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 virtue, and uniformity sought to be given themby the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, andmoreover will become good."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 the reception of truth.
At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressingwhat was right."Mang I asked what filial piety 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 reverence,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 countenance. If, when their elders have any troublesomeaffairs, the young take the toil 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 retired, and I have examined his conduct when away from me, andfound him able to illustrate my teachings. Hui!-He is not stupid."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, soas 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 hisactions."The Master said, "The superior man is catholic and not partisan. Themean man is partisan and not catholic."The Master said, "Learning without thought is labor lost; thoughtwithout learning is perilous."The Master said, "The study of strange doctrines 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 emolument.
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 repentance. 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 submission of the people?" Confucius replied, "Advance the uprightand set aside the crooked, 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 virtuous."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 truthfulness isto get on. How can a large carriage be made to go without the crossbarfor yoking 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.
Confucius said, "The Yin dynasty followed the regulations of the Hsia
wherein it took from or added to them may be known. The Chau dynastyhas followed the regulations of Yin: wherein it took from or addedto them may be known. Some other may follow the Chau, but though itshould be at the distance of a hundred ages, its affairs may be known."The Master said, "For a man to sacrifice to a spirit which does notbelong to him is flattery.
To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.