Confucius attaches great importance to etiquette and believes that for ordinary people, "if you don't learn etiquette, you can't stand up" ("Ji Shi"); for rulers, "good etiquette will make the people easy to control." ("Xian Wen"), "If you show good etiquette, the people will not dare to be disrespectful" ("Zi Lu"). Therefore, Confucius advocated "restraining oneself and returning to propriety" and asked people to "see nothing that is not propriety, hear nothing that is not propriety, say nothing that is not propriety, and do not move anything that is not propriety" ("Yan Yuan"). But Confucius had his own unique understanding of etiquette. He once said:
Li Yun and Li Yun are like jade and silk! Music clouds music clouds, bells and drums clouds! ("Yang Huo")
What Confucius means is that ritual and music are not just a form and rhythm, but have a more essential connotation. So, what is the more essential connotation of this? A record in "The Analects of Confucius Yang Huo" provides us with very precious revelations:
Zai Wo asked: "Three years of mourning have been over for a long time. A gentleman has not performed rituals for three years. If you don't enjoy it for three years, it will collapse. When the old grain disappears and the new grain rises, the fire will be replaced by fire. "The Master said: "If you eat your husband's rice, you will wear your husband's brocade, and you will be at peace with your daughter." "An." "If your daughter is safe, then you will do it. If your husband is in mourning, he will not be happy with his food, if he hears music, and if he lives in an uneasy place, he will not do anything. Now if your daughter is safe, then you will do it." Zai I came out, and the Master said: " It is unkind to him. If his son is born for three years and then is freed from the care of his parents, then the whole world will be mourned. Is it true that he has loved his parents for three years?"
Yan Yuan asked What does Confucius mean by "benevolence"? Confucius replied: "Self-denial and restoration of propriety are benevolence."
"Ritual" is the core concept of Confucius' thought. What does it refer to? Confucius said: "Zhou was in charge of the second generation, and he was so gloomy and literary! I followed Zhou." His admiration for Zhou was beyond words. He also said, "How old I am! It's been a long time since I dreamed of Duke Zhou anymore!" Now that I'm getting older, I haven't dreamed of Duke Zhou for a long time. Those who can often enter dreams must be people or people with deep feelings in life. Confucius had no chance to see Duke Zhou. The old man himself didn't know what he looked like. If there was an image, it was in his imagination and definitely not the real Duke of Zhou. It is completely impossible to dream of an imaginary image, and it is the Duke of Zhou who is consistent from beginning to end. Confucius said this as if he had often dreamed of Duke Zhou in the past. This was a complete lie!
Confucius expressed his admiration for Duke Zhou in the form of lies. Why did Duke Zhou become a man's idol? One of the reasons is that he formulated Zhou Rites, which Confucius promoted throughout his life. If Zhou Gong did not have this factor in him, Confucius would not still miss him in his old age. Rather than saying that Confucius hoped to dream of Duke Zhou, it is better to say that Confucius hoped to realize the etiquette established by Duke Zhou - the hierarchy and behavioral norms of superiority and inferiority.
Some people insist on denying Confucius’ hierarchical thinking and dressing him up as a civilian thinker. Then, let’s take a look at the etiquette he admired.
"The Rites of Zhou": "The shanfu is in charge of the king's food and drink. It is used to support the king and his descendants. All the king's gifts are eaten with six grains, six animals are used for meals, and six drinks are used for drinking. Shame is spent on a hundred There are eight kinds of treasures, and there are twenty jars of sauce. Food. Use pleasure to create." ("Zhou Li Translation and Annotation", page 46, translated and annotated by Lu Youren, Zhongzhou Ancient Books Publishing House, October 2004.)
"Book of Rites": "There are many rituals." For those who are noble: there are seven temples for the emperor, five for the princes, three for the nobles, and one for the nobles. There are six out of twenty princes, six among the ten princes, eight for the superior officials, and six for the inferior officials. The emperor's seat has five layers and five prisons. The emperor's seat has three layers. The emperor's seat is buried in the seventh month, with five layers and eight boxes. The princes are buried in the fifth month, with three layers and six boxes. The doctor's seat is buried in the third month. "It's important to pay more attention to it." (Wang Mengou's "Book of Rites" (Modern Annotation and Translation), 1987.10. Tianjin Ancient Books Publishing House)
These are direct explanations of "ritual". As a kind of thought, "ritual" permeates various regulations. It is a spiritual existence. Only through intuition of language and thinking can we grasp the spirit of "ritual". Many people do not admit that the spirit of "ritual" is permeated. They are good at intuitive thinking and visual thinking. They can observe all superficial things, but the essence and regularity inside the superficial appearance cannot be understood by these people. Arrived.
The average Confucian believer only has the ability to feel, but lacks the ability to think. This is not surprising. Confucius’s students are still like this. People in later generations who know Confucius based on language alone are fortunate to have some thinking ability left. . Zigong said: "If you don't speak, how can you describe it?" Confucius replied, "What can Heaven say? How can the four seasons move and all things come into being? What can Heaven say?" I have taught you thoughts. According to my teachings, Think to speak and do things! Confucius gave students his thoughts, the finished product of thinking. He did not and could not guide students' thinking like Socrates. Therefore, talented people can still use their thoughts, while stupid people can only follow the rules of "etiquette". Where the principles of doing things and speaking cannot be achieved by "etiquette", these people will look around at a loss, not knowing east, west, north, south, and dumbfounded.
The purpose of Confucius' "ritual" is to penetrate into every detail of everyone's life. It is generally believed that Ji's dance of eight hundred is just because the number of people exceeds the limit. Who knows, there are also strict regulations on "etiquette" in daily necessities. Otherwise, Confucius endured Ji's dance and treated Gu's How could he sigh at the change of shape?
The person who can best understand Confucius’ thoughts is the supreme ruler. Duke Jinggong of Qi asked Confucius about politics. After Confucius answered, he immediately said, if the king is not a king, the ministers are not ministers, the father is not father, and the son is not son, "Although there is millet, how can I eat it?"
The governor of the United States can take the subway and the bus. If Confucius saw it, he would be scolded. The president can only take a special plane. It is arrogant for the governor to take a special plane. Civilians can take the subway and the bus. It is lower for the governor to take the subway and the bus. Regardless of his identity, Confucius would also curse others.
In short, from the perspective of human nature, the lifestyle should be rich and colorful. However, Confucius' "ritual" should unify people's behavior. Confucius could not tolerate it if it exceeded the norms of "ritual". Confucius's morality is actually the most inhumane morality.