Confucius

(551– 479 BC)

 handout c:  

 

 Teaches the ideal way of the chun tzu (jin dzuh): 

The Superior Man (aka gentleman, great man, noble man, profound person).   

He attains: jen (r ‘ n) = shared humanity, composed of:

chung (zhung) = conscientiousness

shu (shoo) = altruism

li (lee) = ritual propriety

yi *ee) = social righteousness

hsin (shin) = good faith, and

chih (zheh) = wisdom.    

He feels: hsiao (shee-ow) = filial piety, and

ti (dee) = brotherly feeling, which can be developed into

ai (eye) = love.  

He acts from: te (deh) = inherent excellence, founded on his practice of

hsiu shen (shoo sh ‘ n) = self-cultivation.    

He follows: tao (dow) = the Way or Path of truly human conduct; kind, loving, and correct;    

He knows: ming (meeng) = Fate or Destiny; rooted in

t ‘ ien ming = the Decree of Heaven;    

He practices: cheng ming (jaing meeng) = rectification of names;  

He governs: by moral example, which is attained by employing

li and yueh (music), not by fa and hsing (law and penalty).

 

The following readings are taken from

THE SACRED BOOKS OF CONFUCIUS AND OTHER CONFUCIAN CLASSICS,

edited and translated by Ch’u Chai and Winberg Chai