3

Confucius said of the head of the Chi family, who had eight rows of

pantomimes in his area, "If he can bear to do this, what may he not bear to do?"

The three families used the Yungode, while the vessels were being removed,

at the conclusion of the sacrifice. The Master said, "'Assisting are the

princes;-the son of heaven looks profound and grave';-what application can these

words have in the hall of the three families?"

The Master said, "If a man be without the virtues proper to humanity, what

has he to do with the rites of propriety? If a man be without the virtues proper

to humanity, what has he to do with music?"

Lin Fang asked what was the first thing to be attended to in ceremonies.

The Master said, "A great question indeed!

"In festive ceremonies, it is better to be sparing than extravagant. In the

ceremonies of mourning, it is better that there be deep sorrow than in minute

attention to observances."

The Master said, "The rude tribes of the east and north have their princes,

and are not like the States of our great land which are without them."

The chief of the Chi family was about to sacrifice to the T'ai mountain. The

Master said to Zan Yu, "Can you not save him from this?" He answered, "I

cannot." Confucius said, "Alas! will you say that the T'ai mountain is not so

discerning as Lin Fang?"

The Master said, "The student of virtue has no contentions. If it be said he

cannot avoid them, shall this be in archery? But he bows complaisantly to his

competitors; thus he ascends the hall, descends, and exacts the forfeit of

drinking. In his contention, he is still the Chun-tsze."

Tsze-hsia asked, saying, "What is the meaning of the passage-'The pretty

dimples of her artful smile! The well-defined black and white of her eye! The

plain ground for the colors?'"

The Master said, "The business of laying on the colors follows the

preparation of the plain ground."

"Ceremonies then are a subsequent thing?" The Master said, "It is Shang who

can bring out my meaning. Now I can begin to talk about the odes with him."

The Master said, "I could describe the ceremonies of the Hsia dynasty, but

Chi cannot sufficiently attest my words. I could describe the ceremonies of the

Yin dynasty, but Sung cannot sufficiently attest my words. They cannot do so

because of the insufficiency of their records and wise men. If those were

sufficient, I could adduce them in support of my words."

The Master said, "At the great sacrifice, after the pouring out of the

libation, I have no wish to look on."

Some one asked the meaning of the great sacrifice. The Master said, "I do

not know. He who knew its meaning would find it as easy to govern the kingdom as

to look on this"-pointing to his palm.

He sacrificed to the dead, as if they were present. He sacrificed to the

spirits, as if the spirits were present.

The Master said, "I consider my not being present at the sacrifice, as if I

did not sacrifice."

Wang-sun Chia asked, saying, "What is the meaning of the saying, 'It is

better to pay court to the furnace then to the southwest corner?'"

The Master said, "Not so. He who offends against Heaven has none to whom he

can pray."

The Master said, "Chau had the advantage of viewing the two past dynasties.

How complete and elegant are its regulations! I follow Chau."

The Master, when he entered the grand temple, asked about everything. Some

one said, "Who say that the son of the man of Tsau knows the rules of propriety!

He has entered the grand temple and asks about everything." The Master heard the

remark, and said, "This is a rule of propriety."

The Master said, "In archery it is not going through the leather which is

the principal thing;-because people's strength is not equal. This was the old

way."

Tsze-kung wished to do away with the offering of a sheep connected with the

inauguration of the first day of each month.

The Master said, "Ts'ze, you love the sheep; I love the ceremony."

The Master said, "The full observance of the rules of propriety in serving

one's prince is accounted by people to be flattery."

The Duke Ting asked how a prince should employ his ministers, and how

ministers should serve their prince. Confucius replied, "A prince should employ

his minister according to according to the rules of propriety; ministers should

serve their prince with faithfulness."

The Master said, "The Kwan Tsu is expressive of enjoyment without being

licentious, and of grief without being hurtfully excessive."

The Duke Ai asked Tsai Wo about the altars of the spirits of the land. Tsai

Wo replied, "The Hsia sovereign planted the pine tree about them; the men of the

Yin planted the cypress; and the men of the Chau planted the chestnut tree,

meaning thereby to cause the people to be in awe."

When the Master heard it, he said, "Things that are done, it is needless to

speak about; things that have had their course, it is needless to remonstrate

about; things that are past, it is needless to blame."

The Master said, "Small indeed was the capacity of Kwan Chung!"

Some one said, "Was Kwan Chung parsimonious?" "Kwan," was the reply, "had

the San Kwei, and his officers performed no double duties; how can he be

considered parsimonious?"

