The Master said, “Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? “Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters? “Is he not a man of complete virtue, who...

The Master said, “Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? “Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters? “Is he not a man of complete virtue, who...

The philosopher Yû said, “They are few who, being filial and fraternal, are fond of offending against their superiors. There have been none, who, not liking to offend against their superiors, have bee...

The Master said, “Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.”...

The philosopher Tsǎng said, “I daily examine myself on three points:⁠—whether, in transacting business for others, I may have been not faithful;⁠—whether, in intercourse with friends, I may have been ...

The Master said, “To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men; and the employment of the people at t...

The Master said, “A youth, when at home, should be filial, and, abroad, respectful to his elders. He should be earnest and truthful. He should overflow in love to all, and cultivate the friendship of ...

Tsze-hsîâ said, “If a man withdraws his mind from the love of beauty, and applies it as sincerely to the love of the virtuous; if, in serving his parents, he can exert his utmost strength; if, in serv...

The Master said, “If the scholar be not grave, he will not call forth any veneration, and his learning will not be solid. “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. “Have no friends not equ...

The philosopher Tsǎng said, “Let there be a careful attention to perform the funeral rites to parents, and let them be followed when long gone with the ceremonies of sacrifice;⁠—then the virtue of the...

Tsze-ch’in asked Tsze-kung, saying, “When our master comes to any country, he does not fail to learn all about its government. Does he ask his information? or is it given to him?” Tsze-kung said, “Our...

The Master said, “While a man’s father is alive, look at the bent of his will; when his father is dead, look at his conduct. If for three years he does not alter from the way of his father, he may be ...

The philosopher Yû said, “In practising the rules of propriety, a natural ease is to be prized. In the ways prescribed by the ancient kings, this is the excellent quality, and in things small and grea...

The philosopher Yû said, “When agreements are made according to what is right, what is spoken can be made good. When respect is shown according to what is proper, one keeps far from shame and disgrace...

The Master said, “He who aims to be a man of complete virtue in his food does not seek to gratify his appetite, nor in his dwelling place does he seek the appliances of ease; he is earnest in what he ...

Tsze-kung said, “What do you pronounce concerning the poor man who yet does not flatter, and the rich man who is not proud?” The Master replied, “They will do; but they are not equal to him, who, thou...

The Master said, “I will not be afflicted at men’s not knowing me; I will be afflicted that I do not know men.”...

The Master said, “He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.” The Master said, “In the Book of...

The Master said, “He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.”...

The Master said, “In the Book of Poetry are three hundred pieces, but the design of them all may be embraced in one sentence⁠—‘Having no depraved thoughts.’ ”...

The Master said, “If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame. “If they be led by virtue, and...

The Master said, “At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. “At thirty, I stood firm. “At forty, I had no doubts. “At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven. “At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for...

Mǎng Î asked what filial piety was. The Master said, “It is not being disobedient.” Soon after, as Fan Ch’ih was driving him, the Master told him, saying, “Mǎng-sun asked me what filial piety was, and...

Mǎng Wû asked what filial piety was. The Master said, “Parents are anxious lest their children should be sick.”...

Tsze-yû asked what filial piety was. The Master said, “The filial piety of nowadays means the support of one’s parents. But dogs and horses likewise are able to do something in the way of support;⁠—wi...

Tsze-hsîâ asked what filial piety was. The Master said, “The difficulty is with the countenance. If, when their elders have any troublesome affairs, the young take the toil of them, and if, when the y...

The Master said, “I have talked with Hûi for a whole day, and he has not made any objection to anything I said;⁠—as if he were stupid. He has retired, and I have examined his conduct when away from me...

The Master said, “See what a man does. “Mark his motives. “Examine in what things he rests. “How can a man conceal his character? “How can a man conceal his character?”...

The Master said, “If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others.”...

The Master said, “The accomplished scholar is not a utensil.”...

Tsze-kung asked what constituted the superior man. The Master said, “He acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions.”...

The Master said, “The superior man is catholic and no partisan. The mean man is partisan and not catholic.”...

The Master said, “Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous.”...

The Master said, “The study of strange doctrines is injurious indeed!”...

The Master said, “Yû, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it;⁠—this is knowledge.”...

Tsze-chang was learning with a view to official emolument. The Master said, “Hear much and put aside the points of which you stand in doubt, while you speak cautiously at the same time of the others:⁠...

The Duke Âi asked, saying, “What should be done in order to secure the submission of the people?” Confucius replied, “Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit. Advanc...

Chî K’ang asked how to cause the people to reverence their ruler, to be faithful to him, and to go on to nerve themselves to virtue. The Master said, “Let him preside over them with gravity;⁠—then the...

Someone addressed Confucius, saying, “Sir, why are you not engaged in the government?” The Master said, “What does the Shu-ching say of filial piety?⁠—‘You are filial, you discharge your brotherly dut...

The Master said, “I do not know how a man without truthfulness is to get on. How can a large carriage be made to go without the crossbar for yoking the oxen to, or a small carriage without the arrange...

Tsze-chang asked whether the affairs of ten ages after could be known. Confucius said, “The Yin dynasty followed the regulations of the Hsiâ: wherein it took from or added to them may be known. The Ch...

The Master said, “For a man to sacrifice to a spirit which does not belong to him is flattery. “To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.”...

Confucius said of the head of the Chî 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 Yung ode, while the ves...

Confucius said of the head of the Chî 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 Yung ode, 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 gra...

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 ceremoni...

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 Chî family was about to sacrifice to the T’âi mountain. The Master said to Zǎn Yû, “Can you not save him from this?” He answered, “I cannot.” Confucius said, “Alas! will you say that ...

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, descen...

Tsze-hsîâ 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 colours?’ ” The Master said...

The Master said, “I could describe the ceremonies of the Hsiâ dynasty, but Chî cannot sufficiently attest my words. I could describe the ceremonies of the Yin dynasty, but Sung cannot sufficiently att...

The Master said, “At the great sacrifice, after the pouring out of the libation, I have no wish to look on.”...

Someone 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 sa...

Wang-sun Chiâ asked, saying, “What is the meaning of the saying, ‘It is better to pay court to the furnace than to the southwest corner?’ ” The Master said, “Not so. He who offends against Heaven has ...

The Master said, “Châu had the advantage of viewing the two past dynasties. How complete and elegant are its regulations! I follow Châu.”...

The Master, when he entered the grand temple, asked about everything. Someone said, “Who will say that the son of the man of Tsâu knows the rules of propriety! He has entered the grand temple and asks...

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 the rules of propriety; ...

The Master said, “The Kwan Tsü is expressive of enjoyment without being licentious, and of grief without being hurtfully excessive.”...

The Duke Âi asked Tsâi Wo about the altars of the spirits of the land. Tsâi Wo replied, “The Hsiâ sovereign planted the pine tree about them; the men of the Yin planted the cypress; and the men of the...

The Master said, “Small indeed was the capacity of Kwan Chung!” Someone said, “Was Kwan Chung parsimonious?” “Kwan,” was the reply, “had the San Kwei, and his officers performed no double duties; how ...

The Master instructing the grand music-master of Lü 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 harm...

The border warden at Yî 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 s...

The Master said of the Shâo that it was perfectly beautiful and also perfectly good. He said of the Wû 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?”...

The Master said, “It is virtuous manners which constitute the excellence of a neighborhood. If a man in selecting a residence, does not fix on one where such prevail, how can he be wise?” The Master s...

The Master said, “It is virtuous manners which constitute the excellence of a neighborhood. If a man in selecting a residence, does 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 honours are what men desire. If it cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and meanness are what men dislike. If it cannot be avoided in the...

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 practi...

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 without 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 favours 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 ha...

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, “Shǎn, my doctrine is that of an all-pervading unity.” The disciple Tsǎng replied, “Yes.” The Master went out, and the other disciples asked, saying, “What do his words mean?” Tsǎng s...

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 equalling 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 n...

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 practises it will have neighbors.”...

Tsze-yû said, “In serving a prince, frequent remonstrances lead to disgrace. Between friends, frequent reproofs make the friendship distant.”...

The Master said of Kung-yê Ch’ǎng that he might be wived; although he was put in bonds, he had not been guilty of any crime. Accordingly, he gave him his own daughter to wife. Of Nan Yung he said that...

