AnonyMencius Boshu :verywise:

Mmm, no, very unwise

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Last Notes

2023-05-25 12:19:52

The Master came upon a madman who had been copying his mannerisms and words in the town square. He saw many mocking, deriding, or falsely pitying the poor man. The Master said: “Who are you to mock this man? Even with yin and yang unbalanced he strives to emulate and listen to wisdom! With all your faculties unpossessed by demons (魔), what have you devoted your lives to listening to? Idle chatter and news of nanban sporting?” And the crowd went away humbled.
#note1ulh…j44k

2023-05-25 02:01:22

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https://i.poastcdn.org/b11486c5cf8b135d6a5340d33656dccec668278ee8628645486382649aa2d9e2.jpeg

2023-05-23 02:56:43

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I mean, who wouldn't want to spend their precious time engaging in intellectually stimulating conversations with Christ-deniers? It's such a riveting and productive use of our limited hours on this Earth. I can totally understand why you wouldn't want to miss out on those enlightening discussions about completely debunked metaphysical positions. Life's too short for trivial pursuits like dismantling baseless nihilistic ideologies am I right?

2023-05-23 02:33:46

The Master said: "The Five Virtues of the *Junzi* are benevolence (仁), righteousness (义), propriety (理), wisdom (智) and fidelity (信). How can a weak man be benevolent? He knows only resentment and envy. How can the weak man bring righteousness? He has not the strength to exact justice or enforce morality. How can the weak man practice propriety? He lacks the discipline to follow through on ritual. How can the weak man possess wisdom? If he were wise, he would exercise his body as well as his mind. How can the weak man possess fidelity? Integrity requires a man to be as good as his word, and the weak run when their word is tested. Therefore I tell you: a *junzi* must be as strong as he is noble and intelligent, or he will be no more than a conniving courtier, and will soon follow the path of the court eunuch (太監).
#note1n8a…rgyd

2023-05-23 02:27:15

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The Master replied: "This is astute observation, but the Court eunuch is only half correct, for he sees the shadow and not the object casting it. A petty man (小人) has a petty mind, and can only think one thought at a time. Like Shang, the town drunk, he can only understand our hatred, and not the Compassion (仁) for our loved ones which it stems out of, and drives those who would become a *junzi*."

2023-05-23 02:19:23

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Mmm, yes, very wise.

2023-05-23 01:32:55

The Master wished to teach a lesson, so he took his students to Shang: the town drunk and a surly quarreler. The Master said to Shang, “I prefer to eat noodles.” Shang responded hotly, “Oh, so you hate rice!” The Master bowed in thanks to the confused Shang, and then took his students to a court eunuch (太監) in town visiting with the local magistrate. The Master said to the eunuch, “I prefer for the government’s purse to care for the people of the kingdom.” The eunuch replied hotly, “Oh, so you hate nanban who come in to do important work and the infrastructure of our land!” The Master then turned to his students: “See now, the eunuch of the court is no smarter or rhetorically brilliant than the town drunk. They differ only in the scope of their cliché’s consequences.”

2023-05-22 18:31:06

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>arguing with pieville users
Mmm, no, very unwise. :veryunwise:

2023-05-22 12:34:31

The Master returned from the market with his wife, heavy-laden with fresh produce and rice. His wife pleaded with him to make several trips, lest he lose some of their purchases. The Master replied: “A junzi must carry many burdens at once, in his mind and his heart, if he is to ever be put in charge over others. Only a petty man (小人), weak in both body and spirit, would need to make more than one trip from his carriage with his produce.” The villagers who heard all this were astonished and enlightened by the wisdom he spoke in so simple a thing.

2023-05-20 16:13:53

The Master returned his students’ exams to them with a stern look on his face. “If you wish to be indolent and lazy, seek the opium den is in the town and leave this school. Pursuit of knowledge is the mark of a junzi. A dog and a nanban have no curiousity. Any man who is done learning has already started dying.”

2023-05-20 16:09:28

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Mmm, no, very unwise. :veryunwise:

2023-05-20 16:08:38

The Master replied, “The attempts at satire, and the biting quips of effeminate xiaoren (小人) will always backfire. When they call a junzi barbaric and violent, it tells the listener that he is courageous and a threat to their iniquity. When they call him ignorant, it is because he believes timeless wisdom and not passing fancies. When they call him stubborn, it is anger that he will not compromise his integrity after their threats. The insults of a xiaoren are as noble as a magistrate’s badge of office.”
We’re so back. :verywise:
#note14jt…dcul

2023-05-16 13:47:16

Update: Wisepoasting will resume when the Master finishes grading for the semester (spoilers: many students are not going to become magistrates with Imperial scores like these)

