Duke Ling of Wei (Wei Ling Kung)

The Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about tactics. Confucius replied, 'I have heard all about sacrificial vessels, but I have not learned military matters.' On this, he took his departure the next day.

Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about military tactics. Confucius replied, 'I have heard all about vessels used in sacrifices, but I have not studied military matters.' After this exchange, Confucius left the next day.

When he was in Chan, their provisions were exhausted, and his followers became so ill that they were unable to rise.

While he was in Chan, their food supplies ran out. His followers became so ill that they could not get up.

Tsze-lu, with evident dissatisfaction, said, 'Has the superior man likewise to endure in this way?' The Master said, 'The superior man may indeed have to endure want, but the mean man, when he is in want, gives way to unbridled license.'

Tsze-lu, clearly dissatisfied, said, 'Must a person of noble character also endure hardship like this?' The Master said, 'A person of noble character may indeed have to endure poverty. But a person of low character, when faced with poverty, abandons all restraint.'

The Master said, 'Ts'ze, you think, I suppose, that I am one who learns many things and keeps them in memory?'

The Master said, 'Ts'ze, I suppose you think I learn many things and remember them?'

Tsze-kung replied, 'Yes,— but perhaps it is not so?'

Tsze-kung replied, 'Yes, but perhaps that isn't so?'

'No,' was the answer; 'I seek a unity all-pervading.'

'No,' came the reply. 'I seek a unity that runs through everything.'

The Master said, 'Yu, those who know virtue are few.'

The Master said, 'Yu, few people understand virtue.'

The Master said, 'May not Shun be instanced as having governed efficiently without exertion? What did he do? He did nothing but gravely and reverently occupy his royal seat.'

The Master said, 'Could Shun not be an example of someone who governed effectively without effort? What did he do? He did nothing but sit on his royal throne with dignity and reverence.'

Tsze-chang asked how a man should conduct himself, so as to be everywhere appreciated.

Tsze-chang asked how a man should behave so that he would be appreciated everywhere.

The Master said, 'Let his words be sincere and truthful, and his actions honourable and careful;— such conduct may be practised among the rude tribes of the South or the North. If his words be not sincere and truthful and his actions not honourable and careful, will he, with such conduct, be appreciated, even in his neighborhood?

The Master said, 'Let his words be sincere and truthful, and his actions honorable and careful. Such conduct may be practiced among the uncivilized tribes of the South or the North. If his words are not sincere and truthful, and his actions are not honorable and careful, will he be respected even in his own neighborhood?

'When he is standing, let him see those two things, as it were, fronting him. When he is in a carriage, let him see them attached to the yoke. Then may he subsequently carry them into practice.'

'When he stands, let him picture those two things as if they were right in front of him. When he rides in a carriage, let him picture those two things attached to the yoke. Then he may put those two things into practice.'

Tsze-chang wrote these counsels on the end of his sash.

Tsze-chang wrote this advice on the end of his sash.

The Master said, 'Truly straightforward was the historiographer Yu. When good government prevailed in his State, he was like an arrow. When bad government prevailed, he was like an arrow.

The Master said, 'Yu, the historian, was truly straightforward. When his state was well governed, he was as straight as an arrow. When his state was badly governed, he was as straight as an arrow.

A superior man indeed is Chu Po-yu! When good government prevails in his state, he is to be found in office. When bad government prevails, he can roll his principles up, and keep them in his breast.'

Chu Po-yu is truly a man of great character! When his state is well governed, he holds office. When his state is badly governed, he can tuck his principles away and keep them to himself.'

The Master said, 'When a man may be spoken with, not to speak to him is to err in reference to the man. When a man may not be spoken with, to speak to him is to err in reference to our words. The wise err neither in regard to their man nor to their words.'

The Master said, 'When a man is worth speaking to, failing to speak to him means missing an opportunity with him. When a man is not worth speaking to, speaking to him means wasting your words. The wise neither miss opportunities with people nor waste their words.'

The Master said, 'The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.'

The Master said, 'Determined scholars and people of virtue will not try to save their lives by compromising their virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to keep their virtue intact.'

Tsze-kung asked about the practice of virtue. The Master said, 'The mechanic, who wishes to do his work well, must first sharpen his tools. When you are living in any state, take service with the most worthy among its great officers, and make friends of the most virtuous among its scholars.'

Tsze-kung asked how to practice virtue. The Master said, 'A craftsman who wants to do his work well must first sharpen his tools. In any state where you live, serve the most worthy of its high officials. And make friends with the most virtuous of its scholars.'

Yen Yuan asked how the government of a country should be administered.

Yen Yuan asked how a country should be governed.

