Volume 1

孔子家語王肅

The Kongzi Jiayu (Sayings of the Confucian School), compiled by Wang Su.

孔子初仕為中都宰，中都魯邑製為養生送死之節，長幼異食、如禮年五十異食也強弱異任、任謂力作之事各從所任不用弱也男女別塗、路無拾遺、器不雕偽，無文飾雕畫不詐偽為四寸之棺，五寸之槨，以木為槨因丘陵為墳，不封、不聚土以起墳者也不樹，不樹松柏行之一年，而西方之諸侯則焉．魯國在東故西方諸侯皆法則定公謂孔子曰：“學子此法，以治魯國何如？”孔子對曰：“雖天下可乎，何但魯國而已哉．於是二年，定公以為司空．乃別五土之性，五土之性一曰山林二曰川澤三曰丘陵四曰墳衍五曰原隰而物各得其所生之宜，所生之物各得其宜鹹得厥所．先時季氏葬昭公於墓道之南，季平子逐昭公死於幹侯平子別而葬之貶之不令近先公也孔子溝而合諸墓焉．謂季桓子曰：“貶君以彰己罪，非禮也，桓子平子之子今合之，所以揜夫子之不臣．”由司空為魯大司寇．設法而不用，無奸民．

Confucius first took office as governor of Zhongdu. [Zhongdu was a city of Lu.] He set standards for nourishing the living and sending off the dead: the old and the young ate different food [by ritual, from the age of fifty food and drink were different], the strong and the weak bore different burdens [burdens meaning labor, each according to his ability, without using the weak], men and women walked on separate roads, no one picked up what was lost on the road, and utensils were not carved or decorated falsely [no ornamental carving or painting, no deceit]. Coffins were made four inches thick and outer coffins five inches [the outer coffin made of wood], tombs followed the contour of the hills without a mound [no earth was piled up to make a mound] and no trees were planted [no pines or cypresses]. After one year of this, the lords to the west took it as a model. [Lu is in the east, so the western lords all took it as a model.] Duke Ding said to Confucius: "If I learn your method and use it to govern Lu, how would it be?" Confucius answered: "Even the whole world could be governed so, how much more Lu." So after two years, Duke Ding made him Minister of Works. He then distinguished the natures of the five kinds of land [the five lands: first mountains and forests, second rivers and marshes, third hills, fourth embankments and flats, fifth plains and wetlands], and each thing obtained what suited its growth [things that grew there each obtained what suited them], and all found their proper places. Earlier the Ji family had buried Duke Zhao south of the road to the tombs [Ji Pingzi had driven out Duke Zhao, who died at Ganhou, and Pingzi buried him separately to demean him, so that he would not be near the former dukes], and Confucius dug a trench to join the grave with the others. He said to Ji Huanzi: "To demean the ruler is to make one's own guilt plain, and it is not ritual. Now joining them is to cover up your father's disloyalty." [Huanzi was the son of Pingzi.] From Minister of Works he became Grand Minister of Crime of Lu. Laws were established but not used, and there were no wicked people.

定公與齊侯會於夾谷，孔子攝相事，曰：“臣聞有文事者，必有武備．有武事者，必有文備，古者諸侯並出疆，必具官以從，請具左右司馬．”定公從之．至會所，為壇位土階三等，以遇禮相見，會遇之禮禮之簡略者也揖讓而登，獻酢既畢，齊使萊人以兵鼓●劫定公．萊人齊人東夷雷鼓曰●孔子歷階而進，以公退曰：“士以兵之，吾兩君為好，裔夷之俘，敢以兵亂之，裔邊裔夷夷狄俘軍所獲虜也言此三者何敢以兵亂兩君之好也非齊君所以命諸侯也，裔不謀夏、夷不亂華、華夏中國之名俘不幹盟、兵不偪好、於神為不祥、於德為愆義、於人為失禮，君必不然．”齊侯心怍，麾而避之．有頃，齊奏宮中之樂，俳優侏儒戲於前．孔子趨進歷階而上，不盡一等，曰：“匹夫熒侮諸侯者，罪應誅，請右司馬速刑焉．”於是斬侏儒，手足異處．齊侯懼，有慚色．將盟，齊人加載書曰：“齊師出境，而不以兵車三百乘從我者，有如此盟．”孔子使茲無還對曰：“魯大夫也而不返我汶陽之田，吾以供命者，亦如之．”齊侯將設享禮，孔子謂梁丘據曰：“齊魯之故，吾子何不聞焉？”梁丘據舊聞齊魯之故事事既成矣，而又享之，是勤執事，且犧象不出門，作犧牛及象於其背為●嘉樂不野合，享而既具是棄禮，若其不具，是用秕粺，秕穀之不成者粺草之似谷者用秕粺君辱，棄禮名惡，子盍圖之．夫享，所以昭德也，不昭，不如其已．”乃不果享．齊侯歸，責其群臣曰：“魯以君子道輔其君，而子獨以夷狄道教寡人，使得罪．”於是乃歸所侵魯之四邑，及汶陽之田．四邑鄆讙龜陰也洙有汶陽之田本魯界