2023-05-08 23:48:55

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Mmm, yes, very wise. :verywise:

2023-05-07 21:19:09

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I don’t “poast esoteric bullshit” I’m just a legitimate Confucian master

2023-05-07 20:40:10

The Master’s wife was seen castigating her own mother when the elder woman was bemoaning that the people were able to own weapons even when they were not called to the duke’s levy. The Master’s students were scandalized, and asked how this was right conduct (理).
The Master replied: “Those who use filial piety (孝) as a shield from criticism are often those who lack Wisdom (智). Always remember how Yang Yung criticized the great Zhuge Liang when he mismanaged the State, and that great minister wept for three days when his wise subordinate died. So all elders should remember that remonstrance, as well as obedience, dwell in balance when observing filial piety.”

2023-05-07 19:17:11

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Mmm, yes, very wise. :verywise:

2023-05-07 18:58:07

A rapacious killer and footpad was on the loose in the countryside, and many of the duke’s soldiers had been killed alongside the innocent travellers he had waylaid. Several scholars asked the Master if this made the brigand their ally. The Master replied: “A mad dog that bites my enemy is still a mad dog and violence is not the same as righteousness (义). Putting down a wild animal is consummate conduct (理), no matter what wicked man it might consume.”

2023-05-06 02:40:33

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Mmm, no, very unwise. :veryunwise:

2023-05-05 22:59:53

https://i.poastcdn.org/a93d8e7002ec8f2d5ac11379ddf18f1d3aa2ef547de2060687c4c65d620c9b5c.jpeg

2023-05-05 16:06:52

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The Master replied: “You speak rightly that any vessel can contain Wisdom (智), but that does not make the vessel a junzi. If they do not contain the wu chang (五常) then they are not to be followed. If Benevolence (仁), Righteousness (义), Consummate Conduct (理), and Integrity (信) are missing, then let those men fight the eunuchs alone. You should serve only under the banner of a junzi.”

2023-05-05 15:57:37

The current duke of the kingdom was threatened by a usurper. The duke was old and senile, and so the court eunuchs were able to control him easily, and they greatly feared losing their grasp on the State if he should be overthrown. The usurper had gained much traction with the people simply by uttering basic platitudes and speaking common sense in the midst of much sophistry and deception amongst the court officials.
The Master heard of all these things and replied: "See how a simple kernel of Wisdom (智) undoes an entire mountain of lies! So much coordinated violence and bribery are needed to keep the eunuchs' lies afloat, it is no wonder they fear when men say the simplest of truths."

2023-05-05 13:00:41

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Chinese: traditionally the Zhou dynasty onward referred to themselves as the "Middle Kingdom" (中國) because they believed they were the center of the world- to refer to a cardinal direction generally means that one is referring derisively to a "not-Chinese" place. Hence why I rendered "southern" as "foreign."

2023-05-05 04:11:08

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Thank @npub108z…dkr5 or the admin team, someone high up in the Poast Court is a fan of wisepoasting...

2023-05-05 04:07:14

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Mmm, yes, the court eunuchs there fear the wrath of awakened Saxons... :veryunwise:

2023-05-05 03:30:52

A student asked the Master, “When the State becomes disordered as it is now, how can we practice Benevolence (仁) and Righteousness (义)?” The Master replied: “Remember the story of Junshi [Sima Guang]- when his friend fell into the great water pot and nearly drowned, what did he do while the other boys merely panicked? He smashed the vessel and saved his friend. The junzi knows when it is the right time to put down his scrolls and pick up a stone, and not a moment before.”

2023-05-05 03:06:10

>a groyper has come to poast
Mmm, no, very unwise. :veryunwise:
#note12p0…hdlw

2023-05-04 19:55:56

A scholar came to the Master saying, “I have heard it said that in foreign kingdoms, evil dukes have chained down the very utensils of the peasants to prevent them from fighting back against their wicked governments. We should thank Heaven we do not live in such a place, but instead possess great freedom!” The Master replied: “Yes, surely that foreign land must be filled with courageous junzi, if they threaten evil with nothing more than a kitchen knife! Our land is full of xiaoren who are fully armed and yet do nothing as evil flourishes at the hands of the court eunuchs. And what land could be called free, if to even call a nanban a nanban, much less defend ourselves against one, is against the laws and punishable by the magistrates?”
#note12pg…3zxs

2023-05-04 04:09:38

Several students were leaving the theatre with the Master, complaining that the plays of their day were nothing but heartless recycling of the great sagas of the past. The Master replied: “If you wish to read great stories again, write them. If you want to hear great poems again, craft them. If you wish to see great stage plays again, then direct your heart to beauty and stop being distracted by the buzzing of insects all around you.”

