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Saturday, May 26, 2018

The Analects of Confucius: Scroll Fifteen

Passage Three Hundred and Eighty Three 

衛靈公問陳於孔子。孔子對曰:「俎豆之事,則嘗聞之矣;軍旅之事,未之學也。」明日遂行。

English Translation 

Mr. Weiling asked Confucius about battle formation.

Confucius said: In term of manner, I know some, but in term of battle, I am not a professional

The next day, Confucius left Wei nation.

Passage Three Hundred and Eighty Four 

在陳絕糧,從者病,莫能興。子路慍見曰:「君子亦有窮乎?」子曰:「君子固窮,小人窮斯濫 矣。」

English Translation 

When losing food supply at Chen nation, all the students got very hungry and they can't walk forward.

Zihlu complaint saying: Would there be a time, when gentlemen get so poor?

Confucius said: When a gentleman gets poor, he doesn’t lose himself. When a savage get poor, he gives up on himself.

Passage Three Hundred and Eighty Five 

子曰:「賜也,女以予為多學而識之者與?」對曰:「然,非與?」曰:「非也,予一以貫之。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: Zihgong, do you think the reason I know so much, is because I learned a lot?

Zihgong said: Isn't that the case?

Confucius said: No, I use a set of consistent principle, in my philosophy.

Passage Three Hundred and Eighty Six 

子曰:「由!知德者鮮矣。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: Too few people know about morals.

Passage Three Hundred and Eighty Seven 

子曰:「無為而治者,其舜也與?夫何為哉,恭己正南面而已矣。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: Shun is probably the only King that can create world peace, without doing anything. What did he do? He just sits on the throne and be sensible.

Passage Three Hundred and Eighty Eight 

子張問行。子曰:「言忠信,行篤敬,雖蠻貊之邦行矣;言不忠信,行不篤敬,雖州里行乎哉? 立,則見其參於前也;在輿,則見其倚於衡也。夫然後行。」子張書諸紳。

English Translation 

Zihzang asked: How to behave?

Confucius said: Be true to your words and be honest. This way, even if you are living in a remote area, your career will be smooth. Otherwise, even if you live in a prospering city, would things be smooth? If you are a liar, would people of your village trust you? Always remember, the word 'honesty' and 'keeping your word', would make you successful everywhere.

So, Zihzang wrote the word at on his belt.

Passage Three Hundred and Eighty Nine 

子曰:「直哉史魚!邦有道,如矢;邦無道,如矢。」君子哉蘧伯玉!邦有道,則仕;邦無道, 則可卷而懷之。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: Shihyu is very a straightforward man. When the King is just, he is like a straight arrow. When the King is not just, he is like an arrow. Pengboyu is a great gentleman. When there is a just King, he comes out to support the King. When the King, is not just, he resign and go into hiding.

Passage Three Hundred and Ninety 

子曰:「可與言而不與之言,失人;不可與言而與之言,失言。知者不失人,亦不失言。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: If you come across a person you can speak to, but you don't speak, then you lost your chance. If you come across a person you cannot speak to but you speak, all you do is offending him. A smart person would not offend people, by speaking to people who he cannot speak with.

Passage Three Hundred and Ninety One 

子曰:「志士仁人,無求生以害仁,有殺身以成仁。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: We never hear of a humane paladin with ideals, doing things that are not humane, due to a fear of death, only those who are willing to die to serve a humane purpose.

Passage Three Hundred and Ninety Two 

子貢問為仁。子曰:「工欲善其事,必先利其器。居是邦也,事其大夫之賢者,友其士之仁者。」

English Translation 

Zihgong asked, about how to be a humane person.

Confucius said: The blacksmith must do his job well. He must be as effective as possible. When living in the country, assist the great men. And befriend people who are humane.

Passage Three Hundred and Ninety Three 

顏淵問為邦。子曰:「行夏之時,乘殷之輅,服周之冕,樂則韶舞。放鄭聲,遠佞人。鄭聲淫, 佞人殆。」

English Translation 

Yanyuan asked about how to govern a nation.

Confucius said: Use Sia Kingdom's calendar, use Shang Kingdom's carriages, use Jhou dynasty's clothing. Have beautiful music. Avoid rotten sound, which is the sound of those who are suck-ups and gossip.

Passage Three Hundred and Ninety Four 

子曰:「人無遠慮,必有近憂。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: Those who are not long-sighted would have to face disaster situation, soon ahead.

