CHAP. VIII. The Master said, 'If a man in the morning hear
the right way, he may die in the evening without regret.'
CHAP. IX. The Master said, 'A scholar, whose mind is set on
truth, and who is ashamed of bad clothes and bad food, is not fit to
be discoursed with.'
CHAP. X. The Master said, 'The superior man, in the world,
does not set his mind either for anything, or against anything; what
is right he will follow.'
CHAP. XI. The Master said, 'The superior man thinks of virtue;
the small man thinks of comfort. The superior man thinks of the
sanctions of law; the small man thinks of favours which he may
receive.'
CHAP. XII. The Master said: 'He who acts with a constant view
to his own advantage will be much murmured against.'
CHAP. XIII. The Master said, 'If a prince is able to govern his
kingdom with the complaisance proper to the rules of propriety,
what difficulty will he have? If he cannot govern it with that
complaisance, what has he to do with the rules of propriety?'
CHAP. XIV. The Master said, 'A man should say, I am not
concerned that I have no place, I am concerned how I may fit
myself for one. I am not concerned that I am not known, I seek to
be worthy to be known.'
CHAP. XV. 1. The Master said, 'Shan, my doctrine is that of an
all-pervading unity.' The disciple Tsang replied, 'Yes.'
2. The Master went out, and the other disciples asked, saying,
'What do his words mean?' Tsang said, 'The doctrine of our master
is to be true to the principles of our nature and the benevolent
exercise of them to others,-- this and nothing more.'
CHAP. XVI. The Master said, 'The mind of the superior man is
conversant with righteousness; the mind of the mean man is
conversant with gain.'
CHAP. XVII. The Master said, 'When we see men of worth, we
should think of equalling them; when we see men of a contrary
character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.'
CHAP. XVIII. The Master said, 'In serving his parents, a son
may remonstrate with them, but gently; when he sees that they do
not incline to follow his advice, he shows an increased degree of
reverence, but does not abandon his purpose; and should they
punish him, he does not allow himself to murmur.'
CHAP. XIX. The Master said, 'While his parents are alive, the
son may not go abroad to a distance. If he does go abroad, he must
have a fixed place to which he goes.'
CHAP. XX. The Master said, 'If the son for three years does not
alter from the way of his father, he may be called filial.'
CHAP. XXI. The Master said, 'The years of parents may by no
means not be kept in the memory, as an occasion at once for joy
and for fear.'
CHAP. XXII. The Master said, 'The reason why the ancients did
not readily give utterance to their words, was that they feared lest
their actions should not come up to them.'
CHAP. XXIII. The Master said, 'The cautious seldom err.'