Confucius

Master Kong (551-479 BC) is better known in the west as Confucius (a corruption of 'Kong fuzi' – master Kong). Growing up in my part of the world I was frequently zapped by lunatic statements beginning with the words 'Confucius say . . .' usually delivered in a strangulated accent calling to mind the likes of, 'Ah so, Glasshopper, we meet again!' I had no idea who Confucius was, let alone what he might actually have said. So why am I attracted to Master Kong? He gave a great deal of thought to how people should behave in a civilised society and encouraged others to consider this too. His usual approach seems to have been to have them arrive at their own conclusions through conversation, though if asked a question he would answer it as best he could. It is some of those answers I find most interesting. Like Plato, he had very little opportunity to put his ideas into practice. Unlike Plato, he was devoid of totalitarian tendencies. Master Kong loved music, which is very important in his life and his philosophy. Plato recognised the affective power of music and so was hostile to it. If the dialogues are any guide, Plato employed Socratic questioning to pin down those he was conversing with. Without the benefit of knowing Socrates, Master Kong did the same. Master Kong comes down to us through the Analects in which, to me at least, I meet a real person whom I find very engaging. And he is not the only person we meet. Take Yan Hui, for example. Few people got Master Kong's thinking more than this modest and very poor man who, unfortunately, died young. Anyway . . . Preamble For Under-Appreciated Bloggers The Master said: 'You do not worry about the fact that other people do not appreciate you. You worry about not appreciating other people.' Book 1/16 The influence on Master Kong of his student Yan Hui The Master said: 'I spend the whole day talking with Hui, and he does not put any counter-arguments but seems stupid; but when he is no longer with me and I study his private conduct, he is after all capable of setting an example. Hui is certainly not stupid. Book 2/9 The Master said to Zigong: 'Of Yu and Hui which is the better?' Zigong replied: 'How dare I even have a look at Hui? Hui is the sort of person who, by hearing one thing, understands ten; but I am the sort of person who, by hearing one thing, understands two.' The Master said: 'You are not as good as he is. Both you and I are not as good as he is.' Book 5/9 The Master said: 'Hui is not a person who helps me. In my words there is nothing he does not admire.' Book 11/4 When Yan Hui died, the Master became distressed as he bewailed him. His followers said; 'Master, you have become distressed.' 'Have I?' he said. 'Well, if that man is not to be the object of my distress, then for whom am I to be distressed?' Book 11/10 The Master said: 'A man of quality indeed was Hui! He lived in a squalid alley with a tiny bowlful of rice to eat and a ladleful of water to drink. Other men would not endure such hardships, but Hui did not let his happiness be affected. A man of quality indeed was Hui!' Book 6/11 The Master as Life Coach Ran Yu said: 'It is not that I do not feel pleased with your Way, but my strength is inadequate.' The Master said: 'Those whose strength is inadequate fall out along the way, but now you are already imposing limits.' Book 6/12 When the men of Lu were working on the Long Treasury, Min Ziqian said: 'Why not restore it? Why must it be rebuilt?' The Master said: 'That man does not normally have anything to say, but when he does he is always on the target.' Book 11/14 The Master said: 'Shi goes beyond and Shang does not arrive.' 'If this is so,' Zigong said, 'then Shi is the superior, is he not?' The Master said: 'To go beyond is no different from not arriving.' Book 11/16 Gongxi Hua said: 'Zilu asked whether, if you hear something, you should practice it. You said no. But when Ran Yu asked the same question you, Master, said that when you hear something you should practise it. I am perplexed and venture to question this.' The Master said: 'Zilu is backward and so I urged him on, but Yu is an over-enthusiastic person and so I held him back.' Book 11/20 A Handful of Extracts The Master said: 'There are few indeed who fail in something through exercising restraint.' Book 4/15 Ji Wen Zi thought three times before acting. When the Master heard of this, he said; 'Twice will do.' Book 5/20 The Master said: 'To those who are not eager to learn I do not explain anything, and to those who are not bursting to speak I do not reveal anything. If I raise one angle and they do not come back at me with the other three angles, I will not repeat myself.' Book 7/8 The Master said: 'Even in the midst of eating coarse rice and drinking water and using a bent arm for a pillow happiness is surely to be found; riches and honours acquired by unrighteous means are to me like the floating clouds.' Book 7/16 When the Master was singing with others, he always had the good bits repeated before joining in. Book 7/32 A villager from Daxiang said: 'Great indeed is Master Kong, but despite his broad learning there is nothing for which he has made a reputation.' When the Master heard this he said: 'What do I take up? Do I take up charioteering? Do I take up archery? I take up charioteering!' Book 9/2 Zizhang asked what a public servant might be like so that he might be called successful. The Master said: 'Whatever is it that you mean by successful?' Zizhang replied: 'Certain to be heard about, whether employed by the state or a noble family.' The Master said: 'This is reputation, not success. The successful man is by nature straightforward and fond of what is right. He examines what people say and notices their looks and is anxious to give priority to others. But the man of reputation assumes an air of humaneness although his conduct belies it, and he does not feel any misgivings about persisting in this.' Book 12/20 Fan Chi asked about humaneness. The Master said: 'It is to love others.' Fan Chi asked about understanding. The Master said: 'It is to understand others.' Book 12.22 The Master said: 'When the multitude hate somebody, it is necessary to look into his case; and when the multitude love somebody, it is also necessary to look into his case.' Book 15/2