Chapter 14: 宪问第十四 — Lunyu — Taiyi Pavilion Chapter 14: 宪问第十四

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Yuan Xian asked about shame. The Master said, "When the Way prevails in the state, to accept salary is proper; when the Way does not prevail, to accept salary is shameful." "To refrain from aggression, boastfulness, resentment, and greed—can this be considered benevolence?" The Master replied, "This can be considered difficult, but whether it is benevolence, I do not know." The Master said, "A scholar-official who longs for the comforts of home is not worthy to be called a scholar-official." The Master said, "When the Way prevails in the state, speak boldly and act boldly. When the Way does not prevail, act boldly but speak humbly." The Master said, "Those who possess virtue will surely have something to say; those who have something to say may not necessarily possess virtue. The benevolent are surely courageous; the courageous are not necessarily benevolent." Nan Gong Kuo asked Confucius, "Yi was skilled at archery, Ao could overturn boats, yet neither died a natural death. Yu and Ji personally tilled the fields and came to possess the empire." The Master did not reply. When Nan Gong Kuo left, the Master said, "What a noble man this is! How he esteems virtue!" The Master said, "There are indeed noble men who are not benevolent, but there is no petty person who is benevolent." The Master said, "If you love someone, can you not make them work hard? If you are loyal to someone, can you not instruct them?" The Master said, "When drafting decrees, Pi Chen would make the initial draft, Shi Shu would discuss and refine it, the diplomatic envoy Zi Yu would polish it, and Dongli Zi Chan would add the final touches." Someone asked about Zi Chan. The Master said, "He was a kind man." Asked about Zi Xi, the Master said, "That man! That man!" Asked about Guan Zhong, the Master said, "He was a true man. He took away the three hundred households of Pian from the Bo family, yet Bo, eating coarse food, had no resentful words to the end of his days." The Master said, "To be poor without resentment is difficult; to be rich without arrogance is easy." The Master said, "Meng Gong Chuo would be excellent as steward of the Zhao or Wei families, but he could not be a minister of Teng or Xue." Zi Lu asked about the complete person. The Master said, "One who has the wisdom of Zang Wu Zhong, the freedom from desire of Gong Chuo, the courage of Bian Zhuang Zi, the skill of Ran Qiu, and is refined by ritual and music—such a one may be considered a complete person." Then he added, "But must today's complete person be like this? One who sees profit and thinks of righteousness, sees danger and gives his life, and does not forget the promises of ordinary times even after long hardship—such a one may also be considered a complete person." The Master asked Gong Ming Jia about Gong Shu Wen Zi, saying, "Is it true that your master does not speak, does not laugh, and does not take anything?" Gong Ming Jia replied, "Those who told you this exaggerated. My master speaks only when it is timely, so people never tire of his words; he laughs only when joyful, so people never tire of his laughter; he takes only when it is right, so people never tire of his taking." The Master said, "Is that so? Can it really be so?" The Master said, "Zang Wu Zhong, using his stronghold of Fang, demanded that the ruler of Lu appoint his successor. Though it is said he did not coerce his lord, I do not believe it." The Master said, "Duke Wen of Jin was cunning and not upright; Duke Huan of Qi was upright and not cunning." Zi Lu said, "Duke Huan had his brother Jiu killed. Shao Hu died for him, but Guan Zhong did not die." He added, "Does this mean Guan Zhong was not benevolent?" The Master said, "Duke Huan assembled the feudal lords nine times without resorting to military force—this was Guan Zhong's doing. Such was his benevolence! Such was his benevolence!" Zi Gong said, "Was Guan Zhong not benevolent? When Duke Huan killed his brother Jiu, Guan Zhong could not die for him, and moreover became his minister." The Master said, "Guan Zhong served Duke Huan, made him hegemon over the feudal lords, and brought order to the entire realm. The people still benefit from his gifts to this day. Without Guan Zhong, we might now be wearing our hair loose and folding our clothes to the left. How could he be expected to be like ordinary men and women who cling to petty faithfulness, hanging themselves in a ditch with no one knowing?" Gong Shu Wen Zi's retainer Zhuan was promoted to serve alongside Wen Zi in the court. When the Master heard of this, he said, "He deserves to be called 'Wen' indeed!" The Master spoke of Duke Ling of Wei's lack of the Way. Kang Zi said, "If this is so, how does he not lose his state?" Confucius said, "Zhong Shu Yu manages diplomatic affairs, Zhu Tuo manages ancestral temples, and Wang Sun Jia manages military affairs. With such men, how could he lose his state?" The Master said, "When one speaks without shame, it is difficult to put it into