Confucian Analects, Confucius, 500 B.C., Part 16
The head of the Chi family was
going to attack Chwan-yu.
Zan Yu and Chi-lu had an interview with
Confucius, and said, "Our chief, Chil is
going to commence operations against
Chwan-yu."
Confucius said, "Ch'iu, is it not you
who are in fault here?
"Now, in regard to Chwan-yu, long ago, a
former king appointed its ruler to
preside over the sacrifices to the
eastern Mang; moreover, it is in the
midst of the territory of our state; and
its ruler is a minister in direct
connection with the sovereign: What has
your chief to do with attacking it?"
Zan Yu said, "Our master wishes the
thing; neither of us two ministers
wishes it."
Confucius said, "Ch'iu, there are the
words of Chau Zan, -'When he can put
forth his ability, he takes his place in
the ranks of office; when he finds
himself unable to do so, he retires from
it. How can he be used as a guide to a
blind man, who does not support him when
tottering, nor raise him up when
fallen?'
"And further, you speak wrongly. When a
tiger or rhinoceros escapes from his
cage; when a tortoise or piece of jade
is injured in its repository:-whose is
the fault?"
Zan Yu said, "But at present, Chwan-yu
is strong and near to Pi; if our chief
do not now take it, it will hereafter be
a sorrow to his descendants."
Confucius said. "Ch'iu, the superior man
hates those declining to say-'I want
such and such a thing,' and framing
explanations for their conduct.
"I have heard that rulers of states and
chiefs of families are not troubled lest
their people should be few, but are
troubled lest they should not keep their
several places; that they are not
troubled with fears of poverty, but are
troubled with fears of a want of
contented repose among the people in
their several places. For when the
people keep their several places, there
will be no poverty; when harmony
prevails, there will be no scarcity of
people; and when there is such a
contented repose, there will be no
rebellious upsettings.
"So it is.-Therefore, if remoter people
are not submissive, all the influences
of civil culture and virtue are to be
cultivated to attract them to be so; and
when they have been so attracted, they
must be made contented and tranquil.
"Now, here are you, Yu and Ch'iu,
assisting your chief. Remoter people are
not submissive, and, with your help, he
cannot attract them to him. In his own
territory there are divisions and
downfalls, leavings and separations,
and, with your help, he cannot preserve
it.
"And yet he is planning these hostile
movements within the state.-I am afraid
that the sorrow of the Chi-sun family
will not be on account of Chwan-yu, but
will be found within the screen of their
own court."
Confucius said, "When good government
prevails in the empire, ceremonies,
music, and punitive military expeditions
proceed from the son of Heaven. When bad
government prevails in the empire,
ceremonies, music, and punitive military
expeditions proceed from the princes.
When these things proceed from the
princes, as a rule, the cases will be
few in which they do not lose their
power in ten generations. When they
proceed from the great officers of the
princes, as a rule, the case will be few
in which they do not lose their power in
five generations. When the subsidiary
ministers of the great officers hold in
their grasp the orders of the state, as
a rule the cases will be few in which
they do not lose their power in three
generations.
"When right principles prevail in the
kingdom, government will not be in the
hands of the great officers.
"When right principles prevail in the
kingdom, there will be no discussions
among the common people."
Confucius said, "The revenue of the
state has left the ducal house now for
five generations. The government has
been in the hands of the great officers
for four generations. On this account,
the descendants of the three Hwan are
much reduced."
Confucius said, "There are three
friendships which are advantageous, and
three which are injurious. Friendship
with the uplight; friendship with the
sincere; and friendship with the man of
much observation:-these are
advantageous. Friendship with the man of
specious airs; friendship with the
insinuatingly soft; and friendship with
the glib-tongued:-these are injurious."
Confucius said, "There are three things
men find enjoyment in which are
advantageous, and three things they find
enjoyment in which are injurious. To
find enjoyment in the discriminating
study of ceremonies and music; to find
enjoyment in speaking of the goodness of
others; to find enjoyment in having many
worthy friends:-these are advantageous.