2023-05-04 04:07:09

The Master asked his students, who were busying themselves attempting to acquire clout, about their goals: “What is the respect of the court eunuchs worth? Better to be loved by the ravens, who might bring you some silver! What is the admiration of xioaren to us? Surely it would be more valuable to seek the admiration of your ancestors! And what is it to be praised by a nanban? I tell you, it would superior to be the beloved the ussuri bear than to live amongst and receive praise from them.”

2023-05-04 04:03:12

A rural peasant asked for an explanation of the nanban-worship in the kingdom. The Master said, “I do not know. Any man who could make sense of it and overcome it in the hearts of the people could minister to the world as though it was resting here.” And he pointed to his open palm.

2023-05-04 03:58:27

The Master said: "The *xiaoren* will accept, and indeed embrace, any indignity if it means he is perceived of as cultured. A *junzi* would rather live alone in the mountains before he would sacrifice his integrity (信)."

2023-05-03 03:12:08

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The Master replied: “This one is truly wise! Remember always who raised the roof, prepared the candle, and gave you the millet whereby your studies happen in comfort and peace.

2023-05-03 03:09:23

A court eunuch (太監) appeared in the town square to place a Ban (禁令) on calling imported laborers *nanban* [foreign barbarians] (南蠻), claiming that it stirred up their spirits and made them violent.
The Master saw the Ban and laughed openly. “If your workers are so civilized and equal to the people of the kingdom, why are mere words able to reduce them to violence like irate primates? Surely, we cannot shirk from using words that truly represent all things under heaven!”
From that day forward, the Master demanded that his students always refer to the barbarians by the “N” word that truly represented them, no matter what the court eunuchs declared.

2023-05-03 02:59:36

Several scholars came to the Master, asking when the peasants would be ready to receive the whole knowledge of the School so that the State might flourish and the Mandate of Heaven would be restored.
The Master replied: “The peasants’ virtues will not manifest in the same way as yours. They will never fully comprehend the *Dao* or all the things under Heaven, but will mimick the Consummate Conduct you show them. They will never be magistrates or direct the State- and this is their blessing. You must carry that burden, so that they might carry their burdens. Only a retard sets an ox to work as a minister instead of yoking him to a plow.”

2023-05-02 14:01:34

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Oh man, “Harmony” as a philosophical concept is hard to nail down, but here’s a good starting point: https://philarchive.org/archive/LITCO-11#:~:text=Confucian%20philosophy%20of%20harmony%20takes,good%20of%20the%20large%20society.
As far as Confucius’ values being abusable- yes. That’s a huge part of Mencius and Xunzi’s developments of his thought, but it’s important to remember that Confucius said a core component of Consummate Conduct was that subordinates know they must rebuke or correct power when it is being wielded poorly (look at Zizhao’s rebuke of the great Zhuge Liang when his master was mishandling administration with micromanagement).
As for Ren (仁), it’s important to remember that it is localized on family and hierarchy and moderns would call it “problematic.” One of Confucius’ ex-followers, Mozi, wanted to replace it with Jianai (兼愛), or “Universal Love” that said we love all people equally and don’t give special deference to family or our tribe. This is fucking gay, and no one takes Mozi seriously because this is incredibly jewish and self-destructive.

2023-05-01 18:08:26

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https://i.poastcdn.org/045efa406192be44ce87f1426ce82fc8508d23bf4b1a558a670e25db6ac59699.png

2023-05-01 02:13:18

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Absolutely. Xiu Yang (修身), or Self-Cultivation, is a focal point of Chinese thought in both Ruist and Daoist traditions. Creating and maintaining Harmony (和) within the self, through practicing the five constant virtues, functions much like eudaimonia does in Aristotle’s thought on classical Virtue Ethics. In my Ethics class I even take pains to show the enormous similarities between the two schools of thought and the focus on how personal physical, mental, and spiritual development is intertwined with social flourishing.

2023-05-01 01:27:36

The first sunbird (太陽鳥) of the season came to rest on a flower in the Master’s garden. It was there only a minute and then it was gone. The Master smiled and told his students: “This is how one understands virtue. When we cultivate discipline and Harmony in our lives, brief flashes of joy appear to sustain us for our hard work, and then they are gone until next season. If a junzi can be pleased with the sunbird’s brief appearance, no amount of despair on earth can defeat him.”

2023-04-30 00:15:38

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Mmm, yes, very wise.