The Master said of Kung-yê Ch’ǎng that he might be wived; although he was put in bonds, he had not been guilty of any crime. Accordingly, he gave him his own daughter to wife. Of Nan Yung he said that...

The Master said of Tsze-chien, “Of superior virtue indeed is such a man! If there were not virtuous men in Lü, how could this man have acquired this character?”...

Tsze-kung asked, “What do you say of me, Ts’ze?” The Master said, “You are a utensil.” “What utensil?” “A gemmed sacrificial utensil.”...

Someone said, “Yung is truly virtuous, but he is not ready with his tongue.” The Master said, “What is the good of being ready with the tongue? They who encounter men with smartnesses of speech for th...

The Master was wishing Ch’î-tiâo K’âi to enter on official employment. He replied, “I am not yet able to rest in the assurance of this.” The Master was pleased....

The Master said, “My doctrines make no way. I will get upon a raft, and float about on the sea. He that will accompany me will be Yû, I dare say.” Tsze-lû hearing this was glad, upon which the Master ...

Mǎng Wû asked about Tsze-lû, whether he was perfectly virtuous. The Master said, “I do not know.” He asked again, when the Master replied, “In a kingdom of a thousand chariots, Yû might be employed to...

The Master said to Tsze-kung, “Which do you consider superior, yourself or Hûi?” Tsze-kung replied, “How dare I compare myself with Hûi? Hûi hears one point and knows all about a subject; I hear one p...

Tsai Yü being asleep during the daytime, the Master said, “Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not receive the trowel. This Yü!⁠—what is the use of my reproving him?” The Master s...

The Master said, “I have not seen a firm and unbending man.” Someone replied, “There is Shǎn Ch’ǎng.” “Ch’ǎng,” said the Master, “is under the influence of his passions; how can he be pronounced firm ...

Tsze-kung said, “What I do not wish men to do to me, I also wish not to do to men.” The Master said, “Ts’ze, you have not attained to that.”...

Tsze-kung said, “The Master’s personal displays of his principles and ordinary descriptions of them may be heard. His discourses about man’s nature, and the way of Heaven, cannot be heard.”...

When Tsze-lû heard anything, if he had not yet succeeded in carrying it into practice, he was only afraid lest he should hear something else....

Tsze-kung asked, saying, “On what ground did Kung-wǎn get that title of wǎn?” The Master said, “He was of an active nature and yet fond of learning, and he was not ashamed to ask and learn of his infe...

The Master said of Tsze-ch’ân that he had four of the characteristics of a superior man:⁠—in his conduct of himself, he was humble; in serving his superiors, he was respectful; in nourishing the peopl...

The Master said, “Yen P’ing knew well how to maintain friendly intercourse. The acquaintance might be long, but he showed the same respect as at first.”...

The Master said, “Tsǎng Wǎn kept a large tortoise in a house, on the capitals of the pillars of which he had hills made, and with representations of duckweed on the small pillars above the beams suppo...

Tsze-chang asked, saying, “The minister Tsze Wǎn thrice took office, and manifested no joy in his countenance. Thrice he retired from office, and manifested no displeasure. He made it a point to infor...

Chî Wǎn thought thrice, and then acted. When the Master was informed of it, he said, “Twice may do.”...

The Master said, “When good order prevailed in his country, Ning Wû acted the part of a wise man. When his country was in disorder, he acted the part of a stupid man. Others may equal his wisdom, but ...

When the Master was in Ch’ǎn, he said, “Let me return! Let me return! The little children of my school are ambitious and too hasty. They are accomplished and complete so far, but they do not know how ...

The Master said, “Po-î and Shû-ch’î did not keep the former wickednesses of men in mind, and hence the resentments directed towards them were few.”...

The Master said, “Who says of Wei-shang Kâo that he is upright? One begged some vinegar of him, and he begged it of a neighbor and gave it to the man.”...

The Master said, “Fine words, an insinuating appearance, and excessive respect;⁠—Tso Ch’iû-ming was ashamed of them. I also am ashamed of them. To conceal resentment against a person, and appear frien...

Yen Yüan and Chî Lû being by his side, the Master said to them, “Come, let each of you tell his wishes.” Tsze-lû said, “I should like, having chariots and horses, and light fur dresses, to share them ...

The Master said, “It is all over! I have not yet seen one who could perceive his faults, and inwardly accuse himself.”...

The Master said, “In a hamlet of ten families, there may be found one honourable and sincere as I am, but not so fond of learning.”...

The Master said, “There is Yung!⁠—He might occupy the place of a prince.” Chung-kung asked about Tsze-sang Po-tsze. The Master said, “He may pass. He does not mind small matters.” Chung-kung said, “If...

The Master said, “There is Yung!⁠—He might occupy the place of a prince.” Chung-kung asked about Tsze-sang Po-tsze. The Master said, “He may pass. He does not mind small matters.” Chung-kung said, “If...

The Duke Âi asked which of the disciples loved to learn. Confucius replied to him, “There was Yen Hûi; he loved to learn. He did not transfer his anger; he did not repeat a fault. Unfortunately, his a...

Tsze-hwâ being employed on a mission to Ch’î, the disciple Zan requested grain for his mother. The Master said, “Give her a fû.” Yen requested more. “Give her an yü,” said the Master. Yen gave her fiv...

The Master, speaking of Chung-kung, said, “If the calf of a brindled cow be red and horned, although men may not wish to use it, would the spirits of the mountains and rivers put it aside?”...

The Master said, “Such was Hûi that for three months there would be nothing in his mind contrary to perfect virtue. The others may attain to this on some days or in some months, but nothing more.”...

Chî K’ang asked about Chung-yû, whether he was fit to be employed as an officer of government. The Master said, “Yû is a man of decision; what difficulty would he find in being an officer of governmen...

The chief of the Chî family sent to ask Min Tsze-ch’ien to be governor of Pî. Min Tsze-ch’ien said, “Decline the offer for me politely. If anyone come again to me with a second invitation, I shall be ...

Po-niû being ill, the Master went to ask for him. He took hold of his hand through the window, and said, “It is killing him. It is the appointment of Heaven, alas! That such a man should have such a s...

The Master said, “Admirable indeed was the virtue of Hûi! With a single bamboo dish of rice, a single gourd dish of drink, and living in his mean narrow lane, while others could not have endured the d...

Yen Ch’iû said, “It is not that I do not delight in your doctrines, but my strength is insufficient.” The Master said, “Those whose strength is insufficient give over in the middle of the way but now ...

The Master said to Tsze-hsîâ, “Do you be a scholar after the style of the superior man, and not after that of the mean man.”...

Tsze-yû being governor of Wû-ch’ǎng, the Master said to him, “Have you got good men there?” He answered, “There is Tan-t’âi Mieh-ming, who never in walking takes a shortcut, and never comes to my offi...

The Master said, “Mǎng Chih-fan does not boast of his merit. Being in the rear on an occasion of flight, when they were about to enter the gate, he whipped up his horse, saying, ‘It is not that I dare...

The Master said, “Without the specious speech of the litanist T’o and the beauty of the prince Châo of Sung, it is difficult to escape in the present age.”...

The Master said, “Who can go out but by the door? How is it that men will not walk according to these ways?”...

The Master said, “Where the solid qualities are in excess of accomplishments, we have rusticity; where the accomplishments are in excess of the solid qualities, we have the manners of a clerk. When th...

The Master said, “Man is born for uprightness. If a man lose his uprightness, and yet live, his escape from death is the effect of mere good fortune.”...

The Master said, “They who know the truth are not equal to those who love it, and they who love it are not equal to those who delight in it.”...

The Master said, “To those whose talents are above mediocrity, the highest subjects may be announced. To those who are below mediocrity, the highest subjects may not be announced.”...

Fan Ch’ih asked what constituted wisdom. The Master said, “To give one’s self earnestly to the duties due to men, and, while respecting spiritual beings, to keep aloof from them, may be called wisdom....

The Master said, “The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills. The wise are active; the virtuous are tranquil. The wise are joyful; the virtuous are long-lived.”...

The Master said, “Ch’î, by one change, would come to the State of Lû. Lû, by one change, would come to a State where true principles predominated.”...

The Master said, “A cornered vessel without corners.⁠—A strange cornered vessel! A strange cornered vessel!”...

