An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1434 words)
OOK V. KUNG-YE CH'ANG.
CHAP. I. 1. The Master said of Kung-ye Ch'ang that he might
be wived; although he was put in bonds, he had not been guilty of
any crime. Accordingly, he gave him his own daughter to wife.
2. Of Nan Yung he said that if the country were well governed
he would not be out of office, and if it were ill-governed, he would
escape punishment and disgrace. He gave him the daughter of his
own elder brother to wife.
CHAP. II. The Master said of Tsze-chien, 'Of superior virtue
indeed is such a man! If there were not virtuous men in Lu, how
could this man have acquired this character?'
CHAP. III. Tsze-kung asked, 'What do you say of me, Ts'ze?
The Master said, 'You are a utensil.' 'What utensil?' 'A gemmed
sacrificial utensil.'
CHAP. IV. 1. Some one said, 'Yung is truly virtuous, but he is
not ready with his tongue.'
2. The Master said, 'What is the good of being ready with the
tongue? They who encounter men with smartnesses of speech for
the most part procure themselves hatred. I know not whether he
be truly virtuous, but why should he show readiness of the
tongue?'
CHAP. V. The Master was wishing Ch'i-tiao K'ai to enter on
official employment. He replied, 'I am not yet able to rest in the
assurance of THIS.' The Master was pleased.
CHAP. VI. The Master said, 'My doctrines make no way. I will
get upon a raft, and float about on the sea. He that will accompany
me will be Yu, I dare say.' Tsze-lu hearing this was glad,
upon which the Master said, 'Yu is fonder of daring than I am. He
does not exercise his judgment upon matters.'
CHAP. VII. 1. Mang Wu asked about Tsze-lu, whether he was
perfectly virtuous. The Master said, 'I do not know.'
2. He asked again, when the Master replied, 'In a kingdom of
a thousand chariots, Yu might be employed to manage the military
levies, but I do not know whether he be perfectly virtuous.'
3. 'And what do you say of Ch'iu?' The Master replied, 'In a
city of a thousand families, or a clan of a hundred chariots, Ch'iu
might be employed as governor, but I do not know whether he is
perfectly virtuous.'
4. 'What do you say of Ch'ih?' The Master replied, 'With his
sash girt and standing in a court, Ch'ih might be employed to
converse with the visitors and guests, but I do not know whether
he is perfectly virtuous.'
CHAP. VII. 1. The Master said to Tsze-kung, 'Which do you
consider superior, yourself or Hui?'
2. Tsze-kung replied, 'How dare I compare myself with Hui?
Hui hears one point and knows all about a subject; I hear one point,
and know a second.'
3. The Master said, 'You are not equal to him. I grant you, you
are not equal to him.'
CHAP. IX. 1. Tsai Yu being asleep during the daytime, the
Master said, 'Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth
will not receive the trowel. This Yu!-- what is the use of my
reproving him?'
2. The Master said, 'At first, my way with men was to hear
their words, and give them credit for their conduct. Now my way is
to hear their words, and look at their conduct. It is from Yu that I
have learned to make this change.'
CHAP. X. The Master said, 'I have not seen a firm and
unbending man.' Some one replied, 'There is Shan Ch'ang.' 'Ch'ang,'
said the Master, 'is under the influence of his passions; how can he
be pronounced firm and unbending?'
CHAP. XI. Tsze-kung said, 'What I do not wish men to do to
me, I also wish not to do to men.' The Master said, 'Ts'ze, you have
not attained to that.'
CHAP. XII. Tsze-kung said, 'The Master's personal displays of
his principles and ordinary descriptions of them may be heard. His
discourses about man's nature, and the way of Heaven, cannot be
heard.'
CHAP. XIII. When Tsze-lu heard anything, if he had not yet
succeeded in carrying it into practice, he was only afraid lest he
should hear something else.
CHAP. XIV. Tsze-kung asked, saying, 'On what ground did
Kung-wan get that title of Wan?' The Master said, 'He was of an
active nature and yet fond of learning, and he was not ashamed to
ask and learn of his inferiors!-- On these grounds he has been
styled Wan.'
