January 30, 1948 Know no Evil

The Analects of Confucius is a written record of the sayings of the philosopher and his contemporaries, compiled between 475 and 221BC.

In it, a follower called Yen Yüan asked the Master about perfect virtue.

Confucius answered, “To subdue one’s self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him”.

“I beg to ask the steps of that process”, asked the student. Confucius replied, “Look not at what is contrary to propriety. Listen not to what is contrary to propriety. Speak not what is contrary to propriety. Make no movement which is contrary to propriety”.

Even in the age of Confucius, this was an ancient idea.  Zarathrusta, also known as Zoroaster is in some respects the father of the world’s first monotheistic religion. It…