The Analects of Confucius Book 6

ⓒ Confucius and his disciples

 

 

 

6.1 The Master said, Yong may be permitted to sit facing south.

 

 

 

6.2 Zhonggong asked about Zisang Bozi. The Master said, “He was satisfactory; his style was simple.”

 

Zhonggong said, “To be attentively respectful when interacting at home but simple in conduct when approaching one’s people is indeed satisfactory. But is not being simple both at home and in conduct abroad to be too simple?”

 

The Master said, “Yong’s words are correct.”

 

 

 

6.3 Duke Ai asked which of the disciples loved learning. The Master said, “There was Yan Hui who loved learning. He never shifted his anger, never repeated his errors. Unfortunately, his life was short and he died. Now there is none. I have not heard of another who loves learning.”

 

 

 

6.4 Zihua was dispatched on a mission to Qi. Ranzi asked for an allotment of grain to provide his mother. The Master said, “Give her six measures.”

 

Ranzi asked for more.

“Give her nine measures.”

Ranzi gave her twenty-five measures.

 

The Master said, “When Chi traveled to Qi, he rode a sleek horse and wore a fine fur jacket. I have heard it said, ‘The junzi attends to the needy; he does not enrich the wealthy.’”

 

 

 

6.5 Yuan Si acted as steward of the Master’s household. The Master set his salary at nine hundred measures. Yuan Si declined. The Master said, “No, you can give it to your neighbors and townsmen.”

 

 

 

6.6 The Master characterized Zhonggong thus: If the calf of a plough ox has a sorrel coat and fine horns, though one wished not to sacrifice it, would the spirits of the mountains and rivers forego it?

 

 

 

6.7 The Master said, Hui would go three months without his heart ever departing from ren. As for the others, their hearts merely come upon ren from time to time.

 

 

 

6.8 Ji Kangzi asked, “Cannot Zhong Yóu be appointed to government position?”

 

The Master said, “Yóu is resolute. What difficulty would he have in governance?”

 

“Cannot Si be appointed to government position?”

 

The Master said, “Si has understanding. What difficulty would he have in governance?”

 

“Cannot Qiu be appointed to government position?”

 

The Master said, “Qiu is accomplished in arts. What difficulty would he have in governance?”

 

 

 

6.9 The Ji family sent word appointing Min Ziqian as the steward of Bi. Min Ziqian said, “Make a good excuse for me. If they send for me again, I will surely be found north of the River Wen.”

 

 

 

6.10 Boniu fell ill. The Master called upon him, grasping Boniu’s hand through the window. He said, “There is nothing for it! It is fated. Yet for such a man to have such an illness! For such a man to have such an illness!”

 

 

 

6.11 The Master said, How worthy is Hui! A simple bowl of food and a dipperful of drink, living on a shabby lane – others could not bear the cares, yet Hui is unchanging in his joy. How worthy is Hui!

 

 

 

6.12 Ran Qiu said, “It is not that I do not delight in your dao, Master – my strength is insufficient.”

 

The Master said, “Those with insufficient strength fall by the path midway. You are simply drawing a line.”

 

 

 

6.13 The Master addressed Zixia, saying, “Be a junzi Ru; don’t be a small man Ru.”

 

 

 

6.14 Ziyou became the steward of Wucheng. The Master said, “Do you find good men there?”

 

“There is one called Tantai Mieming. He never takes shortcuts in his conduct, and if it is not upon official business, he never comes to see me in my chamber.”

 

 

 

6.15 The Master said, Meng Zhifan was not boastful. When the army retreated, he held the rear, but as they approached the city gate he whipped his horse ahead, saying, “It’s not that I dared to stay behind – my horse simply wouldn’t go!”

 

 

 

6.16 The Master said, Without the glibness of Zhu Tuo or the handsomeness of Song Zhao, it is hard to escape in times like these.

 

 

 

6.17 The Master said, Who can go out except through the door? Why, then, does no one follow this dao?

 

 

 

6.18 When plain substance prevails over patterned refinement, you have a bumpkin. When patterned refinement prevails over substance, you have a clerk. When substance and pattern are in balance, only then do you have a junzi.

 

 

 

6.19 Men stay alive through straightforward conduct. When the crooked stay alive it is simply a matter of escaping through luck.

 

 

 

6.20 The Master said, Knowing it is not so good as loving it; loving it is not so good as taking joy in it.

 

 

 

6.21 The Master said, With men of middle level or higher, one may discuss the highest; with men below the middle rank, one may not discuss the highest.

 

 

 

6.22 Fan Chi asked about knowledge. The Master said, “To concentrate on what is right for the people; to be attentively respectful towards ghosts and spirits but keep them at a distance – this may be called knowledge.”

 

He asked about ren. “People who are ren are first to shoulder difficulties and last to reap rewards. This may be called ren.”

 

 

 

6.23 The Master said, The wise delight in water; the ren delight in mountains. The wise are in motion; the ren are at rest. The wise are joyful; the ren are long lived.

 

 

 

6.24 The Master said, The state of Qi with one transformation could become the state of Lu, and the state of Lu with one transformation could reach the dao.

 

 

 

6.25 The Master said, A gourd that is not a gourd – is it a gourd? Is it a gourd?

 

 

 

6.26 Zai Wo asked, “If you were to say to a ren person that there was someone fallen down into a well, would he leap in to save him?”

 

The Master said, “What do you mean by this? A junzi may be urged, but he cannot be snared; he may be deceived, but he may not be made a fool of.”

 

 

 

6.27 The Master said, Once a junzi has studied broadly in patterns and constrained them with li, indeed he will never turn his back on them.

 

 

 

6.28 The Master had an audience with Nanzi. Zilu was displeased. The Master swore an oath: “That which I deny, may Tian detest it! May Tian detest it!”

 

 

 

6.29 The Master said, The Central Mean in conduct is where virtue reaches its pinnacle. Few are those who can sustain it for long.

 

 

 

6.30 Zigong said, “If one were to bring broad benefits to the people and be able to aid the multitudes, what would you say about him? Could you call him ren?”

 

The Master said, “Why would you call this a matter of ren? Surely, this would be a sage! Yao and Shun themselves would fall short of this. 

 

“The ren person is one who, wishing himself to be settled in position, sets up others; wishing himself to have access to the powerful, achieves access for others. To be able to proceed by analogy from what lies nearest by, that may be termed the formula for ren.”