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| [1] |
THE MASTER said: “Yung 1 might fill the seat of a prince.”
“And
might Tzu-sang Po-tzu?” asked Chung-kung.
“Yes,” said the Master: “but he is lax.”
“To
be lax in his claims on the people might be right,” said Chung-kung, “were he stern to self; but to be lax to
self and lax to others must surely be over-lax.”
The Master said: “What Yung says is true.” |
| [2] |
Duke Ai asked which disciples were fond
of learning.
Confucius answered: “Yen Hui 2 loved learning. His anger fell not astray; he made
no mistake twice. By ill-luck his life was cut short. Now that he is gone, I hear of no one who is fond of learning.” |
| [3] |
Tzu-hua 3 having been sent to Ch´i, the disciple Jan asked for
grain to give to his mother.
The Master said: “Give her a bushel.”
He asked for
more.
The Master said: “Give her half a quarter.”
Jan gave her twenty-five quarters.
The
Master said: “On his way to Ch´i, Ch´ih 4 was drawn by sleek horses, clad in fine furs. A gentleman,
I have heard, helps the needy: he does not swell riches.”
When Yüan Ssu 5 was governor his pay was nine hundred measures of grain.
On his refusing it, the Master said: “Not so. Why not take it and give it to thy neighbours and country-folk.” |
| [4] |
Of Chung-kung the Master said: “If
the calf of a brindled cow be red and horned, though men be shy to offer him, will the hills and streams disdain him?” |
| [5] |
The Master said: “For three months
together Hui’s 6 heart never sinned against love. The others may hold
out for a day, or a month; but no more.” |
| [6] |
Chi K´ang 7 asked whether Chung-yu 8 were fit for power.
The
Master said: “Yu 8 has character; what would governing be to him?”
“And
Tz´u, 9 is he fit for power?”
“Tz´u
is intelligent; what would governing be to him?
“And Ch´iu, 10 is he fit for power?”
“Ch´iu
has ability; what would governing be to him?” |
| [7] |
The Chi sent to make Min Tzu-ch´ien 11 governor of Pi.
Min Tzu-ch´ien said:
“Make some good excuse for me. If he send again, I must be across the Wen.” |
| [8] |
When Po-niu 12 was ill the Master went to ask after him. Grasping
his hand through the window, he said: “He is dying. It is our lot. But why this man of such an illness? why this man
of such an illness?” |
| [9] |
The Master said: “What a man was
Hui! 13 A dish of rice, a gourd of water, in a low alleyway;
no man can bear such misery! Yet Hui never fell from mirth. What a man he was!” |
| [10] |
Jan Ch´iu 14 said: “Pleasure in the Master’s path I
do not lack: I lack strength.”
The Master said: “Who lacks strength faints by the way; thou puttest
a curb upon thee.” |
| [11] |
The Master said to Tzu-hsia: “Read
to become a gentleman; do not read as the vulgar do.” |
| [12] |
When Tzu-yu was governor of Wu-ch´eng, 15 the Master said: “Hast thou gotten any men?”
He
answered: “I have Tan-t´ai Mieh-ming. When walking he will not take a short-cut; he has never come to my house except
on business.” |
| [13] |
The Master said: “Meng Chih-fan
never bragged. He was covering the rear in a rout; but when the gate was reached, he whipped up his horse and cried; ‘Not
courage kept me behind; my horse won’t go!’” |
| [14] |
The Master said: “Unless glib
as the reader T´o, and handsome as Chao of Sung, escape is hard in the times that be!” |
| [15] |
The Master said: “Who can go out
except by the door? Why is it no one keeps to the way?” |
| [16] |
The Master said: “Nature outweighing
art begets roughness; art outweighing nature begets pedantry. Art and nature well blent make a gentleman.” |
| [17] |
The Master said: “Man is born
upright. If he cease to be so and live, he is lucky to escape!” |
| [18] |
The Master said: “Who knows does
not rank with him who likes, nor he who likes with him who is glad therein.” |
| [19] |
The Master said: “To men above
the common we may speak of things above the common. To men below the common we must not speak of things above the common.” |
| [20] |
Fan Ch´ih 16 asked, What is wisdom?
The Master said:
“To foster right amongst the people; to honour the ghosts of the dead, whilst keeping aloof from them, may be called
wisdom.”
He asked, What is love?
The Master said: “To rank the effort above the
prize may be called love.” |
| [21] |
The Master said: “Wisdom delights
in water; love delights in hills. Wisdom is stirring; love is quiet. Wisdom enjoys life; love grows old.” |
| [22] |
The Master said: “By one revolution
Ch´i might grown as Lu: by one revolution Lu might win to truth.” |
| [23] |
The Master said: “A drinking horn
that is no horn! What a horn! What a drinking horn!” |
| [24] |
Tsai Wo 17 said: “Were a man who loves told that there is
a man in a well, would he go in after him?”
The Master said: “Why should he? A gentleman might
be brought to the well, but not entrapped into it. He may be cheated; he is not to be fooled.” |
| [25] |
The Master said: “By breadth of
reading and the ties of courtesy a gentleman will also keep from error’s path.” |
| [26] |
The Master saw Nan-tzu. 18 Tzu-lu was displeased. The Master took an oath, saying:
“If there were sin in me may Heaven forsake me, may Heaven forsake me!” |
| [27] |
The Master said: “The highest
goodness is to hold fast the golden mean. Amongst the people it has long been rare.” |
| [28] |
Tzu-kung said: “To treat the people
with bounty and help the many, how were that? Could it be called love?”
The Master said: “What
has this to do with love? Would it not be holiness? Both Yao and Shun 19 still yearned for this. In seeking a foothold for self,
love finds a foothold for others; seeking light for itself, it enlightens others also. To learn from the near at hand may
be called the key to love.” |
