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THE SAYINGS OF CONFUCIUS

I

[1]

HE Master said: "In learning and straightway practising is there not pleasure also?

T

When friends gather round from afar do we not rejoice? Whom

lack of fame cannot vex is not he a gentleman?"

[2] Yu-tzu said: "A dutiful son and brother is seldom fond of thwarting those over him: a man unwilling to thwart those over him is never given to crime. A gentleman nurses the roots: when the root has taken, the truth will grow; and what are the roots of love, but the duty of son and of brother?"

[3] The Master said: "Honeyed words and flattering looks seldom speak of love."

[4] Tseng-tzu said: "Thrice daily I ask myself: 'Have I been unfaithful in dealing for others? Have I been untrue to friends? Do I practise what I preach?'"

[5] The Master said: "To guide a land of a thousand chariots, honour business, be true and sparing, love the people, and time thy claims upon them."

[6] The Master said: "The young should be dutiful at home, modest abroad, heedful and true, full of goodwill for the many, close friends with love; and should they have strength to spare, let them spend it upon the arts."

[7] Tzu-hsia' said: "If a man honour worth and forsake lust, serve father and mother with all his strength, be ready to give his life for the king, and keep faith with his friends; though men may call him rude, I call him learned."

[8] The Master said: "Of a gentleman who is frivolous none stand in awe, nor can his learning be sound. Make

1 Disciples.
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faithfulness and truth thy masters: have no friends unlike thyself: be not ashamed to mend thy faults."

[9] Tseng-tzu' said: "Respect death and recall forefathers, the good in men will again grow sturdy."

[10] Tzu-ch'in' said to Tzu-kung': "The Master, on coming to a country, learns all about the government: does he ask, or is it told him?"

Tzu-kung said: "The Master learns it by his warmth and honesty, by politeness, modesty, and yielding. The way that the Master asks is unlike other men's asking."

[11] The Master said: "As long as his father lives a son should study his wishes; after he is dead, he should study his life. If for three years he do not forsake his father's ways, he may be called dutiful.”

[12] Yu-tzu said: "In daily courtesy ease is of price. This was the beauty of the old kings' ways; this they followed in small and great. But knowing this, it is not right to give way to ease, unchecked by courtesy. This also is wrong."

[13] Yu-tzu said: "If promises hug the right, word can be kept: if attentions are bounded by courtesy, shame will be banished: heroes may be worshipped, if we choose them aright."

[14] The Master said: "A gentleman who is not a greedy eater, nor a lover of ease at home, who is earnest in deed and careful of speech who seeks the righteous and profits by them, may be called fond of learning."

[15] Tzu-kung said: "Poor, but no flatterer; rich, but not proud. How were that?"

"Good," said the Master; "but better still were poor, yet merry; rich, yet courteous."

Tzu-kung said: "Where the poem says:

'If ye cut, if ye file,

If ye polish and grind';

is that what is meant?"

The Master said: "Now I can talk of poetry to thee, Tz'u. Given a clue, thou canst find the way."

[16] The Master said: "Not to be known should not grieve you: grieve that ye know not men."

1 Disciples.

II

[1] THE Master said: "In governing, cleave to good; as the north star holds his place, and the multitude of stars revolve upon him."

[2] The Master said: "To sum up the three hundred songs in a word, they are free from evil thought."

[3] The Master said: "Guide the people by law, subdue them by punishment; they may shun crime, but will be void of shame. Guide them by example, subdue them by courtesy; they will learn shame, and come to be good."

[4] The Master said: "At fifteen, I was bent on study; at thirty, I could stand; at forty, doubts ceased; at fifty, I understood the laws of Heaven; at sixty, my ears obeyed me; at seventy, I could do as my heart lusted, and never swerve from right."

[5] Meng Yi asked the duty of a son.

The Master said: "Obedience."

As Fan Ch'ih' was driving him, the Master said: "Mengsun' asked me the duty of a son; I answered 'Obedience."" "What did ye mean?" said Fan Ch'ih.

"To serve our parents with courtesy whilst they live," said the Master; "to bury them with all courtesy when they die; and to worship them with all courtesy."

