The Sayings of Confucius / A New Translation of the Greater Part of the Confucian Analects
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[9] This is the man whom Confucius, according to Wade (see p. 73), ranked below Tzŭ Kung!
[10] Po Niu is said to have been suffering from leprosy, and therefore he would not allow visitors to enter his room.
[11] Few will see anything harmful in this anecdote as told by Confucius. Yet it is actually made to figure in the general charge of insincerity and untruthfulness brought against him by Legge. "The action was gallant," he says, "but the apology for it was weak and unnecessary. And yet Confucius saw nothing in the whole but matter for praise." In the first place, Legge entirely ignores the possibility that Mêng Chih-fan was really speaking the truth. But even if it were otherwise, Confucius' only comment is that he was "no braggart." Surely it is an overstrained morality that could be offended by this.
[12] Compare Moltke's motto: "Erst wägen, dann wagen." Tzŭ Lu was noted for his reckless bravery. Evidently jealous of the praise bestowed on Yen Yüan, he makes a delightfully artless attempt to secure some recognition for himself, but only draws down a reproof. The Master's relations with this vain, impulsive, good-hearted disciple often remind one of those subsisting between Dr. Johnson and Goldsmith.
[13] T‘ai Po was the direct heir to his father's throne, but knowing that the latter wished to be succeeded by his youngest son (the father of the future Wên Wang, the virtual founder of the Chou dynasty), he went into voluntary exile among the barbarous tribes of the south, but kept the motives of his conduct to himself, and thus obtained no credit for his self-sacrifice.
[14] The "Great Yü," who in the reign of the Emperor Yao laboured incessantly for eight years to control the disastrous inundations of the Yellow River, himself became Emperor after the death of Yao's successor Shun, and founded the Hsia dynasty (2205-1766 B. C.) .
[15] A quotation from the Book of Poetry, a collection of some 300 ancient ballads said to have been selected and arranged by Confucius himself, and hence raised to the dignity of a "classic."
[16] This must have been said by Confucius after his return from exile, when many of his followers were dead or in other parts of the Empire. Ch'en and Ts'ai are particularly mentioned because it was on the road between these two small states that he met with the most perilous adventure of his life, being surrounded by hostile troops and cut off from all supplies for the space of seven days (see p.115).It is not quite clear whether the next sentence should not be taken as a note added by the compiler, giving the names of those who were with the Master on this journey.
[17] By criticism or questioning. Cf. p.71
[18] On hsiao, occurring in another treatise, Mr. Ku Hung-ming has the following note: "The word in the text does not mean merely a filial son, but has the meaning of the Latin 'pius'—pious in its full sense, reverential to God, dutiful to parents, good, faithful and orderly in all the relations of life."
[19] "This prediction was verified. When Confucius returned to Lu from Wei, he left Tzŭ Lu and Tzŭ Kao engaged there in official service. Troubles arose. News came to Lu, B. C. 479, that a revolution was in progress in Wei, and when Confucius heard it, he said, 'Ch‘ai will come here, but Yu will die,' So it turned out. When Tzŭ Kao saw that matters were desperate he made his escape, but Tzŭ Lu would not forsake the chief who had treated him well. He threw himself into the mêlée and was slain." —Legge, Life of Confucius
[20] This was the disciple by whoso agency Confucius was finally restored to Lu. But Confucius was the last man to let private considerations stand in the way when public interests were involved and a crying evil had to be redressed. "Beating the drum" has no reference, as Legge thinks, to "the practice of executing criminals in the market-place." It was simply the recognised signal in warfare for advancing to the attack, gongs being used to sound the retreat.
[21] A member of the ambitious family which was scheming to get the whole power of the dukedom into its own hands. The two disciples here mentioned had recently been enlisted in its service, and Chi Tzŭ-jan is anxious to find out how far they can be relied upon in case of need. Confucius sees through his nefarious designs.
CONFUCIUS ON HIMSELF
The Master: I will not be grieved that other men do not know me: I will be grieved that I do not know other men.
At fifteen, my mind was bent on learning.At thirty, I stood firm.At forty, I was free from delusions.At fifty, I understood the laws of Providence.At sixty, my ears were attentive to the truth.At seventy, I could follow the promptings of my heart without overstepping the mean.
Tzŭ Kung was for doing away with the customary sacrifice of a sheep on the first day of the month.The Master said: Ah, Tz‘ŭ, you grudge the loss of a sheep, but I grudge the loss of a ceremony.
The Master said: In any hamlet of a dozen houses you will surely find men as honest and conscientious as myself, though they may not be so devoted to ethical study.
The Master having gone to visit Nan Tzŭ,[1] Tzŭ Lu was displeased. Thereupon Confucius swore a solemn oath, saying: In whatsoever I have sinned, may I be abominable in the sight of God!
The Master said: My function is to indicate rather than to originate.Regarding antiquity as I do with trust and affection, I would venture to compare myself with our ancient patriarch P‘êng Tsu.[2]
The unpretentious hiving of wisdom, patient self-cultivation, and untiring instruction of others—to which of these can I make any claim?
The failure to cultivate virtue, the failure to examine and analyse what I have learnt, the inability to move towards righteousness after being shown the way, the inability to correct my faults—these are the causes of my grief.
Alas!what a falling-off is here!Long is it since I dreamt of Chou Kung.[3]
There is no one, from the man who brings me dried meat as payment upwards, to whom I have refused my instruction.
I do not expound my teaching to any who are not eager to learn; I do not help out any one who is not anxious to explain himself; if, after being shown one corner of a subject, a man cannot go on to discover the other three, I do not repeat the lesson.
If the pursuit of riches were a commendable pursuit, I would join in it, even if I had to become a chariot-driver for the purpose.But seeing that it is not a commendable pursuit, I engage in those which are more to my taste.[4]
The Duke of Shê questioned Tzŭ Lu about Confucius.Tzŭ Lu made no reply.The Master said to him afterwards: Why did you not say: "He is a man whose zeal for self-improvement is such that he forgets to eat; whose happiness in this pursuit is so great that he forgets his troubles and does not perceive old age stealing upon him"?
The Master said: In me, knowledge is not innate.I am but one who loves antiquity, and is earnest in the study of it.
If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher.I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.
My disciples, do you think that I have any secrets?I have no secrets from you.It is my way to do nothing without communicating it to you, my disciples.
There are men, I daresay, who act rightly without knowing the reason why, but I am not one of them.Having heard much, I sift out the good and practise it; having seen much, I retain it in my memory.This is the second order of wisdom.[5]
In literary accomplishments I am perhaps equal to other men; but I have not yet succeeded in exhibiting the conduct of the princely man in my own person.
To divine wisdom and perfect virtue I can lay no claim.All that can be said of me is that I never falter in the course which I pursue and am unwearying in my instruction of others—this and nothing more.—Kung-hsi Hua said: But those are just the qualities that we, your disciples, are unable to acquire.
The Master being grievously sick, Tzŭ Lu proposed the offering up of a prayer.—Is there a precedent for this?asked the Master.—Tzŭ Lu replied: There is.In the Eulogies[6] it is written: "We pray unto you, O spirits of Heaven and Earth." —The Master said: My prayers began long ago.[7]
The Master was passing through a by-street when a man of the district shouted: Great is Confucius the philosopher!Yet for all his wide learning, he has nothing which can bring him fame. —On hearing this, the Master turned to his disciples and said: What shall I take up? Shall I take up charioteering or shall I take up archery? I will take up charioteering!