Passage Three Hundred and Ninety Five 

子曰:「已矣乎!吾未見好德如好色者也。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: This society is doom! I have never seen a person who loves kindness, as much as he loves a beautiful woman.

Note: Confucius ideology, should not be confused to be as referring to sex as evil, like Christianity. However, Confucius do believe one need to be able to restrain his own lustful desire and show the necessary level of restraining, when necessary. Because, firstly, Confucius ideology believe one should do his work first and have fun later. Secondly, Confucius ideology speaks of the principle of manner, is to maintain harmony. Thirdly, Confucius ideology encourage been humane and honor your parents.

For example, if you are a university student and choose to have sex with your girlfriend and not complete your final assessment, you might fail the course, thus you failed the course, because you didn't do the more important things first.

Also, failure to be in control of a lustful desire, under some circumstances, could result in destroying harmony. For example, if you rape a woman, even if you are fortunate enough not to ended up in prison over this, you are still hurting people, thus destroying harmony. If you have a lustful desire for your brother's wife and had an affair with brother's wife, even if your brother forgives you, you are causing harm to your brother, thus destroying harmony.

Passage Three Hundred and Ninety Six 

子曰:「臧文仲其竊位者與?知柳下惠之賢,而不與立也。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: Is Zangwunjhong a person that steals Lordship? He knows there is a better candidate but won't recommend him.

Passage Three Hundred and Ninety Seven 

子曰:「躬自厚而薄責於人,則遠怨矣。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: Think about your flaws more, blame other people less. This way, you can avoid having people hating you.

Passage Three Hundred and Ninety Eight 

子曰:「不曰『如之何如之何』者,吾末如之何也已矣。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: People who encounter a problem but don't think about "how to resolve it" I don't know what to do about them either.

Passage Three Hundred and Ninety Nine 

子曰:「群居終日,言不及義,好行小慧,難矣哉!」

English Translation 

Confucius said: People, who like to gather together in a group, all day, speak of things that are antijustice and love to play little tricks. People like these are hard to deal with.

Passage Four Hundred 

子曰:「君子義以為質,禮以行之,孫以出之,信以成之。君子哉!」

English Translation 

Confucius said: A true gentleman insist on justice, behave polite, and is always humble and true to his word.

Passage Four Hundred and One 

子曰:「君子病無能焉,不病人之不己知也。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: A true gentleman isn't afraid of people not knowing him, he is only afraid of not having the ability.

Note: "Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition." Abraham Lincoln

Passage Four Hundred and Two 

子曰:「君子疾沒世而名不稱焉。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: A gentleman's biggest regrade would be till death people still don't praise him.

Passage Four Hundred and Three 

子曰:「君子求諸己,小人求諸人。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: A gentleman expects himself. A savage expects others.

Passage Four Hundred and Four 

子曰:「君子矜而不爭,群而不黨。」

English Translation 

 Confucius said: A true gentleman represent himself in a solemn manner. A true gentleman doesn't fight with the world. A true gentleman unites with the masses. A true gentleman doesn't create a little circle and conspires against others.

Note: During the era of the Spanish Inquisition, the Roman Catholic Church order for people to all unite under Catholicism. Those who refuse to do so were executed. Organized Crime also frequently create a little circle (their gang) and conspire against others e.g. human trafficking and sex trafficking. After the US' law recognized gay marriage, some extremists Christian group start spreading the rumor saying this, is evidence of the coming of the great Christian persecution.

Passage Four Hundred and Five 

子曰:「君子不以言舉人,不以人廢言。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: A true gentleman won't recommend a person, simply because that person is good to him. He won't reject a person's opinion, simply because he doesn’t like that person.

Passage Four Hundred and Six 

子貢問曰:「有一言而可以終身行之者乎?」子曰:「其恕乎!己所不欲,勿施於人。」

English Translation 

Zihgong asked: Is there a single sentence that can be used for life?

Confucius said: That will be forgiveness. The thing you are not willing to do, don't force it upon others.

Passage Four Hundred and Seven 

子曰:「吾之於人也,誰毀誰譽?如有所譽者,其有所試矣。斯民也,三代之所以直道而行也。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: Who have I spoken ill of? Who have I spoken in favour of? Every person I spoke in favour of, their characters have all been tested. People of previous eras, all do things that way. So, they all walk the right path.

