第1节

the master said, "in the book of poetry are three hundred pieces, but thedesign of them all may be embraced in one sentence 'having no depravedthoughts.'"

the master said, "if the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to begiven them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have nosense of shame.

"if they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by therules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will becomegood."

the master said, "at fifteen, i had my mind bent on learning.

"at thirty, i stood firm.

"at forty, i had no doubts.

"at fifty, i knew the decrees of heaven.

"at sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth.

"at seventy, i could follow what my heart desired, without transgressingwhat was right."

mang i asked what filial piety was. the master said, "it is not beingdisobedient."

soon after, as fan ch'ih was driving him, the master told him, saying,"mang-sun asked me what filial piety was, and i answered him,-'not beingdisobedient.'"

fan ch'ih said, "what did you mean?" the master replied, "that parents, whenalive, be served according to propriety; that, when dead, they should be buriedaccording to propriety; and that they should be sacrificed to according topropriety."

mang wu asked what filial piety was. the master said, "parents are anxiouslest their children should be sick."

tsze-yu asked what filial piety was. the master said, "the filial pietynowadays means the support of one's parents. but dogs and horses likewise areable to do something in the way of support;-without reverence, what is there todistinguish the one support given from the other?"

tsze-hsia asked what filial piety was. the master said, "the difficulty iswith the countenance. if, when their elders have any troublesome affairs, theyoung take the toil of them, and if, when the young have wine and food, they setthem before their elders, is this to be considered filial piety?"

the master said, "i have talked with hui for a whole day, and he has notmade any objection to anything i said;-as if he were stupid. he has retired, andi have examined his conduct when away from me, and found him able to illustratemy teachings. hui!-he is not stupid."

the master said, "see what a man does.

"mark his motives.

"examine in what things he rests.

"how can a man conceal his character? how can a man conceal his character?"

the master said, "if a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so ascontinually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others."

the master said, "the accomplished scholar is not a utensil."

tsze-kung asked what constituted the superior man. the master said, "he actsbefore he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions."

the master said, "the superior man is catholic and not partisan. the meanman is partisan and not catholic."

the master said, "learning without thought is labor lost; thought withoutlearning is perilous."

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