The Master said: The ancient rites prescribe linen as the material for a ceremonial cap, but nowadays silk is used as being more economical.In this matter I fall in with the general custom.According to the ancient rites, the Prince is to be saluted from below the dais, but nowadays the salutation takes place above.This is presumptuous, and therefore, though infringing thereby the general custom, I adopt the humbler position.[8]
A high officer asked Tzŭ Kung, saying: Surely your Master is a divine Prophet?What a variety of accomplishments he seems to possess!—Tzŭ Kung replied: Truly he must be a Prophet, so richly has he been endowed by God.And he has also perfected himself in various arts.—The Master, being told of this, said: Does His Excellency really know me now for what I am? Being of low condition as a boy, I did become skilled in various arts—but these are base accomplishments after all. If asked whether the higher type of man has many such accomplishments, I should say, Not many.[9]
The Master said: Am I possessed of true knowledge?Not so.But if an ignorant fellow from the lower class comes to me with a question, I will discuss the subject from end to end, and set it fully before him.
Tzŭ Kung said to Confucius: If you had a lovely jewel, would you hide it away in a casket, or would you try to sell it for a good price?— The Master replied: Oh, certainly I would sell it, but I would wait until a price was offered.[10]
The Master said: Out of doors, to tender faithful service to prince and ministers; at home, to be duteous towards father and elder brothers; to observe the rites of mourning with the utmost care; to avoid being overcome with wine:—which of these virtues have I?
In matters pertaining to ceremonies and music, the ancients were more or less uncivilised in comparison with the refinement of a later age.Nevertheless, in practice I take the earlier period as my guide.[11]
As an arbiter in litigation I am no better than other men.But surely the grand object to achieve is that there shall be no litigation at all.[12]
Wei-sheng Mou,[13] addressing Confucius, said: Ch‘iu, why is it you keep hopping about thus from place to place? Is it not in order to show off your fine rhetoric? —Confucius replied: I do not allow myself to indulge in fine rhetoric; no, it is because I consider obstinacy a fault.[14]
The Master said: There are none who know me for what I am. —Tzŭ Kung said: How is it, Sir, that none know you? —The Master replied: I make no complaint against Heaven, neither do I blame my fellow-men. In the study of virtue I begin at the bottom and tend upwards.[15] Surely Heaven knows me for what I am.
Tz‘ŭ, do you look upon me as a man who has studied and retained a mass of various knowledge?—I do, he replied.Am I wrong?—You are wrong, said the Master.All my knowledge is strung on one connecting thread.[16]
I used to spend whole days without food and whole nights without sleep, in order to meditate.
But I made no progress.Study, I found, was better.
Pi Hsi[17] sent an invitation to Confucius, and the Master wished to go. Tzŭ Lu, however, said: Once upon a time, Sir, I heard you say that the nobler sort of man would not enter into intimacy with one who laid himself out to do wrong. Now Pi Hsi has raised the standard of rebellion in Chung-mou. How can you think of going thither? —True, replied the Master. Those were my words. But is there not a saying: "The hard may be rubbed without losing its substance; the white may be steeped without losing its purity"? Am I then a bitter gourd—fit only to be hung up and not eaten?
[1] The wife of the Duke of Wei, notorious for her intrigues, and even accused of incest. Needless to say, Chinese commentators are at great pains to explain away this incident in the life of the sage.
[2] A grandson of the legendary Emperor Chuan Hsü. He is said to have been over 800 years old when he disappeared into the west in the eleventh century B. C. The last words in the text are taken by some to mean "our patriarchs Lao Tzŭ and P‘êng Tsu"—Lao Tzŭ being the founder of Taoism, who is also, by the way, alleged to have disappeared at an advanced age into the west.
[3] One of the most revered names in Chinese history. The younger brother of Wu Wang, he helped materially by his wise counsels to establish the dynasty of Chou. He drew up a legal code, purified the morals of the people, and devoted himself wholly to the welfare of the State. Confucius in the reforming zeal of his younger days had an ardent desire to see the principles and institutions of Chou Kung brought into general practice.
[4] Legge and others (including even Mr. Ku Hung-ming) make the sense out to be: "If there were any prospect of my being successful in the search for riches, I would not hesitate to pursue them by any means in my power." Thus translated, the Master's saying is grotesquely at variance with the whole trend of his conduct and the essential spirit of his teaching. Curiously enough, too, there is nothing in the Chinese itself, so far as I can see, to justify such a startling interpretation.
[5] That is to say, the wisest men are those who act intuitively, without having to find their way by any conscious mental process. Confucius disclaims any such intuitive perception of right and wrong in his own case, and confesses that he is obliged to rely largely on objective experience, as acted upon by the critical and receptive powers of his mind. The saying has a distinctly Taoist flavour.
[6] It is not known exactly what these were—a collection of prayers, a book of rituals for the dead, or panegyrics on the departed.
[7] Confucius speaks of prayer in the sense made familiar to us by Coleridge's line: "He prayeth best who loveth best." In this higher sense his whole life had been one long prayer, and he refuses any mediation between himself and God. Could antagonism to the ritualistic spirit be carried much farther than this?
[8] This saying well illustrates the Master's attitude in regard to ceremonies. He was no stickler for mere outward conformity to rule, so long as the inner meaning of the ceremony was not affected. Now the salutation of the Prince was simply intended to be a way of expressing heart-felt loyalty and respect, and it was only because the new position seemed less respectful that Confucius opposed the change.
[9] See note on p.44
[10] Question and answer are of course parabolical. The enthusiastic young disciple thinks that his Master, in taking no steps to obtain official employment, is guilty of "hiding his jewel in a casket," or, as we should say, "his light under a bushel." Confucius, however, had a great sense of the responsibility of office, and was loth to thrust himself forward uninvited. His chance came at last after fifteen years of waiting, when Duke Ting appointed him governor of the town of Chung-tu.
[11] Another proof, if one were needed, that Confucius' instincts were all for simplicity and not elaboration in ceremonies.
[12] Said by Confucius when he was Minister of Justice in Lu.
[13] Evidently an older man, from his use of the personal name, not to speak of his disrespectful tone.
[14] Confucius, like other great men, was not exempt from the usual fate of seeing his actions derided and his motives misunderstood. Here we have a gibe thrown at his wandering from state to state, for the purpose, it is insinuated, of making a living by his wits. The answer is, that to have remained in Lu or any other state where he was plainly not wanted, would have been merely stupid persistency.
[15] This accounts for men taking no notice of him. Most so-called sages start with grandiose ideals and high-flown utterances, in order to attract attention.
[16] This is rightly considered to be one of the moat important of the Master s sayings, because it gives the clue to his whole philosophy and view of life. The "connecting thread," as we learn from another passage (see p.118), is simply the moral life, which consists in being true to oneself and good to one's neighbour.Confucius wished to impress upon his disciple that he was no mere amasser of knowledge nor lover of learning for learning's sake.The one thing necessary, in his eyes, was to be able to lead, in the highest sense of the word, a moral life, and this was the real object of all learning, the end and aim of all knowledge.Throughout the Analects, as we have already seen, the usual word for "learning" always means or implies the study of virtue, the striving after self-improvement.Like Socrates, Confucius was purely a moral philosopher, and would certainly have rejected the sharp distinction we draw nowadays between mental and moral science.