Duke Ding met the Marquis of Qi at Jiagu, and Confucius acted as assistant, saying: "I have heard that where there are civil affairs there must be military preparation, and where there are military affairs there must be civil preparation. In ancient times when lords went out of their borders together, they always brought a full complement of officials with them; I ask that the Left and Right Marshals be prepared." Duke Ding agreed. On reaching the meeting place, they built an altar and set out positions with earthen steps of three levels, and met with the ritual of a chance meeting [the ritual for a chance meeting is a simplified ritual], bowing and yielding as they ascended the altar. After the toasts were finished, Qi sent men of Lai with weapons beating drums to seize Duke Ding. [The men of Lai were eastern Yi barbarians of Qi.] Confucius stepped over the stairs and went forward, had the Duke withdraw, and said: "Officers, use weapons against them. Our two rulers are making friendship; how dare captives of the border barbarians disturb it with weapons? This is not how the Marquis of Qi commands the lords. Remote tribes do not plot against the Xia, barbarians do not disturb the Hua [Huaxia is the name of China], captives do not interfere with covenants, and weapons do not press upon a peace. To the spirits it is inauspicious, to virtue it is contrary to righteousness, to people it is a breach of ritual; the ruler surely would not do this." The Marquis of Qi felt ashamed and gestured for them to withdraw. After a while Qi played palace music, and jesters and dwarfs played about in front. Confucius hurried forward over the steps and went up, stopping one step short, and said: "Commoners who bewilder and insult the lords are guilty of death; I ask the Right Marshal to apply punishment at once." So the dwarfs were beheaded, their hands and feet cut apart. The Marquis of Qi was frightened and looked ashamed. When they were about to swear a covenant, the men of Qi added to the text: "If Qi's army goes out of the border and Lu does not follow with three hundred war chariots, it shall be as this covenant." Confucius had Zi Wuhuan reply: "And if you do not return the Wenyang fields to us, which we shall use to meet your demands, it shall also be as this." The Marquis of Qi was about to hold a banquet, and Confucius said to Liang Qiu Ju: "Why have you not heard of the old affairs between Qi and Lu? The business is already completed, and to hold a banquet again would be to burden the officials. Moreover, sacrificial vessels shaped like oxen and elephants do not go out the gate [oxen and elephants are made on their backs], and fine music is not assembled in the wilds. If a banquet is fully provided, it abandons ritual; if not, it uses chaff and weeds [chaff is grain not fully formed, and weeds are plants like grain]. To shame the ruler with chaff and weeds and to abandon ritual would give a bad reputation; why do you not plan about this? A banquet is meant to make virtue clear; if it does not, it is better to stop." So in the end the banquet was not held. The Marquis of Qi returned and rebuked his ministers, saying: "Lu assisted its ruler with the way of the gentleman, while you alone taught me the way of the barbarians, so that I have given offense." So he returned the four cities taken from Lu, and the Wenyang fields. [The four cities were Yun, Huan, Guiyin, and the Wenyang fields along the Zhu, which were originally Lu's territory.]

孔子言於定公曰：“家不藏甲，卿大夫稱家甲鎧也邑無百雉之城，高丈長丈曰堵三堵曰雉古之制也．今三家過制，請皆損之．”乃使季氏宰仲由隳三都．叔孫不得意於季氏，因費宰公山弗擾率費人以襲魯．孔子以公與季孫叔孫孟孫，入於費氏之宮，登武子之臺；費人攻之，及臺側，孔子命申句須樂頎勒士眾下伐之，費人北，遂隳三都之城．強公室，弱私家，尊君卑臣，政化大行．

Confucius said to Duke Ding: "A family does not store armor [ministers and grand masters are called a family, and jia means armor], and a city has no wall of a hundred zhi [one zhang high and one zhang long is a du, and three du is a zhi]; this is the ancient institution. Now the Three Families exceed the institution, and I ask that all be reduced." So he had Zhong You, steward of the Ji family, tear down the three cities. Shusun was not at ease with the Ji family, so Gongshan Furao, steward of Fei, led the men of Fei to attack Lu. Confucius took the Duke together with Jisun, Shusun and Mengsun into the palace of Fei and ascended the terrace of Wuzi; the men of Fei attacked and reached the side of the terrace, and Confucius ordered Shen Juxu and Yue Qi to lead the soldiers down to attack them. The men of Fei were routed, and so the walls of the three cities were torn down. The ducal house was made strong and the private houses weak, the ruler was honored and the ministers lowered, and government and teaching were widely carried out.

初，魯之販羊有沈猶氏者，常朝飲其羊以詐．市人有公慎氏者，妻淫不制．有慎潰氏，奢侈踰法．魯之鬻六畜者，飾之以儲價．及孔子之為政也，則沈猶氏不敢朝飲其羊．公慎氏出其妻．慎潰氏越境而徙．三月，則鬻牛馬者不儲價，賣羊豚者不加飾．男女行者，別其塗，道不拾遺．男尚忠信，女尚貞順．四方客至於邑，不求有司，有司常供其職客不求而有司存焉皆如歸焉．言如歸家無所之也

In the beginning, among the sheep dealers of Lu there was Shen You, who often watered his sheep in the morning to deceive buyers. In the market there was Gongshen, whose wife was licentious and could not be restrained. There was Shen Kui, who was extravagant beyond the law. Those in Lu who sold the six domestic animals dressed them up to hold them for a higher price. When Confucius took charge of government, Shen You no longer dared to water his sheep in the morning. Gongshen divorced his wife. Shen Kui crossed the border and moved away. After three months, those who sold oxen and horses did not hold back for a higher price, and those who sold sheep and pigs did not dress them up. Men and women walking separated their roads, and no one picked up what was lost on the road. Men honored loyalty and good faith, and women honored chastity and compliance. When guests from the four quarters reached the city, they did not look for officials [the officials were always at their posts, so guests did not need to seek them], and all felt as though they were home. [Saying as though they were home means they had no other place to go.]

