Government (Wei Chang)

The Master said, 'He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.'

The Master said, 'Someone who governs through virtue may be compared to the north polar star. The star stays in place, and all the stars turn towards it.'

The Master said, 'In the Book of Poetry are three hundred pieces, but the design of them all may be embraced in one sentence— "Having no depraved thoughts."'

The Master said, 'The Book of Poetry contains three hundred poems. But the purpose of all of them may be summed up in one sentence: "Have no corrupt thoughts."'

The Master said, 'If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame.

The Master said, 'If people are governed by laws and punishments are used to make them conform, they will try to avoid punishment. But they will have no sense of shame.

'If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good.'

'If they are guided by virtue and rules of proper conduct are used to unite them, they will develop a sense of shame. They will also become good.'

The Master said, 'At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning.

The Master said, 'At fifteen, I set my mind on learning.

'At thirty, I stood firm.

'At age thirty, I stood firm.

'At forty, I had no doubts.

'At forty, I had no doubts.

'At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven.

'At fifty, I understood the will of Heaven.

'At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth.

'At sixty, I readily accepted the truth I heard.

'At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right.'

'At seventy, I could follow my heart's desires without doing anything wrong.'

Mang I asked what filial piety was. The Master said, 'It is not being disobedient.'

Mang I asked what it meant to honor one's parents. The Master said, 'It means not being disobedient.'

Soon after, as Fan Ch'ih was driving him, the Master told him, saying, 'Mang-sun asked me what filial piety was, and I answered him,— "not being disobedient."'

Soon after, while Fan Ch'ih was driving him, the Master said, 'Mang-sun asked me what filial piety was. I answered him, "not being disobedient."'

Fan Ch'ih said, 'What did you mean?' The Master replied, 'That parents, when alive, be served according to propriety; that, when dead, they should be buried according to propriety; and that they should be sacrificed to according to propriety.'

Fan Ch'ih said, 'What did you mean?' The Master replied, 'Serve your parents according to proper custom while they are alive. When your parents die, bury them according to proper custom. Offer sacrifices to them according to proper custom.'

Mang Wu asked what filial piety was. The Master said, 'Parents are anxious lest their children should be sick.'

Mang Wu asked what it meant to honor one's parents. The Master said, 'Parents worry that their children might get sick.'

Tsze-yu asked what filial piety was. The Master said, 'The filial piety of now-a-days means the support of one's parents. But dogs and horses likewise are able to do something in the way of support;— without reverence, what is there to distinguish the one support given from the other?'

Tsze-yu asked what filial piety meant. The Master said, 'Today, filial piety means providing for one's parents. But dogs and horses can also provide some support. Without respect, what distinguishes the support given by people from the support given by animals?'

Tsze-hsia asked what filial piety was. The Master said, 'The difficulty is with the countenance. If, when their elders have any troublesome affairs, the young take the toil of them, and if, when the young have wine and food, they set them before their elders, is this to be considered filial piety?'

Tsze-hsia asked what filial piety was. The Master said, 'The difficulty lies in one's facial expression. If young people handle difficult tasks for their elders, and if they offer their elders food and wine, is this to be considered filial piety?'

The Master said, 'I have talked with Hui for a whole day, and he has not made any objection to anything I said;— as if he were stupid. He has retired, and I have examined his conduct when away from me, and found him able to illustrate my teachings. Hui!— He is not stupid.'

The Master said, 'I talked with Hui for a whole day, and he never objected to anything I said. It was as if he were stupid. After he left, I examined how he behaved away from me. I found that he could put my teachings into practice. Hui! He is not stupid.'

The Master said, 'See what a man does.

The Master said, 'Look at what a man does.

'Mark his motives.

'Notice his motives.

'Examine in what things he rests.

'Examine what he finds contentment in.

'How can a man conceal his character?

'How can a man hide his character?

How can a man conceal his character?'

How can a man hide his character?'

The Master said, 'If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others.'

The Master said, 'If a man keeps reviewing what he knows so that he continually learns something new, he may teach others.'

The Master said, 'The accomplished scholar is not a utensil.'

The Master said, 'An accomplished scholar is not a tool for just one task.'

Tsze-kung asked what constituted the superior man. The Master said, 'He acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions.'

Tsze-kung asked what makes a person exemplary. The Master said, 'He acts before he speaks, and then his words match his actions.'

