2 the master said, "he who exercises government by means of his virtue may becompared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turntowards it." the master said, "in the book of poetry are three hundred pieces, but thedesign of them all may be embraced in one sentence 'having no depravedthoughts.'" the master said, "if the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to begiven them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have nosense of shame. "if they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by therules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will becomegood." 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,-'not beingdisobedient.'" fan ch'ih said, "what did you mean?" the master replied, "that parents, whenalive, be served according to propriety; that, when dead, they should be buriedaccording to propriety; and that they should be sacrificed to according topropriety." mang wu asked what filial piety was. the master said, "parents are anxiouslest their children should be sick." tsze-yu asked what filial piety was. the master said, "the filial pietynowadays means the support of one's parents. but dogs and horses likewise areable to do something in the way of support;-without reverence, what is there todistinguish the one support given from the other?" tsze-hsia asked what filial piety was. the master said, "the difficulty iswith the countenance. if, when their elders have any troublesome affairs, theyoung take the toil of them, and if, when the young have wine and food, they setthem before their elders, is this to be considered filial piety?" the master said, "i have talked with hui for a whole day, and he has notmade any objection to anything i said;-as if he were stupid. he has retired, andi have examined his conduct when away from me, and found him able to illustratemy 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, so ascontinually 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 actsbefore he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions." the master said, "the superior man is catholic and not partisan. the meanman is partisan and not catholic." the master said, "learning without thought is labor lost; thought withoutlearning 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 you know athing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow thatyou 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 indoubt, while you speak cautiously at the same time of the others:-then you willafford few occasions for blame. see much and put aside the things which seemperilous, while you are cautious at the same time in carrying the others intopractice: then you will have few occasions for repentance. when one gives fewoccasions for blame in his words, and few occasions for repentance in hisconduct, he is in the way to get emolument." the duke ai asked, saying, "what should be done in order to secure thesubmission of the people?" confucius replied, "advance the upright and set asidethe crooked, then the people will submit. advance the crooked and set aside theupright, then the people will not submit." chi k'ang asked how to cause the people to reverence their ruler, to befaithful to him, and to go on to nerve themselves to virtue. the master said,"let him preside over them with gravity;-then they will reverence him. let himbe final and kind to all;-then they will be faithful to him. let him advance thegood and teach the incompetent;-then they will eagerly seek to be virtuous." some one addressed confucius, saying, "sir, why are you not engaged in thegovernment?" the master said, "what does the shu-ching say of filial piety?-'you arefinal, you discharge your brotherly duties. these qualities are displayed ingovernment.' this then also constitutes the exercise of government. why mustthere be that-making one be in the government?" 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 oxento, or a small carriage without the arrangement for 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 dynasty hasfollowed the regulations of yin: wherein it took from or added to them may beknown. some other may follow the chau, but though it should be at the distanceof a hundred ages, its affairs may be known." the master said, "for a man to sacrifice to a spirit which does not belongto him is flattery. "to see what is right and not to do it is want of courage." |
Powered by Discuz! X3.4
Copyright © 2001-2021, Tencent Cloud.
