The Analects – Chapter 152 (7.4). The art of everyday grace

7.4

In his leisure hours the Master’s manner was very free-and-easy, and his expression alert and cheerful.

子之燕居，申申如也，夭夭如也。

Notes

This passage from the Analects shows Confucius in his leisurely repose was serene yet vibrant, relaxed yet gracefully composed.

This vivid depiction of Confucius’ daily unguarded moments encapsulates the Confucian truth that cultivation manifests in ordinary life. The highest virtue lies not in grand gestures but in maintaining poise and joyful serenity during solitude; the ideal life state emerges when ritual propriety becomes natural demeanor and humaneness radiates as living vitality. This teaches us: every moment of life is practice, and the ultimate goal of self-cultivation is to become a whole person — at ease in body and spirit, joyful at heart.

“Eating coarse grain, drinking water, and resting my head on my bent arm – I find joy in all these things. Wealth and rank obtained through unrighteous means are to me no more than floating clouds.”(Analects 7.16)

This aligns with the “serene ease and gentle cheerfulness” conveyed by the description of Confucius at leisure. It embodies the outward composure that springs from inner contentment, a tranquility that remains unshaken by material circumstances.