Keeping the positive

[benlehman]

Instead of some angry ranting, a quote:

"To learn and at due times to repeat what one has learnt, is that not a pleasure? That friends should come from afar, is this not delightful? To remain unsoured even though one's merits are unrecognized by others, is that not after all what is expected of an upright man?"

--Confucious, trans. Arthur Waley

(Waley's translation is so very very stilted, but you work with what you have.)

Comments

[the-tall-man.livejournal.com]

Speaking for me:

If I properly recognized the merits and intelligence of others that have been of benefit to me online - including yours?

I wouldn't ever do anything else.

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

The quote itself isn't complaining about anyone's behavior. Although, you know, Confucious is always a good gut check for "am I acting like a basically moral human being?"

It's more to remind myself of what the book actually contains, so dramatically different from the racist caricature of "random bits of advice" one sees from time to time.

[the-tall-man.livejournal.com]

Ah, that... Well, yes.

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

And, look. A whisper exchange later and things are fix-ed.

Yay for people.

[summercomfort]

Yay Confucius! Being a good person can bring you happiness! :D I have a copy that is both English and Chinese, which is pretty awesome. My mom's favorite translation is the Lin Yutang one. So why did you go with the Waley translation?

I wish the web versions are more searchable.

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

I have a better one, but it's probably in a box somewhere. This one was $3 at the used bookstore.

yrs--
--Ben

[summercomfort]

Mmmm... Moral Rectification for only $3! Buy Now!!

[yeloson.livejournal.com]

You know, I rarely read Confucious. There's parts that are pure gold, and then there's parts that... ahh, irritate me to no end.

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

It's important to remember that he saw himself largely as a keeper of the traditional Zhou culture.

We have *no fucking clue* what traditional Zhou culture was like.

[yeloson.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm also aware of the fact that text tends to get diluted over time with additions and deletions depending on who's in charge at the moment. It's hard to tell whether the irritating stuff was original or added.

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

Almost certainly both.

It's hard to even imagine that a petty Chinese noble from 2700 years ago would %100 share a value set with a modern Chinese-American.

It's kind of amazing how much of it is still relevant at all.

[yeloson.livejournal.com]

Oh, for sure. Though I think human nature hasn't drastically changed over the last few thousand years, so it being relevant isn't surprising to me.

[summercomfort]

But it is! Crazy. Reading Confucius helped me understand my parents. Even though they grew up in a generation that didn't read Confucius.

[l-the-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Mental note. Study Confucious.

Can you reccommend a translation?