Book 17 陽貨篇第十七

17.1 Yang Huo wished to see the Master, and the Master would not see him, so he sent the Master a gift of a suckling pig. The Master waited until Yang Huo was away, then went to thank him, and met him on the road. Yang Huo said to the Master: "Come, I have words for you." He said: "To hide one's jewel and let one's state go astray — can that be called humaneness?" The Master said: "It cannot." "To love taking part in affairs yet time and again miss the time — can that be called wisdom?" The Master said: "It cannot." "The days and months pass; the years will not wait for us." The Master said: "Agreed; I shall take office."

17.2 The Master said: "By nature men are near to one another; by habit they grow far apart."

17.3 The Master said: "Only the highest wisdom and the lowest stupidity do not change."

17.4 The Master went to Wucheng and heard the sound of strings and songs. The Master smiled and said: "To kill a chicken, why use an ox-knife?" Ziyou replied: "Once I, Yan, heard this from you, Master: 'When the noble man learns the Way, he loves men; when the petty man learns the Way, he is easy to command.'" The Master said: "My friends, Yan's words are right. What I said before was a jest."

17.5 Gongshan Furao, holding Fei, revolted, and summoned the Master, who wished to go. Zilu was displeased and said: "Nowhere to go is that — why must you go to the house of Gongshan?" The Master said: "He who summons me — can it be for nothing? If anyone would use me, I might bring about a Zhou in the East!"

17.6 Zizhang asked the Master about humaneness. The Master said: "To be able to practice five things everywhere under Heaven is humaneness." "May I ask what they are?" He said: "Reverence, breadth, trustworthiness, diligence, kindness. With reverence you escape insult; with breadth you win the multitude; with trustworthiness men entrust you with office; with diligence you accomplish much; with kindness you are able to command others."

17.7 Bi Xi summoned him, and the Master wished to go. Zilu said: "Once I, You, heard this from you, Master: 'He who has done evil in his own person — the noble man does not enter his company.' Bi Xi is holding Zhongmou in revolt; how can you go to him?" The Master said: "Yes, I said that. But is it not said that the hardest is ground and not worn thin, the whitest is steeped and not blackened? Am I a gourd, to be hung up and not eaten?"

17.8 The Master said: "You! Have you heard of the six words and their six blindings?" He replied: "Not yet." "Sit, and I will tell you. To love humaneness without loving learning: its blinding is foolishness. To love wisdom without loving learning: its blinding is drifting. To love trustworthiness without loving learning: its blinding is harm. To love uprightness without loving learning: its blinding is harshness. To love courage without loving learning: its blinding is disorder. To love firmness without loving learning: its blinding is recklessness."

17.9 The Master said: "My disciples, why does none of you study the Odes? The Odes can stir you, can open your eyes, can make you fit for company, can give vent to grievance. Near at hand they teach you to serve your father; far off, to serve your lord; and they make you know many names of birds and beasts, plants and trees."

17.10 The Master said to Boyu: "Have you done the Zhou South and the Shao South? A man who has not done the Zhou South and the Shao South is like one who stands facing a wall."

17.11 The Master said: "Ritual, ritual — does it mean jade and silk? Music, music — does it mean bells and drums?"

17.12 The Master said: "A stern face over a cowardly heart — compare him to a petty man: is he not like a thief who bores through walls?"

17.13 The Master said: "The village worthy is the thief of virtue."

17.14 The Master said: "To hear on the road and talk on the road is to throw virtue away."

17.15 The Master said: "Can a base man be employed in serving a lord? Before he gets it, he fears he will not get it; when he has got it, he fears to lose it. And if he fears to lose it, he will stop at nothing."

17.16 The Master said: "In ancient times the people had three failings, and now perhaps even these are gone. The boldness of the ancients was unrestrained; the boldness of today is dissipation. The pride of the ancients was austerity; the pride of today is anger and spite. The foolishness of the ancients was uprightness; the foolishness of today is mere deceit."

17.17 The Master said: "Clever words and a pleasing mask — rarely do they dwell with humaneness."

17.18 The Master said: "I hate purple taking the place of crimson; I hate the songs of Zheng confounding the stately music; I hate the glib tongue that overturns states and families."

