Chapter 10

Chapter 1

1. In his home village, Confucius seemed plain and sincere, as if he could barely speak. 2. But in the prince’s ancestral temple or at court, he spoke clearly and in detail on every matter, though always with care.

Chapter 2

1. When waiting at court, he spoke openly and directly with the lower-ranking officers, and courteously but precisely with the higher-ranking ones. 2. When the ruler was present, his manner showed respectful uneasiness — serious, but composed.

Chapter 3

1. When the prince summoned him to help receive a visitor, his expression would shift, and his legs seemed to move with effort. 2. He bowed to the other officers standing with him, swinging his left or right arm depending on their position, keeping the front and back of his robe neatly aligned. 3. He moved forward quickly, his arms extended like the wings of a bird. 4. After the guest had left, he would report to the prince, “The visitor is no longer looking back.”

Chapter 4

1. When he entered the palace gate, he would stoop, as if the gate were not tall enough for him. 2. When standing, he did not stand in the middle of the gateway; when passing through, he did not step on the threshold. 3. When he passed by the prince’s empty seat, his expression would change, his legs seemed to give way under him, and his words came as if he hardly had breath to speak them. 4. He climbed up to the reception hall holding up his robe with both hands, his body bent forward, holding his breath as if he dared not breathe. 5. Coming back down from the audience, the moment he descended the first step, his expression eased and he looked content. At the bottom of the steps, he hurried to his place with his arms spread like wings, and once there, his manner still showed respectful uneasiness.

Chapter 5

1. When carrying his ruler’s scepter, he seemed to stoop as if he could not bear its weight. He held it no higher than where his hands would be in a bow, no lower than where they would be in handing something to another. His expression seemed troubled and apprehensive, and he dragged his feet as if they were stuck to the ground. 2. When presenting the formal gifts entrusted to him, his expression was calm. 3. At his private audience, he looked thoroughly pleased.

Chapter 6

1. A gentleman did not use deep purple or puce as trim on his clothing. 2. Even in casual dress, he did not wear red or reddish colors. 3. In warm weather, he wore a single garment of either coarse or fine cloth, but always displayed over an inner garment. 4. Over lamb’s fur he wore a black outer garment; over fawn’s fur, a white one; over fox’s fur, a yellow one. 5. His casual fur robe was long, with the right sleeve shortened. 6. He required his sleeping garment to be half again as long as his body. 7. At home he used thick fox or badger furs. 8. When he had finished mourning, he wore all the usual ornaments at his belt. 9. His under-garment, except when it had to be made in the curtain style, was made of silk, cut narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. 10. He did not wear lamb’s fur or a black cap when making a visit of condolence. 11. On the first day of each month, he put on his court robes and presented himself at court.

Chapter 7

1. When fasting, he insisted on having clothes that were spotlessly clean and made of linen. 2. When fasting, he changed his diet, and also moved from the place where he usually sat in the room.

Chapter 8

1. He did not mind having his rice finely polished or his minced meat cut very fine. 2. He would not eat rice that had spoiled from heat or damp and turned sour, nor fish or meat that had gone bad. He would not eat anything discolored, anything that smelled off, anything poorly cooked, or anything out of season. 3. He would not eat meat that was not cut properly, nor anything served without its proper sauce. 4. Even when there was plenty of meat, he would not let his portion of it exceed the proper proportion to the rice. Only with wine did he set himself no fixed limit — but he never let it confuse him. 5. He would not eat wine or dried meat bought from the market. 6. He was never without ginger at his meals. 7. He did not eat much. 8. After assisting at the prince’s sacrifice, he did not keep the meat he received overnight. Meat from his family sacrifices he did not keep more than three days. After three days, it could no longer be eaten. 9. While eating, he did not converse. In bed, he did not speak. 10. Even when his meal was only coarse rice and vegetable soup, he would offer a little of it in sacrifice, with a grave and reverent air.

Chapter 9

If his mat was not laid straight, he would not sit on it.

Chapter 10

1. When the villagers were drinking together, he would not leave until those carrying staffs (the elders) had gone out. 2. When the villagers were performing their ceremonies to drive out pestilential spirits, he put on his court robes and stood on the eastern steps.

Chapter 11

1. When he sent inquiries of greeting to someone in another state, he bowed twice as he saw the messenger off. 2. When Chi K’ang sent him a gift of medicine, he bowed and accepted it, saying, “I am not familiar with this; I do not dare to taste it.”

Chapter 12

When the stables burned down, Confucius, returning from court, asked, “Was anyone hurt?” He did not ask about the horses.

Chapter 13

1. When the prince sent him a gift of cooked meat, he would straighten his mat, taste it first, and then share it with others. When the prince sent him a gift of raw meat, he would have it cooked and offer it to the spirits of his ancestors. When the prince sent him a living animal, he would keep it alive. 2. When attending the prince at a meal, while the prince made the sacrificial offering, Confucius would taste everything first. 3. When he was sick and the prince came to visit, he laid his head to the east, had his court robes spread over him, and drew his sash across them. 4. When the prince’s order summoned him, he set out at once, without waiting for his carriage to be readied.

Chapter 14

When he entered the state’s ancestral temple, he asked about everything.

Chapter 15

1. When any of his friends died, if there were no relatives who could see to the necessary arrangements, he would say, “I will see to the burial.” 2. When a friend sent him a present — even a carriage and horses — he did not bow. 3. The only gift for which he bowed was meat from a sacrifice.

Chapter 16

1. In bed, he did not lie stretched out like a corpse. At home, he did not put on a formal manner. 2. When he saw someone in mourning clothes, even if it was a close acquaintance, his expression would change; when he saw someone wearing the cap of full dress, or a blind person, even if he himself was in casual dress, he would greet them with full ceremony. 3. To anyone in mourning, he would bow forward to the crossbar of his carriage; he would bow the same way to anyone carrying the census tablets. 4. When he was at a feast with a lavish spread of food set before him, his expression would change and he would rise to his feet. 5. At a sudden clap of thunder or a violent gust of wind, his expression would change.

Chapter 17

1. When about to mount his carriage, he would stand up straight and take hold of the mounting-cord. 2. Inside the carriage, he did not turn his head all the way around, he did not speak hurriedly, and he did not point with his hands.

Chapter 18

1. Seeing a person’s expression, the bird rises at once. It circles in the air, and then settles again. 2. The Master said, “There’s the hen-pheasant on the hill bridge. What good timing! What good timing!” Tsze-lu gestured toward it. The bird sniffed three times and then flew away.