Kong Cong Zi (孔叢子) · Volume 1

【臣】等謹案孔叢子三卷舊本題曰孔鮒撰所載仲尼而下子上子高子順之言行凡二十一篇又以孔臧所著賦與書上下二篇附綴於末別名曰連叢鮒字子魚孔子八世孫仕陳涉為博士臧高祖功臣孔聚之子嗣爵蓼侯武帝時官太常其書文獻通考作七卷今本三卷不知何人所並晁公武讀書志雲漢志無孔叢子儒家有孔臧十篇雜家有孔甲盤盂書二十六篇其獨治篇鮒或稱孔甲意者孔叢子即孔甲盤盂連叢即孔臧書案漢書藝文志顔師古注謂孔甲黃帝之史或雲夏後孔甲似皆非則孔叢非盤盂又志於儒家孔臧十篇外詩賦家別出孔臧賦二十篇今連叢有賦則亦非儒家之孔臧公武未免附防朱子語類謂孔叢子文氣軟弱不似西漢文字葢其後人集先世遺文而成之者陳振孫書録觧題亦謂按孔光傳孔子八世孫鮒魏相順之子為陳涉博士死陳下則固不得為漢人而其書記鮒之沒則又安得以為鮒撰其説當矣隋書經籍志論語家有孔叢七卷注曰陳勝博士孔鮒撰其序録稱孔叢家語並孔氏所傳仲尼之防則其書出於唐以前然家語出王肅依託隋志既誤以為真則所云孔叢出孔氏所傳者亦未為確證朱子所疑葢非無見即如舜典禋於六宗何謂也子曰所宗者六皆潔祀之也埋少牢於泰昭所以祭時也祖迎於坎壇所以祭寒暑也主於郊宮所以祭日也夜明所以祭月也幽禜所以祭星也雩禜所以祭水旱也禋於六宗此之謂也其説與偽孔傳偽家語並同是亦晚出之明證也其中第十一篇即世所傳小爾雅註疏家往往引之然皆在晉宋以後惟公羊傳疏所引賈逵之説謂俗儒以六兩為鋝正出此書然謂之俗儒則非漢藝文志之小爾雅矣又水經注引孔叢子曰夫子墓塋方一里在魯城北六里泗水上諸孔邱封五十餘所人名昭穆不可復識有碑銘三所獸碣具存云云今本無此文似非完帙然其文與全書不類且不似孔氏子孫語或酈道元誤記抑或傳寫有訛以他書誤題孔叢歟乾隆四十二年八月恭校上

We, your servants, respectfully note: the “Kong Congzi” in three fascicles is, in the old edition, titled as compiled by Kong Fu. The book records the words and deeds from Zhongni down to Zishang, Zigao, and Zishun, in twenty-one chapters in all; and it appends at the end, in two parts, the rhapsodies and letters written by Kong Zang, separately titled “Lian Cong.” Kong Fu, courtesy name Ziyu, was the eighth-generation descendant of Confucius and served as an Erudite under Chen She. Kong Zang was the son of Kong Ju, a meritorious minister of Emperor Gao, inherited the title of Marquis of Liao, and rose to Grand Master of Ceremonies under Emperor Wu. This book is recorded in the Wenxian Tongkao as seven fascicles, and the present text is three fascicles; it is not known who combined them. Chao Gongwu’s Junzhai Dushu Zhi says: the Treatise on Literature in the Book of Han has no “Kong Congzi”; under the Confucian school there are ten chapters by Kong Zang, and under the Miscellaneous school there are twenty-six chapters of the “Panyu” by Kong Jia; in the “Du Zhi” chapter Kong Fu is sometimes also called Kong Jia, so one may guess that “Kong Congzi” is Kong Jia’s “Panyu” and “Lian Cong” is the book of Kong Zang. Note: Yan Shigu’s commentary to the Treatise on Literature in the Book of Han holds that Kong Jia was a historian of the Yellow Emperor, and others say he was the Xia ruler Kong Jia; neither seems to fit, so “Kong Congzi” is not the “Panyu.” Furthermore, beyond the ten chapters of Kong Zang under the Confucian school, the Treatise on Literature also lists separately twenty rhapsodies of Kong Zang under the poetry and rhapsody school; the “Lian Cong” now contains rhapsodies, so it is also not the Confucian book of Kong Zang. Chao Gongwu is rather forced and far-fetched. Zhu Xi’s Classified Conversations holds that the prose spirit of the “Kong Congzi” is weak and does not resemble Western Han writing, and it was probably compiled by later descendants of the Kong family from the surviving writings of their ancestors. Chen Zhensun’s Zhizhai Shulu Jieti also says: according to the Biography of Kong Guang in the Book of Han, Kong Fu, the eighth-generation descendant of Confucius, was the son of Kong Shun, chancellor of Wei, served as Erudite under Chen She, and died at Chen, so he cannot be counted as a man of Han in the first place; and since the book also records the death of Kong Fu, how can it be said that Kong Fu wrote it himself? This is correct. The Treatise on Classics and Writings in the Book of Sui lists, under the Analects school, “Kong Cong” in seven fascicles, with a note saying it was compiled by Kong Fu, Erudite of Chen Sheng. Its preface says that “Kong Cong” and the “Family Sayings” are both books of Zhongni transmitted by the Kong family, so this book came from before the Tang. But the “Family Sayings” was falsely attributed by Wang Su, and since the Sui treatise mistook it for a genuine book, the claim that the so-called “Kong Cong” came from the Kong family’s transmission is also not conclusive proof. Zhu Xi’s doubts are not without grounds. For example, as to what “sacrificing to the Six Honored Ones” in the Canon of Shun means, Confucius said: there are six things that are honored and sacrificed to, all with pure sacrifice. Burying a lesser sacrificial set at Taizhao is the sacrifice to the four seasons; welcoming the ancestors at the pit altar is the sacrifice to cold and heat; setting up a spirit tablet in the suburban palace is the sacrifice to the sun; setting up a spirit tablet at Yeming is the sacrifice to the moon; using the “you ying” for the stars and the “yu ying” for flood and drought. What is called “sacrificing to the Six Honored Ones” refers to these. This account is exactly the same as the false Kong commentary and the false “Family Sayings,” and is also clear proof of its late appearance. The eleventh chapter of the book is the “Xiao Erya” circulating in the world, often quoted by commentators, but all after the Jin and Song dynasties. Only in the subcommentary to the Gongyang Commentary does Jia Kui’s remark, that vulgar Confucians took six liang as a lue, come from this book; since he calls them “vulgar Confucians,” it is not the “Xiao Erya” of the Han treatise. Further, the Commentary on the Water Classic quotes “Kong Congzi” as saying: the Master’s tomb is one li square, six li north of the city of Lu on the bank of the Si River, with over fifty burial mounds of the Kong family, the names and generational order of those buried can no longer be identified, there are three stele inscriptions, and the stone beasts and stone tablets are all still there, and so on. The present text has no such passage and seems not to be the complete text. But that passage is not of a kind with the rest of the book, and does not sound like a descendant of the Kong family; perhaps Li Daoyuan misremembered, or the copying went wrong, and it was another book mistakenly titled “Kong Cong.” Respectfully collated and presented in the eighth month of the forty-second year of Qianlong.

