Chapter 5: 公冶长第五 — Lunyu — Taiyi Pavilion Chapter 5: 公冶长第五
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The Master said of Gongye Chang: "He is worthy of a wife. Though he was once in prison, it was not through any fault of his own." So he gave him his own daughter in marriage.
The Master said of Nan Rong: "When the state is well governed, he will not be cast aside. When the state is poorly governed, he will escape punishment and death." So he gave him the daughter of his elder brother in marriage.
The Master said of Zi Jian: "This man is a true gentleman! If there were no gentlemen in Lu, how could he have become what he is?"
Zi Gong asked: "What do you think of me?" The Master said: "You are a vessel." Zi Gong asked: "What kind of vessel?" The Master said: "A sacred vessel of jade."
Someone said: "Yong is virtuous but not eloquent." The Master said: "What need is there for eloquence? To argue with a sharp tongue only earns the resentment of others. I do not know if he is virtuous, but what need is there for eloquence?"
The Master told Qi Diao Kai to take office. He replied: "I am not yet confident in my ability to serve." The Master was pleased.
The Master said: "If the Way were no longer practiced, I would take a raft and drift out to sea. The one who would follow me, I suppose, is You." When Zi Lu heard this, he was overjoyed. The Master said: "You is bolder than I am, but he lacks judgment."
Meng Wu Bo asked if Zi Lu was virtuous. The Master said: "I do not know." He asked again. The Master said: "You could govern the military affairs of a state of a thousand chariots, but I do not know if he is virtuous."
"What about Qiu?" The Master said: "Qiu could serve as steward of a large town or a noble household, but I do not know if he is virtuous."
"What about Chi?" The Master said: "Chi, dressed in formal robes, could stand at court and converse with guests and envoys, but I do not know if he is virtuous."
The Master said to Zi Gong: "Who is better, you or Hui?" He replied: "How dare I compare myself to Hui? When he hears one thing, he understands ten. When I hear one thing, I understand only two." The Master said: "You are not his equal. I agree that you are not his equal."
Zai Yu slept during the day. The Master said: "Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall of dung cannot be plastered. What is the use of reproaching him?" Then he said: "At first, when I dealt with people, I believed their words and trusted their actions. Now, when I deal with people, I listen to their words but watch their actions. It is because of Yu that I have changed."
The Master said: "I have never seen a truly strong person." Someone said: "Shen Cheng." The Master said: "Cheng is full of desires. How can he be strong?"
Zi Gong said: "I do not wish others to impose on me, and I wish not to impose on others." The Master said: "Ci, that is beyond your reach."
Zi Gong said: "We can hear the Master's teachings on culture and learning, but we cannot hear him speak about human nature or the Way of Heaven."
When Zi Lu heard something, if he had not yet put it into practice, he feared only that he might hear something new.
Zi Gong asked: "Why was Kong Wenzi given the posthumous title 'Wen'?" The Master said: "He was quick and eager to learn, and he was not ashamed to ask those beneath him. That is why he was called 'Wen'."
The Master said of Zi Chan: "He possessed four qualities of the gentleman: in his conduct, he was respectful; in serving his superiors, he was reverent; in caring for the people, he was generous; in employing the people, he was just."
The Master said: "Yan Pingzhong was skilled in dealing with others. Even after long acquaintance, he remained respectful."
The Master said: "Zang Wenzhong kept a large tortoise, decorating its house with carved pillars and patterned beams. How can this be called wisdom?"
Zi Zhang asked: "Zi Wen served as prime minister three times without showing joy, and was dismissed three times without showing resentment. He always informed the new prime minister of the affairs of his former office. What do you think of him?" The Master said: "He was loyal." Zi Zhang asked: "Was he virtuous?" The Master said: "I do not know. How can he be considered virtuous?"
"Cui Zi assassinated the ruler of Qi. Chen Wenzi, who had ten teams of horses, abandoned them and left. When he reached another state, he said: 'The officials here are just like our Minister Cui.' So he left. He went to yet another state and said the same thing. What do you think of him?" The Master said: "He was pure." Zi Zhang asked: "Was he virtuous?" The Master said: "I do not know. How can he be considered virtuous?"
Ji Wenzi always thought three times before acting. When the Master heard of this, he said: "Thinking twice is enough."
The Master said: "When the state was well governed, Ning Wuzi showed his wisdom. When the state was poorly governed, he appeared foolish. His wisdom can be matched, but his foolishness cannot."
When the Master was in Chen, he said: "Let us go home! Let us go home! Our young men at home are bold and ambitious, yet their writings are brilliant. I do not know how to guide them."
The Master said: "Bo Yi and Shu Qi did not dwell on old grievances, so they rarely felt resentment."
The Master said: "Who says Wei Sheng Gao was upright? Someone asked him for vinegar, and he went to his neighbor to get it and gave it to him."
The Master said: "Clever words, a pleasing face, and excessive courtesy—Zuo Qiuming considered these shameful, and so do I. To hide resentment while pretending to be friendly—Zuo Qiuming considered this shameful, and so do I."
Yan Yuan and Ji Lu were attending the Master. The Master said: "Why not each of you tell me your aspirations?"
Zi Lu said: "I wish to share my horses, carriages, and fine fur coats with my friends, and have no regrets if they wear out."
Yan Yuan said: "I wish not to boast of my own virtues, nor to impose my efforts on others."
Zi Lu said: "We would like to hear your aspiration." The Master said: "To comfort the aged, to be trusted by friends, and to cherish the young."
The Master said: "It is over! I have yet to see anyone who can see his own faults and inwardly reproach himself."
The Master said: "In a village of ten households, there will surely be someone as loyal and trustworthy as I am, but none as eager to learn."