论语全文英译
2012-02-16 12:39阅读：
LunYu—KongFuzi
1
the master 'is it not pleasant to learn with a constant
perseverance andapplication?
'is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant
quarters?
'is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no
discomposure though menmay take no note of him?'
the philosopher yu said, 'they are few who, being filial
and fraternal, arefond of offending against their superiors. there
have been none, who, not likingto offend against their superiors,
have been fond of stirring up confusion.
'the superior man bends his attention to what is radical.
that beingestablished, all practical courses naturally grow up.
filial piety and fraternalsubmission,-are they not the root of all
benevolent actions?'
the master said, 'fine words and an insinuating appearance
are seldomassociated with true virtue.'
the philosopher tsang said, 'i daily examine myself on
three points:-whether,in transacting business for other
s, i may have been not faithful;-whether, inintercourse with
friends, i may have been not sincere;-whether i may have
notmastered and practiced the instructions of my teacher.'
the master said, 'to rule a country of a thousand chariots,
there must bereverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy
in expenditure, and lovefor men; and the employment of the people
at the proper seasons.'
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 overflowin love to all, and cultivate the
friendship of the good. when he has time andopportunity, after the
performance of these things, he should employ them inpolite
studies.'
tsze-hsia said, 'if a man withdraws his mind from the love
of beauty, andapplies 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 hislife; if, in his intercourse
with his friends, his words are sincere:-althoughmen say that he
has not learned, i will certainly say that he has.
the master said, 'if the scholar be not grave, he will not
call forth anyveneration, and his learning will not be solid.
'hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.
'have no friends not equal to yourself.
'when you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.'
the philosopher tsang said, 'let there be a careful
attention to perform thefuneral rites to parents, and let them be
followed when long gone with theceremonies of sacrifice;-then the
virtue of the people will resume its properexcellence.'
tsze-ch'in asked tsze-kung saying, 'when our master comes
to any country, hedoes not fail to learn all about its government.
does he ask his information? oris it given to him?'
tsze-kung said, 'our master is benign, upright, courteous,
temperate, andcomplaisant and thus he gets his information. the
master's mode of askinginformation,-is it not different from that
of other men?'
the master said, 'while a man's father is alive, look at
the bent of hiswill; when his father is dead, look at his conduct.
if for three years he doesnot alter from the way of his father, he
may be called filial.'
the philosopher yu said, 'in practicing the rules of
propriety, a naturalease is to be prized. in the ways prescribed by
the ancient kings, this is theexcellent quality, and in things
small and great we follow them.
'yet it is not to be observed in all cases. if one, knowing
how such easeshould be prized, manifests it, without regulating it
by the rules of propriety,this likewise is not to be done.'
the philosopher yu said, 'when agreements are made
according to what isright, what is spoken can be made good. when
respect is shown according to whatis proper, one keeps far from
shame and disgrace. when the parties upon whom aman leans are
proper persons to be intimate with, he can make them his guidesand
masters.'
the master said, 'he who aims to be a man of complete
virtue in his fooddoes not seek to gratify his appetite, nor in his
dwelling place does he seekthe appliances of ease; he is earnest in
what he is doing, and careful in hisspeech; he frequents the
company of men of principle that he may be rectified:-such a person
may be said indeed to love to learn.'
tsze-kung said, 'what do you pronounce concerning the poor
man who yet doesnot flatter, and the rich man who is not proud?'
the master replied, 'they willdo; but they are not equal to him,
who, though poor, is yet cheerful, and to him,who, though rich,
loves the rules of propriety.'
tsze-kung replied, 'it is said in the book of poetry, 'as
you cut and thenfile, as you carve and then polish.'-the meaning is
the same, i apprehend, asthat which you have just expressed.'
the master said, 'with one like ts'ze, i can begin to talk
about the odes. itold him one point, and he knew its proper
sequence.'
the master said, 'i will not be afflicted at men's not
knowing me; i will beafflicted that i do not know men.'
2
the master said, 'he who exercises government by means of
his virtue may becompared to the north polar star, which keeps its
place and all the stars turntowards it.'
the master said, 'in the book of poetry are three hundred
pieces, but thedesign of them all may be embraced in one sentence
'having no depravedthoughts.''
the master said, 'if the people be led by laws, and
uniformity sought to begiven them by punishments, they will try to
avoid the punishment, but have nosense of shame.
'if they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be
given them by therules of propriety, they will have the sense of
shame, and moreover will becomegood.'
the master said, 'at fifteen, i had my mind bent on
learning.
'at thirty, i stood firm.
'at forty, i had no doubts.
'at fifty, i knew the decrees of heaven.
'at sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception
of truth.
'at seventy, i could follow what my heart desired, without
transgressingwhat was right.'
mang i asked what filial piety was. the master said, 'it is
not beingdisobedient.'
soon after, as fan ch'ih was driving him, the master told
him, saying,'mang-sun asked me what filial piety was, and i
answered him,-'not beingdisobedient.''
fan ch'ih said, 'what did you mean?' the master replied,
'that parents, whenalive, be served according to propriety; that,
when dead, they should be buriedaccording to propriety; and that
they should be sacrificed to according topropriety.'
mang wu asked what filial piety was. the master said,
'parents are anxiouslest their children should be sick.'
tsze-yu asked what filial piety was. the master said, 'the
filial pietynowadays means the support of one's parents. but dogs
and horses likewise areable to do something in the way of
support;-without reverence, what is there todistinguish the one
support given from the other?'
tsze-hsia asked what filial piety was. the master said,
'the difficulty iswith the countenance. if, when their elders have
any troublesome affairs, theyoung take the toil of them, and if,
when the young have wine and food, they setthem before their
elders, is this to be considered filial piety?'
the master said, 'i have talked with hui for a whole day,
and he has notmade any objection to anything i said;-as if he were
stupid. he has retired, andi have examined his conduct when away
from me, and found him able to illustratemy teachings. hui!-he is
not stupid.'
the master said, 'see what a man does.
'mark his motives.
'examine in what things he rests.
'how can a man conceal his character? how can a man conceal
his character?'
the master said, 'if a man keeps cherishing his old
knowledge, so ascontinually to be acquiring new, he may be a
teacher of others.'
the master said, 'the accomplished scholar is not a
utensil.'
tsze-kung asked what constituted the superior man. the
master said, 'he actsbefore he speaks, and afterwards speaks
according to his actions.'
the master said, 'the superior man is catholic and not
partisan. the meanman is partisan and not catholic.'
the master said, 'learning without thought is labor lost;
thought withoutlearning is perilous.'
the master said, 'the study of strange doctrines is
injurious indeed!'
the master said, 'yu, shall i teach you what knowledge is?
when you know athing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not
know a thing, to allow thatyou do not know it;-this is
knowledge.'
tsze-chang was learning with a view to official
emolument.
the master said, 'hear much and put aside the points of
which you stand indoubt, while you speak cautiously at the same
time of the others:-then you willafford few occasions for blame.
see much and put aside the things which seemperilous, while you are
cautious at the same time in carrying the others intopractice: then
you will have few occasions for repentance. when one gives
fewoccasions for blame in his words, and few occasions for
repentance in hisconduct, he is in the way to get emolument.'
the duke ai asked, saying, 'what should be done in order to
secure thesubmission of the people?' confucius replied, 'advance
the upright and set asidethe crooked, then the people will submit.
advance the crooked and set aside theupright, then the people will
not submit.'
chi k'ang asked how to cause the people to reverence their
ruler, to befaithful to him, and to go on to nerve themselves to
virtue. the master said,'let him preside over them with
gravity;-then they will reverence him. let himbe final and kind to
all;-then they will be faithful to him. let him advance thegood and
teach the incompetent;-then they will eagerly seek to be
virtuous.'
some one addressed confucius, saying, 'sir, why are you not
engaged in thegovernment?'
the master said, 'what does the shu-ching say of filial
piety?-'you arefinal, you discharge your brotherly duties. these
qualities are displayed ingovernment.' this then also constitutes
the exercise of government. why mustthere be that-making one be in
the government?'
the master said, 'i do not know how a man without
truthfulness is to get on.how can a large carriage be made to go
without the crossbar for yoking the oxento, or a small carriage
without the arrangement for yoking the horses?'
tsze-chang asked whether the affairs of ten ages after
could be known.
confucius said, 'the yin dynasty followed the regulations
of the hsia:wherein it took from or added to them may be known. the
chau dynasty hasfollowed the regulations of yin: wherein it took
from or added to them may beknown. some other may follow the chau,
but though it should be at the distanceof a hundred ages, its
affairs may be known.'
the master said, 'for a man to sacrifice to a spirit which
does not belongto him is flattery.
'to see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.'
3
confucius said of the head of the chi family, who had eight
rows ofpantomimes in his area, 'if he can bear to do this, what may
he not bear to do?'
the three families used the yungode, while the vessels were
being removed,at the conclusion of the sacrifice. the master said,
''assisting are theprinces;-the son of heaven looks profound and
grave';-what application can thesewords have in the hall of the
three families?'
the master said, 'if a man be without the virtues proper to
humanity, whathas he to do with the rites of propriety? if a man be
without the virtues properto humanity, what has he to do with
music?'
lin fang asked what was the first thing to be attended to
in ceremonies.
the master said, 'a great question indeed!
'in festive ceremonies, it is better to be sparing than
extravagant. in theceremonies of mourning, it is better that there
be deep sorrow than in minuteattention to observances.'
the master said, 'the rude tribes of the east and north
have their princes,and are not like the states of our great land
which are without them.'
the chief of the chi family was about to sacrifice to the
t'ai mountain. themaster said to zan yu, 'can you not save him from
this?' he answered, 'icannot.' confucius said, 'alas! will you say
that the t'ai mountain is not sodiscerning as lin fang?'
the master said, 'the student of virtue has no contentions.
if it be said hecannot avoid them, shall this be in archery? but he
bows complaisantly to hiscompetitors; thus he ascends the hall,
descends, and exacts the forfeit ofdrinking. in his contention, he
is still the chun-tsze.'
tsze-hsia asked, saying, 'what is the meaning of the
passage-'the prettydimples of her artful smile! the well-defined
black and white of her eye! theplain ground for the colors?''
the master said, 'the business of laying on the colors
follows thepreparation of the plain ground.'
'ceremonies then are a subsequent thing?' the master said,
'it is shang whocan bring out my meaning. now i can begin to talk
about the odes with him.'
the master said, 'i could describe the ceremonies of the
hsia dynasty, butchi cannot sufficiently attest my words. i could
describe the ceremonies of theyin dynasty, but sung cannot
sufficiently attest my words. they cannot do sobecause of the
insufficiency of their records and wise men. if those
weresufficient, i could adduce them in support of my words.'
the master said, 'at the great sacrifice, after the pouring
out of thelibation, i have no wish to look on.'
some one asked the meaning of the great sacrifice. the
master said, 'i donot know. he who knew its meaning would find it
as easy to govern the kingdom asto look on this'-pointing to his
palm.
he sacrificed to the dead, as if they were present. he
sacrificed to thespirits, as if the spirits were present.
the master said, 'i consider my not being present at the
sacrifice, as if idid not sacrifice.'
wang-sun chia asked, saying, 'what is the meaning of the
saying, 'it isbetter to pay court to the furnace then to the
southwest corner?''
the master said, 'not so. he who offends against heaven has
none to whom hecan pray.'
the master said, 'chau had the advantage of viewing the two
past dynasties.how complete and elegant are its regulations! i
follow chau.'
the master, when he entered the grand temple, asked about
everything. someone said, 'who say that the son of the man of tsau
knows the rules of propriety!he has entered the grand temple and
asks about everything.' the master heard theremark, and said, 'this
is a rule of propriety.'
the master said, 'in archery it is not going through the
leather which isthe principal thing;-because people's strength is
not equal. this was the oldway.'
tsze-kung wished to do away with the offering of a sheep
connected with theinauguration of the first day of each
month.
the master said, 'ts'ze, you love the sheep; i love the
ceremony.'
the master said, 'the full observance of the rules of
propriety in servingone's prince is accounted by people to be
flattery.'
the duke ting asked how a prince should employ his
ministers, and howministers should serve their prince. confucius
replied, 'a prince should employhis minister according to according
to the rules of propriety; ministers shouldserve their prince with
faithfulness.'
the master said, 'the kwan tsu is expressive of enjoyment
without beinglicentious, and of grief without being hurtfully
excessive.'
the duke ai asked tsai wo about the altars of the spirits
of the land. tsaiwo replied, 'the hsia sovereign planted the pine
tree about them; the men of theyin planted the cypress; and the men
of the chau planted the chestnut tree,meaning thereby to cause the
people to be in awe.'
when the master heard it, he said, 'things that are done,
it is needless tospeak about; things that have had their course, it
is needless to remonstrateabout; things that are past, it is
needless to blame.'
the master said, 'small indeed was the capacity of kwan
chung!'
some one said, 'was kwan chung parsimonious?' 'kwan,' was
the reply, 'hadthe san kwei, and his officers performed no double
duties; how can he beconsidered parsimonious?'
'then, did kwan chung know the rules of propriety?' the
master said, 'theprinces of states have a screen intercepting the
view at their gates. kwan hadlikewise a screen at his gate. the
princes of states on any friendly meetingbetween two of them, had a
stand on which to place their inverted cups. kwan hadalso such a
stand. if kwan knew the rules of propriety, who does not know
them?'
the master instructing the grand music master of lu said,
'how to play musicmay be known. at the commencement of the piece,
all the parts should soundtogether. as it proceeds, they should be
in harmony while severally distinct andflowing without break, and
thus on to the conclusion.'
the border warden at yi requested to be introduced to the
master, saying,'when men of superior virtue have come to this, i
have never been denied theprivilege of seeing them.' the followers
of the sage introduced him, and when hecame out from the interview,
he said, 'my friends, why are you distressed byyour master's loss
of office? the kingdom has long been without the principlesof truth
and right; heaven is going to use your master as a bell with its
woodentongue.'
the master said of the shao that it was perfectly beautiful
and alsoperfectly good. he said of the wu that it was perfectly
beautiful but notperfectly good.
the master said, 'high station filled without indulgent
generosity;ceremon ies performed without reverence; mourning
conducted without sorrow;-wherewith should i contemplate such
ways?'
4
the master said, 'it is virtuous manners which constitute
the excellence ofa neighborhood. if a man in selecting a residence
do not fix on one where suchprevail, how can he be wise?'
the master said, 'those who are without virtue cannot abide
long either in acondition of poverty and hardship, or in a
condition of enjoyment. the virtuousrest in virtue; the wise desire
virtue.'
the master said, 'it is only the truly virtuous man, who
can love, or whocan hate, others.'
the master said, 'if the will be set on virtue, there will
be no practice ofwickedness.'
the master said, 'riches and honors are what men desire. if
they cannot beobtained in the proper way, they should not be held.
poverty and meanness arewhat men dislike. if they cannot be avoided
in the proper way, they should notbe avoided.
'if a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfill the
requirements ofthat name?
'the superior man does not, even for the space of a single
meal, actcontrary to virtue. in moments of haste, he cleaves to it.
in seasons of danger,he cleaves to it.'
the master said, 'i have not seen a person who loved
virtue, or one whohated what was not virtuous. he who loved virtue,
would esteem nothing above it.he who hated what is not virtuous,
would practice virtue in such a way that hewould not allow anything
that is not virtuous to approach his person.
'is any one able for one day to apply his strength to
virtue? i have notseen the case in which his strength would be
insufficient.
