Commentary on the Confucian Analects, Book 19: "Tsze-chang" Part 2/...

"Tsze-kung said, 'The faults of the superior man are like the eclipses of the sun and moon. He has his faults, and all men see them; he changes again, and all men look up to him.'"

Hello everyone! This is the next post in my series of commentaries on the Confucian Analects. In this article, we will be finishing up Book 19. All that is left to commentate is book 20 which has three (really long) segments. Anyway, for those of you who are new, previous articles will be linked down below. Let's get into the article!

Here is the second half of my commentaries on Book 19: Tsze-chang:

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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

Tsze-chang

XIII
The officer and the student should attend each to his proper work in the first instance-by Tsze-hsia
Tsze-hsia said, "The officer, having discharged all his duties, should devote his leisure to learning. The student, having completed his learning, should apply himself to be an officer."

I think this passage makes the point that there is a certain cycle to learning. Once you learn something, you should devote yourself to applying it. Once you have applied it, you should devote yourself to learning something new to apply.

XIV
The trappings of mourning may be dispensed with-by Tsze-yu
Tsze-hsia said, "Mourning, having been carried to the utmost degree of grief, should stop with that."

The point of this passage is that there is a point to mourning, and that is to feel grief for a loss. Once you have felt grief, there is no need to further mourn.

XV
Tsze-yu's opinion of Tsze-chang, as minding high things too much
Tsze-hsia said, "My friend Chang can do things which are hard to be done, but yet he is not perfectly virtuous."

I think the point of this passage is that you may be able to do something that is hard to do, but that does not necessarily make you virtuous. What makes you virtuous is your seeking to carry out hard tasks in a way that is efficient and allows you to abide by your own moral values.

XVI
The philosopher Tsang's opinion of Tsze-chang, as too high-pitched for friendship
The philosopher Tsang said, "How imposing is the manner of Chang! It is difficult along with him to practice virtue."

I think the point of this passage is that your manner is significant in your ability to carry out virtue. This reaffirms the points that Confucius has previously made about the rules of propriety being necessary in fulfilling virtue.

XVII
How grief for the loss of parents bring out the real nature of man-by Tsang Shan
The philosopher Tsang said, "I heard this from our Master: 'Men may not have shown what is in them to the full extent, and yet they will be found to do so, on occasion of mourning for their parents.'"

I believe that the point of this passage is that men reveal themselves when they are most weakened by loss. I suppose this could be discussing how men maintain composure, and how the only reason that someone would let that composure down would be when they are going through a period of grief.

XVIII
The filial piety of Mang Chwang-by Tsang Shan
The philosopher Tsang said, "I have heard this from our Master-'The filial piety of Mang Chwang, in other matters, was what other men are competent to, but, as seen in his not changing the ministers of his father; nor his father's mode of government, it is difficult to be attained to."

I think the point of this passage is that Man Chwang demonstrated filial piety to a high level. This was demonstrated by the fact that he literally kept his father's administration when he inherited the kingdom, even though other men may have been competent.

XIX
How a criminal judge should cherish compassion in his administration of justice-by Tsang Shan
The chief of the Mang family having appointed Yang Fu to be chief criminal judge, the latter consulted the philosopher Tsang. Tsang said, "The rulers have failed in their duties, and the people consequently have been disorganized, for a long time. When you have found out the truth of any accusation, be grieved for and pity them, and do not feel joy at your own ability."

I think the point of this passage is that a criminal judge should not be excited by crime, or revealing criminals. He should feel upset at their violations, and take pity on them. A criminal judge should not feel joy in his abilities to find truth, but should feel sorrow for the crimes that he must reveal.

XX
The danger of a bad name-by Tsze-kung
Tsze-kung said, "Chau's wickedness was not so great as that name implies. Therefore, the superior man hates to dwell in a low-lying situation, where all the evil of the world will flow in upon him."

This passage makes the point that we all might have learned from the game "whisper down the lane." A tainted name is horrible for a superior man to hold. Even if his decisions were not that bad, gossip and rumors will cause him to be feared by those around him. Therefore, a superior man does everything within his ability in order to protect his name.

