Response to Religious Literature: The Analects of Confucius

Jen
Jen is to know and love your fellow man. It is selfless action in efforts to promote others. It is to treat others as you want to be treated. It is about be just and kind. It is about accepting where you are in you life. It is about being virtuous and dutiful.

The Superior Man
The superior man is a sincere and humble man of righteousness and honor. He is ruled by virtue. He is reflective and independent. He is not ruled by fear and understand fear to be nothing more than an obstacle meant to be overcome. He is always moving forward and never stuck in the past. He is a man of dignity and society. He is strong when strength is needed. He is in awe of the heavens, other great men, and the wisdom of sages.

Li (Rites 4)
Li is respect, carefulness, boldness, and straightforwardness as determined by "the rules of propriety." It is the honoring of virtues and rules which govern us.

Yueh (Music)
The Master explains the importance of synchronicity and how our lives must be harmonious with our surroundings.

Learning and Teaching
It is acknowledged that the Master is free of conclusion, predetermination, stubbornness, and ego.
The Master claims that all men are initially alike but differ once they have become learned. He explains the differences of man. He claims that men are born with knowledge, acquire knowledge, or are just plain dumb. He explains that the sharing of knowledge takes proper thinking. The acquisition of knowledge requires the same. One need not impose limitations on self when teaching or learning or both. Adherence to the reasons for learning and the rules that govern us will insure that one never strays from the proper path. One must choose to learn for the sake of learning and no other reason. To be a learned man is to be free from the complexities of life and the minutia that engulfs our everyday reality.

Government
The Master explains government. The government is responsible for sustenance, military protection, and a competent leader, with the latter being most important. He explains that leaders should be always be of clear mind and consistent in leadership. The Master explains that a nation is a reflection of it’s leader. He explains that the government and leadership should be in unison with its populace.

Rectifying the Names
Confucius explains that proper leadership will lead to dutiful citizens. He explains that the correction of names leads to truth in language, which in turn leads to truth in all things.