'should there possibly be any such case, i have not seen
it.'
the master said, 'the faults of men are characteristic of
the class to whichthey belong. by observing a man's faults, it may
be known that he is virtuous.'
the master said, 'if a man in the morning hear the right
way, he may die inthe evening hear regret.'
the master said, 'a scholar, whose mind is set on truth,
and who is ashamedof bad clothes and bad food, is not fit to be
discoursed with.'
the master said, 'the superior man, in the world, does not
set his mindeither for anything, or against anything; what is right
he will follow.'
the master said, 'the superior man thinks of virtue; the
small man thinks ofcomfort. the superior man thinks of the
sanctions of law; the small man thinksof favors which he may
receive.'
the master said: 'he who acts with a constant view to his
own advantage willbe much murmured against.'
the master said, 'if a prince is able to govern his kingdom
with thecomplaisance proper to the rules of propriety, what
difficulty will he have? ifhe cannot govern it with that
complaisance, what has he to do with the rules ofpropriety?'
the master said, 'a man should say, i am not concerned that
i have no place,i am concerned how i may fit myself for one. i am
not concerned that i am notknown, i seek to be worthy to be
known.'
the master said, 'shan, my doctrine is that of an
all-pervading unity.' thedisciple tsang replied, 'yes.'
the master went out, and the other disciples asked, saying,
'what do hiswords mean?' tsang said, 'the doctrine of our master is
to be true to theprinciples-of our nature and the benevolent
exercise of them to others,-this andnothing more.'
the master said, 'the mind of the superior man is
conversant withrighteousness; the mind of the mean man is
conversant with gain.'
the master said, 'when we see men of worth, we should think
of equaling them;when we see men of a contrary character, we should
turn inwards and examineourselves.'
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 showsan increased degree of
reverence, but does not abandon his purpose; and shouldthey punish
him, he does not allow himself to murmur.'
the master said, 'while his parents are alive, the son may
not go abroad toa distance. if he does go abroad, he must have a
fixed place to which he goes.'
the master said, 'if the son for three years does not alter
from the way ofhis father, he may be called filial.'
the master said, 'the years of parents may by no means not
be kept in thememory, as an occasion at once for joy and for
fear.'
the master said, 'the reason why the ancients did not
readily give utteranceto their words, was that they feared lest
their actions should not come up tothem.'
the master said, 'the cautious seldom err.'
the master said, 'the superior man wishes to be slow in his
speech andearnest in his conduct.'
the master said, 'virtue is not left to stand alone. he who
practices itwill have neighbors.'
tsze-yu said, 'in serving a prince, frequent remonstrances
lead to disgrace.between friends, frequent reproofs make the
friendship distant.'
5
the master said of kung-ye ch'ang that he might be wived;
although he wasput in bonds, he had not been guilty of any crime.
accordingly, he gave him hisown daughter to wife.
of nan yung he said that if the country were well governed
he would not beout of office, and if it were in governed, he would
escape punishment anddisgrace. he gave him the daughter of his own
elder brother to wife.
the master said of tsze-chien, 'of superior virtue indeed
is such a man! ifthere were not virtuous men in lu, how could this
man have acquired thischaracter?'
tsze-kung asked, 'what do you say of me, ts'ze!' the master
said, 'you are autensil.' 'what utensil?' 'a gemmed sacrificial
utensil.'
some one said, 'yung is truly virtuous, but he is not ready
with histongue.'
the master said, 'what is the good of being ready with the
tongue? they whoencounter men with smartness of speech for the most
part procure themselveshatred. i know not whether he be truly
virtuous, but why should he showreadiness of the tongue?'
the master was wishing ch'i-tiao k'ai to enter an official
employment. hereplied, 'i am not yet able to rest in the assurance
of this.' the master waspleased.
the master said, 'my doctrines make no way. i will get upon
a raft, andfloat about on the sea. he that will accompany me will
be yu, i dare say.' tsze-lu hearing this was glad, upon which the
master said, 'yu is fonder of daringthan i am. he does not exercise
his judgment upon matters.'
mang wu asked about tsze-lu, whether he was perfectly
virtuous. the mastersaid, 'i do not know.'
he asked again, when the master replied, 'in a kingdom of a
thousandchariots, yu might be employed to manage the military
levies, but i do not knowwhether he be perfectly virtuous.'
'and what do you say of ch'iu?' the master replied, 'in a
city of a thousandfamilies, or a clan of a hundred chariots, ch'iu
might be employed as governor,but i do not know whether he is
perfectly virtuous.'
'what do you say of ch'ih?' the master replied, 'with his
sash girt andstanding in a court, ch'ih might be employed to
converse with the visitors andguests, but i do not know whether he
is perfectly virtuous.'
the master said to tsze-kung, 'which do you consider
superior, yourself orhui?'
tsze-kung replied, 'how dare i compare myself with hui? hui
hears one pointand knows all about a subject; i hear one point, and
know a second.'
the master said, 'you are not equal to him. i grant you,
you are not equalto him.'
tsai yu being asleep during the daytime, the master said,
'rotten woodcannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not
receive the trowel. this yu,-what is the use of my reproving
him?'
the master said, 'at first, my way with men was to hear
their words, andgive them credit for their conduct. now my way is
to hear their words, and lookat their conduct. it is from yu that i
have learned to make this change.'
the master said, 'i have not seen a firm and unbending
man.' some onereplied, 'there is shan ch'ang.' 'ch'ang,' said the
master, 'is under theinfluence of his passions; how can he be
pronounced firm and unbending?'
tsze-kung said, 'what i do not wish men to do to me, i also
wish not to doto men.' the master said, 'ts'ze, you have not
attained to that.'
tsze-kung said, 'the master's personal displays of his
principles andordinary descriptions of them may be heard. his
discourses about man's nature,and the way of heaven, cannot be
heard.'
when tsze-lu heard anything, if he had not yet succeeded in
carrying it intopractice, he was only afraid lest he should hear
something else.
tsze-kung asked, saying, 'on what ground did kung-wan get
that title ofwan?'
the master said, 'he was of an active nature and yet fond
of learning, andhe was not ashamed to ask and learn of his
inferiors!-on these grounds he hasbeen styled wan.'
the master said of tsze-ch'an that he had four of the
characteristics of asuperior man-in his conduct of himself, he was
humble; in serving his superior,he was respectful; in nourishing
the people, he was kind; in ordering the people,he was just.'
the master said, 'yen p'ing knew well how to maintain
friendly intercourse.the acquaintance might be long, but he showed
the same respect as at first.'
the master said, 'tsang wan kept a large tortoise in a
house, on thecapitals of the pillars of which he had hills made,
and with representations ofduckweed on the small pillars above the
beams supporting the rafters.-of whatsort was his wisdom?'
tsze-chang asked, saying, 'the minister tsze-wan thrice
took office, andmanifested no joy in his countenance. thrice he
retired from office, andmanifested no displeasure. he made it a
point to inform the new minister of theway in which he had
conducted the government; what do you say of him?' themaster
replied. 'he was loyal.' 'was he perfectly virtuous?' 'i do not
know. howcan he be pronounced perfectly virtuous?'
tsze-chang proceeded, 'when the officer ch'ui killed the
prince of ch'i,ch'an wan, though he was the owner of forty horses,
abandoned them and left thecountry. coming to another state, he
said, 'they are here like our great officer,ch'ui,' and left it. he
came to a second state, and with the same observationleft it
also;-what do you say of him?' the master replied, 'he was pure.'
'washe perfectly virtuous?' 'i do not know. how can he be
pronounced perfectlyvirtuous?'
chi wan thought thrice, and then acted. when the master was
informed of it,he said, 'twice may do.'
the master said, 'when good order prevailed in his country,
ning wu actedthe part of a wise man. when his country was in
disorder, he acted the part of astupid man. others may equal his
wisdom, but they cannot equal his stupidity.'
when the master was in ch'an, he said, 'let me return! let
me return! thelittle children of my school are ambitious and too
hasty. they are accomplishedand complete so far, but they do not
know how to restrict and shape themselves.'
the master said, 'po-i and shu-ch'i did not keep the former
wickednesses ofmen in mind, and hence the resentments directed
towards them were few.'
the master said, 'who says of weishang kao that he is
upright? one beggedsome vinegar of him, and he begged it of a
neighbor and gave it to the man.'
the master said, 'fine words, an insinuating appearance,
and excessiverespect;-tso ch'iu-ming was ashamed of them. i also am
ashamed of them. toconceal resentment against a person, and appear
friendly with him;-tso ch'iu-ming was ashamed of such conduct. i
also am ashamed of it.'
yen yuan and chi lu being by his side, the master said to
them, 'come, leteach of you tell his wishes.'
tsze-lu said, 'i should like, having chariots and horses,
and light furclothes, to share them with my friends, and though
they should spoil them, iwould not be displeased.'
yen yuan said, 'i should like not to boast of my
excellence, nor to make adisplay of my meritorious deeds.'
tsze-lu then said, 'i should like, sir, to hear your
wishes.' the mastersaid, 'they are, in regard to the aged, to give
them rest; in regard to friends,to show them sincerity; in regard
to the young, to treat them tenderly.'
the master said, 'it is all over. i have not yet seen one
who could perceivehis faults, and inwardly accuse himself.'
the master said, 'in a hamlet of ten families, there may be
found onehonorable and sincere as i am, but not so fond of
learning.'
6
the master said, 'there is yung!-he might occupy the place
of a prince.'
chung-kung asked about tsze-sang po-tsze. the master said,
'he may pass. hedoes not mind small matters.'
chung-kung said, 'if a man cherish in himself a reverential
feeling of thenecessity of attention to business, though he may be
easy in small matters inhis government of the people, that may be
allowed. but if he cherish in himselfthat easy feeling, and also
carry it out in his practice, is not such aneasymode of procedure
excessive?'
the master said, 'yung's words are right.'
the duke ai asked which of the disciples loved to
learn.
confucius replied to him, 'there was yen hui; he loved to
learn. he did nottransfer his anger; he did not repeat a fault.
unfortunately, his appointed timewas short and he died; and now
there is not such another. i have not yet heardof any one who loves
to learn as he did.'
tsze-hwa being employed on a mission to ch'i, the disciple
zan requestedgrain for his mother. the master said, 'give her a
fu.' yen requested more.'give her a yi,' said the master. yen gave
her five ping.
the master said, 'when ch'ih was proceeding to ch'i, he had
fat horses tohis carriage, and wore light furs. i have heard that a
superior man helps thedistressed, but does not add to the wealth of
the rich.'
yuan sze being made governor of his town by the master, he
gave him ninehundred measures of grain, but sze declined
them.
the master said, 'do not decline them. may you not give
them away in theneighborhoods, hamlets, towns, and villages?'
the master, speaking of chung-kung, said, 'if the calf of a
brindled cow bered and homed, although men may not wish to use it,
would the spirits of themountains and rivers put it aside?'
the master said, 'such was hui that for three months there
would be nothingin his mind contrary to perfect virtue. the others
may attain to this on somedays or in some months, but nothing
more.'
chi k'ang asked about chung-yu, whether he was fit to be
employed as anofficer of government. the master said, 'yu is a man
of decision; whatdifficulty would he find in being an officer of
government?' k'ang asked, 'ists'ze fit to be employed as an officer
of government?' and was answered, 'ts'zeis a man of intelligence;
what difficulty would he find in being an officer ofgovernment?'
and to the same question about ch'iu the master gave the same
reply,saying, 'ch'iu is a man of various ability.'
the chief of the chi family sent to ask min tsze-ch'ien to
be governor of pi.min tszech'ien said, 'decline the offer for me
politely. if any one come againto me with a second invitation, i
shall be obliged to go and live on the banksof the wan.'
po-niu being ill, the master went to ask for him. he took
hold of his handthrough the window, and said, 'it is killing him.
it is the appointment ofheaven, alas! that such a man should have
such a sickness! that such a manshould have such a sickness!'
the master said, 'admirable indeed was the virtue of hui!
with a singlebamboo dish of rice, a single gourd dish of drink, and
living in his mean narrowlane, while others could not have endured
the distress, he did not allow his joyto be affected by it.
admirable indeed was the virtue of hui!'
yen ch'iu said, 'it is not that i do not delight in your
doctrines, but mystrength is insufficient.' the master said, 'those
whose strength isinsufficient give over in the middle of the way
but now you limit yourself.'
the master said to tsze-hsia, 'do you be a scholar after
the style of thesuperior man, and not after that of the mean
man.'
tsze-yu being governor of wu-ch'ang, the master said to
him, 'have you gotgood men there?' he answered, 'there is tan-t'ai
miehming, who never in walkingtakes a short cut, and never comes to
my office, excepting on public business.'
the master said, 'mang chih-fan does not boast of his
merit. being in therear on an occasion of flight, when they were
about to enter the gate, hewhipped up his horse, saying, 'it is not
that i dare to be last. my horse wouldnot advance.'
the master said, 'without the specious speech of the
litanist t'o and thebeauty of the prince chao of sung, it is
difficult to escape in the presentage.'
the master said, 'who can go out but by the door? how is it
that men willnot walk according to these ways?'
the master said, 'where the solid qualities are in excess
of accomplishments,we have rusticity; where the accomplishments are
in excess of the solidqualities, we have the manners of a clerk.
when the accomplishments and solidqualities are equally blended, we
then have the man of virtue.'
the master said, 'man is born for uprightness. if a man
lose his uprightness,and yet live, his escape from death is the
effect of mere good fortune.'
the master said, 'they who know the truth are not equal to
those who love it,and they who love it are not equal to those who
delight in it.'
the master said, 'to those whose talents are above
mediocrity, the highestsubjects may be announced. to those who are
below mediocrity, the highestsubjects may not be announced.'
fan ch'ih asked what constituted wisdom. the master said,
'to give one'sself earnestly to the duties due to men, and, while
respecting spiritual beings,to keep aloof from them, may be called
wisdom.' he asked about perfect virtue.the master said, 'the man of
virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome hisfirst business, and
success only a subsequent consideration;-this may be calledperfect
virtue.'
the master said, 'the wise find pleasure in water; the
virtuous findpleasure in hills. the wise are active; the virtuous
are tranquil. the wise arejoyful; the virtuous are
long-lived.'
the master said, 'ch'i, by one change, would come to the
state of lu. lu, byone change, would come to a state where true
principles predominated.'
the master said, 'a cornered vessel without corners-a
strange corneredvessel! a strange cornered vessel!'
tsai wo asked, saying, 'a benevolent man, though it be told
him,-'there is aman in the well' will go in after him, i suppose.'
confucius said, 'why shouldhe do so?' a superior man may be made to
go to the well, but he cannot be madeto go down into it. he may be
imposed upon, but he cannot be fooled.'
the master said, 'the superior man, extensively studying
all learning, andkeeping himself under the restraint of the rules
of propriety, may thus likewisenot overstep what is right.'
the master having visited nan-tsze, tsze-lu was displeased,
on which themaster swore, saying, 'wherein i have done improperly,
may heaven reject me, mayheaven reject me!'
the master said, 'perfect is the virtue which is according
to the constantmean! rare for a long time has been its practice
among the people.'
tsze-kung said, 'suppose the case of a man extensively
conferring benefitson the people, and able to assist all, what
would you say of him? might he becalled perfectly virtuous?' the
master said, 'why speak only of virtue inconnection with him? must
he not have the qualities of a sage? even yao and shunwere still
solicitous about this.
'now the man of perfect virtue, wishing to be established
himself, seeksalso to establish others; wishing to be enlarged
himself, he seeks also toenlarge others.
'to be able to judge of others by what is nigh in
ourselves;-this may becalled the art of virtue.'
7
the master said, 'a transmitter and not a maker, believing
in and lovingthe ancients, i venture to compare myself with our old
p'ang.'
the master said, 'the silent treasuring up of knowledge;
learning withoutsatiety; and instructing others without being
wearied:-which one of these thingsbelongs to me?'
the master said, 'the leaving virtue without proper
cultivation; the notthoroughly discussing what is learned; not
being able to move towardsrighteousness of which a knowledge is
gained; and not being able to change whatis not good:-these are the
things which occasion me solicitude.'
when the master was unoccupied with business, his manner
was easy, and helooked pleased.
the master said, 'extreme is my decay. for a long time, i
have not dreamed,as i was wont to do, that i saw the duke of
chau.'
the master said, 'let the will be set on the path of
duty.
'let every attainment in what is good be firmly
grasped.