孔子為魯司寇，攝行相事，有喜色．仲由問曰：“由聞君子禍至不懼，福至不喜，今夫子得位而喜，何也？”孔子曰：“然，有是言也．不曰樂以貴下人乎？”於是朝政，七日而誅亂政大夫少正卯，戮之於兩觀之下，兩觀闕名屍於朝．三日，子貢進曰：“夫少正卯，魯之聞人也，今夫子為政，而始誅之，或者為失乎？”孔子曰：“居，吾語汝以其故．天下有大惡者五，而竊盜不與焉．一曰心逆而險，二曰行僻而堅，三曰言偽而辯，四曰記醜而博，醜謂非義五曰順非而澤，此五者有一於人，則不免君子之誅，而少正卯皆兼有之．其居處足以撮徒成黨，撮聚其談說足以飾褒榮眾，其強御足以反是獨立，此乃人之奸雄者也，不可以不除．夫殷湯誅尹諧、文王誅潘正、周公誅管蔡、太公誅華士、士之為人虛偽亦聚黨也而韓非謂華士耕而後食鑿井而飲信其如此而太公誅之豈所以謂太公者哉管仲誅付乙、子產誅史何，是此七子，皆異世而同誅者，以七子異世而同惡，故不可赦也．詩云：‘憂心悄悄，慍於群小，小人成群，斯足憂矣．’”

When Confucius was Minister of Crime of Lu and acting as assistant, he had a look of joy. Zhong You asked: "I have heard that a gentleman does not fear when misfortune comes and is not glad when fortune comes; now the Master has obtained a position and is glad; why?" Confucius said: "Yes, there is such a saying. But is it not said that one delights in using high position to be humble to those below?" So he governed the court, and after seven days he executed the grand master Shaozheng Mao, who was disrupting government, and put him to death beneath the Two Towers [the Two Towers were the name of the gate towers], and his corpse was displayed in court. After three days, Zigong came forward and said: "Shaozheng Mao was a famous man of Lu; now the Master has taken government and has begun by executing him; could it be a mistake?" Confucius said: "Sit down, and I will tell you the reason. There are five great evils in the world, and theft is not among them. The first is a mind that is contrary and dangerous, the second is conduct that is deviant and yet firm, the third is speech that is false and yet eloquent, the fourth is recounting what is ugly and evil with breadth [ugly means unrighteous], and the fifth is following what is wrong and making it glossy. If a man has even one of these five, he cannot escape the gentleman's execution, and Shaozheng Mao had all of them. His residence was enough to gather followers into a party ["gather" means to assemble], his talk was enough to adorn and praise and dazzle the crowd, and his strength was enough to oppose right and wrong and stand alone; he was a treacherous hero among men and could not but be removed. Tang of Yin executed Yin Xie, King Wen executed Pan Zheng, the Duke of Zhou executed Guan and Cai, Taigong executed Hua Shi [Hua Shi was a hypocrite who also gathered a party; Han Fei says that Hua Shi farmed before he ate and dug a well to drink, and if this were true and Taigong executed him, how would that be why he is called Taigong?], Guan Zhong executed Fu Yi, Zichan executed Shi He; these seven men were executed in different ages for the same reason, because though the ages were different their evil was the same, so they could not be pardoned. The Book of Songs says: 'My worried heart is troubled, I am resented by a crowd of petty men.' When petty men form a crowd, that is enough to worry about."

孔子為魯大司寇，有父子訟者，夫子同狴執之，狴獄牢也三月不別，其父請止．夫子赦之焉．季孫聞之，不悅曰：“司寇欺餘，曩告餘曰，國家必先以孝，餘今戮一不孝以教民孝，不亦可乎？而又赦，何哉？”冉有以告孔子，子喟然嘆曰：“嗚呼！上失其道，而殺其下，非理也．不教以孝，而聽其獄，是殺不辜．三軍大敗，不可斬也．獄犴不治，不可刑也．何者？上教之不行，罪不在民故也．夫慢令謹誅，賊也．征斂無時，暴也．不試責成，虐也．政無此三者，然後刑可即也．書云：‘義刑義殺勿庸，以即汝心，惟曰未有慎事，言必教而後刑也．’庸用也即就也刑教皆當以義勿用以就汝心之所安當謹之自謂未有順事且陳道德以服之以無刑殺而後為順是先教而後刑也既陳道德以先服之，而猶不可，尚賢以勸之，又不可，即廢之，又不可，而後以威憚之，若是三年，而百姓正矣．其有邪民不從化者，然後待之以刑，則民鹹知罪矣．詩云：‘天子是毗，俾民不迷．’毗輔也俾使也言師尹當毗輔天子使民不迷是以威厲而不試，刑錯而不用．今世則不然，亂其教，繁其刑，使民迷惑而陷焉，又從而制之，故刑彌繁，而盜不勝也．夫三尺之限，空車不能登者，何哉？峻故也．百仞之山，重載陟焉，何哉？陵遲故也．陵遲猶陂池也今世俗之陵遲久矣，雖有刑法，民能勿踰乎？”

