SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

rites and music

  • Chapter 9. Horses’ Hooves (Ma Ti)

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    This Zhuangzi ‑ Mati excerpt uses Bo Le’s horse‑taming fable. It blames sages’ imposed rituals and virtues for ruining innate nature, and praises the ancient Age of Perfect Virtue of plain, unconstrained simplicity.

  • The Two Recluses of Lu [Biographies of Noble Scholars]

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    Two orthodox Lu Confucians rejected Shusun Tong’s summons to draft Han court rituals. They criticized him for pushing rites amid post-war chaos, arguing proper rituals need a century of virtue. Unwilling to compromise ancient principles, they sent him away to preserve their integrity.

  • The Analects – Chapter 16.5

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    Confucius said, “There are three kinds of beneficial joys and three kinds of harmful joys. To take joy in regulating oneself through rites and music, to take joy in praising others’ virtues, and to take joy in having many worthy friends – these are beneficial. To take joy in arrogance, to take joy in…

  • The Analects – Chapter 13.3

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    Zilu asked Confucius, “If the ruler of Wei were waiting for you to take charge of government, what would you do first?”The Master said, “Certainly, I would rectify the names!”Zilu replied, “Really? How impractical you are! What’s there to rectify?”The Master said, “How uncultivated you are, You! When a noble person does not understand…

  • Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 29. Virtue and Position in Harmony

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    The Master said:“Foolish yet fond of acting on one’s own judgment;lowly yet fond of exercising sole authority;living in the present age, yet opposing its established Way by blindly reverting to antiquity –such a person will surely bring disaster upon himself.”

  • Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 19. Consummate filial piety and the ritual order

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    The Master said:“Were not King Wu and the Duke of Zhou truly exemplars of consummate filial piety?”