'let perfect virtue be accorded with.
'let relaxation and enjoyment be found in the polite
arts.'
the master said, 'from the man bringing his bundle of dried
flesh for myteaching upwards, i have never refused instruction to
any one.'
the master said, 'i do not open up the truth to one who is
not eager to getknowledge, nor help out any one who is not anxious
to explain himself. when ihave presented one corner of a subject to
any one, and he cannot from it learnthe other three, i do not
repeat my lesson.'
when the master was eating by the side of a mourner, he
never ate to thefull.
he did not sing on the same day in which he had been
weeping.
the master said to yen yuan, 'when called to office, to
undertake its duties;when not so called, to he retired;-it is only
i and you who have attained tothis.'
tsze-lu said, 'if you had the conduct of the armies of a
great state, whomwould you have to act with you?'
the master said, 'i would not have him to act with me, who
will unarmedattack a tiger, or cross a river without a boat, dying
without any regret. myassociate must be the man who proceeds to
action full of solicitude, who is fondof adjusting his plans, and
then carries them into execution.'
the master said, 'if the search for riches is sure to be
successful, thoughi should become a groom with whip in hand to get
them, i will do so. as thesearch may not be successful, i will
follow after that which i love.'
the things in reference to which the master exercised the
greatest cautionwere-fasting, war, and sickness.
when the master was in ch'i, he heard the shao, and for
three months did notknow the taste of flesh. 'i did not think'' he
said, 'that music could have beenmade so excellent as this.'
yen yu said, 'is our master for the ruler of wei?'
tsze-kung said, 'oh! iwill ask him.'
he went in accordingly, and said, 'what sort of men were
po-i and shu-ch'i?''they were ancient worthies,' said the master.
'did they have any repiningsbecause of their course?' the master
again replied, 'they sought to actvirtuously, and they did so; what
was there for them to repine about?' on this,tsze-kung went out and
said, 'our master is not for him.'
the master said, 'with coarse rice to eat, with water to
drink, and mybended arm for a pillow;-i have still joy in the midst
of these things. richesand honors acquired by unrighteousness, are
to me as a floating cloud.'
the master said, 'if some years were added to my life, i
would give fifty tothe study of the yi, and then i might come to be
without great faults.'
the master's frequent themes of discourse were-the odes,
the history, andthe maintenance of the rules of propriety. on all
these he frequently discoursed.
the duke of sheh asked tsze-lu about confucius, and tsze-lu
did not answerhim.
the master said, 'why did you not say to him,-he is simply
a man, who in hiseager pursuit of knowledge forgets his food, who
in the joy of its attainmentforgets his sorrows, and who does not
perceive that old age is coming on?'
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.'
the subjects on which the master did not talk,
were-extraordinary things,feats of strength, disorder, and
spiritual beings.
the master said, 'when i walk along with two others, they
may serve me as myteachers. i will select their good qualities and
follow them, their badqualities and avoid them.'
the master said, 'heaven produced the virtue that is in me.
hwan t'ui-whatcan he do to me?'
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.'
there were four things which the master taught,-letters,
ethics, devotion ofsoul, and truthfulness.
the master said, 'a sage it is not mine to see; could i see
a man of realtalent and virtue, that would satisfy me.'
the master said, 'a good man it is not mine to see; could i
see a manpossessed of constancy, that would satisfy me.
'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 suchcharacteristics to have constancy.'
the master angled,-but did not use a net. he shot,-but not
at birds perching.
the master said, 'there may be those who act without
knowing why. i do notdo so. hearing much and selecting what is good
and following it; seeing much andkeeping it in memory: this is the
second style of knowledge.'
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, thedisciples doubted.
the master said, 'i admit people's approach to me without
committing myselfas to what they may do when they have retired. why
must one be so severe? if aman purify himself to wait upon me, i
receive him so purified, withoutguaranteeing his past
conduct.'
the master said, 'is virtue a thing remote? i wish to be
virtuous, and lo!virtue is at hand.'
the minister of crime of ch'an asked whether the duke chao
knew propriety,and confucius said, 'he knew propriety.'
confucius having retired, the minister bowed to wu-ma ch'i
to come forward,and said, 'i have heard that the superior man is
not a partisan. may thesuperior man be a partisan also? the prince
married a daughter of the house ofwu, of the same surname with
himself, and called her,-'the elder tsze of wu.' ifthe prince knew
propriety, who does not know it?'
wu-ma ch'i reported these remarks, and the master said, 'i
am fortunate! ifi have any errors, people are sure to know
them.'
when the master was in company with a person who was
singing, if he sangwell, he would make him repeat the song, while
he accompanied it with his ownvoice.
the master said, 'in letters i am perhaps equal to other
men, but thecharacter of the superior man, carrying out in his
conduct what he professes, iswhat i have not yet attained
to.'
the master said, 'the sage and the man of perfect
virtue;-how dare i rankmyself with them? it may simply be said of
me, that i strive to become suchwithout satiety, and teach others
without weariness.' kung-hsi hwa said, 'thisis just what we, the
disciples, cannot imitate you in.'
the master being very sick, tsze-lu asked leave to pray for
him. he said,'may such a thing be done?' tsze-lu replied, 'it may.
in the eulogies it is said,'prayer has been made for thee to the
spirits of the upper and lower worlds.''the master said, 'my
praying has been for a long time.'
the master said, 'extravagance leads to insubordination,
and parsimony tomeanness. it is better to be mean than to be
insubordinate.'
the master said, 'the superior man is satisfied and
composed; the mean manis always full of distress.'
the master was mild, and yet dignified; majestic, and yet
not fierce;respectful, and yet easy.
8
the master said, 't'ai-po may be said to have reached the
highest point ofvirtuous action. thrice he declined the kingdom,
and the people in ignorance ofhis motives could not express their
approbation of his conduct.'
the master said, 'respectfulness, without the rules of
propriety, becomeslaborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules
of propriety, becomes timidity;boldness, without the rules of
propriety, becomes insubordination;str aightforwardness, without
the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness.
'when those who are in high stations perform well all their
duties to theirrelations, the people are aroused to virtue. when
old friends are not neglectedby them, the people are preserved from
meanness.'
the philosopher tsang being ill, he cared to him the
disciples of his school,and said, 'uncover my feet, uncover my
hands. it is said in the book of poetry,'we should be apprehensive
and cautious, as if on the brink of a deep gulf, asif treading on
thin ice, i and so have i been. now and hereafter, i know myescape
from all injury to my person. o ye, my little children.'
the philosopher tsang being ill, meng chang went to ask how
he was.
tsang said to him, 'when a bird is about to die, its notes
are mournful;when a man is about to die, his words are good.
'there are three principles of conduct which the man of
high rank shouldconsider specially important:-that in his
deportment and manner he keep fromviolence and heedlessness; that
in regulating his countenance he keep near tosincerity; and that in
his words and tones he keep far from lowness andimpropriety. as to
such matters as attending to the sacrificial vessels, thereare the
proper officers for them.'
the philosopher tsang said, 'gifted with ability, and yet
putting questionsto those who were not so; possessed of much, and
yet putting questions to thosepossessed of little; having, as
though he had not; full, and yet countinghimself as empty; offended
against, and yet entering into no altercation;formerly i had a
friend who pursued this style of conduct.'
the philosopher tsang said, 'suppose that there is an
individual who can beentrusted with the charge of a young orphan
prince, and can be commissioned withauthority over a state of a
hundred li, and whom no emergency however great candrive from his
principles:-is such a man a superior man? he is a superior
manindeed.'
the philosopher tsang said, 'the officer may not be without
breadth of mindand vigorous endurance. his burden is heavy and his
course is long.
'perfect virtue is the burden which he considers it is his
to sustain;-is itnot heavy? only with death does his course
stop;-is it not long?
the master said, 'it is by the odes that the mind is
aroused.
'it is by the rules of propriety that the character is
established.
'it is from music that the finish is received.'
the master said, 'the people may be made to follow a path
of action, butthey may not be made to understand it.'
the master said, 'the man who is fond of daring and is
dissatisfied withpoverty, will proceed to insubordination. so will
the man who is not virtuous,when you carry your dislike of him to
an extreme.'
the master said, 'though a man have abilities as admirable
as those of theduke of chau, yet if he be proud and niggardly,
those other things are reallynot worth being looked at.'
the master said, 'it is not easy to find a man who has
learned for threeyears without coming to be good.'
the master said, 'with sincere faith he unites the love of
learning; holdingfirm to death, he is perfecting the excellence of
his course.
'such an one will not enter a tottering state, nor dwell in
a disorganizedone. when right principles of government prevail in
the kingdom, he will showhimself; when they are prostrated, he will
keep concealed.
'when a country is well governed, poverty and a mean
condition are things tobe ashamed of. when a country is ill
governed, riches and honor are things to beashamed of.'
the master said, 'he who is not in any particular office
has nothing to dowith plans for the administration of its
duties.'
the master said, 'when the music master chih first entered
on his office,the finish of the kwan tsu was magnificent;-how it
filled the ears!'
the master said, 'ardent and yet not upright, stupid and
yet not attentive;simple and yet not sincere:-such persons i do not
understand.'
the master said, 'learn as if you could not reach your
object, and werealways fearing also lest you should lose it.'
the master said, 'how majestic was the manner in which shun
and yu heldpossession of the empire, as if it were nothing to
them!
the master said, 'great indeed was yao as a sovereign! how
majestic was he!it is only heaven that is grand, and only yao
corresponded to it. how vast washis virtue! the people could find
no name for it.
'how majestic was he in the works which he accomplished!
how glorious in theelegant regulations which he instituted!'
shun had five ministers, and the empire was well
governed.
king wu said, 'i have ten able ministers.'
confucius said, 'is not the saying that talents are
difficult to find, true?only when the dynasties of t'ang and yu
met, were they more abundant than inthis of chau, yet there was a
woman among them. the able ministers were no morethan nine
men.
'king wan possessed two of the three parts of the empire,
and with those heserved the dynasty of yin. the virtue of the house
of chau may be said to havereached the highest point indeed.'
the master said, 'i can find no flaw in the character of
yu. he used himselfcoarse food and drink, but displayed the utmost
filial piety towards the spirits.his ordinary garments were poor,
but he displayed the utmost elegance in hissacrificial cap and
apron. he lived in a low, mean house, but expended all hisstrength
on the ditches and water channels. i can find nothing like a flaw
inyu.'
9
the subjects of which the master seldom spoke
were-profitableness, and alsothe appointments of heaven, and
perfect virtue.
a man of the village of ta-hsiang said, 'great indeed is
the philosopherk'ung! his learning is extensive, and yet he does
not render his name famous byany particular thing.'
the master heard the observation, and said to his
disciples, 'what shall ipractice? shall i practice charioteering,
or shall i practice archery? i willpractice charioteering.'
the master said, 'the linen cap is that prescribed by the
rules of ceremony,but now a silk one is worn. it is economical, and
i follow the common practice.
'the rules of ceremony prescribe the bowing below the hall,
but now thepractice is to bow only after ascending it. that is
arrogant. i continue to bowbelow the hall, though i oppose the
common practice.'
there were four things from which the master was entirely
free. he had noforegone conclusions, no arbitrary
predeterminations, no obstinacy, and noegoism.
the master was put in fear in k'wang.
he said, 'after the death of king wan, was not the cause of
truth lodgedhere in me?
'if heaven had wished to let this cause of truth perish,
then i, a futuremortal! should not have got such a relation to that
cause. while heaven does notlet the cause of truth perish, what can
the people of k'wang do to me?'
a high officer asked tsze-kung, saying, 'may we not say
that your master isa sage? how various is his ability!'
tsze-kung said, 'certainly heaven has endowed him
unlimitedly. he is about asage. and, moreover, his ability is
various.'
the master heard of the conversation and said, 'does the
high officer knowme? when i was young, my condition was low, and i
acquired my ability in manythings, but they were mean matters. must
the superior man have such variety ofability? he does not need
variety of ability. lao said, 'the master said,'having no official
employment, i acquired many arts.''
the master said, 'am i indeed possessed of knowledge? i am
not knowing. butif a mean person, who appears quite empty-like, ask
anything of me, i set itforth from one end to the other, and
exhaust it.'
the master said, 'the fang bird does not come; the river
sends forth nomap:-it is all over with me!'
when the master saw a person in a mourning dress, or any
one with the capand upper and lower garments of full dress, or a
blind person, on observing themapproaching, though they were
younger than himself, he would rise up, and if hehad to pass by
them, he would do so hastily.
yen yuan, in admiration of the master's doctrines, sighed
and said, 'ilooked up to them, and they seemed to become more high;
i tried to penetratethem, and they seemed to become more firm; i
looked at them before me, andsuddenly they seemed to be
behind.
'the master, by orderly method, skillfully leads men on. he
enlarged my mindwith learning, and taught me the restraints of
propriety.
'when i wish to give over the study of his doctrines, i
cannot do so, andhaving exerted all my ability, there seems
something to stand right up before me;but though i wish to follow
and lay hold of it, i really find no way to do so.'
the master being very ill, tsze-lu wished the disciples to
act as ministersto him.
during a remission of his illness, he said, 'long has the
conduct of yu beendeceitful! by pretending to have ministers when i
have them not, whom should iimpose upon? should i impose upon
heaven?
'moreover, than that i should die in the hands of
ministers, is it notbetter that i should die in the hands of you,
my disciples? and though i may notget a great burial, shall i die
upon the road?'
tsze-kung said, 'there is a beautiful gem here. should i
lay it up in a caseand keep it? or should i seek for a good price
and sell it?' the master said,'sell it! sell it! but i would wait
for one to offer the price.'
the master was wishing to go and live among the nine wild
tribes of the east.
some one said, 'they are rude. how can you do such a
thing?' the master said,'if a superior man dwelt among them, what
rudeness would there be?'
the master said, 'i returned from wei to lu, and then the
music was reformed,and the pieces in the royal songs and praise
songs all found their properplaces.'
the master said, 'abroad, to serve the high ministers and
nobles; at home,to serve one's father and elder brothers; in all
duties to the dead, not to darenot to exert one's self; and not to
be overcome of wine:-which one of thesethings do i attain
to?'
the master standing by a stream, said, 'it passes on just
like this, notceasing day or night!'
the master said, 'i have not seen one who loves virtue as
he loves beauty.'
the master said, 'the prosecution of learning may be
compared to what mayhappen in raising a mound. if there want but
one basket of earth to complete thework, and i stop, the stopping
is my own work. it may be compared to throwingdown the earth on the
level ground. though but one basketful is thrown at a time,the
advancing with it my own going forward.'
the master said, 'never flagging when i set forth anything
to him;-ah! thatis hui.' the master said of yen yuan, 'alas! i saw
his constant advance. i neversaw him stop in his progress.'
the master said, 'there are cases in which the blade
springs, but the plantdoes not go on to flower! there are cases
where it flowers but fruit is notsubsequently produced!'
the master said, 'a youth is to be regarded with respect.
how do we knowthat his future will not be equal to our present? if
he reach the age of fortyor fifty, and has not made himself heard
of, then indeed he will not be worthbeing regarded with
respect.'
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 menrefuse to be pleased with words of gentle
advice? but it is unfolding their aimwhich is valuable. if a man be
pleased with these words, but does not unfoldtheir aim, and assents
to those, but does not reform his conduct, i can reallydo nothing
with him.'
the master said, 'hold faithfulness and sincerity as first
principles. haveno friends not equal to yourself. when you have
faults, do not fear to abandonthem.'
the master said, 'the commander of the forces of a large
state may becarried off, but the will of even a common man cannot
be taken from him.'
the master said, 'dressed himself in a tattered robe
quilted with hemp, yetstanding by the side of men dressed in furs,
and not ashamed;-ah! it is yu whois equal to this!
