Virtue

Analects 14.5

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Original Text:

南宫适问于孔子曰羿善射奡荡舟俱不得其死然禹稷躬稼而有天下夫子不答南宫适出子曰君子哉若人尚德哉若人

Translation:

Other Translations:

Nangong Kuo said to Confucius, “Yi was a skillful archer, and Ao was a powerful naval commander, and yet neither of them met a natural death. Yu and Hou Ji, on the other hand, did nothing but personally tend to the land, and yet they both ended up with possession of the world.”

The Master did not answer.

After Nangong Kuo left, the Master sighed, “What a gentlemanly person that man is! How he reveres Virtue!”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Nangong Kuo questioned Confucius, saying, Yi was a skilled archer and Ao could push a boat over dry land, but neither was able to die a natural death. Yu and Ji, however, though they worked the fields in person, gained possession of the empire. The Master made no reply.

After Nangong Kuo had left, the Master said, A gentleman should be like this! An upholder of virtue should be like this!

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 14.4

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Original Text:

子曰有德者必有言有言者不必有德仁者必有勇勇者不必有仁

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “Those who possess Virtue will inevitably have something to say, whereas those who have something to say do not necessarily possess Virtue. Those who are Good will necessarily display courage, but those who display courage are not necessarily Good.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, Those who have virtue invariably have something to say, but those who have something to say do not invariably have virtue. Those who are humane are invariably courageous, but those who are courageous are not invariably humane.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 13.22

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Original Text:

子曰南人有言曰人而无恒不可以作巫医善夫不恒其德或承之羞子曰不占而已矣

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “The Southerners have a saying, ‘The fate of a person who lacks constancy cannot be diagnosed by the shaman-healers.’ How well put!”

[It is also said,] “One inconstant in Virtue will probably incur disgrace.” The Master commented, “It simply cannot be foretold through divination.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, Southerners have a saying: If a person lacks constancy, he cannot become a shaman or a doctor. Well put, is it not? Someone not constant in virtue is likely to suffer disgrace.

And the Master said, No need to consult a diviner to know that much!

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 13.19

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Original Text:

樊迟问仁子曰居处恭执事敬与人忠虽之夷狄不可弃也

Translation:

Other Translations:

Fan Chi asked about Goodness.

The Master replied, “When occupying your place, remain reverent; when performing public duties, be respectful; and when dealing with others, be dutiful. These are virtues that cannot be abandoned, even if you go to dwell among the Yi or Di barbarians.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Fan Chi asked about humaneness. The Master said, In private life, be courteous; in handling affairs, respectful; in dealings with others, loyal. Even if you go among the Yi or Di tribes,7 these rules can never be put aside.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 12.21

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Original Text:

樊迟从游于舞雩之下曰敢问崇德修慝辨惑子曰善哉问先事后得非崇德与攻其恶无攻人之恶非修慝与一朝之忿忘其身以及其亲非惑与

Translation:

Other Translations:

Fan Chi was on an excursion with the Master, wandering below the Rain Dance Altar, when he asked, “May I ask what it means to, ‘Accumulate Virtue, reform vice, and resolve confusion’?”

The Master replied, “A noble question indeed! Put service first and reward last—is this not the way to accumulate Virtue? Attack the bad qualities in yourself rather than the badness in others—is this not the way to remedy vice? To forget yourself in a moment of anger and thereby bring ruin upon both you and your family—is this not an example of confusion?”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Fan Chi was accompanying the Master in an outing to the rain altars. He said, If I may, I would like to ask how to uphold virtue, remedy badness, and detect faulty thinking.

The Master said, An excellent question! Think of the work first and the gains afterward—this is how to uphold virtue, isn’t it? Attack the evils in yourself, not the evils in others—this is how to remedy badness, isn’t it? Because of one morning’s anger, to forget your own safety and even endanger those close to you—this is faulty thinking, isn’t it?

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 12.19

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Original Text:

季康子问政于孔子曰如杀无道以就有道何如孔子对曰子为政焉用杀子欲善而民善矣君子之德风小人之德草草上之风必偃

Translation:

Other Translations:

Ji Kangzi asked Confucius about governing, saying, “If I were to execute those who lacked the Way in order to advance those who possessed the Way, how would that be?”

Confucius responded, “In your governing, Sir, what need is there for executions? If you desire goodness, then the common people will be good. The Virtue of a gentleman is like the wind, and the Virtue of a petty person is like the grass—when the wind moves over the grass, the grass is sure to bend.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Ji Kangzi asked Confucius about government, saying, If I kill those who don’t follow the Way, and thereby encourage those who do follow the Way, how would that be?

Confucius replied, Your task is to govern. What need is there for killing? If you desire goodness, the common people will be good. The virtue of the gentleman is like the wind; the virtue of the petty people like the grass. When the wind blows over the grass, surely it will bend.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 12.10

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Twelve

Original Text:

子张问崇德辨惑子曰主忠信徙义崇德也爱之欲其生恶之欲其死既欲其生又欲其死是惑也诚不以富亦只以异

Translation:

Other Translations:

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.

Analects 11.3

Leave a Comment / Analects, Analects - Book Eleven

Original Text:

德行颜渊闵子骞冉伯牛仲弓言语宰我子贡政事冉有季路文学子游子夏

Translation:

Other Translations:

Those known for virtuous conduct: Yan Hui, Min Ziqian, Boniu, and Zhonggong. Those known for eloquence: Zai Wo and Zigong. Those known for administrative skill: Ran Qiu and Jilu. Those known for cultural learning: Ziyou and Zixia.

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

VIRTUOUS CONDUCT: Yan Yuan, Min Ziqian, Ran Boniu, Zhonggong

SKILL IN LANGUAGE: Zai Wo, Zigong

ADMINISTRATIVE ABILITY: Ran You, Jilu

CULTURAL ATTAINMENT: Ziyou, Zixia

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 9.18

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Original Text:

子曰吾未见好德如好色者也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “I have yet to meet a man who loves Virtue as much as he loves female beauty.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, I have never seen the person who loved virtue the way he loved physical beauty.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 8.20

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Original Text:

舜有臣五人而天下治武王曰予有乱臣十人孔子曰才难不其然乎唐虞之际于斯为盛有妇人焉九人而已三分天下有其二以服事殷周之德其可谓至德也已矣

Translation:

Other Translations:

Shun had five ministers and the world was well governed.

King Wu said, “I have ten ministers in charge of establishing order.”

The Master commented, “It is said that talent is difficult to find—is it not the case? Virtue flourished as never before after the reigns of Yao and Shun, and yet [even among King Wu’s ten ministers] there was a woman included, so he really only had nine good men.”

“Two-thirds of the world had already turned to [King Wen], and yet he still continued to defer to and serve the Shang. The Virtue of the Zhou—surely it can be said to represent ultimate Virtue?”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Shun had five ministers, and the empire was well governed. King Wu said, I have ten capable ministers.

Confucius said, Talent is hard to find—true, is it not? In the time of Tang and Yu, talent flourished, [yet Shun had only five ministers. As for King Wu’s ten ministers,] one was a woman, so he had only nine men. Zhou already possessed two-thirds of the empire, yet it continued to serve the Yin dynasty. The virtue of the Zhou may be termed the highest virtue.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.