The Master said, “Women and servants are particularly hard to manage: if you are too familiar with them, they grow insolent, but if you are too distant they grow resentful.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, Women and petty persons are the hardest to look after. Treat them in a friendly manner, and they become impertinent; keep them at a distance, and they take offense.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Zigong asked, “Does the gentleman also have those whom he despises?”
The Master replied, “Yes, he does. He despises those who proclaim the faults of others; those who, occupying an inferior position, slander their superiors; those who are courageous but lack ritual; and those who are resolute and daring, but overly stubborn.”
“Do you, Zigong, also have those whom you despise?”
Zigong said, “I despise those who parrot others’ ideas and mistake this for wisdom; those who mistake insubordination for courage; and those who mistake the malicious exposing of other’s private affairs for uprightness.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zigong asked, Does the gentleman too have things he hates? The Master said, He has his hates. He hates those who go on about what is hateful in others. He hates those in low position who revile those above them. He hates courage that ignores ritual decorum; he hates firmness and decision that is not open-minded.
Zigong said, I too have things I hate. I hate plagiarists who pretend to be wise. I hate unruly people who pretend to be courageous. I hate scandal mongerers who pretend to be upright.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “The gentleman admires rightness above all. A gentleman who possessed courage but lacked a sense of rightness would create political disorder, while a common person who possessed courage but lacked a sense of rightness would become a bandit.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zilu said, Does the gentleman esteem courage? The Master said, The gentleman holds rightness in highest esteem. A gentleman who possesses courage but lacks rightness will become rebellious. A petty man who possesses courage but lacks rightness will turn to thievery.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “Spending the entire day filling himself with food, never once exercising his mind—someone like this is a hard case indeed! Do we not have the games Bo and Yi? Even playing these games would be better than doing nothing.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, Stuff yourself with food all day, never give your mind anything to do, and you’re a problem! There’s chess, isn’t there? There’s weiqi, isn’t there?—wiser at least to busy yourself with these.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Zai Wo asked about the three-year mourning period, saying, “Surely one year is long enough. If the gentleman refrains from practicing ritual for three years, the rites will surely fall into ruin; if he refrains from music for three years, this will surely be disastrous for music. After the lapse of a year the old grain has been used up, while the new grain has ripened, and the four different types of tinder have all been drilled in order to rekindle the fire. One year is surely long enough.”
The Master asked, “Would you feel comfortable then eating your sweet rice and wearing your brocade gowns?”
“I would.”
The Master replied, “Well, if you would feel comfortable doing so, then by all means you should do it. When the gentleman is in mourning, he gets no pleasure from eating sweet foods, finds no joy in listening to music, and feels no comfort in his place of dwelling. This is why he gives up these things. But if you would feel comfortable doing them, then by all means you should!”
After Zai Wo left, the Master remarked, “This shows how lacking in Goodness this Zai Wo is! A child is completely dependent upon the care of his parents for the first three years of his life—this is why the three-year mourning period is the common practice throughout the world. Did Zai Wo not receive three years of care from his parents?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zai Wo asked about the three-year mourning period, saying that one year should be long enough. If the gentleman goes three years without performing rituals, the rituals are certain to decline; if he goes three years without performing music, music is certain to be lost. The old grain has been used up; the new grain has ripened; drills have kindled new fires to replace the old ones—surely one year is long enough!
The Master said, Eating rice, wearing brocade—would you feel right doing that?
Yes, I would, said Zai Wo.
If you would feel right, then do so. But when a gentleman is in mourning, if he ate fine food, it would have no savor; if he listened to music, it would bring no joy; if he lived in ease, it would not feel right. Therefore, he does not do so. But now you would feel right, so you may do so.
After Zai Wo had left, the Master said, Yu (Zai Wo) has no humaneness! Only after a child is three years old does he leave the bosom of his father and mother. The three-year mourning period is a custom common to everyone in the world. Surely Yu, too, enjoyed his three years of loving from father and mother!
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Ru Bei [sent a messenger expressing his] wish to have an audience with Confucius, but Confucius declined, saying that he was ill. As soon as the messenger went out the door, however, Confucius picked up his zither and sang, making sure that the messenger could hear him.
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Ru Bei wanted to visit Confucius, but Confucius excused himself on the grounds of illness. Then, as the person who had delivered the message was going out the door, Confucius took up his zither and began to sing, making certain that the man heard him.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master sighed, “Would that I did not have to speak!”
Zigong said, “If the Master did not speak, then how would we little ones receive guidance from you?”
The Master replied, “What does Heaven ever say? Yet the four seasons are put in motion by it, and the myriad creatures receive their life from it. What does Heaven ever say?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, I wish I could just say nothing. Zigong said, But Master, if you do not say anything, what will we, your followers, have to pass on to others?
The Master said, What does Heaven say? The four seasons proceed in order, the hundred creatures live their lives, but what does Heaven say?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “I hate that purple has usurped the place of vermillion, that the tunes of Zheng have been confused with classical music, and that the clever of tongue have undermined both state and family.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, I hate the way the color purple detracts from red. I hate the way the tunes of Zheng throw the Ya music into confusion. I hate the way clever talkers bring ruin to the state and the leading families.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “In ancient times, people had three type of faults, which have perhaps since disappeared. In ancient times, those who were wild were at least forthright; nowadays, they are simply deviant. In ancient times, those who were proud were at least principled; nowadays, they are simply belligerent and easily provoked. In ancient times, those who were stupid were at least upright; nowadays, they are simply devious.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, In former times the common people had three weaknesses, but now even these seem to have largely disappeared. Assertive persons in the past were reckless; now they are downright overbearing. Firm-minded persons in the past were prudish; now they are testy and belligerent. Stupid persons in the past were at least upright; now all they do is try to deceive others.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
