Good Morning Quote

The Master said, "It is by the Odes that the mind is aroused.
"It is by the Rules of Propriety that the character is established.
"It is from Music that the finish is received."

The Master said, "If a man be without the virtues proper to humanity,
what has he to do with the rites of propriety? If a man be without
the virtues proper to humanity, what has he to do with music?"

Confucius said, "There are three things men find enjoyment in which are
advantageous, and three things they find enjoyment in which are injurious.

To find enjoyment in the discriminating study of ceremonies and music; to
find enjoyment in speaking of the goodness of others; to find enjoyment in
having many worthy friends:-these are advantageous.

To find enjoyment in
extravagant pleasures; to find enjoyment in idleness and sauntering; to
find enjoyment in the pleasures of feasting:-these are injurious."


~ The Analects By Confucius
http://classics.mit.edu//Confucius/analects.html


______________________________

~~Today is the traditional Birthday of Confucius, Chinese K'ung Ch'iu or K'ung Fu-tzu [Master K'ung], (551-479 BCE) Chinese sage.


Confucius (551-479 BCE), according to Chinese tradition, was a thinker, political figure, educator, and founder of the Ru School of Chinese thought. His teachings, preserved in the Lunyu or Analects, form the foundation of much of subsequent Chinese speculation on the education and comportment of the ideal man, how such an individual should live his live and interact with others, and the forms of society and government in which he should participate. Fung Yu-lan, one of the great 20th century authorities on the history of Chinese thought, compares Confucius' influence in Chinese history with that of Socrates in the West.....

....For Confucius, what characterized superior rulership was the possession of de or ‘virtue.’ Conceived of as a kind of moral power that allows one to win a following without recourse to physical force, such ‘virtue’ also enabled the ruler to maintain good order in his state without troubling himself and by relying on loyal and effective deputies. Confucius claimed that, “He who governs by means of his virtue is, to use an analogy, like the pole-star: it remains in its place while all the lesser stars do homage to it.” (Lunyu 2.1)....

....A hallmark of Confucius' thought is his emphasis on education and study. He disparages those who have faith in natural understanding or intuition and argues that the only real understanding of a subject comes from long and careful study....


source: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Metaphysics Research Lab, CSLI, Stanford University


______

Video Tour of the Confucius Temple
by
Monumental Adventure

Confucius Temple - Beijing China

A guide to the Confucius temple in Beijing. It was established in 478 BC, one year after Confucius's death, at the order of the Duke Ai of the State of Lu, who commanded that the Confucian residence should be used to worship and offer sacrifice to Confucius. The temple was expanded repeatedly over a period of more than 2,000 years until it became the huge complex currently standing.


_____

http://www.gio.gov.tw/info/festival_c/teacher_e/conftmpl.htm

_____

PIX:
http://images.google.com/images?q=Confucius&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi