av Konfucius
1:1 Confucius said: "Isn't it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned?
Isn't it also great when friends visit from distant places? If people do not recognize me
and it doesn't bother me, am I not a Superior Man?"
[Comment] Superior Man is a common English translation for the Chinese term
chün-tzu which originally means "Son of a Prince"--thus, someone from the nobility. In
the Analects, Confucius imbues the term with a special meaning. Though sometimes
used strictly in its original sense, it also refers to a person who has made significant
progress in the Way (Tao) of self-cultivation, by practicing Righteousness, by loving
treatment of parents, respect for elders, honesty with friends, etc. Though the
chün-tzu is clearly a highly advanced human being, he is still distinguished from the
category of sage (sheng-jen), who is, in the Analects more of a "divine being," usually
a model from great antiquity.The character of the Superior Man, in contrast to the sage, is being taught as a tangible
model for all in the here and now. And although many descriptions of the requirements
for chün-tzu status seem quite out of our reach, there are many passages where
Confucius labels a contemporary, or one of his disciples a "Superior Man," intending a
complement. Thus, the categorization is not so rigid. One might want to compare the
term "Superior Man" to the Buddhist bodhisattva, in that both are the models for the
tradition, both indicate a very high stage of human development as technical terms, yet
both may be used colloquially to refer to a "really good person."
1:2 Yu Tzu said: "There are few who have developed themselves filially and fraternally
who enjoy offending their superiors. Those who do not enjoy offending superiors are
never troublemakers. The Superior Man concerns himself with the fundamentals. Once
the fundamentals are established, the proper way (tao) appears. Are not filial piety
and obedience to elders fundamental to the enactment of jen?"
[Comment] The Chinese term jen has been translated into English as "humanity,"
"benevolence," "goodness," "Perfect Goodness," etc. It is a difficult concept to
translate because it doesn't really refer to any specific type of virtue or positive
endowment, but refers to an inner capacity possessed by all human beings to do good,
as human beings should. This is the reason some have translated it as "humanity." The
problem with this translation is that it does not indicate the "goodness" implied by the
term jen.In the Chinese "essence-function" perception, jen can be understood as the essence of
all kinds of manifestations of virtuosity: wisdom, filial piety, reverence, courtesy, love,
sincerity, etc., all of which are aspects, or functions of jen. Through one's efforts at
practicing at the function of jen, one may enhance and develop one's jen, until one
may be called a Superior Man, or even better, a "Person of jen." In the Analects,
"person of jen" is an extremely high state, rarely acknowledged of any human being by
Confucius.
1:3 Confucius said: "Someone who is a clever speaker and maintains a 'too-smiley'
face is seldom considered a person of jen."
1:4 Tseng Tzu said: "Each day I examine myself in three ways: in doing things for
others, have I been disloyal? In my interactions with friends, have I been
untrustworthy? Have not practiced what I have preached?"
1:5 Confucius said: "If you would govern a state of a thousand chariots (a
small-to-middle-size state), you must pay strict attention to business, be true to your
word, be economical in expenditure and love the people. You should use them
according to the seasons."
[Comment] "Usage of the people according to the seasons" is extremely important in
an agriculture-based society, where planting, cultivating, or harvesting a certain crop
during a certain few-day period can be critical. During the Spring and Autumn and
Warring States periods in China, selfish and aggressive warlords frequently pulled
farmers off their land at important farming times, to use them for public works
projects, or have them fight in the ruler's personal wars.
1:6 Confucius said: "A young man should serve his parents at home and be respectful
to elders outside his home. He should be earnest and truthful, loving all, but become
intimate with jen. After doing this, if he has energy to spare, he can study literature and
the arts."
[Comment] In the above-mentioned essence-function view, the development of one's
proper relationship with one's parents and others around her/him is fundamental in life.
Only after these things are taken care of is it proper to go off and play at whatever one
likes--even if this "play" involves the serious study of some art form.
1:7 Tzu Hsia said: "If you can treat the worthy as worthy without strain, exert your
utmost in serving your parents, devote your whole self in serving your prince, and be
honest in speech when dealing with your friends. Then even if someone says you are
not learned (hsüeh), I would say that you are definitely learned."
[Comment] In the Confucian tradition, learning (hsüeh) is more than intellectual,
academic study, or the accumulation of facts (although this aspect is included). It is the
process of manifesting one's jen by developing-oneself in self-reflection through the
various types of human relationships.
1:8 Confucius said: "If the Superior Man is not 'heavy,' then he will not inspire awe in
others. If he is not learned, then he will not be on firm ground. He takes loyalty and
good faith to be of primary importance, and has no friends who are not of equal
(moral) caliber. When he makes a mistake, he doesn't hesitate to correct it."
[Comment] The Superior Man still makes mistakes. The difference between him and
other people is that he rectifies his errors as soon as he becomes aware of them.
1:9 Tseng Tzu said: "When they are careful (about their parents) to the end and
continue in reverence after (their parents) are long gone, the virtue of the people will
return to its natural depth."
1:10 Tzu Ch'in asked Tzu Kung: "When our teacher (Confucius) arrives in any
country, he invariably finds out everything about its government. Does he seek this
information? Or is it given to him?"Tzu Kung said, "Our teacher gets it by being cordial, upright, courteous, temperate
and complaisant. His way of getting information is quite different from that of other
men."
1:11 Confucius said: "When your father is alive, observe his will. When your father is
dead observe his former actions. If, for three years you do not change from the ways
of your father, you can be called a 'real son (hsiao).'"
[Comment] In terms of the development of the character of the human being, the most
fundamental practice is that of "filial piety," the English translation of the Chinese hsiao,
which means to love, respect and take care of one's parents. Confucius believed that if
people cultivated this innate tendency well, all other natural forms of human goodness
would be positively affected by it.
1:12 Yu Tzu said: "In the actual practice of propriety, flexibility is important. This is
what the ancient kings did so well--both the greater and the lesser used flexibility. Yet
you should be aware: If you understand flexibility and use it, but don't structure
yourself with propriety, things won't go well."
[Comment] Propriety is the English rendition of the Chinese li. This is a word that
also has a wide spectrum of meaning in Classical Chinese thought, and is difficult to
translate by a single word. Its most basic meaning is that of "ritual" or "ceremony,"
referring to all sorts of rituals that permeated early East Asian society. The most
significant of course, would be wedding ceremonies and funerals. But there were also
various agricultural rituals, coming-of-age rituals, coronations, etc. Confucius was an
expert on the proper handling of all sorts of rituals.The term li however, has, in the Analects, a much broader meaning than ritual, since it
can also refer to the many smaller "ritualized" behavior patterns involved in day-to-day
human interactions. This would include proper speech and body language according to
status, age, sex--thus, "manners." In this sense, li means any action proper, or
appropriate to the situation. For instance, in the modern context, I might go up and
slap my friend on the back. But I certainly wouldn't to that to my professor, or to a
student in my class whom I don't know very well.In the Analects, li, as a general category, is clearly defined in a relationship with jen,
where jen is the inner, substantial goodness of the human being, and li is the
functioning of jen in the manifest world. That is to say, li is Righteousness, filial piety,
fraternal respect, familial affection, etc.
1:13 Tzu Yu said: "When your own trustworthiness is close to Righteousness, your
words can be followed. When your show of respect is according to propriety, you will
be far from shame and disgrace. If you have genuine affection within your family, you
can become an ancestor."
[Comment] Righteousness with a capital "R" is my rendering of the Chinese i, which
has also commonly been translated as righteousness. Although not quite as essential a
concept as jen, it is a strongly internalized human capacity. Being attuned to
Righteousness allows people to do the proper thing in the proper situation, to give
each person, place and thing its proper due.
1:14 Confucius said: "When the Superior Man eats he does not try to stuff himself; at
rest he does not seek perfect comfort; he is diligent in his work and careful in speech.
He avails himself to people of the Tao and thereby corrects himself. This is the kind of
person of whom you can say, 'he loves learning.'"
1:15 Tzu Kung asked: "What do you think of a poor man who doesn't grovel or a rich
man who isn't proud?" Confucius said, "They are good, but not as good as a poor man
who is satisfied and a rich man who loves propriety." Tzu Kung said, "The Book of
Odes says:
Like cutting and filing,
Grinding and polishing This simile for the process of self-perfection is found often in
Confucian texts.
Is this what you are talking about?" Confucius said, "Ah, now I can begin to discuss
the Book of Odes with Tz'u. I give him a hint and he gets the whole point."
1:16 Confucius said: "I am not bothered by the fact that I am unknown. I am bothered
when I do not know others."
2:1 Confucius said: "If you govern with the power of your virtue, you will be like the
North Star. It just stays in its place while all the other stars position themselves around
it."
[Comment] This is the Analects' first statement on government. Scholars of Chinese
thought have commonly placed great emphasis on a supposed radical distinction
between Confucian "authoritative" government and Taoist "laissez-faire" government.
But numerous Confucian passages such as this which suggest of the ruler's governance
by a mere attunement with an inner principle of goodness, without unnecessary
external action, quite like the Taoist wu-wei are far more numerous than has been
noted. This is one good reason for us to be careful when making the commonplace
Confucian/Taoist generalizations without qualification.
2:2 Confucius said: "The 300 verses of the Book of Odes can be summed up in a
single phrase: 'Don't think in an evil way.'"
2:3 Confucius said: "If you govern the people legalistically and control them by
punishment, they will avoid crime, but have no personal sense of shame. If you govern
them by means of virtue and control them with propriety, they will gain their own sense
of shame, and thus correct themselves."
2:4 Confucius said: "At fifteen my heart was set on learning; at thirty I stood firm; at
forty I had no more doubts; at fifty I knew the mandate of heaven; at sixty my ear was
obedient; at seventy I could follow my heart's desire without transgressing the norm."
2:5 Meng I Tzu asked about the meaning of filial piety. Confucius said, "It means 'not
diverging (from your parents).'"" Later, when Fan Chih was driving him, Confucius told
Fan Chih, "Meng Sun asked me about the meaning of filial piety, and I told him 'not
diverging.'" Fan Chih said, "What did you mean by that?" Confucius said, "When your
parents are alive, serve them with propriety; when they die, bury them with propriety,
and then worship them with propriety."
2:6 Meng Wu Po asked about the meaning of filial piety. Confucius said, "The main
concern of your parents is about your health."
[Comment] When we are separated from our parents for long periods of time, we
can set their minds at ease by letting them know that we are in good health.
2:7 Tzu Lu asked about the meaning of filial piety. Confucius said, "Nowadays filial
piety means being able to feed your parents. But everyone does this for even horses
and dogs. Without respect, what's the difference?"
2:8 Tzu Hsia asked about filial piety. Confucius said, "What is important is the
expression you show in your face. You should not understand 'filial' to mean merely
the young doing physical tasks for their parents, or giving them food and wine when it
is available."
2:9 Confucius said: "I can talk with Hui for a whole day without him differing with me
in any way--as if he is stupid. But when he retires and I observe his personal affairs, it
is quite clear that he is not stupid."
[Comment] Hui (Yen Yüan) is Confucius' favorite disciple, who is praised in many
passages of the Analects. He died at a young age, probably around thirty, a fact
which Confucius lamented.
2:10 Confucius said: "See a person's means (of getting things). Observe his motives.
Examine that in which he rests. How can a person conceal his character? How can a
person conceal his character?"
[Comment] People think that they are successfully hiding the devious plots that are
going on in their minds. But as the Doctrine of the Mean teaches, "The sincerity on
the inside shows on the outside." When someone is deceitful, everyone knows it.
When someone is good and honest, everyone knows it.
2:11 Confucius said: "Reviewing what you have learned and learning anew, you are fit
to be a teacher."
2:12 Confucius said: "The Superior Man is not a utensil."
[Comment] The Superior Man is not a technician, to be used by others to do a single
job. On another level, his mind is not narrowly oriented by a specific task. The
chün-tzu thinks broadly and does not limit himself quickly into a certain world-view,
and cannot easily be used as a cog in someone else's machine.
2:13 Tzu Kung asked about the character of the Superior Man. Confucius said, "First
he practices what he preaches and then he follows it."
2:14 Confucius said: "The Superior Man is all-embracing and not partial. The inferior
man is partial and not all-embracing."
2:15 Confucius said: "To study and not think is a waste. To think and not study is
dangerous."
2:16 Confucius said: "To throw oneself into strange teachings is quite dangerous."
2:17 Confucius said: "Yu, shall I teach you about knowledge? What you know, you
know, what you don't know, you don't know. This is knowledge."
[Comment] The stage of "knowing what you know and knowing what you don't
know" is not easy to attain. It has been noted in the teachings of other religious
traditions to be a very high level of attainment.
2:18 Tzu Chang was studying to get an upgrade in status. Confucius said, "Listen
widely to remove your doubts and be careful when speaking about the rest and your
mistakes will be few. See much and get rid of what is dangerous and be careful in
acting on the rest and your causes for regret will be few. Speaking without fault, acting
without causing regret: 'upgrading' consists in this."
2:19 The Duke of Ai asked: "How can I make the people follow me?" Confucius
replied: "Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, and the people will follow
you. Advance the crooked and set aside the upright, and the people will not follow
you."
2:20 Chi K'ang Tzu asked: "How can I make the people reverent and loyal, so they
will work positively for me?" Confucius said, "Approach them with dignity, and they
will be reverent. Be filial and compassionate and they will be loyal. Promote the able
and teach the incompetent, and they will work positively for you."
2:21 Someone asked Confucius: "Why are you not involved in government?"
Confucius said, "What does the Book of History say about filial piety? 'Righteous by
being a good son and friendly to ones brothers and sisters you can have an effect on
government.' Since this is also 'doing government,' why do I need to do 'doing
government?'"
2:22 Confucius said: "If a person lacks trustworthiness, I don't know what s/he can be
good for. When a pin is missing from the yoke-bar of a large wagon, or from the
collar-bar of a small wagon, how can it go?"
2:23 Tzu Chang asked whether the state of affairs ten generations hence could be
known. Confucius said, "The Shang based its propriety on that of the Yin, and what it
added and subtracted is knowable. The Chou has based its propriety on that of the
Shang and what it added and subtracted is knowable. In this way, what continues
from the Chou, even if 100 generations hence, is knowable."
2:24 Confucius said: "To worship to other than one's own ancestral spirits is
brown-nosing. If you see what is right and fail to act on it, you lack courage."
3:1 Confucius, speaking about the head of the Ch'i family said, "He has eight rows of
dancers in his court. If he does this, what will he not do?"
[Comment] In this passage and the following one, Confucius is complaining about a
lower-level aristocrat using ceremonies that were officially prescribed for much
higher-level nobility. "Eight rows of dancers," was the amount allowable to only the
most elite of the nobility. The head of the Ch'i family is often criticized in the Analects
for similar improprieties.
3:2 The Three Families used the Yung Songs at the clearing of the sacrificial vessels.
Confucius said,
Attended on by Lords and Princes:
How magnificent is the Son of Heaven!
How could these words be used in the halls of the Three Families?
3:3 Confucius said: "If a man has no jen what can his propriety be like? If a man has
no jen what can his music be like?"
[Comment] Since jen is the essence of all positive human attributes, without it, how
can they truly operate?
3:4 Lin Fang asked about the fundamentals of ritual. Confucius said, "What an
excellent question! In ritual, it is better to be frugal than extravagant; in funerals deep
sorrow is better than ease."
3:5 Confucius said: "The tribes of the East and North (Koreans and Mongolians),
though having kings, are not equal to our people, even when lacking kings,"
[Comment] Either Confucius is an outright ethnic chauvinist, or he is pointing to a real
difference in the relative level of cultural development at that time between the central
Chinese kingdoms and the outerlying peoples.
3:7 Confucius said: "The Superior Man has nothing to compete for. But if he must
compete, he does it in an archery match, wherein he ascends to his position, bowing in
deference. Descending, he drinks the ritual cup. This is the competition of the Superior
Man."
3:8 Tzu Hsia quoted the following:
Her tactful smile charms;
Her eyes, fine and clear,
Beautiful without accessories.
And asked its meaning. Confucius said, "A painting is done on plain white paper." Tzu
Hsia said, "Then are rituals a secondary thing?" Confucius said, "Ah, Shang, you uplift
me. Now we can really begin to discuss the Book of Odes."
[Comment] Among all the ancient classical works available to scholars of the time,
Confucius seems to place special value on the Book of Odes, for its strength in moral
teachings as well as the intellectual stimulation it provided.
3:10 Confucius said: "At the Great Sacrifice, after the pouring of the libation, I have no
further desire to watch."
3:11 Someone asked for an explanation of the Great Sacrifice. Confucius said, "I don't
know. If there were someone who knew this, he could see the whole world as if it
were this": He pointed to the palm of his hand.
3:12 "Sacrificing as if present" means sacrificing to the spirits as if they were present.
Confucius said, "If I do not personally offer the sacrifice, it is the same as not having
sacrificed at all."
