The Analects of Confucius Part 11

CHAP. XIV. The Master said, 'To tell, as we go along, what we have heard on the way, is to cast away our virtue.'

CHAP. XV. 1. The Master said, 'There are those mean creatures! How impossible it is along with them to serve one's prince!

2. 'While they have not got their aims, their anxiety is how to get them. When they have got them, their anxiety is lest they should lose them.

3. 'When they are anxious lest such things should be lost, there is nothing to which they will not proceed.'

CHAP. XVI. 1. The Master said, 'Anciently, men had three failings, which now perhaps are not to be found.

2. 'The high-mindedness of antiquity showed itself in a disregard of small things; the high-mindedness of the present day shows itself in wild license. The stern dignity of antiquity showed itself in grave reserve; the stern dignity of the present day shows itself in quarrelsome perverseness. The stupidity of antiquity showed itself in straightforwardness; the stupidity of the present day shows itself in sheer deceit.'

CHAP. XVII. The Master said, 'Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom a.s.sociated with virtue.'

CHAP. XVIII. The Master said, 'I hate the manner in which purple takes away the l.u.s.ter of vermilion. I hate the way in which the songs of Chang confound the music of the Ya. I hate those who with their sharp mouths overthrow kingdoms and families.'

CHAP. XIX. 1. The Master said, 'I would prefer not speaking.'

2. Tsze-kung said, 'If you, Master, do not speak, what shall we, your disciples, have to record?'

3. The Master said, 'Does Heaven speak? The four seasons pursue their courses, and all things are continually being produced, but does Heaven say anything?'

CHAP. XX. Zu Pei wished to see Confucius, but Confucius declined, on the ground of being sick, to see him. When the bearer of this message went out at the door, (the Master) took his lute and sang to it, in order that Pei might hear him.

CHAP. XXI. 1. Tsai Wo asked about the three years' mourning for parents, saying that one year was long enough.

2. 'If the superior man,' said he, 'abstains for three years from the observances of propriety, those observances will be quite lost.

If for three years he abstains from music, music will be ruined.

3. 'Within a year the old grain is exhausted, and the new grain has sprung up, and, in procuring fire by friction, we go through all the changes of wood for that purpose. After a complete year, the mourning may stop.'

4. The Master said, 'If you were, after a year, to eat good rice, and wear embroidered clothes, would you feel at ease?' 'I should,'

replied Wo.

5. The Master said, 'If you can feel at ease, do it. But a superior man, during the whole period of mourning, does not enjoy pleasant food which he may eat, nor derive pleasure from music which he may hear. He also does not feel at ease, if he is comfortably lodged. Therefore he does not do what you propose.

But now you feel at ease and may do it.'

6. Tsai Wo then went out, and the Master said, 'This shows Yu's want of virtue. It is not till a child is three years old that it is allowed to leave the arms of its parents. And the three years'

mourning is universally observed throughout the empire. Did Yu enjoy the three years' love of his parents?'

CHAP. XXII. The Master said, 'Hard is it to deal with him, who will stuff himself with food the whole day, without applying his mind to anything good! Are there not gamesters and chess players?

To be one of these would still be better than doing nothing at all.'

CHAP. XXIII. Tsze-lu said, 'Does the superior man esteem valour?' The Master said, 'The superior man holds righteousness to be of highest importance. A man in a superior situation, having valour without righteousness, will be guilty of insubordination; one of the lower people having valour without righteousness, will commit robbery.'

CHAP. XXIV. 1. Tsze-kung said, 'Has the superior man his hatreds also?' The Master said, 'He has his hatreds. He hates those who proclaim the evil of others. He hates the man who,

being in a low station, slanders his superiors. He hates those who have valour merely, and are un.o.bservant of propriety. He hates those who are forward and determined, and, at the same time, of contracted understanding.'

2. The Master then inquired, 'Ts'ze, have you also your hatreds?' Tsze-kung replied, 'I hate those who pry out matters, and ascribe the knowledge to their wisdom. I hate those who are only not modest, and think that they are valourous. I hate those who make known secrets, and think that they are straightforward.'

CHAP. XXV. The Master said, 'Of all people, girls and servants are the most difficult to behave to. If you are familiar with them, they lose their humility. If you maintain a reserve towards them, they are discontented.'

