A hermit from the State of Chu, known as “the madman” Jieyu, walked past Confucius’ carriage singing, “Phoenix! Phoenix! How has your virtue declined? The past cannot be remonstrated against, but the future can still be pursued and changed. Enough! Enough! Those who are currently in government are in peril!” Hearing this, Confucius got off his carriage, wanting to speak with him. But Jieyu quickened his pace and avoided him, so Confucius was unable to speak with him.
Note
This record vividly portrays the clash between two completely different attitudes and values – the Confucian “active engagement in the world” and the hermit’s “seclusion from the world” – against the backdrop of the chaotic late Spring and Autumn period:
- The Hermit’s Clarity and Despair (Philosophy of Seclusion):
Jieyu used the “phoenix” as a metaphor for Confucius, which was both an acknowledgment of Confucius’ noble character and a lament for his bad timing and repeated setbacks. In Jieyu’s view, society at that time was terminally ill, and those in government were in imminent danger; any attempt to change the status quo was futile. His “song” represented the complete despair of some clear-minded intellectuals of that era regarding reality, and their choice to “maintain one’s own virtue in solitude” and stay away from the political vortex. - Confucius’ Persistence and Compassion (Spirit of Engagement):
Faced with the hermit’s mockery and advice to retreat, Confucius did not get angry; instead, he “got off his carriage, wanting to speak with him.” This gesture is extremely moving, as it demonstrates Confucius’ respect for like-minded individuals and his deep inner desire to change reality. Even knowing the road ahead was difficult, and even being seen by the world as a fool who “does what he knows is impossible,” Confucius was still unwilling to give up any opportunity to exchange ideas and save the moral way of the world.
The core of this thought lies in “the tension between engagement and seclusion.” Jieyu’s “seclusion” highlights the greatness and tragic heroism of Confucius’ “engagement.” The greatness of Confucianism lies precisely in the fact that, having seen through the darkness and difficulties of reality, they still chose to face them head-on and shoulder the responsibility for all living beings in the world.
Further Reading
Changju and Jieni were ploughing together. Confucius passed by them and sent Zilu to ask them for the ford… They said, “Like a swelling flood, disorder is everywhere under heaven. Who can change it? Moreover, rather than following a gentleman who merely avoids certain individuals, why not follow those who avoid the world entirely?”
Zilu, following behind, fell behind and met an old man carrying a weeding basket on his staff… The old man said, “You do not toil with your four limbs, nor can you distinguish the five grains. Who is your Master?” Then he planted his staff in the ground and continued weeding.
These chapters collectively form the highly literary and profound “group portrait of hermits” in the Weizi chapter of The Analects. Whether it is Jieyu’s mad song, the cold mockery of Changju and Jieni, or the sarcasm of the old man with the weeding basket, their core logic is highly consistent: These hermits all keenly perceived the incurable nature of the era, thereby highlighting the tragic color and great sense of responsibility of Confucius, who “does what he knows is impossible.” They jointly prove that, in the Confucian view, although the hermits’ “seclusion” is noble and preserves their own integrity, Confucius’ “engagement” spirit – which remains concerned for the world and persistently seeks the Way even when misunderstood – is the highest realm of human morality and sense of responsibility.
楚狂接輿歌而過孔子曰：「鳳兮！鳳兮！何德之衰？往者不可諫，來者猶可追。已而，已而！今之從政者殆而！」孔子下，欲與之言。趨而辟之，不得與之言。
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