An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1746 words)
OOK XII. YEN YUAN.
CHAP. I. 1. Yen Yuan asked about perfect virtue. The Master
said, 'To subdue one's self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue.
If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety,
all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him. Is the practice
of perfect virtue from a man himself, or is it from others?'
2. Yen Yuan said, 'I beg to ask the steps of that process.' The
Master replied, 'Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not
to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to
propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety.' Yen
Yuan then said, 'Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigour, I
will make it my business to practise this lesson.'
CHAP. II. Chung-kung asked about perfect virtue. The Master
said, 'It is, when you go abroad, to behave to every one as if you
were receiving a great guest; to employ the people as if you were
assisting at a great sacrifice; not to do to others as you would not
wish done to yourself; to have no murmuring against you in the
country, and none in the family.' Chung-kung said, 'Though I am
deficient in intelligence and vigour, I will make it my business to
practise this lesson.'
CHAP. III. 1. Sze-ma Niu asked about perfect virtue.
2. The Master said, 'The man of perfect virtue is cautious and
slow in his speech.'
3. 'Cautious and slow in his speech!' said Niu;-- 'is this what is
meant by perfect virtue?' The Master said, 'When a man feels the
difficulty of doing, can he be other than cautious and slow in
speaking?'
CHAP. IV. 1. Sze-ma Niu asked about the superior man. The
Master said, 'The superior man has neither anxiety nor fear.'
2. 'Being without anxiety or fear!' said Nui;-- 'does this
constitute what we call the superior man?'
3. The Master said, 'When internal examination discovers
nothing wrong, what is there to be anxious about, what is there to
fear?'
CHAP. V. 1. Sze-ma Niu, full of anxiety, said, 'Other men all
have their brothers, I only have not.'
2. Tsze-hsia said to him, 'There is the following saying which I
have heard:--
3. '"Death and life have their determined appointment; riches
and honours depend upon Heaven."
4. 'Let the superior man never fail reverentially to order his
own conduct, and let him be respectful to others and observant of
propriety:-- then all within the four seas will be his brothers. What
has the superior man to do with being distressed because he has no
brothers?'
CHAP. VI. Tsze-chang asked what constituted intelligence. The
Master said, 'He with whom neither slander that gradually soaks
into the mind, nor statements that startle like a wound in the flesh,
are successful, may be called intelligent indeed. Yea, he with whom
neither soaking slander, nor startling statements, are successful,
may be called farseeing.'
CHAP. VII. 1. Tsze-kung asked about government. The Master
said, 'The requisites of government are that there be sufficiency of
food, sufficiency of military equipment, and the confidence of the
people in their ruler.'
2. Tsze-kung said, 'If it cannot be helped, and one of these
must be dispensed with, which of the three should be foregone
first?' 'The military equipment,' said the Master.
3. Tsze-kung again asked, 'If it cannot be helped, and one of
the remaining two must be dispensed with, which of them should
be foregone?' The Master answered, 'Part with the food. From of
old, death has been the lot of all men; but if the people have no
faith in their rulers, there is no standing for the state.'
CHAP. VIII. 1. Chi Tsze-ch'ang said, 'In a superior man it is
only the substantial qualities which are wanted;-- why should we
seek for ornamental accomplishments?'
2. Tsze-kung said, 'Alas! Your words, sir, show you to be a
superior man, but four horses cannot overtake the tongue.
3. Ornament is as substance; substance is as ornament. The
hide of a tiger or a leopard stripped of its hair, is like the hide of a
dog or a goat stripped of its hair.'
CHAP. IX. 1. The Duke Ai inquired of Yu Zo, saying, 'The year
is one of scarcity, and the returns for expenditure are not
sufficient;-- what is to be done?'
2. Yu Zo replied to him, 'Why not simply tithe the people?'
3. 'With two tenths, said the duke, 'I find it not enough;-- how
could I do with that system of one tenth?'
4. Yu Zo answered, 'If the people have plenty, their prince will
not be left to want alone. If the people are in want, their prince
cannot enjoy plenty alone.'
CHAP. X. 1. Tsze-chang having asked how virtue was to be
exalted, and delusions to be discovered, the Master said, 'Hold
faithfulness and sincerity as first principles, and be moving
continually to what is right;-- this is the way to exalt one's virtue.
2. 'You love a man and wish him to live; you hate him and
wish him to die. Having wished him to live, you also wish him to
die. This is a case of delusion.
3. '"It may not be on account of her being rich, yet you come
to make a difference."'
CHAP. XI. 1. The Duke Ching, of Ch'i, asked Confucius about
government.
