Analects 7:15

Confucius said, “With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and with a bent arm for a pillow, there is still joy.  Wealth and honor obtained through unrighteousness are but floating clouds to me.”  [Analects 7:15]

In this particular day, I would try to interpret this analect from the topic "Yi as a Cardinal Virtue".

As I come to read more analects, I discover ideas that may constitute in knowing what the Philosophy is for Confucius and later on for the Ancient Chinese. I discovered was that Confucius' teachings are so focus on doing things that are in accordance to what is proper and if one will disobey, then he will drive himself out of the Way. One of the ideas that constitute the acting in accordance to propriety is righteousness. Righteousness, as used in the above analect, is doing something that is morally fair. It is gaining wealth and honor without having to put someone in danger or without taking advantage of the others. Confucius is saying that if a person gets only few yet worked hard for it and gained it righteously, then he must be happy for it for what matters most is not the amount of what he has but the accomplishment of having it. Gaining something in a good way will bring him eternal happiness for he has a clean heart unlike gaining it in an unrighteous way, he will never be happy for everything will seem less. Confucius described gaining wealth and honor through unrighteousness as floating clouds because just like clouds, these wealth and honor will soon be gone and will be fading away. Goodness will always triumph over evil. Clouds will vanish in sometime and so is evil.

This particular analect teaches me to be happy and contented for what I have. It is saying that I should not be blinded by the material things the world offers. I should have to stay grounded and only aspire for things that I could reach. Wishing for something greater may lead me on a different path away from the Way. Although I am not saying that I should not be wishing for something great. What I am saying is that I should remind myself to face the reality and not let these dreams and aspirations take over my reality. For once I let them eat my reality, then there is a big chance that I will do things that may not be according to what is proper which is not what Confucius' teachings are saying.