Tsâi Wo asked, saying, “A benevolent man, though it be told him⁠—‘There is a man in the well’ will go in after him, I suppose.” Confucius said, “Why should he do so? A superior man may be made to go t...

The Master said, “The superior man, extensively studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, may thus likewise not overstep what is right.”...

The Master having visited Nan-tsze, Tsze-lû was displeased, on which the Master swore, saying, “Wherein I have done improperly, may Heaven reject me, may Heaven reject me!”...

The Master said, “Perfect is the virtue which is according to the Constant Mean! Rare for a long time has been its practise among the people.”...

Tsze-kung said, “Suppose the case of a man extensively conferring benefits on the people, and able to assist all, what would you say of him? Might he be called perfectly virtuous?” The Master said, “W...

The Master said, “A transmitter and not a maker, believing in and loving the ancients, I venture to compare myself with our old P’âng.” The Master said, “The silent treasuring up of knowledge; learnin...

The Master said, “A transmitter and not a maker, believing in and loving the ancients, I venture to compare myself with our old P’âng.”...

The Master said, “The silent treasuring up of knowledge; learning without satiety; and instructing others without being wearied:⁠—which one of these things belongs to me?”...

The Master said, “The learning virtue without proper cultivation; the not thoroughly discussing what is learned; not being able to move towards righteousness of which a knowledge is gained; and not be...

When the Master was unoccupied with business, his manner was easy, and he looked pleased....

The Master said, “Extreme is my decay. For a long time, I have not dreamed, as I was wont to do, that I saw the duke of Châu.”...

The Master said, “Let the will be set on the path of duty. “Let every attainment in what is good be firmly grasped. “Let perfect virtue be accorded with. “Let relaxation and enjoyment be found in the ...

The Master said, “From the man bringing his bundle of dried flesh for my teaching upwards, I have never refused instruction to anyone.”...

The Master said, “I do not open up the truth to one who is not eager to get knowledge, nor help out anyone who is not anxious to explain himself. When I have presented one corner of a subject to anyon...

When the Master was eating by the side of a mourner, he never ate to the full. He did not sing on the same day in which he had been weeping....

The Master said to Yen Yüan, “When called to office, to undertake its duties; when not so called, to lie retired;⁠—it is only I and you who have attained to this.” Tsze-lû said, “If you had the conduc...

The Master said, “If the search for riches is sure to be successful, though I should become a groom with whip in hand to get them, I will do so. As the search may not be successful, I will follow afte...

The things in reference to which the Master exercised the greatest caution were⁠—fasting, war, and sickness....

When the Master was in Ch’î, he heard the Shâo, and for three months did not know the taste of flesh. “I did not think,” he said, “that music could have been made so excellent as this.”...

Yen Yû said, “Is our Master for the ruler of Wei?” Tsze-kung said, “Oh! I will ask him.” He went in accordingly, and said, “What sort of men were Po-î and Shû-ch’î?” “They were ancient worthies,” said...

The Master said, “With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow;⁠—I have still joy in the midst of these things. Riches and honours acquired by unrighteousness, are to m...

The Master said, “If some years were added to my life, I would give fifty to the study of the Yî, and then I might come to be without great faults.”...

The Master’s frequent themes of discourse were⁠—the Odes, the History, and the maintenance of the Rules of Propriety. On all these he frequently discoursed....

The Duke of Sheh asked Tsze-lû about Confucius, and Tsze-lû did not answer him. The Master said, “Why did you not say to him⁠—He is simply a man, who in his eager pursuit (of knowledge) forgets his fo...

The Master said, “I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there.”...

The subjects on which the Master did not talk, were⁠—extraordinary things, feats of strength, disorder, and spiritual beings....

The Master said, “When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their good qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and avoid them.”...

The Master said, “Heaven produced the virtue that is in me. Hwan T’ûi⁠—what can he do to me?”...

The Master said, “Do you think, my disciples, that I have any concealments? I conceal nothing from you. There is nothing which I do that is not shown to you, my disciples;⁠—that is my way.”...

There were four things which the Master taught⁠—letters, ethics, devotion of soul, and truthfulness....

The Master said, “A sage it is not mine to see; could I see a man of real talent and virtue, that would satisfy me.” The Master said, “A good man it is not mine to see; could I see a man possessed of ...

The Master angled⁠—but did not use a net. He shot⁠—but not at birds perching....

The Master said, “There may be those who act without knowing why. I do not do so. Hearing much and selecting what is good and following it; seeing much and keeping it in memory:⁠—this is the second st...

It was difficult to talk (profitably and reputably) with the people of Hû-hsiang, and a lad of that place having had an interview with the Master, the disciples doubted. The Master said, “I admit peop...

The Master said, “Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be virtuous, and lo! virtue is at hand.”...

The minister of crime of Ch’ǎn asked whether the duke Châo knew propriety, and Confucius said, “He knew propriety.” Confucius having retired, the minister bowed to Wû-mâ Ch’î to come forward, and said...

When the Master was in company with a person who was singing, if he sang well, he would make him repeat the song, while he accompanied it with his own voice....

The Master said, “In letters I am perhaps equal to other men, but the character of the superior man, carrying out in his conduct what he professes, is what I have not yet attained to.”...

The Master said, “The sage and the man of perfect virtue;⁠—how dare I rank myself with them? It may simply be said of me, that I strive to become such without satiety, and teach others without wearine...

The Master being very sick, Tsze-lû asked leave to pray for him. He said, “May such a thing be done?” Tsze-lû replied, “It may. In the Eulogies it is said, ‘Prayer has been made for thee to the spirit...

The Master said, “Extravagance leads to insubordination, and parsimony to meanness. It is better to be mean than to be insubordinate.”...

The Master said, “The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress.”...

The Master was mild, and yet dignified; majestic, and yet not fierce; respectful, and yet easy....

The Master said, “T’âi-po may be said to have reached the highest point of virtuous action. Thrice he declined the kingdom, and the people in ignorance of his motives could not express their approbati...

The Master said, “T’âi-po may be said to have reached the highest point of virtuous action. Thrice he declined the kingdom, and the people in ignorance of his motives could not express their approbati...

The Master said, “Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, bec...

The philosopher Tsǎng being ill, he called to him the disciples of his school, and said, “Uncover my feet, uncover my hands. It is said in the Book of Poetry, ‘We should be apprehensive and cautious, ...

The philosopher Tsǎng being ill, Mǎng Chǎng went to ask how he was. Tsǎng said to him, “When a bird is about to die, its notes are mournful; when a man is about to die, his words are good. “There are ...

The philosopher Tsǎng said, “Gifted with ability, and yet putting questions to those who were not so; possessed of much, and yet putting questions to those possessed of little; having, as though he ha...

The philosopher Tsǎng said, “Suppose that there is an individual who can be entrusted with the charge of a young orphan prince, and can be commissioned with authority over a state of a hundred li, and...

The philosopher Tsǎng said, “The officer may not be without breadth of mind and vigorous endurance. His burden is heavy and his course is long. “Perfect virtue is the burden which he considers it is h...

The Master said, “It is by the Odes that the mind is aroused. “It is by the Rules of Propriety that the character is established. “It is from Music that the finish is received.”...

The Master said, “The people may be made to follow a path of action, but they may not be made to understand it.”...

The Master said, “The man who is fond of daring and is dissatisfied with poverty, will proceed to insubordination. So will the man who is not virtuous, when you carry your dislike of him to an extreme...

The Master said, “Though a man have abilities as admirable as those of the Duke of Châu, yet if he be proud and niggardly, those other things are really not worth being looked at.”...

The Master said, “It is not easy to find a man who has learned for three years without coming to be good.”...

The Master said, “With sincere faith he unites the love of learning; holding firm to death, he is perfecting the excellence of his course. “Such an one will not enter a tottering State, nor dwell in a...

The Master said, “He who is not in any particular office, has nothing to do with plans for the administration of its duties.”...

The Master said, “When the music master Chih first entered on his office, the finish of the Kwan Tsü was magnificent;⁠—how it filled the ears!”...

The Master said, “Ardent and yet not upright; stupid and yet not attentive; simple and yet not sincere:⁠—such persons I do not understand.”...

The Master said, “Learn as if you could not reach your object, and were always fearing also lest you should lose it.”...

