Book 6 雍也篇第六

6.1 The Master said: "Yong could be given a seat facing south."

6.2 Zhonggong asked about Zisang Bozi. The Master said: "He would do — but he is too simple." Zhonggong said: "To dwell in reverence and act simply, in governing the people — is that not well? To dwell simply and act simply — is that not too simple?" The Master said: "Yong's words are right."

6.3 Duke Ai asked: "Which of your disciples loves learning?" Confucius answered: "There was Yan Hui, who loved learning: he did not transfer his anger, he did not repeat his faults. Unhappily he was short-lived and died. Now there is none; I have not heard of one who loves learning."

6.4 Zihua was sent to Qi, and Ran Qiu asked grain for his mother. The Master said: "Give her a measure." He asked for more. The Master said: "Give her a larger measure." Ran Qiu gave her five bundles of grain. The Master said: "When Chi went to Qi, he rode fat horses and wore light furs. I have heard it said: the noble man helps the needy; he does not crown the rich."

6.5 Yuan Si served him as steward, and the Master gave him nine hundred measures of grain; he declined. The Master said: "Do not decline — can you not give it to your neighbors and townsmen?"

6.6 The Master said of Zhonggong: "The calf of a plough-ox, tawny and horned — though one would not use it, would the mountains and rivers cast it aside?"

6.7 The Master said: "Hui: for three months his heart did not depart from humaneness; the others reach it for a day or a month at most."

6.8 Ji Kangzi asked: "Can Zhongyou be made to govern?" The Master said: "You is decisive — what difficulty would governing be to him?" "Can Ci be made to govern?" The Master said: "Ci is understanding — what difficulty would governing be to him?" "Can Qiu be made to govern?" The Master said: "Qiu is accomplished — what difficulty would governing be to him?"

6.9 The Ji family made Min Ziqian governor of Bi. Min Ziqian said: "Decline it well for me. If anyone comes to me again, I shall be north of the Wen River."

6.10 Bo Niu was ill, and the Master went to ask after him. He took his hand through the window and said: "We are losing him. It is fate! That such a man should have such a sickness! That such a man should have such a sickness!"

6.11 The Master said: "How worthy Hui was! One basket of rice, one gourd of water, in a mean alley — others could not have borne the misery, and Hui did not change his joy. How worthy Hui was!"

6.12 Ran Qiu said: "It is not that I do not delight in the Master's Way; my strength is not enough." The Master said: "One whose strength is not enough falls down midway. Now you draw the line yourself."

6.13 The Master said to Zixia: "Be a scholar of the noble man's kind; do not be a scholar of the small man's kind."

6.14 Ziyou was governor of Wucheng. The Master said: "Have you got men there?" He said: "There is one Tantai Mieming: he does not walk by shortcuts, and except on public business he has never come to my house."

6.15 The Master said: "Meng Zhifan did not boast. When the army fled he stayed behind to cover it; as he was about to enter the gate, he whipped up his horse and said: 'It was not that I dared to be last — my horse would not go.'"

6.16 The Master said: "Without the eloquence of a Zhu Tuo, and with the beauty of a Song Chao, it is hard to escape trouble in this age."

6.17 The Master said: "Who can go out except by the door? Why does no one walk this Way?"

6.18 The Master said: "When substance outweighs adornment, one is a rustic; when adornment outweighs substance, one is a scribe. Adornment and substance in equal measure — then one is a noble man."

6.19 The Master said: "Man is born straight. If a crooked man lives on, it is by luck."

6.20 The Master said: "To know it is not as good as to love it; to love it is not as good as to delight in it."

6.21 The Master said: "To those above the middle, one may speak of higher things; to those below the middle, one may not speak of higher things."

6.22 Fan Chi asked about wisdom. The Master said: "To work for what is right for the people, to revere the spirits and ghosts and keep them far off — that may be called wisdom." He asked about humaneness. The Master said: "The humane man puts the difficulty first and the reward last — that may be called humaneness."

6.23 The Master said: "The wise delight in water; the humane delight in mountains. The wise are in motion; the humane are still. The wise are joyful; the humane are long-lived."

6.24 The Master said: "Let Qi be changed once, and it comes to Lu; let Lu be changed once, and it comes to the Way."

6.25 The Master said: "A gu that is not a gu — a gu indeed! A gu indeed!"

6.26 Zai Wo asked: "A humane man — if one told him, 'A man has fallen into the well,' would he go in after him?" The Master said: "Why should he do so? A noble man may be made to go to him, but not to be entrapped; he may be deceived, but not made a fool of."

6.27 The Master said: "The noble man broadens himself with culture and binds it with ritual — then he will not go astray."

6.28 The Master saw Nanzi, and Zilu was displeased. The Master swore: "If I have done any wrong, may Heaven loathe me! May Heaven loathe me!"

6.29 The Master said: "The virtue of the middle way — is it not the highest? For a long time the people have lacked it."

6.30 Zigong said: "If one could spread wide benefits among the people and succor the multitude — what of that? Could he be called humane?" The Master said: "Why speak only of humaneness? He would surely be a sage! Even Yao and Shun fell short of it. The humane man: wishing to stand himself, he helps others to stand; wishing to reach himself, he helps others to reach. To be able to take what is near as a likeness — that may be called the method of humaneness."