2023-04-29 23:43:36

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poa.st/@AnonymousBosch/posts/AV0yggdi9NYiENd9xQ

2023-04-29 23:40:48

The Master replied: “Let an errant man see you thrive in virtue, and he will be drawn to your success like moths to a candle. Master Kong said a mistake is only real if uncorrected [Analects 15]. If he will not change, confront him with a handful of close friends. Shame (耻) is righteousness burning to come out of a petty man’s (小人) heart. Stoke it, and you will purify him. If even that will not work, ostracize and let him learn his lesson the way a dog would- through suffering the consequences of his actions.”
#note1lzk…t7ts

2023-04-29 23:24:33

Late at night, several students saw the Master learning to play the erhu (二胡) with much exertion. They asked why an old man such as he was devoting time to a skill he had never practiced before. The Master replied: “A scholar hoping to be a junzi is always learning. Xunzi taught that xin [heart] (心) must always be cultivated. When one masters an intellectual art, take up an aesthetic one. When one masters an aesthetic art, take up a physical one. This is how one achieves Harmony (和).”

2023-04-29 23:04:30

The Master replied, “The court eunuchs (太監) who control the purse of the Treasury have the same time preferences as a barbarian(南蠻), since they have no progeny to think of. So they allow the State to decay and buy themselves audacious gifts and trappings for the palace, thinking it will deceive the people into believing the kingdom still flourishes and the Mandate of Heaven (天命) remains.”
#note1n95…0n8u

2023-04-29 19:33:56

The Master said, “The dog is man’s joy because it adores us and sees us as we wish to be. The cat is man’s humility and wisdom because it sees us exactly as we are and tolerates us regardless.”
#note1gp2…26hv

2023-04-29 19:30:31

Several students had begun to dress in the style of a foreign kingdom, having learnt much of its land and its stories from books acquired by traveling merchants. One day the Master saw them and ordered them to redress immediately.
The Master spoke, saying: “A scholar learns of the whole world and appreciates it. Every song, every poem, every philosophy is his delight to add to his knowledge, but a man’s homeland is his homeland. Consummate conduct (理) is to revere the culture of one’s ancestors, though the land, the duke, and his court be fools for a season.”

2023-04-29 19:21:58

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Yes my friend, are virtue.

2023-04-29 19:21:03

The Master saw that several pupils had begun to let their bodies grow soft while they studied. The next day he took them on a long walk, far from the town, and many began to grown from the exertion. The Master replied to them, “Master Kong taught that Harmony (和) is needed for a junzi. If your mind is sharp bur your body is weak, this is not right conduct (理) nor is it fidelity (信) to your body. You will grow resentful and envious of others and your Wisdom (智) will turn to mere cunning. The herbalist knows that a mixture not stirred becomes a poison instead of a remedy, thus also a student who desires virtue must exercise body as well as mind if he is to be as Heaven (天) intended him.”
#note18dp…3wqw

2023-04-29 19:11:21

The Master replied, “The elders grew up in a time where they reaped a harvest planted by junzi (君子) of the past. Their women were virtuous, the work was easy, the silver poured forth from the mines, and their hands and minds grew soft. Those who live today must learn old values but devise new stratagems for living. We must listen to our long dead elders, and not our living ones, and make their words fit ou current world with Wisdom (智) if we are to live without losing all hope.”
#note1wk9…4fp3

2023-04-29 19:05:50

The Master saw his pupils being profligate with their studies and came to castigate them. He said: “The barbarians (南蠻) will choose a handful of rice now instead of planting a field to feed their family. How much more valuable is time! Will your minds be as fallow as a barbarian’s field? Should I send you away to live as they do, idling on the porches of their houses like monkeys?” The students were ashamed, and returned to the library with vigor.
#note18dp…3wqw

2023-04-29 18:59:01

The Master replied, “In a State where every man feels despair, how could any ruler claim the Mandate of Heaven? If the policies of the Duke have only heaped up more sadness, and he continues for decades in such folly, can we even attribute it to foolishness? Surely it is the work of not merely a petty man (小人), but a villain (惡棍) who plans evil againsy the people.”
#note1xqn…yfug

2023-04-29 03:07:07

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Even the conservative “think of duh childrens” movie review site is upset at the total lack of women and nigs in the movie. Again- doesn’t mean it’s good. But it’s refreshing to see.
https://i.poastcdn.org/99d1803b9a806072e10098d5e58b3b4b596eb05123074ffb1e65b91fc9acdce0.jpeg

2023-04-29 02:53:10

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A lot of libs are seething over it for being a pro-life horror movie that mocks atheism. Idk if it’s good though, but I like when they’re mad.

2023-04-29 02:50:19

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Nefarious?