[17] A rebellious official in the Chin State. On more than one occasion in his career, Confucius made it plain that he declined to be bound by narrow convention or hampered by the fear of what people might say of him. To keep clear of bad associates was no doubt an excellent principle, but Confucius may have seen some justification for Pi Hsi's course of action, and in any case he was no longer of an age to be easily corrupted by evil communications. Knowing that rules were never meant to be so rigid as to admit of no exceptions, he felt it his primary duty to go where he could do good. Cf. the visit to Nan Tzŭ (p. 83), the mere idea of which would have horrified an ordinary teacher of morality.
MISCELLANEOUS SAYINGS
The Master said: To learn, and to practise on occasion what one has learnt—is this not true pleasure?The coming of a friend from a far-off land—is this not true joy?
Make conscientiousness and sincerity your grand object.Have no friends not equal to yourself.If you have done wrong, be not ashamed to make amends.
Observe the bent of a man's will when his father is alive, and his actions after his father is dead.If during the three years of mourning he does not swerve from his father's principles, he may be pronounced a truly filial son.
The Odes[1] are three hundred in number, but their purport may be summed up in a word:—Have no depraved thoughts.
Observe a man's actions; scrutinise his motives; take note of the things that give him pleasure.How then can he hide from you what he really is?
Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher of others.
The higher type of man is not like a vessel which is designed for some Special use.[2]
Study without thought is vain; thought without study is perilous.
Absorption in the study of the supernatural is most harmful.
Yu, shall I tell you what true knowledge is?When you know, to know that you know, and when you do not know, to know that you do not know—that is true knowledge.
Tzŭ Chang was studying with a view to official preferment.The Master said to him: Among the various things you hear said, reserve your judgment on those which seem doubtful, and give cautious utterance to the rest: then you will seldom fall into error.Among the various things you see done, set aside those which seem dangerous, and cautiously put the others into practice: then you will seldom have occasion for repentance. If you seldom err in your speech, and seldom have to repent of your actions, official preferment will come of itself.
The Master said: I do not see how a man without sincerity can be good for anything.How can a cart or carriage be made to go without yoke or cross-bar?
To sacrifice to a spirit with which you have nothing to do, is mere servility.
To shirk your duty when you see it before you, shows want of moral courage.
Some one inquired as to the meaning of the Great Sacrifice.The Master said: I do not know.He who knew its meaning would find it as easy to govern the Empire as to look upon this (pointing to his palm).[3]
Wang-sun Chia[4] asked, saying: What means the adage, "Better be civil to the kitchen-god than to the god of the inner sanctum"? —The Master replied: The adage is false. He who sins against Heaven can rely on the intercession of none.
The Master said: He who serves his prince with all the proper ceremony will be accounted by men a flatterer.
It is bootless to discuss accomplished facts, to protest against things past remedy, to find fault with things bygone.
How am I to regard one who has rank without liberality, who performs ceremonies without reverence, who approaches the rites of mourning without sorrow?
Men's faults are characteristic.[5] It is by observing a man's faults that one may come to know his virtues.
Having heard the True Way in the morning what matters it if one should come to die at night?
The scholar who is bent on studying the principles of virtue, yet is ashamed of bad clothes and coarse food, is not yet fit to receive instruction.
Instead of being concerned that you have no office, be concerned to think how you may fit yourself for office.Instead of being concerned that you are not known, seek to be worthy of being known.
When you see a good man, think of emulating him; when you see a bad man, examine your own heart.
The ancients hesitated to give their thoughts utterance: they were afraid that their actions might not be equal to their words.
Few are those who err on the side of self-restraint.[6]
Virtue cannot live in solitude: neighbours are sure to grow up around it.[7]
Chi Wên Tzŭ[8] used to reflect thrice before he acted. When told of this, the Master said: Twice would do.
The Master said: Alas!I have never met a man who could see his own faults and arraign himself at the bar of his own conscience.
Tzŭ Hua having been sent on a mission to the Ch‘i State, Jan Ch‘iu begged for a gift of grain for his mother.The Master said: Give her a peck.—The disciple asking for more, he said:
Give her then a bushel.—But Jan Ch‘iu eventually gave her as much as five hundredweight of grain.Then the Master rebuked him, saying: When Ch‘ih went to the Ch‘i State, he was conveyed by a team of sleek horses and was wearing costly fur garments.Now I have heard that the princely man succours the distressed, but will not add to the opulence of the wealthy.
Yüan Ssŭ, having been made governor of a district, was presented with nine hundred measures of grain.[9] He declined them. The Master said: Do not decline them. May they not be distributed among the villages and townships of your neighbourhood?
The Master said: Who can go out of a house except by the door?In life, why not pass likewise through the door of virtue?[10]
You may speak of higher subjects to those who rise above the average level of mankind, but not to those who fall below it.
With coarse food to eat, water to drink, and the bended arm as a pillow, happiness may still exist.Wealth and rank unrighteously obtained seem to me as insubstantial as floating clouds.
The inhabitants of Hu-hsiang were unconversable people, and when a young man from those parts came to see Confucius, the disciples hesitated to let him in. But the Master said: When a man comes to me, I accept him at his best, not at his worst. Why make so much ado? When a man washes his hands before paying a visit, and you receive him in that clean state, you do not thereby stand surety for his always having been clean in the past.
The Master said: Is virtue then so remote?I have only to show a desire for virtue, and lo!it is here.
The Master said: Prodigality begets arrogance,[11] parsimony begets niggardliness. But it is better to be niggardly than arrogant.
Without due self-restraint,[12] courtesy becomes oppressive, prudence degenerates into timidity, valour into violence, and candour into rudeness.
Love of daring and dread of poverty lead to sedition. The man without natural virtue, if pursued by the hatred of society, will become a desperado.
If a man is proud and avaricious, though his other qualities may embrace all that was fine in the character of Chou Kung, they are not worth taking into account.
It is not easy to find a man who after three years of self-cultivation[13] has not reached happiness.
He who is out of office should not meddle in the government.
Hot-headedness without honesty; ignorance without ingenuousness; simplicity without sincerity:—such characters I do not understand.[14]
Pursue the study of virtue as though you could never reach your goal, and were afraid of losing the ground already gained.
The Master said: I have not met one whose love of virtue was equal to his love of sensual beauty.
Though in making a mound I should stop when but one more basketful of earth would complete it, the fact remains that I have stopped. On the other hand, if in levelling it to the ground I advance my work by but one basketful at a time, the fact remains that I am advancing.[15]
Alas!there are sprouting crops which never come into ear.There are others which, having come into ear, never ripen into grain.
We ought to have a wholesome respect for our juniors.Who knows but that by-and-by they may prove themselves equal to the men of to-day?It is only when they reach the age of forty or fifty without distinguishing themselves that we need no longer be afraid of them.
Words of just admonition cannot fail to command a ready assent.But practical reformation is the thing that really matters.Words of kindly advice cannot fail to please the listener.But subsequent meditation on them is the thing that really matters.I can make nothing of the man who is pleased with advice but will not meditate on it, who assents to admonition but does not reform.
