The Analects of Confucius Part 12

CHAP. X. Tsze-hsia said, 'The superior man, having obtained their confidence, may then impose labours on his people. If he have not gained their confidence, they will think that he is oppressing them. Having obtained the confidence of his prince, one may then remonstrate with him. If he have not gained his confidence, the prince will think that he is vilifying him.'

CHAP. XI. Tsze-hsia said, 'When a person does not transgress the boundary line in the great virtues, he may pa.s.s and repa.s.s it in the small virtues.'

CHAP. XII. 1. Tsze-yu said, 'The disciples and followers of Tsze-hsia, in sprinkling and sweeping the ground, in answering and replying, in advancing and receding, are sufficiently accomplished.

But these are only the branches of learning, and they are left ignorant of what is essential.-- How can they be acknowledged as sufficiently taught?'

2. Tsze-hsia heard of the remark and said, 'Alas! Yen Yu is wrong. According to the way of the superior man in teaching, what departments are there which he considers of prime importance, and delivers? what are there which he considers of secondary importance, and allows himself to be idle about? But as in the case of plants, which are a.s.sorted according to their cla.s.ses, so he deals with his disciples. How can the way of a superior man be such as to make fools of any of them? Is it not the sage alone, who can unite in one the beginning and the consummation of learning?'

CHAP. XIII. Tsze-hsia said, 'The officer, having discharged all his duties, should devote his leisure to learning. The student, having completed his learning, should apply himself to be an officer.'

CHAP. XIV. Tsze-hsia said, 'Mourning, having been carried to the utmost degree of grief, should stop with that.'

CHAP. XV. Tsze-hsia said, 'My friend Chang can do things which are hard to be done, but yet he is not perfectly virtuous.'

CHAP. XVI. The philosopher Tsang said, 'How imposing is the manner of Chang! It is difficult along with him to practise virtue.'

CHAP. XVII. The philosopher Tsang said, 'I heard this from our Master:-- "Men may not have shown what is in them to the full extent, and yet they will be found to do so, on occasion of mourning for their parents."'

CHAP. XVIII. The philosopher Tsang said, 'I have heard this from our Master:-- "The filial piety of Mang Chw.a.n.g, in other matters, was what other men are competent to, but, as seen in his not changing the ministers of his father, nor his father's mode of government, it is difficult to be attained to."'

CHAP. XIX. The chief of the Mang family having appointed Yang Fu to be chief criminal judge, the latter consulted the philosopher Tsang. Tsang said, 'The rulers have failed in their duties, and the people consequently have been disorganised, for a long time. When you have found out the truth of any accusation, be grieved for and pity them, and do not feel joy at your own ability.'

CHAP. XX. Tsze-kung said, 'Chau's wickedness was not so great as that name implies. Therefore, the superior man hates to dwell

in a low-lying situation, where all the evil of the world will flow in upon him.'

CHAP. XXI. Tsze-kung said, 'The faults of the superior man are like the eclipses of the sun and moon. He has his faults, and all men see them; he changes again, and all men look up to him.'

CHAP. XXII. 1. Kung-sun Ch'ao of Wei asked Tsze-kung, saying, 'From whom did Chung-ni get his learning?'

2. Tsze-kung replied, 'The doctrines of Wan and Wu have not yet fallen to the ground. They are to be found among men. Men of talents and virtue remember the greater principles of them, and others, not possessing such talents and virtue, remember the smaller. Thus, all possess the doctrines of Wan and Wu. Where could our Master go that he should not have an opportunity of learning them? And yet what necessity was there for his having a regular master?'

CHAP. XXIII. 1. Shu-sun Wu-shu observed to the great officers in the court, saying, 'Tsze-kung is superior to Chung-ni.'

2. Tsze-fu Ching-po reported the observation to Tsze-kung, who said, 'Let me use the comparison of a house and its encompa.s.sing wall. My wall only reaches to the shoulders. One may peep over it, and see whatever is valuable in the apartments.

3. 'The wall of my Master is several fathoms high. If one do not find the door and enter by it, he cannot see the ancestral temple with its beauties, nor all the officers in their rich array.

4. 'But I may a.s.sume that they are few who find the door.

Was not the observation of the chief only what might have been expected?'