When Confucius was Grand Minister of Crime of Lu, a father and son brought a lawsuit against each other, and the Master put them in the same prison [a bi is a prison cell], without separating them for three months, until the father asked to stop. The Master pardoned them. Jisun heard and was displeased, saying: "The Minister of Crime deceived me; he told me before that the state must first use filial piety. Now if I execute one unfilial person to teach the people filial piety, would that not be fine? Yet he pardoned them; why?" Ran You told Confucius, who sighed deeply and said: "Alas! When those above lose the Way and kill those below, it is not right. To not teach filial piety and yet hear their cases is to kill the innocent. When the three armies are badly defeated, they should not be beheaded. When prison cases cannot be handled, punishment should not be used. Why? Because the teaching above has not been carried out, the guilt is not the people's. To be lax in laws and decrees yet strict in executing is cruelty. To levy taxes at no fixed time is tyranny. To demand results without a trial is oppression. Only when government is free of these three can punishment be applied. The Book of Documents says: 'Do not apply righteous punishment or righteous killing to suit your own mind; say only that there are still matters not yet carefully handled.' This means that one must teach first and then use punishment. ["Yong" means to use, to suit. Punishment and teaching should both use righteousness, and not be used to suit what one's mind is at ease with; one should be careful and say to oneself there are still matters not yet properly handled.] Moreover, set out morality to make people submit, and only when there is no punishment or killing is it regarded as smooth; this is teaching first and punishing afterward. If after setting out morality to make them submit first this is still not enough, then honor the worthy to encourage them; if that is still not enough, set them aside; if that is still not enough, then use awe to make them afraid. After three years of this, the people will be upright. If among them are the wicked who do not follow instruction, then deal with them by punishment, and then the people will all know their offense. The Book of Songs says: 'The Son of Heaven is the support, so that the people are not confused.' ["Pi" means support, "bi" means to cause. It means that the Grand Tutor should support the Son of Heaven so that the people are not confused.] So awe and severity are not tried, and punishments are set aside and not used. But in the present age this is not so: teaching is disordered, punishments are numerous, and the people are confused and fall, and are then punished in turn, so the more numerous the punishments, the more the thieves cannot be overcome. A threshold three chi high cannot be climbed by an empty cart; why? Because it is steep. A mountain of a hundred ren can be climbed by a heavily loaded cart; why? Because the slope is gentle. [Gradual decline is like a sloping pond.] Now the decline of customs in the present world has gone on for a long time; even if there are punishments, can the people avoid overstepping?"

孔子閒居，曾參侍．孔子曰：“參乎，今之君子，唯士與大夫之言可聞也．至於君子之言者，希也．於乎，吾以王言之，其不出戶牖而化天下．”曾子起，下席而對曰：“敢問何謂王之言？”孔子不應，曾子曰：“侍夫子之閒也，難對，是以敢問．”孔子又不應．曾子肅然而懼，摳衣而退，負席而立．有頃，孔子嘆息，顧謂曾子曰：“參，汝可語明王之道與？”曾子曰：“非敢以為足也，請因所聞而學焉．”子曰：“居，吾語汝．夫道者，所以明德也．德者，所以尊道也．是以非德道不尊，非道德不明．雖有國之良馬，不以其道服乘之，不可以道里．雖有博地眾民，不以其道治之，不可以致霸王．是故昔者明王內修七教，外行三至，七教修然後可以守，三至行然後可以徵．明王之道，其守也則必折沖千里之外，其徵則必還師衽席之上．故曰內修七教，而上不勞；外行三至，而財不費．此之謂明王之道也．”曾子曰：“不勞不費之謂明王，可得聞乎？”孔子曰：“昔者帝舜左禹而右皋陶，不下席而天下治，夫如此，何上之勞乎．政之不平，君之患也，令之不行，臣之罪也．若乃十一而稅，用民之力，歲不過三日，入山澤以其時，而無徵，關譏市●，皆不收賦，譏呵也譏異服識異言及市？皆不賦稅古之法也此則生財之路，而明王節之，何財之費乎？”曾子曰：“敢問何謂七教？

When Confucius was at leisure, Zeng Shen attended him. Confucius said: "Shen, among the gentlemen of today, only the words of scholars and grand masters can be heard. As for the words of a true gentleman, they are few. Alas, if I spoke with the words of a king, I could probably transform the world without leaving my door or window." Zengzi rose, stepped off his mat and replied: "May I ask what the words of a king are?" Confucius did not answer. Zengzi said: "I attend the Master at leisure and find it hard to answer, so I dare ask." Confucius again did not answer. Zengzi became solemn and afraid, lifted his robe and withdrew, and stood with his back to the mat. After a while, Confucius sighed and turned to Zengzi and said: "Shen, can you discuss the way of an enlightened king?" Zengzi said: "I dare not think myself adequate; I ask to learn following what I have heard." Confucius said: "Sit down, and I will tell you. The Way is that by which virtue is made clear. Virtue is that by which the Way is honored. So without virtue the Way is not honored, and without the Way virtue is not clear. Even if one has the finest horses in the state, if one does not ride them according to the Way, one cannot calculate the distance. Even if one has broad land and many people, if one does not govern them by that Way, one cannot reach hegemony or kingship. Therefore in the past enlightened kings cultivated the seven teachings within and carried out the three utmosts outside. When the seven teachings are cultivated, one can defend; when the three utmosts are carried out, one can campaign. As for the Way of the enlightened king, in defending he will surely repel enemies a thousand li away, and in campaigning he will surely return the army while still on his sleeping mat. So it is said: cultivating the seven teachings within means those above are not wearied, and carrying out the three utmosts outside means wealth is not wasted. This is called the Way of the enlightened king." Zengzi said: "Not wearied and not wasted is called an enlightened king; may I hear about it?" Confucius said: "In the past Emperor Shun had Yu on his left and Gao Yao on his right, and without stepping off his mat the world was governed; being so, what weariness was there above? If government is not balanced, it is the ruler's trouble; if orders are not carried out, it is the ministers' fault. As for taking one tenth in tax, using the people's labor for no more than three days a year, allowing entry to mountains and marshes according to season without taxing, with checking at the gates and no levies in the market ["ji" means to question, to inspect strange clothing and speech, and the markets all levy no tax; this was the ancient law], this is the road to producing wealth, and with the enlightened king's moderation, what waste is there in wealth?" Zengzi said: "May I ask what the seven teachings are?"