A great army may be robbed of its leader, but nothing can rob one poor man of his will.
It is only when the cold season comes that we know the pine and cypress to be evergreens.[16] Let a pupil join with you in self-cultivation before you let him approach the general truths of philosophy, but let him approach these general truths before he is allowed to form his character for good. He should have formed his character for good before he is allowed to make exceptions to a general rule.
When Yen Yüan died, the Master said: Alas!God has forsaken me, God has forsaken me!
On the death of Yen Yüan, the disciples wanted to give him a sumptuous funeral, but the Master said, Better not.[17] Nevertheless, the disciples did give him a sumptuous funeral, whereupon the Master said: Hui looked upon me as his father, yet I have not been able to treat him as my son. The fault is not in me, but in you, my disciples.
Chi Lu inquired concerning men's duty to spirits.The Master replied: Before we are able to do our duty by the living, how can we do it by the spirits of the dead?—Chi Lu went on to inquire about death.The Master said: Before we know what life is, how can we know what death is?
Tzŭ Chang asked a question about clearness of mental vision.The Master said: He whose mind is proof against the slow-soaking poison of slander and the sharp stings of calumny, may be called clear-sighted, and far-seeing as well.
The Master said: A man may know the three hundred odes by heart, but if he proves himself incapable when given a post in the government, or cannot make a speech unaided when sent on a foreign mission, of what use to him is all his learning?
Tzŭ Kung asked, saying: What may be said of a man who is beloved by all his fellow-townsmen?—The Master replied: That is not enough to go upon.—What of one who is hated by all his fellow-townsmen?—The Master replied: Neither is that enough to go upon.It would be otherwise if, among his fellow-townsmen, the good loved him and the wicked hated him.
The Master said: A good man must have trained the people for seven years before they are fit to go to war.
To take an untrained multitude into battle is equivalent to throwing them away.
In a well-governed country, speak boldly and act boldly. In a country where lawlessness prevails, let your actions be bold but your speech tactful.
It is harder to be poor without murmuring, than to be rich without arrogance.
The men of olden times who studied virtue had only their own improvement in view; those who study it now have an eye to the applause of others.
Refusal to instruct one who is competent to learn entails the waste of a man.Instruction of one who is incompetent to learn entails waste of words.The wise man is he who wastes neither men nor words.
Those whose care extends not far ahead will find their troubles near at hand.
He who requires much from himself and little from others will be secure from hatred.
If a man is not in the habit of asking, "What do you make of this?what do you make of that?"I can make nothing of him.
Hopeless indeed is the case of those who can herd together all day long without once letting their conversation reach a higher plane,[18] but are content to bandy smart and shallow wit.
When a man is generally detested, or when he is generally beloved, closer examination is necessary.[19]
It is the man that is able to develop his virtue, not virtue that develops the man.[20]
The real fault is to have faults and not try to amend them.
Where there is education, there is no distinction of class.
Men who differ in their principles cannot help each other in their plans.
If language is lucid, that is enough.
There are three errors to be avoided in the presence of a great man.The first is precipitancy—speaking before it is your turn to speak; the second is bashfulness—not speaking when your turn comes; and the third is heedlessness—speaking without observing the countenance of the listener.
There are three impulses against which the nobler sort of man is on his guard.In the period of youth, when the heyday in the blood has not yet subsided, he guards against lustfulness; in the prime of life, when the physical frame is vigorous and strong, he guards against pugnacity; in old age, when the vital forces are in their decline, he guards against the greed of gain.[21]
The highest class of men are they whose knowledge is innate; next to these are they whose knowledge is acquired by study[22]; after them come those who are dull-witted, yet strive to learn; while those who are dull-witted and will make no effort to learn are the lowest of the people.
"When you see the good, act as though you could never quite come up with it; when you are brought face to face with evil, act as though you were trying the heat of boiling water":— I have heard some such saying as this, and I have seen men live up to it."Dwell in retirement, in order to work out your aims; practise righteousness, in order to apprehend the Truth":—such a saying I have heard, but I have never seen a man live up to it.[23]
Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that carry them far apart.
Only two classes of men never change: the wisest of the wise and the dullest of the dull.
Speaking to Tzŭ Lu, the Master said: Have you ever heard, Yu, of the six shadows which attend six several virtues?—No, he replied.—Sit down, then, and I will tell you.Love of goodness without the will to learn[24] casts the shadow called foolishness. Love of knowledge without the will to learn casts the shadow called instability. Love of truth without the will to learn casts the shadow called insensibility. Love of candour without the will to learn casts the shadow called rudeness. Love of daring without the will to learn casts the shadow called turbulence. Love of firmness without the will to learn casts the shadow called eccentricity.
Ceremonies, forsooth!Can ceremonies be reduced to a mere matter of silken robes and jade ornaments?Music, forsooth!Can music be reduced to a mere matter of bells and drums?[25] Men who are grave and stern in appearance, but inwardly weak and unprincipled—are they not comparable to the lowest class of humanity—sneaking thieves that break into houses by night?
Your goody-goody people are the thieves of virtue.
The Master said: Would that I could do without speaking!—Tzŭ Kung said: If our Master never spoke, how could we, his disciples, transmit his doctrines?—The Master replied: Does God speak?The four seasons hold on their course, and all things continue to live and grow.Yet, tell me, does God speak?
Girls and servants are the most difficult people to handle.If you treat them familiarly, they become disrespectful; if you keep them at a distance, they resent it.
[1] The rather inappropriate name given by foreigners to the songs or ballads contained in the Shih Ching or Book of Poetry (see note on p.78).Confucius is said to have selected these three hundred odd pieces from a much larger pre-existing mass of material, but his language here hardly strikes us as that likely to be used by a man speaking of his own compilation.
[2] That is to say, he is not limited in his functions like a vessel or implement, not "borné" or a man of one idea. Cf. note on p. 71.
[3] Every ceremonial rite being symbolical of some portion of the world's harmony, and the Great Sacrifice being the head and fount as it were of all the rest, it follows that the man who could penetrate its profound symbolism would have the whole system of morals and government unrolled before his eyes.
[4] Prime Minister of the Wei State, who suspected Confucius of coming to seek office, and took this means of hinting that the real power lay with himself and not with the Duke.
[5] After some hesitation, I have adopted this clever rendering of Mr. Ku Hung-ming, as being the only one that fits well with the next sentence.
[6] A few other renderings of this sentence will illustrate at once the elasticity of the Chinese language, and the difficulty of making it flow into European moulds. —LEGGE: "The cautious seldom err." WADE: "It seldom happens that a man errs through excess of moderation." JENNINGS: "Those who keep within restraints are seldom losers." KU HUNG-MING: "He who wants little seldom goes wrong."
[7] I.e. virtue begets virtue.
[8] A member of the great Chi family, who held office in Lu.
[9] The proper allowance for an officer in his station.
[10] As being, in the end, the moat natural and least troublesome route to take.
[11] It is impossible to find an exact equivalent for this negative expression "non-yieldingness," "non-humility." But the dominant idea is one of selfishness, and therefore such renderings as "insubordination" (Legge), "frowardnes" (Wade), "excess" (Ku Hung-ming), are rather wide off the mark.
[12] For note on li, see p.60Here again it is the inner sense of moral proportion and harmony, which prevents any quality from being carried to excess.Not a translator but has come to grief over this word, though Mr. Ku is not so far off with "judgment."That, however, makes of it an intellectual principle rather than what it realty is—a moral sense.
[13] Literally, "learning." See notes on pp.53 and 91
[14] The commentators seem right in their explanation, that a man's defects are usually redeemed by certain corresponding qualities; when even these are absent, the case is hopeless.
[15] This is the best I can make of a vexed passage. Legge's translation is poor, but he is right with regard to the lesson intended—"that repeated acquisitions individually small will ultimately amount to much, and that the learner is never to give over."
[16] Men are known in time of adversity.
[17] Because the family was very poor and could ill afford to bear the expense. It is not the least of this great man's titles to fame that he resolutely opposed the tide of popular sentiment in this matter, and could see the iniquity of sacrificing the living to the dead, even when the funeral of his dearly beloved disciple was in question. The moral courage of such an attitude in a country like China, where religion is largely connected with the propitiation of spirits, can hardly be overestimated.
[18] Literally, "reach righteousness."
[19] Before subscribing to the popular judgment. Cf. saying on p.103
[20] I.e. mere passivity, as advocated by the Taoists, will not do.
[21] These numerical categories are hardly more than a conventional form into which the Chinese are fond of throwing ethical and other teaching. Needless to say, they are not to be considered as exhaustive.
[22] Confucius, as we have seen (p.86), puts himself in this second class.
[23] The difference lies in the set purpose of studying virtue in a systematic way, and not merely doing right when occasion offers.
[24] "The will to learn" is a necessarily vague rendering of the equally vague original. It means here a desire for moral culture, which is nothing else than the development of that inner sense of harmony and proportion (li) referred to on p.99Good instincts, according to Confucius, are not enough to produce virtues, unless they are supplemented by careful cultivation of this moral sense.
[25] A magnificent array of vestments and chalices will no more constitute a true ceremony than a number of musical instruments alone, without the brain of a composer, can produce music. The whole value of a ceremony is determined by the state of mind of the person who performs it.
PERSONALIA
In his moments of leisure, the Master's manner was uniformly cheerful and smiling.
If the Master happened to be dining beside one who was in mourning for his parents, he never ate a full meal.He never sang on any day in the course of which he had been bewailing a death.
The Master would never talk about prodigies, feats of strength, crime, or supernatural beings.[1]
The Master made four things the subject of his teaching: a knowledge of literature and the arts, conduct, conscientiousness and truthfulness.[2]
The Master fished with a line but not with a net.When he went out with bow and arrow, he only shot at birds on the wing.
If the Master happened to be with singers, and they sang a piece well, he would get them to repeat it, when he would also join in the song himself.
The Master was affable, yet grave; stern, but not fierce; attentive in his behaviour, and yet calm.
The Master seldom spoke of money-making, of the laws of Providence, or of moral virtue.[3]
There were four words of which the Master barred the use: he would have no "shall's," no "must's," no "certainly's," no "I's".[4]
Whenever the Master saw a person in mourning, or in official robes, or one who was blind, he would at once rise from his seat, even though the other were his junior; or if he passed them in the street, he would quicken his step.[5]
Once when the Master was lying seriously ill, Tzŭ Lu got the disciples to act the part of Ministers of State.[6] In an interval of his sickness, Confucius said: What a long time Yu has been keeping up this imposture! In pretending to have ministers attendant on me when I have none, whom am I deceiving? Am I deceiving God? But apart from that, is it not better that I should breathe my last in the arms of my disciples, than that I should die in the midst of officials? And after all, though I may not be accorded the honour of a public funeral, I am not dying out on the high road.
The Master wished to settle among the nine eastern tribes.Some one said: How can you?They are savages.—The Master replied: If a higher type of man dwelt in their midst, how could their savage condition last?
Confucius in his native village was simple and unassuming.He gave the impression of being no great speaker.In the ancestral temple and at Court he spoke fluently, but with a certain reserve.
At Court, he spoke to the ministers of lower rank with frankness and affability.To those of higher rank he spoke quietly, but with decision.In the presence of his Sovereign, he seemed full of awe, but at the same time grave and collected.
When employed by the Prince in the reception of distinguished visitors, his expression would change, and his legs seemed to bend under him. Standing in the presence of the visitors, he saluted them with clasped hands, turning about from right to left, and keeping the skirt of his robe properly adjusted, back and front. He then hastened forward with arms extended like the wings of a bird. When a visitor departed, he would report in that sense to the Prince, saying: "The visitor is not looking back."[7]
When he entered the gate of the palace, he seemed to bend his body as though the gate were not large enough to let him pass.He did not stand in the middle of the doorway, nor in passing through did he set foot on the threshold.When he passed the Prince's throne, his expression seemed to change, his legs seemed to bend under him, and words seemed to fail him.Holding up his robe with both hands, he ascended the dais, his body slightly bent, and holding his breath as though he dared not breathe.When he came out from his audience and had descended the first step, his countenance lost its anxious expression, and he looked serene and happy.When he reached the bottom of the steps, he hastened away with his arms outstretched like wings; but when he got back to his place, he still seemed full of awe.
He carried the Prince's regalia with body slightly bent, as though he could hardly support its weight; he raised it to the height of his head, and lowered it again to the height of his chest.His countenance indicated nervousness, and he dragged his feet as though something held them to the ground.
In offering presents as an ambassador, his appearance was sedate.
At a private audience, he wore a pleased look.
He would not eat meat that was clumsily cut, or served without its proper sauce.Although there might be an abundance of meat, he never let it exceed in quantity the vegetable food.In wine alone he laid down for himself no particular limit, but he never reached the stage of intoxication.He took ginger at every meal.He did not eat much.When eating, he did not converse; when in bed, he did not speak.Even though he had nothing but coarse rice and vegetable soup, he would always reverently offer some to the ancestral spirits.
He would not sit on a mat[8] that was placed awry.
On one occasion, Chi K‘ang Tzŭ having sent him some medicine, he bowed as he received it, saying: Not being familiar with this drug, I would not venture to try it.
His stables having been burnt down, the Master on his return from the Court said: Has any one been hurt?—He did not ask about the horses.[9]
If the Prince sent him a present of cooked meat, he would sit down to taste it on a properly placed mat.If the Prince sent him a present of raw meat, he would have it cooked and offer it in sacrifice.If the Prince sent him a live animal, he would keep it alive.
When the Prince summoned him to his presence, he would go on foot without waiting for his carriage.
If any of his friends died who was without a home or relations, he would say: I will see to the funeral.
In bed, he did not lie like a corpse.In his home life, his manner was not too formal.
At the sight of a person in mourning, though it might be an intimate acquaintance, he would always look grave.On meeting an official in uniform, or a blind man, however ragged, he would always show him some mark of respect.
When a rich banquet was set before him, he would show his appreciation in his looks, and rise to return thanks.
He would change countenance at a thunderclap or a sudden squall of wind.
When in his carriage, he would not look behind him, talk rapidly, or point with his finger.[10]
Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about the disposition of troops in warfare.Confucius answered: I know something about the arts of peace,[11] but I have never studied the art of war. And on the morrow he departed. But when he came to the State of Ch‘ên, he was cut off from supplies,[12] and his followers were so enfeebled that they could hardly stand. Tzŭ Lu indignantly sought the Master's presence, saying: Is it for the princely man to feel the pinch of privation? —The Master replied: Assuredly privation may come his way, but it is only the baser type of man who under it grows demoralised and reckless.
