Shu Er VII

A Warrior’s Question: Zi Lu Asks, “Who Would You Take to War?”

The Shared Ideal: To Advance When Employed, To Retire When Set Aside

Can Grief and Joy Truly Coexist? The Day Confucius Chose Solemnity Over Song

A Meal Shared with Sorrow: Confucius at the Table of a Mourner

The Art of Learning: If I Show One Corner, You Must Return with the Other Three

The Right Moment to Teach: Do Not Enlighten Those Who Are Not Eager to Learn

Confucius Declared: “I Have Never Refused Instruction to Anyone Who Brought the Humblest Gift”

Four Pillars of a Whole Life: The Seriousness of the Way and the Freedom of the Arts

“Extreme is My Decay”: The Humble Reflection of an Ageing Sage

A Portrait of Authentic Ease: Confucius in His Off-Duty Hours

The Four Failings: A Confucian Anatomy of Ethical Neglect

The Teacher’s Paradox: Claiming “What Have I?” While Embodying the Ideal

A Transmitter, Not a Maker: The Self-Portrait of Confucius