The Analects of Confucius Book 9

ⓒ Confucius and his disciples

 

 

 

1 The Master rarely spoke of profit, fate, or ren.

 

 

 

2 A resident of Da Lane said, “How great is Confucius! He has studied broadly, and has no accomplishment by which he is known.”

 

The Master heard of it and said to his disciples, “What shall I master? Charioteering? Archery? I’ll master charioteering!”

 

 

 

3 The Master said, The hemp ceremonial cap is what is called for in li. Nowadays plain silk is used. That is thrifty. I follow the general trend. To make one’s bows at the base of the steps is what is called for in li. Nowadays people bow after ascending. That is arrogant. Though it goes against the general trend, I make my bows below.

 

 

 

4 The Master forbade four things: One must not act on guesses, one must not demand absolute certainty, one must not be stubborn, one must not insist on oneself.

 

 

 

5 When the Master was in danger in the state of Kuang, he said, “King Wen is dead, but his patterns live on here in me, do they not? If Tian wished these patterns to perish, I would not have been able to partake of them. Since Tian has not destroyed these patterns, what harm can the people of Kuang do to me?”

 

 

 

6 The Grand Steward asked Zigong, “Your Master is surely a Sage, is he not? He is skilled in so many things!” Zigong replied, “It is actually Tian which allows him to be a great Sage; he is skilled in many things besides.”

 

The Master heard of it. “What does the Grand Steward know of me?” he said. "When I was young I was of humble station, and so became skilled in many rude things. Is the junzi skilled in many things? No, not many.”

 

 

 

7 Lao said, The Master stated, “I was not tried in office, hence I became skilled in arts.”

 

 

 

8 The Master said, Do I have knowledge? No, I do not. If even a bumpkin asks a question of me, I am all empty. I simply tap at both ends of the question until I exhaust it.

 

 

 

9 The Master said, The phoenix does not arrive, the River does not produce its charts – I am finished!

 

 

 

10 Whenever the Master saw someone wearing mourning clothes, or a grandee dressed in court robes, or a person who was blind – even if they were young – upon catching sight of them, if seated he would stand, if walking past he would quicken his step.

 

 

 

11 Yan Yuan heaved a heavy sigh. “When I look up, it grows taller, when I bore into it, it grows harder. I see it before me and suddenly it is behind. The Master skillfully entices people forward, step by step. He broadens me with patterns and constrains me with li – I want to stop, but I cannot until my abilities are exhausted. He stands before me as though towering high, and though I wish to follow, I can find no route up.”

 

 

 

12 The Master fell ill. Zilu had the disciples act towards him as though they were retainers. When the illness eased, the Master said, “Long has Yóu practiced this deception! To have no retainers and pretend to have them, whom do I deceive? Do I deceive Tian? And moreover, rather than die in the hands of retainers, would I not prefer to die in your hands, my friends? Even though I may receive no great funeral, would I be dying by the side of the road?”

 

 

 

13 Zigong said, “Let’s say I have a precious gemstone; should I place it in a fine box and conceal it, or should I seek out a good merchant and sell it?”

 

The Master said, “Sell it! Sell it! I myself am waiting for a good price.”

 

 

 

14 The Master wished to dwell among the uncivilized tribes. Someone said, “What would you do about their crudeness?” The Master said, “When a junzi dwells among them, what crudeness could there be?”

 

 

 

15 The Master said, Only after I returned to Lu from Wei did the court odes and sacrificial hymns find their proper places.

 

 

 

16 The Master said, When abroad serving court grandees and ministers, when at home serving elders, not daring to fail in effort in matters of mourning, not becoming intoxicated with wine – what difficulty are these things to me?

 

 

 

17 The Master stood on the banks of the river. “How it flows on, never ceasing, night and day!”

 

 

 

18 The Master said, I have yet to see a man who loved virtue as much as sex.

 

 

 

19 The Master said, Think of it as making a mountain. If, one bucketful short of completion, I stop, then I’ve stopped. Think of it as filling a pit. Though I’ve thrown in only a single bucketful, I’m progressing.

 

 

 

20 The Master said, “Instructing him, he was never lazy” – that would be Hui, would it not?

 

 

 

21 The Master characterized Yan Yuan thus: What a shame! I observed him advance; I never saw him stop.

 

 

 

22 The Master said, There are shoots that never come to flower, and there are flowers that never bear fruit.

 

 

 

23 The Master said, The younger generation must be held in awe – how can we know that the future will not match up to the present? But if a man reaches forty or fifty and nothing has been heard from him, he is no longer worthy of awe.

 

 

 

24 The Master said, Exemplary sayings: can one fail to follow them? Yet it is adapting them that is important. Lessons of obedience: can one fail to approve them with pleasure? Yet it is applying them to fit that is important. Those who approve without fitting and follow without adapting – I can do nothing with such people.

 

 

 

25 The Master said, Take loyalty and trustworthiness as the pivot and have no friends who are not like yourself in this.

 

If you err, do not be afraid to correct yourself.

 

 

 

26 The Master said, One can seize the general in charge of the three army divisions, but one cannot seize the heart’s intent of a peasant.

 

 

 

27 The Master said, If a man could wear a tattered cloth jacket and stand beside one wearing fox or badger furs without shame, it would be Yóu, would it not?

 

 

 

28 Free of resentment, free of craving, In what way is he other than fine?

 

Zilu constantly chanted this verse. The Master said, “What is so fine about the dao of this poem?”

 

The Master said, Only when the year turns cold can one see that pine and cypress are the last to wither.

 

 

 

29 The Master said, The wise are not confused, the ren are not beset with cares, the valorous are not fearful.

 

 

 

30 The Master said, One may study together with a man; that does not yet mean one can pursue the dao with him. One may pursue the dao together with a man; that does not yet mean one may take a stand with him. One may take a stand together with a man; that does not yet mean one may share authority with him.

 

 

 

31 The flowers of the cherry tree,
How the petals wave and turn.
How could it be I do not long for you?
But your home is so far distant.

 

The Master commented, “He couldn’t really have longed for her, could he – if he had, how could any distance have been too great?”