The Master said, “When it comes to hearing civil litigation, I am as good as anyone else. What is necessary, though, is to bring it about that there is no civil litigation at all.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, In hearing lawsuits, I’m no different from other people. What we need is for there to be no lawsuits!
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Confucius responded, “Let the lord be a true lord, the ministers true ministers, the fathers true fathers, and the sons true sons.”
The Duke replied, “Well put! Certainly if the lord is not a true lord, the ministers not true ministers, the fathers not true fathers, and the sons not true sons, even if there is sufficient grain, will I ever get to eat it?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Duke Jing of Qi questioned Confucius about government. Confucius replied, Let the ruler be a ruler; the subject, a subject; the father, a father; the son, a son.
The duke said, Splendid! For if indeed the ruler is not a ruler, the subject not a subject, the father not a father, the son not a son, then although there is grain, how will I be able to eat it?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Zizhang asked about accumulating Virtue and resolving confusion.
The Master said, “Make it your guiding principle to be dutiful and trustworthy, and always move in the direction of what is right. This is what it means to accumulate Virtue. If you love someone, you desire that they live; if you hate them, you desire that they perish. Now, having already desired that someone live, and then to desire that they perish—this is confusion.
‘Not for the sake of wealth,
But simply for the sake of variety.’ ”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zizhang asked how to uphold virtue and detect faulty thinking.
The Master said, Concentrate on loyalty and trustworthiness and follow what is right—that’s the way to uphold virtue. When you love someone, you hope that the person will live, but if you hate him, you wish that he were dead. Having wished for life, you turn around and wish for death—this is faulty thinking.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Duke Ai said to Master You, “The harvest was poor and I cannot satisfy my needs. What should I do?”
Master You said, “Why do you not try taxing the people one part in ten?”
“I am currently taxing them two parts in ten, and even so I cannot satisfy my needs. How could reducing the tax to one part in ten help?”
Master You answered, “If the common people’s needs are satisfied, how could their lord be lacking? If the common people needs are not satisfied, how can their lord be content?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Duke Ai questioned You Ruo, saying, The crop is bad this year, and I don’t have enough for government needs. What should I do?
You Ruo replied, Why not halve the rate of taxation?
The duke said, Even when I take two-tenths of the crop in taxes, I don’t have enough. How could I get by with half?
You Ruo replied, If the people have enough, what ruler will be left without enough? But if the people don’t have enough, how can the ruler hope to have enough?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Ji Zicheng said, “Being a gentleman is simply a matter of having the right native substance, and nothing else. Why must one engage in cultural refinement?”
Zigong replied, “It is regrettable, Sir, that you should speak of the gentleman in this way—as they say, ‘a team of horses cannot overtake your tongue.’
“A gentleman’s cultural refinement resembles his native substance, and his native substance resembles his cultural refinement. The skin of a tiger or leopard, shorn of its fur, is no different from the skin of a dog or sheep.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Ji Zicheng said, The gentleman should have solid qualities and that’s enough. What need is there for refinement?
Zigong said, Regrettable indeed—what you have said, sir, about the gentleman! Refinement is equal in worth to solid qualities, and solid qualities to refinement. Strip the hide of a tiger or a panther of its [patterned fur], and it is no different from that of a dog or a goat.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “Simply make sure there is sufficient food, sufficient armaments, and that you have the confidence of the common people.”
Zigong said, “If sacrificing one of these three things became unavoidable, which would you sacrifice first?”
The Master replied, “I would sacrifice the armaments.”
Zigong said, “If sacrificing one of the two remaining things became unavoidable, which would you sacrifice next?”
The Master replied, “I would sacrifice the food. Death has always been with us, but a state cannot stand once it has lost the confidence of the people.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zigong asked about government. The Master said, You need enough food, enough weaponry, and the trust of the common people.
Zigong said, If you had to do without one of these, which of the three would you do without first?
Do without weapons.
And if you had to do without one of the other two, which would it be?
The Master said, Do without food. From times past, everyone has to die. But without the trust of the common people, you get nowhere.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master replied, “He who does not base his actions upon slanders that try to seep into one’s mind, or accusations that accumulate like dirt on one’s skin, may be called ‘perceptive.’ Indeed, such a person could even be called ‘far-sighted.’ ”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zizhang asked about clear-sightedness. The Master said, Someone who is unmoved by insidious slander or hurtful and persistent accusations—he may be called clear-sighted. Someone who is unmoved by insidious slander or hurtful and persistent accusations may be called a person of far-reaching perception.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Anxiously, Sima Niu remarked, “Everyone has brothers, I alone have none.”
Zixia replied, “I have heard it said, ‘Life and death are governed by fate, wealth and honor are determined by Heaven.’ A gentleman is respectful and free of errors. He is reverent and ritually proper in his dealings with others. In this way, everyone within the Four Seas is his brother. How could a gentleman be concerned about not having brothers?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Sima Niu, troubled, said, All men have elder and younger brothers, but I alone have none.
Zixia said, The way I’ve heard it, life and death are a matter of fate; wealth and eminence rest with Heaven. If a gentleman is respectful and free of error, if he is considerate of others and treats them according to ritual, then all within the four seas are his elder and younger brothers. Why should a gentleman be troubled that he has no elder or younger brothers?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
