6 the master said, "there is yung!-he might occupy the place of a prince." chung-kung asked about tsze-sang po-tsze. the master said, "he may pass. hedoes not mind small matters." chung-kung said, "if a man cherish in himself a reverential feeling of thenecessity of attention to business, though he may be easy in small matters inhis government of the people, that may be allowed. but if he cherish in himselfthat easy feeling, and also carry it out in his practice, is not such aneasymode of procedure excessive?" the master said, "yung's words are right." the duke ai asked which of the disciples loved to learn. confucius replied to him, "there was yen hui; he loved to learn. he did nottransfer his anger; he did not repeat a fault. unfortunately, his appointed timewas short and he died; and now there is not such another. i have not yet heardof any one who loves to learn as he did." tsze-hwa being employed on a mission to ch'i, the disciple zan requestedgrain for his mother. the master said, "give her a fu." yen requested more."give her a yi," said the master. yen gave her five ping. the master said, "when ch'ih was proceeding to ch'i, he had fat horses tohis carriage, and wore light furs. i have heard that a superior man helps thedistressed, but does not add to the wealth of the rich." yuan sze being made governor of his town by the master, he gave him ninehundred measures of grain, but sze declined them. the master said, "do not decline them. may you not give them away in theneighborhoods, hamlets, towns, and villages?" the master, speaking of chung-kung, said, "if the calf of a brindled cow bered and homed, although men may not wish to use it, would the spirits of themountains and rivers put it aside?" the master said, "such was hui that for three months there would be nothingin his mind contrary to perfect virtue. the others may attain to this on somedays or in some months, but nothing more." chi k'ang asked about chung-yu, whether he was fit to be employed as anofficer of government. the master said, "yu is a man of decision; whatdifficulty would he find in being an officer of government?" k'ang asked, "ists'ze fit to be employed as an officer of government?" and was answered, "ts'zeis a man of intelligence; what difficulty would he find in being an officer ofgovernment?" and to the same question about ch'iu the master gave the same reply,saying, "ch'iu is a man of various ability." the chief of the chi family sent to ask min tsze-ch'ien to be governor of pi.min tszech'ien said, "decline the offer for me politely. if any one come againto me with a second invitation, i shall be obliged to go and live on the banksof the wan." po-niu being ill, the master went to ask for him. he took hold of his handthrough the window, and said, "it is killing him. it is the appointment ofheaven, alas! that such a man should have such a sickness! that such a manshould have such a sickness!" the master said, "admirable indeed was the virtue of hui! with a singlebamboo dish of rice, a single gourd dish of drink, and living in his mean narrowlane, while others could not have endured the distress, he did not allow his joyto be affected by it. admirable indeed was the virtue of hui!" yen ch'iu said, "it is not that i do not delight in your doctrines, but mystrength is insufficient." the master said, "those whose strength isinsufficient give over in the middle of the way but now you limit yourself." the master said to tsze-hsia, "do you be a scholar after the style of thesuperior man, and not after that of the mean man." tsze-yu being governor of wu-ch'ang, the master said to him, "have you gotgood men there?" he answered, "there is tan-t'ai miehming, who never in walkingtakes a short cut, and never comes to my office, excepting on public business." the master said, "mang chih-fan does not boast of his merit. being in therear on an occasion of flight, when they were about to enter the gate, hewhipped up his horse, saying, "it is not that i dare to be last. my horse wouldnot advance." the master said, "without the specious speech of the litanist t'o and thebeauty of the prince chao of sung, it is difficult to escape in the presentage." the master said, "who can go out but by the door? how is it that men willnot walk according to these ways?" the master said, "where the solid qualities are in excess of accomplishments,we have rusticity; where the accomplishments are in excess of the solidqualities, we have the manners of a clerk. when the accomplishments and solidqualities are equally blended, we then have the man of virtue." the master said, "man is born for uprightness. if a man lose his uprightness,and yet live, his escape from death is the effect of mere good fortune." the master said, "they who know the truth are not equal to those who love it,and they who love it are not equal to those who delight in it." the master said, "to those whose talents are above mediocrity, the highestsubjects may be announced. to those who are below mediocrity, the highestsubjects may not be announced." fan ch'ih asked what constituted wisdom. the master said, "to give one'sself earnestly to the duties due to men, and, while respecting spiritual beings,to keep aloof from them, may be called wisdom." he asked about perfect virtue.the master said, "the man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome hisfirst business, and success only a subsequent consideration;-this may be calledperfect virtue." the master said, "the wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous findpleasure in hills. the wise are active; the virtuous are tranquil. the wise arejoyful; the virtuous are long-lived." the master said, "ch'i, by one change, would come to the state of lu. lu, byone change, would come to a state where true principles predominated." the master said, "a cornered vessel without corners-a strange corneredvessel! a strange cornered vessel!" tsai wo asked, saying, "a benevolent man, though it be told him,-'there is aman in the well" will go in after him, i suppose." confucius said, "why shouldhe do so?" a superior man may be made to go to the well, but he cannot be madeto go down into it. he may be imposed upon, but he cannot be fooled." the master said, "the superior man, extensively studying all learning, andkeeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, may thus likewisenot overstep what is right." the master having visited nan-tsze, tsze-lu was displeased, on which themaster swore, saying, "wherein i have done improperly, may heaven reject me, mayheaven reject me!" the master said, "perfect is the virtue which is according to the constantmean! rare for a long time has been its practice among the people." tsze-kung said, "suppose the case of a man extensively conferring benefitson the people, and able to assist all, what would you say of him? might he becalled perfectly virtuous?" the master said, "why speak only of virtue inconnection with him? must he not have the qualities of a sage? even yao and shunwere still solicitous about this. "now the man of perfect virtue, wishing to be established himself, seeksalso to establish others; wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also toenlarge others. "to be able to judge of others by what is nigh in ourselves;-this may becalled the art of virtue." |
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