Confucius, The Great Learning: The great ordering of controllable things

I have spent a chunk of this evening moving furniture around with my husband as we convert our spare room into an office and moving our computers out of the lounge. It will be a big change for us as it will be the first time we have committed to having that room "empty" and not getting in a boarder. Also, it will be the first time since we got married that the computers will not be in the lounge.

Synopsis
The Great Learning is comprised of two parts. The first is only a single page long and it is the text attributed to Confucius. The Second is the annotation of Tsang which expands upon the ideas given in the first. The First part was taken from The book of Rites which is more about ritual and is left to stand alone as a moral or philosophical work.
The main text lays out the foundations and ties the proper running of the state to knowledge. Knowledge allows sincerity of thought, allows rectified hearts, allows cultivation of the person, allows well regulated families, and allows states to be rightly governed. If any one fails the next level can not be attained.

Reflections
I find the order of foundations, from self cultivation down to Knowledge, a little different from how I see them. I would have gone with; sincerity allows knowledge, allows rectified hearts. But that is just a gut feeling. The annotation seems to just state the same thing over and over, which is the prerogative of an annotation, but I don't feel it had much to add. It also makes a lot of references, mainly to "The book of Poetry" which, from my research, is most likely to be the "Classic of Poetry" in the five classics that support Confucian thought. These references expand the length of the annotation but give very little substance.

Comparisons
I don't really feel I can draw any meaningful comparisons from such a short text and annotation.  It is clear though that the original text is likely to be of Confucius or one direct disciple but that the annotation was most likely written later.

Have you read The Great Learning? If so what did you think of it?

Want to read The Great Learning but haven't? Hopefully this inspires you to take the time to do so.
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Confucius, The Doctrine of the Mean: A pillar text

So, I originally read this in February of 2017. No wonder I'm having a little trouble calling it to mind. Thankfully it is only 17 pages, so I can skim read it. This is going to be an ongoing challenge as I work through these backlogged texts.
My husband starts a new job tomorrow, which is super exciting. He's a truck driver and is going to be delivering roofing iron.

Synopsis
The Doctrine of the Mean is comprised of three real threads to the way of the Mean to be the Superior man.
Self cultivation, through self-education, self-discipline, and self-questioning. The idea that the self must grow, in order to walk the course of the Mean.
Understanding and forbearance of others, based on reciprocity. The idea that you serve the one above you as you would expect the one below you to serve you.
The development of Sincerity in your own character and to be an example of sincerity to those around you. And that being able to do that, you can then extend Sincerity to the animal and natural world.

Reflections
The use of the word mean in the English translation is a little tricky here because you must strive to follow the course of the Mean but the superior man is the one who follows it and the mean man is the one who does not.
Self-cultivation is something I can really get behind. Take this project for example, learning for learning's sake. In my case, not in order to follow the Mean, but to follow a more fulfilling journey.

Comparisons
The only thing to really compare this to is the Analects. Both use the idea and wording of the Superior man, and idea that is suggested should be striven for. The doctrine of the Mean seems to spend a little more time on the mean man, or the non-Superior man. But the basic ideas that are central to the Doctrine of the Mean are, though more subtlety, still there in the Analects.
Being a doctrine rather than a series of collected sayings of the master, the doctrine of the Mean is more structured and more linear than the Analects.

Have you read The Doctrine of the Mean? If so what did you think of it?

Want to read The Doctrine of the Mean but haven't? Hopefully this inspires you to take the time to do so.
Get a copy of Doctrine of the Mean.

Confucius, The Analects: Chinese thought on how to live

So I have had an in depth look over my plan today, and Herodotus, that I've just finished reading, is not scheduled to post until the ninth of August. So there may be some slight changes to the plan coming. I'm not sure exactly what they are yet but it might be as simple as posting more often while we get through the back log. Nothing is set in stone yet and I have a lot of writing to do in the mean time. Watch this space.