3:13 Wang Sun Chia asked: "What do you think about the saying 'It is better to
sacrifice to the god of the stove than to the god of the family shrine.'?" Confucius said,
"Not so. If you offend Heaven, there is no one you can pray to."
3:14 Confucius said: "The people of the Chou were able to observe the prior two
dynasties and thus their culture flourished. I now follow the Chou."
3:15 When Confucius entered the Grand Temple, he asked about everything.
Someone said, "Who said Confucius is a master of ritual? He enters the Grand Temple
and asks about everything!"Confucius, hearing this, said, "This is the ritual."
3:16 Confucius said: "In archery it is not important to pierce through the leather
covering of the target, since not all men have the same strength. This is the Way of the
ancients."
3:17 Tzu Kung wanted to do away with the sacrifice of the sheep on the first of the
month. Confucius said, "Tz'u, you love the sheep; I love the ceremony."
3:18 Confucius said: "If you use every single courtesy while serving your prince, the
people will call you a brown-noser."
3:19 Duke Ting asked how a ruler should employ his ministers and how a minister
should serve his ruler. Confucius replied, saying: "The prince employs his ministers with
propriety; the ministers serve their prince with good faith."
3:20 Confucius said: "The Kuan Tzu The Kuan Tzu ("The Cry of the Ospreys") is the
first poem in the Book of Odes. It begins by describing a lover's grief at being
separated from his lady and ends by describing their joyful union. (Waley, 99) allows
for pleasure without being lewd and allows for grief without being too painful."
3:21 The Duke of Ai asked Tsai Wo about sacred temple grounds. Tsai Wo said,
"The Hsia emperor planted them with pines; the Hsiang people planted them with
cypress and the Chou people planted them with chestnut, thinking to cause people to
be in awe of these trees."Confucius, hearing this, said, "Don't bother explaining that which has already been
done; don't bother criticizing that which is already gone; don't bother blaming that
which is already past."
3:22 Confucius said: "Kuan Chung was quite limited in capacity."
Someone asked: "Wasn't Kuan Chung frugal?"
Confucius said, "Kuan had three sets of wives and his officers never did overtime.
How can he be considered to have been frugal?""But then did Kuan Chung understand propriety?" Confucius said, "The princes of the
states have a special ritual screen at their door, and so did Kuan Chung (even though
he was not of the proper rank to do this). When the princes of state had a friendly
meeting, they would ritually turn their cups over on the table. -Kuan also turned his
cups over on the table. If Kuan Chung understood propriety, then who doesn't?"
3:23 Confucius, when talking with the Grand Music Master of Lu, said, "In my
understanding of music, the piece should be begun in unison. Afterwards, if it is pure,
clear and without break, it will be perfect."
3:24 The border guard at Yi requested an audience with the Master, saying:
"Whenever a Superior Man comes here, I never miss the opportunity to see him." The
disciples sent him in. When he came out, he said, "Friends, don't have any doubts
about your master failing. The world has certainly lacked the Tao for a long time now,
but Heaven will use your master to awaken everyone."
3:26 Confucius said: "Men of high office who are narrow-minded; propriety without
respect and funerals without grief: how can I bear to look at such things?!"
4:1 Confucius said: "As for a neighborhood, it is its jen that makes it beautiful. If you
choose to live in a place that lacks jen, how can you grow in wisdom?"
4:2 Confucius said: "If you lack jen you can't handle long periods of difficulty or long
periods of comfortability. Jen men are comfortable in jen. The wise take advantage of
jen."
4:3 Confucius said: "Only the jen person is able to really like others or to really dislike
them."
4:4 Confucius said: "If you are really committed to jen, you will have no evil in you."
4:5 Confucius said, "Riches and honors are what all men desire. But if they cannot be
attained in accordance with the Tao they should not be kept. Poverty and low status
are what all men hate. But if they cannot avoided in while staying in accordance with
the Tao, you should not avoid them. If a Superior Man departs from jen, how can he
be worthy of that name? A Superior Man never leaves jen for even the time of a single
meal. In moments of haste he acts according to it. In times of difficulty or confusion he
acts according to it."
4:6 Confucius said: "I have never seen one who really loves jen or really hates
non-jen. If you really loved jen you would not place anything above it. If you really
hated the non-jen, you would not let it near you. Is there anyone who has devoted
their strength to jen for a single day? I have not seen anyone who has lacked the
strength to do so. Perhaps there has been such a case, but I have never seen it."
4:7 Confucius said: "People err according to their own level. It is by observing a
person's mistakes that you can know his/her goodness."
[Comment] No one is perfect, free from error. But when someone makes a mistake
in a human relationship, we can tell by the type of mistake, and by the person's way of
dealing with it, what her/his true character is like.
4:8 Confucius said: "If I can hear the Tao in the morning, in the evening I can die
content."
4:9 "A shih who is set on the way, but is ashamed of old clothes and coarse food, is
not worth consulting."
[Comment] The title shih is usually translated into English as either "knight" or
"scholar." While the shih of later Chinese history is more definitely a scholar than a
knight, in the Analects, what Confucius is referring to is a level of spiritual/moral
development, as well as academic and martial cultivation which is clearly above that of
the average person. Thus, we can understand the shih to be a person who is well on
the way toward becoming a "Superior Man," but is not quite there yet. I am reluctant
to render shih, as either "scholar" or "knight" because of the limitations in meaning that
occur with these English words.
4:10 Confucius said: "When the Superior Man deals with the world he is not
prejudiced for or against anything. He does what is Right."
4:11 Confucius said: "The Superior Man cares about virtue; the inferior man cares
about material things. The Superior Man seeks discipline; the inferior man seeks
favors."
4:12 Confucius said: "If you do everything with a concern for your own advantage,
you will be resented by many people."
4:13 Confucius said: "If you can govern the country by putting propriety first, what else
will you need to do? If you can't govern your country by putting propriety first, how
could you even call it propriety?"
