Spirits - Confucian Pages

Analects 11.12

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Eleven

Original Text:

季路问事鬼神子曰未能事人焉能事鬼曰敢问死曰未知生焉知死

Translation:

Other Translations:

Zilu asked about serving ghosts and spirits. The Master said, “You are not yet able to serve people—how could you be able to serve ghosts and spirits?”
“May I inquire about death?”
“You do not yet understand life—how could you possibly understand death?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Jilu asked how one should serve the gods and spirits. The Master said, When you don’t yet know how to serve human beings, how can you serve the spirits?
Jilu said, May I venture to ask about death? The Master said, When you don’t yet understand life, how can you understand death?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 8.21

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Eight

Original Text:

子曰禹吾无间然矣菲饮食而致孝乎鬼神恶衣服而致美乎黻冕卑宫室而尽力乎沟洫禹吾无间然矣

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “I can find no fault with [the legendary sage-king] Yu. He subsisted on meager rations, and yet was lavishly filial in his offerings to the ancestral spirits. His everyday clothes were shabby, but his ceremonial headdress and cap were exceedingly fine. He lived in a mean hovel, expending all of his energies on the construction of drainage ditches and canals. I can find no fault with Yu.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, I can find no fault with Yu. Sparing in his food and drink, he yet served the spirits and gods with utmost filial devotion. His ordinary robes were shabby, but his sacrificial aprons and caps were of the utmost beauty. He lived in lowly rooms and halls, devoting his entire energy to the opening of irrigation ditches and channels. I can find no fault with Yu.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 7.35

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Seven

Original Text:

子疾病子路请祷子曰有诸子路对曰有之诔曰祷尔于上下神祇子曰丘之祷久矣

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master was seriously ill, and Zilu asked permission to offer a prayer.
The Master said, “Is such a thing done?”
Zilu said, “It is. The Eulogy reads, ‘We pray for you above and below, to the spirits of Heaven and of Earth.’ ”
The Master said, “In that case, I have already been offering up my prayers for some time now.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master was gravely ill. Zilu asked to be allowed to offer prayers for his recovery. The Master said, Is that done? Zilu replied, Yes. The Eulogies say, Prayers are offered for you to the upper and lower gods and spirits.
The Master said, My praying began a long time ago.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.22

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Six

Original Text:

樊迟问知子曰务民之义敬鬼神而远之可谓知矣问仁曰仁者先难而后获可谓仁矣

Translation:

Other Translations:

Fan Chi asked about wisdom.
The Master said, “Working to ensure social harmony among the common people, respecting the ghosts and spirits while keeping them at a distance—this might be called wisdom.”
He then asked about Goodness.
The Master said, “One who is Good sees as his first priority the hardship of self-cultivation, and only after thinks about results or rewards. Yes, this is what we might call Goodness.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Fan Chi asked about wisdom. The Master said, Work to lead the people toward what is right. Respect the gods and spirits but keep them at a distance—this can be called wisdom.
When he asked about humaneness, the Master said, Humaneness means tending to difficulties first and leaving benefits for later—this can be called humaneness.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 6.6

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Six

Original Text:

子谓仲弓曰犁牛之子骍且角虽欲勿用山川其舍诸

Translation:

Other Translations:

With regard to Zhonggong, the Master said, “If the offspring of a plow-ox has a solid red coat and nicely-formed horns, even if people may think it unsuitable for sacrifice, would the spirits of the mountains and rivers reject it?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said of Zhonggong, The calf of an ordinary cow, if it is red in color and has proper horns, [is fit to be used as a sacrifice,] though people might hesitate to do so. Surely the gods of the mountains and rivers will not reject it.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 3.12

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Three

Original Text:

祭如在祭神如神在子曰吾不与祭如不祭

Translation:

Other Translations:

“Sacrifice as if [they were] present” means that, when sacrificing to the spirits, you should comport yourself as if the spirits were present.
The Master said, “If I am not fully present at the sacrifice, it is as if I did not sacrifice at all.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Sacrifice as if they were present means to sacrifice as if the gods were present. But the Master said, If I can’t take part in the sacrifices, it’s as though I haven’t sacrificed at all.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.