Ji Shi, Chapter 16

Ji Shi was preparing to attack Zhuanyu. Ran You and Zi Lu came to see Confucius and said, "Ji Shi is going to take military action against Zhuanyu." Confucius said, "Ran Qiu! Is this not your fault? That Zhuanyu—formerly the former kings had it preside over the sacrifices at Mount Dongmeng, and moreover it is already within the borders of the state, a vassal of the country. Why attack it?" Ran You said, "Ji Sun, the Grand Master, wants to do this; we two, as his household ministers, are unwilling." Confucius said, "Ran Qiu! Zhou Ren had a saying: 'Exert one's strength to take up the post; if truly unable to do it, resign.' If danger arises and you do not support, if someone falls and you do not help, then what use is the one who assists? Moreover, your words are mistaken. When tigers and rhinoceroses escape from their cages, when tortoise shells and beautiful jade are ruined in their cases, whose fault is that?" Ran You said, "Now that Zhuanyu has strong walls and is close to Fei, if we do not take it now, in later generations it will surely become a worry for our descendants." Confucius said, "Ran Qiu! The noble person detests that attitude which refuses to say outright 'I want to do that' but must find a pretext for it. I have heard this: For the lord of a state or the master of a fief, one does not worry about there being few people but about distribution being unequal; one does not worry about poverty but about society being unsettled. For when distribution is equal, there is no poverty; when superiors and inferiors are harmonious, there is no sense of fewness; when society is settled, there is no danger of toppling. If this is achieved and still distant people do not submit, then cultivate ritual and music and cultural teachings to attract them. Once they have come, make them feel at ease. Now you, Zhong You and Ran Qiu, assist Ji Sun, the Grand Master. Distant people do not submit, and you cannot attract them; the state is falling apart, and you cannot preserve it; instead, you plot to use military force within the state. I fear that Ji Sun's worry lies not in Zhuanyu but within the palace itself!"

Confucius said, "When the Way prevails under Heaven, the ordering of rites and music and the dispatch of punitive expeditions issue from the Son of Heaven. When the Way does not prevail under Heaven, the ordering of rites and music and the dispatch of punitive expeditions issue from the feudal lords. If they issue from the feudal lords, it will rarely be more than ten generations before power is lost. If they issue from the grand masters, it will rarely be more than five generations before power is lost. If the household ministers of a grand master control the state's government, it will rarely be more than three generations before power is lost. When the Way prevails under Heaven, government does not lie in the hands of the grand masters. When the Way prevails under Heaven, common people do not discuss affairs of state."

Confucius said, "State power has been away from the Lord of Lu for five generations; government has fallen into the hands of the grand masters for four generations. Therefore, the descendants of the Three Huan are also declining."

Confucius said, "There are three kinds of beneficial friends and three kinds of harmful friends. To befriend the upright, to befriend the trustworthy, to befriend the broadly learned—these are beneficial. To befriend the obsequious, to befriend those who flatter to your face but slander behind your back, to befriend the glib-tongued—these are harmful."

Confucius said, "There are three kinds of beneficial pleasures and three kinds of harmful pleasures. To take pleasure in regulating oneself through ritual and music, to take pleasure in praising the goodness of others, to take pleasure in having many worthy friends—these are beneficial. To take pleasure in being arrogant and unrestrained, to take pleasure in idle wandering and dissipation, to take pleasure in feasting and drinking—these are harmful."

Confucius said, "In serving a noble person, one is prone to three errors. To speak when it is not yet time to speak—this is called rashness. Not to speak when it is time to speak—this is called concealment. To speak without observing the noble person's expression—this is called blindness."

Confucius said, "The noble person guards against three things. In youth, when the blood and vital energy are not yet settled, he guards against lust. In the prime of life, when the blood and vital energy are full, he guards against contentiousness. In old age, when the blood and vital energy have declined, he guards against covetousness."

Confucius said, "The noble person stands in awe of three things: he stands in awe of the Mandate of Heaven, he stands in awe of persons in high position, he stands in awe of the words of the sages. The petty person does not understand the Mandate of Heaven and therefore does not stand in awe of it; he treats persons in high position with disrespect, and he treats the words of the sages with contempt."

Confucius said, "Those who are born knowing it are the highest. Those who know it through learning are next. Those who learn only when they encounter difficulties are next. Those who encounter difficulties and still do not learn—these are the lowest of the low!"

Confucius said, "The noble person has nine things he considers. In looking, he considers whether he sees clearly. In listening, he considers whether he hears distinctly. In his expression, he considers whether it is gentle. In his demeanor, he considers whether it is respectful. In speaking, he considers whether he is loyal. In acting, he considers whether he is conscientious. When in doubt, he considers asking for advice. When angry, he considers the consequences. When seeing a chance for gain, he considers whether it is in accordance with righteousness."

Confucius said, "Seeing goodness, one pursues it as if unable to catch up; seeing what is not good, one avoids it as if plunging a hand into boiling water. I have seen such people and heard such words! To live in seclusion in order to preserve one's aspirations, to practice righteousness in order to carry through one's principles—I have heard such words, but I have not seen such people!"

"Duke Jing of Qi had four thousand teams of horses, yet at his death the people found no virtue in him to praise. Bo Yi and Shu Qi starved to death at the foot of Mount Shouyang, yet the people still praise them to this day. Is this not what is meant?"

Chen Kang asked Bo Yu, saying, "Have you perhaps heard some special instruction?" Bo Yu replied, "No. Once my father was standing alone in the courtyard, and I hurried past. He said, 'Have you studied the Odes?' I replied, 'Not yet.' He said, 'If you do not study the Odes, you will have no way to speak well.' I withdrew and studied the Odes. Another day, he was again standing alone in the courtyard, and I hurried past. He said, 'Have you studied ritual?' I replied, 'Not yet.' He said, 'If you do not study ritual, you will have no way to establish yourself.' I withdrew and studied ritual. I have only heard these two things." Chen Kang withdrew and said joyfully, "I asked one thing and gained three: I heard about the Odes, I heard about ritual, and I heard that the noble person does not show partiality toward his own son."

The ruler's wife: the ruler calls her "wife" (furen); she calls herself "little child" (xiaotong); the people of the state call her "the ruler's wife" (jun furen); when speaking to people of other states, she is called "the little orphaned ruler's wife" (gua xiao jun); and people of other states also call her "the ruler's wife" (jun furen).