孔叢子捲上漢孔鮒撰嘉言第一【是書之第以孔子子思子上子髙子順之言為之先後】

Kong Congzi, Upper Fascicle, titled as compiled by Kong Fu of the Han. Chapter One, “Fine Sayings.” [The order of chapters in this book follows the words and deeds of Confucius, Zisi, Zishang, Zigao, and Zishun.]

夫子適周見萇言終退萇語劉文公曰吾觀孔仲尼有聖人之表河目而隆顙黃帝之形貌也修肱而龜背長九尺有六寸成湯之容體也然言稱先王躬履謙讓洽聞強記博物不窮抑亦聖人之興者乎劉子曰方今周室衰防而諸侯力爭孔丘布衣聖將安施萇曰堯舜文武之道或弛而墜禮樂崩喪亦正其統紀而已矣既而夫子聞之曰吾豈敢哉亦好禮樂者也

The Master went to the Zhou capital to see Chang Hong (a grandee of Zhou), and after they had talked he withdrew. Chang Hong said to Duke Wen of Liu: “I look at Kong Zhongni and he has the bearing of a sage: his eyes are long and his forehead bones high, the appearance of the Yellow Emperor; his arms are long and his back is shaped like a tortoise, nine chi six cun in height, the build of Cheng Tang. Yet when he opens his mouth he speaks of the former kings, in his own conduct he practices modesty, he is broadly informed and has a strong memory, wide in his knowledge of things without end; could it be that a sage is rising?” Duke Wen of Liu said: “Now the Zhou house is in decline and the feudal lords contend by force; Kong Qiu is only a commoner, so where will his sage virtue be used?” Chang Hong said: “The Way of Yao, Shun, King Wen, and King Wu has in part fallen into neglect, and ritual and music have collapsed and been lost; it is only that he is needed to set right the thread of tradition.” Afterward the Master heard of this and said: “How would I dare to accept that? I am only a man who loves ritual and music.”

陳恵公大城因起凌陽之臺未終而坐法死者數十人又執三監吏夫子適陳聞之見陳侯與俱登臺而觀焉夫子曰美哉斯臺自古聖王之為城臺未有不戮一人而能致功若此者也陳侯黙而退遂竊赦所執吏既而見夫子問曰昔周作靈臺亦戮人乎荅曰文王之興附者六州六州之眾各以子道來故區區之臺未及期日而已成矣何戮之有乎夫以少少之眾能立大大之功惟君爾

Duke Hui of Chen undertook great works to repair the city walls and then built the Lingyang Terrace, and before it was finished dozens had already been put to death for breaking the law, and three supervising officials had been arrested. The Master went to Chen and, hearing of it, went to see the Marquis of Chen, and they climbed the terrace together to look. The Master said: “This terrace is beautiful indeed! Since antiquity the sage kings who built walls and terraces never obtained such a result without killing a single man.” The Marquis of Chen withdrew in silence, and then quietly pardoned the arrested officials. Later he saw the Master and asked: “In the past, when the people of Zhou built the Spirit Terrace, did they also kill people?” The Master replied: “When King Wen rose, six provinces came over to him; the people of the six provinces each came to give service as sons serving a father, and so a mere terrace was completed before the appointed day; how could there have been any need to kill? To accomplish great achievements with very little labor is possible only for someone like you.”