Synopsis
The Analects is a brief collection of sayings and writings from Confucius and his disciples. It centers around the Superior Man and how he interacts with society around him. The focus is on "The Way" or the moral and good way under Heaven. The Chapters are told as conversations between the master and his disciples and are considered to be written by the disciples after Confucius' death. It covers, as part of "The Way", Virtue, Ritual and Goodness and how they enrich the Superior Man.

Reflections
We know that the Chinese have taught Confusionism and it shows. I found this an interesting window into why the Chinese are so big on respecting their parents. This text teaches that to do as your parents instruct is part of "The Way" of the superior man.
It is also interesting to see the basic threads of "keeping face" starting to tie themselves together, with its emphasis on acting the part no matter what. This is something we see strongly in a lot of Asian cultures, to differing degrees. There would be nothing worse than to bring dishonour on your family. It remind me a little of Mushu in Disneys Mulan "Dishonour on you, Dishonour on your cow, dishonour on your whole family".

Comparisons
There is not a whole lot to compare the Analects to as it is both my first text from an Asian view point as well as the first philosophical text. We won't see any western philosophy for quite sometime yet. The one way we can compare it is if we consider it a religious text. It has definitely been follow like a religion at times but it does not have a higher power  of any type or heaven. but like a lot of religious texts it does spend a lot of time on how you should live. It focuses on the morality of the Superiour man, while the advice itself is different it is similar to the book of proverbs in the bible in its short pithy statements on how best to live.

Have you read The Analects? If so what did you think of it?

Want to read The Analects but haven't? Hopefully this inspires you to take the time to do so.
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The Nibelungenlied: A good husband requires bloody revenge

I ordered new books today, this always seems to make me excited even though they will take a couple of weeks to show up, but what do you expect when you order from the UK. I ordered three of the five works by Dante and they will be the only three I can actually read. For the other two I could not easily find an English translation, so I have chosen to remove them from my list.
In other news, my husband just landed a new job and is going to be working weekdays and standardised hours, which will be a nice change after working night shift, or rotating shifts, the last few years.

The Story
The first half of the Nibelungenlied is about Siegfried and how he obtains Kriemhild's hand in marriage by helping her brother Gunther win Brunhild's hand in marriage. After they are married, Siegfried and Kriemhild return to Siegfrieds native Denmark. They are persuaded to come back to Worms, Kriemhilds family seat, for a festival. The two queens get into an argument and Brunhild is greatly embarrassed. Brunhild enlists her kinsman, Hagen, to deal with Siegfried. Hagan then, during a hunt, slays Seigfried; and Kriemhild spends the rest of the first half of the book mourning.

The second half of the Nibelungenlied deals with Kriemhilds second marriage to Etzel, King of Hungary and the surrounds. At first she lives with him and his people and seems happy enough, until a plot for revenge stirs in her heart. She persuades Etzel to invite her brothers, the kings at Worms, and the family to come and visit for a festival. During that festival, she sends troops after troops to slay the visiting party, especially Hagen. The Burgundians from Worms make a good accounting of themselves, but are eventually killed by one of the many forces the Queen sends against them.

Reflections
It takes a bit to get your head around the change in meaning of Nibelung. In the first half of the text it refers to Siegfried's men, from somewhere north of Denmark, while in the second half it refers to the Burgundian, from Worms. This change is noted in the translation notes but it still feels a little odd. It does reinforce the translator's idea that the second half is borrowed from a much older poem.
Kriemhild never takes any responsibility for how she embarrassed Brunhild, which was the catalyst for Siegfrieds death; rather, she continues to set the full blame to rest on Hagens shoulders. Hagen is the one who did the killing but there is more to the story than that.
The fact that Hagen takes Siegfried's sword seems like salt in the wound for Kriemhild and is a demonstration of his absolute lack or remorse and just how justified he believes Siegfried's death was.
The shear amount of troops Kriemhild sends against the Burgundians is preposterous. Etzel seems to be unwilling to stop her at the cost of many of the lives of his men and vassals. The Burgundians strength is impressive,g as they repel wave after wave, only slowly losing the more important men. Eventually, quantity beats quality.

