An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 2429 words)
OOK XIV. HSIEN WAN.
CHAP. I. Hsien asked what was shameful. The Master said,
'When good government prevails in a state, to be thinking only of
salary; and, when bad government prevails, to be thinking, in the
same way, only of salary;-- this is shameful.'
CHAP. II. 1. 'When the love of superiority, boasting,
resentments, and covetousness are repressed, this may be deemed
perfect virtue.'
2. The Master said, 'This may be regarded as the achievement
of what is difficult. But I do not know that it is to be deemed
perfect virtue.'
CHAP. III. The Master said, 'The scholar who cherishes the
love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.'
CHAP. IV. The Master said, 'When good government prevails
in a state, language may be lofty and bold, and actions the same.
When bad government prevails, the actions may be lofty and bold,
but the language may be with some reserve.'
CHAP. V. The Master said, 'The virtuous will be sure to speak
correctly, but those whose speech is good may not always be
virtuous. Men of principle are sure to be bold, but those who are
bold may not always be men of principle.'
CHAP. VI. Nan-kung Kwo, submitting an inquiry to Confucius,
said, 'I was skillful at archery, and Ao could move a boat along
upon the land, but neither of them died a natural death. Yu and Chi
personally wrought at the toils of husbandry, and they became
possessors of the kingdom.' The Master made no reply; but when
Nan-kung Kwo went out, he said, 'A superior man indeed is this! An
esteemer of virtue indeed is this!'
CHAP. VII. The Master said, 'Superior men, and yet not
always virtuous, there have been, alas! But there never has been a
mean man, and, at the same time, virtuous.'
CHAP. VIII. The Master said, 'Can there be love which does
not lead to strictness with its object? Can there be loyalty which
does not lead to the instruction of its object?'
CHAP. IX. The Master said, 'In preparing the governmental
notifications, P'i Shan first made the rough draft; Shi-shu
examined and discussed its contents; Tsze-yu, the manager of
Foreign intercourse, then polished the style; and, finally, Tsze-ch'an
of Tung-li gave it the proper elegance and finish.'
CHAP. X. 1. Some one asked about Tsze-ch'an. The Master said,
'He was a kind man.'
2. He asked about Tsze-hsi. The Master said, 'That man! That
man!'
3. He asked about Kwan Chung. 'For him,' said the Master, 'the
city of Pien, with three hundred families, was taken from the chief
of the Po family, who did not utter a murmuring word, though, to
the end of his life, he had only coarse rice to eat.'
CHAP. XI. The Master said, 'To be poor without murmuring is
difficult. To be rich without being proud is easy.'
CHAP. XII. The Master said, 'Mang Kung-ch'o is more than fit
to be chief officer in the families of Chao and Wei, but he is not fit
to be great officer to either of the States Tang or Hsieh.'
CHAP. XIII. 1. Tsze-lu asked what constituted a COMPLETE
man. The Master said, 'Suppose a man with the knowledge of Tsang
Wu-chung, the freedom from covetousness of Kung-ch'o, the
bravery of Chwang of Pien, and the varied talents of Zan Ch'iu; add
to these the accomplishments of the rules of propriety and music:--
such a one might be reckoned a COMPLETE man.'
2. He then added, 'But what is the necessity for a complete
man of the present day to have all these things? The man, who in
the
view of gain, thinks of righteousness; who in the view of danger is
prepared to give up his life; and who does not forget an old
agreement however far back it extends:-- such a man may be
reckoned a COMPLETE man.'
CHAP. XIV. 1. The Master asked Kung-ming Chia about Kung-
shu Wan, saying, 'Is it true that your master speaks not, laughs not,
and takes not?'
2. Kung-ming Chia replied, 'This has arisen from the reporters
going beyond the truth.-- My master speaks when it is the time to
speak, and so men do not get tired of his speaking. He laughs when
there is occasion to be joyful, and so men do not get tired of his
laughing. He takes when it is consistent with righteousness to do so,
and so men do not get tired of his taking.' The Master said, 'So! But
is it so with him?'
CHAP. XV. The Master said, 'Tsang Wu-chung, keeping
possession of Fang, asked of the duke of Lu to appoint a successor
to him in his family. Although it may be said that he was not using
force with his sovereign, I believe he was.'