'he dislikes none, he covets nothing;-what can he do but
what is good!'
tsze-lu kept continually repeating these words of the ode,
when the mastersaid, 'those things are by no means sufficient to
constitute perfectexcellence.'
the master said, 'when the year becomes cold, then we know
how the pine andthe cypress are the last to lose their
leaves.'
the master said, 'the wise are free from perplexities; the
virtuous fromanxiety; and the bold from fear.'
the master said, 'there are some with whom we may study in
common, but weshall find them unable to go along with us to
principles. perhaps we may go onwith them to principles, but we
shall find them unable to get established inthose along with us. or
if we may get so established along with them, we shallfind them
unable to weigh occurring events along with us.'
'how the flowers of the aspen-plum flutter and turn! do i
not think of you?but your house is distant.'
the master said, 'it is the want of thought about it. how
is it distant?'
10
confucius, in his village, looked simple and sincere, and
as if he were notable to speak.
when he was in the prince's ancestral temple, or in the
court, he spokeminutely on every point, but cautiously.
when he was waiting at court, in speaking with the great
officers of thelower grade, he spoke freely, but in a
straightforward manner; in speaking withthose of the higher grade,
he did so blandly, but precisely.
when the ruler was present, his manner displayed respectful
uneasiness; itwas grave, but self-possessed.
when the prince called him to employ him in the reception
of a visitor, hiscountenance appeared to change, and his legs to
move forward with difficulty.
he inclined himself to the other officers among whom he
stood, moving hisleft or right arm, as their position required, but
keeping the skirts of hisrobe before and behind evenly
adjusted.
he hastened forward, with his arms like the wings of a
bird.
when the guest had retired, he would report to the prince,
'the visitor isnot turning round any more.'
when he entered the palace gate, he seemed to bend his
body, as if it werenot sufficient to admit him.
when he was standing, he did not occupy the middle of the
gateway; when hepassed in or out, he did not tread upon the
threshold.
when he was passing the vacant place of the prince, his
countenance appearedto change, and his legs to bend under him, and
his words came as if he hardlyhad breath to utter them.
he ascended the reception hall, holding up his robe with
both his hands, andhis body bent; holding in his breath also, as if
he dared not breathe.
when he came out from the audience, as soon as he had
descended one step, hebegan to relax his countenance, and had a
satisfied look. when he had got thebottom of the steps, he advanced
rapidly to his place, with his arms like wings,and on occupying it,
his manner still showed respectful uneasiness.
when he was carrying the scepter of his ruler, he seemed to
bend his body,as if he were not able to bear its weight. he did not
hold it higher than theposition of the hands in making a bow, nor
lower than their position in givinganything to another. his
countenance seemed to change, and look apprehensive,and he dragged
his feet along as if they were held by something to the
ground.
in presenting the presents with which he was charged, he
wore a placidappearance.
at his private audience, he looked highly pleased.
the superior man did not use a deep purple, or a puce
color, in theornaments of his dress.
even in his undress, he did not wear anything of a red or
reddish color.
in warm weather, he had a single garment either of coarse
or fine texture,but he wore it displayed over an inner
garment.
over lamb's fur he wore a garment of black; over fawn's fur
one of white;and over fox's fur one of yellow.
the fur robe of his undress was long, with the right sleeve
short.
he required his sleeping dress to be half as long again as
his body.
when staying at home, he used thick furs of the fox or the
badger.
when he put off mourning, he wore all the appendages of the
girdle.
his undergarment, except when it was required to be of the
curtain shape,was made of silk cut narrow above and wide
below.
he did not wear lamb's fur or a black cap on a visit of
condolence.
on the first day of the month he put on his court robes,
and presentedhimself at court.
when fasting, he thought it necessary to have his clothes
brightly clean andmade of linen cloth.
when fasting, he thought it necessary to change his food,
and also to changethe place where he commonly sat in the
apartment.
he did not dislike to have his rice finely cleaned, nor to
have his mincemeat cut quite small.
he did not eat rice which had been injured by heat or damp
and turned sour,nor fish or flesh which was gone. he did not eat
what was discolored, or whatwas of a bad flavor, nor anything which
was ill-cooked, or was not in season.
he did not eat meat which was not cut properly, nor what
was served withoutits proper sauce.
though there might be a large quantity of meat, he would
not allow what hetook to exceed the due proportion for the rice. it
was only in wine that he laiddown no limit for himself, but he did
not allow himself to be confused by it.
he did not partake of wine and dried meat bought in the
market.
he was never without ginger when he ate. he did not eat
much.
when he had been assisting at the prince's sacrifice, he
did not keep theflesh which he received overnight. the flesh of his
family sacrifice he did notkeep over three days. if kept over three
days, people could not eat it.
when eating, he did not converse. when in bed, he did not
speak.
although his food might be coarse rice and vegetable soup,
he would offer alittle of it in sacrifice with a grave, respectful
air.
if his mat was not straight, he did not sit on it.
when the villagers were drinking together, upon those who
carried staffsgoing out, he also went out immediately after.
when the villagers were going through their ceremonies to
drive awaypestilential influences, he put on his court robes and
stood on the easternsteps.
when he was sending complimentary inquiries to any one in
another state, hebowed twice as he escorted the messenger
away.
chi k'ang having sent him a present of physic, he bowed and
received it,saying, 'i do not know it. i dare not taste it.'
the stable being burned down, when he was at court, on his
return he said,'has any man been hurt?' he did not ask about the
horses.
when the he would adjust his mat, first taste it, and then
give it away toothers. when the prince sent him a gift of undressed
meat, he would have itcooked, and offer it to the spirits of his
ancestors. when the prince sent him agift of a living animal, he
would keep it alive.
when he was in attendance on the prince and joining in the
entertainment,the prince only sacrificed. he first tasted
everything.
when he was ill and the prince came to visit him, he had
his head to theeast, made his court robes be spread over him, and
drew his girdle across them.
when the prince's order called him, without waiting for his
carriage to beyoked, he went at once.
when he entered the ancestral temple of the state, he asked
about everything.
when any of his friends died, if he had no relations
offices, he would say,'i will bury him.'
when a friend sent him a present, though it might be a
carriage and horses,he did not bow.
the only present for which he bowed was that of the flesh
of sacrifice.
in bed, he did not lie like a corpse. at home, he did not
put on any formaldeportment.
when he saw any one in a mourning dress, though it might be
an acquaintance,he would change countenance; when he saw any one
wearing the cap of full dress,or a blind person, though he might be
in his undress, he would salute him in aceremonious manner.
to any person in mourning he bowed forward to the crossbar
of his carriage;he bowed in the same way to any one bearing the
tables of population.
when he was at an entertainment where there was an
abundance of provisionsset before him, he would change countenance
and rise up.
on a sudden clap of thunder, or a violent wind, he would
change countenance.
when he was about to mount his carriage, he would stand
straight, holdingthe cord.
when he was in the carriage, he did not turn his head quite
round, he didnot talk hastily, he did not point with his
hands.
seeing the countenance, it instantly rises. it flies round,
and by and bysettles.
the master said, 'there is the hen-pheasant on the hill
bridge. at itsseason! at its season!' tsze-lu made a motion to it.
thrice it smelt him andthen rose.
11
the master said, 'the men of former times in the matters of
ceremonies andmusic were rustics, it is said, while the men of
these latter times, inceremonies and music, are accomplished
gentlemen.
'if i have occasion to use those things, i follow the men
of former times.'
the master said, 'of those who were with me in ch'an and
ts'ai, there arenone to be found to enter my door.'
distinguished for their virtuous principles and practice,
there were yenyuan, min tsze-ch'ien, zan po-niu, and chung-kung;
for their ability in speech,tsai wo and tsze-kung; for their
administrative talents, zan yu and chi lu; fortheir literary
acquirements, tsze-yu and tsze-hsia.
the master said, 'hui gives me no assistance. there is
nothing that i say inwhich he does not delight.'
the master said, 'filial indeed is min tsze-ch'ien! other
people say nothingof him different from the report of his parents
and brothers.'
nan yung was frequently repeating the lines about a white
scepter stone.confucius gave him the daughter of his elder brother
to wife.
chi k'ang asked which of the disciples loved to learn.
confucius replied tohim, 'there was yen hui; he loved to learn.
unfortunately his appointed time wasshort, and he died. now there
is no one who loves to learn, as he did.'
when yen yuan died, yen lu begged the carriage of the
master to sell and getan outer shell for his son's coffin.
the master said, 'every one calls his son his son, whether
he has talents orhas not talents. there was li; when he died, he
had a coffin but no outer shell.i would not walk on foot to get a
shell for him, because, having followed in therear of the great
officers, it was not proper that i should walk on foot.'
when yen yuan died, the master said, 'alas! heaven is
destroying me! heavenis destroying me!'
when yen yuan died, the master bewailed him exceedingly,
and the discipleswho were with him said, 'master, your grief is
excessive!'
'is it excessive?' said he. 'if i am not to mourn bitterly
for this man, forwhom should i mourn?'
when yen yuan died, the disciples wished to give him a
great funeral, andthe master said, 'you may not do so.'
the disciples did bury him in great style.
the master said, 'hui behaved towards me as his father. i
have not been ableto treat him as my son. the fault is not mine; it
belongs to you, o disciples.'
chi lu asked about serving the spirits of the dead. the
master said, 'whileyou are not able to serve men, how can you serve
their spirits?' chi lu added,'i venture to ask about death?' he was
answered, 'while you do not know life,how can you know about
death?'
the disciple min was standing by his side, looking bland
and precise; tsze-lu, looking bold and soldierly; zan yu and
tsze-kung, with a free andstraightforward manner. the master was
pleased.
he said, 'yu, there!-he will not die a natural
death.'
some parties in lu were going to take down and rebuild the
long treasury.
min tsze-ch'ien said, 'suppose it were to be repaired after
its old style;-why must it be altered and made anew?'
the master said, 'this man seldom speaks; when he does, he
is sure to hitthe point.'
the master said, 'what has the lute of yu to do in my
door?'
the other disciples began not to respect tszelu. the master
said, 'yu hasascended to the hall, though he has not yet passed
into the inner apartments.'
tsze-kung asked which of the two, shih or shang, was the
superior. themaster said, 'shih goes beyond the due mean, and shang
does not come up to it.'
'then,' said tsze-kung, 'the superiority is with shih, i
suppose.'
the master said, 'to go beyond is as wrong as to fall
short.'
the head of the chi family was richer than the duke of chau
had been, andyet ch'iu collected his imposts for him, and increased
his wealth.
the master said, 'he is no disciple of mine. my little
children, beat thedrum and assail him.'
ch'ai is simple. shan is dull. shih is specious. yu is
coarse.
the master said, 'there is hui! he has nearly attained to
perfect virtue. heis often in want.
'ts'ze does not acquiesce in the appointments of heaven,
and his goods areincreased by him. yet his judgments are often
correct.'
tsze-chang asked what were the characteristics of the good
man. the mastersaid, 'he does not tread in the footsteps of others,
but moreover, he does notenter the chamber of the sage.'
the master said, 'if, because a man's discourse appears
solid and sincere,we allow him to be a good man, is he really a
superior man? or is his gravityonly in appearance?'
tsze-lu asked whether he should immediately carry into
practice what heheard. the master said, 'there are your father and
elder brothers to beconsulted;-why should you act on that principle
of immediately carrying intopractice what you hear?' zan yu asked
the same, whether he should immediatelycarry into practice what he
heard, and the master answered, 'immediately carryinto practice
what you hear.' kung-hsi hwa said, 'yu asked whether he shouldcarry
immediately into practice what he heard, and you said, 'there are
yourfather and elder brothers to be consulted.' ch'iu asked whether
he shouldimmediately carry into practice what he heard, and you
said, 'carry itimmediately into practice.' i, ch'ih, am perplexed,
and venture to ask you foran explanation.' the master said, 'ch'iu
is retiring and slow; therefore i urgedhim forward. yu has more
than his own share of energy; therefore i kept himback.'
the master was put in fear in k'wang and yen yuan fell
behind. the master,on his rejoining him, said, 'i thought you had
died.' hui replied, 'while youwere alive, how should i presume to
die?'
chi tsze-zan asked whether chung yu and zan ch'iu could be
called greatministers.
the master said, 'i thought you would ask about some
extraordinaryindividu als, and you only ask about yu and
ch'iu!
'what is called a great minister, is one who serves his
prince according towhat is right, and when he finds he cannot do
so, retires.
'now, as to yu and ch'iu, they may be called ordinary
ministers.'
tsze-zan said, 'then they will always follow their
chief;-win they?'
the master said, 'in an act of parricide or regicide, they
would not followhim.'
tsze-lu got tsze-kao appointed governor of pi.
the master said, 'you are injuring a man's son.'
tsze-lu said, 'there are, there, common people and
officers; there are thealtars of the spirits of the land and grain.
why must one read books before hecan be considered to have
learned?'
the master said, 'it is on this account that i hate your
glib-tonguedpeopl e.'
tsze-lu, tsang hsi, zan yu, and kunghsi hwa were sitting by
the master.
he said to them, 'though i am a day or so older than you,
do not think ofthat.
'from day to day you are saying, 'we are not known.' if
some ruler were toknow you, what would you like to do?'
tsze-lu hastily and lightly replied, 'suppose the case of a
state of tenthousand chariots; let it be straitened between other
large cities; let it besuffering from invading armies; and to this
let there be added a famine in cornand in all vegetables:-if i were
intrusted with the government of it, in threeyears' time i could
make the people to be bold, and to recognize the rules ofrighteous
conduct.' the master smiled at him.
turning to yen yu, he said, 'ch'iu, what are your wishes?'
ch'iu replied,'suppose a state of sixty or seventy li square, or
one of fifty or sixty, andlet me have the government of it;-in
three years' time, i could make plenty toabound among the people.
as to teaching them the principles of propriety, andmusic, i must
wait for the rise of a superior man to do that.'
'what are your wishes, ch'ih,' said the master next to
kung-hsi hwa. ch'ihreplied, 'i do not say that my ability extends
to these things, but i shouldwish to learn them. at the services of
the ancestral temple, and at theaudiences of the princes with the
sovereign, i should like, dressed in the darksquare-made robe and
the black linen cap, to act as a small assistant.'
last of all, the master asked tsang hsi, 'tien, what are
your wishes?' tien,pausing as he was playing on his lute, while it
was yet twanging, laid theinstrument aside, and 'my wishes,' he
said, 'are different from the cherishedpurposes of these three
gentlemen.' 'what harm is there in that?' said themaster; 'do you
also, as well as they, speak out your wishes.' tien then said,'in
this, the last month of spring, with the dress of the season all
complete,along with five or six young men who have assumed the cap,
and six or seven boys,i would wash in the i, enjoy the breeze among
the rain altars, and return homesinging.' the master heaved a sigh
and said, 'i give my approval to tien.'
the three others having gone out, tsang hsi remained
behind, and said, 'whatdo you think of the words of these three
friends?' the master replied, 'theysimply told each one his
wishes.'
hsi pursued, 'master, why did you smile at yu?'
he was answered, 'the management of a state demands the
rules of propriety.his words were not humble; therefore i smiled at
him.'
hsi again said, 'but was it not a state which ch'iu
proposed for himself?'the reply was, 'yes; did you ever see a
territory of sixty or seventy li or oneof fifty or sixty, which was
not a state?'
once more, hsi inquired, 'and was it not a state which
ch'ih proposed forhimself?' the master again replied, 'yes; who but
princes have to do withancestral temples, and with audiences but
the sovereign? if ch'ih were to be asmall assistant in these
services, who could be a great one?
