Original Text:
子贡曰如有博施于民而能济众何如可谓仁乎子曰何事于仁必也圣乎尧舜其犹病诸夫仁者己欲立而立人己欲达而达人能近取譬，可谓仁之方也已
Translation:
Other Translations:
Zigong said, “If there were one able to broadly extend his benevolence to the common people and bring succor to the multitudes, what would you make of him? Could such a person be called Good?”
The Master said, “Why stop at Good? Such a person should surely be called a sage! Even someone like Yao or Shun would find such a task daunting. Desiring to take his stand, one who is Good helps others to take their stand; wanting to realize himself, he helps others to realize themselves. Being able to take what is near at hand as an analogy could perhaps be called the method of Goodness.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zigong said, If someone could spread bounty abroad among the people and rescue the populace, how would that be? Could that be called humaneness?
The Master said, Why bring humaneness into the discussion? If you must have a label, call the man a sage. Even Yao and Shun had trouble doing that much.
The humane person wants standing, and so he helps others to gain standing. He wants achievement, and so he helps others to achieve. To know how to proceed on the analogy of what is close at hand—this can be called the humane approach.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.