Lines We Took to Heart:
Confucian teachings:
Confucius (551-479) talked of the ideal age of the Zhou. His followers, Mencius (370-300) and Xunzi (310-215) developed his ideas further and combined them with Legalist teachings as well. Nevertheless, they all believed that human nature was fundamentally good even though it requires developing.
Selections from the Analects
The Gentleman:
The gentleman aspires to things lofty; the petty person
aspires to things base."
The gentleman is not a tool.
I hate those who pry and consider it wisdom.
Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you.
On Governing
When superiors love ritual the people are easy to direct.
On Government
Watch out, watch out! What you do will be done to you.
On Filial Piety
The Duke of She said to Confucius, "In my land there is an upright man. His father stole a sheep, and the man turned him in to the authorities." Confucius replied, "The upright men of my land are different. The father will shelter the son and the son will shelter the father. Righteousness lies precisely in this."
On Human Nature
Everyone has a heart that is sensitive to the sufferings of others.
Anyone today who suddenly saw a baby about to fall into a well would feel alarmed and concerned.
Selections from Zunzi
A Discussion of Heaven
Heaven cannot keep your country whole. If you renounce the Way and act recklessly, Heaven can not make you lucky. In such a case starvation will result even without flood or drought; illness will occur even without severe weather; misfortunes will occur without any uncanny phenomena.
of Ritual
Ritual conduct is the perfection of decorum. Only sages can fully understand this. Sages comprehend it, gentlemen comfortably carry them out, officials preserve them, and the common people consider them the custom. Gentlemen consider them to be the way of man; common people think they have something to do with ghosts. . . .
Human Nature is Bad
Human nature is bad. Good is a human product.
"If you do not know the man, observe his friends. If you do not know the lord, look at his attendants." Influence affects everyone.
Daoist Teachings
Laozi (Classic of the Way and its Power) by Lao Dan (sixth century BCE but probably written in the third century).
The nameless is the source of Heaven and earth.
When everyone in the world sees beauty in the beautiful,
Ugliness is already there.
When everyone sees good in the good,
Bad is already there.
The uncarved block may be small,
But no one in the world can subordinate it.
The tools of statecraft should not be shown to the people.
Do not honor the worthy,
And the people will not compete.
Do not value rare treasures,
And the people will not steal.
Do not display what others want,
And the people will not have their hearts confused.
Selections from Zhuangzi, by Zhuang Zhou (369-286 BCE). Whereas Laozi seems concerned with protecting each person's life Zhuangzi searches for a view of a man's place in the cosmos which will reconcile him to death.
Only after the great awakening will we realize that this is the great dream.
When Zhuangzi was about to die, his disciples wanted to bury him in a well-appointed tomb. Zhuangzi said, "I have the sky and the earth for inner and outer coffins, the sun and the moon for jade disks, the stars for pearls, and the ten thousand things for farewell gifts. Isn't the paraphernalia for my burial adequate without adding anything?"
"We are afraid the crows and kites will eat you,
master," a disciple said.
"Above ground, I will be eaten by crows and kites; below ground by ants.
You are robbing from the one to give to the other. Why play favorites?"
Legalist Teachings
Laws exist to love the people;
rites exist to make affairs go smoothly.
The dull cannot even see what has already happened, but the intelligent can see what is yet to sprout.
. . . still under construction