4:14 Confucius said: "I don't worry abut not having a good position; I worry about the
means I use to gain position. I don't worry about being unknown; I seek to be known
in the right way."
4:15 Confucius said: "Shan, my Tao is penetrated by a single thread." Tseng Tzu said,
"Yes." When the Master left, some disciples asked what he meant. Tseng Tzu said,
"Our master's Tao is to be sincere and fair, and that's it."
4:16 Confucius said: "The Superior Man is aware of Righteousness, the inferior man is
aware of advantage."
4:17 Confucius said: "When you see a good person, think of becoming like her/him.
When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points."
4:18 Confucius said: "When you serve your mother and father it is okay to try to
correct them once in a while. But if you see that they are not going to listen to you,
keep your respect for them and don't distance yourself from them. Work without
complaining."
4:19 Confucius said: "While your parents are alive, it is better not to travel far away. If
you do travel, you should have a precise destination."
4:20 Confucius said: "If, for three years (after your father's death) you don't alter his
ways of doing things, you can certainly be called 'filial.'"
4:21 Confucius said: "Your parents' age should not be ignored. Sometimes it will be a
source of joy, and sometimes it will be a source of apprehension."
4:22 Confucius said: "The ancients were hesitant to speak, fearing that their actions
would not do justice to their words."
4:23 Confucius said: "If you are strict with yourself, your mistakes will be few."
4:24 Confucius said: "The Superior Man desires to be hesitant in speech, but sharp in
action."
4:25 Confucius said: "If you are virtuous, you will not be lonely. You will always have
friends."
4:26 Tzu Yu said: "In serving your prince, frequent remonstrance will lead to disgrace.
With friends, frequent remonstrance will lead to separation."
5:1 Confucius said of Kung Ye Chang that he was fit for marriage. Even though he
was arrested once, he had been innocent; therefore Confucius gave him his daughter in
marriage. Confucius said of Nan Yung that if the Tao prevailed in the state he would
never lack an official post. If the Tao was lacking in the state, he would avoid getting
into trouble. He gave him the daughter of his own elder brother in marriage.
5:2 Confucius said of Tzu Chien: "He is a Superior Man. If the state of Lu is really
lacking Superior Men how could he have acquired such a character?"
5:3 Tzu Kung asked: "What do you say of me?"
Confucius said, "You are a vessel."
"What kind of vessel."
"A gemmed sacrificial vessel."
5:4 Someone said: "Yung is a man of jen, but he is not sharp enough with his tongue."
Confucius said, "Why does he need to be sharp with his tongue? If you deal with
people by smooth talk, you will soon be disliked. I don't know if Yung is a jen man,
but why should he have to be a clever speaker?"
5:5 Confucius encouraged Ch'i Tiao K'ai to get employment as an official. He replied:
"I am not yet sincere enough." The master was pleased.
5:6 Confucius said: "The Tao is not practiced. I shall go ride a raft on the ocean--and I
imagine Yu would go with me." Tzu Lu was very happy to hear this. Confucius said,
"Yu likes daring more than I, but he lacks discretion."
5:7 Meng Wu Po asked Confucius whether Tzu Lu was a man of jen.
Confucius said, "I don't know."
He asked again. Confucius said, "Yu could direct the public works forces in a state of
1,000 chariots, but I don't know if I would call him a man of jen."Meng again asked: "What about Ch'iu?"
Confucius said, "Ch'iu could be the governor of a city of 1,000 families, or of a clan of
100 chariots, but I don't know if he is a man of jen."Meng asked: "What about Ch'ih?"
The Master said, "Dressed up with his sash, placed in the middle of the court, he could
make conversation with the guests, but I don't know if he is a man of jen."
5:8 Confucius, speaking to Tzu Kung said, "Who is superior, you or Hui?" Tzu Kung
answered, saying: "How could I compare myself to Hui? He hears one point and
understands the whole thing. I hear one point and understand another."Confucius said, "You are not equal to him; you are right, you are not equal to him."
5:9 Tsai Yu slept during the daytime. Confucius said, "Rotten wood cannot be carved;
dirty earth cannot be used for cement: why bother scolding him? At first I used to
listen to what people said and expect them to act accordingly. Now I listen to what
people say and watch what they do. I learned this from Yu."
5:10 Confucius said: "I have not yet met a really solid man." Someone said, "What
about Shan Ch'ang?"Confucius said, "Ch'ang is ruled by lust. How could he be solid?"
5:11 Tzu Kung said: "What I don't want done to me, I don't want to do to others."
Confucius said, "Tz'u, you have not yet gotten to this level."
5:12 Tzu Kung said: "What our Master has to say about the classics can be heard and
also embodied. Our Master's words on the essence and the Heavenly Tao, though not
attainable, can be heard."
5:13 When Tzu Lu heard a teaching and had not yet put it into practice, he would be
uptight about hearing something new in the meantime.
5:14 Tzu Kung asked: "How did Kung Wen Tzu get the title 'wen'? (wen = "learned,
literary, refined") Confucius said, "He was diligent and loved to study. He was also
unashamed to ask questions to his inferiors. Therefore he got the name "wen."
5:15 Confucius said that Tzu Chan had four characteristics of the Superior Man: In his
private conduct he was courteous; in serving superiors he was respectful, in providing
for the people he was kind; in dealing with the people he was just.
5:16 Confucius said: "Yen P'ing Chung was good at getting along with people. Even
after a long period of acquaintance, he would continue to treat them with respect."
5:18 Tzu Chang asked: "The Chief Minister Tzu Wen was appointed three times, but
never showed any sign of pleasure. He was fired three times, but never showed any
sign of disappointment. He would always inform the incoming minister on all the details
of the prior government. What do you think of him?"Confucius said, "He was loyal."
