The Analects Chapter 2
The Master said, "He who exercises government by means of his virtuemay be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place andall 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 'Havingno depraved thoughts.'"The Master said, "If the people be led by laws, and uniformity soughtto be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment,but have no sense of shame.
"If they be led by virtue1, and uniformity sought to be given themby the rules of propriety2, they will have the sense of shame, andmoreover will become good."The Master said, "At fifteen, I had my mind bent3 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 the reception of truth.
"At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressingwhat was right."Mang I asked what filial piety4 was. The Master said, "It is not beingdisobedient."Soon after, as Fan Ch'ih was driving him, the Master told him, saying,"Mang-sun asked me what filial piety was, and I answered him,-'notbeing disobedient.'"Fan Ch'ih said, "What did you mean?" The Master replied, "That parents,when alive, be served according to propriety; that, when dead, theyshould be buried according to propriety; and that they should be sacrificedto according to propriety."Mang Wu asked what filial piety was. The Master said, "Parents areanxious lest their children should be sick."Tsze-yu asked what filial piety was. The Master said, "The filialpiety nowadays means the support of one's parents. But dogs and horseslikewise are able to do something in the way of support;-without reverence5,what is there to distinguish the one support given from the other?"Tsze-hsia asked what filial piety was. The Master said, "The difficultyis with the countenance6. If, when their elders have any troublesomeaffairs, the young take the toil7 of them, and if, when the young havewine and food, they set them before their elders, is THIS to be consideredfilial piety?"The Master said, "I have talked with Hui for a whole day, and he hasnot made any objection to anything I said;-as if he were stupid. Hehas retired8, and I have examined his conduct when away from me, andfound him able to illustrate9 my teachings. Hui!-He is not stupid."The Master said, "See what a man does.
"Mark his motives10.
"Examine in what things he rests.
"How can a man conceal11 his character? How can a man conceal his character?"The Master said, "If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, soas continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others."The Master said, "The accomplished12 scholar is not a utensil13."Tsze-kung asked what constituted the superior man. The Master said,"He acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to hisactions."The Master said, "The superior man is catholic and not partisan14. Themean man is partisan and not catholic."The Master said, "Learning without thought is labor15 lost; thoughtwithout learning is perilous16."The Master said, "The study of strange doctrines17 is injurious indeed!"The Master said, "Yu, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When youknow a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know athing, to allow that you do not know it;-this is knowledge."Tsze-chang was learning with a view to official emolument18.
The Master said, "Hear much and put aside the points of which youstand in doubt, while you speak cautiously at the same time of theothers:-then you will afford few occasions for blame. See much andput aside the things which seem perilous, while you are cautious atthe same time in carrying the others into practice: then you willhave few occasions for repentance19. When one gives few occasions forblame in his words, and few occasions for repentance in his conduct,he is in the way to get emolument."The Duke Ai asked, saying, "What should be done in order to securethe submission20 of the people?" Confucius replied, "Advance the uprightand set aside the crooked21, then the people will submit. Advance thecrooked and set aside the upright, then the people will not submit."Chi 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 theywill reverence him. Let him be final and kind to all;-then they willbe faithful to him. Let him advance the good and teach the incompetent;-thenthey will eagerly seek to be virtuous22."Some one addressed Confucius, saying, "Sir, why are you not engagedin the government?"The Master said, "What does the Shu-ching say of filial piety?-'Youare final, you discharge your brotherly duties. These qualities aredisplayed in government.' This then also constitutes the exerciseof government. Why must there be THAT-making one be in the government?"The Master said, "I do not know how a man without truthfulness23 isto get on. How can a large carriage be made to go without the crossbarfor yoking24 the oxen to, or a small carriage without the arrangementfor yoking the horses?"Tsze-chang asked whether the affairs of ten ages after could be known.