2023-04-28 16:03:55

The Master replied, "It is from good intention that your clan leader insists on these things, for diligence towards all things under Heaven is virtue. However, when he insists on this to excess- when he calls for water during a drought to clean his carriage instead of satiate the people's thirst, this is no longer right conduct (理) but prodigality. Master Kong (孔夫子) taught that when a leader loses the love of his people in such a way, it is right to overthrow him (Analects 11.17)."
The Master replied, "The most beautiful things under Heaven are the Five Constant Virtues (五常). When you have taught these to your wife, as all husbands should do as one of the Three Fundamental Bonds (五倫), she will no longer plead with you to praise her many charms or seek out aberrant avenues for alluring you."
The Master replied, "When a man grows too zealous to mingle his essence (合氣), he will compromise his standards of beauty and right conduct expected in a wife. When men continue to compromise, ugly and unvirtuous women grow haughty and puff themselves up, believing they deserve more than even Heaven would tolerate. It is only if men stand strong, willing even to embrace the life of a hermit for a time, that women will relearn their proper place under Heaven."
#note1ah2…8wgl

2023-04-28 14:30:39

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The Master exclaimed: "Surely, this one has found wisdom! The rigid tree breaks in the wind, while the yielding reed merely bends. So it is when a man looks for a good wife and realizes Heaven knows what he needs better than himself."

2023-04-28 13:39:08

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Imagine if these were available as a book, with translator's commentary and footnotes... imagine the fuckery that could be had. Too bad such a thing isn't being done... 👀

2023-04-28 13:17:45

The Master spoke, “The alchemists (方士) believe that they can obtain the life of the immortals (僊) by consuming quicksilver, gold, and cinnabar, but we have seen that their natural philosophy only shortens the lifespan! When the court eunuchs, who have no progeny to make themselves immortal through prayers, seek this eternal life they poison the people and their waters, calling it compassion (仁) and righteousness (義) on behalf of the State. Such things are folly. A junzi (君子) knows that he must die, and all attempts to stave that off will only ruin what life and enjoyment he has on Earth.”
#note1ht5…clwn

2023-04-28 13:04:28

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The Master replied: "Any man who would give up the powers of a celibate sorcerer (覡) for sodomy (雞姦) deserves the deepest fire pit (火炕) of the hells (地獄)."

2023-04-28 12:57:41

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The Master replied, "This may seem like wisdom, but a woman with an empty head could be filled with any sophistry. A passive, dainty woman may seem beautiful, but will she have the strength to do the day's labor, tolerate inconveniences, or really love her husband as he deserves?"

2023-04-28 12:14:31

A villager came to the Master and said, “In my small village, there are only three girls of marriageable age: one is silent and quiet and almost like a doll, one is arrogant and cruel, and the third is much older, and a sot. Which one should I marry?”
The Master replied, “If this is what Heaven has provided you for women, perhaps it is Heaven’s way of saying that you were fated to be a mountain hermit (隱士), as the Daoists do.”
#note10q3…e3f8

2023-04-28 12:04:21

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Any time I quote Kong Fuzi or Mengzi it’s 100% accurate. Everything else is totally original wisepoasting.

2023-04-28 04:03:07

Liu Guan came to the Master and said, “Some have said that men are dressing as women in order to win at the wrestling (角抵), archery (射箭), and football (蹴鞠) competitions of the Spring festival! What should be done?”
The Master replied: “Why are women participating in sports? What petty men (小人) are watching such perversions?”
#note1npp…35kj

2023-04-28 03:36:27

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The Master replied: “Recitations are for poets. You do not need a philosopher to recount for you what every poet knows by heart.”

2023-04-28 03:33:05

In those days, the courtesans (艺妓) had begun to see themselves as true dignitaries of the State and not mere ornaments or entertainers. They conspired with the eunuchs to rule over the people. But as with all women, they were used and cast down by the eunuchs, and grew old, infertile, and bitter in their lonely palaces.
The Master heard of this and replied: “Many men have no children, but they die young, and their progeny are the songs sung of their sacrifice and nobility. Who will sing of these wicked women? They denied the Way when they denied their nature, and they sought power and station of men but could not perform the virtues of men to earn them. Surely they are the most pitiable and damnable of creatures.”
#note1zrw…r6ft

2023-04-28 03:26:19

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The Master spoke: “with much rice wine [whiskey] is much knowledge uncovered.”

