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The Analects of Confucius

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The Analects of Confucius The Analects of Confucius draft, August 2005, R. Eno, Indiana University Book I Notes 1.1 The Master said: To study and at due 1.1 ‘The Master’ refers to Confu- cius: Kongzi (孔子), or ‘Master times practice what one has studied, is this not Kong.’ a pleasure? When friends come from distant There are three precepts places, is this not joy? To remain unsoured here; the ‘punch line’ is the last. when his talents are unrecognized, is this not a Junzi (君子): Originally ‘a prince’; used by the Analects to junzi? denote an ideal moral actor. The term is sometimes rendered ‘gen- 1.2 Master You said: It is rare to find a per- tleman’, but has a more emphatic son who is filial to his parents and respectful moral sense, and is left untrans- lated here. At times it merely de- of his elders, yet who likes to oppose his rul- notes a ruler. ing superior. And never has there been one NOTE: More detailed dis- who does not like opposing his ruler who has cussions of key terms may be raised a rebellion. found in the online E574 Glossary. The junzi works on the root – once the 1.2 Master You (You Ruo 有若) root is planted, the dao is born. Filiality and was a disciple. For a brief time respect for elders, are these not the roots of after Confucius’s death, he took on ren? the Master’s role for the group of disciples. NOTE: More details on 1.3 The Master said: Those of crafty words the major disciples are provided in and ingratiating expression are rarely ren. the Appendix below. Dao (道): The ‘Way’; the Confucian notion of the evolved 1.4 Master Zeng said: Each day I examine moral & cultural pattern of past myself upon three points. In planning for oth- eras of sage governance. Dao is ers, have I been loyal? In company with also a generic term for any fully conceived behavioral path. friends, have I been trustworthy? And have I Ren (仁): The key moral practiced what has been passed on to me? term in the Analects. Rendered as ‘humanity,’ ‘goodness,’ etc.; its 1.5 The Master said: To guide a state great rich meaning is a mystery to many in the text, and defies translation. enough to possess a thousand war chariots: be attentive to affairs and trustworthy; regulate 1.3 Duplicated at 17.17. (When expenditures and treat people as valuable; em- passages are duplicated in different ploy people according to the proper season. books, it may signal independent editorial origins.) 1.6 The Master said: A young man should 1.4 Master Zeng 曾子 is the disci- be filial within his home and respectful of eld- ple Zeng Shen 參, the youngest of 2 The Analects of Confucius ers when outside, should be careful and trust- Confucius’s major disciples. worthy, broadly caring of people at large, and The fact that he is referred to as ‘Master’ in the Analects indi- should cleave to those who are ren. If he has cates that his own later disciples energy left over, he may study the refinements had a hand in the text. (Zeng of culture (wen). Shen’s death is described in Book VIII.) ‘Loyalty’ (zhong 忠) and 1.7 Zixia said: If a person treats worthy ‘trustworthiness’ (xìn 信) are people as worthy and so alters his expression, complex concepts in the Ana- exerts all his effort when serving his parents, lects. Loyalty involves taking exhausts himself when serving his lord, and is others’ interests as central in trustworthy in keeping his word when in the your conduct; trustworthiness means standing by one’s word, company of friends, though others may say he or, more deeply, being a depend- is not yet learned, I would call him learned. able support for others. Both could be rendered in some con- texts as ‘faithfulness’; occasion- 1.8 The Master said: If a junzi is not seri- ally, I have rendered xìn in that ous he will not be held in awe. sense. If you study you will not be crude. Take loyalty and trustworthiness as the 1.5 In Classical China, the size of feudal states was often ex- pivot and have no friends who are not like pressed in terms of chariot yourself in this. forces. ‘One thousand chariots’ If you err, do not be afraid to correct denotes a mid-size state. yourself. Certain political issues important to the Classical era recur in the Analects; employing 1.9 Master Zeng said: Devote care to life’s people in the proper season con- end and pursue respect for the distant dead; in trasts with the practice of pulling peasants from the fields in sum- this way, the virtue of the people will return to mer to fight in war. fullness. 