The Master said, “When the state has the Way, accept a salary; when the state is without the Way, to accept a salary is shameful.”
“To refrain from competitiveness, boastfulness, envy, and greed—can this be considered Goodness?”
The Master said, “This can be considered difficult, but as for its being Good, that I do not know.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Xian (Yuan Si) asked what is shameful. The Master said, When a state follows the Way, one receives an official stipend. But when a state is without the Way, to receive an official stipend is shameful.
[Yuan Si said,] If one is free of high-handedness, bragging, enmity, and craving, can this be termed humaneness? The Master said, It may be termed difficult. But as for humaneness—I don’t know about that.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Zilu asked, “What does a person have to be like to be considered a true scholar-official?”
The Master replied, “He must be earnest and critical, but also affable—earnest and critical with his friends, and affable with his brothers.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zilu asked, How should one conduct himself in order to be called a man of station?
The Master said, Earnest, exacting, but also harmonious—that would qualify you to be called a man of station. With friends, earnest, exacting. With elder and younger brothers, harmonious.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Zigong asked, “What does a person have to be like before he could be called a true scholar-official?”
The Master said, “Conducting himself with a sense of shame, and not dishonoring his ruler’s mandate when sent abroad as a diplomat—such a person could be called a scholar-official.”
“May I ask what the next best type of person is like?”
“His lineage and clan consider him filial, and his fellow villagers consider him respectful to his elders.”
“And the next best?”
“In his speech, he insists on being trustworthy, and with regard to his actions, he insists that they bear fruit. What a narrow, rigid little man he is! And yet he might still be considered the next best.”
“How about those who today are involved in government?”
The Master exclaimed, “Oh! Those petty functionaries are not even worth considering.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zigong asked, How should one conduct himself in order to be called a man of station?
The Master said, Be mindful of anything shameful in your actions. When sent on a mission to other regions in the four directions, do nothing to disgrace your ruler’s commands. Then you can be called a man of station.
And may I ask about a person on the next level?
The Master said, Among the members of his clan, he is praised for his filial conduct. In his village or community, he is praised for his brotherliness.
And may I ask about the next level?
The Master said, Their words are certain to be trustworthy; their actions, certain to be decisive. But petty men just plodding along can reach this level.
And how would you rate those who handle government affairs these days?
The Master said, Ah—peck and bushel people! Not even worth sizing up!
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “When the ruler is correct, his will is put into effect without the need for official orders. When the ruler’s person is not correct, he will not be obeyed no matter how many orders he issues.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, If the person himself is correct, then although you do not order him to do so, he will act. But if the person himself is not correct, then although you order him, he will not obey.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Zilu, Zengxi, Ran Qiu, and Zihua were seated in attendance. The Master said to them, “Because I am older than any of you, no one is willing to employ me. Yet you, too, often complain, ‘No one appreciates me.’ Well, if someone were to appreciate you, what would you do?”
Zilu spoke up immediately. “If I were given charge of a state of a thousand chariots—even one hemmed in between powerful states, suffering from armed invasions and afflicted by famine—before three years were up I could infuse its people with courage and a sense of what is right.”
The Master smiled at him.
He then turned to Ran Qiu. “You, Ran Qiu!” he said, “What would you do?”
Ran Qiu answered, “If I were given charge of a state sixty or seventy—or even fifty or sixty—square li in area, before three years were up I could see that the people would have all that they needed. As for instructing its people in ritual practice and music, this is a task that would have to await the arrival of a gentleman.”
The Master then turned to Zihua. “You, Zihua! What would you do?”
Zihua answered, “I am not saying that I would actually be able to do it, but my wish, at least, would be to learn it. I would like to serve as a minor functionary—properly clad in ceremonial cap and gown—in ceremonies at the ancestral temple, or at diplomatic gatherings.”
The Master then turned to Zengxi. “You, Zengxi! What would you do?”
Zengxi stopped strumming his zither, and as the last notes faded away he set the instrument aside and rose to his feet. “I would choose to do something quite different from any of the other three.”
“What harm is there in that?” the Master said. “We are all just talking about our aspirations.”
Zengxi then said, “In the third month of Spring, once the Spring garments have been completed, I should like to assemble a company of five or six young men and six or seven boys to go bathe in the Yi River and enjoy the breeze upon the Rain Dance Altar, and then return singing to the Master’s house.”
The Master sighed deeply, saying, “I am with Zengxi!”
The other three disciples left, but Master Zeng stayed behind. He asked, “What did you think of what the other disciples said?”
“Each of them was simply talking about their aspirations.”
“Then why, Master, did you smile at Zilu?”
“One governs a state by means of ritual. His words failed to express the proper sense of deference, and that is why I smiled at him.”
“Was Ran Qiu, then, not concerned with statecraft?”
“Since when did something sixty or seventy—even fifty or sixty—square li in area not constitute a state?”
“Was Zihua, then, not concerned with statecraft?”
“If ancestral temples and diplomatic gatherings are not the business of the feudal lords, what then are they? If Zihua’s aspiration is a minor one, then what would be considered a major one?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zilu, Zeng Xi, Ran You, and Gongxi Hua were seated with the Master. He said, I’m a few days older than you, but forget that for the moment. You are always complaining that no one understands you. If someone truly understood you, how would you proceed?
Zilu quickly spoke up in answer: Suppose there is a state of a thousand chariots, hemmed in by larger states. In addition, it’s at war and thus there’s a famine. If I were in charge, in three years’ time I could teach the people courage and make them understand how to go about things.
The Master laughed at this and then asked Ran You how he would proceed.
He replied, An area sixty or seventy square li, or just fifty or sixty li—if I were in charge, in three years’ time I could make sure that the people had enough of what they needed. As for rites and music, I’d have to wait for the help of a gentleman.
And Chi (Gongxi Zihua), how about you?
I’m not saying that I could do it, he replied, but I’d like to study the procedure. In the ancestral temple, or when there is a diplomatic meeting or gathering of the rulers, I’d like to put on a ceremonial robe and cap and assist in a small way.
What about you, Dian (Zeng Xi)?
Dian ceased strumming on the large zither and, as the last notes died away, set the instrument aside and stood up. My tastes are different from those of these three men, he replied.
What harm in that? said the Master. Each person has simply to speak of his desires.
In the late spring, said Zeng Xi, when work on the spring clothes is finished, I’d like to go with five or six older fellows who have been capped and six or seven young boys to bathe in the Yi River, take the air among the altars where they pray for rain, and come home singing.
The Master gave a deep sigh and exclaimed, I’m with Dian!
When the others had left, Zeng Xi lagged behind. Master, he said, what did you think of what those three said?
The Master said, Each was just speaking of his desires, that’s all.
Why did you laugh at Zilu’s words?
The Master said, A state is governed through ritual, and his words lacked modesty. That’s why I laughed. And as for what Ran You said, he too was talking about governing a domain, wasn’t he? How can an area of sixty or seventy square li, or just fifty or sixty li, be seen as anything but a domain? And Gongxi Hua—he, too, was talking about governing a domain, wasn’t he? Ceremonies in an ancestral temple or diplomatic meetings—these are carried out by feudal rulers, are they not? If Gongxi Hua is merely to “assist in a small way,” I don’t know who that leaves to do the big assisting.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
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.
