The Analects Chapter 7
The Master said, "A transmitter and not a maker1, believing in andloving the ancients, I venture to compare myself with our old P'ang."The Master said, "The silent treasuring up of knowledge; learningwithout satiety2; and instructing others without being wearied:-whichone of these things belongs to me?"The Master said, "The leaving virtue3 without proper cultivation4; thenot thoroughly5 discussing what is learned; not being able to movetowards righteousness of which a knowledge is gained; and not beingable to change what is not good:-these are the things which occasionme solicitude6."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 notdreamed, as I was wont7 to do, that I saw the duke of Chau."The Master said, "Let the will be set on the path of duty.
"Let every attainment8 in what is good be firmly grasped.
"Let perfect virtue be accorded with.
"Let relaxation9 and enjoyment10 be found in the polite arts."The Master said, "From the man bringing his bundle of dried fleshfor my teaching upwards11, I have never refused instruction to any one."The Master said, "I do not open up the truth to one who is not eagerto get knowledge, nor help out any one who is not anxious to explainhimself. When I have presented one corner of a subject to any one,and he cannot from it learn the other three, I do not repeat my lesson."When the Master was eating by the side of a mourner, he never ateto the full.
He did not sing on the same day in which he had been weeping.
The Master said to Yen12 Yuan, "When called to office, to undertakeits duties; when not so called, to he retired13;-it is only I and youwho have attained14 to this."Tsze-lu said, "If you had the conduct of the armies of a great state,whom would you have to act with you?"The Master said, "I would not have him to act with me, who will unarmedattack a tiger, or cross a river without a boat, dying without anyregret. My associate must be the man who proceeds to action full ofsolicitude, who is fond of adjusting his plans, and then carries theminto execution."The Master said, "If the search for riches is sure to be successful,though I should become a groom15 with whip in hand to get them, I willdo so. As the search may not be successful, I will follow after thatwhich I love."The things in reference to which the Master exercised the greatestcaution were-fasting, war, and sickness.
When the Master was in Ch'i, he heard the Shao, and for three monthsdid not know the taste of flesh. "I did not think'" he said, "thatmusic could have been made so excellent as this."Yen Yu 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-i andShu-ch'i?" "They were ancient worthies," said the Master. "Did theyhave any repinings because of their course?" The Master again replied,"They sought to act virtuously16, and they did so; what was there forthem to repine about?" On this, Tsze-kung went out and said, "OurMaster is not for him."The Master said, "With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, andmy bended arm for a pillow;-I have still joy in the midst of thesethings. Riches and honors acquired by unrighteousness, are to me asa floating cloud."The Master said, "If some years were added to my life, I would givefifty to the study of the Yi, and then I might come to be withoutgreat faults."The Master's frequent themes of discourse17 were-the Odes, the History,and the maintenance of the Rules of Propriety18. On all these he frequentlydiscoursed.
The Duke of Sheh asked Tsze-lu about Confucius, and Tsze-lu did notanswer 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 food, who in thejoy of its attainment forgets his sorrows, and who does not perceivethat old age is coming on?"The Master said, "I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge;I am one who is fond of antiquity19, and earnest in seeking it there."The subjects on which the Master did not talk, were-extraordinarythings, feats20 of strength, disorder21, and spiritual beings.
The Master said, "When I walk along with two others, they may serveme 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'ui-whatcan he do to me?"The Master said, "Do you think, my disciples22, that I have any concealments?
I conceal23 nothing from you. There is nothing which I do that is notshown to you, my disciples; that is my way."There were four things which the Master taught,-letters, ethics24, devotionof soul, and truthfulness25.