Synthesized answer
Tzǔ Ch'in's question to Tzǔ Kung likely seeks deeper insights into Confucius's character and methods of influence by contrasting him with other individuals and by probing the Master's own self-perception and aspirations. For example, Tzǔ Kung's description of Confucius's "wall" being "many fathoms in height" and impossible to see over without finding the "gate of entry" suggests a desire to understand the depth and accessibility of Confucius's wisdom, implying that Confucius's teachings are not readily apparent but require diligent effort to grasp [3]. Tzǔ Kung's comparison of Confucius to the sun or moon, which "can never be reached by the foot of man," further illustrates the elevated and perhaps unattainable nature of Confucius's wisdom in the eyes of others [3].
Tzǔ Kung's eventual reply clarifies these aspects by emphasizing Confucius's unique and profound sagehood. He asserts that Confucius's wisdom surpasses that of others, who are like "hills and mountain-peaks" that can be scaled, while Confucius is like celestial bodies that cannot be reached [3]. Tzǔ Kung also highlights Confucius's humility and method of teaching, noting that Confucius does not possess a mass of…
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
of goodness and no display of toilsome service rendered. —Tzǔ Lu then said: I should like, Sir, to hear your own wishes. The Master said: To comfort the aged, to win the confidence of my friends, to love and cherish the young. The Master said: Yung might well be made a prince. Chung Kung asked a question about Tzǔ-sang Po-tzǔ. The Master replied: He is a good man on the whole, though easy-going.—Chung Kung rejoined: Is it not excusable for a man who is strict in his own habits to be easygoing in dealing with the people under him? But if he becomes easy-going in his own habits as well as in…
said: I thought you had something extraordinary to ask about, and now it turns out to be a question about Yu and Ch'iu. What men call a great minister is one who serves his prince according to the principles of truth and virtue, and when that is impossible, resigns. Yu and Ch'iu, however, can only be termed ordinary officials.—Which is as much as to say that they will always obediently follow their master's will?—The Master replied: They would not follow him so far as to commit patricide or regicide. The Master said: Yu is the man to settle a long litigation in a few words. Tzǔ Kung was fond…
am I to associate? If right principles prevailed in the Empire, then indeed there would be no need for me to reform it. Shu-sun Wu-shu, speaking to the ministers at Court, said: Tzǔ Kung is a greater sage than Confucius.—Tzǔ-fu Ching-po repeated this to Tzǔ Kung, who said: Let me use the simile of a house surrounded by a wall. My wall rises only to the height of a man's shoulders, so that any one can look over and see the excellence of the building within. But my Master's wall is many fathoms in height, so that one who fails to find the gate of entry cannot see the beauties of the temple…
ral custom, I adopt the humbler position. A high officer asked Tzǔ Kung, saying: Surely your Master is a divine Prophet? What a variety of accomplishments he seems to possess!—Tzǔ Kung replied: Truly he must be a Prophet, so richly has he been endowed by God. And he has also perfected himself in various arts.—The Master, being told of this, said: Does His Ex cellency really know me now for what I am? Being of low condition as a boy, I did become skilled in various arts—but these are base accomplishments after all. If asked whether the higher type of man has many such accomplishments, I…
c?—Confucius replied: I do not allow myself to indulge in fine rhetoric; no, it is because I consider obstinacy a fault. The Master said: There are none who know me for what I am.—Tzǔ Kung said: How is it, Sir, that none know you?—The Master replied: I make no complaint against Heaven, neither do I blame my fellow-men. In the study of virtue I begin at the bottom and tend upwards. Surely Heaven knows me for what I am. Tz'ǔ, do you look upon me as a man who has studied and retained a mass of various knowledge?—I do, he replied. Am I wrong?—You are wrong, said the Master. All my knowledge is…
More questions about this book
- The editors propose that "Oriental thought may help to a revival of that true spirit of Charity which neither despises nor fears the nations of another creed and colour." Explain, in your own words, what this "true spirit of Charity" means in the context of the 1910 publication and how the editors believe studying Confucius specifically could cultivate it.
- The "Editorial Note" frames "East" as "Thought" and "West" as "Action." How does this dichotomy shape the editors' stated goal of fostering "goodwill and understanding," and what potential limitations or biases might this particular framing introduce when approaching the study of the Analects?
- Tzǔ Ch'in asks whether Confucius "find[s] out all about [a new country's] method of government" by actively seeking information or if it is "voluntarily proffered." Why is this specific distinction important to Tzǔ Ch'in, and what does it imply about the expected or ideal relationship between a sage and worldly power?
- Considering the overall purpose of the "Wisdom of the East" series as described in the editorial note, how might the editors intend for a Western reader to interpret the initial interaction between Tzǔ Ch'in and Tzǔ Kung regarding Confucius's interest in governance? What message about "Oriental thought" does this excerpt convey through that lens?