Chapter 8: 泰伯第八 — Lunyu — Taiyi Pavilion Chapter 8: 泰伯第八
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Confucius said: "Tai Bo can truly be said to have possessed supreme virtue. Three times he yielded the throne to others, and the people could find no words adequate to praise him."
Confucius said: "Respectfulness without ritual becomes laborious; caution without ritual becomes timidity; boldness without ritual leads to disorder; straightforwardness without ritual becomes harshness. When the noble person is devoted to his kin, the people are stirred to benevolence; when he does not neglect old friends, the people will not be fickle."
When Master Zeng was ill, he summoned his disciples and said: "Uncover my feet! Uncover my hands! The Book of Songs says: 'Trembling and cautious, as if approaching a deep abyss, as if treading on thin ice.' From now on, I know I am free from harm, my young friends!" When Master Zeng was ill, Meng Jingzi came to inquire after him. Master Zeng said: "When a bird is about to die, its cries are mournful; when a person is about to die, their words are kind. There are three things that the noble person values in the Way: by adjusting their demeanor, they avoid rudeness and arrogance; by correcting their expression, they draw near to trustworthiness; by moderating their speech and tone, they avoid vulgarity and error. As for the details of ritual offerings, there are officials to handle them."
Master Zeng said: "Able yet asking those who are not able; learned yet asking those who are less learned; having yet appearing empty; full yet appearing vacant; when wronged, not retaliating—long ago, a friend of mine once practiced this."
Master Zeng said: "One who can be entrusted with an orphaned child of six feet, who can be given command over a state of a hundred li, who cannot be swayed even at a great crisis—is such a person a noble person? Indeed, such a person is a noble person!" Master Zeng said: "A scholar-official must be broad-minded and resolute, for their burden is heavy and their road is long. They take benevolence as their own responsibility—is that not heavy? They only stop when death comes—is that not long?"
Confucius said: "Be inspired by poetry, establish yourself through ritual, and be perfected by music."
Confucius said: "The common people can be made to follow a path, but they cannot be made to understand why."
Confucius said: "One who loves boldness yet resents poverty will cause disorder. One who lacks benevolence and is resented too severely will also cause disorder."
Confucius said: "If a person has the talent and beauty of the Duke of Zhou, yet is arrogant and stingy, the rest of their qualities are not worth considering."
Confucius said: "One who studies for three years without aiming for an official salary is hard to find."
Confucius said: "Be steadfast in faith and fond of learning, and hold fast to the good Way until death. Do not enter a state in danger; do not dwell in a state in turmoil. When the Way prevails in the world, show yourself; when it does not, go into hiding. When the Way prevails in a state, to be poor and lowly is a disgrace; when the Way does not prevail, to be rich and noble is a disgrace."
Confucius said: "Do not concern yourself with matters that are not your responsibility."
Confucius said: "When Master Zhi first began to play, and when the closing section of the Guan Ju was performed, how the music filled the ears with its abundance!" Confucius said: "Arrogant yet not straightforward, ignorant yet not honest, simple yet not trustworthy—I cannot understand such people."
Confucius said: "Learn as if you cannot catch up, and as if you fear losing what you have."
Confucius said: "How majestic! Shun and Yu held the world yet did not seek to possess it!" Confucius said: "How great Yao was as a ruler! How majestic! Only Heaven is great, and only Yao modeled himself upon it. His virtue was so vast that the people could find no name for it. How majestic were his achievements! How brilliant his cultural institutions!" Shun had five ministers, and the world was well governed. King Wu said: "I have ten capable ministers." Confucius said: "Talent is hard to find—is that not true? The era of Tang and Yu was rich in talent, yet even then there were only nine men, counting one woman. When the Zhou had two-thirds of the world, they still served the Yin. The virtue of the Zhou can truly be called supreme virtue."
Confucius said: "I can find no flaw in Yu. He ate and drank simply yet made lavish offerings to the spirits; he wore coarse clothes yet adorned his ceremonial cap and robe with beauty; he lived in humble dwellings yet devoted all his strength to irrigation and drainage. I can find no flaw in Yu."