Analects
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The Analects, also known as the Sayings of Confucius, is an ancient Chinese philosophical text composed of sayings and ideas attributed to Confucius and his contemporaries, traditionally believed to h
A page from the Analects
Fragment from the manuscript of Analects, text by Kong Anguo with commentary by Zheng Xuan. This fragmentary manuscript has been found at Mogao Caves. It is dated era Longji, 2nd year (i.e. 890 AD), but it could be copied in the middle of the 8th century. Bibliothèque nationale de France
The Analects, from Östasiatiska Museet in Stockholm
A copy of He Yan's commentary on the Analects, with a sub-commentary by Xing Bing, printed during the Ming dynasty
Wu wei
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Wu wei is a concept from ancient Chinese philosophy that literally means not-acting or non-doing, variously interpreted and translated as actionlessness, inaction, or effortless action. In Taoism, it
Analects
…Studying and Practicing" 2 為政 (Wéi zhèng) "The practice of government" This chapter explores the theme that political order is best gained through the non-coercive influence of moral self-cultivation rather than through force or excessive government regulation. 3 八佾 (Bā yì) "Eight lines of eight dancers apiece" Ba Yi was a…
Zhaoming Mirror frame, Western Han dynasty
"The Way of Listening is to be giddy as though soused. Be dumber and dumber. Let others deploy themselves, and accordingly I shall know them." Right and wrong whirl around him like spokes on a wheel, but the sovereign does not complot. Emptiness, stillness, non-action—these are the characteristics of the Way. By checking and comparing how it accords with reality, [one ascertains] the "performance" of an enterprise. Han Fei Detail of The Spinning Wheel, by
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