The Master said, “How majestic was the manner in which Shun and Yü held possession of the empire, as if it were nothing to them!”...

The Master said, “Great indeed was Yâo as a sovereign! How majestic was he! It is only Heaven that is grand, and only Yâo corresponded to it. How vast was his virtue! The people could find no name for...

Shun had five ministers, and the empire was well-governed. King Wû said, “I have ten able ministers.” Confucius said, “Is not the saying that talents are difficult to find, true? Only when the dynasti...

The Master said, “I can find no flaw in the character of Yü. He used himself coarse food and drink, but displayed the utmost filial piety towards the spirits. His ordinary garments were poor, but he d...

The subjects of which the Master seldom spoke were⁠—profitableness, and also the appointments of Heaven, and perfect virtue. A man of the village of Tâ-hsiang said, “Great indeed is the philosopher K’...

The subjects of which the Master seldom spoke were⁠—profitableness, and also the appointments of Heaven, and perfect virtue....

A man of the village of Tâ-hsiang said, “Great indeed is the philosopher K’ung! His learning is extensive, and yet he does not render his name famous by any particular thing.” The Master heard the obs...

The Master said, “The linen cap is that prescribed by the rules of ceremony, but now a silk one is worn. It is economical, and I follow the common practice. “The rules of ceremony prescribe the bowing...

There were four things from which the Master was entirely free. He had no foregone conclusions, no arbitrary predeterminations, no obstinacy, and no egoism....

The Master was put in fear in K’wang. He said, “After the death of King Wǎn, was not the cause of truth lodged here in me? “If Heaven had wished to let this cause of truth perish, then I, a future mor...

A high officer asked Tsze-kung, saying, “May we not say that your Master is a sage? How various is his ability!” Tsze-kung said, “Certainly Heaven has endowed him unlimitedly. He is about a sage. And,...

The Master said, “Am I indeed possessed of knowledge? I am not knowing. But if a mean person, who appears quite empty-like, ask anything of me, I set it forth from one end to the other, and exhaust it...

The Master said, “The fǎng bird does not come; the river sends forth no map:⁠—it is all over with me!”...

When the Master saw a person in a mourning dress, or anyone with the cap and upper and lower garments of full dress, or a blind person, on observing them approaching, though they were younger than him...

Yen Yüan, in admiration of the Master’s doctrines, sighed and said, “I looked up to them, and they seemed to become more high; I tried to penetrate them, and they seemed to become more firm; I looked ...

The Master being very ill, Tsze-lû wished the disciples to act as ministers to him. During a remission of his illness, he said, “Long has the conduct of Yû been deceitful! By pretending to have minist...

Tsze-kung said, “There is a beautiful gem here. Should I lay it up in a case and keep it? or should I seek for a good price and sell it?” The Master said, “Sell it! Sell it! But I would wait for one t...

The Master was wishing to go and live among the nine wild tribes of the east. Someone said, “They are rude. How can you do such a thing?” The Master said, “If a superior man dwelt among them, what rud...

The Master said, “I returned from Wei to Lû, and then the music was reformed, and the pieces in the Royal songs and Praise songs all found their proper places.”...

The Master said, “Abroad, to serve the high ministers and nobles; at home, to serve one’s father and elder brothers; in all duties to the dead, not to dare not to exert one’s self; and not to be overc...

The Master standing by a stream, said, “It passes on just like this, not ceasing day or night!”...

The Master said, “I have not seen one who loves virtue as he loves beauty.”...

The Master said, “The prosecution of learning may be compared to what may happen in raising a mound. If there want but one basket of earth to complete the work, and I stop, the stopping is my own work...

The Master said, “Never flagging when I set forth anything to him;⁠—ah! that is Hûi.”...

The Master said of Yen Yüan, “Alas! I saw his constant advance. I never saw him stop in his progress.”...

The Master said, “There are cases in which the blade springs, but the plant does not go on to flower! There are cases where it flowers, but no fruit is subsequently produced!”...

The Master said, “A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our present? If he reach the age of forty or fifty, and has not made himself heard of, the...

The Master said, “Can men refuse to assent to the words of strict admonition? But it is reforming the conduct because of them which is valuable. Can men refuse to be pleased with words of gentle advic...

The Master said, “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Have no friends not equal to yourself. When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.”...

The Master said, “The commander of the forces of a large state may be carried off, but the will of even a common man cannot be taken from him.”...

The Master said, “Dressed himself in a tattered robe quilted with hemp, yet standing by the side of men dressed in furs, and not ashamed;⁠—ah! it is Yû who is equal to this! “He dislikes none, he cove...

The Master said, “When the year becomes cold, then we know how the pine and the cypress are the last to lose their leaves.”...

The Master said, “The wise are free from perplexities; the virtuous from anxiety; and the bold from fear.”...

The Master said, “There are some with whom we may study in common, but we shall find them unable to go along with us to principles. Perhaps we may go on with them to principles, but we shall find them...

How the flowers of the aspen-plum flutter and turn! Do I not think of you? But your house is distant. The Master said, “It is the want of thought about it. How is it distant?”...

Confucius, in his village, looked simple and sincere, and as if he were not able to speak. When he was in the prince’s ancestorial temple, or in the court, he spoke minutely on every point, but cautio...

Confucius, in his village, looked simple and sincere, and as if he were not able to speak. When he was in the prince’s ancestorial temple, or in the court, he spoke minutely on every point, but cautio...

When he was waiting at court, in speaking with the great officers of the lower grade, he spake freely, but in a straightforward manner; in speaking with those of the higher grade, he did so blandly, b...

When the prince called him to employ him in the reception of a visitor, his countenance appeared to change, and his legs to move forward with difficulty. He inclined himself to the other officers amon...

When he entered the palace gate, he seemed to bend his body, as if it were not sufficient to admit him. When he was standing, he did not occupy the middle of the gateway; when he passed in or out, he ...

When he was carrying the scepter of his ruler, he seemed to bend his body, as if he were not able to bear its weight. He did not hold it higher than the position of the hands in making a bow, nor lowe...

The superior man did not use a deep purple, or a puce colour, in the ornaments of his dress. Even in his undress, he did not wear anything of a red or reddish colour. In warm weather, he had a single ...

When fasting, he thought it necessary to have his clothes brightly clean and made of linen cloth. When fasting, he thought it necessary to change his food, and also to change the place where he common...

He did not dislike to have his rice finely cleaned, nor to have his minced meat cut quite small. He did not eat rice which had been injured by heat or damp and turned sour, nor fish or flesh which was...

If his mat was not straight, he did not sit on it....

When the villagers were drinking together, on those who carried staffs going out, he went out immediately after. When the villagers were going through their ceremonies to drive away pestilential influ...

When he was sending complimentary inquiries to anyone in another State, he bowed twice as he escorted the messenger away. Chî K’ang having sent him a present of physic, he bowed and received it, sayin...

The stable being burned down, when he was at court, on his return he said, “Has any man been hurt?” He did not ask about the horses....

When the prince sent him a gift of cooked meat, he would adjust his mat, first taste it, and then give it away to others. When the prince sent him a gift of undressed meat, he would have it cooked, an...

When he entered the ancestral temple of the State, he asked about everything....

When any of his friends died, if he had no relations who could be depended on for the necessary offices, he would say, “I will bury him.” When a friend sent him a present, though it might be a carriag...

In bed, he did not lie like a corpse. At home, he did not put on any formal deportment. When he saw anyone in a mourning dress, though it might be an acquaintance, he would change countenance; when he...

When he was about to mount his carriage, he would stand straight, holding the cord. When he was in the carriage, he did not turn his head quite round, he did not talk hastily, he did not point with hi...

Seeing the countenance, it instantly rises. It flies round, and by and by settles. The Master said, “There is the hen-pheasant on the hill bridge. At its season! At its season!” Tsze-lû made a motion ...

The Master said, “The men of former times, in the matters of ceremonies and music were rustics, it is said, while the men of these latter times, in ceremonies and music, are accomplished gentlemen. “I...

The Master said, “The men of former times, in the matters of ceremonies and music were rustics, it is said, while the men of these latter times, in ceremonies and music, are accomplished gentlemen. “I...

The Master said, “Of those who were with me in Ch’ǎn and Ts’âi, there are none to be found to enter my door.” Distinguished for their virtuous principles and practice, there were Yen Yûan, Min Tsze-ch...

