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Analects 19.18

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Original Text:

曾子曰吾闻诸夫子孟庄子之孝也其他可能也其不改父之臣与父之政是难能也

Translation:

Other Translations:

Master Zeng said, “I have heard from the Master that, while it is possible to match the filial piety of Meng Zhuangzi in most respects, it is difficult to match the way he refrained from changing the ministers or governmental policies of his father.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Master Zeng said, I have heard our Master say, The filial piety displayed by Meng Zhuang Zi can be matched in other respects. But the way he refrained from dismissing the officials appointed by his father or departing from his father’s ways of governing—that would be hard to match.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 18.10

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Original Text:

周公谓鲁公曰君子不施其亲不使大臣怨乎不以故旧无大故则不弃也无求备于一人

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Duke of Zhou said to the Duke of Lu, “The gentleman does not neglect his relatives, nor does he cause his great ministers to be angry about not being properly employed. Therefore, he does not dismiss someone who has been long in his service, unless they commit a grave offense, and he does not demand everything from any one person.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The duke of Zhou said to the duke of Lu, The gentleman does not neglect his relatives and does not cause his high officials to be resentful because he does not heed them. He does not dismiss old associates without good reason, and he does not demand perfection from one person.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 14.21

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Original Text:

陈成子弑简公孔子沐浴而朝告于哀公曰陈恒弑其君请讨之公曰告夫三子孔子曰以吾从大夫之后不敢不告也君曰‘告夫三子者之三子告不可孔子曰以吾从大夫之后不敢不告也

Translation:

Other Translations:

When Chen Chengzi assassinated Duke Jian, Confucius ritually bathed himself and then presented himself at the court of Duke Ai, reporting to him, “This Chen Heng has assassinated his lord. I ask that you punish him.”
The Duke replied, “Report it to the Three.”
Confucius said, “Having held rank below the ministers, I did not dare to not report this. Now my lord says, ‘Report it to the Three.’ ” He then went and reported it to the Three, who did not approve his request. Confucius remarked, “Having held rank below the ministers, I did not dare to not report.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Chen Chengzi assassinated Duke Jian of Qi. Confucius bathed, washed his hair, proceeded to court, and reported to Duke Ai, saying, Chen Heng (Chen Chengzi) has assassinated his ruler. I request that he be punished.
The duke said, Report that to the three leaders of the Ji family.
Later Confucius said, I follow the high officials—I would not dare to leave such an event unreported. The ruler said, Report that to the three leaders of the Ji family.
When he went and reported to the three leaders, they declined to act. Confucius said, I follow the high officials—I would not dare to leave such an event unreported.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 12.11

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Original Text:

齐景公问政于孔子孔子对曰君君臣臣父父子子公曰善哉信如君不君臣不臣父不父子不子虽有粟吾得而食诸

Translation:

Other Translations:

Duke Jing of Qi asked Confucius about governing.
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.

Analects 11.24

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Original Text:

季子然问仲由冉求可谓大臣与子曰吾以子为异之问曾由与求之问所谓大臣者以道事君不可则止今由与求也可谓具臣矣曰然则从之者与子曰弑父与君亦不从也

Translation:

Other Translations:

Ji Ziran asked, “Could Zilu and Ran Qiu be considered great ministers?”
The Master replied, “I thought you were going to ask about some exceptional individuals, but instead you always ask about Zilu and Ran Qiu! What we call ‘great ministers’ are those who seek to serve their lord by means of the Way, and who resign if unable to do so. Now, Zilu and Ran Qiu are what we might call ‘useful ministers’ .”
“Then are they the type who do what they are told?”
“If it came to murdering their father or their lord, surely even they would not obey.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Ji Ziran asked whether Zhongyou (Zilu) and Ran Qiu were fit to be called great ministers.
The Master said, I thought that you were going to ask a quite different question, but now you ask about Zhongyou and Ran Qiu. The term “great minister” applies to someone who serves the ruler according to the Way. If he cannot do that, he retires. As for You and Qiu, they can best be called stop-gap ministers.
So you mean they would do whatever they were told to do? asked Ji Ziran.
The Master said, If it involved killing a father or a ruler, they would never go along.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 11.8

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Original Text:

颜渊死颜路请子之车以为之椁子曰才不才亦各言其子也鲤也死有棺而无椁吾不徒行以为之椁以吾从大夫之后不可徒行也

Translation:

Other Translations:

When Yan Hui died, Yan Lu, his father, requested the Master’s carriage, so that it could be used for Yan Hui’s coffin enclosure.
The Master replied, “Everyone recognizes his own son, whether he is talented or not. When Bo Yu, my own son, passed away, he had a coffin, but no enclosure. I did not go on foot in order to provide him with an enclosure. Having held rank below the ministers, it is not permissible for me to go on foot.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

When Yan Yuan died, [his father] Yan Lu asked the Master if he would sell his carriage in order to provide money for an outer coffin.
The Master said, Whether the sons are talented or untalented, each man speaks up for his own. But when [my son] Li died, I provided an inner coffin but no outer coffin. I follow the high officials—it would not be right for me to go on foot.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.