Mien, a blind musician,[13] having called on Confucius, the Master said to him when he came to a flight of steps: "Here are the steps"; and when he came to the mat which was spread for him: "Here is your mat." When all the visitors were seated, the Master told him who they were, saying: So-and-so is sitting here, so-and-so is sitting there. After Mien had gone, Tzŭ Chang asked, saying: Is it the proper thing to speak thus to a musician? —The Master replied: Assuredly it is right to give this help to a blind man.
The people of Ch‘i sent a band of singing-girls as a present to the Duke of Lu, and Chi Huan Tzŭ accepted the gift.For three days after that no Court was held, and Confucius departed.[14]
[1] Under these circumstances, it is easy to imagine how edified he would be by the modern daily press, which subsists almost entirely on these very topics.
[2] I am unable to improve on this rendering, which is borrowed from Mr. Ku Hung-ming.
[3] This statement—at least as regards moral virtue (jên)— seems hopelessly at variance with the evidence of the Analects. Perhaps no more is meant than that he was unwilling to dogmatise on such a delicate subject. On p.72, for instance, he refuses to judge whether certain disciples have true moral virtue or not.
[4] This is Mr. Jennings's interpretation, and it seems to me the simplest and best.
[5] Thus showing, says a commentator, his sympathy with sorrow, his respect for rank, his tenderness for the afflicted. Quickening his pace was also a mark of respect.
[6] Just as though Confucius had his own Court and entourage, like a feudal prince. This probably happened during his exile in some foreign state, where the chance of his obtaining a public funeral would doubtless be proportionate to the display made by his followers.
[7] "The ways of China, it appears, were much the same anciently as now. A guest turns round and bows repeatedly in leaving, and the host cannot return to his place till these salutations are ended." —LEGGE.
[8] The Chinese of that date dispensed with chairs, as the Japanese have done up to the present time.
[9] The point is, that in his solicitude for others Confucius never thought of his own loss, not that he was indifferent to the suffering of animals.
[10] Some of the minute details given above cannot but strike us as rather ridiculous. Two points, however, must be borne in mind: (1) that the customs and ceremonial belonging to any one age or country will always at first sight appear strange and laughable to the men of any other age and country; (2) that Confucius himself cannot be held responsible for the excessive zeal which prompted admiring disciples to portray his personal habits with such embarrassing fidelity. How many philosophers would come equally well through such an ordeal?
[11] Literally, "dish and platter business," i.e. things pertaining to sacrificial worship.
[12] By order of the Duke.
[13] Blind men and musicians were almost convertible terms in ancient China: that is to say, all musicians were blind, and the majority of blind men took to music for a profession.
[14] The famous episode hero briefly related was the turning-point of the sage's career. Through the weakness of his prince and the jealousy of the rival minister Chi Huan Tzŭ, he was suddenly dislodged from the pinnacle of his fame and condemned to thirteen years of homeless wandering.
CONFUCIUS AS SEEN BY OTHERS
Tzŭ Ch‘in asked Tzŭ Kung, saying: Whenever our Master comes to any new country, he is sure to find out all about its method of government.Does he seek this information himself, or is it voluntarily proffered?—Tzŭ Kung replied: Our Master gains his information because he is so genial and good, so full of deference, modesty and regard for others.In seeking information, how differently does he behave from ordinary men!
The Master having gone up into the Grand Temple, asked questions about everything.Some one remarked: Who says that the son of the citizen of Tsou has any knowledge of ceremonial observances?He comes to the Temple and asks about everything he sees.—Hearing the remark, the Master said: This in itself is a ceremonial observance.
The prefect of the frontier in the town of I[1] asked to be introduced to Confucius, saying: I have never failed to obtain an audience of any sage who has visited these parts. —He was thereupon introduced by the Master's followers, and on coming out he said: My sons, why grieve at your Master's fall from power? The Empire has long been lying in evil ways, but now God is going to make Confucius his herald to rouse the land.[2]
The Master said: Shên, a single principle runs through all my teaching.[3]—Tsêng Tzŭ answered, Yes.—When the Master had gone out, the disciples asked, saying: What principle does he mean?—Tsêng Tzŭ said: Our Master's teaching simply amounts to this: loyalty to oneself and charity to one's neighbour.[4]
Yen Yüan heaved a deep sigh and said: The more I look at our Master's teaching, the higher it seems. The more I test it, the more reliable it appears.I am gazing at it in front of me, when lo!it is suddenly behind me.Our Master knows how to draw men after him by regular steps.He broadens our outlook by means of polite learning, and restrains our impulses by means of inward self-control.Even if I wished to stop, I could not do so; yet after I have exhausted all my efforts in pursuit of the goal, there still remains something inaccessible rising up beyond; and though I would fain make towards it, I cannot find the way.
Tzŭ Lu once passed the night in Shih-men, where the gate-keeper said to him: Where do you come from?—Tzŭ Lu replied: From the school of Confucius.—Oh, is he not the man, said the other, who is trying to do what he knows to be impossible?[5]
Ch‘ên K‘ang asked Po Yu,[6] saying: Have you ever received any secret teaching from your father? —He replied: No. But once, when I was passing hurriedly through our hall, I met my father standing alone, and he said: Have you studied the Odes? —I replied, Not yet. —He said: If you do not study the Odes, you will have no conversation. —Thereupon I withdrew and studied the Odes. Another day I met him again standing alone as I hastened through the hall, and he said: Have you studied the Book of Rites?[7]—I replied: Not yet.—He said: If you do not study the Book of Rites, you will have no stability of character.—I withdrew and studied the Book of Rites.These are the two pieces of instruction I have received.—Ch‘ên K‘ang went away rejoicing and said: I asked about one thing and have learned three—something thing about the Odes, something about the Rites, and also that the higher type of man has no secrets even with his own son.
Yang Huo wished to have an interview with Confucius, but Confucius would not go to see him.He therefore sent Confucius a sucking-pig as a present.[8] Confucius, however, chose a time when the other was out, to go and pay his respects. But he happened to fall in with him on the road. Thereupon Yang Huo addressed Confucius, saying: Come with me. I have something to say to you. Can he be called truly benevolent, who hugs his jewel to his bosom and allows his country to drift into confusion? —He cannot, was the reply. —Can he be called truly wise, who wishes to engage in public affairs, yet loses several opportunities of doing so? —He cannot. —Well, rejoined Yang Huo, the days and months are fleeting by, and the years will not wait for us. —True, replied Confucius; I will presently take office.[9]
The eccentric Chieh Yü[10] of the Ch‘u State passed Confucius' carriage, singing: O phœnix! O phœnix! How has thy virtue fallen! The past need no longer be a subject of reproof, but against the future it is still possible to provide. Desist, desist! Great is the danger of those who now engage in government. —Confucius alighted, wishing to speak with him, but Chieh Yu hastened rapidly away, and he was unable to get speech of him.