The Master said, 'Follow the seasons of Hsia.

The Master said, 'Follow the seasonal calendar of Hsia.

'Ride in the state carriage of Yin.

'Ride in Yin's state carriage.

'Wear the ceremonial cap of Chau.

'Wear the ceremonial cap of Chau.

'Let the music be the Shao with its pantomimes.

'Use Shao music with its accompanying dances.

Banish the songs of Chang, and keep far from specious talkers. The songs of Chang are licentious; specious talkers are dangerous.'

Ban the songs of Chang, and stay away from smooth talkers. The songs of Chang are sexually immoral. Smooth talkers are dangerous.'

The Master said, 'If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.'

The Master said, 'If a man does not think ahead, he will soon face trouble.'

The Master said, 'It is all over! I have not seen one who loves virtue as he loves beauty.'

The Master said, 'It's all over! I have never seen anyone who loves virtue as much as he loves beauty.'

The Master said, 'Was not Tsang Wan like one who had stolen his situation? He knew the virtue and the talents of Hui of Liu-hsia, and yet did not procure that he should stand with him in court.'

The Master said, 'Wasn't Tsang Wan like someone who had stolen his position? He knew the virtue and talents of Hui of Liu-hsia. Yet he did not arrange for Hui of Liu-hsia to serve alongside him at court.'

The Master said, 'He who requires much from himself and little from others, will keep himself from being the object of resentment.'

The Master said, 'Those who demand much of themselves and little of others will keep others from resenting them.'

The Master said, 'When a man is not in the habit of saying— "What shall I think of this? What shall I think of this?" I can indeed do nothing with him!'

The Master said, 'When a man does not regularly ask himself, "What should I think about this? What should I think about this?" I really can do nothing for him!'

The Master said, 'When a number of people are together, for a whole day, without their conversation turning on righteousness, and when they are fond of carrying out the suggestions of a small shrewdness;— theirs is indeed a hard case.'

The Master said, 'When people spend a whole day together without discussing what is right, and enjoy acting on petty clever ideas, they are indeed a difficult case.'

The Master said, 'The superior man in everything considers righteousness to be essential. He performs it according to the rules of propriety. He brings it forth in humility. He completes it with sincerity. This is indeed a superior man.'

The Master said, 'A person of noble character considers doing what is right essential in everything. He acts according to the rules of proper conduct. He expresses what is right with humility. He carries it through with sincerity. Such a person is truly noble.'

The Master said, 'The superior man is distressed by his want of ability. He is not distressed by men's not knowing him.'

The Master said, 'A person of good character is troubled by his own lack of ability. He is not troubled by others failing to recognize him.'

The Master said, 'The superior man dislikes the thought of his name not being mentioned after his death.'

The Master said, 'A noble man dislikes the thought that his name will not be remembered after his death.'

The Master said, 'What the superior man seeks, is in himself. What the mean man seeks, is in others.'

The Master said, 'The noble man looks within himself for what he seeks. The petty man looks to others for what he seeks.'

The Master said, 'The superior man is dignified, but does not wrangle. He is sociable, but not a partizan.'

The Master said, 'The noble person is dignified but does not quarrel. He is sociable but does not take sides.'

The Master said, 'The superior man does not promote a man simply on account of his words, nor does he put aside good words because of the man.'

The Master said, 'A person of good character does not promote a man just because of what he says. Nor does he dismiss good advice because of the man who gives it.'

Tsze-kung asked, saying, 'Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life?' The Master said, 'Is not reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.'

Tsze-kung asked, 'Is there one word that can guide your actions throughout your life?' The Master said, 'Isn’t reciprocity such a word? Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.'

The Master said, 'In my dealings with men, whose evil do I blame, whose goodness do I praise, beyond what is proper? If I do sometimes exceed in praise, there must be ground for it in my examination of the individual.

The Master said, 'In dealing with people, whose faults do I criticize too harshly? Whose goodness do I praise too highly? If I sometimes praise someone too highly, I must have grounds based on my careful assessment of that person.

'This people supplied the ground why the three dynasties pursued the path of straightforwardness.'

'These people were the reason the three dynasties followed a path of honesty.'

The Master said, 'Even in my early days, a historiographer would leave a blank in his text, and he who had a horse would lend him to another to ride. Now, alas! there are no such things.'

The Master said, 'Even in my early days, a historian would leave a blank in his text. And someone who owned a horse would lend it to another person to ride. Sadly, such things no longer happen.'

The Master said, 'Specious words confound virtue. Want of forbearance in small matters confounds great plans.'

The Master said, 'Fine-sounding but misleading words undermine virtue. A lack of patience in small matters ruins great plans.'