CHAP. XV. The Master said of Tsze-ch'an that he had four of
the characteristics of a superior man:-- in his conduct of himself, he
was humble; in serving his superiors, he was respectful; in
nourishing the people, he was kind; in ordering the people, he was
just.'
CHAP. XVI. The Master said, 'Yen P'ing knew well how to
maintain friendly intercourse. The acquaintance might be long, but
he showed the same respect as at first.'
CHAP. XVII. The Master said, 'Tsang Wan kept a large tortoise
in a house, on the capitals of the pillars of which he had hills made,
and with representations of duckweed on the small pillars above
the beams supporting the rafters.-- Of what sort was his wisdom?'
CHAP. XVIII. 1. Tsze-chang asked, saying, 'The minister Tsze-
wan thrice took office, and manifested no joy in his countenance.
Thrice he retired from office, and manifested no displeasure. He
made it a point to inform the new minister of the way in which he
had conducted the government;-- what do you say of him?' The
Master replied. 'He was loyal.' 'Was he perfectly virtuous?' 'I do not
know. How can he be pronounced perfectly virtuous?'
2. Tsze-chang proceeded, 'When the officer Ch'ui killed the
prince of Ch'i, Ch'an Wan, though he was the owner of forty horses,
abandoned them and left the country. Coming to another State, he
said, "They are here like our great officer, Ch'ui," and left it. He
came to a second State, and with the same observation left it also;--
what do you say of him?' The Master replied, 'He was pure.' 'Was he
perfectly virtuous?' 'I do not know. How can he be pronounced
perfectly virtuous?'
CHAP. XIX. Chi Wan thought thrice, and then acted. When the
Master was informed of it, he said, 'Twice may do.'
CHAP. XX. The Master said, 'When good order prevailed in his
country, Ning Wu acted the part of a wise man. When his country
was in disorder, he acted the part of a stupid man. Others may
equal his wisdom, but they cannot equal his stupidity.'
CHAP. XXI. When the Master was in Ch'an, he said, 'Let me
return! Let me return! The little children of my school are
ambitious and too hasty. They are accomplished and complete so
far, but they do not know how to restrict and shape themselves.'
CHAP. XXII. The Master said, 'Po-i and Shu-ch'i did not keep
the former wickednesses of men in mind, and hence the
resentments directed towards them were few.'
CHAP. XXIII. The Master said, 'Who says of Wei-shang Kao
that he is upright? One begged some vinegar of him, and he begged
it of a neighbor and gave it to the man.'
CHAP. XXIV. The Master said, 'Fine words, an insinuating
appearance, and excessive respect;-- Tso Ch'iu-ming was ashamed
of them. I also am ashamed of them. To conceal resentment against
a person, and appear friendly with him;-- Tso Ch'iu-ming was
ashamed of such conduct. I also am ashamed of it.'
CHAP. XXV. 1. Yen Yuan and Chi Lu being by his side, the
Master said to them, 'Come, let each of you tell his wishes.'
2. Tsze-lu said, 'I should like, having chariots and horses, and
light fur dresses, to share them with my friends, and though they
should spoil them, I would not be displeased.'
3. Yen Yuan said, 'I should like not to boast of my excellence,
nor to make a display of my meritorious deeds.'
4. Tsze-lu then said, 'I should like, sir, to hear your wishes.'
The Master said, 'They are, in regard to the aged, to give them rest;
in regard to friends, to show them sincerity; in regard to the young,
to treat them tenderly.'
CHAP. XXVI. The Master said, 'It is all over! I have not yet
seen one who could perceive his faults, and inwardly accuse
himself.'
CHAP. XXVII. The Master said, 'In a hamlet of ten families,
there may be found one honourable and sincere as I am, but not so
fond of learning.'
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Let's Analyse the Pattern
People consistently reveal their true nature through small, repeated actions rather than their words or impressive presentations.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to assess people's true character by tracking their actions over time rather than being swayed by impressive words or credentials.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone's actions don't match their words - track the pattern for two weeks before making decisions about trust or reliance.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"You are a utensil. What utensil? A gemmed sacrificial utensil."
Context: When student Tsze-kung asks for an evaluation of his character and abilities.
