Comentary on the Confucian Analects, Book 4: "Li Zan" Part 1/2
Hello everyone, the holidays caught up with me. I am now no longer prewriting these posts. This series has been doing great, and I have enjoyed reading the feedback. If you are new to this series, I am commentating the modern message behind Confucius' teachings from thousands of years ago. I link to all of my previous posts at the bottom of this article. Let's get into the first half of my commentaries on Book 4: Li Zan.
Here is the first half of my commentaries on Book 4: Li Zan:
[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
Li Zan
I
Rule for the selection of a residence
The Master said, "It is virtuous manners which constitute the excellence of a neighborhood. If a man in selecting a residence do not fix on one where such prevail, how can he be wise?"
There are many factors that contribute to whether a decision is a good decision. In this case, Confucius is talking about choosing a house based on the way your neighbors act. He is saying that it is wise to account for this when choosing a house. I will apply this to choosing friends. How your friends make you feel is a factor, but you should also consider your friend's moral standards, actions, and character traits before trusting them completely.
II
Only true virtue adapts a man for the varied conditions of life
The Master said, "Those who are without virtue cannot abide long either in a condition of poverty and hardship, or in a condition of enjoyment. The virtuous rest in virtue; the wise desire virtue."
Without moral standards, you cannot live your life to the fullest, no matter what. The virtuous need moral standards to live, and the wise desire to follow their moral standards.
III
Only in the good man are emotions of love and hatred right, and to be depended on
The Master said, "It is only the (truly) virtuous man, who can love, or who can hate, others."
Only those with moral standards can make judgements about other people's actions based on moral standards.
IV
The virtuous will preserves from all wickedness
The Master said, "If the will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of wickedness."
Confucius is again rejecting hypocrisy here. He is saying that if you truly believe your own high moral standards, you will not compromise them for any reason.
V
The devotion of the Chün-tsze to virtue
- The Master said, "Riches and honors are what men desire. If it cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and meanness are what men dislike. If it cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be avoided."
- "If a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfill the requirements of that name?"
- "The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleave to it."
If you cannot get what you desire without compromising your moral standards, you should not seek to obtain what you desire. If you cannot avoid what you dislike without compromising your moral standards, you should not avoid what you dislike. If you are truly superior, you will never abandon your moral standards. Even in desperation.
VI
A lament because of the rarity of the love of virtue; and encouragement to practice virtue
- The Master said, "I have not seen a person who loved virtue, or one who hated what was not virtuous. He who loved virtue, would esteem nothing above it. He who hated what is not virtuous, would practice virtue in such a way that he would not allow anything that is not virtuous to approach his person."
- "Is any one able for one day to apply his strength to virtue? I have not seen the case in which his strength would be insufficient."
- "Should there possibly be any case, I have not seen it."
This means no one is perfect. He is saying that he has not seen someone be completely virtuous throughout their entire life. He said many people can have the strength to be virtuous for a day, but he has yet to see someone have the strength to be virtuous for a lifetime.
VII
A man is not to be utterly condemned because he has faults
The Master said, "The faults of men are characteristic of the class to which they belong. By observing a man's faults, it may be known that he is virtuous."
This is similar to the common cliche "Mistakes are what make us human." Do not decide a man's fate because of mistakes he has made, but by the actions he currently takes. These actions demonstrate his standards.
VIII
The importance of knowing the right way
The Master said, "If a man in the morning hear the right way, he may die in the evening without regret."
This reminds me of that Billy Joel Song "Get it right the first time," which is about a guy wanting to create a good first impression with a girl. Here, Confucius is stating that if you always do things according to your moral standards right away, you will never regret your actions.
IX
The pursuit of truth should raise a man above being ashamed of poverty
The Master said, "A scholar, whose mind is set on truth, and who is ashamed of bad clothes and bad food, is not fit to be discoursed with."
If you are set on truth, you will not be sidetracked by uncomfortable living situations because you believe in something higher than your own personal gain and comfort. My example of this would be Mahatma Gandhi, or Martin Luther King Jr. They both risked everything they had for what they believed in.
X
Righteousness is the rule of the Chün-tsze's practice
The Master said, "The superior man, in the world, does not set his mind either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow."
Do not take sides until you have researched all views. Follow what your moral standards dictate is the right thing to follow. This can relate to an Art of War quote:
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
XI
The different mindings of the superior and the small man
The Master said, "The superior man thinks of virtue; the small man thinks of comfort. The superior man thinks of the sanctions of law; the small man thinks of favors which he may receive."
I like this passage. The superior man thinks first of his moral standards. The small man thinks first of his own personal comfort/gain. The superior man thinks about the consequences of his own actions (in this case the law) on himself and others, while the small man thinks only about how he personally benefits from his actions. This, in my opinion, could be referring to the unintended consequences of regulations. As I have previously stated, regulations often have the unintended consequence of putting small businesses out of business because the small business can't comply to the regulation as well, and can't hire lawyers to find loopholes in the regulation.
It also pertains to how steemians conduct themselves on steemit. Do we work to support quality content and long term value or do we chase short term rewards?
XII
The consequence of selfish conduct
The Master said: "He who acts with a constant view to his own advantage will be murmured against."
If you only act for yourself, you will not be trusted amongst your peers. For example, many cryptocurrency scammers have to shut down their web sites when their misbehaviors are discovered.
XIII
The influence in government of ceremonies observed in their proper spirit
The Master said, "If a prince is able to govern his kingdom with the complaisance proper to the rules of propriety, what difficulty will he have? If he cannot govern it with that complaisance, what has he to do with the rules of propriety?"
If the government governs based on what its citizens desire, it will not be difficult to rule. If the government rules based on personal gain, it will be hard for them to rule.
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
Book 4: Li Zan Part 1/2
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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Good post