[10] When Yen Yüan died the disciples wished to bury him in state.

The Master said: "This must not be."

The disciples buried him in state.

The Master said: "Hui treated me as a father: I have failed to treat him as a son. No, not I: it was your doing, my boys."

[11] Chi-lu asked what is due to the ghosts of the dead.

The Master said: "We fail in our duty to the living; can we do our duty to the dead?"

He ventured to ask about death.

"We know not life," said the Master, "how can we know death?"

[12] Seeing the disciple Min standing at his side in winning strength, Tzu-lu with war-like front, Jan Yu and Tzukung fresh and rank, the Master's heart was glad.

"A man like Yu," he said, "dies before his day." [13] The men of Lu were building the Long Treasury. Min Tzu-ch'ien said: "Would not the old one do? Why must a new one be built?”

The Master said: "That man does not talk: when he speaks, he hits the mark."

[14] The Master said: "What has the lute of Yu to do twanging at my door!"

But when the disciples began to look down on Tzu-lu, the Master said: “Yu has climbed to the hall, though he has not passed the closet door."

[15] Tzu-kung asked whether Shih' or Shang" were the better man.

The Master said: "Shih goes too far: Shang goes not far enough."

"Then Shih is the better man," said Tzu-kung.

"Too far," replied the Master, "is no better than not far enough.”

Tzu-lu.

Tzu-lu. This prophecy came true. Tzu-lu and Tzu-kao were officers of Wei when troubles arose. Tzu-lu hastened to the help of his master. He met Tzu-kao withdrawing from the danger, and was advised to follow suit. But Tzu-lu refused to desert the man whose pay he drew. He plunged into the fight and was killed.

Tzu-lu.

The disciple Tzu-chang.

10 The disciple Tzu-hsia.

[16] The Chi was richer than the Duke of Chou: Ch'iu added to his wealth by becoming his tax-gatherer.

The Master said: "He is no disciple of mine. Sound your drums to the attack, my boys!"

[17] Ch'ai" is simple, Shen" is dull, Shih" is smooth, Yu" is coarse.

[18] The Master said: "Hui" is well-nigh faultless, and ofttimes empty. Tz'u" will not bow to fate, and hoards up substance; but his views are often sound."

[19] Tzu-chang asked, What is the way of a good man? The Master said: "He does not tread in footprints; neither can he gain the closet."

[20] The Master said: "Commend a man for plain speaking: he may prove a gentleman, or else but seeming honest."

[21] Tzu-lu asked: "Shall I do all I am taught?"

The Master said: "Whilst thy father and elder brothers live, how canst thou do all thou art taught?"

Jan Yu asked: "Shall I do all I am taught?"
The Master said: "Do all thou art taught."

Kung-hsi Hua said: "Yu" asked, 'Shall I do all I am taught?' and ye spake, Sir, of father and elder brothers. Ch'iu" asked, 'Shall I do all I am taught?' and ye answered, 'Do all thou art taught.' I am puzzled, and make bold to ask you, Sir."

The Master said: "Ch'iu is bashful, so I egged him on: Yu has the pluck of two, so I held him back."

[22] When fear beset the Master in K'uang, Yen Yüan fell behind.

The Master said: "I held thee as dead."

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He answered: Whilst my Master lives durst I brave death?"

[23] Chi Tzu-jan" asked whether Chung Yu" or Jan Ch'iu could be called statesmen.

The Master said: "I thought ye would ask me some riddle, Sir, and your text is Yu" and Ch'iu." A minister

12 The disciple Kao Ch'ai.
14 The disciple Tzu-chang.
17 The disciple Tzu-kung.

11 The disciple Jan Yu.
13 The disciple Tseng-tzu.
16 The disciple Yen Yüan.
19 Jan Yu. 20 The younger brother of Chi Huan, head of
Tzu-lu. He and Jan Yu had taken office under the Chi.

15 Tzu-lu.

18 Tzu-lu. the Chi cian.

23 Jan Yu.

who does his duty to the king, and withdraws rather than do wrong, is called a statesman. As for Yu and Ch'iu, I should call them tools."

"Who would do one's bidding then?"

"Neither would they do your bidding," said the Master, "if bidden slay king or father."

[24] Tzu-lu had Tzu-kao made governor of Pi.

The Master said: "Thou art undoing a man's son." Tzu-lu said: “What with the people and the guardian spirits must a man read books to come by knowledge?" The Master said: "This is why I hate a glib tongue." [25] The Minister said to Tzu-lu, Tseng Hsi," Jan Yu, and Kung-hsi Hua as they sat beside him: "I may be a day older than you, but forget that. Ye are wont to say, 'I am unknown.' Well, had ye a name, what would ye do?'

