Book 3 八佾篇第三

3.1 Confucius said of the Ji family: "Eight rows of dancers in their courtyard — if this can be borne, what cannot be borne?"

3.2 The Three Families performed the Yong removal. The Master said: "'The lords assist; the Son of Heaven is solemn' — what meaning has it in the halls of the three families?"

3.3 The Master said: "If a man lacks humaneness, what of ritual? If a man lacks humaneness, what of music?"

3.4 Lin Fang asked about the root of ritual. The Master said: "A great question! In ritual, better thrift than extravagance; in mourning, better grief than ceremony."

3.5 The Master said: "The chiefs of Yi and Di hold their rulers; the states of Xia do not — they may fall."

3.6 The Ji family sacrificed to Mount Tai. The Master said to Ran You: "Can you not save it?" He answered: "I cannot." The Master said: "Alas! Does Mount Tai yield to Lin Fang? Has it less sense than you?"

3.7 The Master said: "A gentleman does not contend — yet even in archery? Saluting and yielding, they ascend; coming down, they drink their fill. Even their contest is gentlemanly."

3.8 Zixia asked, quoting: "'Her dimpled smile, her lovely eyes, her plain ground for the patterns.' What does that mean?" The Master said: "The painting comes after the plain ground." Zixia said: "Then ritual comes after?" The Master said: "Shang — you raise my meaning. Now I can talk of the Odes with you."

3.9 The Master said: "The rites of Xia I can describe, but Qi cannot vouch for them. The rites of Yin I can describe, but Song cannot vouch for them. Their records and wise men fail; without records and wise men, the proof dies."

3.10 The Master said: "After the libation at the Dî sacrifice, I would rather not watch the rest."

3.11 Someone asked the meaning of the Dî. The Master said: "Unknown. One who knew its meaning would see all governance as plain as this" — pointing to his palm.

3.12 "Sacrifice as if present" — sacrifice to the spirits as if the spirits were there. The Master said: "If I do not take part, it is as if I had not sacrificed."

3.13 Wangsun Jia asked: "It is said, 'Propitiate the hearth rather than the southwest corner.' What of it?" The Master said: "Not so. Offend Heaven, and there is nowhere to pray."

3.14 The Master said: "Zhou looked back upon two dynasties; how resplendent its culture! I follow Zhou."

3.15 Upon entering the Grand Temple, the Master asked about everything. Someone said: "Who says the son of the man from Zou knows ritual? Into the Grand Temple, and he asks about everything." The Master heard it and said: "Such asking is itself ritual."

3.16 The Master said: "In archery, piercing the hide is not the point — some lack the strength for that. Such was the way of the ancients."

3.17 Zigong wished to drop the lamb at the new-moon sacrifice. The Master said: "Ci! You grudge the lamb; you grudged the rite."

3.18 The Master said: "Serve the ruler with full ritual; men call it flattery."

3.19 Duke Ding asked how a ruler employs his ministers and ministers serve their ruler. Confucius said: "The ruler employs with ritual; the minister serves with loyalty."

3.20 The Master said: "The Guanju is joy without license, grief without injury."

3.21 Duke Ai asked Zai Wo about the altar gods. He answered: "The Xia used pines; the Yin used cypresses; the Zhou used chestnuts — 'to make the people tremble.'" The Master heard it and said: "No making good what is done; no pleading what is past; no blaming what is gone."

3.22 The Master said: "Guan Zhong was a small vessel indeed!" "Was Guan Zhong frugal?" "The Guan family kept three courts; its offices were never doubled — how frugal is that?" "Then he knew ritual?" "Kings screen their gates with trees; Guan too. Kings have the wine-stand of emptied cups; Guan too. If Guan Zhong knew ritual, who does not?"

3.23 The Master, speaking to the Grand Master of Lu about music, said: "Music may be known: at the start, in unison; as it opens, clear and flowing; then continuous, till it ends."

3.24 The warden of Yi asked for an audience: "May a gentleman ever come here and be refused?" The followers brought him. On leaving he said: "Why grieve over losing office? The world has long been without the Way; Heaven means to use your Master as a wooden tongue for the bell."

3.25 The Master said of the Shao: "Perfectly beautiful, perfectly good." Of the Wu: "Perfectly beautiful, not perfectly good."

3.26 The Master said: "High station without tolerance; ritual without reverence; mourning without grief — how can I look at that?"