子張曰女子必漸乎二十而後嫁何也孔子曰十五許嫁而後從夫是陽動而隂應男唱而女隨之義也以為繢組紃織絍者女子之所有事也黼黻文章之義婦人之所有大功也必十五以往漸乎二十然後可以通乎此事然後乃能上以孝於舅姑下以事夫養子也宰我使於齊而反見夫子曰梁丘據遇虺毒三旬而後瘳朝齊君齊君防大夫眾賔而慶焉弟子與在賔列大夫眾賔並復獻攻療之方弟子謂之曰夫所以獻方將為病也今梁丘已療矣而諸夫子乃復獻方方將安施意欲梁丘大夫復有虺害當用之乎眾坐黙然無辭弟子此言何如夫子曰汝説非也夫三折肱為良醫梁丘子遇虺毒而獲療猶有與之同疾者必問所以已之之方焉眾人為此故各言其方欲售之以已人之疾也凡言其方者稱其良也且以叅據所以已之之方優劣耳夫子適齊晏子就其館既宴且私焉曰齊其危矣譬若載無轄之車以臨千仭之谷其不顛覆亦難兾也子吾心也子以齊為遊息之館當或可救子幸不吾隱也夫子曰夫死病無可為毉夫政令者人君之銜轡所以制下也今齊君失之已久矣子雖欲挾其輈而扶其輪良弗及也抑猶可以終齊君及子之身過此以徃齊其田氏矣

Zizhang asked: “Why must a woman be nearly twenty before she marries?” Confucius said: “At fifteen she is promised in marriage and then follows her husband; this is the principle that yang moves and yin responds, the man leads and the woman follows. Embroidered ribbons, spinning, weaving, and sewing are a woman’s own duties; the meaning of the embroidered patterns on ceremonial robes is a great accomplishment that a wife should complete. She must go beyond fifteen and be nearly twenty before she can understand these things, and only then can she above show filial respect to her parents-in-law and below serve her husband and raise children.” Zai Wo returned from a mission to Qi and said to the Master: “Liangqiu Ju was poisoned by a viper and recovered only after thirty days. The lord of Qi held a court and the grandees and all the guests congratulated him, and your disciple was among the guests. The grandees and guests also offered one after another their recipes for treating snake poison. Your disciple said to them: ‘Recipes are offered to cure illness. Now Grandee Liangqiu has already recovered, and you gentlemen are offering recipes again; where will the recipes be used? Do you want to wait for Grandee Liangqiu to be poisoned by a snake again?’ Everyone present was silent and had nothing to say. What do you think of your disciple’s remark?” The Master said: “You are wrong. As the saying goes, ‘Having broken his arm three times, one becomes a good doctor.’ Liangqiu was poisoned by a viper and got treatment, and there are others who suffer from the same illness who will surely ask what recipe cured him. So the people each said their own recipes, wanting to bring out recipes to cure others’ illnesses. All who offered recipes said their own was good, which also serves to compare which of the recipes that cured this illness is better.” When the Master went to Qi, Yanzi came to his lodging, and after drinking said privately: “Qi is in danger, like driving a cart without a linchpin near a valley a thousand fathoms deep; it is hard to hope that it will not overturn. You are my heart; if you treat Qi as a lodging for resting, perhaps it can still be saved; I hope you will not hide anything from me.” The Master said: “It is already a fatal illness, and there is no treatment to be done. Government orders are the bit and reins of a ruler, used to control his ministers. Now the lord of Qi has long lost this, and although you wish to hold the shafts and support the wheels, it is truly too late. Perhaps it can still hold out through the days when the lord of Qi and you are alive; after that, Qi will fall into the hands of the Tian clan.”

齊東郭亥欲攻田氏執贄見夫子而訪焉夫子曰子為義也丘不足與計事揖子貢使荅之子貢謂之曰今子士也位卑而圖大位卑則人不附也圖大則人憚之殆非子之任也盍姑已乎夫以一縷之任系千鈞之重上縣之於無極之髙下垂之於不測之深旁人皆哀其絶而造之者不知其危子之謂乎馬方駭鼓而驚之系方絶重而填之馬奔車覆六轡不禁系絶於髙墜入於深其危必矣東郭亥色戰而跪曰吾已矣願子無言既而夫子告子貢曰東郭亥欲為義者也子亦告之以難易則可矣奚至懼之哉

Donguo Hai of Qi wished to attack the Tian clan, and came with a gift to ask the Master for advice. The Master said: “What you are doing is acting righteously, and I am not worthy to plan this matter with you.” He folded his hands and signaled Zigong to answer. Zigong said to him: “Now you are a scholar, of low rank yet plotting a great matter. Of low rank, others will not rally to you; plotting a great matter, others will fear you; I am afraid this is not something you can carry, so why not give it up for now? To bear the weight of a thousand jun with a single silk thread, suspended above from an endless height and hanging below over an unfathomable depth, while others sigh that it will break and the one who does it does not know the danger; is that not you? When a horse is already startled, to beat a drum again to frighten it; when the rope is about to break, to add weight and press on it. The horse bolts and the cart overturns, and even six reins cannot hold it; the rope breaks from the height and falls into the abyss, and danger is certain.” Donguo Hai’s face trembled, and he knelt and said: “I give it up, and I hope you will say no more.” Afterward the Master told Zigong: “Donguo Hai is one who wants to act righteously; it would have been enough to tell him what is easy and what is hard, so why frighten him so?”

宰我問君子尚辭乎孔子曰君子以理為尚博而不要非所察也繁辭富説非所聽也惟知者不失理孔子曰吾於予取其言之近類也於賜取其言之切事也近類則足以喻之切事則足以懼之

Zai Wo asked: “Does the superior person value eloquence?” Confucius said: “The superior person values reason. What is broad but not to the point is not worth examining; what is elaborate and full of speech is not worth hearing. Only the wise do not lose reason.” Confucius said: “As for Zai Yu, I take it that his speech comes close to the kind of the matter; as for Duanmu Ci, I take it that his speech fits the matter. Coming close to the kind is enough to enlighten people, and fitting the matter is enough to make people wary.”

