Hello everyone, this is my fifth post commentating the Confucian Analects. I am pre-writing these articles through November and December (Thanksgiving was three days ago). If you have been reading this far, thanks for sticking with this series. If not, the previous posts will be linked at the bottom. Anyway, yesterday I commentated the first half of Book 3: Pa Yih, and today I will be commentating the second half.
Here is the second half of my commentaries on Book 3: Pah Yih:
[Image Source: pixabay.com, License: CCO Public Domain]
Original text from the Public Domain Confucian Analects (from the 2013 edition of "The Art of War and Other Classics of Eastern Thought")
@cmp2020 original commentary
Pa Yih
XIV
The completeness and elegance of the Chau dynasty
The Master said, *"Chau had the advantage of viewing the two past dynasties. How complete and elegant are its regulations! I follow Chau."
This is referring to how innovations occur in a society. Confucius talks about the Chau dynasty which was prefaced by the Hsia and the Shang dynasty. Confucius is saying that he prefers to live in the Chau because it inherited all of the innovations made by the Hsia and the Shang. A real world example of this would be America basing its political structure on the political structure perfected by the classical Greeks and Romans, democracy. Our founding father's also based their ideas of freedom on the writings of John Locke. This proves that American culture inherited ideology from classical civilizations as well as European philosophers.
XV
Confucius in the grand temple
The Master, when he entered the grand temple, asked about everything. Someone said, "Who will say that the son of the man of Tsau knows the rules of propriety! He has entered the grand temple and asks about everything." The Master heard this remark, and said, "This is a rule of propriety."
This is a conflict between Confucius and someone in a temple. This person remarks that if Confucius knows how to be polite, why is he asking so many questions? Confucius responds that it is polite to ask questions. In health class, we are learning about active listening which is where you indicate to someone that you're paying attention in a conversation through polite remarks and nods. Confucius is saying that it is polite to ask questions because it shows your host that what they are showing you is meaningful to you. This is similar to active listening.
XVI
How the ancients made archery a discipline of virtue
The Master said, "In archery it is not going through the leather which is the principal thing-because people's strength is not equal. This was the old way."
I feel that the point Confucius is trying to make is that showing off (putting the arrow deep into a target to show strength) is not important. What is important is accurately hitting the target. He is saying that the old way would be to hit the target as hard and deep as you can, while the new is to accurately hit the target the way you want to. Another example of this would be writing Steemit posts. It is not important that every single post is long and detailed. What is more important is being consistent with your posts, and getting the point of the article across.
XVII
How Confucius cleaved to ancient rites
- Tsze-kung wished to do away with the offering of a sheep connected with the inauguration of the first day of each month.
- The Master said, "Ts'ze, you love the sheep; I love the ceremony."
Confucius' is speaking of what we know to be the big picture and the small picture through the example of a ceremony. Tsze-kung wants to stop killing sheep, Confucius says we kill the sheep for a ceremony. You want to maintain the sheep, I want to maintain the ceremony. A good example of this in modern times would be regulations. Some are meant for short term benefit, and don't see how they scale in the long term. Many regulations have the unintended consequence of putting small businesses out of business.
XVIII
How princes should be served: against the spirit of the times
The Master said, "The full observance of the rules of propriety in serving one's prince is accounted by people to be flattery."
Being polite to an authority can seem to be flattery to those who observe. For example, I'm sure we have all called someone a "teacher's pet."
XIX
The guiding principles in the relation of prince and minister
The duke Ting asked how a prince should employ his ministers, and how ministers should server their prince. Confucius replied, "A prince should employ his ministers according to the rules of propriety; ministers should serve their prince with faithfulness."
This is a statement as to how employers should employ, and how employees should serve. Confucius is saying that a prince (the employer) should give reasonable demands to his ministers (the worker) based on conventional politeness. In return, the ministers (workers) should be faithful to their prince (employer).
XX
The praise of the first of the odes
The Master said, "The Kwan Tsü is expressive of enjoyment without being licentious, and of grief without being hurtfully excessive."
