SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

  • The Analects – Chapter 10.10

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    Ana

    When fellow townspeople held a communal drinking ceremony, Confucius would not leave until the elders leaning on staffs had departed. When the villagers performed the ‘nuo’ exorcism ritual (to drive away plague spirits), he put on his formal court robes and stood respectfully on the eastern host’s steps.

  • The Analects – Chapter 10.9

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    Ana

    If the mat is not properly aligned, one does not sit down.

  • The Analects – Chapter 10.8

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    Ana

    One should not disdain refined food or finely cut meat. Do not eat food that is stale or spoiled, fish that has gone bad, or meat that has rotted. Do not eat anything with an unappetizing color or foul odor. Do not eat food that is improperly cooked, eaten at the wrong time, cut…

  • The Analects – Chapter 10.7

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    Ana

    When fasting for ritual purification, one must wear a special clean garment made of plain cloth. During the fast, one must change one’s usual diet and also move to a different place to sit or sleep.

  • The Analects – Chapter 10.6

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    Ana

    The noble person does not use dark blue-red or blackish-red fabrics for garment trimmings, nor wear red or purple as casual home attire. In summer heat, one may wear unlined clothes made of fine or coarse ramie, but must always add an outer robe when going out. A black outer robe is worn over…

  • The Analects – Chapter 10.5

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    Ana

    When Confucius held the jade tablet (a ceremonial scepter used in diplomatic missions), he bowed slightly, appearing reverent and cautious, as if he could barely bear its weight. When raising it upward, his gesture resembled a bow; when lowering it, it was like offering something to another. His expression was solemn, almost tense, and…