His Ritual

The conception of ritual to Confucius seems to be a guide for a perfect life. Or at least a beacon of a “never mistake”. If you follow it, you will probably succeed in which ever you are implying it; and consequently never mistake. Confucius consecutively implies to term in its teachings, when being asked something, “The Master said: the gentleman takes rightness as his substance, puts it into practice by means of RITUAL, gives it expression through modesty, and perfects it by being trustworthy . Now that is a gentleman.”
Taking into context the quotation, ritual is not a literal translation, nor its actual dictionary meaning. I would understand this pillar of his teachings, as the so called path in eastern philosophy and theology. The spiritual path the Buddha transuded through out his existence or the circular path of reincarnation in Hinduism. Perfecting one self, is the basis of the eastern philosophical tradition, probably implied as well by Confucius.