12
yen yuan asked about perfect virtue. the master said, 'to
subdue one's selfand return to propriety, is perfect virtue. if a
man can for one day subduehimself and return to propriety, an under
heaven will ascribe perfect virtue tohim. is the practice of
perfect virtue from a man himself, or is it fromothers?'
yen yuan said, 'i beg to ask the steps of that process.'
the master replied,'look not at what is contrary to propriety;
listen not to what is contrary topropriety; speak not what is
contrary to propriety; make no movement which iscontrary to
propriety.' yen yuan then said, 'though i am deficient
inintelligence and vigor, i will make it my business to practice
this lesson.'
chung-kung asked about perfect virtue. the master said, 'it
is, when you goabroad, to behave to every one as if you were
receiving a great guest; to employthe people as if you were
assisting at a great sacrifice; not to do to others asyou would not
wish done to yourself; to have no murmuring against you in
thecountry, and none in the family.' chung-kung said, 'though i am
deficient inintelligence and vigor, i will make it my business to
practice this lesson.'
sze-ma niu asked about perfect virtue.
the master said, 'the man of perfect virtue is cautious and
slow in hisspeech.'
'cautious and slow in his speech!' said niu;-'is this what
is meant byperfect virtue?' the master said, 'when a man feels the
difficulty of doing, canhe be other than cautious and slow in
speaking?'
sze-ma niu asked about the superior man. the master said,
'the superior manhas neither anxiety nor fear.'
'being without anxiety or fear!' said nui;'does this
constitute what we callthe superior man?'
the master said, 'when internal examination discovers
nothing wrong, what isthere to be anxious about, what is there to
fear?'
sze-ma niu, full of anxiety, said, 'other men all have
their brothers, ionly have not.'
tsze-hsia said to him, 'there is the following saying which
i have heard-'death and life have their determined appointment;
riches and honors depend uponheaven.'
'let the superior man never fail reverentially to order his
own conduct, andlet him be respectful to others and observant of
propriety:-then all within thefour seas will be his brothers. what
has the superior man to do with beingdistressed because he has no
brothers?'
tsze-chang asked what constituted intelligence. the master
said, 'he withwhom neither slander that gradually soaks into the
mind, nor statements thatstartle like a wound in the flesh, are
successful may be called intelligentindeed. yea, he with whom
neither soaking slander, nor startling statements, aresuccessful,
may be called farseeing.'
tsze-kung asked about government. the master said, 'the
requisites ofgovernment are that there be sufficiency of food,
sufficiency of militaryequipment, and the confidence of the people
in their ruler.'
tsze-kung said, 'if it cannot be helped, and one of these
must be dispensedwith, which of the three should be foregone
first?' 'the military equipment,'said the master.
tsze-kung again asked, 'if it cannot be helped, and one of
the remaining twomust be dispensed with, which of them should be
foregone?' the master answered,'part with the food. from of old,
death has been the lot of an men; but if thepeople have no faith in
their rulers, there is no standing for the state.'
chi tsze-ch'ang said, 'in a superior man it is only the
substantialqualiti es which are wanted;-why should we seek for
ornamental accomplishments?'
tsze-kung said, 'alas! your words, sir, show you to be a
superior man, butfour horses cannot overtake the tongue. ornament
is as substance; substance isas ornament. the hide of a tiger or a
leopard stripped of its hair, is like thehide of a dog or a goat
stripped of its hair.'
the duke ai inquired of yu zo, saying, 'the year is one of
scarcity, and thereturns for expenditure are not sufficient;-what
is to be done?'
yu zo replied to him, 'why not simply tithe the
people?'
'with two tenths, said the duke, 'i find it not enough;-how
could i do withthat system of one tenth?'
yu zo answered, 'if the people have plenty, their prince
will not be left towant alone. if the people are in want, their
prince cannot enjoy plenty alone.'
tsze-chang having asked how virtue was to be exalted, and
delusions to bediscovered, the master said, 'hold faithfulness and
sincerity as firstprinciples, and be moving continually to what is
right,-this is the way to exaltone's virtue.
'you love a man and wish him to live; you hate him and wish
him to die.having wished him to live, you also wish him to die.
this is a case of delusion.'it may not be on account of her being
rich, yet you come to make adifference.''
the duke ching, of ch'i, asked confucius about government.
confucius replied,'there is government, when the prince is prince,
and the minister is minister;when the father is father, and the son
is son.'
'good!' said the duke; 'if, indeed, the prince be not
prince, the notminister, the father not father, and the son not
son, although i have my revenue,can i enjoy it?'
the master said, 'ah! it is yu, who could with half a word
settlelitigations!'
tsze-lu never slept over a promise.
the master said, 'in hearing litigations, i am like any
other body. what isnecessary, however, is to cause the people to
have no litigations.'
tsze-chang asked about government. the master said, 'the
art of governing isto keep its affairs before the mind without
weariness, and to practice them withundeviating consistency.'
the master said, 'by extensively studying all learning, and
keeping himselfunder the restraint of the rules of propriety, one
may thus likewise not errfrom what is right.'
the master said, 'the superior man seeks to perfect the
admirable qualitiesof men, and does not seek to perfect their bad
qualities. the mean man does theopposite of this.'
chi k'ang asked confucius about government. confucius
replied, 'to governmeans to rectify. if you lead on the people with
correctness, who will dare notto be correct?'
chi k'ang, distressed about the number of thieves in the
state, inquired ofconfucius how to do away with them. confucius
said, 'if you, sir, were notcovetous, although you should reward
them to do it, they would not steal.'
chi k'ang asked confucius about government, saying, 'what
do you say tokilling the unprincipled for the good of the
principled?' confucius replied,'sir, in carrying on your
government, why should you use killing at all? letyour evinced
desires be for what is good, and the people will be good.
therelation between superiors and inferiors is like that between
the wind and thegrass. the grass must bend, when the wind blows
across it.'
tsze-chang asked, 'what must the officer be, who may be
said to bedistinguished?'
the master said, 'what is it you call being
distinguished?'
tsze-chang replied, 'it is to be heard of through the
state, to be heard ofthroughout his clan.'
the master said, 'that is notoriety, not distinction.
'now the man of distinction is solid and straightforward,
and lovesrighteousness. he examines people's words, and looks at
their countenances. heis anxious to humble himself to others. such
a man will be distinguished in thecountry; he will be distinguished
in his clan.
'as to the man of notoriety, he assumes the appearance of
virtue, but hisactions are opposed to it, and he rests in this
character without any doubtsabout himself. such a man will be heard
of in the country; he will be heard ofin the clan.'
fan ch'ih rambling with the master under the trees about
the rain altars,said, 'i venture to ask how to exalt virtue, to
correct cherished evil, and todiscover delusions.'
the master said, 'truly a good question!
'if doing what is to be done be made the first business,
and success asecondary consideration:-is not this the way to exalt
virtue? to assail one'sown wickedness and not assail that of
others;-is not this the way to correctcherished evil? for a
morning's anger to disregard one's own life, and involvethat of his
parents;-is not this a case of delusion?'
fan ch'ih asked about benevolence. the master said, 'it is
to love all men.'he asked about knowledge. the master said, 'it is
to know all men.'
fan ch'ih did not immediately understand these
answers.
the master said, 'employ the upright and put aside all the
crooked; in thisway the crooked can be made to be upright.'
fan ch'ih retired, and, seeing tsze-hsia, he said to him,
'a little whileago, i had an interview with our master, and asked
him about knowledge. he said,'employ the upright, and put aside all
the crooked;-in this way, the crookedwill be made to be upright.'
what did he mean?'
tsze-hsia said, 'truly rich is his saying!
'shun, being in possession of the kingdom, selected from
among all thepeople, and employed kai-yao-on which all who were
devoid of virtue disappeared.t'ang, being in possession of the
kingdom, selected from among all the people,and employed i yin-and
an who were devoid of virtue disappeared.'
tsze-kung asked about friendship. the master said,
'faithfully admonish yourfriend, and skillfully lead him on. if you
find him impracticable, stop. do notdisgrace yourself.'
the philosopher tsang said, 'the superior man on grounds of
culture meetswith his friends, and by friendship helps his virtue.'
13
tsze-lu asked about government. the master said, 'go before
the people withyour example, and be laborious in their
affairs.'
he requested further instruction, and was answered, 'be not
weary in thesethings.'
chung-kung, being chief minister to the head of the chi
family, asked aboutgovernment. the master said, 'employ first the
services of your various officers,pardon small faults, and raise to
office men of virtue and talents.'
chung-kung said, 'how shall i know the men of virtue and
talent, so that imay 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?'
tsze-lu said, 'the ruler of wei has been waiting for you,
in order with youto administer the government. what will you
consider the first thing to bedone?'
the master replied, 'what is necessary is to rectify
names.'
'so! indeed!' said tsze-lu. 'you are wide of the mark! why
must there besuch rectification?'
the master said, 'how uncultivated you are, yu! a superior
man, in regard towhat he does not know, shows a cautious
reserve.
'if names be not correct, language is not in accordance
with the truth ofthings. if language be not in accordance with the
truth of things, affairscannot be carried on to success.
'when affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties
and music do notflourish. when proprieties and music do not
flourish, punishments will not beproperly awarded. when punishments
are not properly awarded, the people do notknow how to move hand or
foot.
'therefore a superior man considers it necessary that the
names he uses maybe spoken appropriately, and also that what he
speaks may be carried outappropriately. what the superior man
requires is just that in his words theremay be nothing
incorrect.'
fan ch'ih requested to be taught husbandry. the master
said, 'i am not sogood 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.'
fan ch'ih having gone out, the master said, 'a small man,
indeed, is fan hsu!if a superior man 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. now, whenthese
things obtain, the people from all quarters will come to him,
bearingtheir children on their backs; what need has he of a
knowledge of husbandry?'
the master said, 'though a man may be able to recite the
three hundred odes,yet if, when intrusted with a governmental
charge, he knows not how to act, orif, when sent to any quarter on
a mission, he cannot give his replies unassisted,notwithstanding
the extent of his learning, of what practical use is it?'
the master said, 'when a prince's personal conduct is
correct, hisgovernment is effective without the issuing of orders.
if his personal conductis not correct, he may issue orders, but
they will not be followed.'
the master said, 'the governments of lu and wei are
brothers.'
the master said of ching, a scion of the ducal family of
wei, that he knewthe economy of a family well. when he began to
have means, he said, 'ha! here isa collection-!' when they were a
little increased, he said, 'ha! this iscomplete!' when he had
become rich, he said, 'ha! this is admirable!'
when the master went to weil zan yu acted as driver of his
carriage.
the master observed, 'how numerous are the people!'
yu said, 'since they are thus numerous, what more shall be
done for them?''enrich them, was the reply.
'and when they have been enriched, what more shall be
done?' the master said,'teach them.'
the master said, 'if there were any of the princes who
would employ me, inthe course of twelve months, i should have done
something considerable. in threeyears, the government would be
perfected.'
the master said, ''if good men were to govern a country in
succession for ahundred years, they would be able to transform the
violently bad, and dispensewith capital punishments.' true indeed
is this saying!'
the master said, 'if a truly royal ruler were to arise, it
would stirrequire a generation, and then virtue would
prevail.'
the master said, 'if a minister make his own conduct
correct, whatdifficulty will he have in assisting in government? if
he cannot rectify himself,what has he to do with rectifying
others?'
the disciple zan returning from the court, the master said
to him, 'how areyou so late?' he replied, 'we had government
business.' the master said, 'itmust have been family affairs. if
there had been government business, though iam not now in office, i
should have been consulted about it.'
the duke ting asked whether there was a single sentence
which could make acountry prosperous. confucius replied, 'such an
effect cannot be expected fromone sentence.
'there is a saying, however, which people have -'to be a
prince is difficult;to be a minister is not easy.'
'if a ruler knows this,-the difficulty of being a
prince,-may there not beexpected from this one sentence the
prosperity of his country?'
the duke then said, 'is there a single sentence which can
ruin a country?'confucius replied, 'such an effect as that cannot
be expected from one sentence.there is, however, the saying which
people have-'i have no pleasure in being aprince, but only in that
no one can offer any opposition to what i say!'
'if a ruler's words be good, is it not also good that no
one oppose them?but if they are not good, and no one opposes them,
may there not be expectedfrom this one sentence the ruin of his
country?'
the duke of sheh asked about government.
the master said, 'good government obtains when those who
are near are madehappy, and those who are far off are
attracted.'
tsze-hsia! being governor of chu-fu, asked about
government. the master said,'do not be desirous to have things done
quickly; do not look at small advantages.desire to have things done
quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. lookingat small
advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.'
the duke of sheh informed confucius, saying, 'among us here
there are thosewho may be styled upright in their conduct. if their
father have stolen a sheep,they will bear witness to the
fact.'
confucius said, 'among us, in our part of the country,
those who are uprightare different from this. the father conceals
the misconduct of the son, and theson conceals the misconduct of
the father. uprightness is to be found in this.'
fan ch'ih asked about perfect virtue. the master said, 'it
is, in retirement,to be sedately grave; in the management of
business, to be reverently attentive;in intercourse with others, to
be strictly sincere. though a man go among rude,uncultivated
tribes, these qualities may not be neglected.'
tsze-kung asked, saying, 'what qualities must a man possess
to entitle himto be called an officer? the master said, 'he who in
his conduct of himselfmaintains a sense of shame, and when sent to
any quarter will not disgrace hisprince's commission, deserves to
be called an officer.'
tsze-kung pursued, 'i venture to ask who may be placed in
the next lowerrank?' and he was told, 'he whom the circle of his
relatives pronounce to befilial, whom his fellow villagers and
neighbors pronounce to be fraternal.'
again the disciple asked, 'i venture to ask about the class
still next inorder.' the master said, 'they are determined to be
sincere in what they say,and to carry out what they do. they are
obstinate little men. yet perhaps theymay make the next
class.'
tsze-kung finally inquired, 'of what sort are those of the
present day, whoengage in government?' the master said 'pooh! they
are so many pecks and hampers,not worth being taken into
account.'
the master said, 'since i cannot get men pursuing the due
medium, to whom imight communicate my instructions, i must find the
ardent and the cautiously-decided. the ardent will advance and lay
hold of truth; the cautiously-decidedwill keep themselves from what
is wrong.'
the master said, 'the people of the south have a saying -'a
man withoutconstancy cannot be either a wizard or a doctor.'
good!
'inconstant in his virtue, he will be visited with
disgrace.'
the master said, 'this arises simply from not attending to
theprognostication.'
the master said, 'the superior man is affable, but not
adulatory; the meanman is adulatory, but not affable.'
tsze-kung asked, saying, 'what do you say of a man who is
loved by all thepeople of his neighborhood?' the master replied,
'we may not for that accord ourapproval of him.' 'and what do you
say of him who is hated by all the people ofhis neighborhood?' the
master said, 'we may not for that conclude that he is bad.it is
better than either of these cases that the good in the neighborhood
lovehim, and the bad hate him.'
the master said, 'the superior man is easy to serve and
difficult to please.if you try to please him in any way which is
not accordant with right, he willnot be pleased. but in his
employment of men, he uses them according to theircapacity. the
mean man is difficult to serve, and easy to please. if you try
toplease him, though it be in a way which is not accordant with
right, he may bepleased. but in his employment of men, he wishes
them to be equal toeverything.'
the master said, 'the superior man has a dignified ease
without pride. themean man has pride without a dignified
ease.'
the master said, 'the firm, the enduring, the simple, and
the modest arenear to virtue.'
tsze-lu asked, saying, 'what qualities must a man possess
to entitle him tobe called a scholar?' the master said, 'he must be
thus,-earnest, urgent, andbland:-among his friends, earnest and
urgent; among his brethren, bland.'
the master said, 'let a good man teach the people seven
years, and they maythen likewise be employed in war.'
the master said, 'to lead an uninstructed people to war, is
to throw themaway.'
14
hsien asked what was shameful. the master said, 'when good
governmentprevails in a state, to be thinking only of salary; and,
when bad governmentprevails, to be thinking, in the same way, only
of salary;-this is shameful.'