The Master said, 'When the multitude hate a man, it is necessary to examine into the case. When the multitude like a man, it is necessary to examine into the case.'

The Master said, 'When most people hate a man, you must look into the matter. When most people like a man, you must look into the matter.'

The Master said, 'A man can enlarge the principles which he follows; those principles do not enlarge the man.'

The Master said, 'A man can broaden the principles he follows. But those principles do not make the man greater.'

The Master said, 'To have faults and not to reform them,— this, indeed, should be pronounced having faults.'

The Master said, 'To have faults and not correct them is what truly deserves to be called having faults.'

The Master said, 'I have been the whole day without eating, and the whole night without sleeping:— occupied with thinking. It was of no use. The better plan is to learn.'

The Master said, 'I once spent a whole day without eating and a whole night without sleeping, just thinking. All that thinking did no good. It is better to learn.'

The Master said, 'The object of the superior man is truth. Food is not his object. There is plowing;— even in that there is sometimes want. So with learning;— emolument may be found in it. The superior man is anxious lest he should not get truth; he is not anxious lest poverty should come upon him.'

The Master said, 'The noble man seeks truth. He does not seek food. Even plowing the fields sometimes leaves a person in need. Likewise, learning may bring an income. The noble man worries about failing to find truth. He does not worry about falling into poverty.'

The Master said, 'When a man's knowledge is sufficient to attain, and his virtue is not sufficient to enable him to hold, whatever he may have gained, he will lose again.

The Master said, 'When a man knows enough to gain something but lacks the virtue to keep it, he will lose whatever he has gained.

'When his knowledge is sufficient to attain, and he has virtue enough to hold fast, if he cannot govern with dignity, the people will not respect him.

'When he knows enough to succeed and has enough virtue to hold on, the people will not respect him if he cannot govern with dignity.

'When his knowledge is sufficient to attain, and he has virtue enough to hold fast; when he governs also with dignity, yet if he try to move the people contrary to the rules of propriety:— full excellence is not reached.'

'Suppose his knowledge is enough to achieve something, and his virtue is enough to hold on to it. Suppose he also governs with dignity. Even then, if he tries to guide the people against the rules of proper conduct, he falls short of complete excellence.'

The Master said, 'The superior man cannot be known in little matters; but he may be intrusted with great concerns. The small man may not be intrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little matters.'

The Master said, 'A noble man cannot be judged by small matters. But he may be trusted with great responsibilities. A petty man may not be trusted with great responsibilities. But he may be judged by small matters.'

The Master said, 'Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.'

The Master said, 'Virtue matters more to people than either water or fire. I have seen people die from venturing into water and fire. But I have never seen anyone die from following the path of virtue.'

The Master said, 'Let every man consider virtue as what devolves on himself. He may not yield the performance of it even to his teacher.'

The Master said, 'Let every man see virtue as his own responsibility. He must not leave the practice of virtue even to his teacher.'

The Master said, 'The superior man is correctly firm, and not firm merely.'

The Master said, 'A person of high character stands firm on what is right, rather than simply being stubborn.'

The Master said, 'A minister, in serving his prince, reverently discharges his duties, and makes his emolument a secondary consideration.'

The Master said, 'A minister serves his prince by carrying out his duties with deep respect. He treats his pay as a secondary concern.'

The Master said, 'In teaching there should be no distinction of classes.'

The Master said, 'In teaching, people should not be treated differently because of their social class.'

The Master said, 'Those whose courses are different cannot lay plans for one another.'

The Master said, 'People who follow different paths cannot make plans for one another.'

The Master said, 'In language it is simply required that it convey the meaning.'

The Master said, 'Language only needs to convey the meaning.'

The Music-master, Mien, having called upon him, when they came to the steps, the Master said, 'Here are the steps.' When they came to the mat for the guest to sit upon, he said, 'Here is the mat.' When all were seated, the Master informed him, saying, 'So and so is here; so and so is here.'

The music master, Mien, visited the Master. When Mien and the Master reached the steps, the Master said, 'Here are the steps.' When they reached the mat for the guest to sit on, he said, 'Here is the mat.' When all were seated, the Master told Mien who was present, saying, 'So and so is here. So and so is here.'

The Music-master, Mien, having gone out, Tsze-chang asked, saying. 'Is it the rule to tell those things to the Music-master?'

After the Music-master, Mien, left, Tsze-chang asked, 'Is it customary to tell the Music-master those things?'

The Master said, 'Yes. This is certainly the rule for those who lead the blind.'

The Master said, 'Yes. This is certainly the rule for people who guide the blind.'