“Analects” of Confucius - brilliant ramblings of an extraordinary mind

“Analects” of Confucius - brilliant ramblings of an extraordinary mind
The benefits of eclectic reading is the chance to encounter some of the finest ideas in a broad spectrum of human endeavor. One of the oldest known books of wisdom is the “Analects” of Confucius - a sage, social reformer, revolutionist, soothsayer, political manipulator; he is as elusive a figure as ever to cross the threshold of history. Yet, for almost the entirety of Chinese civilization, his name and ideas have resounded and penetrated the lives of its Men and women in a manner that is quite unimaginable in any other known culture. Like Socrates, Buddha, Jesus or Mohammed there is no written body of work composed by him. All that we know is that is he was a wise old man, who offered a radically different perspective to life and living in society. Kings sought his advice and some chased him away, commoners flocked to him for practical solace, he arbitrated crimes with a fairness and directness that turned jurisprudence on its head; his disciples were perpetually on tenterhooks with him, knowing not how the master would react to a situation. In all he was an enigma, a puzzle whose words and actions were to be experienced and not cogitated upon. A single important trait that distinguishes Confucius from other mystics and thought leaders was his constant emphasis on living an orderly life within the boundaries of society. Compassion, aesthetic development, playing one’s role to perfection, filial duty - these were the consistent themes of his prolific utterances.
The “Analects” is a curious book. Assiduously compiled by avid students and contemporaries of Confucius, the entire text is divided into twenty short books of aphorisms, anecdotes and stray reflections - not leading up to any spiritual ideology, but rather presenting a picture of scattered reminiscences of a wandering monk, illumined intermittently by brilliant sparks of deep ingenuity in interpreting daily life with deft touches of mysticism embroidering it. Read this wonderful insight into filial duty:
“Meng Wubo asked the (Master) about filial conduct… The Master replied “Give your mother and father nothing to worry about, beyond your physical well-being...” What a wonderful insight into parental obligation??
Stunning in its simplicity, rich in layers of connotations; statements like these strike straight at the root of an issue. Confucius did not obviously believe in metaphysical ruminations; his concern was to integrate Human life with his immediate surroundings and never entertain any divagation that could lead to a disconnect with prevailing social laws and customs. Chinese, even today bear the brunt of his insistence on adherence to basics rules of Human behavior.
What then is the fundamental philosophy of a nation that could produce such men of incomparable practical wisdom? How is it that the Chinese have so tenaciously held on to the precepts of a man, who by no stretch of imagination was worthy to be called a saint (in the religious connotation of the word)? Why is that Chinese thought and action places so much importance on roles that one plays in daily life, and not so much on an afterlife or immortality, as other civilizations did? These are important questions to be answered in understanding the life and sayings of Confucius.
While most cultures spent time investigating the unchanging substratum of this universe, the Chinese lived by the precept that changing forms are equally important, if not the only palpable truth. If ocean is the base, and waves are its ripples; then Chinese believed that ripples are nothing but ocean’s waving, and the wave is as real and tangible as the ocean that actualizes it. Evanescence, temporality and rejoicing in mutable forms with no thought of a primordial principle or an undifferentiated consciousness to care about, have led Chinese thinking and living into a practical and humane way of living. To them, allowing the mind to think about abstractions is as futile as hearing the sound of one hand clapping, or trying to remember ones “original face” before one’s birth. What is important is the present form, texture and quality of living; and if one can remain rooted in it, then life becomes simple, straightforward and peaceful. It is the overarching need to go beyond what one is – that leads to a complexity, neuroses and an agitation that split one’s personality. Integration lies in living and performing one’s present role with utmost reverence, joy and dedication.
Of all the societies around the world, there is none which pays tremendous respect to norms of society and the harmony of communal living than the Chinese. And that is largely due to Confucius.. 4.25 Of the Analects states “Excellent persons do not dwell alone, they are sure to have neighbors” or in 4.14, perhaps the most lucid statement on importance of official roles and title, the Master says: “Do not worry over not having an official position, worry about what it takes to have one. Do not worry that no one acknowledges you, seek to do what will earn you acknowledgement”.
The essential idea emphasized is the need to deeply acknowledge forms and patterns of life, and not to treat them as ephemeral as other philosophies do. The Chinese never believed in fatalism, and never resigned themselves to a formless “God”. In every other civilization, there is evidence of some kind of anthropomorphic dictator who runs this universe and our lives in a certain preordained manner, the Chinese never succumbed to that debilitating idea. To them, it has always been “Dao” or the way, or the role that nature assigns to every individual and to a blade of grass. To live according to the “Dao” is the surest way to harmony. There is a very interesting, and virtually untranslatable pictograph in Chinese, called “Ren”, which very loosely can be understood to mean “an authoritative life”. The representation of this pictograph is a symbol of man with two arrows pointing outward. The indication is: to be “yourself” in the world, the “other” is needed. To play a role in society, there has to be people who acknowledge that role. Otherwise, the role becomes irrelevant and inconsequential. This word “Ren” appears more than hundred times in the Analects. Confucius constantly iterated the need to express ones “person hood” creatively in society and not dwell on individualism. One’s life is intricately elated to the whole, hence “playing “ the role well is imperative for peaceful living This insistence on a “persona” as a means to regulate human affairs has molded the structure of Chinese society, making it flexible and robust enough to survive all vicissitudes the tides of history have bought to its shores. In its three thousand years of recorded civilization, there have been at least four times, when they have resurrected from ashes - but their sense of living , building and working together in meaningful harmony have always helped them preserve their unity as a race. There have also period in their history, when Confucianism have been banned, and all his works burnt or shredded; but somehow through little crevices and nooks in the fabric of social living, his words have always echoed and survived; bringing itself to life when the nation most needed it.
Along with some select other books, “Analects” is always by my side. I read them often- a few aphorisms from a random chapter – and what strikes me is the utter simplicity of its words. No pretense, none of the heavy duty logical conundrums; its message touches and soothes an aching heart like a balm that brings relief to a festering wound. One could visualize Confucius, a sixty year old man, leaning on his stick, walking slowly down a street with a pleasant, humane smile on his face, talking to people; giving them simple truths they can live by; never stretching into metaphysical speculations but always insisting on doing the right thing.
God bless…

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