2. Confucius replied, 'There is government, when the prince is
prince, and the minister is minister; when the father is father, and
the son is son.'
3. 'Good!' said the duke; 'if, indeed; the prince be not prince,
the minister not minister, the father not father, and the son not son,
although I have my revenue, can I enjoy it?'
CHAP. XII. 1. The Master said, 'Ah! it is Yu, who could with
half a word settle litigations!'
2. Tsze-lu never slept over a promise.
CHAP. XIII. The Master said, 'In hearing litigations, I am like
any other body. What is necessary, however, is to cause the people
to have no litigations.'
CHAP. XIV. Tsze-chang asked about government. The Master
said, 'The art of governing is to keep its affairs before the mind
without weariness, and to practise them with undeviating
consistency.'
CHAP. XV. The Master said, 'By extensively studying all
learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of
propriety, one may thus likewise not err from what is right.'
CHAP. XVI. The Master said, 'The superior man seeks to
perfect the admirable qualities of men, and does not seek to perfect
their bad qualities. The mean man does the opposite of this.'
CHAP. XVII. Chi K'ang asked Confucius about government.
Confucius replied, 'To govern means to rectify. If you lead on the
people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct?'
CHAP. XVIII. Chi K'ang, distressed about the number of
thieves in the state, inquired of Confucius how to do away with
them. Confucius said, 'If you, sir, were not covetous, although you
should reward them to do it, they would not steal.'
CHAP. XIX. Chi K'ang asked Confucius about government,
saying, 'What do you say to killing the unprincipled for the good of
the principled?' Confucius replied, 'Sir, in carrying on your
government, why should you use killing at all? Let your evinced
desires be for what is good, and the people will be good. The
relation
between superiors and inferiors, is like that between the wind and
the grass. The grass must bend, when the wind blows across it.'
CHAP. XX. 1. Tsze-chang asked, 'What must the officer be, who
may be said to be distinguished?'
2. The Master said, 'What is it you call being distinguished?'
3. Tsze-chang replied, 'It is to be heard of through the State,
to be heard of throughout his clan.'
4. The Master said, 'That is notoriety, not distinction.
5. 'Now the man of distinction is solid and straightforward,
and loves righteousness. He examines people's words, and looks at
their countenances. He is anxious to humble himself to others. Such
a man will be distinguished in the country; he will be distinguished
in his clan.
6. 'As to the man of notoriety, he assumes the appearance of
virtue, but his actions are opposed to it, and he rests in this
character without any doubts about himself. Such a man will be
heard of in the country; he will be heard of in the clan.'
CHAP. XXI. 1. Fan Ch'ih rambling with the Master under the
trees about the rain altars, said, 'I venture to ask how to exalt
virtue, to correct cherished evil, and to discover delusions.'
2. The Master said, 'Truly a good question!
3. 'If doing what is to be done be made the first business, and
success a secondary consideration;-- is not this the way to exalt
virtue? To assail one's own wickedness and not assail that of
others;-- is not this the way to correct cherished evil? For a
morning's anger to disregard one's own life, and involve that of his
parents;-- is not this a case of delusion?'
CHAP. XXII. 1. Fan Ch'ih asked about benevolence. The Master
said, 'It is to love all men.' He asked about knowledge. The Master
said, 'It is to know all men.'
2. Fan Ch'ih did not immediately understand these answers.
3. The Master said, 'Employ the upright and put aside all the
crooked;-- in this way the crooked can be made to be upright.'
4. Fan Ch'ih retired, and, seeing Tsze-hsia, he said to him, 'A
Little while ago, I had an interview with our Master, and asked him
about knowledge. He said, 'Employ the upright, and put aside all the
crooked;-- in this way, the crooked will be made to be upright.'
What did he mean?'
5. Tsze-hsia said, 'Truly rich is his saying!
6. 'Shun, being in possession of the kingdom, selected from
among all the people, and employed Kao-yao, on which all who
were devoid of virtue disappeared. T'ang, being in possession of the
kingdom, selected from among all the people, and employed I Yin,
and all who were devoid of virtue disappeared.'
CHAP. XXIII. Tsze-kung asked about friendship. The Master
said, 'Faithfully admonish your friend, and skillfully lead him on. If
you find him impracticable, stop. Do not disgrace yourself.'
CHAP. XXIV. The philosopher Tsang said, 'The superior man
on grounds of culture meets with his friends, and by their
friendship helps his virtue.'