6.1 The Master said: "Yong could take the ruler's seat."

6.2 Zhonggong asked about Zisang Bozi. The Master said: "He's fine — but too simple, maybe." Zhonggong said: "If you're serious inside and simple in how you act, and you're running people — isn't that fine? But if you're simple inside and simple outside too, isn't that too simple?" The Master said: "Yong said it right."

6.3 Duke Ai asked: "Which of your students loves learning?" Confucius said: "There was Yan Hui who loved learning. He never took his anger out on other people, and he never made the same mistake twice. Then he died young. Now there's nobody; I haven't heard of anyone who loves learning."

6.4 Zihua was sent to Qi, and Ran Qiu asked for grain for Zihua's mother. The Master said: "Give her a small measure." He asked for more. The Master said: "Give her a bigger measure." Ran Qiu gave her five big bundles. The Master said: "When Chi went to Qi he rode fat horses and wore light furs. I've heard it said: a gentleman helps people in need; he doesn't make the rich richer."

6.5 Yuan Si worked as his manager, and the Master gave him nine hundred measures of grain. He refused. The Master said: "Don't refuse — couldn't you share it with your neighbors and your village?"

6.6 The Master said about Zhonggong: "The calf of a plough ox, reddish-brown and with good horns — even if you don't want to use it, would the mountains and rivers turn it down?"

6.7 The Master said: "Hui — his heart stayed with goodness for three whole months. Everyone else manages a day or a month at most."

6.8 Ji Kangzi asked: "Could Zhongyou be put in government?" The Master said: "You is decisive — what would be hard about government for him?" "Could Ci be put in government?" "Ci is sharp — what would be hard about government for him?" "Could Qiu be put in government?" "Qiu has many skills — what would be hard about government for him?"

6.9 The Ji family wanted Min Ziqian to be governor of Bi. Min Ziqian said: "Turn them down nicely for me. If anyone comes asking again, I'll be way up north of the Wen River."

6.10 Bo Niu was sick, and the Master went to see him. He reached through the window and held his hand, saying: "We're losing him. This is fate. That a man like this should get a sickness like this! That a man like this should get a sickness like this!"

6.11 The Master said: "What a good man Hui was! One basket of rice, one gourd of water, living in a rough little alley — most people couldn't stand how miserable it is, and Hui never lost his happiness. What a good man Hui was!"

6.12 Ran Qiu said: "It's not that I don't like the Master's way — I just don't have the strength." The Master said: "People without strength give up halfway. You're drawing the line before you even start."

6.13 The Master said to Zixia: "Be a scholar of the gentleman's kind — not a scholar of the small man's kind."

6.14 Ziyou was governor of Wucheng. The Master said: "Have you found any good people there?" He said: "There's a Tantai Mieming — he never takes shortcuts, and he's never once come to my house except on official business."

6.15 The Master said: "Meng Zhifan never bragged. When the army was running away, he stayed at the back to cover them; and as he reached the gate he whipped his horse and said: 'I wasn't trying to be last — my horse just wouldn't run.'"

6.16 The Master said: "Without the slick tongue of a Zhu Tuo, and with the good looks of a Song Chao, it's hard to stay out of trouble these days."

6.17 The Master said: "Who can get out without going through the door? So why doesn't anyone use this road?"

6.18 The Master said: "Substance without polish makes you crude; polish without substance makes you a show-off. Substance and polish together — that makes a gentleman."

6.19 The Master said: "People are born honest. If a dishonest person survives, he's just lucky."

6.20 The Master said: "Knowing something is not as good as loving it; loving it is not as good as enjoying it."

6.21 The Master said: "You can talk about higher things with people above average. You can't talk about higher things with people below average."

6.22 Fan Chi asked what wisdom is. The Master said: "Work for what's right for the people; respect the spirits and gods but keep your distance — that's wisdom." He asked about goodness. The Master said: "A good person does the hard part first and takes the reward last — that's goodness."

6.23 The Master said: "Wise people love water; good people love mountains. Wise people are active; good people are calm. Wise people enjoy life; good people live long."

6.24 The Master said: "Let Qi change once and it would be like Lu; let Lu change once and it would reach the Way."

6.25 The Master said: "A cup that isn't a cup — is that a cup? Is that a cup?"

6.26 Zai Wo asked: "If you told a good person, 'Someone fell down a well,' would he jump in after them?" The Master said: "Why would he? You can send a gentleman to help, but you can't trap him. You can fool him for a moment, but you can't make a fool of him."

6.27 The Master said: "A gentleman learns widely and culture keeps him in line, and tradition keeps him from going off the rails."

6.28 The Master went to see Nanzi, and Zilu was not happy about it. The Master swore: "If I did anything wrong, may heaven hate me! May heaven hate me!"

6.29 The Master said: "The middle way is the highest kind of goodness — and people have been missing it for a long time."

6.30 Zigong said: "If someone gave hugely to the people and helped everybody, what would you say? Could you call that goodness?" The Master said: "That's more than goodness — that's being a sage! Even Yao and Shun couldn't manage it. A good person: if he wants to stand, he helps others stand; if he wants to get somewhere, he helps others get there. Being able to start from what's near you — that's the way to be good."