Ch‘ang Chü and Chieh Ni[11] were working together in the fields when Confucius passed by and sent Tzŭ Lu to ascertain from them the whereabouts of the ford. Ch‘ang Chü asked: Who is that man holding the reins? —That is Confucius, replied Tzŭ Lu. —Is it Confucius of the Lu State? —Yes. —Then surely he is the man to know where the ford is.[12]—Tzŭ Lu then questioned Chieh Ni.Chieh Ni said: Who are you, Sir?—I am Chung Yu.—Are you a disciple of Confucius of the Lu State?—He replied: I am.—The whole Empire, said Chieh Ni, is rushing head-long to destruction, and who is there that will reform it?As for you, instead of following a man who withdraws from prince after prince in succession, would it not be better to follow a man who has withdrawn from the world altogether? —And he went on hoeing without a pause. Tzŭ Lu went back and reported these remarks, whereupon the Master looked surprised and said: We cannot join the company of birds and beasts. If I am not to associate with these men of the ruling class, with whom am I to associate?[13] If right principles prevailed in the Empire, then indeed there would be no need for me to reform it.
Shu-sun Wu-shu,[14] speaking to the ministers at Court, said: Tzŭ Kung is a greater sage than Confucius. —Tzŭ-fu Ching-po[15] repeated this to Tzŭ Kung, who said: Let me use the simile of a house surrounded by a wall. My wall rises only to the height of a man's shoulders, so that any one can look over and see the excellence of the building within. But my Master's wall is many fathoms in height, so that one who fails to find the gate of entry cannot see the beauties of the temple nor the rich apparel of the officiating priests. It may be that only a few will succeed in finding the gate. Need we, then, be surprised at His Excellency's remark?
Shu-sun Wu-shu was disparaging Confucius.Tzŭ Kung said: It is no good.Confucius is proof against detraction.The wisdom of other men is like hills and mountain-peaks, which however high can still be scaled.But Confucius is like the sun or the moon, which can never be reached by the foot of man.A man may want to cut himself off from their light, but what harm will that do to the sun or the moon?It only shows very plainly that he has no notion of the measurement of capacity.
[1] This was on the borders of the Wei State, whither Confucius, with a small band of disciples, was retiring, heavy of heart, after his discomfiture in Lu.
[2] Literally, "is going to use him as a bell with a wooden clapper"—this being the instrument used in making announcements or to call the people together. The friendly prefect's prophecy was to be fulfilled more wonderfully than ever he could have imagined. Never, perhaps, in the history of the human race has one man exerted such an enormous influence for good on after generations.
[3] Legge's rendering, "My doctrine is that of an all-pervading unity," is quite untenable, and no other translator has followed him here. The logic of the passage obviously requires the meaning given above.
[4] This saying should be compared with those on pp.91 and 69. It is generally acclaimed as the best epitome of Confucian teaching, yet it was reserved for Mr. Ku Hung-ming, a Chinaman, to give the first correct translation of it in English. The two important words are chung and shu, "conscientiousness" and "charity," for which see notes on pp.58 and 69Legge's version, "To be true to the principles of our nature and the benevolent exercise of them to others," though ponderous, would seem to have hit the true meaning, had he not spoilt it by a note to the effect that shu is "duty-doing on the principle of reciprocity."It has nothing on earth to do with reciprocity, being in fact that disinterested love of one's neighbour which was preached five hundred years later in Palestine.The other precept, embodied in the word chung, is exactly Shakespeare's "To thine own self be true"—a noble moral conception for which, obscured as it has been by bungling translators, Confucius has never yet received full credit.
[5] The age in which Confucius lived was so given over to the forces of disorder, militarism and intrigue, and the chances of a moral reformer were regarded as so hopeless, that it was a common thing for men of principle to retire from public affairs altogether, and either lead the sequestered life of a hermit or take to some mean employment for a living. The gate-keeper here is said to have been one of this class. Confucius, however, was made of sterner stuff, and it may be claimed that he did ultimately, through sheer force of character, succeed in achieving the "impossible."
[6] The "style" or familiar name of K‘ung Li, the only son of Confucius.
[7] Li here is obviously the name of a book, and not "the rules of propriety" or even "the arts," as Legge and Mr. Ku Hung-ming respectively take it. At the same time, we must be careful not to identify it with the now existing Li Chi or Book of Rites, which did not take shape until a much later period.
[8] Because etiquette would require an acknowledgment of the gift at the donor's house.
[9] This episode is probably to be referred to the year 502 B. C. , when Yang Huo, the nominal subordinate of Chi Huan Tzu (himself of usurping tendencies, see Introduction, p.15), was in open rebellion and seemed likely to become master of the whole state of Lu.He was anxious to enlist the prestige of a man like Confucius on his side, but the latter steadily refused to countenance his schemes.In the following year, Yang Huo was ejected from the state, and gratitude impelled the Duke to offer a governorship to Confucius.
[10] Apparently a Taoist, who pinned his faith to Lao Tzŭ's newly enunciated doctrine of inaction.
[11] Also Taoist recluses.
[12] This is said to be a sneer at the restlessness which kept Confucius wandering all over the country, so that no place could be unfamiliar to him.
[13] The idea is, "Every man to his own trade. Why should I not then busy myself with government—the subject to which I have devoted my life?" I do not agree with Legge that the compiler of this chapter could not have been a disciple of the sage. Confucius successfully refutes the laisser-faire argument of the hermit, who would dissuade him from reform on the strange and unsatisfactory ground that the world's affairs were in a thoroughly bad state. To any one but a Taoist it would be evident that this was the very time for reform.
[14] A leading member of one of the three great families in the Lu State.
[15] A high official.
SAYINGS OF THE DISCIPLES
Yu Tzŭ said: It is seldom that good sons and brothers are given to insubordinate conduct.That those who dislike insubordinate conduct should be ready to foment sedition, is something absolutely unknown.The wise man attends to the root; for if this be properly set, virtue will spring from it.And what is the root of all goodness but filial piety and fraternal love?
Tsêng Tzŭ said: There are three points on which I daily examine myself:—Have I been conscientious in working for others?Have I been truthful in my intercourse with my friends?Have I practised what I preach?
Tzŭ Hsia said: The man who can appreciate moral worth and disengage his mind from sensual passion; who can put forth his utmost strength to serve his parents, and lay down his life to serve his prince; who speaks sincerely in his intercourse with friends:—such a man, though the world may call him untaught, has in my opinion received the best and highest education.
Tzŭ Kung said: What do you say of the poor man who refuses to flatter, and of the rich man who is free from pride? —They are well enough, replied the Master; but better still is the poor man who is cheerful, and the rich man who cherishes the inner principle of harmony and self-control. —Tzŭ Kung said: One must "cut and then carve, chisel and then polish," as the Odes have it. Does not this passage illustrate what you say? —The Master exclaimed: Here is somebody at last with whom I can really discuss the Odes. Refer him to any old verse, and he will see its application.[1]
Tzŭ Hsia asked, saying: What is the meaning of the passage:
"What dimples in her witching smile!
What lovely eyes, clear white and black!
Simplicity sets off her ornaments"?
The Master replied: You must have a plain background before you can lay on the colours.—Rules of ceremony then require a background?—Ah!exclaimed the Master, Shang always seizes my drift.Here at any rate is some one with whom I can discuss the Odes.[2]
Tzŭ Yu said: Too much fault-finding with princes entails disgrace; with friends, it brings estrangement.
