"
Of the Chow dynasty the Master remarked, "It looks back upon two other
dynasties; and what a rich possession it has in its records of those
times! I follow Chow!"
On his first entry into the grand temple, he inquired about every matter
connected with its usages. Some one thereupon remarked, "Who says that
the son of the man of Tsou [8] understands about ceremonial? On entering
the grand temple he inquired about everything." This remark coming to
the Master's ears, he said, "What I did is part of the ceremonial!"
"In archery," he said, "the great point to be observed is not simply the
perforation of the leather; for men have not all the same strength. That
was the fashion in the olden days."
Once, seeing that his disciple Tsz-kung was desirous that the ceremonial
observance of offering a sheep at the new moon might be dispensed with,
the Master said, "Ah! you grudge the loss of the sheep; I grudge the
loss of the ceremony."
"To serve one's ruler nowadays," he remarked, "fully complying with the
Rules of Propriety, is regarded by others as toadyism!"
When Duke Ting questioned him as to how a prince should deal with his
ministers, and how they in turn should serve their prince, Confucius
said in reply, "In dealing with his ministers a prince should observe
the proprieties; in serving his prince a minister should observe the
duty of loyalty.
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