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Commentary on the Confucian Analects, Book 9: "Tsze Han" Part 2/2

72
7 years ago
in#reviews
"The wise are free from perplexities; the virtuous from anxiety; and the bold from fear."

Hello everyone! This is the nextpost in my series of commentaries on the Confucian analects. If you have missed any, they will be linked at the bottom. Thank you for reading this far! Let's get into the second half of Book 9!

Here is the second half of my commentaries on Book 9: Tsze Han:

[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

Tsze Han

XVI
How Confucius was affected by running a stream
The Master standing by a stream, said, "It passes on just like this, not ceasing day or night!"

I think Confucius is impressed by how a stream functions day and night without a beginning or an end.

XVII
The rarity of a sincere love of virtue
The Master aid, "I have not seen one who loves virtue as he loves beauty."

Confucius is talking about how almost all people love beauty in themselves or another person rather than doctrine. This makes me think of the cliche "Don't judge a book by its cover."

XVIII
The learners should not cease nor intermit their labors
The Master said, "The prosecution of learning may be compared to what may happen in raising a mound. If there want but one basket of earth to complete the work, and I stop, the stopping is my own work. It may be compared to throwing down the earth on the level ground. Though but one basketful is thrown at a time, the advancing with it my own going forward."

Gandhi once said "Whatever you do will be insignificant, nonetheless it is vitally important that you do it." This passage is saying that you do not just start learning something, and know everything. You have to learn something bit by bit, and eventually you will know a lot. A cliche that this can be associated with is "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

XIX
Hui the earnest student
The Master said, "Never flagging when I set forth anything to him-ah! that is Hui."

Hui (who is also Yen Yüan) is always interested in learning what Confucius has to teach. He never complains about having to learn something new.

XX
Confucius's fond recollection of Hui as a model student
The Master said of Yen Yüan, "Alas! I saw his constant advance. I never saw him stop in his progress."

Yen Yüan was always learning something new. He always tried to advance his own knowledge no matter what is going on. This would be a good trait to take into writing Steemit articles :)

XXI
It is the end which crowns the work
The Master said, "There are cases in which the blade springs, but the plant does not go on to flower! There are cases where it flowers but fruit is not subsequently produced!"

Work into the end. Do not stop short because of what you have already accomplished. Finsih what you started. For example, I need to finish this series.

XXII
How and why a youth should be regarded with respect
The Master said, "A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our present? If he reach the age of forty or fifty, and has not made himself heard of, then indeed he will not be worth being regarded with respect."

Do not judge someone based on their current situation. Judge them based on their future situation. If their future will not get better, they are not worth being regarded with respect.

XXIII
The hopelessness of the case of those who assent and approve without reformation or serious thought
The Master said, "Can men refuse to assent to the words of strict admonition? But it is reforming the conduct because of them which is valuable. Can men refuse to be pleased with words of gentle advice? But it is unfolding their aim which is valuable. If a man be pleased with these words, but does not unfold their aim, and assents to those, but does not reform his conduct, I can really do nothing with him"

Actions speak louder than words. Agreeing with advice or criticism is worthless unless we reform our behavior.
This passage makes me think of the cliche "actions speak louder than words." Confucius is saying that agreeing with advice or criticism is not worthwhile unless you use that information to better yourself. This makes me think of when Charles I was king in England. The parliment signed The Petition of Right, which spoke of things the king and his administration had done wrong. Charles accepted and agreed with the petition, then did not change anything about the way he ruled. This sparked the first English Civil War.

XXIV
[Repitition of Part 1:VIII.]
The Master said, "Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Have no friends not equal to yourself. When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them."

Be loyal and honest to those who you surround yourself with. Treat them as your equals, and don't be afraid to leave your mistakes in the past.

XXV
The will unsubduable
The Master said, "The commander of the forces of a large State may be carried off, but the will of even a common man cannot be taken from him."

No one can take your beliefs from you. Your beliefs are what make you powerful.

XXVI
Tsze-lu's brave contentment in poverty, but failure to seek the highest aims

  1. The Master said, "Dressed himself in a tattered robe quilted with hemp, yet standing by the side of men dressed in furs, and not ashamed-ah! it is Yu who is equal to this!"
  2. "He dislikes none, he covets nothing-what can he do but what is good!' "
  3. Tsze-lu kept continually repeating these words of the ode, when the master said, "Those things are by no means sufficient to constitute (perfect) excellence."

The point of this passage is that you will act based on your doctrines as long as you do not want what others have, and you do not compare yourself to others. One thing this makes me think of is the commandment that states "Thou shalt not covet."

XXVII
Men are known in times of adversity
The Master said, "When the year becomes cold, then we know how the pine and the cypress are the last to lose their leaves."

Facing hardship lets us see who the most reliable people are. True friends will act the best when we are at our lowest point.

XXVIII
The sequences of wisdom, virtue, and bravery
The Master said, "The wise are free from perplexities; the virtuous from anxiety; and the bold from fear."

Those who are smart cannot be tricked by a problem. Those who follow their doctrines have nothing to worry about. Those who are brave will not be afraid.

XXIX
How different individuals stop at different stages of progress
The Master said, "There are some with whom we may study in common, but we shall find them unable to go along with us to principles. Perhaps we may go on with them to principles, but we shall find them unable to get established in those along with us. Or if we may get so established along with them, we shall find them unable to weigh occuring events along with us."

I think the point of this passage is that everyone learns at a different pace. You may learn similarly to other people, btu noone is exactly the same.

XXX
The necessity of reflection
How the flowers of the aspen-plum flower flutter and turn! Do I not think of you? But your house is distant.
2.The Master said, "It is the want of thought about it. How is it distant?"

In this passage, someone compares Confucius to the flower but are disappointed because his doctrines are far off. Confucius' point is that they only seem far off and that if you think carefully, his doctrines are more attainable than they may appear.

Previous Posts

Confucian Analects

Art of War Review

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7 years ago
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