子張問曰聖人受命必受諸天而書云受終於文祖何也孔子曰受命於天者湯武是也受命於人者舜禹是也夫不讀詩書易春秋則不知聖人之心又無以別堯舜之禪湯武之伐也

Zizhang asked: “When a sage receives the mandate, it must be from Heaven, yet the Book of Documents says ‘He received the end at the temple of the cultured ancestor’; why?” Confucius said: “Those who received the mandate from Heaven were Tang and Wu; those who received it from people were Shun and Yu. If one does not read the Songs, Documents, Changes, and Spring and Autumn, one does not understand the sage’s heart and cannot distinguish Yao and Shun’s abdication from Tang and Wu’s conquest.”

子張問曰禮丈夫三十而室昔者舜三十徵庸而書云有鰥在下曰虞舜何謂也曩師聞諸夫子曰聖人在上君子在位則內無怨女外無曠夫堯為天子而有鰥在下何也孔子曰夫男子二十而冠冠而後娶古今通義也舜父頑母嚚莫克圖家室之端焉故逮三十而謂之鰥也詩云娶妻如之何必告父母父母在則宜圖婚若已歿則已之娶必告其廟今舜之鰥乃父母之頑嚚也雖堯為天子其如舜何

Zizhang asked: “Ritual provides that a man establishes a household at thirty. In the past Shun was summoned into service at thirty, yet the Documents says ‘There was a widower below, called Yu Shun’; what does that mean? Earlier I heard the Master say: when a sage is above and superior persons are in office, there are no resentful women at home and no unmarried men outside. Yao was the Son of Heaven, yet below there was still a widower; why?” Confucius said: “A man wears the cap at twenty and marries after capping; this is a principle common to past and present. Shun’s father was stubborn and his mother was wicked, and no one planned a marriage for him, so even at thirty he was called a widower. The Songs says: ‘How does one take a wife? One must tell one’s parents.’ If one’s parents are alive, they should plan the marriage; if they have already died, one must still report to the ancestral temple in taking a wife. Now Shun was called a widower because his parents were stubborn and wicked; even though Yao was Son of Heaven, what could he do about Shun?”

子夏問書大義子曰吾於帝典見堯舜之聖焉於大禹臯陶謨益稷見禹稷臯陶之忠勤功勲焉於洛誥見周公之德焉故帝典可以觀美大禹謨禹貢可以觀事臯陶謨益稷可以觀政洪範可以觀度【謂皇極彛倫之度】泰誓可以觀義五誥可以觀仁甫刑可以觀誡通斯七者則書之大義舉矣

Zixia asked about the great meaning of the Book of Documents. Confucius said: “From the Canon of the Emperor I see the sagacity of Yao and Shun, from the Counsels of Da Yu, Gao Yao, and Yi and Ji I see the loyal diligence and merit of Yu, Ji, and Gao Yao, and from the Announcement of Luo I see the virtue of the Duke of Zhou. So in the Canon of the Emperor one can see beauty, in the Counsels of Da Yu and the Tribute of Yu one can see affairs, in the Counsels of Gao Yao and Yi and Ji one can see government, in the Great Plan one can see measure [meaning the rules of the august ultimate and the constant relations], in the Great Declaration one can see righteousness, in the Five Announcements one can see benevolence, and in the Punishments of Fu one can see warning. Penetrate these seven and the great meaning of the Book of Documents is all there.”

孔子曰書之於事也逺而不濶近而不廹志盡而不怨辭順而不諂吾於髙宗肜日見德有報之疾也苟由其道致其仁則逺方歸志而致其敬焉吾於洪範見君子之不忍言人之惡而質人之美也發乎中而見乎外以成文者其唯洪範乎

Confucius said: “The Book of Documents records events, speaking of the distant without being vague, speaking of the near without being cramped, exhausting feelings and intentions without resentment, with tone and manner gentle without flattery. From the Day of the Supplementary Sacrifice of Gaozong I see that virtue’s reward comes very quickly: if one only follows that Way and carries out that benevolence, distant peoples will turn their hearts and come to pay respect. From the Great Plan I see that the superior person cannot bear to speak of others’ evil, yet can confirm the truth of others’ goodness. What comes from within and shows itself outside and so becomes writing is probably found only in the Great Plan.”

子張問曰堯舜之世一人不刑而天下治何則以教誠而愛深也龍子以為一夫而被以五刑敢問何謂孔子曰不然五刑所以佐教也龍子未可謂能為書也子夏讀書既畢而見於夫子夫子謂曰子何為於書子夏對曰書之論事也昭昭然若日月之代明離離然若星辰之錯行上有堯舜之道下有三王之義凡商之所受書於夫子者志之於心弗敢忘雖退而窮居河濟之間深山之中作壤室編蓬戶常於此彈琴以歌先王之道則可以發憤慷喟忘已貧賤故有人亦樂之無人亦樂之上見堯舜之德下見三王之義忽不知憂患與死也夫子愀然變容曰嘻子殆可與言書矣雖然其亦表之而已未覩其裡也夫闚其門而不入其室惡覩其宗廟之奧百官之美乎

Zizhang asked: “In the age of Yao and Shun, not a single person was punished and the world was well governed, because teaching was sincere and love was deep. But Longzi held that one person was given the five punishments; may I ask how to explain this?” Confucius said: “That is not so. The five punishments are used to assist teaching, and Longzi cannot yet be counted as one who knows how to read the Documents.” Zixia finished reading the Documents and came to see the Master. The Master asked: “What have you done with the Documents?” Zixia replied: “The Documents discuss affairs, clear like the sun and moon alternating in brightness, orderly like stars crossing in their courses. Above is the Way of Yao and Shun, below is the righteousness of the Three Kings. All the Documents that Shang received from the Master I keep in my heart and dare not forget. Even if I withdraw and live in poverty between the Yellow River and the Ji, deep in the mountains, building an earthen hut and weaving a thatched door, and often play the zither there and chant the Way of the former kings, I can still be roused and moved and forget my own poverty and lowliness. So I am happy when people are present and happy when they are not; above I see the virtue of Yao and Shun and below I see the righteousness of the Three Kings, and I am dazed and do not know what worry or death is.” The Master’s expression grew grave and he said: “Ah, you may perhaps discuss the Documents. Even so, you have only seen its outside and have not seen its inside. To glimpse the gate without entering the house, how can one see the depth of the ancestral temple and the splendor of the hundred officials?”