'when the love of superiority, boasting, resentments, and
covetousness arerepressed, this may be deemed perfect
virtue.'
the master said, 'this may be regarded as the achievement
of what isdifficult. but i do not know that it is to be deemed
perfect virtue.'
the master said, 'the scholar who cherishes the love of
comfort is not fitto be deemed a scholar.'
the master said, 'when good government prevails in a state,
language may belofty and bold, and actions the same. when bad
government prevails, the actionsmay be lofty and bold, but the
language may be with some reserve.'
the master said, 'the virtuous will be sure to speak
correctly, but thosewhose speech is good may not always be
virtuous. men of principle are sure to bebold, but those who are
bold may not always be men of principle.'
nan-kung kwo, submitting an inquiry to confucius, said, 'i
was skillful atarchery, and ao could move a boat along upon the
land, but neither of them dieda natural death. yu and chi
personally wrought at the toils of husbandry, andthey became
possessors of the kingdom.' the master made no reply; but when
nan-kung kwo went out, he said, 'a superior man indeed is this! an
esteemer ofvirtue indeed is this!'
the master said, 'superior men, and yet not always
virtuous, there have been,alas! but there never has been a mean
man, and, at the same time, virtuous.'
the master said, 'can there be love which does not lead to
strictness withits object? can there be loyalty which does not lead
to the instruction of itsobject?'
the master said, 'in preparing the governmental
notifications, p'i shanfirst made the rough draft; shi-shu examined
and discussed its contents; tsze-yu,the manager of foreign
intercourse, then polished the style; and, finally, tsze-ch'an of
tung-li gave it the proper elegance and finish.'
some one asked about tsze-ch'an. the master said, 'he was a
kind man.'
he asked about tsze-hsi. the master said, 'that man! that
man!'
he asked about kwan chung. 'for him,' said the master, 'the
city of pien,with three hundred families, was taken from the chief
of the po family, who didnot utter a murmuring word, though, to the
end of his life, he had only coarserice to eat.'
the master said, 'to be poor without murmuring is
difficult. to be richwithout being proud is easy.'
the master said, 'mang kung-ch'o is more than fit to be
chief officer in thefamilies of chao and wei, but he is not fit to
be great officer to either of thestates tang or hsieh.'
tsze-lu asked what constituted a complete man. the master
said, 'suppose aman with the knowledge of tsang wu-chung, the
freedom from covetousness of kung-ch'o, the bravery of chwang of
pien, and the varied talents of zan ch'iu; add tothese the
accomplishments of the rules of propriety and music;-such a one
mightbe reckoned a complete man.'
he then added, 'but what is the necessity for a complete
man of the presentday to have all these things? the man, who in the
view of gain, thinks ofrighteousness; who in the view of danger is
prepared to give up his life; andwho does not forget an old
agreement however far back it extends:-such a man maybe reckoned a
complete man.'
the master asked kung-ming chia about kung-shu wan, saying,
'is it true thatyour master speaks not, laughs not, and takes
not?'
kung-ming chia replied, 'this has arisen from the reporters
going beyond thetruth.-my master speaks when it is the time to
speak, and so men do not gettired of his speaking. he laughs when
there is occasion to be joyful, and so mendo not get tired of his
laughing. he takes when it is consistent withrighteousness to do
so, and so men do not get tired of his taking.' the mastersaid,
'so! but is it so with him?'
the master said, 'tsang wu-chung, keeping possession of
fang, asked of theduke of lu to appoint a successor to him in his
family. although it may be saidthat he was not using force with his
sovereign, i believe he was.'
the master said, 'the duke wan of tsin was crafty and not
upright. the dukehwan of ch'i was upright and not crafty.'
tsze-lu said, 'the duke hwan caused his brother chiu to be
killed, when shaohu died, with his master, but kwan chung did not
die. may not i say that he waswanting in virtue?'
the master said, 'the duke hwan assembled all the princes
together, and thatnot with weapons of war and chariots:-it was all
through the influence of kwanchung. whose beneficence was like his?
whose beneficence was like his?'
tsze-kung said, 'kwan chung, i apprehend was wanting in
virtue. when theduke hwan caused his brother chiu to be killed,
kwan chung was not able to diewith him. moreover, he became prime
minister to hwan.'
the master said, 'kwan chung acted as prime minister to the
duke hwan madehim leader of all the princes, and united and
rectified the whole kingdom. downto the present day, the people
enjoy the gifts which he conferred. but for kwanchung, we should
now be wearing our hair unbound, and the lappets of our
coatsbuttoning on the left side.
'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 aboutthem?'
the great officer, hsien, who had been family minister to
kung-shu wan,ascended to the prince's court in company with
wan.
the master, having heard of it, said, 'he deserved to be
considered wan (theaccomplished).'
the master was speaking about the unprincipled course of
the duke ling ofweil when ch'i k'ang said, 'since he is of such a
character, how is it he doesnot lose his state?'
confucius said, 'the chung-shu yu has the superintendence
of his guests andof strangers; the litanist, t'o, has the
management of his ancestral temple; andwang-sun chia has the
direction of the army and forces:-with such officers asthese, how
should he lose his state?'
the master said, 'he who speaks without modesty will find
it difficult tomake his words good.'
chan ch'ang murdered the duke chien of ch'i.
confucius bathed, went to court and informed the duke ai,
saying, 'chan hanghas slain his sovereign. i beg that you will
undertake to punish him.'
the duke said, 'inform the chiefs of the three families of
it.'
confucius retired, and said, 'following in the rear of the
great officers, idid not dare not to represent such a matter, and
my prince says, 'inform thechiefs of the three families of
it.'
he went to the chiefs, and informed them, but they would
not act. confuciusthen said, 'following in the rear of the great
officers, i did not dare not torepresent such a matter.'
tsze-lu asked how a ruler should be served. the master
said, 'do not imposeon him, and, moreover, withstand him to his
face.'
the master said, 'the progress of the superior man is
upwards; the progressof the mean man is downwards.'
the master said, 'in ancient times, men learned with a view
to their ownimprovement. nowadays, men learn with a view to the
approbation of others.'
chu po-yu sent a messenger with friendly inquiries to
confucius.
confucius sat with him, and questioned him. 'what,' said
he! 'is your masterengaged 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, 'amessenger indeed! a messenger
indeed!'
the master said, 'he who is not in any particular office
has nothing to dowith plans for the administration of its
duties.'
the philosopher tsang said, 'the superior man, in his
thoughts, does not goout of his place.'
the master said, 'the superior man is modest in his speech,
but exceeds inhis actions.'
the master said, 'the way of the superior man is threefold,
but i am notequal to it. virtuous, he is free from anxieties; wise,
he is free fromperplexities; bold, he is free from fear.
tsze-kung said, 'master, that is what you yourself
say.'
tsze-kung was in the habit of comparing men together. the
master said, 'tszemust have reached a high pitch of excellence!
now, i have not leisure for this.'
the master said, 'i will not be concerned at men's not
knowing me; i will beconcerned at my own want of ability.'
the master said, 'he who does not anticipate attempts to
deceive him, northink beforehand of his not being believed, and yet
apprehends these thingsreadily when they occur;-is he not a man of
superior worth?'
wei-shang mau said to confucius, 'ch'iu, how is it that you
keep roostingabout? is it not that you are an insinuating
talker?
confucius said, 'i do not dare to play the part of such a
talker, but i hateobstinacy.'
the master said, 'a horse is called a ch'i, not because of
its strength, butbecause of its other good qualities.'
some one said, 'what do you say concerning the principle
that injury shouldbe recompensed with kindness?'
the master said, 'with what then will you recompense
kindness?'
'recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness
with kindness.'
the master said, 'alas! there is no one that knows
me.'
tsze-kung said, 'what do you mean by thus saying-that no
one knows you?' themaster replied, 'i do not murmur against heaven.
i do not grumble against men.my studies lie low, and my penetration
rises high. but there is heaven;-thatknows me!'
the kung-po liao, having slandered tsze-lu to chi-sun,
tsze-fu ching-poinformed confucius of it, saying, 'our master is
certainly being led astray bythe kung-po liao, but i have still
power enough left to cut liao off, and exposehis corpse in the
market and in the court.'
the master said, 'if my principles are to advance, it is so
ordered. if theyare to fall to the ground, it is so ordered. what
can the kung-po liao do wheresuch ordering is concerned?'
the master said, 'some men of worth retire from the world.
some retire fromparticular states. some retire because of
disrespectful looks. some retirebecause of contradictory
language.'
the master said, 'those who have done this are seven
men.'
tsze-lu happening to pass the night in shih-man, the
gatekeeper said to him,'whom do you come from?' tsze-lu said, 'from
mr. k'ung.' 'it is he,-is it not?'-said the other, 'who knows the
impracticable nature of the times and yet will bedoing in
them.'
the master was playing, one day, on a musical stone in weil
when a mancarrying a straw basket passed door of the house where
confucius was, and said,'his heart is full who so beats the musical
stone.'
a little while after, he added, 'how contemptible is the
one-ideaedobstina cy those sounds display! when one is taken no
notice of, he has simply atonce to give over his wish for public
employment. 'deep water must be crossedwith the clothes on; shallow
water may be crossed with the clothes held up.''
the master said, 'how determined is he in his purpose! but
this is notdifficult!'
tsze-chang said, 'what is meant when the shu says that
kao-tsung, whileobserving the usual imperial mourning, was for
three years without speaking?'
the master said, 'why must kao-tsung be referred to as an
example of this?the ancients all did so. when the sovereign died,
the officers all attended totheir several duties, taking
instructions from the prime minister for threeyears.'
the master said, 'when rulers love to observe the rules of
propriety, thepeople respond readily to the calls on them for
service.'
tsze-lu asked what constituted the superior man. the master
said, 'thecultivation of himself in reverential carefulness.' 'and
is this all?' saidtsze-lu. 'he cultivates himself so as to give
rest to others,' was the reply.'and is this all?' again asked
tsze-lu. the master said, 'he cultivates himselfso as to give rest
to all the people. he cultivates himself so as to give restto all
the people:-even yao and shun were still solicitous about
this.'
yuan zang was squatting on his heels, and so waited the
approach of themaster, who said to him, 'in youth not humble as
befits a junior; in manhood,doing nothing worthy of being handed
down; and living on to old age:-this is tobe a pest.' with this he
hit him on the shank with his staff.
a youth of the village of ch'ueh was employed by confucius
to carry themessages between him and his visitors. some one asked
about him, saying, 'isuppose he has made great progress.'
the master said, 'i observe that he is fond of occupying
the seat of a full-grown man; i observe that he walks shoulder to
shoulder with his elders. he isnot one who is seeking to make
progress in learning. he wishes quickly to becomea man.'
15
the duke ling of wei asked confucius about tactics.
confucius replied, 'ihave heard all about sacrificial vessels, but
i have not learned militarymatters.' on this, he took his departure
the next day.
when he was in chan, their provisions were exhausted, and
his followersbecame so in that they were unable to rise.
tsze-lu, with evident dissatisfaction, said, 'has the
superior man likewiseto endure in this way?' the master said, 'the
superior man may indeed have toendure want, but the mean man, when
he is in want, gives way to unbridledlicense.'
the master said, 'ts'ze, you think, i suppose, that i am
one who learns manythings and keeps them in memory?'
tsze-kung replied, 'yes,-but perhaps it is not so?'
'no,' was the answer; 'i seek a unity all pervading.'
the master said, 'yu i those who know virtue are
few.'
the master said, 'may not shun be instanced as having
governed efficientlywithout exertion? what did he do? he did
nothing but gravely and reverentlyoccupy his royal seat.'
tsze-chang asked how a man should conduct himself, so as to
be everywhereappreciated.
the master said, 'let his words be sincere and truthful and
his actionshonorable and careful;-such conduct may be practiced
among the rude tribes ofthe south or the north. if his words be not
sincere and truthful and his actionsnot honorable and carefull will
he, with such conduct, be appreciated, even inhis
neighborhood?
'when he is standing, let him see those two things, as it
were, fronting him.when he is in a carriage, let him see them
attached to the yoke. then may hesubsequently carry them into
practice.'
tsze-chang wrote these counsels on the end of his
sash.
the master said, 'truly straightforward was the
historiographer yu. whengood government prevailed in his state, he
was like an arrow. when badgovernment prevailed, he was like an
arrow. a superior man indeed is chu po-yu!when good government
prevails in his state, he is to be found in office. whenbad
government prevails, he can roll his principles up, and keep them
in hisbreast.'
the master said, 'when a man may be spoken with, not to
speak to him is toerr in reference to the man. when a man may not
be spoken with, to speak to himis to err in reference to our words.
the wise err neither in regard to their mannor to their
words.'
the master said, 'the determined scholar and the man of
virtue will not seekto live at the expense of injuring their
virtue. they will even sacrifice theirlives to preserve their
virtue complete.'
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 areliving in any state, take service
with the most worthy among its great officers,and make friends of
the most virtuous among its scholars.'
yen yuan asked how the government of a country should be
administered.
the master said, 'follow the seasons of hsia.
'ride in the state carriage of yin.
'wear the ceremonial cap of chau.
'let the music be the shao with its pantomimes. banish the
songs of chang,and keep far from specious talkers. the songs of
chang are licentious; specioustalkers are dangerous.'
the master said, 'if a man take no thought about what is
distant, he willfind sorrow near at hand.'
the master said, 'it is all over! i have not seen one who
loves virtue as heloves beauty.'
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 procurethat he should stand with him in
court.'
the master said, 'he who requires much from himself and
little from others,will keep himself from being the object of
resentment.'
the master said, 'when a man is not in the habit of
saying-'what shall ithink of this? what shall i think of this?' i
can indeed do nothing with him!'
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 ofcarrying out the suggestions of a small
shrewdness;-theirs is indeed a hardcase.'
the master said, 'the superior man in everything considers
righteousness tobe essential. he performs it according to the rules
of propriety. he brings itforth in humility. he completes it with
sincerity. this is indeed a superiorman.'
the master said, 'the superior man is distressed by his
want of ability. heis not distressed by men's not knowing
him.'
the master said, 'the superior man dislikes the thought of
his name notbeing mentioned after his death.'
the master said, 'what the superior man seeks, is in
himself. what the meanman seeks, is in others.'
the master said, 'the superior man is dignified, but does
not wrangle. he issociable, but not a partisan.'
the master said, 'the superior man does not promote a man
simply on accountof his words, nor does he put aside good words
because of the man.'
tsze-kung asked, saying, 'is there one word which may serve
as a rule ofpractice 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.'
the master said, 'in my dealings with men, whose evil do i
blame, whosegoodness 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.
'this people supplied the ground why the three dynasties
pursued the path ofstraightforwardness.'
the master said, 'even in my early days, a historiographer
would leave ablank in his text, and he who had a horse would lend
him to another to ride. now,alas! there are no such things.'
the master said, 'specious words confound virtue. want of
forbearance insmall matters confounds great plans.'
the master said, 'when the multitude hate a man, it is
necessary to examineinto the case. when the multitude like a man,
it is necessary to examine intothe case.'
the master said, 'a man can enlarge the principles which he
follows; thoseprinciples do not enlarge the man.'
the master said, 'to have faults and not to reform
them,-this, indeed,should be pronounced having faults.'
the master said, 'i have been the whole day without eating,
and the wholenight without sleeping:-occupied with thinking. it was
of no use. better plan isto learn.'
the master said, 'the object of the superior man is truth.
food is not hisobject. there is plowing;-even in that there is
sometimes want. so withlearning;-emolument may be found in it. the
superior man is anxious lest heshould not get truth; he is not
anxious lest poverty should come upon him.'
the master said, 'when a man's knowledge is sufficient to
attain, and hisvirtue is not sufficient to enable him to hold,
whatever he may have gained, hewill lose again.
'when his knowledge is sufficient to attain, and he has
virtue enough tohold fast, if he cannot govern with dignity, the
people will not respect him.
'when his knowledge is sufficient to attain, and he has
virtue enough tohold fast; when he governs also with dignity, yet
if he try to move the peoplecontrary to the rules of
propriety:-full excellence is not reached.'
the master said, 'the superior man cannot be known in
little matters; but hemay be intrusted with great concerns. the
small man may not be intrusted withgreat concerns, but he may be
known in little matters.'
the master said, 'virtue is more to man than either water
or fire. i haveseen men die from treading on water and fire, but i
have never seen a man diefrom treading the course of virtue.'