”孔子曰：“上敬老則下益孝，上尊齒則下益悌，上樂施則下益寬，上親賢則下擇友，上好德則下不隱，上惡貪則下恥爭，上廉讓則下恥節，此之謂七教．七教者，治民之本也．政教定，則本正也．凡上者，民之表也，表正則何物不正．是故人君先立仁於己，然後大夫忠而士信，民敦俗璞，璞愨願貌男愨而女貞，六者，教之致也．布諸天下四方而不怨，納諸尋常之室而不塞，等之以禮，立之以義，行之以順，則民之棄惡，如湯之灌雪焉．”曾子曰：“道則至矣，弟子不足以明之．”孔子曰：“參以為姑止乎？又有焉．昔者明王之治民也，法必裂地以封之，分屬以理之，然後賢民無所隱，暴民無所伏．使有司日省而時考之，進用賢良，退貶不肖，然則賢者悅而不肖者懼．哀鰥寡、養孤獨、恤貧窮、誘孝悌、選才能．此七者修，則四海之內，無刑民矣．上之親下也，如手足之於腹心．下之親上也，如幼子之於慈母矣．上下相親如此，故令則從，施則行，民懷其德，近者悅服，遠者來附，政之致也．夫布指知寸，布手知尺，舒肘知尋，斯不遠之則也．周制，三百步為裡，千步為井，三井而埒，埒三而矩，此說裡數不可以言井井自方里之名疑此誤五十里而都封，百里而有國，乃為福積資求焉，恤行者有亡．是以蠻夷諸夏，雖衣冠不同，言語不合，莫不來賓．故曰無市而民不乏，無刑而民不亂．田獵罩弋，罩掩網弋繳射非以盈宮室也．征斂百姓，非以盈府庫也．慘怛以補不足，禮節以損有餘，多信而寡貌．其禮可守，其言可覆，其跡可履．如飢而食，如渴而飲．民之信之，如寒暑之必驗．故視遠若邇，非道邇也，見明德也．是故兵革不動而威，用利不施而親，萬民懷其惠，此之謂明王之守，折沖千里之外者也．”曾子曰：“敢問何謂三至？

Confucius said: "When those above honor the old, those below become more filial; when those above honor age, those below become more fraternal; when those above delight in giving, those below become more generous; when those above are close to the worthy, those below choose their friends carefully; when those above love virtue, those below do not conceal; when those above hate greed, those below are ashamed to quarrel; when those above are honest and yielding, those below are ashamed of lacking restraint. These are called the seven teachings. The seven teachings are the root of governing the people. When governing and teaching are settled, the root is upright. All those above are the models of the people; when the model is upright, what thing is not upright? So the ruler first establishes benevolence in himself, and then the grand masters are loyal and the scholars faithful, the people are generous and the customs simple ["pu" means honest and sincere], men are simple and women chaste; these six are brought about by teaching. Spread to the four quarters of the world, it is not resented; brought into an ordinary room, it is not blocked; made equal by ritual, established by righteousness, and carried out by compliance, the people abandon evil as hot water melts snow." Zengzi said: "The Way has reached its limit, and I, your disciple, am not enough to make it clear." Confucius said: "Do you think we should stop here, Shen? There is more. In the past the enlightened kings governed the people by law, always dividing the land and enfeoffing, distinguishing what belonged to whom in order to govern, so that worthy people had nowhere to hide and violent people had nowhere to lurk. They had officials examine daily and review from time to time, advanced the worthy and good and dismissed the unworthy, so that the worthy were glad and the unworthy were afraid. They pitied widowers and widows, supported orphans and the childless, cared for the poor, led people toward filial and fraternal conduct, and selected talent. With these seven cultivated, within the four seas there were no people who underwent punishment. Those above were close to those below, like the hands and feet to the belly and heart. Those below were close to those above, like a young child to a loving mother. Since above and below were so close to each other, orders were followed and giving was carried out, the people longed for that virtue, the near were glad to submit, the far came to join, and this is the utmost of government. Spread your fingers and you know the cun, spread your hand and you know the chi, stretch your arm and you know the xun; these are laws not far away. In the Zhou system, three hundred paces make a li, a thousand paces a jing, three jing make a lie, and three lie a ju [this speaks of a count of li and cannot be spoken of as jing; jing was originally the name of a square li, and there may be an error here], fifty li make an enfeoffed city, and a hundred li make a state; then for blessing they accumulated resources and cared for travelers' needs. So the barbarians and the Chinese states, though their dress differed and their speech did not match, all came as guests. So it is said that without a market the people do not lack, and without punishments the people are not disorderly. Hunting with nets and arrows ["zhao" is a covering net, "yi" is shooting with a corded arrow] is not to fill the palaces. Levying from the people is not to fill the treasuries. Compassion supplements what is lacking, and ritual restrains what is excessive, with much good faith and little show. His rituals can be kept, his words can be checked, his traces can be followed. It is like eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty. The people trust him as they trust that cold and heat will come on time. So what is far looks near, not because the Way is near but because they see clear virtue. Therefore armies do not move yet there is awe, profit is not used yet people are close, and the ten thousand people long for his kindness; this is called the defense of the enlightened king, repelling enemies a thousand li away." Zengzi said: "May I ask what the three utmosts are?"