Comparisons
While the tone and understanding of vassalage is comparable with the Song of Roland and our main character is trying to do everything for the kings good; in the Nibelungenlied, Siegfried is actually a king in his own right from another land rather than a vassal to the local King Gunthar. Also the Nibelungenlied deals with far more homeward focused issues: marriages and festivals. Also, the deaths involved are not in war, but rather in treachery. Both Siegfried's death, by a family member of his wife, and the Burgundian party's attack after they were offered hospitality, are treacherous by the standards of the time and of the setting.
The name Siegfried is in common with Beowulf, both do amazing feats of strength and courage, though their deaths are very different. In the Nibelungenlied, Siegfried is kill by a treacherous uncle. While in Beowulf, he is killed by a dragon, while trying to keep his people safe.

Have you read The Nibelungenlied? If so what did you think of it?

Want to read The Nibelungenlied but haven't? Hopefully this inspires you to take the time to do so.
Get a copy of Nibelungenlied.

First 50 of the AD Literature list: Updated

So here is my updated first 50 list I've added The Volsung saga and the Edda as well as splitting the divine comedy into its three volumes to line it up with how I am doing series in the BC list. As I've said previously I can't get two of my planned works for Dante in English and so I have crossed them off the list.
Also after conversation with my husband I have also added the City of God which I will have to go back to at some point.

500	Augustine	The City of God
1000	Unknown	Beowulf
1100	Unknown	The song of Roland
1200	Unknown	The Nibelungenlied
1200	Unknown	The Saga of Burnt Njal
1265	Dante Alighieri	Inferno
1266	Dante Alighieri	Purgatorio
1267	Dante Alighieri	Paradiso
1265	Dante Alighieri	Convivio
1265	Dante Alighieri	Monarchia
1265	Dante Alighieri	On the Eloquence of Vernacular
1265	Dante Alighieri	The New Life
1220	The Edda	Snorri
1300	Volsunga Saga	Unknown
1300	Everyman	The Everyman and Miracle Plays
1340	Geoffrey Chaucer	The Book of the Duchess
1340	Geoffrey Chaucer	The House of Fame
1340	Geoffrey Chaucer	Anelida and Arcite
1340	Geoffrey Chaucer	Parlement of Foules
1340	Geoffrey Chaucer	Troilus and Criseyde
1340	Geoffrey Chaucer	The Legend of Good Women
1340	Geoffrey Chaucer	The Canterbury Tales
1340	Geoffrey Chaucer	A Treatise on the Astrolabe
1340	Geoffrey Chaucer	Poems
1350	Unknown	Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
1495	Francois Rabelais	Gargantua and Pantagruel
1547	Meguel de Cervantes	Don Quixote
1552	Edmund Spenser	Prothalamion
1552	Edmund Spenser	The Faerie Queene
1561	Francis Bacon	Essays
1561	Francis Bacon	Advancement of Learning
1561	Francis Bacon	Novum Organum
1561	Francis Bacon	New Atlantis
1564	William Shakespeare	Plays
1564	William Shakespeare	Poems
1588	Christopher Marlowe	Doctor Faustus
1608	John Milton	Paradise Lost
1608	John Milton	Paradise Regained
1622	Moliere	The Misanthrope
1622	Moliere	The School for Wives
1622	Moliere	Tartuffe
1622	Moliere	The Miser
1622	Moliere	The Imaginary Invalid
1622	Moliere	The Bourgeois Gentleman
1639	Jean Baptiste Racine	Phèdre
1639	Jean Baptiste Racine	Andromaque
1639	Jean Baptiste Racine	Athalie
1660	Daniel Defoe	Robinson Crusoe
1667	Jonathan Swift	A Tale of a Tub
1667	Jonathan Swift	Journal to Stella