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.'
the master said, 'the superior man is correctly firm, and
not firm merely.'
the master said, 'a minister, in serving his prince,
reverently dischargeshis duties, and makes his emolument a
secondary consideration.'
the master said, 'in teaching there should be no
distinction of classes.'
the master said, 'those whose courses are different cannot
lay plans for oneanother.'
the master said, 'in language it is simply required that it
convey themeaning.'
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 guestto sit upon, he said, 'here is the
mat.' when all were seated, the masterinformed him, saying, 'so and
so is here; so and so is here.'
the music master, mien, having gone out, tsze-chang asked,
saying. 'is itthe rule to tell those things to the music
master?'
the master said, 'yes. this is certainly the rule for those
who lead theblind.'
16
the head of the chi family was going to attack
chwan-yu.
zan yu and chi-lu had an interview with confucius, and
said, 'our chief,chil is going to commence operations against
chwan-yu.'
confucius said, 'ch'iu, is it not you who are in fault
here?
'now, in regard to chwan-yu, long ago, a former king
appointed its ruler topreside over the sacrifices to the eastern
mang; moreover, it is in the midst ofthe territory of our state;
and its ruler is a minister in direct connectionwith the sovereign:
what has your chief to do with attacking it?'
zan yu said, 'our master wishes the thing; neither of us
two ministerswishes it.'
confucius said, 'ch'iu, there are the words of chau zan,
-'when he can putforth his ability, he takes his place in the ranks
of office; when he findshimself unable to do so, he retires from
it. how can he be used as a guide to ablind man, who does not
support him when tottering, nor raise him up whenfallen?'
'and further, you speak wrongly. when a tiger or rhinoceros
escapes from hiscage; when a tortoise or piece of jade is injured
in its repository:-whose isthe fault?'
zan yu said, 'but at present, chwan-yu is strong and near
to pi; if ourchief do not now take it, it will hereafter be a
sorrow to his descendants.'
confucius said. 'ch'iu, the superior man hates those
declining to say-'iwant such and such a thing,' and framing
explanations for their conduct.
'i have heard that rulers of states and chiefs of families
are not troubledlest their people should be few, but are troubled
lest they should not keeptheir several places; that they are not
troubled with fears of poverty, but aretroubled with fears of a
want of contented repose among the people in theirseveral places.
for when the people keep their several places, there will be
nopoverty; when harmony prevails, there will be no scarcity of
people; and whenthere is such a contented repose, there will be no
rebellious upsettings.
'so it is.-therefore, if remoter people are not submissive,
all theinfluences of civil culture and virtue are to be cultivated
to attract them tobe so; and when they have been so attracted, they
must be made contented andtranquil.
'now, here are you, yu and ch'iu, assisting your chief.
remoter people arenot submissive, and, with your help, he cannot
attract them to him. in his ownterritory there are divisions and
downfalls, leavings and separations, and, withyour help, he cannot
preserve it.
'and yet he is planning these hostile movements within the
state.-i amafraid that the sorrow of the chi-sun family will not be
on account of chwan-yu,but will be found within the screen of their
own court.'
confucius said, 'when good government prevails in the
empire, ceremonies,music, and punitive military expeditions proceed
from the son of heaven. whenbad government prevails in the empire,
ceremonies, music, and punitive militaryexpeditions proceed from
the princes. when these things proceed from the princes,as a rule,
the cases will be few in which they do not lose their power in
tengenerations. when they proceed from the great officers of the
princes, as a rule,the case will be few in which they do not lose
their power in five generations.when the subsidiary ministers of
the great officers hold in their grasp theorders of the state, as a
rule the cases will be few in which they do not losetheir power in
three generations.
'when right principles prevail in the kingdom, government
will not be in thehands of the great officers.
'when right principles prevail in the kingdom, there will
be no discussionsamong the common people.'
confucius said, 'the revenue of the state has left the
ducal house now forfive generations. the government has been in the
hands of the great officers forfour generations. on this account,
the descendants of the three hwan are muchreduced.'
confucius said, 'there are three friendships which are
advantageous, andthree which are injurious. friendship with the
uplight; friendship with thesincere; and friendship with the man of
much observation:-these are advantageous.friendship with the man of
specious airs; friendship with the insinuatingly soft;and
friendship with the glib-tongued:-these are injurious.'
confucius said, 'there are three things men find enjoyment
in which areadvantageous, and three things they find enjoyment in
which are injurious. tofind enjoyment in the discriminating study
of ceremonies and music; to findenjoyment in speaking of the
goodness of others; to find enjoyment in havingmany worthy
friends:-these are advantageous. to find enjoyment in
extravagantpleasures; to find enjoyment in idleness and sauntering;
to find enjoyment inthe pleasures of feasting:-these are
injurious.'
confucius said, 'there are three errors to which they who
stand in thepresence of a man of virtue and station are liable.
they may speak when it doesnot come to them to speak;-this is
called rashness. they may not speak when itcomes to them to
speak;-this is called concealment. they may speak withoutlooking at
the countenance of their superior;-this is called blindness.'
confucius said, 'there are three things which the superior
man guardsagainst. in youth, when the physical powers are not yet
settled, he guardsagainst lust. when he is strong and the physical
powers are full of vigor, heguards against quarrelsomeness. when he
is old, and the animal powers aredecayed, he guards against
covetousness.'
confucius said, 'there are three things of which the
superior man stands inawe. he stands in awe of the ordinances of
heaven. he stands in awe of great men.he stands in awe of the words
of sages.
'the mean man does not know the ordinances of heaven, and
consequently doesnot stand in awe of them. he is disrespectful to
great men. he makes sport ofthe words of sages.'
confucius said, 'those who are born with the possession of
knowledge are thehighest class of men. those who learn, and so
readily get possession ofknowledge, are the next. those who are
dull and stupid, and yet compass thelearning, are another class
next to these. as to those who are dull and stupidand yet do not
learn;-they are the lowest of the people.'
confucius said, 'the superior man has nine things which are
subjects withhim of thoughtful consideration. in regard to the use
of his eyes, he is anxiousto see clearly. in regard to the use of
his ears, he is anxious to heardistinctly. in regard to his
countenance, he is anxious that it should be benign.in regard to
his demeanor, he is anxious that it should be respectful. in
regardto his speech, he is anxious that it should be sincere. in
regard to his doingof business, he is anxious that it should be
reverently careful. in regard towhat he doubts about, he is anxious
to question others. when he is angry, hethinks of the difficulties
his anger may involve him in. when he sees gain to begot, he thinks
of righteousness.'
confucius said, 'contemplating good, and pursuing it, as if
they could notreach it; contemplating evil! and shrinking from it,
as they would fromthrusting the hand into boiling water:-i have
seen such men, as i have heardsuch words.
'living in retirement to study their aims, and practicing
righteousness tocarry out their principles:-i have heard these
words, but i have not seen suchmen.'
the duke ching of ch'i had a thousand teams, each of four
horses, but on theday of his death, the people did not praise him
for a single virtue. po-i andshu-ch'i died of hunger at the foot of
the shau-yang mountains, and the people,down to the present time,
praise them.
'is not that saying illustrated by this?'
ch'an k'ang asked po-yu, saying, 'have you heard any
lessons from yourfather different from what we have all
heard?'
po-yu replied, 'no. he was standing alone once, when i
passed below the hallwith hasty steps, and said to me, 'have you
learned the odes?' on my replying'not yet,' he added, if you do not
learn the odes, you will not be fit toconverse with.' i retired and
studied the odes.
'another day, he was in the same way standing alone, when i
passed by belowthe hall with hasty steps, and said to me, 'have you
learned the rules ofpropriety?' on my replying 'not yet,' he added,
'if you do not learn the rulesof propriety, your character cannot
be established.' i then retired, and learnedthe rules of
propriety.
'i have heard only these two things from him.'
ch'ang k'ang retired, and, quite delighted, said, 'i asked
one thing, and ihave got three things. i have heard about the odes.
i have heard about the rulesof propriety. i have also heard that
the superior man maintains a distantreserve towards his son.'
the wife of the prince of a state is called by him fu zan.
she calls herselfhsiao t'ung. the people of the state call her chun
fu zan, and, to the people ofother states, they call her k'wa hsiao
chun. the people of other states alsocall her chun fu zan.
17
yang ho wished to see confucius, but confucius would not go
to see him. onthis, he sent a present of a pig to confucius, who,
having chosen a time when howas not at home went to pay his
respects for the gift. he met him, however, onthe way.
ho said to confucius, 'come, let me speak with you.' he
then asked, 'can hebe called benevolent who keeps his jewel in his
bosom, and leaves his country toconfusion?' confucius replied,
'no.' 'can he be called wise, who is anxious tobe engaged in public
employment, and yet is constantly losing the opportunity ofbeing
so?' confucius again said, 'no.' 'the days and months are passing
away;the years do not wait for us.' confucius said, 'right; i will
go into office.'
the master said, 'by nature, men are nearly alike; by
practice, they get tobe wide apart.'
the master said, 'there are only the wise of the highest
class, and thestupid of the lowest class, who cannot be
changed.'
the master, having come to wu-ch'ang, heard there the sound
of stringedinstruments and singing.
well pleased and smiling, he said, 'why use an ox knife to
kill a fowl?'
tsze-yu replied, 'formerly, master, i heard you say,-'when
the man of highstation is well instructed, he loves men; when the
man of low station is wellinstructed, he is easily ruled.''
the master said, 'my disciples, yen's words are right. what
i said was onlyin sport.'
kung-shan fu-zao, when he was holding pi, and in an
attitude of rebellion,invited the master to visit him, who was
rather inclined to go.
tsze-lu was displeased. and said, 'indeed, you cannot go!
why must you thinkof going to see kung-shan?'
the master said, 'can it be without some reason that he has
invited me? ifany one employ me, may i not make an eastern
chau?'
tsze-chang asked confucius about perfect virtue. confucius
said, 'to be ableto practice five things everywhere under heaven
constitutes perfect virtue.' hebegged to ask what they were, and
was told, 'gravity, generosity of soul,sincerity, earnestness, and
kindness. if you are grave, you will not be treatedwith disrespect.
if you are generous, you will win all. if you are sincere,people
will repose trust in you. if you are earnest, you will accomplish
much.if you are kind, this will enable you to employ the services
of others.
pi hsi inviting him to visit him, the master was inclined
to go.
tsze-lu said, 'master, formerly i have heard you say, 'when
a man in his ownperson is guilty of doing evil, a superior man will
not associate with him.' pihsi is in rebellion, holding possession
of chung-mau; if you go to him, whatshall be said?'
the master said, 'yes, i did use these words. but is it not
said, that, if athing be really hard, it may be ground without
being made thin? is it not said,that, if a thing be really white,
it may be steeped in a dark fluid withoutbeing made black?
'am i a bitter gourd? how can i be hung up out of the way
of being eaten?'
the master said, 'yu, have you heard the six words to which
are attached sixbecloudings?' yu replied, 'i have not.'
'sit down, and i will tell them to you.
'there is the love of being benevolent without the love of
learning;-thebeclouding here leads to a foolish simplicity. there
is the love of knowingwithout the love of learning;-the beclouding
here leads to dissipation of mind.there is the love of being
sincere without the love of learning;-the becloudinghere leads to
an injurious disregard of consequences. there is the love
ofstraightforwardness without the love of learning;-the beclouding
here leads torudeness. there is the love of boldness without the
love of learning;-thebeclouding here leads to insubordination.
there is the love of firmness withoutthe love of learning;-the
beclouding here leads to extravagant conduct.'
the master said, 'my children, why do you not study the
book of poetry?
'the odes serve to stimulate the mind.
'they may be used for purposes of self-contemplation.
'they teach the art of sociability.
'they show how to regulate feelings of resentment.
'from them you learn the more immediate duty of serving
one's father, andthe remoter one of serving one's prince.
'from them we become largely acquainted with the names of
birds, beasts, andplants.'
the master said to po-yu, 'do you give yourself to the
chau-nan and theshao-nan. the man who has not studied the chau-nan
and the shao-nan is like onewho stands with his face right against
a wall. is he not so?' the master said,''it is according to the
rules of propriety,' they say.-'it is according to therules of
propriety,' they say. are gems and silk all that is meant by
propriety?'it is music,' they say.-'it is music,' they say. are
hers and drums all that ismeant by music?'
the master said, 'he who puts on an appearance of stern
firmness, whileinwardly he is weak, is like one of the small, mean
people;-yea, is he not likethe thief who breaks through, or climbs
over, a wall?'
the master said, 'your good, careful people of the villages
are the thievesof virtue.'
the master said, to tell, as we go along, what we have
heard on the way, isto cast away our virtue.'
the master said, 'there are those mean creatures! how
impossible it is alongwith them to serve one's prince!
'while they have not got their aims, their anxiety is how
to get them. whenthey have got them, their anxiety is lest they
should lose them.
'when they are anxious lest such things should be lost,
there is nothing towhich they will not proceed.'
the master said, 'anciently, men had three failings, which
now perhaps arenot to be found.
'the high-mindedness of antiquity showed itself in a
disregard of smallthings; the high-mindedness of the present day
shows itself in wild license. thestern dignity of antiquity showed
itself in grave reserve; the stern dignity ofthe present day shows
itself in quarrelsome perverseness. the stupidity ofantiquity
showed itself in straightforwardness; the stupidity of the present
dayshows itself in sheer deceit.'
the master said, 'fine words and an insinuating appearance
are seldomassociated with virtue.'
the master said, 'i hate the manner in which purple takes
away the luster ofvermilion. i hate the way in which the songs of
chang confound the music of theya. i hate those who with their
sharp mouths overthrow kingdoms and families.'
the master said, 'i would prefer not speaking.'
tsze-kung said, 'if you, master, do not speak, what shall
we, your disciples,have to record?'
the master said, 'does heaven speak? the four seasons
pursue their courses,and all things are continually being produced,
but does heaven say anything?'
zu pei wished to see confucius, but confucius declined, on
the ground ofbeing sick, to see him. when the bearer of this
message went out at the door,the master took his lute and sang to
it, in order that pei might hear him.
tsai wo asked about the three years' mourning for parents,
saying that oneyear was long enough.
'if the superior man,' said he, 'abstains for three years
from theobservances of propriety, those observances will be quite
lost. if for threeyears he abstains from music, music will be
ruined. within a year the old grainis exhausted, and the new grain
has sprung up, and, in procuring fire byfriction, we go through all
the changes of wood for that purpose. after acomplete year, the
mourning may stop.'
the master said, 'if you were, after a year, to eat good
rice, and wearembroidered clothes, would you feel at ease?' 'i
should,' replied wo.
the master said, 'if you can feel at ease, do it. but a
superior man, duringthe whole period of mourning, does not enjoy
pleasant food which he may eat, norderive pleasure from music which
he may hear. he also does not feel at ease, ifhe is comfortably
lodged. therefore he does not do what you propose. but now youfeel
at ease and may do it.'
tsai wo then went out, and the master said, 'this shows
yu's want of virtue.it is not till a child is three years old that
it is allowed to leave the armsof its parents. and the three years'
mourning is universally observed throughoutthe empire. did yu enjoy
the three years' love of his parents?'
the master said, 'hard is it to deal with who will stuff
himself with foodthe whole day, without applying his mind to
anything good! are there notgamesters and chess players? to be one
of these would still be better than doingnothing at all.'
tsze-lu said, 'does the superior man esteem valor?' the
master said, 'thesuperior man holds righteousness to be of highest
importance. a man in asuperior situation, having valor without
righteousness, will be guilty ofinsubordination; one of the lower
people having valor without righteousness,will commit
robbery.'
tsze-kung said, 'has the superior man his hatreds also?'
the master said,'he has his hatreds. he hates those who proclaim
the evil of others. he hatesthe man who, being in a low station,
slanders his superiors. he hates those whohave valor merely, and
are unobservant of propriety. he hates those who areforward and
determined, and, at the same time, of contracted
understanding.'
the master then inquired, 'ts'ze, have you also your
hatreds?' tsze-kungreplied, 'i hate those who pry out matters, and
ascribe the knowledge to theirwisdom. i hate those who are only not
modest, and think that they are valorous.i hate those who make
known secrets, and think that they are straightforward.'
the master said, 'of all people, girls and servants are the
most difficultto behave to. if you are familiar with them, they
lose their humility. if youmaintain a reserve towards them, they
are discontented.'
the master said, 'when a man at forty is the object of
dislike, he willalways continue what he is.'