CHAP. XVI. The Master said, 'The duke Wan of Tsin was crafty
and not upright. The duke Hwan of Ch'i was upright and not crafty.'
CHAP. XVII. 1. Tsze-lu said, 'The Duke Hwan caused his
brother Chiu to be killed, when Shao Hu died with his master, but
Kwan Chung did not die. May not I say that he was wanting in
virtue?'
2. The Master said, 'The Duke Hwan assembled all the princes
together, and that not with weapons of war and chariots:-- it was
all through the influence of Kwan Chung. Whose beneficence was
like his? Whose beneficence was like his?'
CHAP. XVIII. 1. Tsze-kung said, 'Kwan Chung, I apprehend,
was wanting in virtue. When the Duke Hwan caused his brother
Chiu to be killed, Kwan Chung was not able to die with him.
Moreover, he became prime minister to Hwan.'
2. The Master said, 'Kwan Chung acted as prime minister to
the Duke Hwan, made him leader of all the princes, and united and
rectified the whole kingdom. Down to the present day, the people
enjoy the gifts which he conferred. But for Kwan Chung, we should
now be wearing our hair unbound, and the lappets of our coats
buttoning on the left side.
3. 'Will you require from him the small fidelity of common
men and common women, who would commit suicide in a stream or
ditch, no one knowing anything about them?'
CHAP. XIX. 1. The great officer, Hsien, who had been family-
minister to Kung-shu Wan, ascended to the prince's court in
company with Wan.
2. The Master, having heard of it, said, 'He deserved to be
considered WAN (the accomplished).'
CHAP. XX. 1. The Master was speaking about the unprincipled
course of the duke Ling of Wei, when Ch'i K'ang said, 'Since he is of
such a character, how is it he does not lose his State?'
2. Confucius said, 'The Chung-shu Yu has the superintendence
of his guests and of strangers; the litanist, T'o, has the management
of his ancestral temple; and Wang-sun Chia has the direction of the
army and forces:-- with such officers as these, how should he lose
his State?'
CHAP. XXI. The Master said, 'He who speaks without modesty
will find it difficult to make his words good.'
CHAP. XXII. 1. Chan Ch'ang murdered the Duke Chien of Ch'i.
2. Confucius bathed, went to court, and informed the duke Ai,
saying, 'Chan Hang has slain his sovereign. I beg that you will
undertake to punish him.'
3. The duke said, 'Inform the chiefs of the three families of it.'
4. Confucius retired, and said, 'Following in the rear of the
great officers, I did not dare not to represent such a matter, and my
prince says, "Inform the chiefs of the three families of it."'
5. He went to the chiefs, and informed them, but they would
not act. Confucius then said, 'Following in the rear of the great
officers, I did not dare not to represent such a matter.'
CHAP. XXIII. Tsze-lu asked how a ruler should be served. The
Master said, 'Do not impose on him, and, moreover, withstand him
to his face.'
CHAP. XXIV. The Master said, 'The progress of the superior
man is upwards; the progress of the mean man is downwards.'
CHAP. XXV. The Master said, 'In ancient times, men learned
with a view to their own improvement. Now-a-days, men learn
with a view to the approbation of others.'
CHAP. XXVI. 1. Chu Po-yu sent a messenger with friendly
inquiries to Confucius.
2. Confucius sat with him, and questioned him. 'What,' said he,
'is your master engaged in?' The messenger replied, 'My master is
anxious to make his faults few, but he has not yet succeeded.' He
then went out, and the Master said, 'A messenger indeed! A
messenger indeed!'
CHAP. XXVII. The Master said, 'He who is not in any particular
office, has nothing to do with plans for the administration of its
duties.'
CHAP. XXVIII. The philosopher Tsang said, 'The superior man,
in his thoughts, does not go out of his place.'
CHAP. XXIX. The Master said, 'The superior man is modest in
his speech, but exceeds in his actions.'
CHAP. XXX. 1. The Master said, 'The way of the superior man
is threefold, but I am not equal to it. Virtuous, he is free from
anxieties; wise, he is free from perplexities; bold, he is free from
fear.
2. Tsze-kung said, 'Master, that is what you yourself say.'
CHAP. XXXI. Tsze-kung was in the habit of comparing men
together. The Master said, 'Tsze must have reached a high pitch of
excellence! Now, I have not leisure for this.'
