The Sayings of Confucius. Confucius
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href="#ulink_447b01b0-d88b-5c4e-b54e-ec08be649a2c">[16] shall I teach thee what is wisdom? To know what we know, and know what we do not know, is wisdom.
18. Tsu-chang[17] learned with an eye to pay.
The Master said, Hear much, leave all that is doubtful alone, speak warily of everything else, and few will be offended. See much, leave all that is dangerous alone, deal warily with everything else, and thou wilt have little to rue. If thy words seldom give offence, and thy deeds leave little to rue, pay will follow.
19. Duke Ai[18] asked, What should I do to win the people?
Confucius answered, Lift up the straight, put away the crooked; and the people will be won. Lift up the crooked, put away the straight; and the people will not be won.
20. Chi K'ang[19] asked how to make the people lowly, faithful and painstaking.
The Master said, Meet them with dignity, they will be lowly; be a good son and merciful, they will be faithful; lift up the good and teach the unskilled, and they will take pains.
21. One said to Confucius, Why do ye not govern, Sir?
The Master said, What does the Book[20] say of a good son? 'To be a good son and a friend to thy brothers is to show how to govern.' This, too, is to govern. Must one be in office to govern?
22. The Master said, A man without truth, I know not what good he is! A cart without a crosspole, a carriage without a yoke, how can they be moved?
23. Tzu-chang[21] asked whether we can know what is to be ten generations hence.
The Master said, The Yin[22] took over the manners of the Hsia; the harm and the good that they did them can be known. The Chou took over the manners of the Yin; the harm and the good that they did them can be known. And we may know what shall be, even an hundred generations hence, whoever follows Chou.
24. The Master said, To worship the ghosts of men not akin to us is fawning. To see the right and not do it is want of courage.
FOOTNOTES:
[9] Lit., obedient.
[10] A disciple.
[11] Meng Yi.
[12] A disciple.
[13] A disciple.
[14] The disciple Yen Yüan.
[15] A disciple.
[16] The disciple Tzu-lu.
[17] A disciple.
[18] Of Lu.
[19] The head of the Chi clan.
[20] The Book of History.
[21] A disciple.
[22] Up to the time of Confucius, China had been ruled by three lines of kings. First the T'ang, next the Yin or Shang, then the Chou.
BOOK III
1. Of the Chi having eight rows of dancers[23] in his courtyard, Confucius said, If this is to be borne, what is not to be borne?
2. When the sacrifice was ended, the Three Clans had the Yung hymn sung.
The Master said,
Princes and dukes assist.
Solemn is the Son of heaven;
what meaning has this in the courtyard of the Three Clans?
3. The Master said, A man without love, what is courtesy to him? A man without love, what is music to him?
4. Lin Fang asked what good form is at root.
The Master said, A big question! At high-tides, thrift is better than waste; at burials, grief is worth more than nicety.
5. The Master said, Every wild tribe has its lord, whereas the lands of Hsia[24] have none!
6. The Chi sacrificed to Mount T'ai.[25]
The Master said to Jan Yu,[26] Canst thou not stop this?
He answered, I cannot.
Alas! said the Master; dost thou think Mount T'ai less wise than Lin Fang?
7. The Master said, A gentleman never strives with others. Or must he, perhaps, in shooting? But then, as he bows and makes way in going up or steps down to drink,[27] his strife is that of a gentleman.
8. Tzu-hsia asked, What is the meaning of:
Her cunning smiles,
Her dimples light,
Her lovely eyes,
So clear and bright,
All unadorned,
The background white.
Colouring, said the Master, is second to the plain ground.
Then good form is second, said Tzu-hsia.
Shang,[28] said the Master, thou hast hit my meaning! Now I can talk of poetry to thee.
9. The Master said, I can speak of the manners of Hsia; but as proof of them Chi[29] is not enough. I can speak of the manners of Yin; but as proof of them Sung is not enough. This is due to their dearth of books and great men. If there were enough of these, I could use them as proofs.
10. The Master said, After the drink offering at the Great Sacrifice, I have no wish to see more.
11. One asked