Chinese literature : $b Comprising the Analects of Confucius, the Sayings of Mencius, the Shi-King, the Travels of Fâ-Hien, and the Sorrows of HanFaxian
Philosophy
Chinese literature : $b Comprising the Analects of Confucius, the Sayings of Mencius, the Shi-King, the Travels of Fâ-Hien, and the Sorrows of Han
Faxian
China -- Literary collections; Chinese literature; Chinese literature -- Translations into English
Tsz-chang was consulting him about making way in life. He answered, "Be
true and honest in all you say, and seriously earnest in all you do, and
then, even if your country be one inhabited by barbarians, South or
North, you will make your way. If you do not show yourself thus in word
and deed how should you succeed, even in your own district or
neighborhood?--When you are afoot, let these two counsels be two
companions preceding you, yourself viewing them from behind; when you
drive, have them in view as on the yoke of your carriage. Then may you
make your way."
Tsz-chang wrote them on the two ends of his cincture.
"Straight was the course of the Annalist Yu," said the Master--"aye,
straight as an arrow flies; were the country well governed or ill
governed, his was an arrow-like course.
"A man of masterly mind, too, is Kü Pih-yuh! When the land is being
rightly governed he will serve; when it is under bad government he is
apt to recoil, and brood."
"Not to speak to a man." said he, "to whom you ought to speak, is to
lose your man; to speak to one to whom you ought not to speak is to lose
your words. Those who are wise will not lose their man nor yet their
words."
Again, "The scholar whose heart is in his work, and who is
philanthropic, seeks not to gain a livelihood by any means that will do
harm to his philanthropy. There have been men who have destroyed their
own lives in the endeavor to bring that virtue in them to perfection."
Tsz-kung asked how to become philanthropic. The Master answered him
thus: "A workman who wants to do his work well must first sharpen his
tools. In whatever land you live, serve under some wise and good man
among those in high office, and make friends with the more humane of its
men of education."
Yen Yuen consulted him on the management of a country. He answered:--
"Go by the Hiá Calendar. Have the State carriages like those of the Yin
princes. Wear the Chow cap. For your music let that of Shun be used for
the posturers. Put away the songs of Ch'ing, and remove far from you men
of artful speech: the Ch'ing songs are immodest, and artful talkers are
dangerous."
Other sayings of the Master:--
"They who care not for the morrow will the sooner have their sorrow.
"Ah, 'tis hopeless! I have not yet met with the man who loves Virtue as
he loves Beauty.
"Was not Tsang Wan like one who surreptitiously came by the post he
held? He knew the worth of Hwúi of Liu-hiá, and could not stand in his
presence.
"Be generous yourself, and exact little from others; then you banish
complaints.
"With one who does not come to me inquiring 'What of this?' and 'What of
that?' I never can ask 'What of this?' and give him up.
"If a number of students are all day together, and in their conversation
never approach the subject of righteousness, but are fond merely of
giving currency to smart little sayings, they are difficult indeed to
manage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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