Propriety and Music
247. The man of noble character (Junzi) said: “Not for one moment can human live without propriety and music. Immersing oneself in music serves to embellish the mind, while immersing oneself in propriety serves to regulate the body and one’s words and deeds. If there is for one moment a hint of dissatisfaction and misery in the mind, vulgarity and hypocrisy will seize this opportunity to creep into the mind. If there is for one moment any loss of dignity and respect in one’s composure, arrogance will seize this opportunity to sneak into the mind. Thus, music regulates the mind and propriety regulates the composure. The most virtuous music can help a person to be decent. When his mind is peaceful and his composure is respectful, no one would provoke a fight with him or despise him.”
Scroll 7: Li Ji
248. Use propriety to regulate the human mind, use music to regulate human sentiments, use law to standardize human behavior and use punishment to deter wickedness. Propriety, music, punishment and law all share the same goal, which is to guide the human mind toward the virtuous path and realize the ideal of a peaceful world.
Scroll 7: Li Ji
249. The populace will enjoy stability when propriety and music are widely promoted for educational purposes. When propriety and music lose its educational purposes, social unrest will emerge.
Scroll 10: Kong Zi Jia Yu
250. The fact that China had managed to control its surrounding foreigners was attributed to the promoting of propriety and music, without which humans are no different from the beasts and may even be worse. Why is this so? Unlike a leopard that cannot change its spots, humans can use their intelligence to exercise control over their physical bodies. If this intelligence is used without restraints, it will cause endless harm to one another. What can be more detrimental than this?
Scroll 49: Fu Zi
251. Yan Ying said: “The practice of using propriety to govern a country existed a long time ago, perhaps as far back as the beginning of heaven and earth. If a ruler is kind and virtuous, his ministers will serve him with great reverence. If parents are kind, their children will be filial. If elder siblings treat their younger siblings with fraternal love, the younger brothers will in return treat them with respect. If a husband is kind, the wife will be gentle. If a mother-in-law is caring, the daughter-in-law will be obedient. These are all the essential attributes of propriety.”
Scroll 6: Chun Qiu Zuo Shi Zhuan, Vol. 3
252. People who do not understand propriety are unlikely to be law-abiding. Laws can teach a lesson to unfilial children but are unable to make them behave like filial children. Laws can also punish criminals but are unable to make them feel shameful.
Scroll 35: Wen Zi
253. When people do not have a sense of shame, they cannot be made to obey the law. If propriety is not practiced, their sense of shame cannot be established. Not even the law can make people correct their behavior if the populace does not understand the purpose of propriety. People will not look up to propriety if the government fails to promote good deeds and eliminate bad behavior.
Scroll 41: Huai Nan Zi
254. Confucius said: “According to the rules of propriety, are gems and silk all that is meant by propriety? According to the rules of music, are bells and drums all that is meant by music?” (The importance of propriety lies in the fact that it can establish the ruler’s position and so he can govern the country well, while music is not just about striking bells and drums but it can regulate and bring about refined social practices).
Scroll 9: Lun Yu
255. Zengzi said: “When we say ‘put into practice,’ it means the practice of propriety. Propriety is the respect shown to the nobles, the filial obedience shown to parents, the kindness shown to children, the friendliness shown to young people, and the care and help shown to the poor and needy. These are all the significance of propriety.”
Scroll 35: Zeng Zi
256. By regulating rules and customs for marriage and proper civility between males and females as well as husbands and wives, issues relating to promiscuity can be prevented. By implementing educational policies that promote integrity and a sense of shamefulness, people will be encouraged to be contented, and thefts and robberies can thereby be prevented. Stressing virtues as the noble norm to acquire royal titles will influence the populace to become honest and kind.
Scroll 50: Yuan Zi Zheng Shu
257. The composure of a sage-ruler, in attending to the rites of heaven, in serving his parents, in managing his administration by working with ministers and advisors, must all be done in accordance to propriety so that the norm of moral and ethics is fully demonstrated. In attending to the rites of heaven, he displays respect and caution, reverence and fear; in serving his parents, he displays gentleness, respect and modesty; in governing the people, he displays regality and respect; in working with ministers and advisors, he radiates generosity, grace and benevolence. In all his demeanors, he stays on course with propriety and everything he does is within the parameter of benevolence and honor, so he is fit to be a role model for the people.
Scroll 20: Han Shu, Vol. 8
258. The ancient funeral rites included crying, beating one’s chest and stamping one’s feet to express extreme grief, while the ancient rejoicing rites included singing and dancing to express one’s pleasures. To an upright person, these rites were sufficient to conform to his sincerity, and to an immoral person, these rites were sufficient to guard against his mistakes.
Scroll 14: Han Shu, Vol. 2
259. If music is customarily used for educating people to ease their mind, nobody will have any grievances. When propriety is customarily used for educating people to be mindful of humility, there should be no disputes. If a ruler is accommodating and modest, the country will be well governed, and all this means is that the ruler has been successful in promoting propriety and music in governing.
Scroll 7: Li Ji
260. Music can be used to regulate the human mind and pacify one’s sentiments to a state of inner calmness. Propriety can be used to regulate human behavior and encourage people to respect social ranks and order. When the mind is in a state of calmness, people will begin to care for one another and become sociable; when there is an awareness of orderliness, people will know where they stand in the society. No resentment will arise when the mind is loving and harmonious; no fighting will arise when there is mutual respect for one another.
Scroll 14: Han Shu, Vol. 2
261. A ruler who is ill-mannered will not be able to govern properly. A minister who is ill-mannered will have disrespectful subordinates. If manners are not observed between parents and children, a family will be ruined. It was forewarned in Shi Jing that “a life without propriety is a life not worth living.” Hence, we cannot do without propriety.
Scroll 33: Yan Zi