CHAP. XXIV. Shu-sun Wu-shu having spoken revilingly of Chung-ni, Tsze-kung said, 'It is of no use doing so. Chung-ni cannot be reviled. The talents and virtue of other men are hillocks and mounds which may be stepped over. Chung-ni is the sun or moon, which it is not possible to step over. Although a man may wish to cut himself off from the sage, what harm can he do to the sun or moon? He only shows that he does not know his own capacity.

CHAP. XXV. 1. Ch'an Tsze-ch'in, addressing Tsze-kung, said, 'You are too modest. How can Chung-ni be said to be superior to you?'

2. Tsze-kung said to him, 'For one word a man is often deemed to be wise, and for one word he is often deemed to be foolish. We ought to be careful indeed in what we say.

3. 'Our Master cannot be attained to, just in the same way as the heavens cannot be gone up to by the steps of a stair.

4. 'Were our Master in the position of the ruler of a State or the chief of a Family, we should find verified the description which has been given of a sage's rule:-- he would plant the people, and forthwith they would be established; he would lead them on, and forthwith they would follow him; he would make them happy, and forthwith mult.i.tudes would resort to his dominions; he would stimulate them, and forthwith they would be harmonious. While he lived, he would be glorious. When he died, he would be bitterly lamented. How is it possible for him to be attained to?'

BOOK XX. YAO YUEH.

CHAP. I. 1. Yao said, 'Oh! you, Shun, the Heaven-determined order of succession now rests in your person. Sincerely hold fast the due Mean. If there shall be distress and want within the four seas, the Heavenly revenue will come to a perpetual end.'

2. Shun also used the same language in giving charge to Yu.

3. T'ang said, 'I the child Li, presume to use a dark-coloured victim, and presume to announce to Thee, O most great and sovereign G.o.d, that the sinner I dare not pardon, and thy ministers, O G.o.d, I do not keep in obscurity. The examination of them is by thy mind, O G.o.d. If, in my person, I commit offences, they are not to be attributed to you, the people of the myriad regions. If you in the myriad regions commit offences, these offences must rest on my person.'

4. Chau conferred great gifts, and the good were enriched.

5. 'Although he has his near relatives, they are not equal to my virtuous men. The people are throwing blame upon me, the One man.'

6. He carefully attended to the weights and measures, examined the body of the laws, restored the discarded officers, and the good government of the kingdom took its course.

7. He revived States that had been extinguished, restored families whose line of succession had been broken, and called to office those who had retired into obscurity, so that throughout the kingdom the hearts of the people turned towards him.

8. What he attached chief importance to, were the food of the people, the duties of mourning, and sacrifices.

9. By his generosity, he won all. By his sincerity, he made the people repose trust in him. By his earnest activity, his achievements were great. By his justice, all were delighted.

CHAP. II. 1. Tsze-chang asked Confucius, saying, 'In what way should a person in authority act in order that he may conduct government properly?' The Master replied, 'Let him honour the five excellent, and banish away the four bad, things;-- then may he conduct government properly.' Tsze-chang said, 'What are meant by the five excellent things?' The Master said, 'When the person in authority is beneficent without great expenditure; when he lays tasks on the people without their repining; when he pursues what he desires without being covetous; when he maintains a dignified ease without being proud; when he is majestic without being fierce.'

2. Tsze-chang said, 'What is meant by being beneficent without great expenditure?' The Master replied, 'When the person in authority makes more beneficial to the people the things from which

they naturally derive benefit;-- is not this being beneficent without great expenditure? When he chooses the labours which are proper, and makes them labour on them, who will repine? When his desires are set on benevolent government, and he secures it, who will accuse him of covetousness? Whether he has to do with many people or few, or with things great or small, he does not dare to indicate any disrespect;-- is not this to maintain a dignified ease without any pride? He adjusts his clothes and cap, and throws a dignity into his looks, so that, thus dignified, he is looked at with awe;-- is not this to be majestic without being fierce?'

3. Tsze-chang then asked, 'What are meant by the four bad things?' The Master said, 'To put the people to death without having instructed them;-- this is called cruelty. To require from them, suddenly, the full tale of work, without having given them warning;-- this is called oppression. To issue orders as if without urgency, at first, and, when the time comes, to insist on them with severity;-- this is called injury. And, generally, in the giving pay

or rewards to men, to do it in a stingy way;-- this is called acting the part of a mere official.'

CHAP III. 1. The Master said, 'Without recognising the ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man.

2. 'Without an acquaintance with the rules of Propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established.

3. 'Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know men.'