Cryptocurrency Exchange - "Analects" Detailed Explanation: For All Those Misinterpreting Confucius - The Way of Not Doing Harm

The Twenty Chapters of the Analects are actually one great article, and the first chapter’s three “Not yet”s serve as the outline of the entire work, as well as the general principle of Confucianism. People often say that the “Yi” (Book of Changes) is difficult to interpret; in fact, the “Yi” is hidden and difficult, while the Analects is explicit and difficult, making it even more challenging. Since the book of the Analects was completed, no one has truly been able to interpret the first chapter, and if the first chapter cannot be understood, then the subsequent parts are even more like blind leading the blind.

What I write in this ID is all from what has not been expressed before; others seeking the true spirit of the Analects from its words are merely corpse-chewers. The true spirit of the undeathly Analects does not lie in mere words and sentences. When one attunes spiritually, the entanglement of words naturally becomes clear. Below, I will explain a question that has puzzled people for ages: Why are the three “Not yet”s in the first chapter of the Analects not two, not four, or some other number, but three?

All previous interpretations of the Analects have not even dared to mention these three “Not yet”s, or perhaps have not thought of them at all, let alone explain them. The answer to this question, I have already hinted at in earlier explanations; in section (IV), I mentioned “A sage must be a sage of his time, his place, and his people; and also of other times, other places, and other people.” In other words, these three “Not yet”s are based on the fundamental belief of Confucianism—the basic structure of Confucian thought: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

“Learning and practicing it regularly” refers to “Heaven.” Under the basic structure of Confucian thinking, Heaven and the timing of Heaven—“Heaven and its timing”—are one and the same, two and one. Closely related to “Heaven and its timing” is the so-called “Mandate of Heaven.” Referring back to the earlier explanation of “time,” it is not hard to see that the attitude of the Analects towards Heaven’s timing and the Mandate of Heaven is “aligning with Heaven at its proper time and with its proper time,” and “aligning with Heaven and its mandate.” The Confucian attitude towards “destiny” and “fate” is very positive. “Learning and practicing it regularly” aims to achieve this alignment with Heaven and its timing, and with Heaven and its mandate.

“Having friends come from afar” refers to “Earth.” Earth includes land and so forth, but not just land alone—possibly even the Earth itself—rather, it refers to the place where the Great Way flows, the space, and so on. Earth cannot be separated from Heaven; with its timing, it will surely succeed. Its land includes all the real objective conditions. Commonly discussed “earthly luck” and “national fortune” fall within the scope of “Earth.” More familiar to most people is the so-called “geographical advantage.” The Confucian attitude towards “geographical advantage” is also “aligning with the land and its benefits.” “Having friends come from afar” is about achieving this “alignment with the land and its benefits.”

“People do not become angry when they are unaware” refers to “Human.” Humanity is the heart of Heaven and Earth. Zhang Zai said, “Establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, establish a destiny for the people, continue the teachings of the ancient sages, and bring peace to all generations,” which reflects this “People do not become angry when they are unaware.” So, where is the heart of Heaven and Earth? It resides in the human heart. When the human heart is established, Heaven and Earth establish their hearts. Western learning emphasizes human transformation of nature, and later the so-called “Darwinian principle,” but regarding the relationship among Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, Confucianism and the Analects speak more thoroughly. “People do not become angry when they are unaware” aims to achieve “harmony with others and harmony among people,” ultimately realizing true “harmony among people.”

These three “Not yet”s describe how a gentleman aligns “with Heaven’s timing,” “with Earth’s benefits,” and ultimately “achieves harmony among people.” What is true “harmony among people”? It is a world “without anger,” “without resentment,” a world of great harmony. Only by “harmony with others and among people” can one ultimately realize true “harmony among people,” and a gentleman can truly follow the “Way of the Sage.” Without these three “Not yet”s, the commonly spoken “Heaven’s timing, Earth’s benefits, and harmony among people” are meaningless, as they do not truly understand what “Heaven’s timing, Earth’s benefits, and harmony among people” are.

Once the above is understood, it is not difficult to see why these three “Not yet”s are arranged in the order of “Speaking, Joy, and the Gentleman.” “Speaking” means “Joy.” In the modern society plagued by depression and other widespread issues, this “Joy” is exceedingly rare. If even “Joy” is absent, there is no need to talk about superficial notions like happiness. So, what is true “Joy”? It is “hearing, seeing, learning, practicing”—the “Way of the Sage.” “Hearing, seeing, learning, practicing”—the “Way of the Sage”—are the true sources of happiness, the things that bring peace of mind. If individuals cannot “Joy” or “not become angry,” how can they possibly create a world of “not becoming angry”? Therefore, one must “cultivate oneself,” and through “learning and practicing it regularly,” achieve “Joy,” which is essentially “not becoming angry” oneself. Why is “cultivating oneself” linked to “Heaven’s timing”? Because “cultivating oneself” is not blind practice; the “hearing, seeing, learning, practicing”—the “Way of the Sage”—must be “aligned with Heaven’s timing,” and the relationship between them is inseparable.

After “cultivating oneself,” one must “manage the family.” This “family” is not just the ordinary household; it is the “small family.” A region is a family, a country is also a family—this is the “great family.” Only when the family is managed well can there be “Joy,” which is read as “Yue,” symbolizing the nine notes of the Xiao and Shuo, representing a prosperous era. If the family is not harmonious, the nation cannot be harmonious; how can there be “nine notes of Xiao and Shuo,” a symbol of a flourishing age? Therefore, to “manage the family,” the “Having friends come from afar” is about “managing the family,” and the result is “Joy.” “Joy” here also means “not becoming angry in the family,” and only “not becoming angry” can lead to “nine notes of Xiao and Shuo,” a prosperous age, and “Joy.” Why is “managing the family” linked to “Earth’s benefits”? Because the family and the nation both belong to the scope of “Earth.” There are often notions of “family fortune” and “national fortune.” To “manage the family” and change “family fortune” and “national fortune,” one must “align with the land and its benefits,” and only then can the “nine notes of Xiao and Shuo,” a prosperous age, be realized. The relationship between them is inseparable.

After “managing the family,” one must “bring peace to the world.” Only when the “world is at peace,” “not angry,” and “without resentment,” and the world of great harmony is achieved, can it be called “bringing peace to the world,” “harmony among people,” and the “Gentleman” following the “Way of the Sage.” Is it not “not yet a gentleman”? The “Speaking” and “Joy” above are special forms of “not being angry,” corresponding to the individual and the family respectively. But true “not being angry” is for the entire world—this world not only refers to human society but, in modern terms, at least includes all of human society and the natural world. All things in the world must be harmonious and “not angry.” This is the real “not being angry,” the true “peace in the world,” and only then can it be called “harmony among people.” Only in this way can it be truly “harmony among people.” Therefore, “bringing peace to the world” and “harmony among people” are inseparable!

In summary, it is clear that “learning and practicing it regularly,” “having friends come from afar,” “people not knowing and not becoming angry,” along with “Speaking, Joy, and the Gentleman,” and the concepts of “Heaven, Earth, and Humanity” or “Heaven’s timing, Earth’s benefits, and harmony among people,” are all intricately connected. The first chapter of the Analects is established on this high level of reasoning, not as the blind interpretations of those who have come before for thousands of years. Only in this way can we initially understand the meaning of “The Master said: ‘Learning and practicing it regularly, is it not a pleasure? Having friends come from afar, is it not a delight? People not knowing and not becoming angry, is it not a gentleman’s way?’” and also have a preliminary grasp of what the Analects is conveying. But this is only an outline, just a framework; the more important content lies ahead. **$HOT **