| Chapter 1: | The Rationale for Reading the Analects Existentially |
|
|
This is a limited free preview of this book. Please buy full access.
view, this world is essentially a human world, and in order to escape the human predicament in this world, an individual must strive to live the life of a morally perfect person and to radiate virtue so as to influence the people through day to day contact with them. If someone is able to do this, frustration only makes that person all the more determined to cultivate virtue.
Loneliness
Loneliness is a psychological state that every person experiences at one time or another. It is also a human condition that stays with one throughout life. Human beings come into this world alone and must leave this world alone—most often after having dealt with the world alone. Even if one has family and friends for company during life, one may still feel lonely at times. The reason for this is perhaps that there is a deep ontological gap in each person that can be filled only when the self expands to include the selves of others.
Although Confucius was often accompanied by his disciples, he was a lonely person. Many times his disciples did not understand him. Once when the master was visiting the notorious wife of Duke Ling of Wei, a loose woman, Confucius’s major disciple Zilu became quite displeased because he did not want his master to associate with the loose woman and challenged him. Confucius had to defend himself by calling the name of Heaven: “If I have done anything improper, may Heaven’s curse be on me, may Heaven’s curse be on me!” (6:28)
In another conversation with his major disciple Zigong, Confucius expressed more explicitly the deep loneliness he felt:
(14:35)