To find enjoyment in extravagant
pleasures; to find enjoyment in idleness
and sauntering; to find enjoyment in the
pleasures of feasting:-these are
injurious."
Confucius said, "There are three errors
to which they who stand in the presence
of a man of virtue and station are
liable. They may speak when it does not
come to them to speak;-this is called
rashness. They may not speak when it
comes to them to speak;-this is called
concealment. They may speak without
looking at the countenance of their
superior;-this is called blindness."
Confucius said, "There are three things
which the superior man guards against.
In youth, when the physical powers are
not yet settled, he guards against lust.
When he is strong and the physical
powers are full of vigor, he guards
against quarrelsomeness. When he is old,
and the animal powers are decayed, he
guards against covetousness."
Confucius said, "There are three things
of which the superior man stands in awe.
He stands in awe of the ordinances of
Heaven. He stands in awe of great men.
He stands in awe of the words of sages.
"The mean man does not know the
ordinances of Heaven, and consequently
does not stand in awe of them. He is
disrespectful to great men. He makes
sport of the words of sages."
Confucius said, "Those who are born with
the possession of knowledge are the
highest class of men. Those who learn,
and so readily get possession of
knowledge, are the next. Those who are
dull and stupid, and yet compass the
learning, are another class next to
these. As to those who are dull and
stupid and yet do not learn;-they are
the lowest of the people."
Confucius said, "The superior man has
nine things which are subjects with him
of thoughtful consideration. In regard
to the use of his eyes, he is anxious to
see clearly. In regard to the use of his
ears, he is anxious to hear distinctly.
In regard to his countenance, he is
anxious that it should be benign. In
regard to his demeanor, he is anxious
that it should be respectful. In regard
to his speech, he is anxious that it
should be sincere. In regard to his
doing of business, he is anxious that it
should be reverently careful. In regard
to what he doubts about, he is anxious
to question others. When he is angry, he
thinks of the difficulties his anger may
involve him in. When he sees gain to be
got, he thinks of righteousness."
Confucius said, "Contemplating good, and
pursuing it, as if they could not reach
it; contemplating evil! and shrinking
from it, as they would from thrusting
the hand into boiling water:-I have seen
such men, as I have heard such words.
"Living in retirement to study their
aims, and practicing righteousness to
carry out their principles:-I have heard
these words, but I have not seen such
men."
The Duke Ching of Ch'i had a thousand
teams, each of four horses, but on the
day of his death, the people did not
praise him for a single virtue. Po-i and
Shu-ch'i died of hunger at the foot of
the Shau-yang mountains, and the people,
down to the present time, praise them.
"Is not that saying illustrated by
this?"
Ch'an K'ang asked Po-yu, saying, "Have
you heard any lessons from your father
different from what we have all heard?"
Po-yu replied, "No. He was standing
alone once, when I passed below the hall
with hasty steps, and said to me, 'Have
you learned the Odes?' On my replying
'Not yet,' he added, If you do not learn
the Odes, you will not be fit to
converse with.' I retired and studied
the Odes.
"Another day, he was in the same way
standing alone, when I passed by below
the hall with hasty steps, and said to
me, 'Have you learned the rules of
Propriety?' On my replying 'Not yet,' he
added, 'If you do not learn the rules of
Propriety, your character cannot be
established.' I then retired, and
learned the rules of Propriety.
"I have heard only these two things from
him."
Ch'ang K'ang retired, and, quite
delighted, said, "I asked one thing, and
I have got three things. I have heard
about the Odes. I have heard about the
rules of Propriety. I have also heard
that the superior man maintains a
distant reserve towards his son."
The wife of the prince of a state is
called by him Fu Zan. She calls herself
Hsiao T'ung. The people of the state
call her Chun Fu Zan, and, to the people
of other states, they call her K'wa
Hsiao Chun. The people of other states
also call her Chun Fu Zan.
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