17.19 The Master said: "I would rather say nothing." Zigong said: "If you say nothing, what shall we, your disciples, hand down?" The Master said: "What does Heaven say? The four seasons run their course, the hundred things come to birth. What does Heaven say?"

17.20 Ru Bei wished to see the Master, and the Master excused himself on the ground of illness. As the messenger went out of the door, the Master took up his zither and sang, so that he should hear it.

17.21 Zai Wo asked: "Three years of mourning — a year would already be long. If the noble man for three years does not practice ritual, ritual will surely decay; if for three years he does not practice music, music will surely crumble. The old grain is gone and the new grain is in; the drill-sticks have each taken their turn at the fire — a year should be enough." The Master said: "Would you be at ease eating fine rice and wearing embroidered cloth?" He said: "I would be at ease." "If you are at ease, then do it! But when the noble man is in mourning, sweet food is not sweet to him, music does not gladden him, and a fine dwelling does not rest him; therefore he does not do it. Now if you are at ease, then do it!" Zai Wo went out. The Master said: "Yu is without humaneness. Only after a child is three years old does he leave his parents' arms. Three years of mourning is the mourning common to all under Heaven. Did Yu have three years' love from his parents?"

17.22 The Master said: "To eat one's fill all day and never use one's mind — hard indeed! Are there not games of chess? To play them is still better than nothing."

17.23 Zilu said: "Does the noble man prize courage?" The Master said: "The noble man puts righteousness first. A noble man with courage but without righteousness makes rebellion; a petty man with courage but without righteousness makes a bandit."

17.24 Zigong said: "Does the noble man also have hates?" The Master said: "He has hates: he hates those who proclaim the faults of others; he hates those who dwell in low places and slander their betters; he hates the courageous who lack ritual; he hates the bold who are blind to reason." He said: "Ci, have you also hates?" "I hate those who take prying for wisdom, those who take insolence for courage, and those who take telling on others for uprightness."

17.25 The Master said: "Only women and petty men are hard to keep. Draw them near, and they grow insolent; keep them at a distance, and they resent it."

17.26 The Master said: "A man of forty who is still hated — he will end as he is."

17.1 Yang Huo wanted to see Confucius, and Confucius wouldn't see him, so Yang Huo sent him a gift of a suckling pig. Confucius picked a time when Yang Huo was out and went to give thanks, and the two met on the road. Yang Huo said to Confucius, "Come here, I've got something to say to you." He said, "Keeping your treasure hidden while your country goes off the rails — is that goodness?" Confucius said, "No." "Wanting to be useful in public life but always missing your moment — is that wisdom?" "No." "The days and months go by; the years won't wait for you." Confucius said, "All right — I'll take office."

17.2 The Master said: "People are close to each other by nature; they grow far apart by habit."

17.3 The Master said: "Only the wisest and the most stupid never change."

17.4 The Master went to Wucheng and heard the sound of stringed instruments and singing. He smiled and said, "Why use an ox-knife to kill a chicken?" Ziyou answered, "I, Yan, once heard you say, 'When a good man learns the Way he loves people; when a petty man learns the Way he's easy to command.'" The Master said, "My friends, Yan is right. What I said before was a joke."

17.5 Gongshan Furao revolted, holding the town of Fei, and invited the Master, who wanted to go. Zilu was unhappy and said, "There's nowhere to go and that's that — why must you go to Gongshan's?" The Master said, "The man who invited me — do you think he did it for nothing? If someone would really use me, I could build a new Zhou in the East!"

17.6 Zizhang asked Confucius about goodness. Confucius said, "If you can practice five things everywhere in the world, you have goodness." "What are they?" "Respect, generosity, honesty, energy, kindness. With respect you avoid insults. With generosity you win people. With honesty people trust you with responsibility. With energy you get things done. With kindness you can get people to follow you."

17.7 Bi Xi invited him, and the Master wanted to go. Zilu said, "I, You, once heard you say, 'A good man doesn't join someone who has done evil himself.' Bi Xi is holding Zhongmou in revolt — how can you go to him?" The Master said, "True, I did say that. But isn't it said that the hardest things can be ground and not worn thin, and the whitest can be dipped in dye and not turn black? Am I a bitter gourd, hanging there and never eaten?"