"Then, did Kwan Chung know the rules of propriety?" The Master said, "The

princes of States have a screen intercepting the view at their gates. Kwan had

likewise a screen at his gate. The princes of States on any friendly meeting

between two of them, had a stand on which to place their inverted cups. Kwan had

also such a stand. If Kwan knew the rules of propriety, who does not know them?"

The Master instructing the grand music master of Lu said, "How to play music

may be known. At the commencement of the piece, all the parts should sound

together. As it proceeds, they should be in harmony while severally distinct and

flowing without break, and thus on to the conclusion."

The border warden at Yi requested to be introduced to the Master, saying,

"When men of superior virtue have come to this, I have never been denied the

privilege of seeing them." The followers of the sage introduced him, and when he

came out from the interview, he said, "My friends, why are you distressed by

your master's loss of office? The kingdom has long been without the principles

of truth and right; Heaven is going to use your master as a bell with its wooden

tongue."

The Master said of the Shao that it was perfectly beautiful and also

perfectly good. He said of the Wu that it was perfectly beautiful but not

perfectly good.

The Master said, "High station filled without indulgent generosity;

ceremonies performed without reverence; mourning conducted without sorrow;-

wherewith should I contemplate such ways?"





4

The Master said, "It is virtuous manners which constitute the excellence of

a neighborhood. If a man in selecting a residence do not fix on one where such

prevail, how can he be wise?"

The Master said, "Those who are without virtue cannot abide long either in a

condition of poverty and hardship, or in a condition of enjoyment. The virtuous

rest in virtue; the wise desire virtue."

The Master said, "It is only the truly virtuous man, who can love, or who

can hate, others."

The Master said, "If the will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of

wickedness."

The Master said, "Riches and honors are what men desire. If they cannot be

obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and meanness are

what men dislike. If they cannot be avoided in the proper way, they should not

be avoided.

"If a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfill the requirements of

that name?

"The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act

contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger,

he cleaves to it."

The Master said, "I have not seen a person who loved virtue, or one who

hated what was not virtuous. He who loved virtue, would esteem nothing above it.

He who hated what is not virtuous, would practice virtue in such a way that he

would not allow anything that is not virtuous to approach his person.

"Is any one able for one day to apply his strength to virtue? I have not

seen the case in which his strength would be insufficient.

"Should there possibly be any such case, I have not seen it."

The Master said, "The faults of men are characteristic of the class to which

they belong. By observing a man's faults, it may be known that he is virtuous."

The Master said, "If a man in the morning hear the right way, he may die in

the evening hear regret."

The Master said, "A scholar, whose mind is set on truth, and who is ashamed

of bad clothes and bad food, is not fit to be discoursed with."

The Master said, "The superior man, in the world, does not set his mind

either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow."

The Master said, "The superior man thinks of virtue; the small man thinks of

comfort. The superior man thinks of the sanctions of law; the small man thinks

of favors which he may receive."

The Master said: "He who acts with a constant view to his own advantage will

be much murmured against."

The Master said, "If a prince is able to govern his kingdom with the

complaisance proper to the rules of propriety, what difficulty will he have? If

he cannot govern it with that complaisance, what has he to do with the rules of

propriety?"

The Master said, "A man should say, I am not concerned that I have no place,

I am concerned how I may fit myself for one. I am not concerned that I am not

known, I seek to be worthy to be known."

The Master said, "Shan, my doctrine is that of an all-pervading unity." The

disciple Tsang replied, "Yes."

The Master went out, and the other disciples asked, saying, "What do his

words mean?" Tsang said, "The doctrine of our master is to be true to the

principles-of our nature and the benevolent exercise of them to others,-this and

nothing more."

The Master said, "The mind of the superior man is conversant with

righteousness; the mind of the mean man is conversant with gain."

The Master said, "When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them;

when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine

ourselves."

The Master said, "In serving his parents, a son may remonstrate with them,

but gently; when he sees that they do not incline to follow his advice, he shows

an increased degree of reverence, but does not abandon his purpose; and should

they punish him, he does not allow himself to murmur."

The Master said, "While his parents are alive, the son may not go abroad to

a distance. If he does go abroad, he must have a fixed place to which he goes."

The Master said, "If the son for three years does not alter from the way of

his father, he may be called filial."

The Master said, "The years of parents may by no means not be kept in the

memory, as an occasion at once for joy and for fear."

The Master said, "The reason why the ancients did not readily give utterance

to their words, was that they feared lest their actions should not come up to

them."

The Master said, "The cautious seldom err."

The Master said, "The superior man wishes to be slow in his speech and

earnest in his conduct."

The Master said, "Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it

will have neighbors."

Tsze-yu said, "In serving a prince, frequent remonstrances lead to disgrace.

Between friends, frequent reproofs make the friendship distant."