宰我問書云納於大麓烈風雷雨弗迷何謂也孔子曰此言人事之應乎天也堯既得舜歴試諸難已而納之於尊顯之官使大録萬機之政是故隂陽清和五星不悖烈風雨各以其應不有迷錯愆伏明舜之行合於天也

Zai Wo asked: “The Book of Documents says ‘He was sent into the great forest, and fierce winds, thunder, and rain did not confuse him’; what does it mean?” Confucius said: “This says that human affairs correspond with Heaven. After Yao obtained Shun, he tested him with all kinds of difficult tasks, and then placed him in an honored office, letting him oversee the government of ten thousand matters. So yin and yang were clear and harmonious, the five planets were not disordered, and fierce winds, thunder, and rain each responded in season without confusion or excess, showing that Shun’s conduct accorded with Heaven.”

宰我曰敢問禋於六宗何謂也孔子曰所宗者六皆潔祀之也埋少牢於太昭所以祭時也祖迎於坎壇所以祭寒暑也主於郊宮所以祭日也夜明所以祭月也幽禜所以祭星也雩禜所以祭水旱也禋於六宗此之謂也

Zai Wo said: “May I ask what ‘sacrificing to the Six Honored Ones’ means?” Confucius said: “There are six things that are honored and sacrificed to, all with pure sacrifice. Burying a lesser sacrificial set at Taizhao is the sacrifice to the four seasons; welcoming the ancestors at the pit altar is the sacrifice to cold and heat; setting up a spirit tablet in the suburban palace is the sacrifice to the sun; setting up a spirit tablet at Yeming is the sacrifice to the moon; using the “you ying” for the stars and the “yu ying” for flood and drought. What is called ‘sacrificing to the Six Honored Ones’ refers to these.”

書曰茲予大享於先王爾祖其從與享之季桓子問曰此何謂也孔子曰古之王者臣有大功死則必祀之於廟所以殊有績勸忠勤也盤庚舉其事以厲其世臣故稱焉桓子曰天子之臣有大功者則既然矣諸侯之臣有大功者可以如之乎孔子曰勞能定國功加於民大臣死難雖食之公廟可也桓子曰其位次如何孔子曰天子諸侯之臣生則有列於朝死則有位於廟其序一也

The Book of Documents says: ‘Now I hold a great sacrifice to the former kings, and your ancestors shall follow and share in the offering.’ Ji Huanzi asked: “What does this mean?” Confucius said: “In ancient times, when a minister of a king had great merit, after death he was surely made to share in the temple sacrifices, in order to distinguish those with achievement and encourage loyalty and diligence. Pan Geng raised this matter to stir up the hereditary ministers of his time, and so he spoke this way.” Huanzi said: “It is so for the Son of Heaven’s ministers with great merit; may a feudal lord’s minister with great merit be treated likewise?” Confucius said: “If his labors secured the state, his merit and virtue were added to the people, and a great minister died in the nation’s trouble, then even receiving sacrifices in the ducal temple is acceptable.” Huanzi said: “How is the order of places arranged?” Confucius said: “For the ministers of the Son of Heaven and the feudal lords, in life they have ranks at court and in death they have places in the temple, in the same order.”

書曰維髙宗報上甲微【上甲防契後八世湯之先也】定公問曰此何謂也孔子對曰此謂親盡廟毀有功而不及祖有徳而不及宗故於每嵗之大嘗而報祭焉所以昭其功徳也公曰先君僖公功德前行【或作前列】可以與於報乎孔子曰丘聞昔虞夏商周以帝王行此禮者則有矣自此以下未之知也

The Book of Documents says: ‘Gaozong gave the repaying sacrifice to Shang Jiawei.’ [Shang Jiawei was the eighth generation after Xie, an ancestor of Tang. In the received text the word “wei” is miswritten.] Duke Ding asked: “What does this mean?” Confucius replied: “This says that after the kinship has run out and the temple has been demolished, those whose merit does not reach the level of entering the ancestral temple, and whose virtue does not reach that of entering the clan temple, are given a separate repaying sacrifice at the great annual autumn sacrifice, in order to make their merit and virtue manifest.” Duke Ding said: “The late lord Duke Xi’s merit and virtue were in the front rank [one text reads ‘front rank’]; may he take part in the repaying sacrifice?” Confucius said: “I have heard that in the past, among Yu, Xia, Shang, and Zhou, there were those who performed this rite as emperors and kings; below that, I do not know.”

定公問曰周書所謂庸庸祗祗威威顯民何謂也孔子對曰不失其道明之於民之謂也夫能用可用則正治矣敬可敬則尚賢矣畏可畏則服刑恤矣君審此三者以示民而國不興未之有也

Duke Ding asked: “What does the phrase in the Book of Zhou, ‘Use whom should be used, revere whom should be revered, fear what should be feared, so as to make the people clear,’ mean?” Confucius replied: “Not losing that Way, and making it clear to the people, is what it means. If one can employ those who should be employed, government is upright; if one can revere those who should be revered, that is honoring the worthy; if one can fear the punishments that should be feared, one can be careful in using punishments and care for the people’s lives. If a ruler examines these three matters clearly and shows them to the people, and the state does not yet flourish, that has never happened.”