3.1 Confucius said of the Ji family: "They dance with eight rows of dancers in their own courtyard — an honor reserved for kings. If they'll do that, what won't they do?"

3.2 The Three Families used the royal hymn at their ancestral rites. The Master said: "'The lords assist; the king presides' — what does that line mean in their family halls?"

3.3 The Master said: "Without real goodness in a person, what's the point of ritual? Without goodness, what's the point of music?"

3.4 Lin Fang asked what ritual is really about. The Master said: "Big question! In ritual, simple beats lavish. In mourning, real grief beats ceremony."

3.5 The Master said: "Even the tribes of the north and east have their rulers; the states of central China are losing theirs."

3.6 The Ji family held a sacrifice meant only for the Lord of Mount Tai. The Master asked Ran You: "Can't you stop this?" Ran You said: "I can't." The Master said: "What a pity! Does the mountain god really accept this — is he less discerning than you?"

3.7 The Master said: "A gentleman never fights unfairly — but what about archery? They bow and yield going up; coming down they drink together. Even their contest is gentlemanly."

3.8 Zixia asked about the poem line: "'Her sweet smile dimpled, her lovely eyes so clear — the plain ground for the painted colors.' What's that about?" The Master said: "The plain ground comes first; painting after." Zixia said: "So tradition comes after goodness?" The Master said: "Shang, you've lifted my meaning. Now we can really discuss poetry."

3.9 The Master said: "I can describe the Xia rites, but their state of Qi can't confirm them. I can describe the Yin rites, but Song can't confirm them. When records and learned men are gone, the proof is gone."

3.10 The Master said: "From the moment the wine offering starts at the great sacrifice, I'd rather watch nothing more."

3.11 Someone asked what the great sacrifice means. The Master said: "No one knows. Whoever understood it would see the whole world as clearly as this" — pointing at his palm.

3.12 "Sacrifice as if the spirit were present" — sacrifice to the spirits as if they stood there. The Master said: "If I'm not truly there in heart, I haven't sacrificed at all."

3.13 Wangsun Jia asked: "They say: 'Win over the kitchen god, and the hearth answers better than the ancestral shrine.' What do you say?" The Master said: "Wrong. If you've offended Heaven, there is nowhere left to pray."

3.14 The Master said: "The Zhou looked back at two dynasties and made something radiant. I follow Zhou."

3.15 Entering the Grand Temple, the Master asked about everything. Someone sneered: "Who says the man from Zou knows ritual? He asks about everything in there!" The Master heard and said: "Asking carefully IS the rite."

3.16 The Master said: "In archery, piercing the target isn't everything — some lack the strength for it. The ancients shot that way."

3.17 Zigong wanted to drop the sacrificial lamb at the new-moon rite. The Master said: "Ci, you hate losing the lamb; I hate losing the rite."

3.18 The Master said: "Serve your ruler with full ritual, and people will call it flattery."

3.19 Duke Ding asked how a ruler should use ministers and how ministers should serve. Confucius said: "A ruler uses ritual; a minister serves with loyalty."

3.20 The Master said: "The Guanju poem: joy without going too far, sadness without harm."

3.21 Duke Ai asked Zai Wo about altars to the god of the land. Zai Wo said: "The Xia used pines, the Yin cypresses, the Zhou chestnuts — chestnut meaning 'make the people tremble.'" The Master said, hearing this: "Don't redo what's done; don't reargue what's over; don't blame what's past."

3.22 The Master said: "Guan Zhong was a man of small capacity!" "Was he frugal?" "He kept three separate households and staffed every post twice over — frugal?" "Did he know ritual then?" "Kings screen their gates with trees; so did he. Kings keep the wine-stand for toasts; so did he. If Guan Zhong knew ritual, who doesn't?"

3.23 Explaining music to the court music master of Lu, the Master said: "Music can be understood: it begins in unison; then it opens out, clear and flowing; then it carries on, and ends."

3.24 The border warden of Yi asked to see Confucius: "Gentlemen have always stopped here and been received." The disciples introduced him. On leaving he said: "Don't worry that he's out of office. The world has long lost its way; Heaven intends your Master as the clapper for the bell."

3.25 The Master said of the Shao music: "Perfectly beautiful, and perfectly good." Of the Wu: "Perfectly beautiful, not perfectly good."

3.26 The Master said: "High rank without generosity; ritual without reverence; mourning without grief — how could I bear to look at that?"