CHAP. XXXII. The Master said, 'I will not be concerned at
men's not knowing me; I will be concerned at my own want of
ability.'
CHAP. XXXIII. The Master said, 'He who does not anticipate
attempts to deceive him, nor think beforehand of his not being
believed, and yet apprehends these things readily (when they
occur);-- is he not a man of superior worth?'
CHAP. XXXIV. 1. Wei-shang Mau said to Confucius, 'Ch'iu, how
is it that you keep roosting about? Is it not that you are an
insinuating talker?'
2. Confucius said, 'I do not dare to play the part of such a
talker, but I hate obstinacy.'
CHAP. XXXV. The Master said, 'A horse is called a ch'i, not
because of its strength, but because of its other good qualities.'
CHAP. XXXVI. 1. Some one said, 'What do you say concerning
the principle that injury should be recompensed with kindness?'
2. The Master said, 'With what then will you recompense
kindness?
3. 'Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness
with kindness.'
CHAP. XXXVII. 1. The Master said, 'Alas! there is no one that
knows me.'
2. Tsze-kung said, 'What do you mean by thus saying-- that
no one knows you?' The Master replied, 'I do not murmur against
Heaven. I do not grumble against men. My studies lie low, and my
penetration rises high. But there is Heaven;-- that knows me!'
CHAP. XXXVIII. 1. The Kung-po Liao, having slandered Tsze-lu
to Chi-sun, Tsze-fu Ching-po informed Confucius of it, saying, 'Our
master is certainly being led astray by the Kung-po Liao, but I have
still power enough left to cut Liao off, and expose his corpse in the
market and in the court.'
2. The Master said, 'If my principles are to advance, it is so
ordered. If they are to fall to the ground, it is so ordered. What can
the Kung-po Liao do where such ordering is concerned?'
CHAP. XXXIX. 1. The Master said, 'Some men of worth retire
from the world.
2. Some retire from particular states.
3. Some retire because of disrespectful looks.
4. Some retire because of contradictory language.'
CHAP. XL. The Master said, 'Those who have done this are
seven men.'
CHAP. XLI. Tsze-lu happening to pass the night in Shih-man,
the gatekeeper said to him, 'Whom do you come from?' Tsze-lu said,
'From Mr. K'ung.' 'It is he,-- is it not?'-- said the other, 'who knows
the impracticable nature of the times and yet will be doing in
them.'
CHAP. XLII. 1. The Master was playing, one day, on a musical
stone in Wei, when a man, carrying a straw basket, passed the door
of the house where Confucius was, and said, 'His heart is full who so
beats the musical stone.'
2. A little while after, he added, 'How contemptible is the
one-ideaed obstinacy those sounds display! When one is taken no
notice of, he has simply at once to give over his wish for public
employment. "Deep water must be crossed with the clothes on;
shallow water may be crossed with the clothes held up."'
3. The Master said, 'How determined is he in his purpose! But
this is not difficult!'
CHAP. XLIII. 1. Tsze-chang said, 'What is meant when the Shu
says that Kao-tsung, while observing the usual imperial mourning,
was for three years without speaking?'
2. The Master said, 'Why must Kao-tsung be referred to as an
example of this? The ancients all did so. When the sovereign died,
the officers all attended to their several duties, taking instructions
from the prime minister for three years.'
CHAP. XLIV. The Master said, 'When rulers love to observe
the rules of propriety, the people respond readily to the calls on
them for service.'
CHAP. XLV. Tsze-lu asked what constituted the superior man.
The Master said, 'The cultivation of himself in reverential
carefulness.' 'And is this all?' said Tsze-lu. 'He cultivates himself so
as to give rest to others,' was the reply. 'And is this all?' again
asked Tsze-lu. The Master said, 'He cultivates himself so as to give
rest to all the people. He cultivates himself so as to give rest to all
the people:-- even Yao and Shun were still solicitous about this.'
CHAP. XLVI. Yuan Zang was squatting on his heels, and
so waited the approach of the Master, who said to him, 'In youth
not humble as befits a junior; in manhood, doing nothing worthy of
being handed down; and living on to old age:-- this is to be a pest.'
With this he hit him on the shank with his staff.