The Master said, 'The superior man is catholic and no partisan. The mean man is partisan and not catholic.'

The Master said, 'The noble person is open to everyone and does not take sides. The petty person takes sides and is not open to everyone.'

The Master said, 'Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous.'

The Master said, 'Learning without thinking is wasted effort. Thinking without learning is dangerous.'

The Master said, 'The study of strange doctrines is injurious indeed!'

The Master said, 'Studying strange teachings is truly harmful!'

The Master said, 'Yu, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it;— this is knowledge.'

The Master said, 'Yu, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know something, recognize that you know it. And when you do not know something, admit that you do not know it. This honesty about what you know and do not know is knowledge.'

Tsze-chang was learning with a view to official emolument.

Tsze-chang was studying with the aim of earning a salary as a government official.

The Master said, 'Hear much and put aside the points of which you stand in doubt, while you speak cautiously at the same time of the others:— then you will afford few occasions for blame. See much and put aside the things which seem perilous, while you are cautious at the same time in carrying the others into practice:— then you will have few occasions for repentance. When one gives few occasions for blame in his words, and few occasions for repentance in his conduct, he is in the way to get emolument.'

The Master said, 'Listen widely and set aside the points you doubt. Speak cautiously about the rest, and you will give others few reasons to blame you. Observe widely and set aside anything that seems risky. Put the rest into practice cautiously, and you will have few reasons for regret. When your words give little reason for blame and your actions little reason for regret, you are on the path to earning a salary.'

The Duke Ai asked, saying, 'What should be done in order to secure the submission of the people?' Confucius replied, 'Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit. Advance the crooked and set aside the upright, then the people will not submit.'

Duke Ai asked, 'What should be done to make the people submit?' Confucius replied, 'Promote honest people and remove dishonest people, and the people will submit. Promote dishonest people and remove honest people, and the people will not submit.'

Chi K'ang asked how to cause the people to reverence their ruler, to be faithful to him, and to go on to nerve themselves to virtue. The Master said, 'Let him preside over them with gravity;— then they will reverence him. Let him be filial and kind to all;— then they will be faithful to him. Let him advance the good and teach the incompetent;— then they will eagerly seek to be virtuous.'

Chi K'ang asked how to make the people respect their ruler, remain loyal to him, and strive to become virtuous. The Master said, 'Let the ruler lead with dignity. Then the people will respect him. Let him honor his parents and be kind to all. Then the people will be loyal to him. Let him promote good people and teach those who lack ability. Then the people will eagerly seek to become virtuous.'

Some one addressed Confucius, saying, 'Sir, why are you not engaged in the government?'

Someone asked Confucius, 'Sir, why aren't you involved in government?'

The Master said, 'What does the Shu-ching say of filial piety?— "You are filial, you discharge your brotherly duties. These qualities are displayed in government." This then also constitutes the exercise of government. Why must there be that— making one be in the government?'

The Master said, 'What does the Shu-ching say about honoring your parents? "You honor your parents and fulfill your duties as a brother. These qualities show themselves in government." So practicing these qualities is also a way of governing. Why must governing require that, holding a government position?'

The Master said, 'I do not know how a man without truthfulness is to get on. How can a large carriage be made to go without the cross-bar for yoking the oxen to, or a small carriage without the arrangement for yoking the horses?'

The Master said, 'I do not know how a man can get by without being truthful. How can a large carriage move without the crossbar that connects the oxen to the carriage? Or how can a small carriage move without the harness that connects the horses to the carriage?'

Tsze-chang asked whether the affairs of ten ages after could be known.

Tsze-chang asked whether people could know what would happen ten ages into the future.

Confucius said, 'The Yin dynasty followed the regulations of the Hsia: wherein it took from or added to them may be known. The Chau dynasty has followed the regulations of Yin: wherein it took from or added to them may be known. Some other may follow the Chau, but though it should be at the distance of a hundred ages, its affairs may be known.'

Confucius said, 'The Yin dynasty followed the rules of the Hsia. What Yin removed or added may be known. The Chau dynasty has followed the rules of Yin. What Chau removed or added may be known. Another dynasty may follow the Chau. But even if that dynasty comes a hundred ages later, its affairs may be known.'

The Master said, 'For a man to sacrifice to a spirit which does not belong to him is flattery.

The Master said, 'For a man to sacrifice to a spirit not his to worship is flattery.

'To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.'

'Knowing what is right and not doing it shows a lack of courage.'