Duke Ling of Wei衞靈公第十五

Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about battle formations. Confucius answered, "The handling of sacrificial vessels I have heard something of, but the affairs of the army I have never studied." The next day he left. In Chen the food ran out, and those who followed him fell ill and could not rise. Zilu came before him with anger in his face and said, "Does the noble man too come to such straits?" The Master said, "The noble man holds firm in straits. The small man in straits breaks loose."

The Master said, "Ci (賜), do you take me for one who learns much and keeps it all in mind?" He answered, "Yes. Is it not so?" The Master said, "It is not. I have one thread running through it."

The Master said, "You, few are those who know virtue."

The Master said, "The one who ruled without acting (無爲) was Shun! What did he do? He made himself reverent and sat facing south, and that was all."

Zizhang asked how to make his way. The Master said, "If your words are true and trustworthy and your conduct is earnest and reverent, you will make your way even among the barbarian tribes. If your words are not true and trustworthy and your conduct is not earnest and reverent, will you make your way even in your own village? Standing, see these words ranged before you. Riding, see them resting on the crossbar of the yoke. Only then will you make your way." Zizhang wrote this on his sash.

The Master said, "How straight Shi Yu was! When the Way prevailed in the state he was like an arrow, and when the Way was gone from the state he was like an arrow. What a noble man Qu Boyu is! When the Way prevails in the state he takes office, and when the Way is gone from the state he can roll himself up and keep himself hidden."

The Master said, "When a man is worth speaking to and you do not speak to him, you lose the man. When a man is not worth speaking to and you speak to him, you lose your words. The wise lose neither the man nor their words."

The Master said, "The gentleman of purpose and the humane man do not seek to live at the cost of humaneness. There are times when they give up their lives to fulfill humaneness."

Zigong asked how to practice humaneness. The Master said, "A craftsman who wants to do his work well must first sharpen his tools. When you live in a state, serve the worthy among its great officers and make friends of the humane among its gentlemen."

Yan Yuan asked how to run a state. The Master said, "Follow the calendar of Xia, ride in the carriage of Yin, wear the cap of Zhou, and for music take the Shao dances (韶舞). Drive out the tunes of Zheng and keep glib men far away. The tunes of Zheng are lewd, and glib men are dangerous."

The Master said, "A man who gives no thought to what is far off will have troubles close at hand."

The Master said, "It is hopeless! I have yet to see a man who loves virtue as he loves a beautiful face."

The Master said, "Zang Wenzhong must have stolen his post! He knew that Liuxia Hui was worthy, and would not have him stand at court with him."

The Master said, "Blame yourself heavily and others lightly, and resentment will stay far off."

The Master said, "With a man who never asks, 'What shall I do, what shall I do?' there is nothing I can do."

The Master said, "They sit together a whole day, their talk never touches on what is right, and they love to show off their small cleverness. Such men are hard going!"

The Master said, "The noble man takes what is right as the ground of it, carries it out with ritual, brings it forth with humility, and completes it with good faith. That is the noble man!"

The Master said, "The noble man is troubled by his own want of ability. He is not troubled that others do not know him."

The Master said, "The noble man is distressed to end his life with his name never spoken."

The Master said, "The noble man looks for it in himself. The small man looks for it in others."

The Master said, "The noble man is dignified but not contentious. He joins with others but forms no faction."

The Master said, "The noble man does not raise a man up for his words alone, nor throw away words because of the man."

Zigong asked, "Is there one word that may be practiced all one's life?" The Master said, "It is shu (恕), the giving way to others! Do not do to others what you do not want for yourself."

The Master said, "In dealing with men, whom do I tear down and whom do I praise? If I praise someone, it is because I have put him to the test. These are the people through whom the three dynasties walked the straight way."

The Master said, "I still knew the days when a scribe left a blank where he was unsure, and when a man with a horse lent it to others to ride. Now that is gone."

The Master said, "Clever words confound virtue, and not bearing small things spoils great plans."

The Master said, "When everyone hates a man, look into it yourself. When everyone likes a man, look into it yourself."

The Master said, "It is man who can make the Way great. It is not the Way that makes man great."

The Master said, "To have a fault and not mend it, that is what is called a fault."

The Master said, "I once went a whole day without food and a whole night without sleep, in order to think. It did no good. It is not as good as learning."

The Master said, "The noble man plans for the Way, not for food. Till the fields, and hunger may still be there. Learn, and a salary is there. The noble man worries about the Way, not about poverty."

The Master said, "If a man's knowledge reaches it but his humaneness cannot hold it, then though he gets it he will surely lose it. If his knowledge reaches it and his humaneness can hold it, but he does not face the people with dignity, they will not respect him. If his knowledge reaches it, his humaneness can hold it, and he faces the people with dignity, but he does not move them by ritual, it is still not good."

The Master said, "The noble man cannot be known by small matters, but he can take on great things. The small man cannot take on great things, but he can be known by small matters."

The Master said, "To the people, humaneness is more urgent than water and fire. I have seen men die from stepping into water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from stepping into humaneness."

The Master said, "Where humaneness is at stake, do not give way even to your teacher."

The Master said, "The noble man is upright and firm, but he is not bound by small pledges."

The Master said, "In serving a ruler, attend to the work with reverence and put the pay after it."

The Master said, "In teaching there are no classes of men."

The Master said, "When the roads are not the same, men do not make plans together."

The Master said, "Words need only carry the meaning, and that is all."

Music Master Mian (冕) came to see the Master. When they came to the steps, the Master said, "Here are the steps." When they came to the mat, the Master said, "Here is the mat." When all were seated, the Master told him, "So and so is here, so and so is there." After Music Master Mian had gone out, Zizhang asked, "Is that the way to speak with a music master?" The Master said, "Yes. That is indeed the way to help a music master."