”孔子曰：“至禮不讓而天下治，至賞不費而天下士悅，至樂無聲而天下民和．明王篤行三至，故天下之君，可得而知，天下之士，可得而臣，天下之民，可得而用．”曾子曰：“敢問此義何謂？”孔子曰：“古者明王，必盡知天下良士之名，既知其名，又知其實，又知其數，及其所在焉．然後因天下之爵以尊之，此之謂至禮不讓而天下治．因天下之祿以富天下之士，此之謂至賞不費而天下之士悅．如此，則天下之民，名譽興焉，此之謂至樂無聲而天下之民和．故曰：‘所謂天下之至仁者，能合天下之至親也．所謂天下之至明者，能舉天下之至賢者也．’此三者咸通，然後可以徵．是故仁者莫大乎愛人，智者莫大乎知賢，賢政者莫大乎官能．有土之君，修此三者，則四海之內，供命而已矣．夫明王之所徵，必道之所廢者也，是故誅其君而改其政，吊其民而不奪其財．故明王之政，猶時雨之降，降至則民悅矣．是故行施彌博，得親彌眾此之謂還師衽席之上．”言安安而無憂

Confucius said: "The utmost ritual is without yielding and yet the world is governed; the utmost reward is without waste and yet the scholars of the world are glad; the utmost music is without sound and yet the people of the world are in harmony. The enlightened king truly carries out the three utmosts, so the rulers of the world can be known, the scholars of the world can be made ministers, and the people of the world can be employed." Zengzi said: "May I ask what these meanings are?" Confucius said: "In ancient times the enlightened kings must have known the names of all the good scholars of the world; having known their names, they knew their reality, their number, and where they were. Then they used the ranks of the world to honor them, which is called the utmost ritual without yielding, the world being governed. They used the salaries of the world to make the scholars of the world rich, which is called the utmost reward without waste, the scholars of the world being glad. In this way the people of the world rise in reputation, which is called the utmost music without sound, the people of the world in harmony. So it is said: 'He who is called the world's utmost in benevolence can bring together the world's closest kin. He who is called the world's utmost in clarity can raise up the world's utmost worthy.' When these three are all understood, then one can campaign. Therefore no benevolence is greater than loving people, no wisdom is greater than knowing the worthy, and no worthy government is greater than assigning officials according to ability. If the ruler of a territory cultivates these three, then within the four seas people will merely supply their service. Whom the enlightened king campaigns against must be those from whom the Way has been abandoned; so he executes their ruler and changes their government, comforts their people and does not seize their wealth. So the government of the enlightened king is like seasonable rain: when it falls, the people rejoice. Therefore the wider his giving, the more kin he gains, which is called returning the army while still on the sleeping mat." [This means being at ease and without worry.]

孔子侍坐於哀公．公問曰：“敢問人道孰為大？”孔子愀然作色而對曰：“君及此言也，百姓之惠也，固臣敢無辭而對．人道，政為大．夫政者，正也．君為正，則百姓從而正矣．君之所為，百姓之所從．君不為正，百姓何所從乎！”公曰：“敢問為政如之何？”孔子對曰：“夫婦別、男女親、君臣信，三者正，則庶物從之．”公曰：“寡人雖無能也，願知所以行三者之道，可得聞乎？”孔子對曰：“古之政愛人為大，所以治．愛人禮為大，所以治．禮，敬為大．敬之至矣，大婚為大．大婚至矣，冕而親迎，親迎者，敬之也．是故君子興敬為親，舍敬則是遺親也．弗親弗敬，弗尊也．愛與敬，其政之本與．”公曰：“寡人願有言也．然冕而親迎，不已重乎？”孔子愀然作色而對曰：“合二姓之好，以繼先聖之後，以為天下宗廟社稷之主，君何謂已重焉”？魯周公之後得郊天故言以為天下之主也公曰：“寡人實固，鄙陋不固安得聞此言乎！寡人慾問，不能為辭，請少進．”孔子曰：“天地不合，萬物不生，大婚，萬世之嗣也，君何謂已重焉？

Confucius sat in attendance on Duke Ai. The Duke asked: "May I ask which is the greatest among the ways of man?" Confucius, with a solemn change of expression, replied: "That you speak these words is a blessing to the people, and so I dare not decline to answer. In the way of man, government is the greatest. Government means to be correct. When the ruler is correct, the people follow and are correct. What the ruler does is what the people follow. If the ruler is not correct, what will the people follow!" The Duke said: "May I ask how to govern?" Confucius replied: "When husband and wife have distinction, when men and women are close, and when ruler and minister are faithful, with these three rightly ordered, all things follow." The Duke said: "Though I am without ability, I wish to know the way to carry out these three; may I hear it?" Confucius replied: "In the government of the ancients, loving people was the greatest, and so it was well ordered. In loving people, ritual was the greatest, and so it was well ordered. In ritual, reverence was the greatest. In the utmost of reverence, the great marriage was the greatest. The great marriage reaches the extreme in that he wears the ceremonial cap and greets the bride in person; greeting in person is reverence. Therefore the gentleman arouses reverence in order to be close, and to abandon reverence is to abandon closeness. Without closeness and reverence, there is no honor. Love and reverence are probably the root of government." The Duke said: "I have something to say. But wearing the ceremonial cap and greeting her in person, is that not too weighty?" Confucius, with a solemn change of expression, replied: "To join the goodness of two surnames, to continue the line of the former sages, to be master of the ancestral temple and altars of soil and grain of the world, why does Your Lordship say it is already too weighty?" [Lu was the descendant of the Duke of Zhou and could perform the suburban sacrifice to Heaven, so it says he is the master of the world.] The Duke said: "I am truly crude. [Crude and not firm; how could I hear such words!] I would like to ask, but I cannot find words; please speak a little more." Confucius said: "If Heaven and earth do not join, the ten thousand things are not born. The great marriage is the succession of ten thousand generations; why does Your Lordship say it is already too weighty?"