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
True authority grows stronger when shared and exercised with restraint, while forced authority weakens with every use.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to distinguish between real influence and empty authority by watching how people respond to leaders over time.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone demands respect versus earns it - watch how their team actually behaves when they're not around.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"To subdue one's self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue."
Context: When Yen Yuan asks how to achieve perfect virtue
This shows that being good isn't about following rules imposed by others, but about controlling your own impulses and choosing to do right. It's an inside job that requires self-discipline.
In Today's Words:
Real character means controlling yourself and doing the right thing, even when you don't feel like it.
"Not to do to others as you would not wish done to yourself."
Context: Teaching Chung-kung about how to treat people
This negative version of the Golden Rule focuses on avoiding harm rather than doing good. It's often easier to follow because it's clearer - just don't be the person you'd hate to deal with.
In Today's Words:
Don't be the kind of person you can't stand - the gossip, the credit-stealer, the one who makes everything about them.
"The people may be made to follow a path of action, but they may not be made to understand it."
Context: Discussing how to govern people effectively
This acknowledges that most people follow examples rather than explanations. Leaders need to show the way through their actions, not just give speeches about what others should do.
In Today's Words:
People copy what you do, not what you say - so if you want them to act right, you better act right first.
"If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, then what ought to be done remains undone."
Context: Explaining why calling things by their right names matters
This shows how unclear or dishonest language prevents real progress. When we sugarcoat problems or use misleading terms, we can't address what's actually wrong.
In Today's Words:
When people won't call problems what they really are, nothing gets fixed because nobody's dealing with reality.
Thematic Threads
Character
In This Chapter
Confucius defines perfect virtue as subduing selfish impulses and treating others with respect, showing character as daily practice rather than grand gestures
Development
Builds on earlier chapters' emphasis on self-cultivation, now showing how personal character becomes the foundation of social influence
In Your Life:
Your reputation at work comes from small daily choices - how you handle stress, treat difficult patients, or respond when no one's watching.
Trust
In This Chapter
Confucius declares that public trust matters more than military strength or economic prosperity for a functioning society
Development
Introduced here as the ultimate foundation of all relationships and institutions
In Your Life:
Whether in marriage, friendship, or workplace teams, trust is the one thing that, once broken, makes everything else harder.
Leadership
In This Chapter
True leaders model the behavior they want to see, understanding that people naturally follow authentic example rather than empty commands
Development
Expands previous discussions of governance to show leadership as influence through example
In Your Life:
Whether you're training a new coworker or raising kids, they learn more from what you do than what you say.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Distinguishes between genuine virtue and performed virtue, showing how society often rewards appearance over substance
Development
Continues the theme of navigating social pressures while maintaining authentic values
In Your Life:
You face constant pressure to look busy at work or seem perfect on social media, but real success comes from focusing on substance over show.
Relationships
In This Chapter
True friendship involves honest guidance toward virtue, but also knowing when to step back if advice isn't welcome
Development
Builds on earlier relationship wisdom to address the challenge of caring without controlling
In Your Life:
You can offer support and honest feedback to friends or family, but you can't force someone to take good advice or change their behavior.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
When Confucius tells his student that perfect virtue means 'not doing to others what you wouldn't want done to yourself,' what specific examples from your daily life does this bring to mind?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Confucius say that public trust matters more than military strength or food supplies for a government? What happens when people lose faith in their leaders?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about someone you know who has real influence without an official title. How do they demonstrate the difference between earned authority and assumed authority that Confucius describes?
application • medium - 4
Confucius says people follow leaders 'like grass bends with wind.' In your workplace or family, how would you build the kind of consistent character that creates this natural influence?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about why some people command genuine respect while others only get compliance? How does this apply to parenting, friendship, or leadership?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Authority Audit: Map Your Influence Sources
List three people whose opinions genuinely matter to you - people you actually listen to when they give advice. For each person, write down what specific behaviors or qualities make you trust their judgment. Then identify one area of your own life where you'd like more influence and compare your current approach to the patterns you just identified.
Consider:
- •Notice whether the people you respect most rely on position/title or on consistent character
- •Look for patterns in how these influential people handle disagreements or mistakes
- •Consider whether you're trying to demand respect or demonstrate the qualities that naturally earn it
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone's actions completely changed your opinion of them - either gaining or losing your respect. What specific behaviors shifted your view, and what does this teach you about building genuine influence in your own relationships?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 13: The Art of Leadership
The next chapter follows Tsze-lu, one of Confucius's most direct and action-oriented students, as he grapples with questions about courage, loyalty, and practical leadership. Their conversations reveal the tension between doing what's right and doing what's expedient.
