“If I am not fully present at the sacrifice, it is as if I did not sacrifice at all.”
“When it comes to ritual, it is better to be frugal than extravagant.”
“Find inspiration in the Odes, take your stand through ritual, and be perfected by music.”
I disagree with the whole notion that people should spend their time performing rituals in the first place, so on that note, I agree that rituals should not be extravagant, because that would be even more wasteful. Nothing happens when you perform a religious ritual, such as a sacrifice, except that the animal dies. Confucius selfishly says that he prefers to keep his ritual than save the life of an animal. He will deprive the lamb of the enjoyment of life for his own imaginary and momentary comfort. Also, music should be employed for the purposes of enjoyment and entertainment. Confucius suggests that music and ritual go together as guides to virtue and morality. So… people should look to composers for spiritual guidance? I’d rather use my own brain. Music has no value beyond entertainment.
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