"Was he jen?"
Confucius said, "I don't know what he did to deserve to be called jen."
Tzu Chang again asked: "When Ch'iu Tzu assassinated the prince of Ch'i, Ch'an Wen
Tzu, who had a fief of ten chariots, abandoned them and left the state. Arriving to
another state, he said, 'The government here is just like that of the officer Ch'iu Tzu.'
and he left it. Coming to another state he said, 'They are again just like the officer Ch'iu
Tzu.' and he left. What do you think of him?"Confucius said, "He was pure."
"Was he jen?"
"I don't know what he did to merit being called jen."
5:19 Chi Wen Tzu contemplated something three times before acting upon it. When
Confucius heard this, he said, "Twice is enough."
5:20 Confucius said: "When the Tao prevailed in the state, Ning Wu Tzu showed his
intelligence. When the Tao declined in the state, he played stupid. Someone might be
able to match his intelligence, but no one can match his stupidity."
5:21 Once, when Confucius was in Ch'an, he said, "I must return! I must return! My
young disciples are wild For the meaning of "wild" here, please see the discussion of
the term kuang in the comment on 13:21. and unbridled. Though they are developing
well, they don't always know when to restrain themselves."
5:22 Confucius said: "Po Yi and Shu Chi did not keep others' former wrongdoings in
mind, and so there was little resentment against them."
[Comment] Po Yi and Shu Chi are two ministers of antiquity, famous for their virtue.
5:23 Confucius said: "Who said that Wei Shang Kai is of straight character? Someone
begged vinegar from him, and he went and got some from his neighbors and gave it to
him." (Rather than giving his own).
5:24 Confucius said: "Clever words, a pretentious face and too-perfect courtesy: Tso
Ch'iu Ming was ashamed of them. I am also ashamed of them. Concealing one's
resentments and acting friendly to people: Tso Ch'iu Ming was ashamed to act this
way and so am I."
5:25 Yen Yüan and Tzu Lu were by the Master's side. He said to them: "Why don't
each of you tell me of your aspirations?"Tzu Lu said, "I would like to have wagons, horses and light fur coats to give to my
friends, and if they damaged them, not to get angry."Yen Yüan said, "I would like not to be proud of my good points and not to show off
my works."Tzu Lu said, "What are your wishes, Teacher?"
Confucius said, "I would like to give comfort to the aged, trust to my friends and
nurturance to the young."
5:26 Confucius said: "It's all over! I have not yet met someone who can see his own
faults and correct them within himself."
5:27 Confucius said: "In a hamlet of ten families there must be someone as loyal and
trustworthy as I. But I doubt there will be someone as fond of study."
6:1 Confucius said: "Yung could fulfill the role of 'facing south' (being a ruler)."
Chung Kung asked about Tzu-sang Po-tzu.
Confucius said, "He will do. He is easygoing."
Chung Kung said, "Maybe if you are easygoing but abide in reverence it is all right.
But if you abide in easygoingness and are also easygoing in your activities, wouldn't
that be excessive?"Confucius said, "Yung is right."
6:2 The Duke of Ai asked which disciple loved to study. Confucius answered: "There
was Yen Hui. He loved to study, he didn't transfer his anger to the wrong person, and
he didn't repeat his mistakes. Unfortunately he died young. Since then I have not yet
met anyone who loves to study the way he did."
6:4 Confucius, speaking of Chung Kung said: "The calf of a brindled ox could be all
red and have good horns. I.e., fit the specifications for a sacrificial animal. But even if
we decide not to use it, would nature throw it away?" Legge says: "The father of
Chung-kung (See V. ii.) was a man of bad character and some would have visited this
upon his son, which drew forth Confucius' remark." (186)
6:5 Confucius said: "Hui could keep his mind on jen for three months without lapse.
Others are lucky if they can do it for one day out of a month."
6:6 Chi K'ang Tzu asked whether Chung Yu was capable of serving in the
government.Confucius said, "Yu is efficient. What problem could he have in handling government
work?"K'ang asked: "Is Tz'u capable of serving in the government?"
Confucius said, "Tz'u is intelligent. What problem could he have in handling
government work?""And what about Ch'iu?"
Confucius said, "Ch'iu is talented. What difficulty would he have in handling
government work?"
6:7 The head of the Ch'i family sent to Min Tzu Ch'ien to ask him to govern P'i for
them. Min Tzu Ch'ien said, "Please decline for me politely. If they pursue me further, I
shall have to go live on the banks of the Wen River." Which was out of the range of
Ch'i's influence.
6:8 Po Niu was sick and Confucius came to see him. He held his hand through the
window and said, "He is dying! How awful it is that this kind of man should be sick
like this! How awful it is that this kind of man should be sick like this!"
6:9 Confucius said: "Hui was indeed a worthy! With a single bamboo bowl of rice and
gourd-cup of water he lived in a back alley. Others could not have endured his misery,
but Hui never changed from his happy disposition. Hui was a worthy indeed!"
[Comment] In Confucian and Taoist thought, the term hsien ('worthy') means "good,
kind, intelligent, courageous," etc. But it is also a technical term for a person of a high
level of moral and intellectual advancement. Generally speaking, it indicates someone
who is "almost perfect" but who is not a "divine being," a sage.
6:10 Yen Ch'iu said: "It is not that I don't enjoy your Way, but my strength is not
enough."Confucius said, "Those whose strength is not enough give up half way. You are now
limiting yourself."
6:11 Confucius said to Tzu Hsia: "Be a noble scholar; don't be a petty scholar."
6:12 Tzu Yu became the governor of Wu Chang. The Master said, "Have you got any
good men working for you?"He answered: "I have Tan-t'ai Mie-ming, who never takes short cuts in his work and
does not come to my office unless he has real business to discuss."
