Book 3
3.1
The Ji family had eight ranks of dancers perform in the court of their family compound. Confucius said of this, "If one can tolerate this, one can tolerate anything!"
3.2
The three great families of Lu had the ode Peace performed at the clearing of sacrificial dishes in their family temples.
The Master said of this, "Just how does the lyric,
The lords of the realm come to assist,
The Son of Heaven stands all solemn
pertain to the halls of the three families?"
3.3
The Master said: If a man is not ren, what can he do with li? If a man in not ren, what can he do with music?
3.4
Lin Fang asked about the root of li. The Master said, "An important question! In li it would be better to be frugal than to be extravagant. In funeral ritual it would be better to be guided by one's grief than simply to attend to the ritual stipulations."
3.5
The Master said: The nomad and forest peoples who have rulers do not come up to the people of the civilized realm who do not.
3.6
The Ji family performed the great Lü sacrifice to mountains and rivers at Mt. Tai. The Master said to Ran Yǒu, "You were unable to prevent this?" Ran Yǒu replied, "I was unable." The Master said, "Alas! Do they think Mt. Tai less perceptive than Lin Fang?"
3.7
The Master said: The junzi does not compete. Yet there is always archery, is there not? They mount the dais bowing and yielding, they descend and toast one another. They compete at being junzis!"
3.8
Zixia asked, "What is the meaning of the lines from the Poetry,
The fine smile dimpled,
The lovely eyes flashing,
The plain ground brings out the color?"
The Master said, "Painting follows after plain silk." Zixia said, "Then is it that li comes after?" The Master said, "How Shang lifts me up! At last I have someone to discuss the Poetry with!"
3.9
The Master said: I can describe the li of the Xia Dynasty, but my description can't be verified by its descendants in the state of Qĭ. I can describe the li of the Yin Dynasty, but my description can't be verified by its descendants in the state of Song. Not enough documents survive; if they did, I could verify what I say.
3.10
The Master said: The way the great disacrifice is performed, from the point of the libation on I can't bear to watch!
3.11
Someone asked about the explanation of the di-sacrifice. The Master said, "I don't know. A person who knew that could manage the world as though it was open to his view right here." And he pointed to his open palm.
3.12
"Sacrifice as though present" - sacrifice to the spirits as though the spirits were present.
The Master said: If I don't participate in a sacrifice, it is as though there were no sacrifice.
3.13
Wangsun Jia asked, "What is the sense of that saying: 'Better to appeal to the kitchen god than the god of the dark corner?'" The Master said, "Not so! If one offends against Tian, one will have no place at which to pray."
3.14
The Master said: The Zhou could view itself in the mirror of the two previous ruling dynasties. How splendid was its pattern! And we follow the Zhou.
3.15
The Master entered the Grand Temple and asked about every matter. Someone said, "Who says this son of a man from Zou knows about li? Entering the Grand Temple, he asked about every matter." Hearing of this, the Master said, "That is li."
3.16
The Master said: The rule, "In archery, penetrating the target is not the object," reflects the fact that men's physical strengths differ.
3.17
Zigong wished to dispense with the sacrificial lamb offered at the ritual report of the new moon. The Master said, "Si, you begrudge the lamb, I begrudge the li."
3.18
The Master said: If one were to serve one's lord according to the full extent of li, others would take one to be a toady.
3.19
Duke Ding asked, "How should a lord direct his minister and the minister serve his lord?" Confucius replied, "If the lord directs his minister with li, the minister will serve his lord with loyalty."
3.20
The Master said: The poem Ospreys: happiness without license, anguish without injury.
3.21
Duke Ai questioned Zai Wo about the earthen alter of state. Zai Wo replied, "The lords of the Xia Dynasty planted a pine tree beside it; the people of the Yin Dynasty planted a cypress. The people of the Chou planted a chestnut (lì) tree, saying, ‘Let the people be fearful (lì).'" When the Master heard of this he said, "One does not plead against actions already done; one does not remonstrate about affairs that have concluded. One does not assign blame concerning matters of the past."
3.22
The Master said, "Guan Zhong was a man of small capacities." Someone said, "But wasn't Guan Zhong frugal?"
The Master said, "Guan Zhong maintained three residences and allowed no consolidation of responsibilities among state officers. Wherein was this frugal?"
"Well, but did he not know li?"
The Master said, "When the lord of his state set up a screen at court, Guan Zhong gated his family courtyard with a screen. Because an earthen drinking platform is built when lords of states meet together to enhance their congeniality, Guan Zhong also built an earthen drinking platform. If Guan Zhong knew li, who does not know li?"
3.23
The Master instructed the Music Master of Lu: "The pattern of music is something we can understand. Music commences with unison, and then follows with harmony, each line clearly heard, moving in sequence towards the coda."
3.24
The keeper of the pass at Yi requested an interview. "I have never been denied an interview by any gentleman coming to this place." The followers presented him. When he emerged he said, "Gentlemen, what need have you to be anxious over your Master's failure? The world has long been without the dao. Tian means to employ your Master as a wooden bell."
3.25
The Master said of the Shao music, "It is thoroughly beautiful and thoroughly good." Of the Wu music he said, "It is thoroughly beautiful, but not thoroughly good."
3.26
The Master said: One who dwells in the ruler's seat and is not tolerant, one who performs li and is not reverent, one who joins a funeral and does not mourn - what have I to learn from any of these?