When the ruler summoned Confucius to receive guests, his expression instantly became solemn, and his steps quick and nimble. When bowing to colleagues standing beside him, he courteously saluted with both left and right hands. As he moved, his robe fluttered neatly front and back, never disheveled. When hastening forward, his posture was graceful and reverent, like a bird spreading its wings. After the guest departed, he always returned to report to the ruler: “The guest did not look back.”
Note
This passage from the Analects meticulously depicts Confucius’s conduct while serving as master of ceremonies for receiving guests, vividly illustrating the Confucian ideal of embodying ritual propriety with utmost sincerity and precision. Every detail – facial expression, gait, hand gestures, attire, and movement – reflects reverence and order: reverence for the ruler’s command, respect for the guest, and strict adherence to ceremonial protocol. The seemingly minor phrase “The guest did not look back” carries profound meaning: it signifies that one’s duty in ritual hospitality is not complete until the guest has fully departed and shown no intention to return. This reveals a sense of responsibility that extends to the finest nuances of human interaction. Such practice of ritual propriety is not mere formalism; rather, it is the natural outward expression of inner moral attitudes – respect, sincerity, and attentiveness. For Confucians, ritual propriety is both the foundation of social harmony and a means of self-cultivation. Confucius exemplifies how a true junzi (noble person, Confucian gentleman) internalizes ritual so deeply that it becomes a rhythm of life, manifesting dignity and humanity in every gesture.
Further Reading
“Among his towns’ people, Confucius was modest…”; “At court, with lower ministers, he was relaxed and forthright…” Analects 10.1–10.2 (Xiang Dang)
Together with chapter 10.3, these passages form a portrait of Confucius’s situational decorum – showing how he adapted demeanor precisely to role and context in accordance with ritual propriety.
君召使擯，色勃如也，足躩如也。揖所與立，左右手。衣前後，襜如也。趨進，翼如也。賓退，必復命曰：「賓不顧矣。」
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