Passage Four Hundred and Eight 

子曰:「吾猶及史之闕文也,有馬者借人乘之。今亡矣夫!」

English Translation 

Confucius said: There is a time, where I can still see blanks, in the history book, because they are not certain about the accuracy, of the written record. Things like this don't happen anymore.

Passage Four Hundred and Nine 

子曰:「巧言亂德,小不忍則亂大謀。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: If you like to listen to charming words, you would lose your way. If you cannot endure little things, you would screw up major plans.

Note: The US is able to bomb and destroy a major ISIS HQ because an ISIS soldier blabs about the location of the HQ on Facebook.

Passage Four Hundred and Ten 

子曰:「眾惡之,必察焉;眾好之,必察焉。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: If everybody hates him, you need to understand the reason. If everybody loves him, you must understand the reason.

Passage Four Hundred and Eleven 

子曰:「人能弘道,非道弘人。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: People can encourage justice, not justice encouraging people.

Passage Four Hundred and Twelve 

子曰:「過而不改,是謂過矣。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: If you made a mistake and won't change, then you are making a further mistake, upon the original mistake.

Passage Four Hundred and Thirteen 

子曰:「吾嘗終日不食,終夜不寢,以思,無益,不如學也。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: I once thought for day and night, without eating or sleeping. Yet, I gain nothing. Learning is much more effective.

Passage Four Hundred and Fourteen 

子曰:「君子謀道不謀食。耕也,餒在其中矣;學也,祿在其中矣。君子憂道不憂貧。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: A true gentleman won't beg to be rich, he persuade principle. If you got nothing to eat, can't you grow crops yourself? If you are well educated, you can use your knowledge to improve the situation. So, a gentleman is only worried about not able to learn, not worry about been poor.

Note: During the dark and middle ages, Europe suppress any knowledge that contradict the religion view of the Catholic Church, especially science, as a result Europe was not only technologically backwards, but also a third world region.

Passage Four Hundred and Fifteen 

子曰:「知及之,仁不能守之;雖得之,必失之。知及之,仁能守之。不莊以涖之,則民不敬。 知及之,仁能守之,莊以涖之。動之不以禮,未善也。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: Those who got power via knowledge but not humane, even if he got it, he will still lose it. Those who gain power via knowledge and is humane, but is not keen in governing, won't be respected by the peasants. Those who gain power via knowledge has good character, keen in governing, but his action isn't of good manners, that is still not good enough.

Passage Four Hundred and Sixteen 

子曰:「君子不可小知,而可大受也;小人不可大受,而可小知也。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: A true gentleman might not get recognized for minor achievement, but have what it take to achieve greatness. A little man, can get recognition for minor achievement, but cannot achieve greatness.

Passage Four Hundred and Seventeen 

子曰:「民之於仁也,甚於水火。水火,吾見蹈而死者矣,未見蹈仁而死者也。」

English Translation

Confucius said: Humane is more important for the peasants, then water and fire. I've seen people died due to jumping into water or fire. But I've never seen a person died for been humane.

Passage Four Hundred and Eighteen 

子曰:「當仁不讓於師。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: If it is to conduct actions of humane and justice, you don't need to be polite, even in front of your master.

Passage Four Hundred and Nineteen 

子曰:「君子貞而不諒。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: A gentleman care about the big picture and don't dwell upon minor events.

Passage Four Hundred and Twenty 

子曰:「事君,敬其事而後其食。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: When working for an employer. Focus on doing your job well, before thinking about your wage.

Passage Four Hundred and Twenty One 

子曰:「有教無類。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: Everybody has the right to receive an education.

Passage Four Hundred and Twenty Two 

子曰:「道不同,不相為謀。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: If the two of you have different principles, it is unwise to work together to complete a project.


Passage Four Hundred and Twenty Three 

子曰:「辭達而已矣。」

English Translation 

Confucius said: Words are only there to serve the purpose of communication.

Passage Four Hundred and Twenty Four 

師冕見,及階,子曰:「階也。」及席,子曰:「席也。」皆坐,子告之曰:「某在斯,某在 斯。」師冕出。子張問曰:「與師言之道與?」子曰:「然。固相師之道也。」

 English Translation 

A musician from Lu nation comes to visit Confucius.

Confucius walk to the stage and said: This is the stage.

Confucius then walked to the audience seat and said: This is where the audiences sit.

After all the audience has sat down, Confucius said: Some people sit here, some people sit there.

After the musician is gone, Zihjhang asked: Is this how you talk to a blind man?

Confucius said: Yes, this is how you help a blind person.

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