子張問書云奠髙山何謂也孔子曰髙山五嶽定其差秩祀所視焉子張曰其禮如何孔子曰牲幣之物五嶽視三公小名山視子男子張曰仁者何樂於山孔子曰夫山者巋然髙子張曰髙則何樂爾孔子曰夫山草木植焉鳥獸蕃焉財用出焉直而無私焉四方皆伐焉直而無私興吐風雲以通乎天地之間隂陽和合雨露之澤萬物以成百姓鹹饗此仁者之所以樂乎山也孟懿子問書曰欽四鄰何謂也孔子曰王者前有疑後有丞左有輔右有弼謂之四近言前後左右近臣當畏敬之不可以非其人也周文王胥附奔輳先後禦侮謂之四鄰以免乎羑里之害懿子曰夫子亦有四鄰矣孔子曰吾有四友焉自吾得回也門人加親是非胥附乎自吾得賜也逺方之士日至是非奔輳乎自吾得師也前有光後有輝是非先後乎自吾得仲由也惡言不至於門是非禦侮乎

Zizhang asked: “The Book of Documents says ‘He settled the high mountains’; what does that mean?” Confucius said: “The high mountains refers to the Five Peaks, and their grades and ranks were fixed, and sacrifices follow this to be seen.” Zizhang said: “What of the ceremony?” Confucius said: “For the sacrificial animals and offerings, the Five Peaks are compared to the Three Dukes, and the lesser famous mountains are compared to the viscounts and barons.” Zizhang said: “Why do the benevolent delight in mountains?” Confucius said: “A mountain stands towering and lofty.” Zizhang said: “What is there to delight in about height?” Confucius said: “On the mountain, grass and trees grow, birds and beasts multiply, and wealth and resources come from it, upright and without selfishness; people from all quarters come to take timber, upright and without selfishness; it also stirs up and breathes out wind and clouds, penetrating the space between heaven and earth, yin and yang are in harmony, rain and dew moisten, the myriad things thereby are completed and all the people are supported. This is why the benevolent delight in mountains.” Meng Yizi asked: “The Book of Documents says ‘Reverence the four neighbors’; what does that mean?” Confucius said: “A king has before him the Doubt-resolver, behind him the Assistant, on the left the Aide, and on the right the Helper, called the four near ones, meaning the near ministers before and behind, left and right should be revered, and one must not employ the wrong people. King Wen of Zhou had those who drew people to him, those who ran on errands, those who went before and after, and those who warded off insult, called the four neighbors, and by them he escaped the disaster at Youli.” Yizi said: “The Master also has four neighbors.” Confucius said: “I have four friends. Since I got Yan Hui, my disciples have drawn closer; is that not drawing people to me? Since I got Duanmu Ci, scholars from far away come every day; is that not running on errands? Since I got Zhuansun Shi, there is light before me and radiance behind; is that not going before and after? Since I got Zhong You, harsh words do not reach my door; is that not warding off insult?”

孔子見齊景公梁丘據自外而至公曰何遲對曰陳氏戮其小臣臣有辭為是故遲公笑而目孔子曰周書所謂明德慎罰陳子明德也罰人而有辭非不慎矣孔子荅曰昔康叔封衛綂三監之地命為孟侯周公以成王之命作康誥焉稱述文王之徳以成勑誡之文其書曰惟乃丕顯考文王克明徳慎罰克明徳者能顯用有徳舉而任之也慎罰者並心而慮之眾平然後行之致刑錯也此言其所任不失徳所罰不失罪不謂已徳之明也公曰寡人不有過言則安得聞吾子之教也

Confucius was meeting Duke Jing of Qi when Liangqiu Ju came in from outside. Duke Jing said: “Why are you late?” Liangqiu Ju replied: “The Chen clan killed one of his petty ministers, and I had something to say about it, and so I was late.” Duke Jing smiled and looked at Confucius and said: “What the Book of Zhou calls ‘make virtue bright and be careful with punishment,’ Lord Chen can be counted as having made virtue bright; but he punishes someone and the other can still argue his case; is that not being careless?” Confucius replied: “In the past, when Kang Shu was enfeoffed in Wei, ruling over the land of the Three Overseers and receiving the charge to be Meng Hou, the Duke of Zhou used King Cheng’s order to make the ‘Announcement to Kang,’ citing the virtue of King Wen to complete the words of admonition. In that book it says: ‘Your greatly illustrious deceased father King Wen was able to make virtue bright and be careful with punishment.’ ‘Able to make virtue bright’ means able to bring to prominence those who have virtue, raising and employing them; ‘careful with punishment’ means considering with one mind, and only when the multitude think it fair is it carried out, so as to reach the point where punishments are set aside and unused. This says that those he employs do not lose men of virtue and those he punishes do not lose the guilty, and does not mean that one’s own virtue has already become bright.” Duke Jing said: “If I had not said the wrong thing, how could I have heard the teacher’s instruction?”

