[One Thousand Characters a Day] Morning Opened with The Analects <5>

Editor's NoteAsia Economy provides daily 1,000-character transcription content for the 'One Day Ten Thousand Steps, One Day Thousand Characters' newsletter readers. The transcription content is carefully selected according to daily and monthly themes from Eastern and Western classics, Korean literature, famous columns, and notable speeches. This is the final installment of ＜Morning with the Analects＞, introducing the chapter ＜If You Are Comparing Yourself＞. The text contains 1,064 characters.

As Zhuangzi said, knowing how to be content prevents one from tormenting oneself. This passage from the 'King Rang' chapter of Zhuangzi records a conversation between Confucius and his disciple An Hui.

Confucius asks An Hui,

"An Hui, come here. Your family is poor and your status is low. How about trying to take a government post once?"

An Hui replies,

"I do not desire to hold office. I have fifty mu of farmland outside the city walls, enough to provide meals for my family, and ten mu of farmland inside the walls, sufficient to make hemp clothes. Also, I can play the guqin and find joy in it, and I can enjoy myself through the Way (Dao) I have learned from you, Master. Therefore, I do not wish to serve in office."

Hearing this, Confucius changed his expression and said,

"Excellent! Your thoughts. I have heard that 'He who knows contentment does not torment himself with calculations; he who gains by careful observation does not fear losing it; he whose inner self is well cultivated is not ashamed of low status.' I have long murmured and memorized these words, but only now, hearing your words, do I see them truly practiced. This is what I have gained." ＜Zhuangzi - Miscellaneous Chapters＞

It is natural to envy the apartment of some friend, the supercar of some colleague, or the bank balance of some neighbor. However, remember that the food, clothing, and shelter you currently enjoy were once luxuries reserved for the highest ruling classes in past eras. Ordinary people like us have little that we have gained through careful observation, nor is our inner self well cultivated. Thus, we often compare ourselves to others, sometimes feeling proud, sometimes frustrated.

Since comparison is inevitable for social animals like humans, let us at least broaden the spectrum of comparison. Let us look back in time and compare ourselves with Emperor Tang Xuanzong or Qin Shi Huang, and even stand shoulder to shoulder with Emperor Nero or the Sun King Louis XIV. By broadening our perspective and shifting our gaze, we can better understand An Hui’s mindset. Let us not torment ourselves over someone else’s bank balance. Instead, why not think about the air conditioning breeze and shaved ice that are freely given to us?

- Kim Hoonjong, ＜Morning with the Analects＞, HanbitBiz, 16,800 KRW