XXI
The superior man does not conceal his errors, nor persist in them-by Tsze-kung
Tsze-kung said, "The faults of the superior man are like the eclipses of the sun and moon. He has his faults, and all men see them; he changes again, and all men look up to him."

I think the point of this passage is that a superior man's errors should be short, rare, and displayed to all. This passage presents the point that a superior man does not do anything to conceal the mistakes he makes any more than he attempts to speak of the good he has done.

XXII
Confucius's source of knowledge were the recollections and traditions of the principles of Wan and Wu-by Tsze-kung

Kung-sun Ch'ao of Wei asked Tsze-kung, saying. "From whom did Chung-ni get his learning?"

Tsze-kung replied, "The doctrines of Wan and Wu have not yet fallen to the ground. They are to be found among men. Men of talents and virtue remember the greater principles of them, and others, not possessing such talents and virtue, remember the smaller. Thus, all possess the doctrines of Wan and Wu. Where could our Master go that he should not have an opportunity of learning them? And yet what necessity was there for his having a regular master?"

I think the point of this passage is that Confucius did not learn from any single person, but he lived the good doctrines of Wan and Wu which he saw carried out by those around him. I think the main point is that there is not one ideology that Confucius learned. He tried to carry out all methodologies that he saw doing good in society.

XXIII
Tsze-kung repudiates being thought superior to Confucius, and, by the comparison of a house and wall, shows how ordinary people could not understand the Master

Shu-sun Wu-shu observed the great officers in the court, saying, "Tsze-kung is superior to Chung-ni."

Tsze-fu Ching-po reported the observation to Tsze-kung, who said, "Let me use the comparison of a house and its encompassing wall. My wall only reaches to the shoulders. One may peep over it, and see whatever is valuable in the apartments."

"The wall of my Master is several fathoms high. If one do not find the door and enter by it, he cannot see the ancestral temple with its beauties, nor all the officers in their rich array."

"But I may assume that they are few who find the door. Was not the observation of the chief only what might have been expected?"

I think the point of this passage is that both Confucius and Tsze-kung embody superior values, but Confucius carries out these values in a way that is much more valuable than Tsze-kung's methods.

XXIV
Confucius is like the sun or moon, high above the reach of depreciation-by Tsze-kung
Shu-sun Wu-shu having spoken revilingly of Chung-ni, Tsze-kung said, "It is of no use doing so. Chung-ni cannot be reviled. The talents anad virtues of other men are hillocks and mounds which may be stepped over. Although a man may wish to cut himself off from the sage, what harm can he do to the sun or moon? He only shows that he does not know his own capacity."

I think the point of this passage is that Confucius has achieved virtue to the point that he can no longer be surpassed by anyone. He is as unreachable as the sun or the moon.

XXV
Confucius can no more be equaled than the heavens can be climbed-by Tsze-kung

Ch'an Tsze-ch'in, addressing Tsze-kung, said, "You are too modest. How can Chung-ni be said to be superior to you?"

Tsze-kung said to him, "For one word a man is often deemed to be wise, and for one word he is often deemed to be foolish. We ought to be careful indeed in what we say."

"Our Master cannot be attained to, just in the same way as the heavens cannot be gone to up by the steps of a stair."

"Were our Master in the position of the ruler of a State or the chief of a Family, we should find verified the description which has been given of a sage's rule: he would plant the people, and forthwith they would be established; he would lead them on, and forthwith they would follow him; he would make them happy, and forthwith multitudes would resort to his dominions; he would stimulate them, and forthwith they would be harmonious. While he lived, he would be glorious. When he died, he would be bitterly lamented. How is it possible for him to be attained to?"

I think the point of this passage is that anyone can seem wise, but Confucius is prosperous in all that he does. His superiority does not stem from his wisdom, but from his ability to learn and be efficient in all that he does.

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Commentary on the Confucian Analects, Book 19: "Tsze-chang" Part 2/2

"Tsze-kung said, 'The faults of the superior man are like the eclipses of the sun and moon. He has his faults, and all men see them; he changes again, and all men look up to him.'"

Tsze-chang

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