The Analects of Confucius Book 7

ⓒ Confucius and his disciples

 

 

 

1 The Master said, To transmit but not create, to be faithful in loving the old – in this I dare compare myself to Old Peng.

 

 

 

2 The Master said, To stay silent and mark something in the mind, to study without tiring, to instruct others without fatigue – what difficulty are these things to me?

 

 

 

3 The Master said, That I have not cultivated virtue, that I have learned but not explained, that I have heard what is right but failed to align with it, that what is not good in me I have been unable to change – these are my worries.

 

 

 

4 When the Master was at leisure, his manner was relaxed and easy.

 

 

 

5 The Master said, How far I have declined! Long has it been since I have again dreamed of the Duke of Zhou.

 

 

 

6 The Master said, Set your heart on the dao, base yourself in virtue, rely on ren, journey in the arts.

 

 

 

7 The Master said, From those who offer only a bundle of dried sausages on up, I have never refused to teach.

 

 

 

8 The Master said, Where there is no agitated attempt at thinking, I do not provide a clue; where there is no stammered attempt at expression, I do provide a prompt. If I raise one corner and do not receive the other three in response, I teach no further.

 

 

 

9 When the Master dined by the side of one who was in mourning, he never ate his fill.

 

 

 

10 If on a certain day the Master cried, he did not on that day sing.

 

 

 

11 The Master said of Yan Yuan, When put to use, act; when discarded, hide – only you and I are thus.

 

Zilu said, “Master, if you were put in charge of the three army divisions, then whom would you wish to have with you?”

 

The Master said, “Those who fight tigers with their bare hands, wade across rivers, and are willing to die without regret – I would not want their company. I would certainly want those who approach affairs with fearful caution and who like to lay careful plans for success.”

 

 

 

12 The Master said, If wealth may be well sought, though it be as lowly bearer of the whip I too would pursue it. If it cannot be well sought, I will follow what I love.

 

 

 

13 Things the Master was vigilant about: fasting, war, illness.

 

 

 

14 When the Master was in the state of Qi, he heard the Shao Music. For three months he did not know the taste of meat. He said, “I never imagined that the making of music could reach this level.”

 

 

 

15 Ran Yǒu said, “Will the Master become a partisan on behalf of the ruler of Wei?”

 

Zigong said, “Right – I’ll ask him.”

 

He entered and said to the Master, “What sort of men were Bo Yi and Shu Qi?”

 

“They were worthies of ancient times.”

 

“Did they harbor complaints?”

 

“They sought ren and gained ren – what complaint could they have?”

 

Zigong exited. “The Master will not be a partisan in this,” he said.

 

 

 

16 The Master said, To eat coarse greens, drink water, and crook one’s elbow for a pillow – joy also lies therein. Wealth and high rank obtained by unrighteous means are to me like the floating clouds.

 

 

 

17 The Master said, Give me a few years, till fifty, in order to learn, and indeed I may be free of great flaws.

 

 

 

18 Those things for which the Master always employed court dialect: the Poetry, the Documents, the conduct of li. For all these, he employed court dialect.

 

 

 

19 The Lord of She asked Zilu about Confucius. Zilu could think of no response. The Master said, “Why did you not say: As a man, when agitated in thought he forgets to eat, joyfully forgetting his cares, not realizing that old age is near at hand?”

 

 

 

20 The Master said, I was not born with knowledge. I love what is old and am assiduous in pursuing it.

 

 

 

21 The Master did not speak of strange occurrences, feats of strength, political disruptions, and spirits.

 

 

 

7.22 The Master said, When walking in a group of three, my teachers are always present. I draw out what is good in them so as to emulate it myself, and what is not good in them so as to alter it in myself.

 

 

 

23 The Master said, Tian has engendered virtue in me – what harm can Huan Tui do to me?

 

 

 

24 The Master said, My friends, do you believe I have secrets from you? I am without secrets. There is nothing I do that I do not share with you, my friends. That is who I am.

 

 

 

25 The Master taught by means of four things: patterns, conduct, loyalty, faithfulness.

 

 

 

26 The Master said, “Sages I have had no opportunity to see. You may say that I have been able to see junzis.”

 

The Master said, “Good men I have had no opportunity to see. You may say that I have been able to see steadfast men. To treat having nothing as having enough, being empty as being full, being in tight constraints as being in luxury – it is hard enough to be steadfast!”

 

 

 

27 When the Master fished he did not use a net; when he hunted, he did not shoot at nesting birds.

 

 

 

28 The Master said, There may be some who invent without prior knowledge. I am not such a one. To listen to much, select what is good, and follow it; to observe much and to mark it in memory – these are second to knowledge.

 

 

 

29 The people of Hu Village were difficult to talk with. Confucius granted a village youth an interview and the disciples were doubtful.

 

The Master said, “To approve of him when he advances does not mean you’ve approved of his steps back. What is extraordinary in this? When a person purifies himself so as to advance, you approve his purity; you are not endorsing his past.”

 

 

 

30 The Master said, Is ren distant? When I wish to be ren, ren arrives.

 

 

 

31 The Minister of Crime in the state of Chen asked, “Did Duke Zhao understand li?” Confucius said, “He did.”

 

Confucius retired, and the Minister bowed to Wuma Qi, who entered. The Minister said, “I have heard that the junzi is not a partisan – is he indeed a partisan after all? Your former ruler married a woman from the state of Wu with the same surname as his own clan, but simply referred to her as ‘Mengzi of Wu.’ If your ruler understood li, who does not understand li?”

 

Wuma Qi reported this to the Master, who said, “I am lucky. When I make an error, others always know it.”

 

 

 

32 When the Master sang with others and they sang well, he would always wait and then ask them to repeat before joining in harmony.

 

 

 

33 The Master said, In terms of unstinting effort, I can measure up to others, but as far as exemplifying the junzi in my personal conduct, I have not yet grasped it.

 

 

 

34 The Master said, “As for terms such as ‘sage’ or ‘ren’, how could I dare accept them? Rather, ‘tireless in pursuing it, unflagging in teaching others’ – that may be said of me.”

 

Gongxi Hua said, “That is just what we disciples cannot learn to be.”

 

 

 

35 The Master fell ill. Zilu requested permission to offer prayers. The Master said, “Is there precedent for this?” Zilu answered, “There is. In the liturgy it says, ‘Pray to the spirits above and below.’”

 

The Master said, “My prayers are longstanding.”

 

 

 

36 The Master said, Extravagance leads towards disobedience; thrift leads towards uncouthness. Rather than be disobedient, it is better to be uncouth.

 

 

 

37 The Master said, The junzi is free and easy, the small man always careworn.

 

 

 

38 The Master was warm, yet severe; awesome, yet never harsh; reverent, yet calm.