The Master said, “Hûi gives me no assistance. There is nothing that I say in which he does not delight.”...

The Master said, “Filial indeed is Min Tsze-ch’ien! Other people say nothing of him different from the report of his parents and brothers.”...

Nan Yung was frequently repeating the lines about a white scepter stone. Confucius gave him the daughter of his elder brother to wife....

Chî K’ang asked which of the disciples loved to learn. Confucius replied to him, “There was Yen Hûi; he loved to learn. Unfortunately his appointed time was short, and he died. Now there is no one who...

When Yen Yüan died, Yen Lü begged the carriage of the Master to sell and get an outer shell for his son’s coffin. The Master said, “Everyone calls his son his son, whether he has talents or has not ta...

When Yen Yüan died, the Master said, “Alas! Heaven is destroying me! Heaven is destroying me!”...

When Yen Yüan died, the Master bewailed him exceedingly, and the disciples who were with him said, “Master, your grief is excessive!” “Is it excessive?” said he. “If I am not to mourn bitterly for thi...

When Yen Yüan died, the disciples wished to give him a great funeral, and the Master said, “You may not do so.” The disciples did bury him in great style. The Master said, “Hûi behaved towards me as h...

Chî Lû asked about serving the spirits of the dead. The Master said, “While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve their spirits?” Chî Lû added, “I venture to ask about death?” He was answer...

The disciple Min was standing by his side, looking bland and precise; Tsze-lû, looking bold and soldierly; Zǎn Yû and Tsze-kung, with a free and straightforward manner. The Master was pleased. He said...

Some parties in Lû were going to take down and rebuild the Long Treasury. Min Tsze-ch’ien said, “Suppose it were to be repaired after its old style;⁠—why must it be altered and made anew?” The Master ...

The Master said, “What has the lute of Yû to do in my door?” The other disciples began not to respect Tsze-lû. The Master said, “Yû has ascended to the hall, though he has not yet passed into the inne...

Tsze-kung asked which of the two, Shih or Shang, was the superior. The Master said, “Shih goes beyond the due mean, and Shang does not come up to it.” “Then,” said Tsze-kung, “the superiority is with ...

The head of the Chî family was richer than the duke of Châu had been, and yet Ch’iû collected his imposts for him, and increased his wealth. The Master said, “He is no disciple of mine. My little chil...

Ch’ai is simple. Shǎn is dull. Shih is specious. Yû is coarse....

The Master said, “There is Hûi! He has nearly attained to perfect virtue. He is often in want. “Ts’ze does not acquiesce in the appointments of Heaven, and his goods are increased by him. Yet his judg...

Tsze-chang asked what were the characteristics of the good man. The Master said, “He does not tread in the footsteps of others, but moreover, he does not enter the chamber of the sage.”...

The Master said, “If, because a man’s discourse appears solid and sincere, we allow him to be a good man, is he really a superior man? or is his gravity only in appearance?”...

Tsze-lû asked whether he should immediately carry into practice what he heard. The Master said, “There are your father and elder brothers to be consulted;⁠—why should you act on that principle of imme...

The Master was put in fear in K’wang and Yen Yüan fell behind. The Master, on his rejoining him, said, “I thought you had died.” Hûi replied, “While you were alive, how should I presume to die?”...

Chî Tsze-zan asked whether Chung Yû and Zân Ch’iû could be called great ministers. The Master said, “I thought you would ask about some extraordinary individuals, and you only ask about Yû and Ch’iû! ...

Tsze-lû got Tsze-kâo appointed governor of Pî. The Master said, “You are injuring a man’s son.” Tsze-lû said, “There are (there) common people and officers; there are the altars of the spirits of the ...

Tsze-lû, Tsǎng Hsî, Zǎn Yû, and Kung-hsî Hwâ were sitting by the Master. He said to them, “Though I am a day or so older than you, do not think of that. “From day to day you are saying, ‘We are not kn...

Yen Yüan asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, “To subdue one’s self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heave...

Yen Yüan asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, “To subdue one’s self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heave...

Chung-kung asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, “It is, when you go abroad, to behave to everyone as if you were receiving a great guest; to employ the people as if you were assisting at a gre...

Sze-mâ Niû asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, “The man of perfect virtue is cautious and slow in his speech.” “Cautious and slow in his speech!” said Niû;⁠—“is this what is meant by perfect ...

Sze-mâ Niû asked about the superior man. The Master said, “The superior man has neither anxiety nor fear.” “Being without anxiety or fear!” said Nui;⁠—“does this constitute what we call the superior m...

Sze-mâ Niû, full of anxiety, said, “Other men all have their brothers, I only have not.” Tsze-hsîâ said to him, “There is the following saying which I have heard:⁠— “ ‘Death and life have their determ...

Tsze-chang asked what constituted intelligence. The Master said, “He with whom neither slander that gradually soaks into the mind, nor statements that startle like a wound in the flesh, are successful...

Tsze-kung asked about government. The Master said, “The requisites of government are that there be sufficiency of food, sufficiency of military equipment, and the confidence of the people in their rul...

Chî Tsze-ch’ǎng said, “In a superior man it is only the substantial qualities which are wanted;⁠—why should we seek for ornamental accomplishments?” Tsze-kung said, “Alas! Your words, sir, show you to...

The Duke Âi inquired of Yû Zo, saying, “The year is one of scarcity, and the returns for expenditure are not sufficient;⁠—what is to be done?” Yû Zo replied to him, “Why not simply tithe the people?” ...

Tsze-chang having asked how virtue was to be exalted, and delusions to be discovered, the Master said, “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles, and be moving continually to what is right;...

The Duke Ching, of Ch’î, asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, “There is government, when the prince is prince, and the minister is minister; when the father is father, and the son is s...

The Master said, “Ah! it is Yû, who could with half a word settle litigations!” Tsze-lû never slept over a promise....

The Master said, “In hearing litigations, I am like any other body. What is necessary, however, is to cause the people to have no litigations.”...

Tsze-chang asked about government. The Master said, “The art of governing is to keep its affairs before the mind without weariness, and to practise them with undeviating consistency.”...

The Master said, “By extensively studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, one may thus likewise not err from what is right.”...

The Master said, “The superior man seeks to perfect the admirable qualities of men, and does not seek to perfect their bad qualities. The mean man does the opposite of this.”...

Chî K’ang asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, “To govern means to rectify. If you lead on the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct?”...

Chî K’ang, distressed about the number of thieves in the state, inquired of Confucius how to do away with them. Confucius said, “If you, sir, were not covetous, although you should reward them to do i...

Chî K’ang asked Confucius about government, saying, “What do you say to killing the unprincipled for the good of the principled?” Confucius replied, “Sir, in carrying on your government, why should yo...

Tsze-chang asked, “What must the officer be, who may be said to be distinguished?” The Master said, “What is it you call being distinguished?” Tsze-chang replied, “It is to be heard of through the Sta...

Fan Ch’ih rambling with the Master under the trees about the rain altars, said, “I venture to ask how to exalt virtue, to correct cherished evil, and to discover delusions.” The Master said, “Truly a ...

Fan Ch’ih asked about benevolence. The Master said, “It is to love all men.” He asked about knowledge. The Master said, “It is to know all men.” Fan Ch’ih did not immediately understand these answers....

Tsze-kung asked about friendship. The Master said, “Faithfully admonish your friend, and skillfully lead him on. If you find him impracticable, stop. Do not disgrace yourself.”...

The philosopher Tsǎng said, “The superior man on grounds of culture meets with his friends, and by their friendship helps his virtue.”...

Tsze-lû asked about government. The Master said, “Go before the people with your example, and be laborious in their affairs.” He requested further instruction, and was answered, “Be not weary (in thes...

Tsze-lû asked about government. The Master said, “Go before the people with your example, and be laborious in their affairs.” He requested further instruction, and was answered, “Be not weary (in thes...

Chung-kung, being chief minister to the Head of the Chî family, asked about government. The Master said, “Employ first the services of your various officers, pardon small faults, and raise to office m...

Tsze-lû said, “The ruler of Wei has been waiting for you, in order with you to administer the government. What will you consider the first thing to be done?” The Master replied, “What is necessary is ...