17.8 The Master said, "You! Have you heard about the six sayings and the six traps?" Zilu said, "No." "Sit down; I'll tell you. Loving goodness without loving learning — the trap is being a fool. Loving cleverness without loving learning — the trap is drifting. Loving honesty without loving learning — the trap is doing harm. Loving straightness without loving learning — the trap is being harsh. Loving courage without loving learning — the trap is causing chaos. Loving firmness without loving learning — the trap is recklessness."

17.9 The Master said: "Students, why doesn't anyone study the Odes? The Odes can stir your feelings, open your eyes, make you good company, and let you complain. Close at hand they teach you to serve your father; further off, to serve your ruler; and they teach you the names of many birds and animals, plants and trees."

17.10 The Master said to Boyu: "Have you done the Zhou South and the Shao South? A person who hasn't done the Zhou South and the Shao South is like someone standing facing a wall."

17.11 The Master said: "Ritual, ritual — does it just mean jade and silk? Music, music — does it just mean bells and drums?"

17.12 The Master said: "A fierce face over a cowardly heart — compared with a petty man, isn't he like a burglar who tunnels through walls?"

17.13 The Master said: "The nice guy everyone in the village likes is the thief of real goodness."

17.14 The Master said: "To hear something on the road and repeat it on the road is to throw goodness away."

17.15 The Master said: "Can you serve a lord side by side with a small-minded man? Before he gets the job he's afraid he won't get it. Once he has it he's afraid to lose it. And once he's afraid to lose it, there's nothing he won't do."

17.16 The Master said: "In the old days people had three faults; these days maybe even those are gone. The wildness of the old days had some freedom in it; today's wildness is just drift. The pride of the old days had some backbone in it; today's pride is spite and anger. The foolishness of the old days was at least honest; today's foolishness is plain cheating."

17.17 The Master said: "Smooth talk and a practiced smile rarely go with real goodness."

17.18 The Master said: "I hate purple stealing the place of red. I hate the pop songs of Zheng wrecking the solemn music. I hate the glib tongue that overturns states and families."

17.19 The Master said, "I'd like to say nothing at all." Zigong said, "If you say nothing, what will we pass on?" The Master said, "What does Heaven say? The seasons come and go, the hundred things are born. What does Heaven say?"

17.20 Ru Bei wanted to see Confucius, and Confucius sent word that he was sick. But when the messenger reached the door, Confucius picked up his zither and sang, making sure Ru Bei heard it.

17.21 Zai Wo asked, "Three years of mourning — a year is already long enough. If a good man doesn't practice ritual for three years, ritual will fall apart; if he doesn't practice music for three years, music will collapse. Last year's grain is gone and this year's is in; the fire-sticks have gone all the way round. A year is enough." The Master said, "Would you feel comfortable eating fine rice and wearing embroidered clothes?" Zai Wo said, "Yes." The Master said, "If you're comfortable, then go ahead! But a good man in mourning finds no sweetness in good food, no joy in music, no rest in a fine house, so he doesn't do it. Now you're comfortable, so do it!" Zai Wo left. The Master said, "Yu is without goodness. A child isn't out of his parents' arms until he's three. Three years of mourning is what everyone in the world does. Did Yu get three years of love from his parents?"

17.22 The Master said: "Eating your fill all day and never using your mind — that's a hard life! Aren't there games like chess? Playing them is still better than nothing."

17.23 Zilu said, "Does a good man value courage?" The Master said, "A good man puts what's right first. A good man with courage but no sense of right becomes a rebel; a petty man with courage but no sense of right becomes a bandit."

17.24 Zigong said, "Does a good man hate anyone too?" The Master said, "Yes. He hates people who broadcast other people's faults. He hates people who live low and insult those above them. He hates brave people with no manners. He hates bold people who won't listen to reason." He said, "Ci, do you hate anyone?" "I hate people who think prying is wisdom, people who think being rude is courage, and people who think telling tales is honesty."

17.25 The Master said: "Only women and petty men are hard to deal with. Get close and they get rude; keep your distance and they resent it."

17.26 The Master said: "A man of forty who is still hated — that's how he'll end up."