6:13 Confucius said: "Meng Chih Fan is not boastful. Once he was covering the rear
during a retreat, and when he was about to enter the gate, he whipped his horse and
said, 'I wasn't so brave as to be last. My horse would not run fast enough.'"
6:14 Confucius said: "Without the smooth speech of Preacher T'o or the good looks
of Prince Chao of Sung, it is difficult to stay out of trouble in the present age."
6:15 Confucius said: "Who can go out without using the door? So why doesn't any
body follow the Tao?"
6:16 Confucius said: "If raw substance dominates refinement, you will be coarse. If
refinement dominates raw substance, you will be clerical. When refinement and raw
qualities are well blended, you will be a Superior Man."
6:17 Confucius said: "People are straightforward at birth. Once they lose this, they rely
on luck to avoid trouble."
6:18 Confucius said: "Knowing it is not as good as loving it; loving it is not as good as
delighting in it."
6:19 Confucius said: "You can teach high-level topics to those of above-average
ability, but you can't teach high-level topics to those of less than average ability."
6:20 Fan Ch'ih asked about the marks of wisdom.
Confucius said, "Working to give the people justice and paying respect to the spirits,
but keeping away from them, you can call wisdom." He asked about the marks of jen.Confucius said, "Ah yes, jen. If you suffer first and then attain it, it can be called jen."
6:21 Confucius said: "The wise enjoy the sea, the jen enjoy the mountains. The wise
are busy, the jen are tranquil. The wise are happy, the jen are eternal."
6:22 Confucius said: "The state of Ch'i, with one change, could be at the level of Lu.
The state of Lu, with one change, could attain to the Tao."
6:23 Confucius said: "A cornered vessel without corners! Is it a cornered vessel or
not?"
6:24 Tsai Wo asked: "If you tell a jen man that there is jen at the bottom of the well,
will he climb into it?"Confucius said, "Are you kidding? The Superior Man will go to the well but not fall
into it. He can be deceived, but not to the point of serious loss!"
6:25 Confucius said: "The Superior Man who studies culture extensively, and
disciplines himself with propriety can keep from error."
6:26 The Master visited Nan Tzu (a woman known for her sexual excesses) and Tzu
Lu was displeased. The Master dealt with this, saying: "Whatever I have done wrong,
may Heaven punish me! May Heaven punish me!"
6:27 Confucius said: "Even over a long period of time, there have been few people
who have actualized the Mean into Manifest Virtue."
6:28 Tzu Kung asked: "Suppose there were a ruler who benefited the people far and
wide and was capable of bringing salvation to the multitude, what would you think of
him? Might he be called jen?"The Master said, "Why only jen? He would undoubtedly be a sage. Even Yao and
Shun would have had to strive to achieve this. Now the jen man, wishing himself to be
established, sees that others are established, and, wishing himself to be successful,
sees that others are successful. To be able to take one's own feelings as a guide may
be called the art of jen."
7:1 Confucius said: "I am a transmitter, rather than an original thinker. I trust and enjoy
the teachings of the ancients. In my heart I compare myself to old P'eng."
7:2 Confucius said: "Keeping silent and thinking; studying without satiety, teaching
others without weariness: these things come natural to me."
7:3 Confucius said: "Having virtue and not cultivating it; studying and not sifting;
hearing what is just and not following; not being able to change wrongdoing: these are
the things that make me uncomfortable."
7:4 During the Master's leisure time he was relaxed and enjoyed himself.
7:5 Confucius said: "I am really going down the drain. I have not dreamt of the Duke
of Chou for a long time now."
7:6 Confucius said: "Set your aspirations on the Tao, hold to virtue, rely on your jen,
and relax in the study of the arts."
7:7 Confucius said: "From the one who brought a bundle of dried meat (the poorest
person) upwards, I have never denied a person my instruction."7:8 Confucius said: "If a student is not eager, I won't teach him; if he is not struggling
with the truth, I won't reveal it to him. If I lift up one corner and he can't come back
with the other three, I won't do it again."
7:9 If the Master sat beside a person in mourning, he would not eat to the full. If he
had wept on a certain day, he would not sing.
7:10 Confucius said to Yen Yüan:
When needed, acting
When not needed, concealing.
only you and I can do this."
Tzu Lu said, "If you had to handle a major army, who would you choose to assist
you?"Confucius said, "I would not select the kind of man who likes to wrestle with tigers or
cross rivers on foot, who can die without a second thought (like Tzu Lu). It must be
someone who approaches his business with caution, who likes to plan things well and
see them to their completion."
7:11 Confucius said: "If the attainment of wealth was guaranteed in its seeking, even if
I were to become a groom with a whip in hand to get it, I would do so. But since its
attainment cannot be guaranteed, I will go with that which I love."
7:12 The things with which the Master was cautious, were fasting, war and sickness.
7:13 When Confucius was in Ch'i, he heard the Shao music, and for three months did
not know the taste of meat. He said, "I never knew music could reach this level of
excellence!"
7:14 Yen Yu said: "Is our Teacher in favor of the ruler of Wei?"
Tzu Kung said, "Well, I will go find out." He entered the Teacher's room and asked:
"What kind of men were Po Yi and Shu Chi?"Confucius said, "They were ancient worthies."
Tzu Kung asked: "Weren't they resented by anyone?"
Confucius said, "If you seek jen and attain it, what resentment can you incur?"
Tzu Kung came out and said, "He is not in favor of him" Legge says (p. 199): "[Po Yi
and Shu Chi] having given up their throne, and finally their lives, rather than doing what
was wrong, and Confucius, fully approving of their conduct, it was plain he could not
approve of a son's holding by force what was the rightful inheritance of the father."
7:15 Confucius said: "I can live with coarse rice to eat, water for drink and my arm as
a pillow and still be happy. Wealth and honors that one possesses in the midst of
injustice are like floating clouds."