practice." Chen Cheng Zi assassinated Duke Jian of Qi. Confucius bathed and went to court, reporting to Duke Ai, saying, "Chen Heng has killed his lord. I request that we punish him." The Duke said, "Report this to the three noble families." Confucius said, "Because I follow after the ministers, I dare not fail to report this. Yet my lord says, 'Report it to the three noble families.'" He went to report to the three families, but they would not agree. Confucius said, "Because I follow after the ministers, I dare not fail to report this." Zi Lu asked about serving a ruler. The Master said, "Do not deceive him, but oppose him when necessary." The Master said, "The noble man reaches upward; the petty person reaches downward." The Master said, "In ancient times, scholars learned for their own sake; nowadays, scholars learn for the sake of others." Qu Bo Yu sent a messenger to Confucius. Confucius sat with him and asked, "What is your master doing?" The messenger replied, "My master wishes to reduce his faults but has not yet succeeded." When the messenger left, the Master said, "What a messenger! What a messenger!" The Master said, "Do not concern yourself with matters that are not your responsibility." Zeng Zi said, "The noble man's thoughts do not go beyond his position." The Master said, "The noble man is ashamed when his words exceed his deeds." The Master said, "The noble man's Way has three aspects, which I have not attained: the benevolent are without worry, the wise are without confusion, the courageous are without fear." Zi Gong said, "Master, you are describing yourself." Zi Gong was given to comparing people. The Master said, "Si, you must be quite worthy yourself! As for me, I have no time for such things." The Master said, "Do not worry that others do not know you; worry that you lack ability." The Master said, "Not to anticipate deceit, not to suspect dishonesty, yet to be the first to perceive them—is this not worthy?" Wei Sheng Mu said to Confucius, "Qiu, why are you so restless and bustling about? Are you not just showing off your eloquence?" Confucius said, "I dare not show off eloquence, but I detest obstinacy." The Master said, "A fine horse is praised not for its strength but for its virtue." Someone said, "What about repaying injury with virtue?" The Master said, "Then what will you repay virtue with? Repay injury with uprightness, and repay virtue with virtue." The Master said, "No one knows me!" Zi Gong said, "Why does no one know you?" The Master said, "I do not resent Heaven, nor blame others. I study what is below and reach upward. The one who knows me is Heaven itself!" Gong Bo Liao slandered Zi Lu to Ji Sun. Zi Fu Jing Bo reported this, saying, "Our master has been confused by Gong Bo Liao, but I still have enough influence to have him exposed in the marketplace." The Master said, "If the Way is to prevail, it is fate; if the Way is to be abandoned, it is fate. What can Gong Bo Liao do against fate?" The Master said, "The worthy avoid the world; next, they avoid a particular place; next, they avoid a certain look; next, they avoid certain words." The Master said, "Seven men have done this." Zi Lu stayed overnight at the Stone Gate. The gatekeeper asked, "Where are you from?" Zi Lu said, "From the Kong family." The gatekeeper said, "Is that the one who knows it cannot be done and still does it?" The Master was playing the stone chime in Wei. A man carrying a basket passed by the Kong family gate and said, "How heartfelt, this playing of the chime!" Then he added, "How vulgar, that stubborn sound! Since no one knows you, just stop. When the water is deep, cross by wading; when it is shallow, lift your hem." The Master said, "How decisive! There is no point in arguing with him." Zi Zhang said, "The Book of Documents says, 'Gao Zong observed the mourning period and did not speak for three years.' What does this mean?" The Master said, "Why only Gao Zong? The ancients all did this. When the ruler died, all officials took charge of their duties under the prime minister for three years." The Master said, "When those above love ritual, the people are easy to employ." Zi Lu asked about the noble man. The Master said, "Cultivate yourself with reverence." "Is that all?" he asked. The Master said, "Cultivate yourself to bring peace to others." "Is that all?" he asked. The Master said, "Cultivate yourself to bring peace to the people. To cultivate oneself to bring peace to the people—even Yao and Shun found this difficult." Yuan Rang sat waiting with his legs spread out. The Master said, "As a youth, you were not humble and deferential; as an adult, you have done nothing worth telling; growing old without dying—you are a pest." And he struck his shin with his staff. A boy from Que Dang was delivering messages. Someone asked, "Is he one who seeks improvement?" The Master said, "I see him sitting in the seat of an adult, and I see him walking side by side with his elders. He is not one who seeks improvement; he is one who wants to grow up quickly."

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