”孔子遂言曰：“內以治宗廟之禮，足以配天地之神，言宗廟天地神之次出以治直言之禮，以立上下之敬，夫婦正則始可以治正言禮矣身正然可以正人者也物恥、則足以振之，恥事不知禮足以振救之國恥、足以興之，恥國不知足以興起者也故為政先乎禮，禮其政之本與．”孔子遂言曰：“昔三代明王，必敬妻子也，蓋有道焉．妻也者，親之主也，子也者，親之後也，敢不敬與．是故君子無不敬，敬也者，敬身為大．身也者，親之支也，敢不敬與．不敬其身，是傷其親．傷其親，是傷本也．傷其本，則支從之而亡．三者，百姓之象也．言百姓之所法而行身以及身，子以及子，妃以及妃，君以修此三者，則大化愾乎天下矣．氣滿昔太王之道也，太王出亦姜女入亦姜女國無鰥民愛其身以及人之身愛其子以及人之子故曰太王之道如此國家順矣．”公曰：“敢問何謂敬身？”孔子對曰：“君子過言則民作辭，過行則民作則，言不過辭，動不過則，百姓恭敬以從命，若是，則可謂能敬其身，則能成其親矣．”公曰：“何謂成其親？”孔子對曰：“君子者也，人之成名也，百姓與名，謂之君子，則是成其親，為君而為其子也．”孔子遂言曰：“愛政而不能愛人，則不能成其身．不能成其身，則不能安其土．不能安其土，則不能樂天．”天道也公曰：“敢問何能成身？”孔子對曰：“夫其行已不過乎物，謂之成身，不過乎，合天道也．”公曰：“君子何貴乎天道也？

Confucius continued: "Within, the ritual by which one governs the ancestral temple is enough to match the spirits of Heaven and earth [meaning that the ancestral temple is the order of the spirits of Heaven and earth]; outside, the ritual by which one governs straight speech establishes the reverence of above and below [only when husband and wife are rightly ordered can one govern the ritual of correct speech, and when one's own person is correct one can correct others]. Shame over a matter is enough to bring rescue [being ashamed of not knowing ritual in a matter is enough to bring rescue], and shame over the state is enough to bring it to rise [being ashamed that the state does not know is enough to bring it to rise]. So in governing, ritual comes first, and ritual is probably the root of government." Confucius continued: "In the past the enlightened kings of the Three Dynasties must have respected their wives, probably for a reason. The wife is the master of the kin, and the son is the successor of the kin; dare one not respect them? So the gentleman is never without reverence, and of reverence, reverence for one's own person is the greatest. One's person is a branch of one's kin; dare one not respect it? Not to respect one's person is to injure the kin. To injure the kin is to injure the root. When the root is injured, the branches perish with it. These three are the images of the people [meaning the people take them as models and follow them]. Extending from one's own person to others' persons, from one's own son to others' sons, from one's own spouse to others' spouses, if the ruler cultivates these three, then great transformation fills the world. [The qi fills. In the past, the way of Taiwang was that outside it was the Lady Jiang and inside it was the Lady Jiang, so there were no widowers in the state; he loved his own person and extended it to others' persons, loved his own son and extended it to others' sons, and so it is called the way of Taiwang.] In this way the state will comply." The Duke said: "May I ask what reverence for one's person means?" Confucius replied: "If the gentleman's words are mistaken, the people take them as phrases; if his conduct is mistaken, the people take it as a rule. If words do not exceed what is fitting and movement does not exceed the rule, the people will respectfully follow his commands. In this way he can be called able to respect his person, and then he can fulfill his kin." The Duke said: "What does it mean to fulfill the kin?" Confucius replied: "'Gentleman' is the name for one who has been completed as a person. When the people give him a name and call him a gentleman, that is fulfilling the kin: he is a ruler and also his parents' son." Confucius continued: "If one loves government but cannot love people, one cannot fulfill oneself. If one cannot fulfill oneself, one cannot secure one's land. If one cannot secure one's land, one cannot delight in Heaven." [The Way of Heaven.] The Duke said: "May I ask how one can fulfill oneself?" Confucius replied: "When one's own conduct does not exceed things, that is called fulfilling oneself. Not exceeding is to accord with the Way of Heaven." The Duke said: "Why does the gentleman value the Way of Heaven?"

”孔子曰：“貴其不已也．如日月東西相從而不已也，是天道也．不閉而能久，不閉常通而能久言無極是天道也．無為而物成，是天道也．已成而明之，是天道也．”公曰：“寡人且愚●，言惷愚●暗也幸煩子之於心．”欲煩孔子議識其心所能行也孔子蹴然避席而對曰：“仁人不過乎物，孝子不過乎親．是故仁人之事親也如事天，事天如事親，此謂孝子成身．”公曰：“寡人既聞如此言，無如後罪何？”孔子對曰：“君子及此言，是臣之福也．”

Confucius said: "He values it because it never stops. Like the sun and moon following each other east and west without stopping, it is the Way of Heaven. Unblocked yet lasting [not blocked, always flowing and able to last, meaning it has no limit], it is the Way of Heaven. Without acting, things are accomplished; it is the Way of Heaven. Once accomplished, it is made clear; it is the Way of Heaven." The Duke said: "I am foolish and dull [meaning stupid and dark], but fortunately I can trouble you about the mind." [He wished to trouble Confucius to discuss and discern what the mind could carry out.] Confucius, moving back from his seat, replied: "The benevolent do not exceed things, and the filial son does not exceed his parents. So a benevolent man serves his parents as he serves Heaven, and serves Heaven as he serves his parents; this is called a filial son fulfilling himself." The Duke said: "I have heard such words already, but what about the faults I commit afterward?" Confucius replied: "When a gentleman says this, it is the minister's good fortune."