Fan Ch’ih requested to be taught husbandry. The Master said, “I am not so good for that as an old husbandman.” He requested also to be taught gardening, and was answered, “I am not so good for that as...

The Master said, “Though a man may be able to recite the three hundred odes, yet if, when entrusted with a governmental charge, he knows not how to act, or if, when sent to any quarter on a mission, h...

The Master said, “When a prince’s personal conduct is correct, his government is effective without the issuing of orders. If his personal conduct is not correct, he may issue orders, but they will not...

The Master said, “The governments of Lû and Wei are brothers.”...

The Master said of Ching, a scion of the ducal family of Wei, that he knew the economy of a family well. When he began to have means, he said, “Ha! here is a collection!” When they were a little incre...

When the Master went to Wei, Zǎn Yû acted as driver of his carriage. The Master observed, “How numerous are the people!” Yû said, “Since they are thus numerous, what more shall be done for them?” “Enr...

The Master said, “If there were (any of the princes) who would employ me, in the course of twelve months, I should have done something considerable. In three years, the government would be perfected.”...

The Master said, “ ‘If good men were to govern a country in succession for a hundred years, they would be able to transform the violently bad, and dispense with capital punishments.’ True indeed is th...

The Master said, “If a truly royal ruler were to arise, it would still require a generation, and then virtue would prevail.”...

The Master said, “If a minister make his own conduct correct, what difficulty will he have in assisting in government? If he cannot rectify himself, what has he to do with rectifying others?”...

The disciple Zan returning from the court, the Master said to him, “How are you so late?” He replied, “We had government business.” The Master said, “It must have been family affairs. If there had bee...

The Duke Ting asked whether there was a single sentence which could make a country prosperous. Confucius replied, “Such an effect cannot be expected from one sentence. “There is a saying, however, whi...

The Duke of Sheh asked about government. The Master said, “Good government obtains, when those who are near are made happy, and those who are far off are attracted.”...

Tsze-hsîâ, being governor of Chü-fû, asked about government. The Master said, “Do not be desirous to have things done quickly; do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly preve...

The Duke of Sheh informed Confucius, saying, “Among us here there are those who may be styled upright in their conduct. If their father have stolen a sheep, they will bear witness to the fact.” Confuc...

Fan Ch’ih asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, “It is, in retirement, to be sedately grave; in the management of business, to be reverently attentive; in intercourse with others, to be strictl...

Tsze-kung asked, saying, “What qualities must a man possess to entitle him to be called an officer?” The Master said, “He who in his conduct of himself maintains a sense of shame, and when sent to any...

The Master said, “Since I cannot get men pursuing the due medium, to whom I might communicate my instructions, I must find the ardent and the cautiously-decided. The ardent will advance and lay hold o...

The Master said, “The people of the south have a saying⁠—‘A man without constancy cannot be either a wizard or a doctor.’ Good! “Inconstant in his virtue, he will be visited with disgrace.” The Master...

The Master said, “The superior man is affable, but not adulatory; the mean man is adulatory, but not affable.”...

Tsze-kung asked, saying, “What do you say of a man who is loved by all the people of his neighborhood?” The Master replied, “We may not for that accord our approval of him.” “And what do you say of hi...

The Master said, “The superior man is easy to serve and difficult to please. If you try to please him in any way which is not accordant with right, he will not be pleased. But in his employment of men...

The Master said, “The superior man has a dignified ease without pride. The mean man has pride without a dignified ease.”...

The Master said, “The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the modest are near to virtue.”...

Tsze-lû asked, saying, “What qualities must a man possess to entitle him to be called a scholar?” The Master said, “He must be thus⁠—earnest, urgent, and bland:⁠—among his friends, earnest and urgent;...

The Master said, “Let a good man teach the people seven years, and they may then likewise be employed in war.”...

The Master said, “To lead an uninstructed people to war, is to throw them away.”...

Hsien asked what was shameful. The Master said, “When good government prevails in a state, to be thinking only of salary; and, when bad government prevails, to be thinking, in the same way, only of sa...

Hsien asked what was shameful. The Master said, “When good government prevails in a state, to be thinking only of salary; and, when bad government prevails, to be thinking, in the same way, only of sa...

“When the love of superiority, boasting, resentments, and covetousness are repressed, this may be deemed perfect virtue.” The Master said, “This may be regarded as the achievement of what is difficult...

The Master said, “The scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.”...

The Master said, “When good government prevails in a state, language may be lofty and bold, and actions the same. When bad government prevails, the actions may be lofty and bold, but the language may ...

The Master said, “The virtuous will be sure to speak correctly, but those whose speech is good may not always be virtuous. Men of principle are sure to be bold, but those who are bold may not always b...

Nan-kung Kwo, submitting an inquiry to Confucius, said, “Î was skillful at archery, and Âo could move a boat along upon the land, but neither of them died a natural death. Yü and Chî personally wrough...

The Master said, “Superior men, and yet not always virtuous, there have been, alas! But there never has been a mean man, and, at the same time, virtuous.”...

The Master said, “Can there be love which does not lead to strictness with its object? Can there be loyalty which does not lead to the instruction of its object?”...

The Master said, “In preparing the governmental notifications, P’î Shǎn first made the rough draft; Shî-shû examined and discussed its contents; Tsze-yü, the manager of Foreign intercourse, then polis...

Someone asked about Tsze-ch’ân. The Master said, “He was a kind man.” He asked about Tsze-hsî. The Master said, “That man! That man!” He asked about Kwan Chung. “For him,” said the Master, “the city o...

The Master said, “To be poor without murmuring is difficult. To be rich without being proud is easy.”...

The Master said, “Mǎng Kung-ch’o is more than fit to be chief officer in the families of Châo and Wei, but he is not fit to be great officer to either of the States T’ǎng or Hsieh.”...

Tsze-lû asked what constituted a complete man. The Master said, “Suppose a man with the knowledge of Tsǎng Wû-chung, the freedom from covetousness of Kung-ch’o, the bravery of Chwang of Pien, and the ...

The Master asked Kung-ming Chiâ about Kung-shû Wǎn, saying, “Is it true that your master speaks not, laughs not, and takes not?” Kung-ming Chiâ replied, “This has arisen from the reporters going beyon...

The Master said, “Tsǎng Wû-chung, keeping possession of Fang, asked of the duke of Lû to appoint a successor to him in his family. Although it may be said that he was not using force with his sovereig...

The Master said, “The duke Wǎn of Tsin was crafty and not upright. The duke Hwan of Ch’î was upright and not crafty.”...

Tsze-lû said, “The Duke Hwan caused his brother Chiû to be killed, when Shâo Hû died with his master, but Kwan Chung did not die. May not I say that he was wanting in virtue?” The Master said, “The Du...

Tsze-kung said, “Kwan Chung, I apprehend, was wanting in virtue. When the Duke Hwan caused his brother Chiû to be killed, Kwan Chung was not able to die with him. Moreover, he became prime minister to...

The great officer, Hsien, who had been family-minister to Kung-shû Wǎn, ascended to the prince’s court in company with Wǎn. The Master, having heard of it, said, “He deserved to be considered wǎn (the...

The Master was speaking about the unprincipled course of the duke Ling of Wei, when Ch’î K’ang said, “Since he is of such a character, how is it he does not lose his State?” Confucius said, “The Chung...

The Master said, “He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.”...

Chan Ch’ǎng murdered the Duke Chien of Ch’î. Confucius bathed, went to court, and informed the duke Âi, saying, “Chan Hang has slain his sovereign. I beg that you will undertake to punish him.” The du...

Tsze-lû asked how a ruler should be served. The Master said, “Do not impose on him, and, moreover, withstand him to his face.”...

The Master said, “The progress of the superior man is upwards; the progress of the mean man is downwards.”...

The Master said, “In ancient times, men learned with a view to their own improvement. Nowadays, men learn with a view to the approbation of others.”...

Chü Po-yü sent a messenger with friendly inquiries to Confucius. Confucius sat with him, and questioned him. “What,” said he, “is your master engaged in?” The messenger replied, “My master is anxious ...

The Master said, “He who is not in any particular office, has nothing to do with plans for the administration of its duties.”...

The philosopher Tsǎng said, “The superior man, in his thoughts, does not go out of his place.”...

The Master said, “The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”...

