SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Confucian ethics

  • The Analects – Chapter 10.13

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    Ana

    When the ruler granted cooked food, Confucius would always straighten his mat and taste it first as a sign of respect. When granted raw meat, he would cook it and first offer it to his ancestors. When granted a live animal, he would raise it alive. When dining with the ruler, as soon as…

  • The Analects – Chapter 10.11

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    Ana

    When Confucius asked someone to convey his regards to a friend in another state, he would bow twice respectfully before sending the messenger off. When Ji Kangzi sent him medicine, Confucius bowed and accepted it, but said, “I do not yet understand its nature; I dare not taste it.”

  • 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 10.7

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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…

  • The Analects – Chapter 10.3

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    Ana

    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…

  • The Analects – Chapter 10.2

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    Ana

    When at court, Confucius spoke with lower-ranking officials in a relaxed, forthright, and affable manner; with higher-ranking officials, he was respectful, upright, and measured in speech; and when the ruler was present, he appeared both reverently cautious and gracefully composed.