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 Ta-hsiang said, "Great indeed is the philosopherK'ung! His learning is extensive, and yet he does not render his namefamous by any particular thing."The Master heard the observation, and said to his disciples, "Whatshall I practice? Shall I practice charioteering, or shall I practicearchery? I will practice charioteering."The Master said, "The linen cap is that prescribed by the rules ofceremony, but now a silk one is worn. It is economical, and I followthe common practice.
The rules of ceremony prescribe the bowing below the hall, but nowthe practice is to bow only after ascending it. That is arrogant.
I continue to bow below the hall, though I oppose the common practice."There were four things from which the Master was entirely free. Hehad 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 Wan, was not the cause of truthlodged here in me
If Heaven had wished to let this cause of truth perish, then I, afuture mortal! should not have got such a relation to that cause.
While Heaven does not let the cause of truth perish, what can thepeople of K'wang do to me?"A high officer asked Tsze-kung, saying, "May we not say that yourMaster is a sage? How various is his ability!"Tsze-kung said, "Certainly Heaven has endowed him unlimitedly. Heis about a sage. And, moreover, his ability is various."The Master heard of the conversation and said, "Does the high officerknow me? When I was young, my condition was low, and I acquired myability in many things, but they were mean matters. Must the superiorman have such variety of ability? He does not need variety of ability.
Lao said, "The Master said, 'Having no official employment, I acquiredmany arts.'"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 ofme, I set it forth from one end to the other, and exhaust it."The Master said, "The Fang bird does not come; the river sends forthno map:-it is all over with me!"When the Master saw a person in a mourning dress, or any one withthe cap and upper and lower garments of full dress, or a blind person,on observing them approaching, though they were younger than himself,he would rise up, and if he had to pass by them, he would do so hastily.
Yen Yuan, in admiration of the Master's doctrines, sighed and said,"I looked up to them, and they seemed to become more high; I triedto penetrate them, and they seemed to become more firm; I looked atthem before me, and suddenly they seemed to be behind.
The Master, by orderly method, skillfully leads men on. He enlargedmy mind with learning, and taught me the restraints of propriety.
When I wish to give over the study of his doctrines, I cannot doso, and having exerted all my ability, there seems something to standright up before me; but though I wish to follow and lay hold of it,I really find no way to do so."The Master being very ill, Tsze-lu wished the disciples to act asministers to him.
During a remission of his illness, he said, "Long has the conductof Yu been deceitful! By pretending to have ministers when I havethem not, whom should I impose upon? Should I impose upon Heaven
Moreover, than that I should die in the hands of ministers, is itnot better that I should die in the hands of you, my disciples? Andthough I may not get a great burial, shall I die upon the road?"Tsze-kung said, "There is a beautiful gem here. Should I lay it upin a case and keep it? or should I seek for a good price and sellit?" The Master said, "Sell it! Sell it! But I would wait for oneto offer the price."The Master was wishing to go and live among the nine wild tribes ofthe east.
Some one said, "They are rude. How can you do such a thing?" The Mastersaid, "If a superior man dwelt among them, what rudeness would therebe?"The Master said, "I returned from Wei to Lu, and then the music wasreformed, and the pieces in the Royal songs and Praise songs all foundtheir 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 tothe dead, not to dare not to exert one's self; and not to be overcomeof wine:-which one of these things do I attain to?"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 lovesbeauty."The Master said, "The prosecution of learning may be compared to whatmay happen in raising a mound. If there want but one basket of earthto complete the work, and I stop, the stopping is my own work. Itmay be compared to throwing down the earth on the level ground. Thoughbut one basketful is thrown at a time, the advancing with it my owngoing forward."The Master said, "Never flagging when I set forth anything to him;-ah
that is Hui." The Master said of Yen Yuan, "Alas! I saw his constantadvance. I never saw him stop in his progress."The Master said, "There are cases in which the blade springs, butthe plant does not go on to flower! There are cases where it flowersbut fruit is not subsequently produced!"The Master said, "A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do weknow that his future will not be equal to our present? If he reachthe age of forty or fifty, and has not made himself heard of, thenindeed he will not be worth being regarded with respect."The Master said, "Can men refuse to assent to the words of strictadmonition? But it is reforming the conduct because of them whichis valuable. Can men refuse to be pleased with words of gentle advice
But it is unfolding their aim which is valuable. If a man be pleasedwith these words, but does not unfold their aim, and assents to those,but does not reform his conduct, I can really do nothing with him."The Master said, "Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.
Have no friends not equal to yourself. When you have faults, do notfear to abandon them."The Master said, "The commander of the forces of a large state maybe carried off, but the will of even a common man cannot be takenfrom him."The Master said, "Dressed himself in a tattered robe quilted withhemp, yet standing by the side of men dressed in furs, and not ashamed;-ah
it is Yu who is equal to this
He dislikes none, he covets nothing;-what can he do but what is good!"Tsze-lu kept continually repeating these words of the ode, when theMaster said, "Those things are by no means sufficient to constituteperfect excellence."The Master said, "When the year becomes cold, then we know how thepine and the cypress are the last to lose their leaves."The Master said, "The wise are free from perplexities; the virtuousfrom 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. Perhapswe may go on with them to principles, but we shall find them unableto get established in those along with us. Or if we may get so establishedalong with them, we shall find them unable to weigh occurring eventsalong with us.""How the flowers of the aspen-plum flutter and turn! Do I not thinkof you? But your house is distant."The Master said, "It is the want of thought about it. How is it distant