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The Analects – Chapter 49 (3.9). Confucius’ lament for lost history
3.9 The Master said, “How can we talk about the ritual of the Xia? The State of Qi supplies no adequate evidence. How can we talk about the ritual of Yin? The State of Song supplies no adequate evidence. For there is a lack both of documents and of learned men. But for this…
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The Analects – Chapter 47 (3.7). The archer’s virtue
3.7 The Master said,”Gentlemen never compete. You will say that in archery they do so. But even then they bow and make way for one another when they are going up to the archery-ground, when they are coming down and at the subsequent drinking-bout. Thus even when competing, they still remain gentlemen.”
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The Analects – Chapter 46 (3.6). Rebuke of ritual usurpation at Mount Tai
3.6 The head of the Ji family was going to make the offerings on Mount Tai. Confucius said to Ran Qiu, “Cannot you save him from this?” Ran Qiu replied, “I cannot.” Confucius said, “Alas, we can hardly suppose Mount Tai to be ignorant of matters that even Lin Fang inquires into!”
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The Analects – Chapter 45 (3.5). Civilization’s Soul
3.5 Confucius said, “The rude tribes of the east and north have their princes, and are not like the States of our great land which are without them.””
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The Analects – Chapter 44 (3.4). Authenticity as the core of propriety
3.4 Lin Fang asked for some main principles in connexion with ritual. Confucius said, “A very big question. In ritual at large it is a safe rule always to be too sparing rather than too lavish; and in the particular case of mourning-rites, they should be dictated by grief rather than by ease.”