Lun Yu: Analects of Confucius

The Analects is a collection of sayings and dialogues attributed to Confucius and his disciples, written in the style of recorded conversations. It is one of the most central classics of Confucianism and an essential introductory text for cultivating classical Chinese culture. Comprising twenty chapters, the work presents Confucius’s thoughts on benevolence (ren), ritual propriety (li), righteousness (yi), wisdom (zhi), trustworthiness (xin), as well as self-cultivation, family regulation, state governance, and world peace, through forms such as dialogues, aphorisms, and records of events. It laid the foundation for over two millennia of Chinese ethical culture.

Confucius is revered as the “Supreme Sage and Foremost Teacher.” His thought is centered on “benevolence,” emphasizing “restraining oneself and restoring ritual propriety” and “do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.” He placed great importance on educational principles such as learning and timely practice, gaining new insights through reviewing the old, and teaching according to individual aptitudes. The language of The Analects is concise yet profound in meaning. Many passages—such as “When three people walk together, there is certainly one who can be my teacher” and “To know that you know, and to know that you do not know—that is wisdom”—have become daily guidelines for self-cultivation.

The compilation of The Analects underwent a long process. It is generally believed to have been edited by Confucius’s disciples and their own followers, reaching a definitive edition by the Han dynasty. Among the most influential commentaries throughout history are He Yan’s Collected Explanations of the Analects from the Wei dynasty and Zhu Xi’s Collected Annotations of the Analects from the Song dynasty. From the Song dynasty onward, The Analects, together with The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, and Mencius, was collectively known as the “Four Books,” becoming the standard texts for civil service examinations and the moral cultivation of scholar-officials.

As a major source of Eastern thought, The Analects is not only a classic of philosophy and ethics but also the pioneering work of the aphoristic style in Chinese literature. Reading this book allows one to intimately experience the wisdom and warmth in the dialogues between the Sage and his disciples, and to understand the spiritual tradition of Chinese culture that values self-cultivation and human relationships.