“The real fault is to have faults and not to amend them”
The men of olden times who studied virtue had only their own
improvement in view; those who study it now have an eye to the applause
of others.
Refusal to instruct one who is competent to learn entails the waste of
a man. Instruction of one who is incompetent to learn entails waste of
words. The wise man is he who wastes neither men nor words.
Those whose care extends not far ahead will find their troubles near at
hand.
He who requires much from himself and little from others will be secure
from hatred.
If a man is not in the habit of asking, "What do you make of this? what
do you make of that?" I can make nothing of him.
Hopeless indeed is the case of those who can herd together all day long
without once letting their conversation reach a higher plane,[18] but
are content to bandy smart and shallow wit.
When a man is generally detested, or when he is generally beloved,
closer examination is necessary.[19]
It is the man that is able to develop his virtue, not virtue that
develops the man.[20]
The real fault is to have faults and not try to amend them.
Where there is education, there is no distinction of class.
Men who differ in their principles cannot help each other in their
plans.
If language is lucid, that is enough.
There are three errors to be avoided in the presence of a great man.
The first is precipitancy--speaking before it is your turn to speak;
the second is bashfulness--not speaking when your turn comes; and the
third is heedlessness--speaking without observing the countenance of
the listener.
There are three impulses against which the nobler sort of man is on his
guard. In the period of youth, when the heyday in the blood has not yet
subsided, he guards against lustfulness; in the prime of life, when
the physical frame is vigorous and strong, he guards against pugnacity;
in old age, when the vital forces are in their decline, he guards
against the greed of gain.[21]
The highest class of men are they whose knowledge is innate; next to
these are they whose knowledge is acquired by study[22]; after them
come those who are dull-witted, yet strive to learn; while those who
are dull-witted and will make no effort to learn are the lowest of the
people.
“A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do you know that his future will not be equal to our present?”
The Master standing by a stream, said, 'It passes
on just like this, not ceasing day or night!'
CHAP. XVII. The Master said, 'I have not seen one who loves
virtue as he loves beauty.'
CHAP. XVIII. The Master said, 'The prosecution of learning
may be compared to what may happen in raising a mound. If there
want but one basket of earth to complete the work, and I stop, the
stopping is my own work. It may be compared to throwing down
the earth on the level ground. Though but one basketful is thrown
at a time, the advancing with it is my own going forward.'
CHAP. XIX. The Master said, 'Never flagging when I set forth
anything to him;-- ah! that is Hui.'
CHAP. XX. The Master said of Yen Yuan, 'Alas! I saw his
constant advance. I never saw him stop in his progress.'
CHAP. XXI. The Master said, 'There are cases in which the
blade springs, but the plant does not go on to flower! There are
cases where it flowers, but no fruit is subsequently produced!'
CHAP. XXII. The Master said, 'A youth is to be regarded with
respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our
present? If he reach the age of forty or fifty, and has not made
himself heard of, then indeed he will not be worth being regarded
with respect.'
CHAP. XXV. The Master said, 'Can men refuse to assent to the
words of strict admonition? But it is reforming the conduct because
of them which is valuable. Can men refuse to be pleased with words
of gentle advice? But it is unfolding their aim which is valuable. If a
man be pleased with these words, but does not unfold their aim,
and assents to those, but does not reform his conduct, I can really
do nothing with him.'
CHAP. XXIV. The Master said, 'Hold faithfulness and sincerity
as first principles. Have no friends not equal to yourself. When you
have faults, do not fear to abandon them.'
CHAP. XXV. The Master said, 'The commander of the forces of
a large state may be carried off, but the will of even a common man
cannot be taken from him.'
CHAP. XXVI. 1. The Master said, 'Dressed himself in a tattered
robe quilted with hemp, yet standing by the side of men dressed in
furs, and not ashamed;-- ah!
“Have no friends not equal to yourself.”
XXI. The Master said, 'There are cases in which the
blade springs, but the plant does not go on to flower! There are
cases where it flowers, but no fruit is subsequently produced!'
CHAP. XXII. The Master said, 'A youth is to be regarded with
respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our
present? If he reach the age of forty or fifty, and has not made
himself heard of, then indeed he will not be worth being regarded
with respect.'
CHAP. XXV. The Master said, 'Can men refuse to assent to the
words of strict admonition? But it is reforming the conduct because
of them which is valuable. Can men refuse to be pleased with words
of gentle advice? But it is unfolding their aim which is valuable. If a
man be pleased with these words, but does not unfold their aim,
and assents to those, but does not reform his conduct, I can really
do nothing with him.'
CHAP. XXIV. The Master said, 'Hold faithfulness and sincerity
as first principles. Have no friends not equal to yourself. When you
have faults, do not fear to abandon them.'
