The Master said:
“Who but King Wen could be truly free from worry?
He had King Ji as his father and King Wu as his son –
his father initiated the enterprise, and his son carried it forward.”
“King Wu inherited the legacy of Grand King (Tai Wang), King Ji, and King Wen.
Donning armor but once, he gained possession of the realm,
yet never lost his illustrious reputation throughout the world.
Honored as Son of Heaven, he possessed the wealth of all within the Four Seas.
He is honored in ancestral temples, and his descendants preserve his legacy.
King Wu received the Mandate only in his later years. The Duke of Zhou completed the virtue of Kings Wen and Wu by posthumously honoring Grand King and King Ji as kings and offering sacrifices to earlier ancestors with the rites of a Son of Heaven.
This system of ritual extends to feudal lords, high ministers, officers, and commoners alike.
If a father was a high minister and his son is an officer, the burial follows the father’s rank, but the sacrifices follow the son’s.
If a father was an officer and his son is a high minister, the burial follows the father’s rank, but the sacrifices follow the son’s.
The one-year mourning period applies up to high ministers;
the three-year mourning period extends even to the Son of Heaven.
In mourning for one’s parents, there is no distinction of noble or humble – all observe the same three-year mourning.”
子曰：「無憂者其惟文王乎！
以王季為父，以武王為子，父作之，子述之。
武王纘大王、王季、文王之緒，壹戎衣而有天下，身不失天下之顯名；
尊為天子，富有四海之內。宗廟饗之，子孫保之。
武王末受命，周公成文、武之德，追王大王、王季，上祀先公以天子之禮。
斯禮也，達乎諸侯、大夫及士、庶人。
父為大夫，子為士，葬以大夫，祭以士。
父為士，子為大夫，葬以士，祭以大夫。
期之喪，達乎大夫；三年之喪，達乎天子；
父母之喪，無貴賤，一也。」
Note
This chapter from the Doctrine of the Mean, through praising King Wen’s “freedom from worry,” reveals the Confucian understanding of historical continuity, ritual order, and the universality of filial piety.
First, “freedom from worry” does not mean a life without hardship, but rather that King Wen stood within an ideal lineage of moral succession: a virtuous father laid the foundation, a sage son continued the mission, and he himself perfectly bridged the two – thus free from anxiety over the interruption of the moral tradition. This reflects the Confucian historical view that personal meaning lies in participating in and perpetuating the river of ethical civilization.
Second, King Wu’s “gaining the realm by donning armor but once” underscores the legitimacy of the Zhou revolution: though achieved by force, it preserved his “illustrious reputation” because it responded to the Mandate of Heaven and the will of the people, not personal ambition. The Duke of Zhou’s act of posthumously honoring ancestors as kings and using imperial rites for earlier forebears was a ritual reconstruction that traced political legitimacy back to moral origins, thereby endowing the regime with sacred continuity.
Most significantly, the latter part details mourning rites. While Confucian ritual acknowledges social hierarchy (e.g., burial and sacrifice follow different ranks based on father and son’s statuses), mourning for one’s parents is identical for all – “no distinction of noble or humble.” This highlights two core principles:
The absoluteness and universality of filial duty: regardless of social status, a child’s obligation to parents is equal and non-negotiable;
The balance of “constant principle” (jing) and “contextual adaptation” (quan) in ritual: while hierarchy is normative, familial affection allows for flexibility – and ultimately transcends status.
Zhu Xi, in his Commentary on the Doctrine of the Mean, notes that this chapter illustrates “ritual is principle” – ritual is not rigid formality but the embodiment of Heavenly Principle in human relationships. The three-year mourning observed equally by Son of Heaven and commoner arises from “the natural feelings of the human heart: love for kin, respect for superiors.”
Thus, this chapter does more than record Zhou dynasty rites; through the deeds of Wen, Wu, and the Duke of Zhou, it articulates the Confucian ideal: political legitimacy stems from moral inheritance, social order is grounded in graded ritual propriety, and the foundation of humanity lies in universal filial love.
Leave a Reply