CHAP. XXVI. The Master said, 'When a man at forty is the object of dislike, he will always continue what he is.'

BOOK XVIII. WEI TSZE.

CHAP. I. 1. The Viscount of Wei withdrew from the court. The Viscount of Chi became a slave to Chau. Pi-kan remonstrated with him and died.

2. Confucius said, 'The Yin dynasty possessed these three men of virtue.'

CHAP. II. Hui of Liu-hsia being chief criminal judge, was thrice dismissed from his office. Some one said to him, 'Is it not yet time for you, sir, to leave this?' He replied, 'Serving men in an upright way, where shall I go to, and not experience such a thrice- repeated

dismissal? If I choose to serve men in a crooked way, what necessity is there for me to leave the country of my parents?'

CHAP. III. The duke Ching of Ch'i, with reference to the manner in which he should treat Confucius, said, 'I cannot treat him as I would the chief of the Chi family. I will treat him in a manner between that accorded to the chief of the Chi, and that given to the chief of the Mang family.' He also said, 'I am old; I cannot use his doctrines.' Confucius took his departure.

CHAP. IV. The people of Ch'i sent to Lu a present of female musicians, which Chi Hwan received, and for three days no court was held. Confucius took his departure.

CHAP. V. 1. The madman of Ch'u, Chieh-yu, pa.s.sed by Confucius, singing and saying, 'O FANG! O FANG! How is your

virtue degenerated! As to the past, reproof is useless; but the future may still be provided against. Give up your vain pursuit. Give up your vain pursuit. Peril awaits those who now engage in affairs of government.'

2. Confucius alighted and wished to converse with him, but Chieh-yu hastened away, so that he could not talk with him.

CHAP. VI. 1. Ch'ang-tsu and Chieh-ni were at work in the field together, when Confucius pa.s.sed by them, and sent Tsze-lu to inquire for the ford.

2. Ch'ang-tsu said, 'Who is he that holds the reins in the carriage there?' Tsze-lu told him, 'It is K'ung Ch'iu.' 'Is it not K'ung Ch'iu of Lu?' asked he. 'Yes,' was the reply, to which the other rejoined, 'He knows the ford.'

3. Tsze-lu then inquired of Chieh-ni, who said to him, 'Who

are you, sir?' He answered, 'I am Chung Yu.' 'Are you not the disciple of K'ung Ch'iu of Lu?' asked the other. 'I am,' replied he, and then Chieh-ni said to him, 'Disorder, like a swelling flood, spreads over the whole empire, and who is he that will change its state for you? Than follow one who merely withdraws from this one and that one, had you not better follow those who have withdrawn from the world altogether?' With this he fell to covering up the seed, and proceeded with his work, without stopping.

4. Tsze-lu went and reported their remarks, when the Master observed with a sigh, 'It is impossible to a.s.sociate with birds and beasts, as if they were the same with us. If I a.s.sociate not with these people,-- with mankind,-- with whom shall I a.s.sociate? If right principles prevailed through the empire, there would be no use for me to change its state.'

CHAP. VII. 1. Tsze-lu, following the Master, happened to fall behind, when he met an old man, carrying across his shoulder on a staff a basket for weeds. Tsze-lu said to him, 'Have you seen my master, sir!' The old man replied, 'Your four limbs are unaccustomed to toil; you cannot distinguish the five kinds of grain:-- who is your master?' With this, he planted his staff in the ground, and proceeded to weed.

2. Tsze-lu joined his hands across his breast, and stood before him.

3. The old man kept Tsze-lu to pa.s.s the night in his house, killed a fowl, prepared millet, and feasted him. He also introduced to him his two sons.

4. Next day, Tsze-lu went on his way, and reported his adventure. The Master said, 'He is a recluse,' and sent Tsze-lu back to see him again, but when he got to the place, the old man was gone.

5. Tsze-lu then said to the family, 'Not to take office is not

righteous. If the relations between old and young may not be neglected, how is it that he sets aside the duties that should be observed between sovereign and minister? Wishing to maintain his personal purity, he allows that great relation to come to confusion.