CHAP. XXV. The Master said, 'The commander of the forces of
a large state may be carried off, but the will of even a common man
cannot be taken from him.'
CHAP. XXVI. 1. The Master said, 'Dressed himself in a tattered
robe quilted with hemp, yet standing by the side of men dressed in
furs, and not ashamed;-- ah! it is Yu who is equal to this!
2. '"He dislikes none, he covets nothing;-- what can he do but
what is good!"'
3. Tsze-lu kept continually repeating these words of the ode,
when the Master said, 'Those things are by no means sufficient to
constitute (perfect) excellence.'
CHAP. XXVII. The Master said, 'When the year becomes cold,
then we know how the pine and the cypress are the last to lose
their leaves.'
CHAP. XXVIII. The Master said, 'The wise are free from
perplexities; the virtuous from anxiety; and the bold from fear.'
CHAP. XXIX. The Master said, 'There are some with whom we
may study in common, but we shall find them unable to go along
with us to principles.
“Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles”
The Master said, To rule a country of a thousand
chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and
sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men; and the
employment of the people at the proper seasons.'
CHAP. VI. The Master said, 'A youth, when at home, should be
filial, and, abroad, respectful to his elders. He should be earnest and
truthful. He should overflow in love to all, and cultivate the
friendship of the good. When he has time and opportunity, after the
performance of these things, he should employ them in polite
studies.'
CHAP. VII. Tsze-hsia said, 'If a man withdraws his mind from
the love of beauty, and applies it as sincerely to the love of the
virtuous; if, in serving his parents, he can exert his utmost strength;
if, in serving his prince, he can devote his life; if, in his intercourse
with his friends, his words are sincere:-- although men say that he
has not learned, I will certainly say that he has.'
CHAP. VIII. 1. The Master said, 'If the scholar be not grave, he
will not call forth any veneration, and his learning will not be solid.
2. 'Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.
3. 'Have no friends not equal to yourself.
4. 'When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.'
CHAP. IX. The philosopher Tsang said, 'Let there be a careful
attention to perform the funeral rites to parents, and let them be
followed when long gone with the ceremonies of sacrifice;-- then
the virtue of the people will resume its proper excellence.'
CHAP. X. 1. Tsze-ch'in asked Tsze-kung, saying, 'When our master
comes to any country, he does not fail to learn all about its
government. Does he ask his information? or is it given to him?'
2. Tsze-kung said, 'Our master is benign, upright, courteous,
temperate, and complaisant, and thus he gets his information. The
master's mode of asking information!-- is it not different from that
of other men?'
CHAP. XI. The Master said, 'While a man's father is alive, look
at the bent of his will; when his father is dead, look at his conduct.
If for three years he does not alter from the way of his father, he
may be called filial.
“A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”
The
Master said, 'Do not impose on him, and, moreover, withstand him
to his face.'
CHAP. XXIV. The Master said, 'The progress of the superior
man is upwards; the progress of the mean man is downwards.'
CHAP. XXV. The Master said, 'In ancient times, men learned
with a view to their own improvement. Now-a-days, men learn
with a view to the approbation of others.'
CHAP. XXVI. 1. Chu Po-yu sent a messenger with friendly
inquiries to Confucius.
2. Confucius sat with him, and questioned him. 'What,' said he,
'is your master engaged in?' The messenger replied, 'My master is
anxious to make his faults few, but he has not yet succeeded.' He
then went out, and the Master said, 'A messenger indeed! A
messenger indeed!'
CHAP. XXVII. The Master said, 'He who is not in any particular
office, has nothing to do with plans for the administration of its
duties.'
CHAP. XXVIII. The philosopher Tsang said, 'The superior man,
in his thoughts, does not go out of his place.'
CHAP. XXIX. The Master said, 'The superior man is modest in
his speech, but exceeds in his actions.'
CHAP. XXX. 1. The Master said, 'The way of the superior man
is threefold, but I am not equal to it. Virtuous, he is free from
anxieties; wise, he is free from perplexities; bold, he is free from
fear.
2. Tsze-kung said, 'Master, that is what you yourself say.'
CHAP. XXXI. Tsze-kung was in the habit of comparing men
together. The Master said, 'Tsze must have reached a high pitch of
excellence! Now, I have not leisure for this.'
CHAP. XXXII. The Master said, 'I will not be concerned at
men's not knowing me; I will be concerned at my own want of
ability.'
CHAP. XXXIII. The Master said, 'He who does not anticipate
attempts to deceive him, nor think beforehand of his not being
believed, and yet apprehends these things readily (when they
occur);-- is he not a man of superior worth?'