The Master wanted to employ Ch'i-tiao K'ai in the business of government, but the latter said: No, I cannot yet sufficiently trust myself.—The Master was pleased with the reply.
Once when Yen Yüan and Chi Lu were standing by, the Master said: Come, tell me, each of you, the wish of your hearts.—Tzŭ Lu said: I should like to have carriages and horses and fine fur garments, and share them with my friends; nor would I mind if they were worn out in this way.— Yen Yüan said: My wish is to make no parade of goodness and no display of toilsome service rendered.[3]—Tzŭ Lu then said: I should like, Sir, to hear your own wishes.The Master said: To comfort the aged, to win the confidence of my friends, to love and cherish the young.
The Master said: Yung might well be made a prince.[4] Chung Kung asked a question about Tzŭ-sang Po-tzŭ. The Master replied: He is a good man on the whole, though easy-going. —Chung Kung rejoined: Is it not excusable for a man who is strict in his own habits to be easy-going in dealing with the people under him? But if he becomes easy-going in his own habits as well as in his practice abroad, this is surely too much of a good thing. —The Master said: Yung's words are true.
Jan Yu asked: Is our Master for or against the Prince of Wei?[5]—Oh, said Tzŭ Kung, I will ask him that.—He went in and said: What sort of men were Po I and Shu Ch'i?[6]—They were two ancient worthies, was the reply.—Did they ever repine?he asked.—They made perfect virtue their aim, and they attained it.Why then should they repine?—Tzŭ Kung went out again and said: Our Master is not for the Prince.
Tsêng Tzŭ said: Ability asking instruction of incompetence, abundance sitting at the feet of insufficiency, a man of every virtue who thought he had none, solid in character yet making himself out a cypher, trespassed against but never retaliating—such was the humble state of mind in which my late friend[7] spent his life.
Tsêng Tzŭ said: If a man can safely be entrusted with the care of a young orphan prince, or with the government of a large province, and if the approach of a great emergency cannot shake his resolution, is he not a man of the princely type? Of the princely type he is indeed!
The authorities of Lu were proposing to reconstruct the Long Treasury.Min Tzŭ-ch‘ien said: Why not restore it, rather, in the ancient style?Why is it necessary to renovate it altogether?—The Master said: This man is no talker, but when he does speak, he speaks to the purpose.
Ssŭ-ma Niu lamenting said: All other men have brothers; I alone have none.—Tzŭ Hsia said to him: I have heard it said that life and death are divine dispensations, that wealth and rank depend on the will of God.The higher type of man is unfailingly attentive to his own conduct, and shows respect and true courtesy to others.Thus all within the four seas[8] are his brethren. How then should he grieve at having no brothers?
Chi Tzŭ-ch‘êng[9] said: The higher type of man is possessed of solid qualities, and that is all. What has he to do with the ornamental? —Tzŭ Kung replied: I am sorry, Sir, to hear you say such a thing about the higher type of man; for a four-horse chariot cannot overtake the spoken word.[10] The value of the ornament and the value of the substance are closely connected. Stripped of hair, the hide of a tiger or a leopard is very like the hide of a dog or a sheep.
Duke Ai asked Yu Jo, saying: It has been a year of famine.My exchequer is Low.What am I to do?—Yu Jo replied: Why not collect tithes?—Why, said the Duke, with a tax of two-tenths I still have not enough.How am I to make one-tenth do?—If the people have plenty, was the reply, how can the Prince alone be in want?But if the people are in want, how can the Prince alone have plenty?[11]
Tsêng Tzŭ said of the higher type of man that his culture tended to bring him into communion with friends, and his friendships tended to heighten his altruism.
The disciples of Tzŭ Hsia asked Tzŭ Chang about the principles which should govern friendship.Tzŭ Chang said: What is Tzŭ Hsia's opinion?—They replied: Tzŭ Hsia says, Associate with those who come up to your standard; reject all those who do not.—This, said Tzŭ Chang, is different from what I have been taught.The nobler sort of man honours the virtuous and wise, but he admits to his society all men without distinction.He admires the good, but he also pities the weaker brethren.Am I a man of great wisdom and goodness?—then who is there among my fellow-men that I will not bear with? Or am I neither wise nor good? —then other men will reject me. How can one justify this rejection of others?[12]
Tzŭ Hsia said: The inferior type of man always tries to gloss over his faults.
Tzŭ Hsia said: The wise man will gain the confidence of the people before laying burdens upon them; otherwise, they will consider it oppression.He will gain the confidence of his sovereign before censuring his actions; otherwise, the latter will consider it mere libel and abuse.
Tzŭ Hsia said: He who does not transgress the larger principles of virtuous conduct may be excused for disregarding the boundary line in matters of smaller import.
Tzŭ Yu said: The followers and disciples of Tzŭ Hsia are trained well enough in sprinkling and sweeping the floor, in responding and answering questions, in entering and leaving a room.But these are mere accessories.Of fundamentals they are totally ignorant.How can this be considered enough?—Tzŭ Hsia, hearing of these remarks, said: Ah!Yen Yu is mistaken.It is not the way of the wise teacher to distinguish between subjects of first-class importance, which must be taught, and subjects of secondary importance, which may be neglected.He cultivates minds just as he would cultivate plants, each species requiring separate treatment.It cannot be the wise man's way to produce confusion and error.He only is inspired who teaches methodically, having a beginning and an end.
Tzŭ Yu said: Let the official who has time to spare devote it to study; let the student who has time to spare devote it to public affairs.
Tzŭ Yu said: The rites of mourning should not extend beyond the expression of heartfelt grief.
The chief of the Mêng family having appointed Yang Fu to be Criminal Judge, the latter went to Tsêng Tzŭ for advice.Tsêng Tzŭ said: Our rulers have lost their way, and the people have long been scattered and distracted.When you discover the facts of a crime, be not moved with joy but rather with pity and grief.
Tzŭ Kung said: The mistakes of a great and good man are like eclipses of the sun and moon: his failing is seen by all, and when he repairs it, all look up to him with awe.
[1] Tzŭ Kung, who had passed from poverty to affluence, wished to draw attention to his own freedom from the vices characteristic of each state, but his Master recommends the pursuit of virtue in a more positive form. The quotation from the Odes merely enforces the necessity of unceasing labour in the matter of self-improvement. Confucius was always delighted with an apt illustration from his favourite book.
[2] The Chinese of the above is as usual extremely concise. For several turns of phrase I am indebted to Mr. Jennings's translation.
[3] Literally, "display toil." The meaning seems to be that of the Tacitean phrase "exprobrare beneficia."
[4] Literally, "one who faces south"—the customary position for royalty enthroned.
[5] The reigning duke, who had succeeded his grandfather and was now opposing his father's attempts to return from exile and secure the throne. See p.43
[6] See note on p.74
[7] The disciple Yen Hui.
[8] Believed to constitute the boundaries of the habitable earth, like Homer's Ocean-river. Hence the phrase is used as a synonym for the Chinese Empire.
[9] A minister in the Wei State.
[10] A proverb.
[11] A rebuke to the Prince for his greed in a time of distress.
[12] Each pedagogue has seized only one side of the truth. We need not reject any of our fellow-men, and yet show discrimination in the choice of our associates. See the first saying on p.53, where Confucius, clearer-headed than his disciples, puts the matter in a nutshell.