1.6 ‘Refinements of culture’ 1.10 Ziqin asked Zigong, “When our Master translates the term wen (文), which is a key term in the Ana- travels to a state, he always learns the affairs lects. Its basic sense is ‘pattern’, of its government. Does he seek out the in- and it is applied in a variety of formation, or do people give it to him of their important ways. own accord?” NOTE: Elsewhere in this translation, wen is generally Zigong said, “Our Master obtains this translated in its literal sense, information by being friendly, straightforward, ‘pattern’, most often referring to reverential, frugal, and modest. The way our basic cultural norms of civiliza- Master seeks things is different from the way tion that underlie li (on which, see 1.12). In many instances, others do!” use of the word ‘pattern’ will signal a range of possible conno- The Analects of Confucius 3 1.11 The Master said: When the father is tations, from ‘civilization’ to alive, observe the son’s intent. When the fa- ‘good breeding’ or ‘fine litera- ture’. ther dies, observe the son’s conduct. One who does not alter his late father’s 1.7 Zixia was a junior disciple, dao for three years may be called filial. noted for his abilities with texts. Note how this passage seems a gentle correction to the 1.12 Master You said: one before. The Analects was In the practice of li, composed by many hands over harmony is the key. several centuries. Some portions In the Dao of the kings of old, seem to bear the traces of a con- versation among differing view- This was the beauty. points within the Confucian In all affairs, great and small, follow school. this. Yet there is one respect in which one does not. To act in harmony simply because 1.8 This passage seems to string a set of aphorisms together. Are one understands what is harmonious, but not they truly related? Should we to regulate one’s conduct according to li, in- read this as a single lesson, or a deed, one cannot act in that way. catalogue? (The latter portions are duplicated at 9.25.) 1.13 Master You said: Trustworthiness is 1.9 Many passages in the Ana- close to righteousness: one’s words are tested lects seem directed at individual true. Reverence is close to li: it keeps shame action, but suggest social or po- litical consequences. and disgrace at a distance. One who can ac- On the term ‘virtue’, see cord with these and not depart from his fa- 2.1. ther’s way – such a one may truly be revered. 1.10 Not much is known of the disciple Ziqin 子禽. 1.14 The Master said: A junzi is not con- Zigong 子貢 was a sen- cerned that food fill his belly, he does not seek ior disciple from a merchant comfort in his residence. background. He is reported to If a person is apt in conduct and cau- have performed occasional dip- lomatic tasks in the state of Lu tious in speech, stays near those who keep to despite having no office, because the dao and corrects himself thereby, he may of his skills in speech. He is said be said to love learning. to have becoming a rich man in later life. 1.15 Zigong said, “To be poor but never a 1.11 Duplicated at 4.20 (see the flatterer; to be wealthy but never arrogant – note there). Why keeping to what would you say to that?” one’s father’s way (dao) is criti- The Master said, “That’s fine, but not so cal to filiality is unclear. Pas- sage 19.18 may provide some good as: To be poor but joyful; to be wealthy insight into what it entailed. and love li.” 4 The Analects of Confucius Zigong said, “In the Poetry it says, 1.12 Li (禮) refers to the body of As though cut, as though chiseled, religious, political, and common ceremonial forms that marked the As though carved, as though polished. Zhou cultural sphere as ‘patterned’ Is that what you mean?” (wen), or civilized. Confucians The Master said, “Ah, Si! At last I believed that li had evolved, can talk about the Poetry with him. I tell through sage trial and error, from the earliest leaders of previous dy- him what came before and he understands nasties to its apex in the initial cen- what is coming next.” turies of the Zhou era. (Li may be singular or plural.) 1.16 The Master said: Do not be concerned 1.13 See 1.11. that no one may recognize your merits. Be concerned that you may not recognize others.
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