[6] Meng Wu asked the duty of a son.

The Master said: "What weighs on your father and mother is concern for your health."

[7] Tzu-yu' asked the duty of a son.

The Master said: "To-day a man is called dutiful if he keep his father and mother. But we keep both our dogs and horses, and unless we honour parents, is it not all one?" [8] Tzu-hsia asked the duty of a son.

The Master said: “Our manner is the hard part. For the young to be a stay in toil, and leave the wine and cakes to their elders, is this to fulfil their duty?"

[9] The Master said: "If I talk all day to Hui,* like a dullard, he never stops me. But when he is gone, if I pry into his life, I find he can do what I say. No, Hui is no dullard."

1 A disciple. 2 Meng Yi. A disciple.
The Master's favourite disciple, Yen Yüan.

[10] The Master said: "Look at a man's acts; watch his motives; find out what pleases him: can the man evade you? Can the man evade you?

[11] The Master said: "Who keeps the old akindle and adds new knowledge is fitted to be a teacher."

[12] The Master said: "A gentleman is not a vessel." [13] Tzu-kung asked, What is a gentleman?

The Master said: "He puts words into deed first, and sorts what he says to the deed."

[14] The Master said: "A gentleman is broad and fair: the vulgar are biassed and petty."

[15] The Master said: "Study without thought is vain: thought without study is dangerous."

[16] The Master said: "Work on strange doctrines does harm."

[17] The Master said: "Yu, shall I teach thee what is understanding? To know what we know, and know what we do not know, that is understanding."

[18] Tzu-chang" studied with an eye to pay.

The Master said: "Listen much, keep silent when in doubt, and always take heed of the tongue; thou wilt make few mistakes. See much, beware of pitfalls, and always give heed to thy walk; thou wilt have little to rue. If thy words are seldom wrong, thy deeds leave little to rue, pay will follow."

[19] Duke Aï' asked: "What should be done to make the people loyal?"

Confucius answered: "Exalt the straight, set aside the crooked, the people will be loyal. Exalt the crooked, set aside the straight, the people will be disloyal."

[20] Chi K'ang asked how to make the people lowly, faithful, and willing.

The Master said: "Behave with dignity, they will be lowly be pious and merciful, they will be faithful: exalt the good, teach the unskilful, they will grow willing."

[21] One said to Confucius: "Why are ye not in power, Sir?"

The Master answered: "What does the book say of a good The disciple, Tzu-lu.

A disciple.

Duke of Lu, during Confucius' closing years.
Head of the Chi clan during Confucius' closing years.

son? An always dutiful son, who is a friend to his brothers, showeth the way to rule.' This also is to rule. What need to be in power?"

[22] The Master said: "Without truth I know not how man can live. A cart without a crosspole, a carriage without harness, how could they be moved?"

[23] Tzu-chang asked whether we can know what is to be ten generations hence.

The Master said: "The Yin' inherited the manners of the Hsia; the harm and the good that they wrought them is known. The Chou' inherited the manners of the Yin; the harm and the good that they wrought them is known. And we may know what is to be, even an hundred generations hence, when others follow Chou."

[24] The Master said: "To worship the ghosts of strangers is fawning. To see the right and not do it is want of courage."

III

[1] Or the Chi having eight rows of dancers' in his hall, Confucius said: "If this is to be borne, what is not to be borne ?"

[2] At the end of worship, the Three Clans made use of the Yung hymn.1

The Master said:

"The dukes and princes assist,

Solemn is the Son of Heaven ;'

what sense has this in the hall of the Three Clans?"

[3] The Master said: "A man without love, what is courtesy to him? A man without love, what is music to him?"

[4] Lin Fang asked, What is the life of ceremony? The Master said: "A great question! At hightides, waste is worse than thrift: at burials, grief outweighs nicety." [5] The Master said: "The wild tribes have kings; whilst the realm of Hsia' is without!"

[6] The Chi worshipped on Mount T'ai.

The three dynasties that had ruled China up till the time of Confucius. An imperial prerogative. China. A prerogative of the Duke of Lu.

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