1　Master K'ung said of the head of the Chi family when he had eight teams of dancers performing in his courtyard, If this man can be endured, who cannot be endured!

2　The Three Families used the Yung Song during the removal of the sacrificial vessels. The Master said, By rulers and lords attended, The Son of Heaven, mysterious—What possible application can such words have in the hall of the Three Families?

3　The Master said, A man who is not Good, what can he have to do with ritual? A man who is not Good, what can he have to do with music?

4　Lin Fang asked for some main principles in connection with ritual. The Master said, A very big question. In ritual at large it is a safe rule always to be too sparing rather than too lavish; and in the particular case of mourning-rites, they should be dictated by grief rather than by fear.

5　The Master said, The barbarians of the East and North have retained their princes. They are not in such a state of decay as we in China.

6　The head of the Chi family was going to make the offerings on Mount T'ai. The Master said to Jan Ch'iu, Cannot you save him from this? Jan Ch'iu replied, I cannot. The Master said, Alas, we can hardly suppose Mount T'ai to be ignorant of matters that even Lin Fang enquires into!

7　The Master said, Gentlemen never compete. You will say that in archery they do so. But even then they bow and make way for one another when they are going up to the archery-ground, when they are coming down and at the subsequent drinking-bout. Thus even when competing, they still remain gentlemen.

8　Tzu-hsia asked, saying, What is the meaning of Oh the sweet smile dimpling, The lovely eyes so black and white! Plain silk that you would take for coloured stuff. The Master said, The painting comes after the plain groundwork. Tzu-hsia said, Then ritual comes afterwards? The Master said, Shang it is who bears me up. At last I have someone with whom I can discuss the Songs!

9　The Master said, How can we talk about the ritual of the Hsia? The State of Ch'i supplies no adequate evidence. How can we talk about the ritual of Yin? The State of Sung supplies no adequate evidence. For there is a lack both of documents and of learned men. But for this lack we should be able to obtain evidence from these two States.

10　The Master said, At the Ancestral Sacrifice, as for all that comes after the libation, I had far rather not witness it!

11　Someone asked for an explanation of the Ancestral Sacrifice. The Master said, I do not know. Anyone who knew the explanation could deal with all things under Heaven as easily as I lay this here; and he laid his finger upon the palm of his hand.

12　Of the saying, 'The word "sacrifice" is like the word "present"; one should sacrifice to a spirit as though that spirit was present', the Master said, If I am not present at the sacrifice, it is as though there were no sacrifice.

13　Wang-sun Chia asked about the meaning of the saying, Better pay court to the stove Than pay court to the Shrine. The Master said, It is not true. He who has put himself in the wrong with Heaven has no means of expiation left.

14　The Master said, Chou could survey the two preceding dynasties. How great a wealth of culture! And we follow upon Chou.

15　When the Master entered the Grand Temple he asked questions about everything there. Someone said, Do not tell me that this son of a villager from Tsou is expert in matters of ritual. When he went to the Grand Temple, he had to ask about everything. The Master hearing of this said, Just so! such is the ritual.

16　The Master said, The saying In archery it is not the hide that counts, For some men have more strength than others, is the way of the Ancients.

17　Tzu-kung wanted to do away with the presentation of a sacrificial sheep at the announcement of each new moon. The Master said, Ssu! You grudge sheep, but I grudge ritual.

18　The Master said, Were anyone today to serve his prince according to the full prescriptions of ritual, he would be thought a sycophant.

19　Duke Ting (died 495 BC) asked for a precept concerning a ruler's use of his ministers and a minister's service to his ruler. Master K'ung replied saying, A ruler in employing his ministers should be guided solely by the prescriptions of ritual. Ministers in serving their ruler, solely by devotion to his cause.

20　The Master said, The Ospreys! Pleasure not carried to the point of debauch; grief not carried to the point of self-injury.

21　Duke Ai asked Tsai Yü about the Holy Ground. Tsai Yü replied, The Hsia sovereigns marked theirs with a pine, the men of Yin used a cypress, the men of Chou used a chestnut-tree, saying, 'This will cause the common people to be in fear and trembling. The Master hearing of it said, What is over and done with, one does not discuss. What has already taken its course, one does not criticise; what already belongs to the past, one does not censure.

22　The Master said, Kuan Chung was in reality a man of very narrow capacities. Someone said, Surely he displayed an example of fugality? The Master said, Kuan had three lots of wives, his State officers performed no double duties. How can he be cited as an example of frugality? That may be, the other said; but surely he had a great knowledge of ritual? The Master said, Only the ruler of a State may build a screen to mask his gate; but Kuan had such a screen. Only the ruler of a State, when meeting another such ruler, may use cup-mounds; but Kuan used one. If even Kuan is to be cited as an expert in ritual, who is not an expert in ritual?

23　When talking to the Grand Master of Lu about music, the Master said, Their music in so far as one can find out about it began with a strict unison. Soon the musicians were given more liberty; but the tone remained harmonious, brilliant, consistent, right on till the close.

24　The guardian of the frontier-mound at I asked to be presented to the Master, saying, No gentleman arriving at this frontier has ever yet failed to accord me an interview. The Master's followers presented him. On going out the man said, Sirs, you must not be disheartened by his failure. It is now a very long while since the Way prevailed in the world. I feel sure that Heaven intends to use your Master as a wooden bell.

25　The Master spoke of the Succession Dance as being perfect beauty and at the same time perfect goodness; but of the War Dance as being perfect beauty, but not perfect goodness.

26　The Master said, High office filled by men of narrow views, ritual performed without reverence, the forms of mourning observed without grief—these are things I cannot bear to see! nYE8xeBvAE5uFMGf+Gx3djIAVtWI40TASeizqUX+jckbDySGldVqD8pwXnV1UD6w