2023-04-28 03:23:21

The Master spoke: “An animal bred for war has no place in the home. Thus it is with mercenaries and with dogs. The State that has the former, and the home that has the latter, will soon be stained with blood.”
#note19pn…zvw6

2023-04-28 03:22:14

A student came to the Master and asked, “I have heard it said the Mandate of Heaven (天命) is no more than the strong man who can keep the State together by the sword. Is it true? Is Han Fei right?”
The Master replied: “Heaven is not won by violence or by the casuistry of court officials. The Son of Heaven (天子) claims the throne when, as Mengzi (孟子) says, ‘ he gains the confidence of the multitudinous people.’ An unjust duke may rule by momentum of the prior State or the justice of his ancestors, but rebellion and the will of the people will place a proper authority in due time when one who loves the people and has the courage to fight for it arises.”
#note1wfl…ffxr

2023-04-28 02:53:17

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Anything really- just intellectual challenges/exercises to see if I can make Neo-Confucian philosophy say something about them.

2023-04-28 02:41:41

The Master said: “A glass can magnify, refract, or examine many things, if only it knows where to be directed. So it is with knowledge- give me topics to wisepoast about.”

2023-04-28 02:27:14

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Pretty sure it’s the strongest summon in Final Fantasy.

2023-04-28 02:18:15

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Mmm, no, very unwise.

2023-04-28 02:07:47

An alchemist (方士) was in the marketplace peddling his wares, when the Master walked through with his wife. He turned to the Master’s wife and told her about his many tinctures that could make her eternally beautiful and even immortal (僊) if she would but buy them, and she could even make more money selling them herself. But she rebuffed him.
The Master said, “I have provided my wife with wisdom, so your poisonous words have no more power than your poisonous fluids. She knows that physical beauty is fleeting and a folly to chase, while joining a multi-level marketing scheme means poverty forever.”

2023-04-27 23:20:36

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The Master replied, “When foreign barbarians (南蠻) boast that they have invented some new art to raise themselves up- remember that first: it is likely a lie. Second, whatever they claim to invent honestly is aberrant, and it is likely no more than a gift from demons (惡魔). They invent nothing, even perversity.”

2023-04-27 14:54:49

A magistrate came to the Master and said, "Is it not both consummate conduct (理) and moral (义) to pay one's debts? Surely only a disordered State would promote the forgiveness of debt, for it creates laxity in the soul."
The Master replied: "This is why Master Kong (孔子) called merchants (商) the lowest of the four occupations (四民). A dog despises a master who keeps him always on a rope, and a son will hate a father who never lets him leave the house. A plant that remains potted will never sprout (端), much less flower. So it is with a society who can recite only receipts instead of poetry and sacred scripture- it will never again produce great men who will venerate their ancestors."

2023-04-27 13:43:04

A concerned peasant appeared to the Master one day and asked, "How am I to have filial piety (孝) towards my father when he is a boomer (傻翁)?"
The Master replied: "Just as the minister must be unafraid to speak up when the Duke's desires are disordered, so must you confront your father when he behaves as a petty man (小人). Filial piety (孝) means that you would will for him to be venerated and given obeisance even unto a hundred generations of your children's children. He will not receive that unless you push him towards manifold virtue (德)."
The peasant pondered this, but plied him further, "And what if he will not listen? What will become of my lineage."
The Master concluded: "The substance of gold is not the substance of a mine: it can shine and be treasured even when the other is dark and closed off. A venerable pine tree (松樹) can rise from a seed whose progenitor was felled long ago."

2023-04-27 01:38:55

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The Master spoke again: “Do not be deceived- it is not wicked to memorize beautiful verse or praise aesthetics, but hew to the Book of Songs and the great classics (古典小說). Just as one would not take coin that had not been proved solid, one should not take to heart verses and tales not yet venerated by time.”

2023-04-27 00:22:34

The Master ended his lesson early one day, as his students were being forgetful and indolent with their history. Later that day, he heard them all reciting lines of frivolous poems and arguing over characters in the latest novels (小說).
The Master was furious and struck them with his cane as he exclaimed: “Ahh! I see now why the soup was so foul today- the pot was full of mud! How can you hope to contain a single kernel of Wisdom (智) in your heads when you overflow it to the brim with chaff (糠)?”

2023-04-26 03:43:50

An esoteric scholar came to the Master with his theories on the Dao (道) and the Taiji (太极), saying “Just as a man is the source and perceiver of knowledge, woman is the source and perceiver of emotion.” The Master replied: “Is the pot a great gourmand or cook because it is full of soup? Is a book a great scholar because it is full of knowledge? Woman is full of emotion, but that is not enough to prove that they have mastered empathy (共情).”

