Chapter 18: 微子第十八 — Lunyu — Taiyi Pavilion Chapter 18: 微子第十八
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Wei Zi abandoned him, Ji Zi became a slave for his sake, and Bi Gan died after remonstrating with him. Confucius said, "The Yin dynasty had three benevolent men."
Liu Xia Hui served as a chief judge but was dismissed three times. Someone said to him, "Can you not leave?" He replied, "If I serve others with straight principles, where can I go without being dismissed three times? If I serve others by bending the Way, why must I leave the land of my parents?"
Duke Jing of Qi, in discussing how to treat Confucius, said, "I cannot treat him like the Ji family; I will treat him somewhere between the Ji and the Meng." Then he said, "I am old; I cannot employ him." Confucius left.
The people of Qi sent a gift of female musicians. Ji Huanzi accepted them, and for three days no court was held. Confucius left.
The madman of Chu, Jie Yu, passed by Confucius singing, "Phoenix, O phoenix, how your virtue has declined! What is past cannot be remedied, but what is to come can still be pursued. Give up, give up! Those who govern today are in danger!" Confucius got down, wanting to speak with him, but the man hurried away and avoided him, so Confucius could not speak with him.
Chang Ju and Jie Ni were plowing together. Confucius passed by and sent Zi Lu to ask them where the ford was. Chang Ju said, "Who is that holding the reins?" Zi Lu said, "It is Kong Qiu." "Is he the Kong Qiu of Lu?" "Yes." "Then he already knows the ford."
Zi Lu then asked Jie Ni. Jie Ni said, "Who are you?" "I am Zhong You." "Are you a follower of Kong Qiu of Lu?" "Yes." He said, "The world is flooded like a torrent—who can change it? And you, instead of following a man who flees from bad people, would do better to follow one who flees from the world altogether!" He continued covering the seeds without stopping. Zi Lu went back and reported this.
Confucius said, with a troubled look, "We cannot flock with birds and beasts. If I do not associate with the people of this world, with whom shall I associate? If the Way prevailed in the world, I would not be trying to change it."
Zi Lu, lagging behind, met an old man carrying a basket on his staff. Zi Lu asked, "Have you seen my master?" The old man said, "Your four limbs are idle, you cannot tell the five grains apart—who is your master?" He planted his staff and began weeding. Zi Lu stood respectfully with folded hands.
The old man kept Zi Lu for the night, killed a chicken and made millet to feed him, and introduced his two sons. The next day, Zi Lu left and reported this to Confucius.
Confucius said, "He is a recluse." He sent Zi Lu back to see him. When he arrived, the old man had already left.
Zi Lu said, "Not to serve in office is not righteous. The proper relations between old and young cannot be abandoned; how then can the duty between ruler and subject be abandoned? To keep one's person pure is to throw the great human relationships into disorder. The gentleman serves in office to do what is right. That the Way does not prevail—he already knows this."
The men who withdrew from the world were: Bo Yi, Shu Qi, Yu Zhong, Yi Yi, Zhu Zhang, Liu Xia Hui, and Shao Lian. Confucius said, "Those who did not lower their will or disgrace their person—Bo Yi and Shu Qi!" He said of Liu Xia Hui and Shao Lian, "They lowered their will and disgraced their person, but their words were in accord with proper order, and their actions were carefully considered. That is all." He said of Yu Zhong and Yi Yi, "They lived in seclusion and spoke freely. Their persons were pure, and their withdrawal was timely. I am different from them—I have no fixed course of action, neither for nor against."
Grand Music Master Zhi went to Qi. Gan, the second course musician, went to Chu. Liao, the third course musician, went to Cai. Que, the fourth course musician, went to Qin. Drum master Fang Shu crossed the Yellow River. Wu, the hand-drum master, crossed the Han River. Yang, the junior music master, and Xiang, the stone-chime master, crossed the sea.
The Duke of Zhou said to the Duke of Lu, "A gentleman does not neglect his relatives, nor does he cause his great ministers to complain that they are not employed. Old friends who have committed no grave fault are not cast aside. Do not demand perfection from any one person."
Zhou had eight scholars: Bo Da, Bo Shi, Zhong Tu, Zhong Hu, Shu Ye, Shu Xia, Ji Sui, and Ji Gua.