A source should express something without overstepping principle. For example, the news can talk of and grieve for people who died in horrible events. But it should not discuss it in a way that is disrespectful towards those people or their families. One example of a person who has recently been virally shamed for this is Logan Paul, here's a video where Ben Shapiro discusses this.
XXI
A rash reply to Tsai Wo about the altars to the spirits of the land, and lament of Confucius thereon
- The duke Ai asked Tai Wo about the altars of the spirits of the land. Tsai Wo replied, "The Hsia sovereign planted the pine tree about them; the men of the Yin thereby to cause the people to be in awe."
- When the Master heard it, he said, "Things that are done, it is needless to speak about; things that have had their course, it is needless to remonstrate about; things that are past, it is needless to blame."
You should not gloat about the things you have done. You should not protest what has already occurred and ended. Don't blame things that are in the past. One example of gloating about things you have done could be when you gloat about winning a game. One example of protesting what has already occurred is when I call into question the Patriots as a football team because of deflate-gate. One example of blaming things in the past would be blaming a traumatic event as a child as the reasoning behind committing a crime as an adult.
XXII
Confucius's own opinion of Kwan Chung: Against him
- The Master said, "Small indeed was the capacity of Kwan Chung!"
- Someone said, "Was Kwan Chung parsimonious?" "Kwan," was the reply, "had the San Kwei, and his officers performed no double duties; how can he be considered parsimonious?"
- "Then, did Kwan Chung know the rules of propriety?" The Master said, "The princes of State have a screen intercepting the view at their gates. Kwan had likewise a screen at his gate. The princes of States on any friendly meeting between two of them, had a stand on which to place their inverted cups. Kwan had also such a stand. If Kwan knew the rules of propriety, who does not know them?"
Here Confucius is stating that this man lived like a prince, and therefore has no idea how to be polite.
XXIII
On the playing of music
The Master instructing the Grand music master of Lü said, "How to play music may be known. At the commencement of the piece, all the parts should sound together. As it proceeds, they should be in harmony while severally distinct and flowing without break, and thus on to the conclusion."
There is a certain way to play music according to Confucius. At the beginning of the piece, all parts should be unison. It should grow more complex as the piece advances, gaining harmony (which is multiple melodic lines that fit together). I am not sure how to apply this to modern life.
XXIV
A stranger's view of the vocation of Confucius
The border warden at I requested to be introduced to the Master, saying, "When men of superior virtue have come to this, I have never been denied the privilege of seeing them." The followers of the Sage introduced him, and when he came out from the interview, he said, "My friends, why are you distressed by your master's loss of office? The kingdom has been long without the principles of truth and right; Heaven is going to use your master as a bell with its wooden tongue."
What the man is saying is that the world has long been corrupt and that holding a position of power is not necessary for Confucius to get his point across. This reminds me of a segment from earlier on (I believe book 1) where Confucius says that he does not desire to be in a position in the government because he feels that the tasks that the government perform can be performed just as well outside of government.
XXV
**The comparative merits of the music of Shun and Wu
The Master said of the Shao that it was perfectly beautiful and also perfectly good. He said that of Wu that it was perfectly beautiful but not perfectly good.
This is again Confucius talking of the music of his time. I just searched through the preface really quickly and found that Confucius studied music under Hsiang at the age of 29.
XXVI
The disregard of what is essential vitiates all services
The Master said, "High station filled without indulgent generosity; ceremonies performed without reverence; mourning conducted without sorrow-wherewith should I contemplate such ways?"
This reinforces the message from previous books that actions speak louder than words. Different things have different meanings. Without these meanings, these things are not the same. For example, the Christian church would have no moral ground to stand on without the teachings of Jesus Christ, and its members lose credibility when they violate those teachings.
Previous Posts
Confucian Analects
Book 1: Hsio R
Book 2: Wei Chang Part 1/2
Book 2: Wei Chang Part 2/2
Book 3: Pa Yih Part 1/2
Book 3: Pa Yih Part 2/2
Art of War Review
Part 6a: Weak Points and Strong
Part 6b: Weak Points and Strong
Part 7b: Maneuvering
Part 8: Variation in Tactics
Part 9a: The Army on the March
Part 9b: The Army on the March
Also remember to check for: My weekly 7 post, As well as my composer birthday posts
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