CHAP. XXXIV. 1. Wei-shang Mau said to Confucius, 'Ch'iu, how
is it that you keep roosting about? Is it not that you are an
insinuating talker?'
2.
“If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.”
The Master said, 'The determined scholar and the
man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their
virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue
complete.'
CHAP. IX. Tsze-kung asked about the practice of virtue. The
Master said, 'The mechanic, who wishes to do his work well, must
first sharpen his tools. When you are living in any state, take
service with the most worthy among its great officers, and make
friends of the most virtuous among its scholars.'
CHAP. X. 1. Yen Yuan asked how the government of a country
should be administered.
2. The Master said, 'Follow the seasons of Hsia.
3. 'Ride in the state carriage of Yin.
4. 'Wear the ceremonial cap of Chau.
5. 'Let the music be the Shao with its pantomimes.
6. Banish the songs of Chang, and keep far from specious
talkers. The songs of Chang are licentious; specious talkers are
dangerous.'
CHAP. XI. The Master said, 'If a man take no thought about
what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.'
CHAP. XII. The Master said, 'It is all over! I have not seen one
who loves virtue as he loves beauty.'
CHAP. XIII. The Master said, 'Was not Tsang Wan like one
who had stolen his situation? He knew the virtue and the talents
of Hui of Liu-hsia, and yet did not procure that he should stand
with him in court.'
CHAP. XIV. The Master said, 'He who requires much from
himself and little from others, will keep himself from being the
object of resentment.'
CHAP. XV. The Master said, 'When a man is not in the habit of
saying-- "What shall I think of this? What shall I think of this?" I
can indeed do nothing with him!'
CHAP. XVI. The Master said, 'When a number of people are
together, for a whole day, without their conversation turning on
righteousness, and when they are fond of carrying out the
suggestions of a small shrewdness;-- theirs is indeed a hard case.'
CHAP. XVII. The Master said, 'The superior man in everything
considers righteousness to be essential.
“Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.”
The Master said, 'In serving his parents, a son
may remonstrate with them, but gently; when he sees that they do
not incline to follow his advice, he shows an increased degree of
reverence, but does not abandon his purpose; and should they
punish him, he does not allow himself to murmur.'
CHAP. XIX. The Master said, 'While his parents are alive, the
son may not go abroad to a distance. If he does go abroad, he must
have a fixed place to which he goes.'
CHAP. XX. The Master said, 'If the son for three years does not
alter from the way of his father, he may be called filial.'
CHAP. XXI. The Master said, 'The years of parents may by no
means not be kept in the memory, as an occasion at once for joy
and for fear.'
CHAP. XXII. The Master said, 'The reason why the ancients did
not readily give utterance to their words, was that they feared lest
their actions should not come up to them.'
CHAP. XXIII. The Master said, 'The cautious seldom err.'
CHAP. XXIV. The Master said, 'The superior man wishes to be
slow in his speech and earnest in his conduct.'
CHAP. XXV. The Master said, 'Virtue is not left to stand alone.
He who practises it will have neighbors.'
CHAP. XXVI. Tsze-yu said, 'In serving a prince, frequent
remonstrances lead to disgrace. Between friends, frequent reproofs
make the friendship distant.'
BOOK V. KUNG-YE CH'ANG.
CHAP. I. 1. The Master said of Kung-ye Ch'ang that he might
be wived; although he was put in bonds, he had not been guilty of
any crime. Accordingly, he gave him his own daughter to wife.
2. Of Nan Yung he said that if the country were well governed
he would not be out of office, and if it were ill-governed, he would
escape punishment and disgrace. He gave him the daughter of his
own elder brother to wife.
CHAP. II. The Master said of Tsze-chien, 'Of superior virtue
indeed is such a man! If there were not virtuous men in Lu, how
could this man have acquired this character?'
CHAP. III. Tsze-kung asked, 'What do you say of me, Ts'ze?
The Master said, 'You are a utensil.' 'What utensil?' 'A gemmed
sacrificial utensil.'
CHAP. IV. 1. Some one said, 'Yung is truly virtuous, but he is
not ready with his tongue.
“The cautious seldom err.”
CHAP. XVIII. The Master said, 'In serving his parents, a son
may remonstrate with them, but gently; when he sees that they do
not incline to follow his advice, he shows an increased degree of
reverence, but does not abandon his purpose; and should they
punish him, he does not allow himself to murmur.'
CHAP. XIX. The Master said, 'While his parents are alive, the
son may not go abroad to a distance. If he does go abroad, he must
have a fixed place to which he goes.'
CHAP. XX. The Master said, 'If the son for three years does not
alter from the way of his father, he may be called filial.'
CHAP. XXI. The Master said, 'The years of parents may by no
means not be kept in the memory, as an occasion at once for joy
and for fear.'
