Confucian Canon 301-330

301
"If Heaven had wished to let this cause of truth perish, then I, a future mortal! should not have got such a relation to
that cause. While Heaven does not let the cause of truth perish, what can the people of K'wang do to me?"
302
A high officer asked Tsze-kung, saying, "May we not say that your Master is a sage? How various is his ability!"
303
Tsze-kung said, "Certainly Heaven has endowed him unlimitedly. He is about a sage. And, moreover, his ability is
various."
304
The Master heard of the conversation and said, "Does the high officer know me? When I was young, my condition
was low, and I acquired my ability in many things, but they were mean matters. Must the superior man have such
variety of ability? He does not need variety of ability. Lao said, "The Master said, 'Having no official employment, I
acquired many arts.'"
305
The Master said, "Am I indeed possessed of knowledge? I am not knowing. But if a mean person, who appears quite
empty-like, ask anything of me, I set it forth from one end to the other, and exhaust it."
306
The Master said, "The Fang bird does not come; the river sends forth no map:-it is all over with me!"
307
When the Master saw a person in a mourning dress, or any one with the cap and upper and lower garments of full
dress, or a blind person, on observing them approaching, though they were younger than himself, he would rise up, and
if he had to pass by them, he would do so hastily.
308
Yen Yuan, in admiration of the Master's doctrines, sighed and said, "I looked up to them, and they seemed to become
more high; I tried to penetrate them, and they seemed to become more firm; I looked at them before me, and suddenly
they seemed to be behind.
309
"The Master, by orderly method, skillfully leads men on. He enlarged my mind with learning, and taught me the
restraints of propriety.
310
"When I wish to give over the study of his doctrines, I cannot do so, and having exerted all my ability, there seems
something to stand right up before me; but though I wish to follow and lay hold of it, I really find no way to do so."
311
The Master being very ill, Tsze-lu wished the disciples to act as ministers to him.
312
During a remission of his illness, he said, "Long has the conduct of Yu been deceitful! By pretending to have ministers
when I have them not, whom should I impose upon? Should I impose upon Heaven?
313
"Moreover, than that I should die in the hands of ministers, is it not better that I should die in the hands of you, my
disciples? And though I may not get a great burial, shall I die upon the road?"
314
Tsze-kung said, "There is a beautiful gem here. Should I lay it up in a case and keep it? or should I seek for a good
price and sell it?" The Master said, "Sell it! Sell it! But I would wait for one to offer the price."
315
The Master was wishing to go and live among the nine wild tribes of the east.
316
Some one said, "They are rude. How can you do such a thing?" The Master said, "If a superior man dwelt among
them, what rudeness would there be?"
317
The Master said, "I returned from Wei to Lu, and then the music was reformed, and the pieces in the Royal songs and
Praise songs all found their proper places."
318
The Master said, "Abroad, to serve the high ministers and nobles; at home, to serve one's father and elder brothers; in
all duties to the dead, not to dare not to exert one's self; and not to be overcome of wine:-which one of these things do
I attain to?"
319
The Master standing by a stream, said, "It passes on just like this, not ceasing day or night!"
320
The Master said, "I have not seen one who loves virtue as he loves beauty."
321
The Master said, "The prosecution of learning may be compared to what may happen in raising a mound. If there want
but one basket of earth to complete the work, and I stop, the stopping is my own work. It may be compared to
throwing down the earth on the level ground. Though but one basketful is thrown at a time, the advancing with it my
own going forward."
322
The Master said, "Never flagging when I set forth anything to him;-ah! that is Hui." The Master said of Yen Yuan,
"Alas! I saw his constant advance. I never saw him stop in his progress."
323
The Master said, "There are cases in which the blade springs, but the plant does not go on to flower! There are cases
where it flowers but fruit is not subsequently produced!"
324
The Master said, "A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our
present? If he reach the age of forty or fifty, and has not made himself heard of, then indeed he will not be worth being
regarded with respect."
325
The Master said, "Can men refuse to assent to the words of strict admonition? But it is reforming the conduct because
of them which is valuable. Can men refuse to be pleased with words of gentle advice? But it is unfolding their aim
which is valuable. If a man be pleased with these words, but does not unfold their aim, and assents to those, but does
not reform his conduct, I can really do nothing with him."
326
The Master said, "Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Have no friends not equal to yourself. When you
have faults, do not fear to abandon them."
327
The Master said, "The commander of the forces of a large state may be carried off, but the will of even a common man
cannot be taken from him."
328
The Master said, "Dressed himself in a tattered robe quilted with hemp, yet standing by the side of men dressed in furs,
and not ashamed;-ah! it is Yu who is equal to this!
Confucian Analects : texts 288 - 328
Confucian Analects : texts 329 - 369
329
"He dislikes none, he covets nothing;-what can he do but what is good!"
330
Tsze-lu kept continually repeating these words of the ode, when the Master said, "Those things are by no means
sufficient to constitute perfect excellence."