Content created: 2014-08-19
File last modified:
2020-06-14
Go to English only version.
Procursus: This passage, still from Book 17, shifts the topic back from Confucius’ unsuccessful job interviews to his concern with propriety and with behaving like the wonderful people who populated the admired, if perhaps imaginary, golden age of the remote past.
Omitted here is an admonition (chapters 9-10) to the disciples to immerse themselves in the Book of Poetry (Shī Jīng 诗经), as Confucius has been doing. (The version we have is his abridgement of it. For a sample, click here.) There they will learn to stimulate the mind, learn sociability, control feelings of resentment, and so on.
Confucius then (chapters 11-19) returns to a favorite subject, much stressed in commentaries about the priorities of Confucianism, and that is lǐ 礼, variously glossed “ritual,” “etiquette,” and “propriety.” Confucius waxes rather peevish on the subject. Briefly, the ever venerable ancients practiced lǐ and we don’t, and we should be ashamed of ourselves.
Procursus: We pick up the narrative with Confucius deliberately slighting a would-be visitor named RÚ Bēi 孺悲, apparently a petty official in the state of Lǔ 鲁 —some say possibly a former associate of Confucius— who did something disgraceful and now seeks an interview, possibly so that he can use his connection to Confucius to claim he is more moral than he is now seen to have been. (Historians do not know more than this about him.)
An important point here is that Confucius claims to be sick, but obviously is not. In other words he is not above the “little white lie” of routine social interaction. But he also deliberately reveals that he is lying in order to communicate a clear snub. When, exactly, is it okay, according to Confucianism, to snub people?
| RÚ Bēi wished to see Confucius, but Confucius declined to see him, on the grounds of being sick. When the bearer of this message went out at the door, the Master took his lute and sang to it, in order that he might hear him. | 孺悲欲见孔子，孔子辞以疾，将命者出户，取瑟而歌，使之闻之。 rú bēi yù jiàn kǒng zǐ， kǒng zǐ cí yǐ jí， jiāng mìng zhě chū hù， qǔ sè ér gē， shǐ zhī wén zhī。 孺悲欲見孔子，孔子辭以疾，將命者出戶，取瑟而歌，使之聞之。 |
Procursus: For Confucius, lǐ 礼 —“ritual,” “etiquette,” or “propriety”— is a matter of history, not of convenience. If following the rules of etiquette is burdensome, so be it. In this passage, his student ZǍI Yǔ 宰予 argues that a requirement of mourning for three years for a deceased parent has negative consequences in areas that Confucius cares about. The sage (angrily?) tells him to do what he pleases, but as soon as Zǎi leaves, Confucius, always ready to pass judgments on people, condemns him for his lack of virtue.
| ZǍI Yǔ asked about the three years’ mourning for parents, saying that one year was long enough. | 宰我问：「三年之丧期已久矣！ zǎi wǒ wèn：「 sān nián zhī sàng qī yǐ jiǔ yǐ！ 宰我問：「三年之喪期已久矣！ |
| ZǍI Yǔ: If the superior man [because of mourning obligations] abstains for three years from the observances of propriety, those observances will be quite lost. If for three years he abstains from music, music will be ruined. Within a year the old grain is exhausted, and the new grain has sprung up. In procuring fire by friction, we have gone through all the changes of wood for that purpose. After a complete year, [surely] the mourning may stop. | 君子三年为礼，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。」 jūn zǐ sān nián wéi lǐ， lǐ bì huài； sān nián bù wéi lè， lè bì bēng。 jiù gǔ jì méi， xīn gǔ jì shēng； zuān suì gǎi huǒ， qī kě yǐ yǐ。」 君子三年為禮，禮必壞；三年不為樂，樂必崩。 舊穀既沒，新穀既升；鑽燧改火，期可已矣。」 |
| Confucius: If you were, after a year, to eat good rice, and wear embroidered clothes, would you feel at ease? | 子曰：「食夫稻，衣夫锦，于女安乎?」 zǐ yuē：「 shí fú dào， yī fú jǐn， yú nǚ ān hū?」 子曰：「食夫稻，衣夫錦，於女安乎?」 |
| ZǍI Yǔ: I should. | 曰：「安！」 yuē：「 ān！」 曰：「安！」 |
| Confucius: If you can feel at ease, do it. HOWEVER, a superior man, during the whole period of mourning, does not enjoy pleasant food which he may eat, nor derive pleasure from music which he may hear. He also does not feel at ease, if he is comfortably lodged. Therefore he does not do what you propose. But now you feel at ease and may do it.” | 「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！」 「 nǚ ān， zé wéi zhī！ fú jūn zǐ zhī jū sàng， shí zhǐ bù gān， wén lè bù lè， jū chǔ bù ān， gù bù wéi yě。 jīn nǚ ān， zé wéi zhī！」 「女安，則為之！夫君子之居喪，食旨不甘，聞樂不樂，居處不安，故不為也。 今女安，則為之！」 |
| (Exit ZǍI Yǔ) | 宰我出。 zǎi wǒ chū。 宰我出。 |
| Confucius: This shows ZǍI Yǔ’s want of virtue. It is not till a child is three years old that it is allowed to leave the arms of its parents. And the three years’ mourning is universally observed throughout the world. Did Zǎi Yǔ enjoy the three years’ love of his parents? ” | 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?」 zǐ yuē：「 yǔ zhī bù rén yě！ zǐ shēng sān nián， rán hòu miǎn yú fù mǔ zhī huái。 fú sān nián zhī sàng， tiān xià zhī tōng sàng yě。 yǔ yě， yǒu sān nián zhī ài yú qí fù mǔ hū?」 子曰：「予之不仁也！子生三年，然後免於父母之懷。 夫三年之喪，天下之通喪也。 予也，有三年之愛於其父母乎?」 |
Procursus: Confucius liked music and poetry (and even divination) and therefore considered them a good way for a “gentleman” or jūnzǐ 君子 to pass time. He was far less patient with anything else that was not obviously morally uplifting.