CHAP. XXII. The Master said, 'The reason why the ancients did
not readily give utterance to their words, was that they feared lest
their actions should not come up to them.'
CHAP. XXIII. The Master said, 'The cautious seldom err.'
CHAP. XXIV. The Master said, 'The superior man wishes to be
slow in his speech and earnest in his conduct.'
CHAP. XXV. The Master said, 'Virtue is not left to stand alone.
He who practises it will have neighbors.'
CHAP. XXVI. Tsze-yu said, 'In serving a prince, frequent
remonstrances lead to disgrace. Between friends, frequent reproofs
make the friendship distant.'
BOOK V. KUNG-YE CH'ANG.
CHAP. I. 1. The Master said of Kung-ye Ch'ang that he might
be wived; although he was put in bonds, he had not been guilty of
any crime. Accordingly, he gave him his own daughter to wife.
2. Of Nan Yung he said that if the country were well governed
he would not be out of office, and if it were ill-governed, he would
escape punishment and disgrace. He gave him the daughter of his
own elder brother to wife.
CHAP. II. The Master said of Tsze-chien, 'Of superior virtue
indeed is such a man! If there were not virtuous men in Lu, how
could this man have acquired this character?
“He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.”
But for Kwan Chung, we should
now be wearing our hair unbound, and the lappets of our coats
buttoning on the left side.
3. 'Will you require from him the small fidelity of common
men and common women, who would commit suicide in a stream or
ditch, no one knowing anything about them?'
CHAP. XIX. 1. The great officer, Hsien, who had been family-
minister to Kung-shu Wan, ascended to the prince's court in
company with Wan.
2. The Master, having heard of it, said, 'He deserved to be
considered WAN (the accomplished).'
CHAP. XX. 1. The Master was speaking about the unprincipled
course of the duke Ling of Wei, when Ch'i K'ang said, 'Since he is of
such a character, how is it he does not lose his State?'
2. Confucius said, 'The Chung-shu Yu has the superintendence
of his guests and of strangers; the litanist, T'o, has the management
of his ancestral temple; and Wang-sun Chia has the direction of the
army and forces:-- with such officers as these, how should he lose
his State?'
CHAP. XXI. The Master said, 'He who speaks without modesty
will find it difficult to make his words good.'
CHAP. XXII. 1. Chan Ch'ang murdered the Duke Chien of Ch'i.
2. Confucius bathed, went to court, and informed the duke Ai,
saying, 'Chan Hang has slain his sovereign. I beg that you will
undertake to punish him.'
3. The duke said, 'Inform the chiefs of the three families of it.'
4. Confucius retired, and said, 'Following in the rear of the
great officers, I did not dare not to represent such a matter, and my
prince says, "Inform the chiefs of the three families of it."'
5. He went to the chiefs, and informed them, but they would
not act. Confucius then said, 'Following in the rear of the great
officers, I did not dare not to represent such a matter.'
CHAP. XXIII. Tsze-lu asked how a ruler should be served. The
Master said, 'Do not impose on him, and, moreover, withstand him
to his face.'
CHAP. XXIV. The Master said, 'The progress of the superior
man is upwards; the progress of the mean man is downwards.'
CHAP.
“-Without recognizing the ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man.”
When his desires
are set on benevolent government, and he secures it, who will
accuse him of covetousness? Whether he has to do with many
people or few, or with things great or small, he does not dare to
indicate any disrespect;-- is not this to maintain a dignified ease
without any pride? He adjusts his clothes and cap, and throws a
dignity into his looks, so that, thus dignified, he is looked at with
awe;-- is not this to be majestic without being fierce?'
3. Tsze-chang then asked, 'What are meant by the four bad
things?' The Master said, 'To put the people to death without having
instructed them;-- this is called cruelty. To require from them,
suddenly, the full tale of work, without having given them
warning;-- this is called oppression. To issue orders as if without
urgency, at first, and, when the time comes, to insist on them with
severity;-- this is called injury. And, generally, in the giving pay
or rewards to men, to do it in a stingy way;-- this is called acting
the part of a mere official.'
CHAP III. 1. The Master said, 'Without recognising the
ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man.
2. 'Without an acquaintance with the rules of Propriety, it is
impossible for the character to be established.
3. 'Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to
know men.'
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“Learning without thought is labor lost; and thought without learning is perilous.”
The Master said, 'I have talked with Hui for a whole
day, and he has not made any objection to anything I said;-- as if
he were stupid. He has retired, and I have examined his conduct
when away from me, and found him able to illustrate my teachings.
Hui!-- He is not stupid.'
CHAP. X. 1. The Master said, 'See what a man does.