CHAP. XLVI. 1. A youth of the village of Ch'ueh was employed
by Confucius to carry the messages between him and his visitors.
Some one asked about him, saying, 'I suppose he has made great
progress.'
2. The Master said, 'I observe that he is fond of occupying the
seat of a full-grown man; I observe that he walks shoulder to
shoulder with his elders. He is not one who is seeking to make
progress in learning. He wishes quickly to become a man.'
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
The tension between working with morally pure but ineffective people versus flawed but capable allies who can actually create change.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to distinguish between people who have real influence and those who just appear virtuous on the surface.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone at work gets things done despite having a messy reputation—ask yourself what skills they have that pure-hearted colleagues might lack.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"When good government prevails in a state, to be thinking only of salary; and, when bad government prevails, to be thinking, in the same way, only of salary;-- this is shameful."
Context: Answering Hsien's question about what constitutes shameful behavior
This reveals Confucius's belief that our motivations should change based on circumstances. When things are going well, we should focus on service; when they're going badly, we should focus on improvement, not just personal gain.
In Today's Words:
It's shameful to only care about your paycheck whether your workplace is thriving or falling apart.
"The scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar."
Context: Teaching about what it means to truly pursue learning and growth
Confucius argues that real learning requires embracing difficulty and discomfort. Those who seek easy paths aren't genuinely committed to understanding or improvement.
In Today's Words:
If you just want the easy way out, you're not really trying to learn anything.
"The virtuous will be sure to speak correctly, but those whose speech is good may not always be virtuous."
Context: Discussing the relationship between character and communication
This warns against judging people solely by how well they speak. Good character usually produces good speech, but smooth talkers aren't necessarily good people.
In Today's Words:
Good people usually say the right things, but people who say the right things aren't always good.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Confucius acknowledges that effective leaders often come from messy backgrounds, not just privileged positions
Development
Builds on earlier discussions about merit versus birth status
In Your Life:
You might find the best advice comes from coworkers who've worked their way up, not those born into management
Identity
In This Chapter
The 'complete person' isn't morally perfect but balances multiple qualities including practical wisdom
Development
Expands previous ideas about self-cultivation to include real-world effectiveness
In Your Life:
Your identity might include contradictions—being both principled and pragmatic when the situation demands it
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Learning for genuine growth versus learning to impress others reflects different motivations
Development
Continues theme of authentic versus performative behavior
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself studying or improving skills to look good rather than actually get better
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
True development means knowing when to speak, when to stay quiet, and how to navigate complex situations
Development
Deepens earlier teachings about self-improvement to include strategic thinking
In Your Life:
Your growth might mean learning to pick your battles rather than always speaking your mind
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Loyalty and service require working with imperfect people while maintaining core principles
Development
Builds on relationship dynamics to include working partnerships
In Your Life:
Your relationships might require accepting that good people sometimes make questionable choices
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Confucius talks about Kwan Chung, a leader who served a morally questionable duke but brought peace and prosperity to the kingdom. What was Confucius's verdict on this complicated figure?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Confucius seem to value practical results over moral purity when evaluating leaders? What does this tell us about his approach to real-world problems?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about your workplace, community, or family. Can you identify someone who gets things done despite having a complicated past or questionable methods? How do people react to them?
application • medium - 4
When faced with choosing between working with someone who has the right values but no influence, versus someone with questionable ethics but real power to help, how would you decide? What factors would matter most?
application • deep - 5
Confucius distinguishes between learning for self-improvement versus learning to impress others. What does this reveal about how we should measure our own growth and the growth of people around us?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map the Compromise Spectrum
Think of a current situation where you need help achieving something important—at work, in your family, or in your community. List three people who could potentially help you, ranging from the most ethically pure to the most practically effective. For each person, write down what they could offer and what working with them might cost you in terms of your values or reputation.
Consider:
- •Consider both immediate results and long-term consequences of each alliance
- •Think about which compromises you could live with and which would cross your personal red lines
- •Remember that sometimes refusing to work with imperfect allies means the problem never gets solved
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had to choose between moral purity and practical effectiveness. What did you choose and why? Looking back, would you make the same decision today?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 15: Practical Wisdom for Daily Life
The next chapter follows Duke Ling of Wei, exploring how even flawed rulers can maintain power through strategic appointments and the delicate balance between moral idealism and political reality.
