The Analects – Chapter 10.13

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 ruler performed the pre-meal offering ritual, Confucius would take a bite first (acting as taster or in ceremonial precedence). When ill and the ruler came to visit, he would lie with his head toward the east, cover himself with his court robe, and let the sash hang down as a mark of reverence. Whenever the ruler summoned him, he would set off on foot immediately without waiting for his carriage to be prepared.

Note

This passage from the Analects of Confucius vividly illustrates his meticulous practice of ritual propriety in relation to the ruler – not out of fear or flattery, but as an expression of loyalty, gratitude, and moral order. Each action reflects layered meanings: tasting the ruler’s food shows service and care; offering raw meat to ancestors integrates filial piety with political loyalty; raising live animals honors the ruler’s gift as a living trust. The “first tasting” during meals is not servility but a formalized act of protection and respect within hierarchical relationships. Even in sickness, Confucius maintains decorum – orienting his body correctly and donning symbolic attire – demonstrating that reverence persists regardless of personal condition. His immediate response to a summons (“not waiting for the carriage”) embodies prompt obedience rooted in duty, not haste. Altogether, these behaviors exemplify the Confucian ideal of the junzi (noble person or Confucian gentleman): one who internalizes ritual so thoroughly that every gesture – whether in health or illness, at table or in transit – becomes a natural expression of ethical commitment, social harmony, and balanced hierarchy.

Further Reading

When the ruler summoned him to receive guests… he advanced briskly like a bird with wings spread. After the guest left, he always reported: “The guest did not look back.” Analects 10.3 (Xiang Dang)

Both show Confucius’s prompt, reverent, and detailed observance of duties related to the ruler, emphasizing responsiveness and ceremonial precision.

The Master said, “You care about the sheep; I care about the ritual.” Analects 3.17 (Ba Yi)

Highlights Confucius’s prioritization of ritual meaning over material value – similar to raising a live animal (Chapter 10.13) not for utility but for its symbolic role in ritual.

“To restrain oneself and return to ritual is humaneness. Do not look, listen, speak, or move unless it accords with ritual.” Analects 12.1 (Yan Yuan)

Confucius’s every action in Chapter 10.13 – tasting, offering, dressing, walking – exemplifies total alignment of conduct with ritual, even in private or vulnerable moments.

君賜食，必正席先嘗之；君賜腥，必熟而薦之；君賜生，必畜之。侍食於君，君祭，先飯。疾，君視之，東首，加朝服，拖紳。君命召，不俟駕行矣。