2. 'Mark his motives.
3. 'Examine in what things he rests.
4. 'How can a man conceal his character?
5. How can a man conceal his character?'
CHAP. XI. The Master said, 'If a man keeps cherishing his old
knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a
teacher of others.'
CHAP. XII. The Master said, 'The accomplished scholar is not a
utensil.'
CHAP. XIII. Tsze-kung asked what constituted the superior
man. The Master said, 'He acts before he speaks, and afterwards
speaks according to his actions.'
CHAP. XIV. The Master said, 'The superior man is catholic and
no partisan. The mean man is partisan and not catholic.'
CHAP. XV. The Master said, 'Learning without thought is
labour lost; thought without learning is perilous.'
CHAP. XVI. The Master said, 'The study of strange doctrines is
injurious indeed!'
CHAP. XVII. The Master said, 'Yu, shall I teach you what
knowledge is? When you know a thing, to hold that you know it;
and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know
it;-- this is knowledge.'
CHAP. XVII. 1. Tsze-chang was learning with a view to official
emolument.
2. The Master said, 'Hear much and put aside the points of
which you stand in doubt, while you speak cautiously at the same
time of the others:-- then you will afford few occasions for blame.
See much and put aside the things which seem perilous, while you
are cautious at the same time in carrying the others into practice:--
then you will have few occasions for repentance. When one gives
few occasions for blame in his words, and few occasions for
repentance in his conduct, he is in the way to get emolument.'
CHAP. XIX. The Duke Ai asked, saying, 'What should be done
in order to secure the submission of the people?
“What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”
He performs it according to
the rules of propriety. He brings it forth in humility. He completes it
with sincerity. This is indeed a superior man.'
CHAP. XVIII. The Master said, 'The superior man is distressed
by his want of ability. He is not distressed by men's not knowing
him.'
CHAP. XIX. The Master said, 'The superior man dislikes the
thought of his name not being mentioned after his death.'
CHAP. XX. The Master said, 'What the superior man seeks, is
in himself. What the mean man seeks, is in others.'
CHAP. XXI. The Master said, 'The superior man is dignified,
but does not wrangle. He is sociable, but not a partizan.'
CHAP. XXII. The Master said, 'The superior man does not
promote a man simply on account of his words, nor does he put
aside good words because of the man.'
CHAP. XXIII. Tsze-kung asked, saying, 'Is there one word
which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life?' The Master
said, 'Is not RECIPROCITY such a word? What you do not want done
to yourself, do not do to others.'
CHAP. XXIV. 1. The Master said, 'In my dealings with men,
whose evil do I blame, whose goodness do I praise, beyond what is
proper? If I do sometimes exceed in praise, there must be ground
for it in my examination of the individual.
2. 'This people supplied the ground why the three dynasties
pursued the path of straightforwardness.'
CHAP. XXV. The Master said, 'Even in my early days, a
historiographer would leave a blank in his text, and he who had a
horse would lend him to another to ride. Now, alas! there are no
such things.'
CHAP. XXVI. The Master said, 'Specious words confound
virtue. Want of forbearance in small matters confounds great plans.'
CHAP. XXVII. The Master said, 'When the multitude hate a
man, it is necessary to examine into the case. When the multitude
like a man, it is necessary to examine into the case.'
CHAP. XXVIII. The Master said, 'A man can enlarge the
principles which he follows; those principles do not enlarge the
man.
“A good man is not mine to see. Could I see a man possessed of constancy, that would satisfy me.”
The Master said, 'I am not one who was born in
the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and
earnest in seeking it there.'
CHAP. XX. The subjects on which the Master did not talk,
were-- extraordinary things, feats of strength, disorder, and
spiritual beings.
CHAP. XXI. The Master said, 'When I walk along with two
others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their good
qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and avoid them.'
CHAP. XXII. The Master said, 'Heaven produced the virtue
that is in me. Hwan T'ui-- what can he do to me?'
CHAP. XXIII. The Master said, 'Do you think, my disciples, that
I have any concealments? I conceal nothing from you. There is
nothing which I do that is not shown to you, my disciples;-- that is
my way.'
CHAP. XXIV. There were four things which the Master
taught,-- letters, ethics, devotion of soul, and truthfulness.
CHAP. XXV. 1. The Master said, 'A sage it is not mine to see;
could I see a man of real talent and virtue, that would satisfy me.'
2. The Master said, 'A good man it is not mine to see; could I
see a man possessed of constancy, that would satisfy me.
3. 'Having not and yet affecting to have, empty and yet
affecting to be full, straitened and yet affecting to be at ease:-- it is
difficult with such characteristics to have constancy.'
CHAP. XXVI. The Master angled,-- but did not use a net. He
shot,-- but not at birds perching.