But his disciples were always trying to get him to be more precise, especially in cases where one virtue might conflict with another. As we have seen, Confucius was willing to tell a lie to maintain propriety. Does that mean propriety, which he values, is more important than sincerity, which he also values? Is righteousness even better than propriety? Does valor rank above loyalty? Does loyalty to a prince stand above loyalty to a parent? Some of these rankings never did get quite sorted out. In this section, two of his disciples are trying to pin him down on these rankings. (A listing and discussion of many of the key terms used in Confucian philosophy and ethics is available on this web site. Link)
| Confucius: It is hard to deal with one who will stuff himself with food the whole day, without applying his mind to anything good! Are there not gamesters and chess players? To be one of these would still be better than doing nothing at all.” | 子曰：「饱食终日，无所用心，难矣哉！不有博弈者乎? 为之犹贤乎已！」 zǐ yuē：「 bǎo shí zhōng rì， wú suǒ yòng xīn， nán yǐ zāi！ bù yǒu bó yì zhě hū? wéi zhī yóu xián hū yǐ！」 子曰：「飽食終日，無所用心，難矣哉！不有博弈者乎? 為之猶賢乎已！」 |
| ZHÒNG Yóu: Does the superior man esteem valor (yǒng 勇)? | 子路曰：「君子尚勇乎?」 zǐ lù yuē：「 jūn zǐ shàng yǒng hū?」 子路曰：「君子尚勇乎?」 |
| Confucius: The superior man holds righteousness (yì 义) to be of highest importance. A man in a superior situation, having valor without righteousness, will be guilty of insubordination; one of the lower people having valor without righteousness, will commit robbery.” | 子曰：「君子义以为上。 君子有勇而无义为乱，小人有勇而无义为盗。」 zǐ yuē：「 jūn zǐ yì yǐ wéi shàng。 jūn zǐ yǒu yǒng ér wú yì wéi luàn， xiǎo rén yǒu yǒng ér wú yì wéi dào。」 子曰：「君子義以為上。 君子有勇而無義為亂，小人有勇而無義為盜。」 |
| DUĀNMÙ Cì: Has the superior man his hatreds also? | 子贡曰：「君子亦有恶乎?」 zǐ gòng yuē：「 jūn zǐ yì yǒu è hū?」 子貢曰：「君子亦有惡乎?」 |
Confucius: He has his hatreds.
|
子曰：「有恶。 恶称人之恶者，恶居下流而讪上者，恶勇而无礼者，恶果敢而窒者。」 曰：「赐也亦有恶乎?」 zǐ yuē：「 yǒu è。 è chēng rén zhī è zhě， è jū xià liú ér shàn shàng zhě， è yǒng ér wú lǐ zhě， è guǒ gǎn ér zhì zhě。」 yuē：「 cì yě yì yǒu è hū?」 子曰：「有惡。 惡稱人之惡者，惡居下流而訕上者，惡勇而無禮者，惡果敢而窒者。」 曰：「賜也亦有惡乎?」 |
| DUĀNMÙ Cì: I hate those who pry out matters, but ascribe the knowledge to their wisdom. I hate those who are only immodest, but think that they are valorous. I hate those who make known secrets, but think that they are straightforward.” |
「恶徼以为知者，恶不孙以为勇者，恶讦以为直者。」 「 è jiào yǐ wéi zhī zhě， è bù xùn yǐ wéi yǒng zhě， è jié yǐ wéi zhí zhě。」 「惡徼以為知者，惡不孙以為勇者，惡訐以為直者。」 |
| Confucius: Of all people, women (nǚzǐ 女子) and little people (xiǎorén 小人) are the most difficult to behave to. If you are familiar with them, they lose their humility. If you maintain a reserve towards them, they are discontented.” (Footnote) | 子曰：「唯女子与小人为难养也！近之则不孙， 远之则怨。」 zǐ yuē：「 wěi nǚ zǐ yǔ xiǎo rén wéi nán yǎng yě！ jìn zhī zé bù xùn， yuǎn zhī zé yuàn。」 子曰：「唯女子與小人為難養也！近之則不孙， 遠之則怨。」 |
| Confucius: When a man at forty is the object of dislike, he will always continue what he is.” | 子曰：「年四十而见恶焉，其终也已！」 zǐ yuē：「 nián sì shí ér jiàn è yān， qí zhōng yě yǐ！」 子曰：「年四十而見惡焉，其終也已！」 |