This is both a compliment and a limitation. Confucius acknowledges Tsze-kung's value and skill, but suggests he's more of a specialist than a well-rounded leader. It's honest feedback that recognizes strengths while pointing out areas for growth.
In Today's Words:
You're really good at what you do, but you're still pretty specialized.
"What is the good of being ready with the tongue? They who encounter men with smartnesses of speech for the most part procure themselves hatred."
Context: Defending a student who was criticized for not being quick with words.
Confucius warns against valuing smooth talking over substance. He's seen how clever speakers often create resentment and distrust, while quiet, reliable people build lasting relationships through their actions.
In Today's Words:
What's so great about having a quick comeback? People who are always trying to sound clever usually end up making enemies.
"Rotten wood cannot be carved."
Context: His frustrated response to finding student Tsai Yu sleeping during the day.
This captures the teacher's disappointment when a student wastes their potential. It's about the futility of trying to develop someone who won't put in the effort - you can't create something beautiful from material that's already deteriorated.
In Today's Words:
You can't help someone who won't help themselves.
"Formerly I heard the words of men and gave them credit for their conduct. Now I hear their words and observe their conduct."
Context: Reflecting on how his judgment of people has evolved with experience.
This shows Confucius's intellectual honesty about his own growth. He admits to being naive earlier in life, trusting words over actions, but experience taught him to watch what people actually do rather than just listening to what they promise.
In Today's Words:
I used to take people at their word, but now I watch what they actually do.
Thematic Threads
Trust
In This Chapter
Confucius shifts from trusting words to watching actions, showing how trust must be earned through consistent behavior
Development
Builds on earlier themes of reliability and integrity with practical evaluation methods
In Your Life:
You might find yourself repeatedly disappointed by people who talk well but don't follow through on commitments.
Judgment
In This Chapter
Demonstrates how to evaluate people fairly by observing specific behaviors rather than making broad character assessments
Development
Introduced here as a core leadership and relationship skill
In Your Life:
You face daily decisions about who to trust with responsibilities, secrets, or your time.
Self-awareness
In This Chapter
Confucius admits his own limitations in truly knowing people's hearts, showing intellectual humility
Development
Continues the theme of honest self-reflection from earlier chapters
In Your Life:
You might struggle with admitting when you don't really know if someone is trustworthy or just want to believe they are.
Character
In This Chapter
Shows character as revealed through small daily actions and responses to feedback, not grand gestures
Development
Deepens earlier discussions by providing concrete evaluation criteria
In Your Life:
You reveal your own character through how you handle criticism, keep promises, and treat people who can't help you.
Relationships
In This Chapter
Ends with simple goals for how to treat others: comfort the old, be sincere with friends, nurture the young
Development
Builds on social harmony themes with practical relationship guidance
In Your Life:
You might find your relationships improve when you focus on consistent care rather than impressive gestures.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific method does Confucius use to evaluate his students' character, and how is it different from judging someone by their words or reputation?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Confucius say he changed from trusting people's words to watching their actions? What pattern was he recognizing about human behavior?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about your workplace or social circle - can you identify someone who talks impressively but doesn't follow through versus someone who quietly delivers? What specific behaviors reveal the difference?
application • medium - 4
If you were hiring someone or choosing a roommate, what three behavioral patterns would you track over time rather than relying on first impressions or interviews?
application • deep - 5
Confucius admits he doesn't know if his students are truly virtuous overall, even while praising their specific strengths. What does this intellectual honesty teach us about making judgments about people?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Character Detective: Track the Pattern
Choose someone in your life you're trying to figure out - a coworker, potential friend, or romantic interest. Write down three specific things they've said about themselves or their values. Then list three concrete actions you've observed them take when they thought no one important was watching. Compare the lists and identify any gaps between words and actions.
Consider:
- •Focus on small, everyday behaviors rather than dramatic moments
- •Notice how they treat people with less power or status
- •Track consistency over time rather than isolated incidents
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you trusted someone's words over their pattern of behavior. What did you learn from that experience, and how would you handle a similar situation now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 6: Choosing Your People
Next, Confucius turns his attention to one of his most promising students, exploring what it means to truly embody virtue rather than just talk about it.