CHAP. XXVII. The Master said, 'There may be those who act
without knowing why. I do not do so. Hearing much and selecting
what is good and following it; seeing much and keeping it in
memory:-- this is the second style of knowledge.'
CHAP. XXVIII. 1. It was difficult to talk (profitably and
reputably) with the people of Hu-hsiang, and a lad of that place
having had an interview with the Master, the disciples doubted.
2. The Master said, 'I admit people's approach to me without
committing myself as to what they may do when they have retired.
Why must one be so severe? If a man purify himself to wait upon
me, I receive him so purified, without guaranteeing his past
conduct.
“Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher of others.”
Knowing that rules were never
meant to be so rigid as to admit of no exceptions, he felt it his
primary duty to go where he could do good. Cf. the visit to Nan Tzû (p.
83), the mere idea of which would have horrified an ordinary teacher of
morality.
MISCELLANEOUS SAYINGS
The Master said: To learn, and to practise on occasion what one has
learnt--is this not true pleasure? The coming of a friend from a
far-off land--is this not true joy?
Make conscientiousness and sincerity your grand object. Have no friends
not equal to yourself. If you have done wrong, be not ashamed to make
amends.
Observe the bent of a man's will when his father is alive, and his
actions after his father is dead. If during the three years of mourning
he does not swerve from his father's principles, he may be pronounced a
truly filial son.
The Odes[1] are three hundred in number, but their purport may be
summed up in a word:--Have no depraved thoughts.
Observe a man's actions; scrutinise his motives; take note of the
things that give him pleasure. How then can he hide from you what he
really is?
Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become
a teacher of others.
The higher type of man is not like a vessel which is designed for some
Special use.[2]
Study without thought is vain; thought without study is perilous.
Absorption in the study of the supernatural is most harmful.
Yu, shall I tell you what true knowledge is? When you know, to know
that you know, and when you do not know, to know that you do not
know--that is true knowledge.
Tzû Chang was studying with a view to official preferment. The Master
said to him: Among the various things you hear said, reserve your
judgment on those which seem doubtful, and give cautious utterance
to the rest: then you will seldom fall into error. Among the various
things you see done, set aside those which seem dangerous, and
cautiously put the others into practice: then you will seldom have
occasion for repentance. If you seldom err in your speech, and seldom
have to repent of your actions, official preferment will come of itself.
The Master said: I do not see how a man without sincerity can be good
for anything.
“Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.”
So with learning;-- emolument may be
found in it. The superior man is anxious lest he should not get truth;
he is not anxious lest poverty should come upon him.'
CHAP. XXXII. 1. The Master said, 'When a man's knowledge is
sufficient to attain, and his virtue is not sufficient to enable him to
hold, whatever he may have gained, he will lose again.
2. 'When his knowledge is sufficient to attain, and he has
virtue enough to hold fast, if he cannot govern with dignity, the
people will not respect him.
3. 'When his knowledge is sufficient to attain, and he has
virtue enough to hold fast; when he governs also with dignity, yet if
he try to move the people contrary to the rules of propriety:-- full
excellence is not reached.'
CHAP. XXXIII. The Master said, 'The superior man cannot be
known in little matters; but he may be intrusted with great
concerns. The small man may not be intrusted with great concerns,
but he may be known in little matters.'
CHAP. XXXIV. The Master said, 'Virtue is more to man than
either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water
and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course
of virtue.'
CHAP. XXXV. The Master said, 'Let every man consider virtue
as what devolves on himself. He may not yield the performance of
it even to his teacher.'
CHAP. XXXVI. The Master said, 'The superior man is correctly
firm, and not firm merely.'
CHAP. XXXVII. The Master said, 'A minister, in serving his
prince, reverently discharges his duties, and makes his emolument
a secondary consideration.'
CHAP. XXXVIII. The Master said, 'In teaching there should be
no distinction of classes.'
CHAP. XXXIX. The Master said, 'Those whose courses are
different cannot lay plans for one another.'
CHAP. XL. The Master said, 'In language it is simply required
that it convey the meaning.'
CHAP. XLI. 1. The Music-master, Mien, having called upon
him, when they came to the steps, the Master said, 'Here are the
steps.' When they came to the mat for the guest to sit upon, he
said, 'Here is the mat.' When all were seated, the Master informed
him, saying, 'So and so is here; so and so is here.
It is when those who are not strong enough have made some moderate amount of progress that they fail and give up...
the same question respecting Tsz-kung and Yen Yu he answered
similarly, pronouncing Tsz-kung to be a man of perspicacity, and Yen Yu
to be one versed in the polite arts.