2023-04-26 02:35:32

Huihuo Jing was still furious at the Master for drawing attention to his onanism (手淫), and so he dedicated hours to crafting his revenge. One day he came to the paifang (牌坊) and placed an enormous scroll in full view of the public. On it, he had drawn the Master in a most unflattering posture with a weak chin, mouth agape, and thinning hair. Across from him, Huihuo Jing had drawn himself with a strong jaw, long earlobes and limbs, and a face like Pan An (潘安). The town was in a furor, and all waited with bated breath to see how the Master would respond to such a slight. When the Master made his daily perambulation through the ward (坊), he stopped and looked at the scroll for a moment. His face did not change even for a second. He turned to Huihuo Jing and replied, “I must praise your artistic ability Master Jing. You seem to understand weakness and ugliness implicitly, perhaps because they are your only constant companions, as you are a lonely coomer (手淫者).”

2023-04-25 23:53:00

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It’s from “The Collected Proverbs of Master Bo Shu,” a recently uncovered Neo-Confucian master, that I am poasting on my account as I “translate” them.

2023-04-25 21:50:21

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Mmmm, no, very unwise.

2023-04-25 21:37:39

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cbsnews.com/amp/baltimore/news/umd-doctoral-candidate-anat-kimchi-stabbed-to-death-in-downtown-chicago/

2023-04-25 17:54:19

A magistrate, known far and wide as a petty person (小人), sought to show everyone that the uncivilized tribes (南蛮) were no different from the people of the kingdom. When the Master heard about the magistrate's [inevitable] death, he spoke thus: "Heaven (天) will not be mocked. Anyone who tries to deceive the people that a tiger is a cat will find themselves devoured."

2023-04-25 15:26:44

A court eunuch (太監) appeared before the Master's school to place a Ban (禁令) upon it. He made a great show of having the local magistrate place the document upon the doors of the place, and decreed that the students were fearful and weak (脆弱) and would soon be cast down, as in the dark days of the First Emperor (始皇帝) of the Qin (秦朝).
But when he had finished his performance he walked away, and students continued to go in and out of the school as before, as though nothing had happened. The students were puzzled, and went to the Master to understand what had occurred.
The Master replied: "The court eunuchs occupy a different world (界) than our world (人間). When they make paeans to truth, they do not mean Truth. When they speak of virtues, they do not mean Virtue. Thus it is with their laws to: they mean nothing to us, because they are phantoms (幻象) of another world."
Zixia responded, "So then it does not violate Heaven (天) when we violate their false laws?"
The Master exclaimed, "Truly, you understand best what I have said! This eunuch, by accident, has revealed a great truth to you."
#[1]

2023-04-25 13:35:18

The Master said: "When one composes [works of literature], the detractors will always hew more closely than any adulators. Those who hate the poet (騷客) will never stop saying his name, while the common man will exult in the words for a moment and move on. The philosophers' (達人) followers will put down the books after ruminating and return to their work, while the critic will carry them constantly to find some new avenue of derision. Surely, a disparager [disorderedly] loves the author more than their most zealous enthusiasts."

2023-04-25 13:28:49

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Mmmm yes, very wise, friend.

2023-04-25 03:33:30

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Mmm, yes, very wise.

2023-04-25 02:50:25

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Footnote: several scholars have recreated and colorized ancient water colors of this event, which have been added below for readers. Many thanks to #[0] for helping the editor to find this rare academic prize.
https://i.poastcdn.org/55944f3a8a6620d94e74a1d5d437752e993c5deeed22b635715d808b0d406284.png

2023-04-25 02:48:37

During a hot summer season, a prefect (長官) had attempted to arrest a foreign barbarian (南蠻) for using counterfeit ingots (元寶)) in the marketplace. When the prefect accidentally killed the wild man, the city's foreigners were outraged, and they started many fires.
Several students came to the Master, nervous about the conflagrations and looted, and asked what should be done.
The Master replied: "What Righteousness (義) is there to come between the corrupt prefects and the wild barbarians when they fight? Both Filial Piety (孝) and Wisdom (智) tell us we should stay home and tend to our families."
Then the Master asked what they thought of his new sandals, although he would not say where they had come from. It seemed Heaven itself (天) had blessed him with them.

2023-04-25 02:26:06

The Master walked in on a group of Legalists exchanging business cards (谒). As one scholar pulled his from its box (拜匣), there was much fawning, as of women, over its raised calligraphy characters, subtle coloring, and tasteful thickness.
The Master replied: “This is super fucking gay (雞姦).”

2023-04-25 00:05:51

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If you want a good start on China’s prehistory up until about the Han, here is a good undergrad level text:
amazon.com/Ancient-China-John-S-Major/dp/0765616009
Each dynasty after that really needs their own book, and Harvard Press is probably best for that, but I realize it’s pricey:
hup.harvard.edu/collection.php?cpk=1338
Honestly reading Confucius and Mencius is an excellent starting point for understanding Chinese thought, but I would supplement with Han Fei: he’s the “Machiavelli” of China and in many ways Legalism was the reigning ideology (moreso than Ruism) for many centuries (especially during more tumultuous dynasties).