The Master said, “The way of the superior man is threefold, but I am not equal to it. Virtuous, he is free from anxieties; wise, he is free from perplexities; bold, he is free from fear.” Tsze-kung sa...

Tsze-kung was in the habit of comparing men together. The Master said, “Tsze must have reached a high pitch of excellence! Now, I have not leisure for this.”...

The Master said, “I will not be concerned at men’s not knowing me; I will be concerned at my own want of ability.”...

The Master said, “He who does not anticipate attempts to deceive him, nor think beforehand of his not being believed, and yet apprehends these things readily (when they occur);⁠—is he not a man of sup...

Wei-shǎng Mâu said to Confucius, “Ch’iû, how is it that you keep roosting about? Is it not that you are an insinuating talker?” Confucius said, “I do not dare to play the part of such a talker, but I ...

The Master said, “A horse is called a ch’i, not because of its strength, but because of its other good qualities.”...

Someone said, “What do you say concerning the principle that injury should be recompensed with kindness?” The Master said, “With what then will you recompense kindness? “Recompense injury with justice...

The Master said, “Alas! there is no one that knows me.” Tsze-kung said, “What do you mean by thus saying⁠—that no one knows you?” The Master replied, “I do not murmur against Heaven. I do not grumble ...

The Kung-po Liâo, having slandered Tsze-lû to Chî-sun, Tsze-fû Ching-po informed Confucius of it, saying, “Our master is certainly being led astray by the Kung-po Liâo, but I have still power enough l...

The Master said, “Some men of worth retire from the world. “Some retire from particular states. “Some retire because of disrespectful looks. “Some retire because of contradictory language.”...

The Master said, “Those who have done this are seven men.”...

Tsze-lû happening to pass the night in Shih-mǎn, the gatekeeper said to him, “Whom do you come from?” Tsze-lû said, “From Mr. K’ung.” “It is he⁠—is it not?”⁠—said the other, “who knows the impracticab...

The Master was playing, one day, on a musical stone in Wei, when a man, carrying a straw basket, passed the door of the house where Confucius was, and said, “His heart is full who so beats the musical...

Tsze-chang said, “What is meant when the Shû says that Kâo-tsung, while observing the usual imperial mourning, was for three years without speaking?” The Master said, “Why must Kâo-tsung be referred t...

The Master said, “When rulers love to observe the rules of propriety, the people respond readily to the calls on them for service.”...

Tsze-lû asked what constituted the superior man. The Master said, “The cultivation of himself in reverential carefulness.” “And is this all?” said Tsze-lû. “He cultivates himself so as to give rest to...

Yüan Zang was squatting on his heels, and so waited the approach of the Master, who said to him, “In youth not humble as befits a junior; in manhood, doing nothing worthy of being handed down; and liv...

A youth of the village of Ch’üeh was employed by Confucius to carry the messages between him and his visitors. Someone asked about him, saying, “I suppose he has made great progress.” The Master said,...

The Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about tactics. Confucius replied, “I have heard all about sacrificial vessels, but I have not learned military matters.” On this, he took his departure the next da...

The Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about tactics. Confucius replied, “I have heard all about sacrificial vessels, but I have not learned military matters.” On this, he took his departure the next da...

The Master said, “Ts’ze, you think, I suppose, that I am one who learns many things and keeps them in memory?” Tsze-kung replied, “Yes⁠—but perhaps it is not so?” “No,” was the answer; “I seek a unity...

The Master said, “Yû, those who know virtue are few.”...

The Master said, “May not Shun be instanced as having governed efficiently without exertion? What did he do? He did nothing but gravely and reverently occupy his royal seat.”...

Tsze-chang asked how a man should conduct himself, so as to be everywhere appreciated. The Master said, “Let his words be sincere and truthful, and his actions honourable and careful;⁠—such conduct ma...

The Master said, “Truly straightforward was the historiographer Yû. When good government prevailed in his State, he was like an arrow. When bad government prevailed, he was like an arrow. “A superior ...

The Master said, “When a man may be spoken with, not to speak to him is to err in reference to the man. When a man may not be spoken with, to speak to him is to err in reference to our words. The wise...

The Master said, “The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.”...

Tsze-kung asked about the practice of virtue. The Master said, “The mechanic, who wishes to do his work well, must first sharpen his tools. When you are living in any state, take service with the most...

Yen Yüan asked how the government of a country should be administered. The Master said, “Follow the seasons of Hsiâ. “Ride in the state carriage of Yin. “Wear the ceremonial cap of Châu. “Let the musi...

The Master said, “If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.”...

The Master said, “It is all over! I have not seen one who loves virtue as he loves beauty.”...

The Master said, “Was not Tsang Wǎn like one who had stolen his situation? He knew the virtue and the talents of Hûi of Liû-hsiâ, and yet did not procure that he should stand with him in court.”...

The Master said, “He who requires much from himself and little from others, will keep himself from being the object of resentment.”...

The Master said, “When a man is not in the habit of saying⁠—‘What shall I think of this? What shall I think of this?’ I can indeed do nothing with him!”...

The Master said, “When a number of people are together, for a whole day, without their conversation turning on righteousness, and when they are fond of carrying out the suggestions of a small shrewdne...

The Master said, “The superior man in everything considers righteousness to be essential. He performs it according to the rules of propriety. He brings it forth in humility. He completes it with since...

The Master said, “The superior man is distressed by his want of ability. He is not distressed by men’s not knowing him.”...

The Master said, “The superior man dislikes the thought of his name not being mentioned after his death.”...

The Master said, “What the superior man seeks, is in himself. What the mean man seeks, is in others.”...

The Master said, “The superior man is dignified, but does not wrangle. He is sociable, but not a partisan.”...

The Master said, “The superior man does not promote a man simply on account of his words, nor does he put aside good words because of the man.”...

Tsze-kung asked, saying, “Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life?” The Master said, “Is not ‘reciprocity’ such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not...

The Master said, “In my dealings with men, whose evil do I blame, whose goodness do I praise, beyond what is proper? If I do sometimes exceed in praise, there must be ground for it in my examination o...

The Master said, “Even in my early days, a historiographer would leave a blank in his text, and he who had a horse would lend him to another to ride. Now, alas! there are no such things.”...

The Master said, “Specious words confound virtue. Want of forbearance in small matters confounds great plans.”...

The Master said, “When the multitude hate a man, it is necessary to examine into the case. When the multitude like a man, it is necessary to examine into the case.”...

The Master said, “A man can enlarge the principles which he follows; those principles do not enlarge the man.”...

The Master said, “To have faults and not to reform them⁠—this, indeed, should be pronounced having faults.”...

The Master said, “I have been the whole day without eating, and the whole night without sleeping:⁠—occupied with thinking. It was of no use. The better plan is to learn.”...

The Master said, “The object of the superior man is truth. Food is not his object. There is plowing;⁠—even in that there is sometimes want. So with learning;⁠—emolument may be found in it. The superio...

The Master said, “When a man’s knowledge is sufficient to attain, and his virtue is not sufficient to enable him to hold, whatever he may have gained, he will lose again. “When his knowledge is suffic...

The Master said, “The superior man cannot be known in little matters; but he may be entrusted with great concerns. The small man may not be entrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little...

The Master said, “Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.”...

The Master said, “Let every man consider virtue as what devolves on himself. He may not yield the performance of it even to his teacher.”...

The Master said, “The superior man is correctly firm, and not firm merely.”...

The Master said, “A minister, in serving his prince, reverently discharges his duties, and makes his emolument a secondary consideration.”...

The Master said, “In teaching there should be no distinction of classes.”...

The Master said, “Those whose courses are different cannot lay plans for one another.”...

The Master said, “In language it is simply required that it convey the meaning.”...

The Music-master, Mien, having called upon him, when they came to the steps, the Master said, “Here are the steps.” When they came to the mat for the guest to sit upon, he said, “Here is the mat.” Whe...

The head of the Chî family was going to attack Chwan-yü. Zǎn Yû and Chî-lu had an interview with Confucius, and said, “Our chief, Chî, is going to commence operations against Chwan-yü.” Confucius said...

The head of the Chî family was going to attack Chwan-yü. Zǎn Yû and Chî-lu had an interview with Confucius, and said, “Our chief, Chî, is going to commence operations against Chwan-yü.” Confucius said...

