1　The Master said of Kung Yeh Ch'ang, Though he has suffered imprisonment, he is not an unfit person to choose as a husband; for it was not through any fault of his own. He married him to his daughter. The Master said of Nan Jung, In a country ruled according to the Way, he would not be overlooked; in a country not ruled according to the Way, he would manage to avoid capital punishment or mutilation. He married him to his elder brother's daughter.

2　Of Tzu-chien he said, A gentleman indeed is such a one as he! If the land of Lu were indeed without gentlemen, how could he have learnt this?

3　Tzu-kung asked saying, What do you think of me? The Master said, You are a vessel. Tzu-kung said, What sort of vessel? The Master said, A sacrificial vase of jade!

4　Someone said, Jan Yung is Good, but he is a poor talker. The Master said, What need has he to be a good talker? Those who down others with clap-trap are seldom popular. Whether he is Good, I do not know. But I see no need for him to be a good talker.

5　The Master gave Ch'i-tiao K'ai leave to take office, but he replied, 'I have not yet sufficiently perfected myself in the virtue of good faith.' The Master was delighted.

6　The Master said, The Way makes no progress. I shall get upon a raft and float out to sea. I am sure Yu would come with me. Tzu-lu on hearing of this was in high spirits. The Master said, That is Yu indeed! He sets far too much store by feats of physical daring. It seems as though I should never get hold of the right sort of people.

7　Mêng Wu Po asked whether Tzu-lu was Good. The Master said, I do not know. On his repeating the question the Master said, In a country of a thousand war-chariots Yu could be trusted to carry out the recruiting. But whether he is Good I do not know. 'What about Ch'iu? The Master said, In a city of a thousand families or a baronial family with a hundred chariots he might do well as Warden. But whether he is Good, I do not know. 'What about Ch'ih? The Master said, Girt with his sash, standing in his place at Court he might well be charged to converse with strangers and guests. But whether he is Good, I do not know.

8　The Master in discussing Tzu-kung said to him, Which do you yourself think is the better, you or Hui? He answered saying, I dare not so much as look at Hui. For Hui has but to hear one part in ten, in order to understand the whole ten. Whereas if I hear one part, I understand no more than two parts. The Master said, Not equal to him—you and I are not equal to him!

9　Tsai Yü used to sleep during the day. The Master said, Rotten wood cannot be carved, nor a wall of dried dung be trowelled. What use is there in my scolding him any more? The Master said, There was a time when I merely listened attentively to what people said, and took for granted that they would carry out their words. Now I am obliged not only to give ear to what they say, but also to keep an eye on what they do. It was my dealings with Tsai Yü that brought about the change.

10　The Master said, I have never yet seen a man who was truly steadfast. Someone answered saying, 'Shên Ch'êng'. The Master said, Ch'êng! He is at the mercy of his desires. How can he be called steadfast?

11　Tzu-kung said, What I do not want others to do to me, I have no desire to do to others. The Master said, Oh Ssu! You have not quite got to that point yet.

12　Tzu-kung said, Our Master's views concerning culture and the outward insignia of goodness, we are permitted to hear, but about Man's nature and the ways of Heaven he will not tell us anything at all.

13　When Tzu-lu heard any precept and was still trying unsuccessfully to put it into practice, his one fear was that he might hear some fresh precept.

14　Tzu-kung asked saying, Why was K'ung Wên Tzu called Wên (The Cultured)? The Master said, Because he was diligent and so fond of learning that he was not ashamed to pick up knowledge even from his inferiors.

15　Of Tzu-ch'an the Master said that in him were to be found four of the virtues that belong to the Way of the true gentleman. In his private conduct he was courteous, in serving his master he was punctilious, in providing for the needs of the people he gave them even more than their due; in exacting service from the people, he was just.

16　The Master said, Yen P'ing Chung is a good example of what one's intercourse with one's fellow men should be. However long he has known anyone he always maintains the same scrupulous courtesy.

17　The Master said, Tsang Wên Chung kept a Ts'ai tortoise in a hall with the hill-pattern on its pillar tops and the duckweed pattern on its king-posts. Of what sort, pray, was his knowledge?

18　Tzu-chang asked saying, The Grand Minister Tzu-wên was appointed to this office on three separate occasions, but did not on any of these three occasions display the least sign of elation. Three times he was deposed; but never showed the least sign of disappointment. Each time, he duly informed his successor concerning the administration of State affairs during his tenure of office. What should you say of him? The Master said, He was certainly faithful to his prince's interests. Tzu-chang said, Would you not call him Good? The Master said, I am not sure. I see nothing in that to merit the title Good. (Tzu-chang said) When Ts'ui Tzu assassinated the sovereign of Ch'i, Ch'ên Wên Tzu who held a fief of ten war chariots gave it up and went away. On arriving in another State, he said, 'I can see they are no better here than our minister Ts'ui Tzu'; and he went away. On arriving in the next country, he said, 'I can see they are no better here than our minister Ts'ui Tzu'; and went away. What should you say of him? The Master said, He was certainly scrupulous. Tzu-chang said, Would you not call him Good? The Master said, I am not sure. I see nothing in that to merit the title Good.

19　Chi Wên Tzu used to think thrice before acting. The Master hearing of it said, Twice is quite enough.

20　The Master said, Ning Wu Tzu 'so long as the Way prevailed in his country he showed wisdom; but when the Way no longer prevailed, he showed his folly. To such wisdom as his we may all attain; but not to such folly!

21　When the Master was in Ch'ên he said, Let us go back, let us go back! The little ones at home are headstrong and careless. They are perfecting themselves in all the showy insignia of culture without any idea how to use them.

22　The Master said, Po I and Shu Ch'i never bore old ills in mind and had but the faintest feelings of rancour.

23　The Master said, How can we call even Wei-shêng Kao upright? When someone asked him for vinegar he went and begged it from the people next door, and then gave it as though it were his own gift.

24　The Master said, Clever talk, a pretentious manner and a reverence that is only of the feet －Tso Ch'iu Ming was incapable of stooping to them, and I too could never stoop to them. Having to conceal one's indignation and keep on friendly terms with the people against whom one feels it—Tso Ch'iu Ming was incapable of stooping to such conduct, and I too am incapable of stooping to such conduct.

25　Once when Yen Hui and Tzu-lu were waiting upon him the Master said, Suppose each of you were to tell his wish. Tzu-lu said, I should like to have carriages and horses, clothes and fur rugs, share them with my friends and feel no annoyance if they were returned to me the worse for wear. Yen Hui said, I should like never to boast of my good qualities nor make a fuss about the trouble I take on behalf of others. Tzu-lu said, A thing I should like is to hear the Master's wish. The Master said, In dealing with the aged, to be of comfort to them; in dealing with friends, to be of good faith with them; in dealing with the young, to cherish them.

26　The Master said, In vain have I looked for a single man capable of seeing his own faults and bringing the charge home against himself.

27　The Master said, In an hamlet of ten houses you may be sure of finding someone quite as loyal and true to his word as I. But I doubt if you would find anyone with such a love of leaming. 6znTajbOv1xB43ovyDo0uV5g44awUns+7nlY7dKi8jvBTEruhATvloCzriYgWhwN