Comparing Confucius's 'Liji, And The Odes'

Success is directly related to the learning of the sacred texts of the Liji, the Odes, and the Analects. According to the Liji, “Propriety is seen in humbling one’s self and giving honor to others”(Pg. 65). This is in the same context of the Odes where the text gives an example of people who have extremely good virtue. In Ode 244 the text is talking about King Wen and it states, “He did not fulfill his own desires,
but worked in pious obedience to the dead.”(Pg 241 Odes) Here is a great example of a king humbling himself to his dead ancestors. “When the rich and noble know to love propriety, they do not become proud or dissolute. When the poor and mean know to love propriety, their minds do not become cowardly” (Pg. 65 Liji). Confucius talks

Confucius talks in depth about what a student should be looking for in this time period. He, Confucius, talks about how learning should cultivate the person, instead of memorizing. Confucius speaks on this in Book One Chapter One, “To learn and then have occasion to practice what you have learned –is this not satisfying? To have friends arrive from afar –is this not a joy? To be patient even when others do not understand –is this not the mark of a gentleman?”(Pg. 1 Analects) Confucius is setting out the three ways in ‘learning’ or cultivating oneself. The first would be to master the basics, second to be able to discuss them with fellow learners, and finally mastering them and teaching them to others. Following Mao Qiling, a philosopher in the Ming-Qing dynasty (Pg. 263 Analects), he notes Confucius is setting up the three stages of learning, “People today think of ‘Learning’ as the pursuit of knowledge, whereas the ancients thought of ‘learning’ as cultivating the self.”(Pg. 1

He never misdirected his anger and never made the same mistake twice…Now that he is gone there are none who really love learning –at least, I have yet to hear of one.” (Pg. 53 Analects) Confucius goes further into this learning when he says, “The Odes number several hundred, and yet can be judged with a single phrase: ‘Oh, they will not lead you astray.’” (Pg. 8 Analects) This text goes to say that memorizing the odes will get you to heaven, put with practice one should be able to get there. Confucius also lays out a warning in Book Four Chapter Nine, “A scholar-official who has set his heart upon the Way, but who is still ashamed of having shabby clothing or meager rations, is not worth engaging in discussion.” (Pg. 32 Analects) Chapter Nine in Book Four shows explicitly that one has to learn and practice what is presented otherwise there is no value to the