In Book II of Analects, Confucius writes: “The three hundred Poems are summed up in one single phrase: ‘Think no evil.’” Explain what you think Confucius means by this. Connect this idea to “The Eightfold Path.”
II. Confucius and Laozi (50pts.)
1. In Book II of Analects, Confucius writes: “The three hundred Poems are summed up in one single phrase: ‘Think no evil.’” Explain what you think Confucius means by this. Connect this idea to “The Eightfold Path.”
2. In Book VI of Analects, Confucius writes: “When nature prevails over culture, you get a savage; when culture prevails over nature, you get a pedant. When nature and culture are in balance, you get a gentleman.” Explain this. How does this idea connect to “the middle way” as explained by the Buddha?
3. In Book XIV, Confucius writes: “In the old days, people studied to improve themselves. Now they study to impress others.” Compare this notion to Laozi’s when he writes: “the man of large mind abides in the thick not in the thin, in the fruit, not in the flower.”
4. According to Laozi, what are the characteristics of an effective leader? Reference the Daodejing in your response.
5. Explain “the way” as found in the Daodejing. What is meant by the phrase “take no action” (wu-wei)?
6. What does Laozi mean when he writes: “the hard and the strong are the comrades of death; the supple and the weak are comrades of life”? How does Laozi use grass to illustrate this concept? What is the lesson?