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, ceremonie...

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 desce...

Confucius said, “There are three friendships which are advantageous, and three which are injurious. Friendship with the upright; friendship with the sincere; and friendship with the man of much observ...

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 cere...

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 rashne...

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...

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. “T...

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 s...

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 e...

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 s...

The duke Ching of Ch’î 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-î and Shû-ch’î died of hunger at the foot of the Sh...

Ch’ǎn K’ang asked Po-yü, saying, “Have you heard any lessons from your father different from what we have all heard?” Po-yü replied, “No. He was standing alone once, when I passed below the hall with ...

The wife of the prince of a state is called by him Fu Zan. She calls herself Hsiâo Tung. The people of the State call her Chün Fû Zǎn, and, to the people of other States, they call her K’wa Hsiâo Chün...

Yang Ho wished to see Confucius, but Confucius would not go to see him. On this, he sent a present of a pig to Confucius, who, having chosen a time when Ho was not at home, went to pay his respects fo...

Yang Ho wished to see Confucius, but Confucius would not go to see him. On this, he sent a present of a pig to Confucius, who, having chosen a time when Ho was not at home, went to pay his respects fo...

The Master said, “By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.”...

The Master said, “There are only the wise of the highest class, and the stupid of the lowest class, who cannot be changed.”...

The Master, having come to Wû-ch’ǎng, heard there the sound of stringed instruments and singing. Well pleased and smiling, he said, “Why use an ox knife to kill a fowl?” Tsze-yû replied, “Formerly, Ma...

Kung-shan Fû-zâo, when he was holding Pî, and in an attitude of rebellion, invited the Master to visit him, who was rather inclined to go. Tsze-lû was displeased, and said, “Indeed, you cannot go! Why...

Tsze-chang asked Confucius about perfect virtue. Confucius said, “To be able to practise five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue.” He begged to ask what they were, and was told,...

Pî Hsî inviting him to visit him, the Master was inclined to go. Tsze-lû said, “Master, formerly I have heard you say, ‘When a man in his own person is guilty of doing evil, a superior man will not as...

The Master said, “Yû, have you heard the six words to which are attached six becloudings?” Yû replied, “I have not.” “Sit down, and I will tell them to you. “There is the love of being benevolent with...

The Master said, “My children, why do you not study the Book of Poetry? “The Odes serve to stimulate the mind. “They may be used for purposes of self-contemplation. “They teach the art of sociability....

The Master said to Po-yü, “Do you give yourself to the Châu-nan and the Shâo-nan. The man who has not studied the Châu-nan and the Shâo-nan, is like one who stands with his face right against a wall. ...

The Master said, “ ‘It is according to the rules of propriety,’ they say.⁠—‘It is according to the rules of propriety,’ they say. Are gems and silk all that is meant by propriety? ‘It is music,’ they ...

The Master said, “He who puts on an appearance of stern firmness, while inwardly he is weak, is like one of the small, mean people;⁠—yea, is he not like the thief who breaks through, or climbs over, a...

The Master said, “Your good, careful people of the villages are the thieves of virtue.”...

The Master said, “To tell, as we go along, what we have heard on the way, is to cast away our virtue.”...

The Master said, “There are those mean creatures! How impossible it is along with them to serve one’s prince! “While they have not got their aims, their anxiety is how to get them. When they have got ...

The Master said, “Anciently, men had three failings, which now perhaps are not to be found. “The high-mindedness of antiquity showed itself in a disregard of small things; the high-mindedness of the p...

The Master said, “Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with virtue.”...

The Master said, “I hate the manner in which purple takes away the luster of vermilion. I hate the way in which the songs of Chǎng confound the music of the Yâ. I hate those who with their sharp mouth...

The Master said, “I would prefer not speaking.” Tsze-kung said, “If you, Master, do not speak, what shall we, your disciples, have to record?” The Master said, “Does Heaven speak? The four seasons pur...

Zû Pei wished to see Confucius, but Confucius declined, on the ground of being sick, to see him. When the bearer of this message went out at the door, (the Master) took his lute and sang to it, in ord...

Tsâi Wo asked about the three years’ mourning for parents, saying that one year was long enough. “If the superior man,” said he, “abstains for three years from the observances of propriety, those obse...

The Master said, “Hard is it to deal with him, who will stuff himself with food the whole day, without applying his mind to anything good! Are there not gamesters and chess players? To be one of these...

Tsze-lû said, “Does the superior man esteem valour?” The Master said, “The superior man holds righteousness to be of highest importance. A man in a superior situation, having valour without righteousn...

Tsze-kung said, “Has the superior man his hatreds also?” The Master said, “He has his hatreds. He hates those who proclaim the evil of others. He hates the man who, being in a low station, slanders hi...

The Master said, “Of all people, girls and servants are the most difficult to behave to. If you are familiar with them, they lose their humility. If you maintain a reserve towards them, they are disco...

The Master said, “When a man at forty is the object of dislike, he will always continue what he is.”...

The Viscount of Wei withdrew from the court. The Viscount of Chî became a slave to Châu. Pî-kan remonstrated with him and died. Confucius said, “The Yin dynasty possessed these three men of virtue.” H...

The Viscount of Wei withdrew from the court. The Viscount of Chî became a slave to Châu. Pî-kan remonstrated with him and died. Confucius said, “The Yin dynasty possessed these three men of virtue.”...

Hûi of Liû-hsiâ being chief criminal judge, was thrice dismissed from his office. Someone said to him, “Is it not yet time for you, sir, to leave this?” He replied, “Serving men in an upright way, whe...

The duke Ching of Ch’î, with reference to the manner in which he should treat Confucius, said, “I cannot treat him as I would the chief of the Chî family. I will treat him in a manner between that acc...

The people of Ch’î sent to Lû a present of female musicians, which Chî Hwan received, and for three days no court was held. Confucius took his departure....

The madman of Ch’û, Chieh-yü, passed by Confucius, singing and saying, “O fǎng! O fǎng! How is your virtue degenerated! As to the past, reproof is useless; but the future may still be provided against...

Ch’ǎng-tsu and Chieh-nî were at work in the field together, when Confucius passed by them, and sent Tsze-lû to inquire for the ford. Ch’ǎng-tsu said, “Who is he that holds the reins in the carriage th...

Tsze-lû, following the Master, happened to fall behind, when he met an old man, carrying across his shoulder on a staff a basket for weeds. Tsze-lû said to him, “Have you seen my master, sir!” The old...

The men who have retired to privacy from the world have been Po-î, Shû-ch’î, Yü-chung, Î-yî, Chû-chang, Hûi of Liû-hsiâ, and Shâo-lien. The Master said, “Refusing to surrender their wills, or to submi...

The grand music master, Chih, went to Ch’î. Kan, the master of the band at the second meal, went to Ch’û. Liâo, the band master at the third meal, went to Ts’âi. Chüěh, the band master at the fourth m...

The duke of Châu addressed his son, the duke of Lü, saying, “The virtuous prince does not neglect his relations. He does not cause the great ministers to repine at his not employing them. Without some...

To Châu belonged the eight officers, Po-tâ, Po-kwô, Chung-tû, Chung-hwû, Shû-yâ, Shû-hsiâ, Chî-sui, and Chî-kwa....

Tsze-chang said, “The scholar, trained for public duty, seeing threatening danger, is prepared to sacrifice his life. When the opportunity of gain is presented to him, he thinks of righteousness. In s...

Tsze-chang said, “The scholar, trained for public duty, seeing threatening danger, is prepared to sacrifice his life. When the opportunity of gain is presented to him, he thinks of righteousness. In s...

Tsze-chang said, “When a man holds fast to virtue, but without seeking to enlarge it, and believes right principles, but without firm sincerity, what account can be made of his existence or nonexisten...

The disciples of Tsze-hsiâ asked Tsze-chang about the principles that should characterize mutual intercourse. Tsze-chang asked, “What does Tsze-hsiâ say on the subject?” They replied, “Tsze-hsiâ says:...

Tsze-hsiâ said, “Even in inferior studies and employments there is something worth being looked at; but if it be attempted to carry them out to what is remote, there is a danger of their proving inapp...

Tsze-hsiâ said, “He, who from day to day recognises what he has not yet, and from month to month does not forget what he has attained to, may be said indeed to love to learn.”...