II
［1］ THE MASTER said: “In governing, cleave to good; as the northstar holds his place, and the multitude of stars revolve upon him.”
［2］ The Master said: “To sum up the three hundred songs in a word, they are free from evil thought.”
［3］ The Master said: “Guide the people by law, subdue them by punishment; they may shun crime, but will be void of shame. Guide them by example, subdue them by courtesy; they will learn shame, and come to be good.”
［4］ The Master said: “At fifteen, I was bent on study; at thirty, I could stand; at forty, doubts ceased; at fifty, I understood the laws of Heaven; at sixty, my ears obeyed me; at seventy, I could do as my heart lusted, and never swerve from right.”
［5］ Meng Yi asked the duty of a son.
The Master said: “Obedience.”
As Fan Ch＇ih〖A disciple.〗 was driving him, the Master said: “Meng-sun〖Meng Yi.〗 asked me the duty of a son; I answered ‘Obedience.’”
“What did ye mean?” said Fan Ch＇ih.
“To serve our parents with courtesy whilst they live,” said the Master; “to bury them with all courtesy when they die; and to worship them with all courtesy.”
［6］ Meng Wu asked the duty of a son.
The Master said: “What weighs on your father and mother is concern for your health.”
［7］ Tzu-yu〖A disciple.〗 asked the duty of a son.
The Master said: “To-day a man is called dutiful if he keep his father and mother. But we keep both our dogs and horses, and unless we honour parents, is it not all one?”
［8］ Tzu-hsia asked the duty of a son.
The Master said: “Our manner is the hard part. For the young to be a stay in toil, and leave the wine and cakes to their elders, is this to fulfil their duty?”
［9］ The Master said: “If I talk all day to Hui,〖The Master’s favourite disciple, Yen Yüan.〗 like a dullard, he never stops me. But when he is gone, if I pry into his life, I find he can do what I say. No, Hui is no dullard.”
［10］ The Master said: “Look at a man’s acts; watch his motives; find out what pleases him: can the man evade you? Can the man evade you?”
［11］ The Master said: “Who keeps the old akindle and adds new knowledge is fitted to be a teacher.”
［12］ The Master said: “A gentleman is not a vessel.”
［13］ Tzu-kung asked, What is a gentleman?
The Master said: “He puts words into deed first, and sorts what he says to the deed.”
［14］ The Master said: “A gentleman is broad and fair: the vulgar are biassed and petty.”
［15］ The Master said: “Study without thought is vain: thought without study is dangerous.”
［16］ The Master said: “Work on strange doctrines does harm.”
［17］ The Master said: “Yu,〖The disciple, Tzu-lu.〗 shall I teach thee what is understanding? To know what we know, and know what we do not know, that is understanding.”
［18］ Tzu-chang〖A disciple.〗studied with an eye to pay. The Master said: “Listen much, keep silent when in doubt, and always take heed of the tongue; thou wilt make few mistakes. See much, beware of pitfalls, and always give heed to thy walk; thou wilt have little to rue. If thy words are seldom wrong, thy deeds leave little to rue, pay will follow.”
［19］ Duke Ai〖Duke of Lu, during Confucius’ closing years.〗asked: “What should be done to make the people loyal?”
Confucius answered: “Exalt the straight, set aside the crooked, the people will be loyal. Exalt the crooked, set aside the straight, the people will be disloyal.”
［20］ Chi K＇ang〖Head of the Chi clan during Confucius’ closing years.〗 asked how to make the people lowly, faithful, and willing.
The Master said: “Behave with dignity, they will be lowly: be pious and merciful, they will be faithful: exalt the good, teach the unskilful, they will grow willing.”
［21］ One said to Confucius: “Why are ye not in power, Sir?”
The Master answered: “What does the book say of a good son? ‘An always dutiful son, who is a friend to his brothers, showeth the way to rule.’ This also is to rule. What need to be in power?”
［22］ The Master said: “Without truth I know not how man can live. A cart without a crosspole, a carriage without harness, how could they be moved?”
［23］ Tzu-chang asked whether we can know what is to be ten generations hence.
The Master said: “The Yin〖The three dynasties that had ruled China up till the time of Confucius.〗inherited the manners of the Hsia; the harm and the good that they wrought them is known. The Chou inherited the manners of the Yin; the harm and the good that they wrought them is known. And we may know what is to be, even an hundred generations hence, when others follow Chou.”
［24］ The Master said: “To worship the ghosts of strangers is fawning. To see the right and not do it is want of courage.”