諺語 · a single proverb
禮之用，和為貴
What does 禮之用，和為貴 (lǐ zhī yòng hé wéi guì) mean?
禮之用，和為貴 (lǐ zhī yòng hé wéi guì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "in the application of ritual, harmony is most precious." In use it means: The highest purpose of ritual and social norms is to create harmony. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "in the application of ritual, harmony is most precious."
The reading
The ceremony is not the point; the harmony the ceremony creates is the point. Form in service of warmth, structure in service of ease-this is the paradox that good social design achieves. The ritual that produces discord has misunderstood its own purpose as thoroughly as a medicine that makes the patient worse.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects of Confucius 論語·學而 (Xué Ér I)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 禮之用，和為貴 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 禮之用，和為貴 (lǐ zhī yòng hé wéi guì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Analects of Confucius 論語·學而 (Xué Ér I). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 禮之用，和為貴?
In Mandarin it is lǐ zhī yòng hé wéi guì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 禮之用，和為貴 aloud in Mandarin.