Analects of Confucius Book 1–5: eleven quotes on ritual from Confucius

Confucius has plenty to say about ritual in the first five books of the Analects, pointing out the importance of being “fully present” at a sacrifice and choosing simplicity over extravagance for festive ceremonies. He even manages to fit in a couple of acerbic asides aimed at the Ji Family for violating ritual propriety on the sacred Mount Tai and Zigong for wishing to do away with the sacrifice of a sheep during a festival.

Here are eleven quotes on ritual from Confucius that appear in Book 1 to Book 5 of the Analects:

Quotes on ritual
2.3
“If you lead through laws and regulations and maintain order through punishments, people will avoid them but won’t develop a sense of shame. If you lead through virtue and keep them in line with ritual, they will develop a sense of shame and unite behind you.”

2.5
“When your parents are alive, serve them according to ritual. When they die, bury them according to ritual and make sacrifices to them according to ritual.”

3.1
When he heard that the head of the Ji Family used eight rows of dancers to perform in the ceremonies at his ancestral temple, Confucius commented: “If he is capable of that, what isn’t he capable of?”

3.3
“If someone has no goodness, what can they have to do with ritual? If someone has no goodness, what can they have to do with music?”

3.5
“For festive ceremonies, simplicity is better than extravagance; for funerals, genuine grief is better than excessive formality.”

3.6
“Can it really be true that the spirit of Mount Tai has even less knowledge of ritual than Lin Fang?”

3.12
“If I’m not fully present at the sacrifice, it’s as if I didn’t attend the sacrifice at all.”

3.17
“You love the sheep; I love ritual.” (To Zigong)

3.18
“When you serve your lord in full accordance with ritual, people regard you as a sycophant.”

3.19
“A lord should treat his ministers in accordance with ritual; ministers should serve their lord with loyalty.”

3.26
“How can I bear to even contemplate someone who lacks tolerance when in high office, reverence when performing ritual, and grief when in mourning?”

4.13
Confucius said: “If a ruler is able to govern a state by observing ritual and showing deference, what more does he need to do? If a ruler fails to accomplish this, what use is ritual to him?”

Links
Book 2, Chapter 3
Book 2, Chapter 5
Book 3, Chapter 1
Book 3, Chapter 3
Book 3, Chapter 6
Book 3, Chapter 12
Book 3, Chapter 17
Book 3, Chapter 18
Book 3, Chapter 19
Book 3, Chapter 26
Book 4, Chapter 13

Note
I took this image in the ancient water town of Wuzhen, which is located just a couple of hours from Shanghai by High Speed Train.