Confucius said of the head of the Chi family, who had eight rows ofpantomimes in his area, "If he can bear to do this, what may he notbear to do?"The three families used the Yungode, while the vessels were beingremoved, at the conclusion of the sacrifice. The Master said, "'Assistingare the princes;-the son of heaven looks profound and grave';-whatapplication can these words have in the hall of the three families?"The Master said, "If a man be without the virtues proper to humanity,what has he to do with the rites of propriety? If a man be withoutthe virtues proper to humanity, what has he to do with music?"Lin Fang asked what was the first thing to be attended to in ceremonies.
The Master said, "A great question indeed!
"In festive ceremonies, it is better to be sparing than extravagant.
In the ceremonies of mourning, it is better that there be deep sorrowthan in minute attention to observances."The Master said, "The rude tribes of the east and north have theirprinces, and are not like the States of our great land which are withoutthem."The chief of the Chi family was about to sacrifice to the T'ai mountain.
The Master said to Zan Yu, "Can you not save him from this?" He answered,"I cannot." Confucius said, "Alas! will you say that the T'ai mountainis not so discerning as Lin Fang?"The Master said, "The student of virtue has no contentions. If itbe said he cannot avoid them, shall this be in archery? But he bowscomplaisantly to his competitors; thus he ascends the hall, descends,and exacts the forfeit of drinking. In his contention, he is stillthe Chun-tsze."Tsze-hsia asked, saying, "What is the meaning of the passage-'Thepretty dimples of her artful smile! The well-defined black and whiteof her eye! The plain ground for the colors?'"The Master said, "The business of laying on the colors follows thepreparation of the plain ground.""Ceremonies then are a subsequent thing?" The Master said, "It isShang who can bring out my meaning. Now I can begin to talk aboutthe odes with him."The Master said, "I could describe the ceremonies of the Hsia dynasty,but Chi cannot sufficiently attest my words. I could describe theceremonies of the Yin dynasty, but Sung cannot sufficiently attestmy words. They cannot do so because of the insufficiency of theirrecords and wise men. If those were sufficient, I could adduce themin support of my words."The Master said, "At the great sacrifice, after the pouring out ofthe libation, I have no wish to look on."Some one asked the meaning of the great sacrifice. The Master said,"I do not know. He who knew its meaning would find it as easy to governthe kingdom as to look on this"-pointing to his palm.
He sacrificed to the dead, as if they were present. He sacrificedto the spirits, as if the spirits were present.
The Master said, "I consider my not being present at the sacrifice,as if I did not sacrifice."Wang-sun Chia asked, saying, "What is the meaning of the saying, 'Itis better to pay court to the furnace then to the southwest corner?'"The Master said, "Not so. He who offends against Heaven has none towhom he can pray."The Master said, "Chau had the advantage of viewing the two past dynasties.
How complete and elegant are its regulations! I follow Chau."The Master, when he entered the grand temple, asked about everything.
Some one said, "Who say that the son of the man of Tsau knows therules of propriety! He has entered the grand temple and asks abouteverything." The Master heard the remark, and said, "This is a ruleof propriety."The Master said, "In archery it is not going through the leather whichis the principal thing;-because people's strength is not equal. Thiswas the old way."Tsze-kung wished to do away with the offering of a sheep connectedwith the inauguration of the first day of each month.
The Master said, "Ts'ze, you love the sheep; I love the ceremony."The Master said, "The full observance of the rules of propriety inserving one's prince is accounted by people to be flattery."The Duke Ting asked how a prince should employ his ministers, andhow ministers should serve their prince. Confucius replied, "A princeshould employ his minister according to according to the rules ofpropriety; ministers should serve their prince with faithfulness."The Master said, "The Kwan Tsu is expressive of enjoyment withoutbeing licentious, and of grief without being hurtfully excessive."The Duke Ai asked Tsai 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 planted the cypress; and the men of the Chau plantedthe chestnut tree, meaning thereby to cause the people to be in awe."When the Master heard it, he said, "Things that are done, it is needlessto speak about; things that have had their course, it is needlessto remonstrate about; things that are past, it is needless to blame."The Master said, "Small indeed was the capacity of Kwan Chung!"Some one said, "Was Kwan Chung parsimonious?" "Kwan," was the reply,"had the San Kwei, and his officers performed no double duties; howcan he be considered parsimonious?""Then, did Kwan Chung know the rules of propriety?" The Master said,"The princes of States have a screen intercepting the view at theirgates. Kwan had likewise a screen at his gate. The princes of Stateson any friendly meeting between two of them, had a stand on whichto place their inverted cups. Kwan had also such a stand. If Kwanknew the rules of propriety, who does not know them?"The Master instructing the grand music master of Lu said, "How toplay music may be known. At the commencement of the piece, all theparts should sound together. As it proceeds, they should be in harmonywhile severally distinct and flowing without break, and thus on tothe conclusion."The border warden at Yi requested to be introduced to the Master,saying, "When men of superior virtue have come to this, I have neverbeen denied the privilege of seeing them." The followers of the sageintroduced 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 long been without the principles of truth and right;Heaven is going to use your master as a bell with its wooden tongue."The Master said of the Shao that it was perfectly beautiful and alsoperfectly good. He said of the Wu that it was perfectly beautifulbut not perfectly good.
The Master said, "High station filled without indulgent generosity;ceremonies performed without reverence; mourning conducted withoutsorrow;-wherewith should I contemplate such ways?"