When the head of the Ki family sent for Min Tsz-k'ien to make him
governor of the town of Pi, that disciple said, "Politely decline for
me. If the offer is renewed, then indeed I shall feel myself obliged to
go and live on the further bank of the Wan."
Peh-niu had fallen ill, and the Master was inquiring after him. Taking
hold of his hand held out from the window, he said, "It is taking him
off! Alas, his appointed time has come! Such a man, and to have such an
illness!"
Of Hwķi, again: "A right worthy man indeed was he! With his simple
wooden dish of rice, and his one gourd-basin of drink, away in his poor
back lane, in a condition too grievous for others to have endured, he
never allowed his cheery spirits to droop. Aye, a right worthy soul was
he!"
"It is not," Yen Yu once apologized, "that I do not take pleasure in
your doctrines; it is that I am not strong enough." The Master rejoined,
"It is when those who are not strong enough have made some moderate
amount of progress that they fail and give up; but you are now drawing
your own line for yourself."
Addressing Tsz-hiŠ, the Master said, "Let your scholarship be that of
gentlemen, and not like that of common men."
When Tsz-yu became governor of Wu-shing, the Master said to him, "Do you
find good men about you?" The reply was, "There is Tan-t'ai Mieh-ming,
who when walking eschews by-paths, and who, unless there be some public
function, never approaches my private residence."
"Mang Chi-fan," said the Master, "is no sounder of his own praises.
During a stampede he was in the rear, and as they were about to enter
the city gate he whipped up his horses, and said, 'Twas not my daring
made me lag behind. My horses would not go.'"
_Obiter dicta_ of the Master:--
"Whoever has not the glib utterance of the priest T'o, as well as the
handsomeness of Prince ChŠu of Sung, will find it hard to keep out of
harm's way in the present age.
"Who can go out but by that door? Why walks no one by these guiding
principles?
"Where plain naturalness is more in evidence than polish, we have--the
man from the country.
If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things.
CHAP. II. 1. Chung-kung, being chief minister to the Head of
the Chi family, asked about government. The Master said, 'Employ
first the services of your various officers, pardon small faults, and
raise to office men of virtue and talents.'
2. Chung-kung said, 'How shall I know the men of virtue and
talent, so that I may raise them to office?' He was answered, 'Raise
to office those whom you know. As to those whom you do not know,
will others neglect them?'
CHAP. III. 1. Tsze-lu said, 'The ruler of Wei has been waiting
for you, in order with you to administer the government. What will
you consider the first thing to be done?'
2. The Master replied, 'What is necessary is to rectify names.'
3. 'So, indeed!' said Tsze-lu. 'You are wide of the mark! Why
must there be such rectification?'
4. The Master said, 'How uncultivated you are, Yu! A superior
man, in regard to what he does not know, shows a cautious reserve.
5. 'If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with
the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth
of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success.
6. 'When affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties
and music will not flourish. When proprieties and music do not
flourish, punishments will not be properly awarded. When
punishments are not properly awarded, the people do not know
how to move hand or foot.
7. 'Therefore a superior man considers it necessary that the
names he uses may be spoken appropriately, and also that what he
speaks may be carried out appropriately. What the superior man
requires, is just that in his words there may be nothing incorrect.'
CHAP. IV. 1. Fan Ch'ih requested to be taught husbandry. The
Master said, 'I am not so good for that as an old husbandman.' He
requested also to be taught gardening, and was answered, 'I am not
so good for that as an old gardener.'
2. Fan Ch'ih having gone out, the Master said, 'A small man,
indeed, is Fan Hsu!
3.
If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success. When affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties and music do not flourish.
CHAP. II. 1. Chung-kung, being chief minister to the Head of
the Chi family, asked about government. The Master said, 'Employ
first the services of your various officers, pardon small faults, and
raise to office men of virtue and talents.'
2. Chung-kung said, 'How shall I know the men of virtue and
talent, so that I may raise them to office?' He was answered, 'Raise
to office those whom you know. As to those whom you do not know,
will others neglect them?'
CHAP. III. 1. Tsze-lu said, 'The ruler of Wei has been waiting
for you, in order with you to administer the government. What will
you consider the first thing to be done?'
2. The Master replied, 'What is necessary is to rectify names.'
3. 'So, indeed!' said Tsze-lu. 'You are wide of the mark! Why
must there be such rectification?'
4. The Master said, 'How uncultivated you are, Yu! A superior
man, in regard to what he does not know, shows a cautious reserve.
5. 'If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with
the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth
of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success.
6. 'When affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties
and music will not flourish. When proprieties and music do not
flourish, punishments will not be properly awarded. When
punishments are not properly awarded, the people do not know
how to move hand or foot.
