Master Zeng said, “I have heard from the Master that, while it is possible to match the filial piety of Meng Zhuangzi in most respects, it is difficult to match the way he refrained from changing the ministers or governmental policies of his father.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Master Zeng said, I have heard our Master say, The filial piety displayed by Meng Zhuang Zi can be matched in other respects. But the way he refrained from dismissing the officials appointed by his father or departing from his father’s ways of governing—that would be hard to match.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
When Liuxia Hui was serving as Captain of the Guard, he was dismissed three times. People said to him, “Sir, is this not grounds for simply leaving?”
He replied, “If I serve others by means of the upright Way, where can I go and not end up being dismissed three times? If, instead, I were to serve others in a crooked, accommodating manner, what need would I have to leave my home state?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
When Liuxia Hui served as chief judge he was three times dismissed. Someone said, Wouldn’t you do better going elsewhere?
Liuxia Hui said, If I apply the Way correctly in serving others, where can I go and not be dismissed three times? And if I applied the Way in a crooked fashion in serving others, what need would I have to leave the country of my father and mother?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
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.
The Master said, “Little Ones, why do none of you learn the Odes? The Odes can be a source of inspiration and a basis for evaluation; they can help you to come together with others, as well as to properly express complaints. In the home, they teach you about how to serve your father, and in public life they teach you about how to serve your lord. They also broadly acquaint you with the names of various birds, beasts, plants, and trees.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, Young people, why do none of you study the Odes? The Odes train you in analogy, allow you to observe customs, teach you to be sociable, teach you to express anger. Close at hand, you learn how to serve your father; in more distant terms, how to serve the ruler. And you become familiar with the names of numerous birds, animals, plants, and trees.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Confucius responded, “Let the lord be a true lord, the ministers true ministers, the fathers true fathers, and the sons true sons.”
The Duke replied, “Well put! Certainly if the lord is not a true lord, the ministers not true ministers, the fathers not true fathers, and the sons not true sons, even if there is sufficient grain, will I ever get to eat it?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Duke Jing of Qi questioned Confucius about government. Confucius replied, Let the ruler be a ruler; the subject, a subject; the father, a father; the son, a son.
The duke said, Splendid! For if indeed the ruler is not a ruler, the subject not a subject, the father not a father, the son not a son, then although there is grain, how will I be able to eat it?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
When Yan Hui passed away, the disciples wished to give him a lavish funeral.
The Master said, “That would not be proper.”
The disciples nonetheless went ahead and buried Yan Hui lavishly.
The Master remarked, “Hui looked upon me as a father, and yet in this case I was unable to treat him as a son. This was not my choice, but rather yours, you disciples.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
When Yan Yuan died, the disciples wanted to give him a lavish burial. The Master said, That won’t do! But the disciples gave him a lavish burial anyway.
The Master said, Hui looked on me as a father, but I could not bury him as I would a son. I’m not to blame—it was you young men!
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “When in public, serving the Duke and his ministers; when at home, serving my father and elders; not daring to not exert myself to the utmost in performing funerary tasks; and not allowing myself to be befuddled by wine—these sorts of things present me with no trouble.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, In public life serving lords and high ministers; at home serving father and elder brothers; when there is a funeral, never daring to be remiss; never getting drunk and unruly—this much I can manage.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