7:16 Confucius said: "If I could add 50 years to my life, I would study the Changes
and become free of error."
7:17 Topics which the Teacher regularly discussed were the Book of Odes, the Book
of History, and the maintenance of propriety. These were the topics which he
regularly discussed.
7:18 The Duke of Sheh asked Tzu Lu about Confucius. Tzu Lu didn't answer him. The
Teacher said, "Why didn't you just tell him that I am a man who in eagerness for study
forgets to eat, in his enjoyment of it, forgets his problems and who is unaware of old
age setting in?"
7:19 Confucius said: "I was not born with wisdom. I love the ancient teachings and
have worked hard to attain to their level."
7:20 The master never discussed strange phenomena, physical exploits, disorder or
ghost stories.
7:21 Confucius said: "When three men are walking together, there is one who can be
my teacher. I pick out people's good and follow it. When I see their bad points, I
correct them in myself."
7:22 Confucius said: "Heaven gave birth to the virtue within me. What can Huan T'ui A
high official of the Sung, who was trying to assassinate Confucius. do to me?"
7:23 Confucius said to his disciples: "My boys, do you think I conceal things from
you? There is nothing I conceal from you. There is nothing that I do that is not right out
in front of you. That is the way I am."
7:24 The Master taught four things: Culture, correct action, loyalty and trust.
7:25 Confucius said: "I have not yet been able to meet a sage, but I would be satisfied
to meet a Superior Man. I have not yet met a man of true goodness, but would be
satisfied to meet a man of constancy. Lacking, yet possessing; empty, yet full; in
difficulty yet at ease. How difficult it is to have constancy!"
7:26 When the Master went fishing, he did not use a net; when he hunted, he would
not shoot at a perched bird.
7:27 Confucius said: "There may be those who can act creatively without knowledge. I
am not at this level. I listen widely, select the good and follow their ways. I observe
broadly and contemplate. This is the second level of knowledge. (For the levels of
knowledge, see Analects 16:9)."
7:28 Since it was hard to have a worthwhile discussion with the people of Ho-hsiang,
when one of their young men came to see the teacher, the disciples didn't know what
to do with him. Confucius said, "Take people the way they come to you, not for the
way they are after they leave. Why be so strict? If someone purifies his mind to
approach you, accept him in his purity. Don't worry about what he does after he
leaves."
7:29 Confucius said: "Is jen far away? If I aspire for jen it is right here!"
7:30 The Minister of Righteousness in Ch'an asked whether the Duke of Chao knew
the rules of propriety.Confucius said, "He did."
When Confucius left, the minister bowed to (his prince) Wu Ma Ch'i and went up to
him, saying: "I have heard that the Superior Man is not partisan, but maybe he can be
since Prince Wu took a wife with the same surname, saying that she came from 'the
elder family of Wu.' If this prince knew the rules of propriety, then who doesn't know
them?"Wu Ma Ch'i told this to Confucius.
The Teacher said, "I am so lucky! When I make a mistake they always find it out."
7:31 When the Teacher was singing with someone, and he found out that they sang
well, he would make them start over again, and he would sing the harmony.
7:32 Confucius said: "In literature, perhaps I am equal to others. But I cannot manifest
the behavior of the Superior Man."
7:33 Confucius said: "I dare not claim to be a sage or a man of jen. But I strive for
these without being disappointed, and I teach without becoming weary. This is what
can be said of me."Kung Hsi Hua said, "It is exactly these qualities that cannot be learned by the
disciples."
7:34 The Master was very sick, and Tzu Lu said that he would pray for him.
Confucius said, "is there such a thing?"
Tzu Lu said, "There is. The Eulogies say: 'I pray for you to the spirits of the upper and
lower realm.'"Confucius said, "Then I have been praying for a long time already."
7:35 Confucius said: "Luxury leads to laxity, frugality leads to firmness. It is better to
be firm than to be lax."
7:36 Confucius said: "The Superior Man is always at ease with himself. The inferior
man is always anxious."
7:37 The Master was mild yet strict, authoritative yet not mean, courteous, yet
relaxed.
8:1 Confucius said: "T'ai Po can be said to have had a perfected level of virtue. He
declined the rule of the kingdom three times, without the people knowing about it."
8:2 Confucius said: "Courtesy without propriety is wasted energy. Caution without
propriety is timidity. Boldness without propriety is recklessness. Straightforwardness
without propriety is rudeness. When the ruler is kind to those who are close to him,
the people will be moved toward jen. If he does not forget his old friends, the people
too, will not be fickle."
8:3 Tseng Tzu was ill. He summoned his disciples and said, "Uncover my feet and
hands. The Book of Odes says:He was cautious,
Apprehensive.
As if at the edge of a deep chasm;
As if treading on thin ice.
From now, I know that I have gotten past this (sickness)."
8:4 While Tseng Tzu was ill, Meng Cheng Tzu went to see him. Tseng Tzu said,
"When a bird is about to die, its song is melancholy. When a man is about to die, his
words are excellent. The Way prized by the Superior Man has three aspects:In his behavior and deportment he avoids brashness and arrogance.
When paying attention to his facial expressions he is guided by honesty.
When speaking, he avoids vulgarity and slander. As far as attending to the sacrificial
tables--there are specialists hired for these jobs."
8:5 Tseng Tzu said: "Having ability, yet learning from the clumsy. Having much
knowledge, but learning from the unlearned; possessing, yet seeming to lack, being full
yet seeming empty, able to accept wrong without retaliation: in the past I had a friend
who could do this (Yen Hui?)."
8:6 Tseng Tzu said: "A man who can be entrusted with the care of the crown prince,
who can take responsibility for a district of 100 li and who can handle a major crisis
without losing touch with himself: Is he a Superior Man? He certainly is a Superior
Man."