A superior man takes office, and performs the righteous duties belonging to it. As to the failure of right principles to make progress, he is aware of that.'

CHAP. VIII. 1. The men who have retired to privacy from the world have been Po-i, Shu-ch'i, Yu-chung, I-yi, Chu-chang, Hui of Liu-hsia, and Shao-lien.

2. The Master said, 'Refusing to surrender their wills, or to submit to any taint in their persons;-- such, I think, were Po-i and Shu-ch'i.

3. 'It may be said of Hui of Liu-hsia, and of Shao-lien, that they surrendered their wills, and submitted to taint in their persons,

but their words corresponded with reason, and their actions were such as men are anxious to see. This is all that is to be remarked in them.

4. 'It may be said of Yu-chung and I-yi, that, while they hid themselves in their seclusion, they gave a license to their words; but, in their persons, they succeeded in preserving their purity, and, in their retirement, they acted according to the exigency of the times.

5. 'I am different from all these. I have no course for which I am predetermined, and no course against which I am predetermined.'

CHAP. IX. 1. The grand music master, Chih, went to Ch'i.

2. Kan, the master of the band at the second meal, went to Ch'u. Liao, the band master at the third meal, went to Ts'ai. Chueh, the band master at the fourth meal, went to Ch'in.

3. Fang-shu, the drum master, withdrew to the north of the river.

4. Wu, the master of the hand drum, withdrew to the Han.

5. Yang, the a.s.sistant music master, and Hsiang, master of the musical stone, withdrew to an island in the sea.

CHAP. X. The duke of Chau addressed his son, the duke of Lu, saying, 'The virtuous prince does not neglect his relations. He does not cause the great ministers to repine at his not employing them.

Without some great cause, he does not dismiss from their offices the members of old families. He does not seek in one man talents for every employment.'

CHAP. XI. To Chau belonged the eight officers, Po-ta, Po-

kwo, Chung-tu, Chung-hwu, Shu-ya, Shu-hsia, Chi-sui, and Chi-kwa.

BOOK XIX. TSZE-CHANG.

CHAP. I. Tsze-chang said, 'The scholar, trained for public duty, seeing threatening danger, is prepared to sacrifice his life. When the opportunity of gain is presented to him, he thinks of righteousness. In sacrificing, his thoughts are reverential. In mourning, his thoughts are about the grief which he should feel.

Such a man commands our approbation indeed.'

CHAP. II. Tsze-chang said, 'When a man holds fast to virtue, but without seeking to enlarge it, and believes right principles, but without firm sincerity, what account can be made of his existence or non-existence?'

CHAP. III. The disciples of Tsze-hsia asked Tsze-chang about the principles that should characterize mutual intercourse. Tsze- chang asked, 'What does Tsze-hsia say on the subject?' They replied, 'Tsze-hsia says:-- "a.s.sociate with those who can advantage you. Put away from you those who cannot do so."' Tsze-chang observed, 'This is different from what I have learned. The superior man honours the talented and virtuous, and bears with all. He praises the good, and pities the incompetent. Am I possessed of great talents and virtue?-- who is there among men whom I will not bear with? Am I devoid of talents and virtue?-- men will put me away from them. What have we to do with the putting away of others?'

CHAP. IV. Tsze-hsia said, 'Even in inferior studies and employments there is something worth being looked at; but if it be

attempted to carry them out to what is remote, there is a danger of their proving inapplicable. Therefore, the superior man does not practise them.'

CHAP. V. Tsze-hsia said, 'He, who from day to day recognises what he has not yet, and from month to month does not forget what he has attained to, may be said indeed to love to learn.'

CHAP. VI. Tsze-hsia said, 'There are learning extensively, and having a firm and sincere aim; inquiring with earnestness, and reflecting with self-application:-- virtue is in such a course.'

CHAP. VII. Tsze-hsia said, 'Mechanics have their shops to dwell in, in order to accomplish their works. The superior man learns, in order to reach to the utmost of his principles.'

CHAP. VIII. Tsze-hsia said, 'The mean man is sure to gloss his faults.'

CHAP. IX. Tsze-hsia said, 'The superior man undergoes three changes. Looked at from a distance, he appears stern; when approached, he is mild; when he is heard to speak, his language is firm and decided.'