There is arguably no work of Chinese philosophy more famous than “The Analects.” Chin’s translation includes indispensable annotations embedded within the text. She gives her own opinions on Confucius’ more enigmatic sayings, suggests alternative interpretations where possible, and gives the background of the historical period, necessary to grasp the content. Throughout “The Analects,” Confucius details the way to live the best life—a moral life of humaneness. In the text, he is referred to most often as “The Master.” Section 4.11 describes Confucius’ thoughts on living the life of a gentleman. It says, “The Master said, “The gentleman [junzi] worries about the condition of his moral character, while the common man [xiaoren] worries about [whether he can hold on to] his land. The gentleman is conscious of [not breaking] the law, while the common man is conscious of what benefits he might reap [from the state].”” In 4.15, Master Zeng, one of Confucius’ disciples, relates, “The Master’s way consists of doing one’s best to fulfill one’s humanity [zhong] and treating others with an awareness that they, too, are alive with humanity [shu].” Chin helpfully expounds, “Zhong and shu, in the view of most traditional scholars, represent an accurate summary of Confucius’ teachings.” Further, she quotes Qing era scholar, Jiao Xun, “What is zhong and shu? To fulfill oneself and others.”
To be in a state of constant learning and then to be able to use that knowledge towards future problems was of utmost importance to Confucius. 7.2 states, “The Master said, “To retain knowledge quietly in my mind, to learn without ever feeling sated, not to weary of teaching [hui]—these things are not a problem for me.”” Chin comments, “Several scholars say that “quietly” (mo) is the most important word here. Mo does not refer to the absence of sound, they say, because a person can retain something in his mind quietly even when he is in a crowd. Which is what Confucius was able to do: he absorbed and internalized what he’d learned, and so he never felt sated and always wanted more.” Confucius also always pointed towards striving for the Way. In 7.6, “The Master said, “Set your aim for the Way, hold on to your integrity, rely on your humaneness, and get your share of play in the arts.””
In 7.19, Confucius gives a description of himself to one of his disciples, Zilu. “The Governor of She asked Zilu about Confucius, and Zilu gave no answer. The Master later said to Zilu, “Why didn’t you simply say that he is the sort of person who forgets to eat when pursuing a question, who forgets to worry when suffused with joy, and who does not note that old age is coming?”” Humbleness was another trait preached by Confucius. In 9.4, “The Master stayed away from four things: he did not put forth theories or conjectures; he did not think that he must be right; he was not obdurate; he was not self-centered.” Confucius also advised turning the other cheek. He was concerned with the morals of himself, not those of others. In 12.6, “The Master said, “When slanders that seep under your skin and grievances that cut through the flesh do not drive you to an immediate response, you may be said to have keen perception.””
In 13.28, Confucius describes the difference in relations between your friends and your family. “The Master said, “He must be critical, encouraging, and affable to be considered good enough to serve in government: critical and encouraging to his friends; affable to his brothers.” In Chin’s annotations, she quotes the scholar Liu Baonan, “Friends are drawn together by their sense of rightness; brothers stay together because of the love and affection they have for each other.” Chin then quotes Mencius, “Father and son would be at odds if they were to tax each other over a moral issue. It is for friends to demand goodness from each other. For father and son to do so would seriously undermine the love between them.”
In 14.24, Confucius again returns to familiar themes—the right way of learning and a reverence for the past. “The Master said, “People of antiquity engaged in learning to cultivate themselves. People today engage in learning with an eye towards others.”” In 14.31, Confucius advises to prepare for the worst, but never to expect it, in one’s relations with others. “The Master said, “Not to anticipate deception and not to expect bad faith and yet to be the first to be aware of such behavior—this is proof of one’s worthiness.”” 15.3 returns yet again to the theme of using knowledge fruitfully. “The Master said, “Si [Zigong] do you think I am the sort of person who learns many things and who retains knowledge in his mind?” Zigong replied, “Yes. Is it not so?” “No. I bind it together into a single thread.””
Confucius was often asked to encapsulate all of his wisdom. In 15.24, his disciple, “Zigong, asked, “Is there a single word that can serve as the guide to conduct throughout one’s life?” The Master said, “It is perhaps the word shu. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not want [others to impose on you].”” Chin comments, in 4.15, “I translate shu as “treating others with an awareness that they, too, are alive with humanity,” which agrees in spirit with Confucius’ explanation of shu here.” In 15.31, Confucius yet again goes back to the necessity of holding onto knowledge and being able to apply it as the most important aspect of learning. “The Master said, “Once I spent a whole day thinking, not bothering to eat, and a whole night thinking, not bothering to sleep, but I gained nothing from it. It would have been better if I’d spent the time learning something.”” For Confucius, life was a constant state of learning new things, having an open mind, and applying his knowledge to the right conduct of humaneness. He ends 18.8 revealing, “I have no preconceptions about what one can or cannot do.” Chin explains, this is “a summing-up of what he has been saying all along about himself—in this chapter and throughout the Analects—that he does not approach life with preconceived notions and will not let his thought and action be the vehicle of an overarching principle. This meant, of course, that for each step of the way, he would have to look at the world anew and rely on his learning of a lifetime to help him see clearly what he “can or cannot do.””
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