moved face. He was careful to unfold his rule to the new minister. What do ye think of him?" "He was faithful," said the Master. "But had he love?" "I do not know," said the Master: "how should this amount to love?" "When Ts'ui slew the King of Ch'i, Ch'en Wen forsook ten teams of horses, and left the land. On coming to another kingdom, he said, 'Like my lord Ts'ui,' and left it. On coming to a second kingdom, he said, 'Like my lord Ts'ui,' and left it. What do ye think of him?” "He was pure," said the Master. "But had he love?" "I do not know," said the Master: "how should this amount to love?" [19] Chi Wen thought thrice before acting. On hearing this, the Master said: "Twice, that is enough." [20] The Master said: "Whilst peace reigned in the land Ning Wu' showed understanding: when troubles came he turned simpleton. His understanding is within our reach; such simplicity is beyond our reach." [21] When he was in Ch'en the Master said: "Home, I must go home! My batch of boys, ambitious and hasty, their minds cultured, their schooling ended, know not what needs fashioning!" [22] The Master said: "As Po-yi" and Shu-ch'i never recalled past wickedness the foes they made were few." [23] The Master said: "Who would call Wei-sheng Kao Ning Wu was minister to the Duke of Wei, in the middle of the seventh century B.C. The duke was driven from his throne, and deserted by the wise and prudent; but Ning Wu, in his simplicity, followed his master everywhere, and finally effected his restoration. 10 Po-yi and Shu-ch'i were sons of the King of Ku-chu. Their father left the throne to the younger of the two; but he would not supplant the elder, nor would the elder act against his father's wishes. So they both retired into obscurity. When King Wu overthrew the tyrant Chou (B.C. 1122), rather than live under a new dynasty, they starved to death. Of Po-yi, Mencius tells us (V. B. 1): "His eyes could not look on evil, nor his ears listen to evil. He would serve none but his own king, lead none but his own people. He took office when order reigned, and left it when times grew turbulent. He could not bear to live under lawless rulers, or amongst a lawless people. To stand by the side of a countryman he thought like sitting, in court dress, in the midst of dust and ashes. Through Chou's day he dwelt on the shores of the North Sea, waiting till the world grew clean. So when men hear tell of Po-yi, fools grow honest, weak wills grow strong.' straight? A man begged him for vinegar. He begged it from a neighbour and gave it." [24] The Master said: "Honeyed words, flattering looks and overdone humility, Tso Ch'iu-ming thought shameful, and so do I. To hide ill-will and ape friendship, Tso Ch'inming thought shameful, and so do I." [25] As Yen Yüan and Chi-lu" were sitting with him, the Master said: "Why not each of you tell me his wishes?" Tzu-lu said: "Carriages and horses I would have, and robes of fine fur to share with my friends, and would wear them out all free from care." Yen Yüan said: "To make no boast of talent, nor show of merit, were my wish." Tzu-lu said: "We should like to hear your wishes, Sir." The Master said: "To make the old folk happy, to be true to friends, to have a heart for the young." [26] The Master said: "It is finished! I have met no one who can see his own faults, and arraign himself within.” [27] The Master said: "In a hamlet of ten households there must be men faithful and true as I: why is there no one as fond of learning?" VI [1] THE Master said: "Yung' might fill the seat of a prince." "And might Tzu-sang Po-tzu? asked Chung-kung. "Yes," said the Master: "but he is lax." 66 "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" 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 having been sent to Ch'i, the disciple Jan asked for grain to give to his mother. 11 Tzu-lu. 1 The disciple Chung-kung. The disciple Yen Yüan. The Master said: "Give her a bushel." He asked for more. 66 The Master said: Give her half a quarter." The Master said: "On his way to Ch'i, Ch'ih' 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 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® heart never sinned against love. The others may hold out for a day, or a month; but no more." [6] Chi K'ang asked whether Chung-yu were fit for power. The Master said: "Yu has character; what would governing be to him? "And Tz'u, is he fit for power?" "Tz'u is intelligent; what would governing be to him?" "And Ch'iu," 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" 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" 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! A dish of rice, a gourd of water, in a low alleyway; no man can The disciple Kung-hsi Hua, or Kung-hsi Ch'ih. A disciple. The disciple Yen Yüan. ? Head of the Chi clan after the death of Chi Huan. The disciple Tzu-lu. The disciple Tzu-kung. 10 The disciple Jan Yu. 11 Disciples. 12 The disciple Yen Yüan. bear such misery! Yet Hui never fell from mirth. What a man he was! [10] Jan Ch'iu" 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," 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" 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.” 18 The disciple Jan Yu. A town in Lu, belonging to the Chi. 15 A disciple. 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 grow 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 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." 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" 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." VII [1] THE Master said: "A teller and not a maker, one who trusts and loves the past; I may be likened to our old P'eng."" 16 A disciple. 17 The dissolute wife of Duke Ling of Wei. 18 Two emperors of the golden age. 1 Of old P'eng we should be glad to know more, but "the rest is silence." |