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.