書曰其在祖甲不義惟王公西赤曰聞諸晏子湯及太甲武丁祖乙天下之大君夫太甲為王居喪行不義同稱君何也孔子曰君子之於人計功而除過太甲即位不明居喪之禮而幹冢宰之政伊尹放之於桐憂思三年追悔前愆起而復位謂之明王以此觀之雖四於三王不亦可乎

The Book of Documents says: ‘As for Zu Jia, he was king by unrighteousness.’ Gongxi Chi said: “I heard from Yanzi that Tang, together with Tai Jia, Wu Ding, and Zu Yi, were great rulers of the world. Tai Jia, when he was king, acted unrighteously during mourning, yet he is called a ruler together with the others; why?” Confucius said: “The superior person, in regard to others, counts their merit and sets aside their faults. When Tai Jia took the throne, he did not understand the rites of mourning and interfered with the governance of the chief minister, and Yi Yin banished him to Tong; he brooded for three years, repented of his earlier faults, rose and restored his rulership, and was called an enlightened king. Seen from this, even if one ranked him fourth along with the Three Kings, would it not be acceptable?”

魯哀公問書稱夔曰於予擊石拊石百獸率舞庶尹允諧何謂也孔子對曰此言善政之化乎物也古之帝王功成作樂其功善者其樂和樂和則天地猶且應之況百獸乎夔為帝舜樂正實能以樂盡治理之情公曰然則政之大本莫尚夔乎孔子曰夫樂所以歌其成功非政之本也眾官之長既咸熙熙然後樂乃和焉公曰吾聞夔一足有異於人信乎孔子曰昔重黎舉防而進又欲求人而佐焉舜曰夫樂天地之精也唯聖人為能和五律均五音知樂之本以通八風夔若能此一而足矣故曰一足非一足也公曰善

Duke Ai of Lu asked: “The Book of Documents has Kui say: ‘Ah! I strike the stone and tap the stone, and all the beasts lead the dance, and the many officials are truly in harmony’; what does that mean?” Confucius replied: “This says that good government can transform all things. When ancient emperors completed their work they made music; if the achievements were good, the music was harmonious; when the music was harmonious, even heaven and earth responded, how much more the beasts? Kui, as music master to Emperor Shun, was truly able to express the whole state of government through music.” Duke Ai said: “Then in the great root of governing, there is none higher than Kui?” Confucius said: “Music is used to praise achievements already completed, and is not the root of government. When the chiefs of all the offices are already joyful and at ease, only then is the music harmonious.” Duke Ai said: “I have heard that Kui had only one foot and was different from other people; is that true?” Confucius said: “In the past Chong and Li recommended Kui for service and wanted to find someone else to assist him. Shun said: ‘Music is the essence of heaven and earth, and only a sage can harmonize the five pitch-pipes and level the five notes, and know the root of music so as to connect the eight winds. If Kui can do this one thing, one is enough.’ So it is said ‘one is enough’ (yi zu), not ‘one foot.’” Duke Ai said: “Good.”

季桓子以粟千鍾餼夫子夫子受之而不辭既而以頒門人之無者子貢進曰季孫以夫子貧故致粟夫子受之而以施人無乃非季孫之意乎子曰何對曰季孫以為恵也子曰然吾得千鍾所以受而不辭者為季孫之恵且以為寵也夫受人財不以成富與季孫之恵於一人豈若恵數百人哉

Ji Huanzi supplied the Master with a thousand zhong of millet, and the Master accepted it without declining, and then distributed it to those among his disciples who had no grain. Zigong came in and said: “Ji Sun sent the millet because the Master is poor, but the Master accepted it and gave it away to others; I fear it is not what Ji Sun intended?” Confucius said: “What do you mean?” Zigong said: “Ji Sun treats it as a favor.” Confucius said: “Yes. I received the thousand zhong and did not decline because it is Ji Sun’s favor, and I also treat it as an honor. But in accepting another’s goods I do not use them to make myself rich; to give Ji Sun’s favor to one person, how can it compare with giving that favor to several hundred?”

秦莊子死孟武伯問於孔子曰古者同寮有服乎荅曰然同寮有相友之義貴賤殊等不為同官聞諸老耼昔者虢叔閎夭太顛散冝生南宮括五臣同寮比德以贊文武及虢叔死四人者為之服朋友之服古之達理者行之也

When Qin Zhuangzi died, Meng Wubo asked Confucius: “In ancient times did colleagues wear mourning for one another?” Confucius replied: “Yes. Colleagues have the principle of acting as friends to one another; if their ranks of noble and lowly differ, they are not counted as of the same office. I heard from Lao Dan: in the past five ministers, Guo Shu, Hong Yao, Tai Dian, Sanyi Sheng, and Nangong Kuo, were colleagues, comparing their virtue to assist King Wen and King Wu; when Guo Shu died, the other four wore friends’ mourning for him. The ancients who understood principle did this.”

公父文伯死室人有從死者其母怒而不哭相室諌之其母曰孔子天下之賢人也不用於魯退而去是子素宗之而不能隨今死而內人從死者二人焉若此於長者薄於婦人厚也既而夫子聞之曰季氏之婦尚賢哉子路愀然對曰夫子亦好人之譽已乎夫子死而不哭是不慈也何善爾子曰怒其子之不能隨賢所以為尚賢者吾何有焉其亦善此而已矣

When Gongfu Wenbo died, some in the household followed him in death, and his mother was angry but did not weep. The chamberlain urged her, and the mother said: “Confucius was a worthy man of the world, not employed by Lu, and he withdrew and left. This child always honored him but could not follow him. Now that he is dead, there are two women inside who followed him in death. Like this, he was thin toward his elders and thick toward women.” Afterward the Master heard of it and said: “The woman of the Ji family still values the worthy!” Zilu’s face turned grave and he replied: “Does the Master also like others to praise him? Her son died and she did not weep; this is lack of kindness, so what is good in it?” Confucius said: “She was vexed that her son could not follow a worthy man, so she is counted as valuing the worthy; what does that have to do with me? She is simply good in this one respect.”

