The Wisdom of Confucius: with Critical and Biographical SketchesConfucius
ReligionEastern
The Wisdom of Confucius: with Critical and Biographical Sketches
Confucius
Ethics -- China; Philosophy, Chinese
Tsz-lu brought his hands together on his breast and stood still.
The old man kept Tsz-lu and lodged him for the night, killed a fowl
and prepared some millet, entertained him, and brought his two sons
out to see him.
On the morrow Tsz-lu went on his way, and told all this to the Master,
who said, "He is a recluse," and sent Tsz-lu back to see him again.
But by the time he got there he was gone.
Tsz-lu remarked upon this, "It is not right he should evade official
duties. If he cannot allow any neglect of the terms on which elders
and juniors should live together, how is it that he neglects to
conform to what is proper as between prince and public servant? He
wishes for himself personally a pure life, yet creates disorder in
that more important relationship. When a gentleman undertakes public
work, he will carry out the duties proper to it; and he knows
beforehand that right principles may not win their way."
Among those who have retired from public life have been Peh-I and
Shuh-Ts‘i, Yu-chung, I-yih, Chu-chang, Hwúi of Liu-hiá, and
Sháu-lien.
"Of these," said the Master, "Peh-I and Shuh-Ts‘i may be
characterized, I should say, as men who never declined from their
high resolve nor soiled themselves by aught of disgrace.
"Of Hwúi of Liu-hiá and Sháu-lien, if one may say that they did
decline from high resolve, and that they did bring disgrace upon
themselves, yet their words were consonant with established
principles, and their action consonant with men's thoughts and wishes;
and this is all that may be said of them.
"Of Yu-chung and I-yih, if it be said that when they retired into
privacy they let loose their tongues, yet in their aim at personal
purity of life they succeeded, and their defection was also successful
in its influence.
"My own rule is different from any adopted by these: I will take no
liberties, I will have no curtailing of my liberty."
The chief music-master went off to Ts‘i. Kan, the conductor of the
music at the second repast, went over to Ts‘u. Liáu, conductor at
the third repast, went over to Ts‘ai. And Kiueh, who conducted at
the fourth, went to Ts‘in.
Fang-shuh, the drummer, withdrew into the neighborhood of the Ho. Wu
the tambourer went to the Han. And Yang the junior music-master, and
Siang who played on the musical stone, went to the sea-coast.
Anciently the Duke of Chow, addressing his son the Duke of Lu, said,
"A good man in high place is not indifferent about the members of his
own family, and does not give occasion to the chief ministers to
complain that they are not employed; nor without great cause will he
set aside old friendships; nor does he seek for full equipment for
every kind of service in any single man."
There were once eight officials during this Chow dynasty, who were
four pairs of twins, all brothers--the eldest pair Tah and Kwoh, the
next Tuh and Hwuh, the third Yé and Hiá, the youngest Sui and Kwa.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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