7. 'Therefore a superior man considers it necessary that the
names he uses may be spoken appropriately, and also that what he
speaks may be carried out appropriately. What the superior man
requires, is just that in his words there may be nothing incorrect.'
CHAP. IV. 1. Fan Ch'ih requested to be taught husbandry. The
Master said, 'I am not so good for that as an old husbandman.' He
requested also to be taught gardening, and was answered, 'I am not
so good for that as an old gardener.'
2. Fan Ch'ih having gone out, the Master said, 'A small man,
indeed, is Fan Hsu!
3. If a superior love propriety, the people will not dare not to
be reverent. If he love righteousness, the people will not dare not
to submit to his example. If he love good faith, the people will not
dare not to be sincere.
Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.
A king speaks of his wife as 'my wife.' She calls herself
'handmaid.' Her subjects speak of her as 'our lord's wife,' but when
they speak to foreigners, they say 'our little queen.' Foreigners
speak of her, too, as 'the lord's wife.'
[Footnote 149: The disciple Tzu-ch'in.]
[Footnote 150: The son of Confucius.]
BOOK XVII
1. Yang Huo[151] wished to see Confucius. Confucius did not go to see
him. He sent Confucius a sucking pig. Confucius chose a time when he
was out, and went to thank him. They met on the road.
He said to Confucius, Come, let us speak together. To cherish a gem,
and undo the kingdom, can that be called love?
It cannot, said Confucius.
To love office, and miss the hour again and again, can that be called
wisdom?
It cannot, said Confucius.
The days and months go by; the years do not wait for us.
True, said Confucius; I must take office.
2. The Master said, Men are near to each other by nature; the lives
they lead sunder them.
3. The Master said, Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.
4. As the Master came to Wu-ch'eng[152] he heard sounds of lute and
song.
Why use an ox-knife to kill a fowl? said the Master, with a pleased
smile.
Tzu-yu answered, Master, once I heard you say, A gentleman that has
learnt the Way loves men; small folk that have learnt the Way are easy
to rule.
[Footnote 151: The all-powerful, unscrupulous minister of the Chi.]
[Footnote 152: A very small town, of which the disciple Tzu-yu was
governor.]
My two-three boys, said the Master, what Yen[153] says is true. I
spake before in play.
5. Kung-shan Fu-jao[154] held Pi in rebellion. He called the Master,
who wished to go.
Tzu-lu said in displeasure. This cannot be! why must ye go to
Kung-shan?
The Master said, He calls me, and would that be all? Could I not make
an Eastern Chou[155] of him that uses me?
6. Tzu-chang asked Confucius what is love.
Confucius said, Love is to mete out five things to all below heaven.
May I ask what they are?
Modesty and bounty, said Confucius, truth, earnestness and kindness.
He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.
But for Kwan Chung, we should
now be wearing our hair unbound, and the lappets of our coats
buttoning on the left side.
3. 'Will you require from him the small fidelity of common
men and common women, who would commit suicide in a stream or
ditch, no one knowing anything about them?'
CHAP. XIX. 1. The great officer, Hsien, who had been family-
minister to Kung-shu Wan, ascended to the prince's court in
company with Wan.
2. The Master, having heard of it, said, 'He deserved to be
considered WAN (the accomplished).'
CHAP. XX. 1. The Master was speaking about the unprincipled
course of the duke Ling of Wei, when Ch'i K'ang said, 'Since he is of
such a character, how is it he does not lose his State?'
2. Confucius said, 'The Chung-shu Yu has the superintendence
of his guests and of strangers; the litanist, T'o, has the management
of his ancestral temple; and Wang-sun Chia has the direction of the
army and forces:-- with such officers as these, how should he lose
his State?'
CHAP. XXI. The Master said, 'He who speaks without modesty
will find it difficult to make his words good.'
CHAP. XXII. 1. Chan Ch'ang murdered the Duke Chien of Ch'i.
2. Confucius bathed, went to court, and informed the duke Ai,
saying, 'Chan Hang has slain his sovereign. I beg that you will
undertake to punish him.'
3. The duke said, 'Inform the chiefs of the three families of it.'
4. Confucius retired, and said, 'Following in the rear of the
great officers, I did not dare not to represent such a matter, and my
prince says, "Inform the chiefs of the three families of it."'
5. He went to the chiefs, and informed them, but they would
not act. Confucius then said, 'Following in the rear of the great
officers, I did not dare not to represent such a matter.'
CHAP. XXIII. Tsze-lu asked how a ruler should be served. The
Master said, 'Do not impose on him, and, moreover, withstand him
to his face.'
CHAP. XXIV. The Master said, 'The progress of the superior
man is upwards; the progress of the mean man is downwards.'
CHAP.