18
the viscount of wei withdrew from the court. the viscount
of chi became aslave to chau. pi-kan remonstrated with him and
died.
confucius said, 'the yin dynasty possessed these three men
of virtue.'
hui of liu-hsia, being chief criminal judge, was thrice
dismissed from hisoffice. some one said to him, 'is it not yet time
for you, sir, to leave this?'he replied, 'serving men in an upright
way, where shall i go to, and notexperience such a thrice-repeated
dismissal? if i choose to serve men in acrooked way, what necessity
is there for me to leave the country of my parents?'
the duke ching of ch'i, with reference to the manner in
which he shouldtreat confucius, said, 'i cannot treat him as i
would the chief of the chifamily. i will treat him in a manner
between that accorded to the chief of thechil and that given to the
chief of the mang family.' he also said, 'i am old; icannot use his
doctrines.' confucius took his departure.
the people of ch'i sent to lu a present of female
musicians, which chi hwanreceived, and for three days no court was
held. confucius took his departure.
the madman of ch'u, chieh-yu, passed by confucius, singing
and saying, 'ofang! o fang! how is your virtue degenerated! as to
the past, reproof is useless;but the future may still be provided
against. give up your vain pursuit. give upyour vain pursuit. peril
awaits those who now engage in affairs of government.'
confucius alighted and wished to converse with him, but
chieh-yu hastenedaway, so that he could not talk with him.
ch'ang-tsu and chieh-ni were at work in the field together,
when confuciuspassed by them, and sent tsze-lu to inquire for the
ford.
ch'ang-tsu said, 'who is he that holds the reins in the
carriage there?'tsze-lu told him, 'it is k'ung ch'iu.', 'is it not
k'ung of lu?' asked he.'yes,' was the reply, to which the other
rejoined, 'he knows the ford.'
tsze-lu then inquired of chieh-ni, who said to him, 'who
are you, sir?' heanswered, 'i am chung yu.' 'are you not the
disciple of k'ung ch'iu of lu?'asked the other. 'i am,' replied he,
and then chieh-ni said to him, 'disorder,like a swelling flood,
spreads over the whole empire, and who is he that willchange its
state for you? rather than follow one who merely withdraws from
thisone and that one, had you not better follow those who have
withdrawn from theworld altogether?' with this he fell to covering
up the seed, and proceeded withhis work, without stopping.
tsze-lu went and reported their remarks, when the master
observed with asigh, 'it is impossible to associate with birds and
beasts, as if they were thesame with us. if i associate not with
these people,-with mankind,-with whomshall i associate? if right
principles prevailed through the empire, there wouldbe no use for
me to change its state.'
tsze-lu, following the master, happened to fall behind,
when he met an oldman, carrying across his shoulder on a staff a
basket for weeds. tsze-lu said tohim, 'have you seen my master,
sir?' the old man replied, 'your four limbs areunaccustomed to
toil; you cannot distinguish the five kinds of grain:-who isyour
master?' with this, he planted his staff in the ground, and
proceeded toweed.
tsze-lu joined his hands across his breast, and stood
before him.
the old man kept tsze-lu to pass the night in his house,
killed a fowl,prepared millet, and feasted him. he also introduced
to him his two sons.
next day, tsze-lu went on his way, and reported his
adventure. the mastersaid, 'he is a recluse,' and sent tsze-lu back
to see him again, but when he gotto the place, the old man was
gone.
tsze-lu then said to the family, 'not to take office is not
righteous. ifthe relations between old and young may not be
neglected, how is it that he setsaside the duties that should be
observed between sovereign and minister? wishingto maintain his
personal purity, he allows that great relation to come toconfusion.
a superior man takes office, and performs the righteous
dutiesbelonging to it. as to the failure of right principles to
make progress, he isaware of that.'
the men who have retired to privacy from the world have
been po-i, shu-ch'i,yuchung, i-yi, chu-chang, hui of liu-hsia, and
shao-lien.
the master said, 'refusing to surrender their wills, or to
submit to anytaint in their persons; such, i think, were po-i and
shu-ch'i.
'it may be said of hui of liu-hsia! and of shaolien, that
they surrenderedtheir wills, and submitted to taint in their
persons, but their wordscorresponded with reason, and their actions
were such as men are anxious to see.this is all that is to be
remarked in them.
'it may be said of yu-chung and i-yi, that, while they hid
themselves intheir seclusion, they gave a license to their words;
but in their persons, theysucceeded in preserving their purity,
and, in their retirement, they actedaccording to the exigency of
the times.
'i am different from all these. i have no course for which
i ampredetermined, and no course against which i am
predetermined.'
the grand music master, chih, went to ch'i.
kan, the master of the band at the second meal, went to
ch'u. liao, the bandmaster at the third meal, went to ts'ai. chueh,
the band master at the fourthmeal, went to ch'in.
fang-shu, the drum master, withdrew to the north of the
river.
wu, the master of the hand drum, withdrew to the han.
yang, the assistant music master, and hsiang, master of the
musical stone,withdrew to an island in the sea.
the duke of chau addressed his son, the duke of lu, saying,
'the virtuousprince does not neglect his relations. he does not
cause the great ministers torepine at his not employing them.
without some great cause, he does not dismissfrom their offices the
members of old families. he does not seek in one mantalents for
every employment.'
to chau belonged the eight officers, po-ta, po-kwo,
chung-tu, chung-hwu,shu-ya, shuhsia, chi-sui, and chi-kwa.
19
tsze-chang said, 'the scholar, trained for public duty,
seeing threateningdanger, is prepared to sacrifice his life. when
the opportunity of gain ispresented to him, he thinks of
righteousness. in sacrificing, his thoughts arereverential. in
mourning, his thoughts are about the grief which he should
feel.such a man commands our approbation indeed
tsze-chang said, 'when a man holds fast to virtue, but
without seeking toenlarge it, and believes in right principles, but
without firm sincerity, whataccount can be made of his existence or
non-existence?'
the disciples of tsze-hsia asked tsze-chang about the
principles that shouldcharacterize mutual intercourse. tsze-chang
asked, 'what does tsze-hsia say onthe subject?' they replied,
'tsze-hsia says: 'associate with those who canadvantage you. put
away from you those who cannot do so.'' tsze-chang observed,'this
is different from what i have learned. the superior man honors
thetalented and virtuous, and bears with all. he praises the good,
and pities theincompetent. am i possessed of great talents and
virtue?-who is there among menwhom i will not bear with? am i
devoid of talents and virtue?-men will put meaway from them. what
have we to do with the putting away of others?'
tsze-hsia said, 'even in inferior studies and employments
there is somethingworth being looked at; but if it be attempted to
carry them out to what isremote, there is a danger of their proving
inapplicable. therefore, the superiorman does not practice
them.'
tsze-hsia said, 'he, who from day to day recognizes what he
has not yet, andfrom month to month does not forget what he has
attained to, may be said indeedto love to learn.'
tsze-hsia said, 'there are learning extensively, and having
a firm andsincere aim; inquiring with earnestness, and reflecting
with self-application:-virtue is in such a course.'
tsze-hsia said, 'mechanics have their shops to dwell in, in
order toaccomplish their works. the superior man learns, in order
to reach to the utmostof his principles.'
tsze-hsia said, 'the mean man is sure to gloss his
faults.'
tsze-hsia said, 'the superior man undergoes three changes.
looked at from adistance, he appears stern; when approached, he is
mild; when he is heard tospeak, his language is firm and
decided.'
tsze-hsia said, 'the superior man, having obtained their
confidence, maythen impose labors on his people. if he have not
gained their confidence, theywill think that he is oppressing them.
having obtained the confidence of hisprince, one may then
remonstrate with him. if he have not gained his confidence,the
prince will think that he is vilifying him.'
tsze-hsia said, 'when a person does not transgress the
boundary line in thegreat virtues, he may pass and repass it in the
small virtues.'
tsze-yu said, 'the disciples and followers of tsze-hsia, in
sprinkling andsweeping the ground, in answering and replying, in
advancing and receding, aresufficiently accomplished. but these are
only the branches of learning, and theyare left ignorant of what is
essential.-how can they be acknowledged assufficiently
taught?'
tsze-hsia heard of the remark and said, 'alas! yen yu is
wrong. according tothe way of the superior man in teaching, what
departments are there which heconsiders of prime importance, and
delivers? what are there which he considersof secondary importance,
and allows himself to be idle about? but as in the caseof plants,
which are assorted according to their classes, so he deals with
hisdisciples. how can the way of a superior man be such as to make
fools of any ofthem? is it not the sage alone, who can unite in one
the beginning and theconsummation of learning?'
tsze-hsia said, 'the officer, having discharged all his
duties, shoulddevote his leisure to learning. the student, having
completed his learning,should apply himself to be an
officer.'
tsze-hsia said, 'mourning, having been carried to the
utmost degree of grief,should stop with that.'
tsze-hsia said, 'my friend chang can do things which are
hard to be done,but yet he is not perfectly virtuous.'
the philosopher tsang said, 'how imposing is the manner of
chang! it isdifficult along with him to practice virtue.'
the philosopher tsang said, 'i heard this from our master:
'men may not haveshown what is in them to the full extent, and yet
they will be found to do so,on the occasion of mourning for their
parents.'
the philosopher tsang said, 'i have heard this from our
master:-'the filialpiety of mang chwang, in other matters, was what
other men are competent to, but,as seen in his not changing the
ministers of his father, nor his father's modeof government, it is
difficult to be attained to.''
the chief of the mang family having appointed yang fu to be
chief criminaljudge, the latter consulted the philosopher tsang.
tsang said, 'the rulers havefailed in their duties, and the people
consequently have been disorganized for along time. when you have
found out the truth of any accusation, be grieved forand pity them,
and do not feel joy at your own ability.'
tsze-kung said, 'chau's wickedness was not so great as that
name implies.therefore, the superior man hates to dwell in a
low-lying situation, where allthe evil of the world will flow in
upon him.'
tsze-kung said, 'the faults of the superior man are like
the eclipses of thesun and moon. he has his faults, and all men see
them; he changes again, and allmen look up to him.'
kung-sun ch'ao of wei asked tszekung, saying. 'from whom
did chung-ni gethis learning?'
tsze-kung replied, 'the doctrines of wan and wu have not
yet fallen to theground. they are to be found among men. men of
talents and virtue remember thegreater principles of them, and
others, not possessing such talents and virtue,remember the
smaller. thus, all possess the doctrines of wan and wu. where
couldour master go that he should not have an opportunity of
learning them? and yetwhat necessity was there for his having a
regular master?'
shu-sun wu-shu observed to the great officers in the court,
saying, 'tsze-kung is superior to chung-ni.'
tsze-fu ching-po reported the observation to tsze-kung, who
said, 'let meuse the comparison of a house and its encompassing
wall. my wall only reaches tothe shoulders. one may peep over it,
and see whatever is valuable in theapartments.
'the wall of my master is several fathoms high. if one do
not find the doorand enter by it, he cannot see the ancestral
temple with its beauties, nor allthe officers in their rich
array.
'but i may assume that they are few who find the door. was
not theobservation of the chief only what might have been
expected?'
shu-sun wu-shu having spoken revilingly of chung-ni,
tsze-kung said, 'it isof no use doing so. chung-ni cannot be
reviled. the talents and virtue of othermen are hillocks and mounds
which may be stepped over. chung-ni is the sun ormoon, which it is
not possible to step over. although a man may wish to cuthimself
off from the sage, what harm can he do to the sun or moon? he only
showsthat he does not know his own capacity.
ch'an tsze-ch' in, addressing tsze-kung, said, 'you are too
modest. how canchung-ni be said to be superior to you?'
tsze-kung said to him, 'for one word a man is often deemed
to be wise, andfor one word he is often deemed to be foolish. we
ought to be careful indeed inwhat we say.
'our master cannot be attained to, just in the same way as
the heavenscannot be gone up by the steps of a stair.
'were our master in the position of the ruler of a state or
the chief of afamily, we should find verified the description which
has been given of a sage'srule:-he would plant the people, and
forthwith they would be established; hewould lead them on, and
forthwith they would follow him; he would make themhappy, and
forthwith multitudes would resort to his dominions; he
wouldstimulate them, and forthwith they would be harmonious. while
he lived, he wouldbe glorious. when he died, he would be bitterly
lamented. how is it possible forhim to be attained to?'
20
yao said, 'oh! you, shun, the heaven-determined order of
succession nowrests in your person. sincerely hold fast the due
mean. if there shall bedistress and want within the four seas, the
heavenly revenue will come to aperpetual end.'
shun also used the same language in giving charge to
yu.
t'ang said, 'i the child li, presume to use a dark-colored
victim, andpresume to announce to thee, o most great and sovereign
god, that the sinner idare not pardon, and thy ministers, o god, i
do not keep in obscurity. theexamination of them is by thy mind, o
god. if, in my person, i commit offenses,they are not to be
attributed to you, the people of the myriad regions. if youin the
myriad regions commit offenses, these offenses must rest on my
person.'
chau conferred great gifts, and the good were
enriched.
'although he has his near relatives, they are not equal to
my virtuous men.the people are throwing blame upon me, the one
man.'
he carefully attended to the weights and measures, examined
the body of thelaws, restored the discarded officers, and the good
government of the kingdomtook its course.
he revived states that had been extinguished, restored
families whose lineof succession had been broken, and called to
office those who had retired intoobscurity, so that throughout the
kingdom the hearts of the people turnedtowards him.
what he attached chief importance to were the food of the
people, the dutiesof mourning, and sacrifices.
by his generosity, he won all. by his sincerity, he made
the people reposetrust in him. by his earnest activity, his
achievements were great. by hisjustice, all were delighted.
tsze-chang asked confucius, saying, 'in what way should a
person inauthority act in order that he may conduct government
properly?' the masterreplied, 'let him honor the five excellent,
and banish away the four bad,things;-then may he conduct government
properly.' tsze-chang said, 'what aremeant by the five excellent
things?' the master said, 'when the person inauthority is
beneficent without great expenditure; when he lays tasks on
thepeople without their repining; when he pursues what he desires
without beingcovetous; when he maintains a dignified ease without
being proud; when he ismajestic without being fierce.'
tsze-chang said, 'what is meant by being beneficent without
greatexpenditure?' the master replied, 'when the person in
authority makes morebeneficial to the people the things from which
they naturally derive benefit;-isnot this being beneficent without
great expenditure? when he chooses the laborswhich are proper, and
makes them labor on them, who will repine? when hisdesires are set
on benevolent government, and he secures it, who will accuse himof
covetousness? whether he has to do with many people or few, or with
thingsgreat or small, he does not dare to indicate any
disrespect;-is not this tomaintain a dignified ease without any
pride? he adjusts his clothes and cap, andthrows a dignity into his
looks, so that, thus dignified, he is looked at withawe;-is not
this to be majestic without being fierce?'
tsze-chang then asked, 'what are meant by the four bad
things?' the mastersaid, 'to put the people to death without having
instructed them;-this is calledcruelty. to require from them,
suddenly, the full tale of work, without havinggiven them
warning;this is called oppression. to issue orders as if
withouturgency, 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, todo it in a stingy way;-this is
called acting the part of a mere official.'
the master said, 'without recognizing the ordinances of
heaven, it isimpossible to be a superior man.
'without an acquaintance with the rules of propriety, it is
impossible forthe character to be established.
'without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to
know men.'
