子曰以不教民战是谓弃之
The Master said, “Leading people who have not been instructed into battle—this is called, ‘throwing them away.’ ”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, To fail to instruct the common people in warfare—you could call that throwing them away.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子曰善人教民七年亦可以即戎矣
The Master said, “Having been instructed by an excellent person for seven years, the common people will be ready for anything, even the taking up of arms.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, Let a good man instruct them for seven years, and the common people will be capable of military service.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子适卫冉有仆子曰庶矣哉冉有曰既庶矣又何加焉曰富之曰既富矣又何加焉曰教之
The Master traveled to Wei, with Ran Qiu as his carriage driver. [Upon arriving,] the Master remarked, “How numerous the people of this state are!”
Ran Qiu asked, “Being already numerous, what can be done to further improve them?”
The Master replied, “Make them wealthy.”
“Once they are wealthy, what else can be done to improve them?”
“Instruct them.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
When the Master went to Wei, Ran You acted as his carriage driver. The Master said, A sizable population!
Ran You said, Once you have a sizable population, what should you do next?
The Master said, Make them rich!
And once they are rich?
The Master said, Instruct them!
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子曰不愤不启不悱不发举一隅不以三隅反则不复也
The Master said, “I will not open the door for a mind that is not already striving to understand, nor will I provide words to a tongue that is not already struggling to speak. If I hold up one corner of a problem, and the student cannot come back to me with the other three, I will not attempt to instruct him again.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, If they’re not eager to learn, I don’t enlighten them; if they’re not struggling to put it into words, I don’t assist them. I hold up one corner to show them, and if they can’t come back with the other three, then I don’t go on.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
子曰自行束脩以上吾未尝无诲焉
The Master said, “I have never denied instruction to anyone who, of their own accord, offered up as little as a bundle of silk or bit of cured meat.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, If a person comes with a bundle of dried meat or better, I’ve never refused him instruction.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