衛出公使人問孔子曰寡人之任臣無大小一一自覩察之猶復失人何故荅曰如君之言此即所以失之也人既難知非言問所及觀察所盡且人君之慮者多多慮則意不精以不精之意察難知之人宜其有失也君未之聞乎昔者舜臣堯官不任士堯一從之左右曰人君用士當自任耳目而取信於人無乃不可乎堯曰吾之舉舜已耳目之矣今舜所舉人吾又耳目之是則耳目人終無已時也君苟付可付則已不勞而賢才不失矣

Duke Chu of Wei sent someone to ask Confucius: “When I employ ministers, I examine each of them personally, great or small, and yet I still employ people wrongly; why?” Confucius replied: “By your own words, that is precisely the cause of losing people. People are by nature hard to know, and cannot be fully known by questioning or by watching. Moreover, a ruler has many things to consider, and when considering is much, the mind is not refined; using an unrefined mind to examine people who are hard to know will certainly produce mistakes. Have you not heard? In the past, when Shun was a minister under Yao, offices were not left to scholars to fill on their own, and Yao followed all of this. Those around him said: ‘A ruler employing people should use his own ears and eyes, yet to place trust in others, I fear that will not work?’ Yao said: ‘In raising Shun, I have already used my ears and eyes; now if I again use my ears and eyes to examine those Shun raises, then using ears and eyes to examine people will never end.’ If a ruler entrusts affairs to those who can be entrusted, he himself is not wearied and worthy talents are not lost.”

子貢問曰昔孫文子以衛侯哭之不哀知其將為亂不敢舍其重器而行盡寘諸戚而善晉大夫二十人或稱其知何如孔子曰人知其為知也吾未知其為知也子貢曰敢問何謂也子曰食其祿者必死其事孫子知衛君之將不君不念伏死以爭而素規去就尸利攜貳非人臣也臣而有不臣之心明君所不赦幸哉孫子之以此免戮也

Zigong asked: “In the past Sun Wenzi, because the Marquis of Wei did not weep sorrowfully, knew that he would cause disorder, and did not dare to set down the weighty vessels and leave, but placed them all in the town of Qi, and befriended twenty grandees of Jin. Some said he was wise; how is that?” Confucius said: “Others know that he can be counted as wise, but I do not know that he can be counted as wise.” Zigong said: “May I ask what you mean?” Confucius said: “One who eats a ruler’s salary must go to his service even at the cost of his life. Sun knew that the ruler of Wei was about to fail to act as a ruler, yet he did not wish to die in remonstrance, and in ordinary times he planned for leaving or staying, occupying his post for gain and cherishing a divided mind, which is not what a minister should have. A subject with a heart that is not a subject’s is something an enlightened ruler does not pardon. That Sun escaped being killed by this was only his luck.”

孔子使宰予使於楚楚昭王以安車象飾因宰予以遺孔子焉宰予曰夫子無以此為也王曰何故對曰臣以其用思其所在觀之有以知其然王曰言之宰予對曰自臣侍從夫子以來竊見其言不離道動不違仁貴義尚徳清素好儉仕而有祿不以為積不合則去退無吝心妻不服防妾不衣帛車器不雕馬不食粟道行則樂其治不行則樂其身此所以為夫子也若夫觀目之麗靡窈窕之音夫子過之弗之視遇之弗之聽也故臣知夫子之無用此車也王曰然則夫子何欲而可對曰方今天下道德寢息其志欲興而行之天下誠有欲治之君能行其道則夫子雖使歩以朝固猶為之何必逺辱君之重貺乎王曰乃今而後知孔子之徳也大矣宰予歸以告孔子孔子曰二三子以予之言何如子貢對曰未盡夫子之美也夫子徳髙則配天深則配海若予之言行事之實也夫子曰夫言貴實使人信之捨實何稱乎是賜之華不若予之實也

Confucius sent Zai Yu on a mission to Chu. King Zhao of Chu had a peaceful carriage decorated with ivory, and had Zai Yu pass it on to Confucius as a gift. Zai Yu said: “The Master will not use this.” The king said: “Why?” Zai Yu replied: “I observe where his thoughts are directed, and have reason to know it will be so.” The king said: “Tell me.” Zai Yu replied: “Since I have attended the Master, I have privately seen that his speech does not leave the Way, his actions do not go against benevolence, he values righteousness and honors virtue, and is plain and fond of frugality. When he holds office and has salary, he does not hoard it; if he does not fit in, he leaves, and in withdrawing he feels no regret. His wife does not wear showy clothes, his concubine does not wear silk, his carriage fittings are not carved, and his horses do not eat millet. When the Way can be practiced, he delights in that governing; when the Way cannot be practiced, he delights in himself. This is why the Master is the Master. As for delightful splendor and the lascivious music of graceful women, the Master does not look when passing by and does not listen when he meets it. So I know that the Master has no use for this carriage.” The king said: “Then what would the Master want in order to be satisfied?” Zai Yu replied: “Now the Way and virtue are at rest throughout the world, and his aim is to raise and put them into practice. If the world truly has a ruler who wishes to govern and can practice his Way, then even if he were asked to walk to court, the Master would surely do it, so why bring shame on your generous gift from afar?” The king said: “Only today do I know how great Confucius’s virtue is.” Zai Yu returned and told Confucius. Confucius said: “What do you think of Zai Yu’s words?” Zigong replied: “It has not said all of the Master’s excellence. The Master’s virtue is as high as Heaven and as deep as the sea; what Zai Yu said is only the truth of his conduct.” The Master said: “Words are valued for being true, so that people can believe them; if one sets aside the truth, what is there to say? Ci’s splendor does not equal Yu’s plainness.”