wearing our hair unbound and folding our robes to the left. Would you expect of him the kind of “fidelity” of ordinary men or women who strangle themselves, end up in a roadside ditch, with no one even aware of it?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.