Kung Fu Tse ( Confucius)

Given below are some of the attributes of the "Superior Man", as enunciated by Kung Fu Tse ( Called Confucius by Europeans).

Purpose: The superior man learns in order to attain to the utmost of the principles.

Poise: The superior man, in his thought does not go out of his place.

Self sufficiency: What the superior man seeks is in himself and what the ordinary man seeks is in others.

Earnestness: The superior man in everything puts forth his utmost endeavours.

Thoroughness: The superior man bends his attention to what is radical, That being established, all practical courses naturally grow up.

Sincerity: Is it not his sincerity which distinguishes the superior man.

Truthfulness: What the superior man requires is that in what he says there may be nothing inaccurate.

Purity of thought and action: The superior man must be watchful over himself when alone.

Love of Truth: The superior man is anxious lest he should not get truth, he is not anxious lest poverty comes upon him.

Rectitude: The superior man thinks of the virtue and ordinary man thinks about the comfort.

Prudence: The superior man wishes to be slow in his words and earnest in his conduct.

Composure: The superior man may indeed have to endure want, but the ordinary man when he wants gives way to unbounded licence.

Fearlessness: The superior man has neither anxiety nor fear.

Ease and Diginity: The superior man has dignified ease without pride; the ordinary man has pride without dignified ease.

Firmness: Looked at from a distance The superior man appears stern, when approached , he is mild; when he is heard to speak, his language is firm and decided.

Capacity: The superior man cannot be known in little matters, but may be entrusted with great concerns.

Openness:The faults of the superior man are like SUN and MOON. He has his faults and all men see them. He changes again and all men look up to him.

Benevolence: The superior man seeks to develop the admirable qualities of men and does not seek to develop their evil qualities; The ordinary man does the opposite.

Broad-Mindedness: The superior man honours talent and virtue and bears with all, he praises the good and pities the incompetent.

Moderation: The superior man conforms to the path of the middle course.

Reserve power: That where in the superior man can not be equalled is this, his worth which other men can not see.

Kung Fu Tse speaks of the superior or the ideal man thus : " The superior man is a catholic and not a partisan, he does what is proper to the position in which he is. he does not wish to go beyond it, he finds himself in no position in which is not himself.

" The scholar considers honesty and good faith to be his coat of mail and helmet, propriety and righteousness to be his shield and buckler, He walks along bearing over his head benevolence, he dwells holding righteousness in his arms before him.

The governament may be violently oppressive, but he does not change his course, such is the way in which he maintains himself.

ॐ नमः शिवाय !

Sianala, Montreal, August 22, 2007।