Tzu-lu lightly answered: "Give me charge of a land of a thousand chariots, crushed between great neighbours, overrun by soldiery and searched by famine, in three years' time I could put courage into the people and high purpose." The Master smiled.

"What wouldst thou do, Ch'iu?" he said.

He answered: "Had I charge of sixty or seventy square miles, or from fifty to sixty square miles, in three years' time I would give the people plenty. As for courtesy, music, and the like, they would wait the rise of a gentleman."

“And what wouldst thou do, Ch'ih? "20

He answered: "I speak of the things I fain would learn, not of what I can do. At service in the Ancestral Temple, or at the Grand Audience, clad in black robe and cap, I fain would fill a small part."

"And what wouldst thou do, Tien?" "

Tien ceased to play, pushed his still sounding lute aside, rose and answered: "My choice would be unlike those of the other three."

"What harm in that?" said the Master. "Each but spake his mind.”

"In the last days of spring, all clad for the season, with five or six grown men and six or seven lads, I would bathe

23 A disciple: the father of Tseng-tzu.
26 Jan Yu. 26 Kung-hsi Hua.

26 Tseng Hsi.

in the Yi, be fanned by the breeze in the Rain God's glade, and wander home with song."

The Master sighed and said: "I hold with Tien."

Tseng Hsi stayed after the other three had left, and said: What did ye think of what the others said, Sir?”

"Each but spake his mind," said the Master.

27

Why did ye smile at Yu," Sir?"

"Lands are swayed by courtesy, but what he said was not modest. That was why I smiled."

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But did not Ch'iu, too, speak of a state?”

"Where could sixty or seventy square miles be found, or from fifty to sixty, that are not a state?"

"And did not Ch'ih, too, speak of a state?"

"Who but great vassals would there be in the Ancestral Temple, or at the Grand Audience? But if Ch'ih were to play a small part, who could fill a big one?"

XII

[1] Yen Yüan asked, What is love?

The Master said: "Love is to conquer self and turn to courtesy. Could we conquer self and turn to courtesy for but one day, all mankind would turn to love. Does love flow from within, or does it flow from others?"

Yen Yüan said: "May I ask what are its signs?"

The Master said: "To be ever courteous of eye and ever courteous of ear; to be ever courteous in word and ever courteous in deed."

Yen Yüan said: "Dull as I am, I hope to live by these words."

[2] Chung-kung asked, What is love?

The Master said: "Without the door to behave as though a great guest were come; to treat the people as though we tendered the high sacrifice; not to do unto others what we would not they should do unto us; to breed no wrongs in the state and breed no wrongs in the home."

Chung-kung said: "Dull as I am, I hope to live by these words."

27 Tzu-lu.

[3] Ssu-ma Niu' asked, What is love?

The Master said: "Love is slow to speak."

"To be slow to speak! Can that be called love?"

The Master said: "That which is hard to do, can it be lightly spoken?"

[4] Ssu-ma Niu asked, What is a gentleman?

The Master said: "A gentleman knows neither sorrow nor fear."

"No sorrow and no fear! Can that be called a gentleman?"

The Master said: "He finds no sin in his heart, so why should he sorrow, what should he fear?"

[5] Ssu-ma Niu cried sadly: "All men have brothers, I alone have none!"

Tzu-hsia said: "I have heard that life and death are allotted, that wealth and honours are in Heaven's hand. A gentleman is careful and does not trip; he is humble towards others and courteous. All within the four seas are brethren; how can a gentleman mourn his lack of them?" [6] Tzu-chang asked, What is insight?

The Master said: "To be unmoved by lap and wash of slander, or by plaints that pierce to the quick, may be called insight. Yea, whom lap and wash of slander, or plaints that pierce to the quick cannot move may be called far-sighted." [7] Tzu-kung asked, What is kingcraft?

The Master said: "Food enough, troops enough, and a trusting people."

Tzu-kung said: "Were there no help for it, which could best be spared of the three?"

"Troops," said the Master.

"And were there no help for it, which could better be spared of the other two?"

"Food," said the Master. "From of old all men die, but without trust a people cannot stand."

[8] Chi Tzu-ch'eng said: "A gentleman is all nature: what can art do for him?"

"Alas! my lord," said Tzu-kung, "how ye speak of a gentleman! No team overtakes the tongue! Nature is no more than art; art is no more than nature. Without the

1 A disciple. 2 Minister of Wei.