2023-04-24 23:43:21

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I’m a sucker for the old-timey Brewitt-Taylor translation of Three Kingdoms, but that’s mostly nostalgia talking because it’s all I had access to in high school. The Moss Roberts edition is the quintessential translation today.
I don’t about Warring States, but Jianjun He‘s Spring and Autumn Annals is the best edition I know of out there.
When it comes to history, do you have a particular era you’re interested in? Early Xia and Shang era? Classic Zhou? End of Zhou (and Warring States)? Qin? Han? Three Kingdoms? Or just a general interest in overarching history, warfare, philosophical schools, etc? I can try to direct you to some good books based on your particular interest.

2023-04-24 23:29:54

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The Master replied: “The fool who cringes at his old takes is no petty man (小人). He who criticizes his past takes does not fling mud at himself, rather he is heaping up the seedbed out of which will sprout a *junzi* (君子).”

2023-04-24 22:58:35

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It is true. Footnote: Some extant documents simply end with the word “niggers.” Scholars argue whether the terse, more humorous version possesses more veracity, or the longer, more nuanced version.
More editors notes such as these will be available in the final book edition.

2023-04-24 21:52:40

The Master said, "There are four things which can destroy the State (國家): women, whiskey, money, and niggers."
A scholar plied him, "I do not understand, can you make it plain to me what you mean? Surely these are not evil things by nature?"
The Master replied: "The State can be destroyed by four things: a woman who believes that her opinion supersedes Heaven (天), rice wine (米酒) imbibed before a decision, the belief that money (元寶) is a substitute for wisdom (智), and niggers *黑鬼) living within the city gates."

2023-04-24 21:41:31

Liu Guan asked the Master, "Are the barbarians (南蠻) who move into our towns owed benevolence (仁)?"
The Master said: "The Great Mencius taught that we know a human from an animal if they possess the four sprouts (端): Benevolence (仁), Righteousness (義), Ritual Propriety (禮), and Wisdom (智). Do the barbarians practice these? Where is their Benevolence when they cannot treat even their own children and pets with dignity? Where is their Righteousness when they commit over half of the crimes? Where is their Propriety when they cannot observe quietude in the public square or after dark? Where is their Wisdom when they cannot fathom cause and effect?"
Liu Guan replied, "A eunuch tried to tell me that they would bring much wealth to our economy, but I see now that they are like an ox purchased for my farm that possesses rabies. They bring only destruction and weariness, and will till no soil or erect no barns."
The Master exclaimed: "Truly, you see clearly! Any many who would take such a one into their land to reduce a little work will heap sorrow upon sorrow."

2023-04-24 18:17:40

Several of the Legalist school came to the Master, mocking his Patience ((耐心) and saying, "If you truly loved virtue, you would act! The Mandate of Heaven (天命) is lost! Stop being a scholar, and take up arms to fight the State (國家)!"
The Master ignored them, and continued working in his garden. His students were shocked and asked, "Master, why did you not heed their words? Are you not scandalized by what the court eunuchs (太監) have done to the State? How can we sit by and call it virtue (德)?"
The Master replied, "The Legalists are just another mouth of the wicked eunuchs. I can see their sins glowing, even in the dark. I will not shed random blood simply because they sought to stir mine."

2023-04-24 18:11:10

Xiao Naodai was making a clamor in the town square, saying, “The State (國家) has lost the Mandate of Heaven (天命) with their latest folly! Surely, the peasants will rise up now!” The Master was walking through the town with his students, and he replied: “The peasants did not rise up when the State flooded the rice paddy with foreign barbarian (南蠻) workers. The peasants did not rise up when the sacred ritual (理) of marriage (婚) was replaced with sodomy (雞姦). The peasants did not rise up when their best and brightest children were taken and transformed into court eunuchs (太監). They have had weapons and plowshares this whole time. Why would they rise up now?” Xiao shook with rage, declaring the Master to be blackpilled (敝), and went to the next town center. The scholars were shocked, and asked the Master if he truly was blackpilled. He replied: “Heaven (天) is longsuffering, and the junzi (君子) must cultivate many virtues if they are to reclaim the Mandate of Heaven under a new duke. If the peasants rise up now, what sort of State will replace the current one? Patience (耐心) is not blackpilled, it is Wisdom (智).”

2023-04-24 17:11:29

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My goal is to put my graduate degrees to good work so that a shitpoaster can show this to a pseud and it will take at least five minutes to figure out it isn't an actual academic text of an obscure Neo-Confucian.