Confucian Canon, 643>

643
Tsze-chang wrote these counsels on the end of his sash.
644
The Master said, "Truly straightforward was the historiographer Yu. When good government prevailed in his state, he
was like an arrow. When bad government prevailed, he was like an arrow. A superior man indeed is Chu Po-yu!
When good government prevails in his state, he is to be found in office. When bad government prevails, he can roll his
principles up, and keep them in his breast."
645
The Master said, "When a man may be spoken with, not to speak to him is to err in reference to the man. When a man
may not be spoken with, to speak to him is to err in reference to our words. The wise err neither in regard to their man
nor to their words."
646
The Master said, "The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their
virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete."
647
Tsze-kung asked about the practice of virtue. The Master said, "The mechanic, who wishes to do his work well, must
first sharpen his tools. When you are living in any state, take service with the most worthy among its great officers, and
make friends of the most virtuous among its scholars."
648
Yen Yuan asked how the government of a country should be administered.
649
The Master said, "Follow the seasons of Hsia.
650
"Ride in the state carriage of Yin.
651
"Wear the ceremonial cap of Chau.
652
"Let the music be the Shao with its pantomimes. Banish the songs of Chang, and keep far from specious talkers. The
songs of Chang are licentious; specious talkers are dangerous."
653
The Master said, "If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand."
654
The Master said, "It is all over! I have not seen one who loves virtue as he loves beauty."
655
The Master said, "Was not Tsang Wan like one who had stolen his situation? He knew the virtue and the talents of Hui
of Liu-hsia, and yet did not procure that he should stand with him in court."
656
The Master said, "He who requires much from himself and little from others, will keep himself from being the object of
resentment."
Confucian Analects : texts 616 - 656
Confucian Analects : texts 657 - 697
657
The Master said, "When a man is not in the habit of saying-'What shall I think of this? What shall I think of this?' I can
indeed do nothing with him!"
658
The Master said, "When a number of people are together, for a whole day, without their conversation turning on
righteousness, and when they are fond of carrying out the suggestions of a small shrewdness;-theirs is indeed a hard
case."
659
The Master said, "The superior man in everything considers righteousness to be essential. He performs it according to
the rules of propriety. He brings it forth in humility. He completes it with sincerity. This is indeed a superior man."
660
The Master said, "The superior man is distressed by his want of ability. He is not distressed by men's not knowing
him."
661
The Master said, "The superior man dislikes the thought of his name not being mentioned after his death."
662
The Master said, "What the superior man seeks, is in himself. What the mean man seeks, is in others."
663
The Master said, "The superior man is dignified, but does not wrangle. He is sociable, but not a partisan."
664
The Master said, "The superior man does not promote a man simply on account of his words, nor does he put aside
good words because of the man."
665
Tsze-kung asked, saying, "Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life?" The Master said,
"Is not RECIPROCITY such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others."
666
The Master said, "In my dealings with men, whose evil do I blame, whose goodness do I praise, beyond what is
proper? If I do sometimes exceed in praise, there must be ground for it in my examination of the individual.
667
"This people supplied the ground why the three dynasties pursued the path of straightforwardness."
668
The Master said, "Even in my early days, a historiographer would leave a blank in his text, and he who had a horse
would lend him to another to ride. Now, alas! there are no such things."
669
The Master said, "Specious words confound virtue. Want of forbearance in small matters confounds great plans."
670
The Master said, "When the multitude hate a man, it is necessary to examine into the case. When the multitude like a
man, it is necessary to examine into the case."
671
The Master said, "A man can enlarge the principles which he follows; those principles do not enlarge the man."
672
The Master said, "To have faults and not to reform them,-this, indeed, should be pronounced having faults."
673
The Master said, "I have been the whole day without eating, and the whole night without sleeping:-occupied with
thinking. It was of no use. better plan is to learn."
674
The Master said, "The object of the superior man is truth. Food is not his object. There is plowing;-even in that there is
sometimes want. So with learning;-emolument may be found in it. The superior man is anxious lest he should not get
truth; he is not anxious lest poverty should come upon him."
675
The Master said, "When a man's knowledge is sufficient to attain, and his virtue is not sufficient to enable him to hold,
whatever he may have gained, he will lose again.
676
"When his knowledge is sufficient to attain, and he has virtue enough to hold fast, if he cannot govern with dignity, the
people will not respect him.
677
"When his knowledge is sufficient to attain, and he has virtue enough to hold fast; when he governs also with dignity,
yet if he try to move the people contrary to the rules of propriety:-full excellence is not reached."
678
The Master said, "The superior man cannot be known in little matters; but he may be intrusted with great concerns.
The small man may not be intrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little matters."
679
The Master said, "Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire,
but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue."
680
The Master said, "Let every man consider virtue as what devolves on himself. He may not yield the performance of it
even to his teacher."
681
The Master said, "The superior man is correctly firm, and not firm merely."
682
The Master said, "A minister, in serving his prince, reverently discharges his duties, and makes his emolument a
secondary consideration."
683
The Master said, "In teaching there should be no distinction of classes."
684
The Master said, "Those whose courses are different cannot lay plans for one another."
685
The Master said, "In language it is simply required that it convey the meaning."
686
The music master, Mien, having called upon him, when they came to the steps, the Master said, "Here are the steps."
When they came to the mat for the guest to sit upon, he said, "Here is the mat." When all were seated, the Master
informed him, saying, "So and so is here; so and so is here."
687
The music master, Mien, having gone out, Tsze-chang asked, saying. "Is it the rule to tell those things to the music
master?"