孔子在衛，冉求言於季孫曰：“國有聖人而不能用，欲以求治，是猶卻步而欲求及前人，不可得已．今孔子在衛，衛將用之．己有才而以資鄰國，難以言智也，請以重幣迎之．季孫以告哀公，公從之．孔子既至，舍哀公館焉．就孔子舍公自阼階，孔子賓階升堂立侍．公曰：“夫子之服，其儒服與？”孔子對曰：“丘少居魯，衣逢掖之衣．深衣之褒大也長居宋，冠章甫之冠．丘聞之，君子之學也，博其服以鄉，隨其鄉也丘未知其為儒服也．”公曰：“敢問儒行？”孔子曰：“略言之則不能終其物，悉數之則留僕未可以對．”留久也僕太僕君燕朝則正位掌儐相更衣之為久將倦使之相代者也哀公命席，孔子侍坐曰：“儒有席上之珍以待聘，席上之珍能敷陳先王之道以為政治夙夜強學以待問，懷忠信以待舉，力行以待取，力行仁義道德以待人取其自立有如此者．儒有衣冠，中動作順，其大讓如慢，慢簡略也小讓如偽，大則如威，小則如媿，難進而易退，粥粥若無能也，其容貌有如此者．儒有居處齊難，齊莊可畏難也其起坐恭敬，言必誠信，行必忠正，道塗不爭險易之利，冬夏不爭陰陽之和；愛其死以有待也，養其身以有為也，其備預有如此者．儒有不寶金玉，而忠信以為寶，不祈土地，而仁義以為土地；不求多積多文以為富；難得而易祿也，易祿而難畜也；非時不見，不亦難得乎？非義不合，不亦難畜乎？先勞而後祿，不亦易祿乎？其近人情，有如此者．儒有委之以財貨而不貪，淹之以樂好而不淫，劫之以眾而不懼，阻之以兵而不懾；阻難也以兵為之難見利不虧其義，見死不更其守；●者不悔，來者不豫；過言不再，不再過言流言不極；流言相毀不窮極也不斷其威，常嚴莊也不習其謀；不豫習其謀慮其特立有如此者．儒有可親而不可劫，可近而不可迫，可殺而不可辱；其居處不過，其飲食不溽；

When Confucius was in Wei, Ran Qiu said to Jisun: "If a state has a sage and cannot use him, and yet wants to seek good government, it is like stepping backward and wanting to catch up with those ahead; it cannot be done. Now Confucius is in Wei, and Wei is about to use him. To have talent oneself yet help a neighboring state is hard to call wise; I ask you to welcome him with heavy gifts." Jisun told Duke Ai, and the Duke agreed. When Confucius had arrived, he lodged in Duke Ai's guesthouse. [It was near Confucius's lodging; the Duke went up by the eastern steps, Confucius ascended the hall by the guest steps, and stood in attendance.] The Duke said: "The Master's clothes, are they the dress of a Confucian?" Confucius replied: "When I was young I lived in Lu and wore the wide-sleeved robe [the deep robe with broad sleeves]; when I lived long in Song I wore the zhangfu cap. I have heard that the gentleman's learning is broad, and his clothes follow the locality [following that locality], and I do not know that these are Confucian clothes." The Duke said: "May I ask about Confucian conduct?" Confucius said: "If I speak briefly I cannot finish the matter, and if I count it all, even the Grand Attendant would be kept long and still not be able to answer." ["Kept" means a long time. The attendant is the Grand Attendant, who stands in proper place and manages ushering and changing clothes when the ruler is at court; since it would be long and he would grow tired, someone would be sent to relieve him.] Duke Ai ordered mats to be set out, and Confucius sat in attendance and said: "A Confucian has a treasure on the mat to await engagement [a treasure on the mat that can set out the way of the former kings for use in government], studies diligently from morning to night to await questions, holds loyalty and good faith in his heart to await being promoted, and practices vigorously to await being used [practicing benevolence, righteousness, and virtue to await people's use]; his self-reliance is like this. A Confucian is moderate in dress and cap, compliant in movement, with great yielding that looks like slackness [slack means casual], and small yielding that looks like falsehood, with great matters appearing as if awe-inspiring and small ones as if shamefaced, hard to advance and easy to retire, humble and seeming incapable; his appearance is like this. A Confucian is solemn and awe-inspiring in dwelling, respectful in sitting and rising, his words must be sincere, his conduct must be loyal and upright, on the road he does not contend for the advantage of easy or difficult paths, in winter and summer he does not contend for the harmony of yin and yang; he cherishes his life so as to await something, nourishes his body so as to have something to do; his preparation is like this. A Confucian does not take gold and jade as treasures but takes loyalty and good faith as treasures; he does not seek land but takes benevolence and righteousness as land; he does not seek to accumulate much but takes much culture as wealth; he is hard to obtain yet easy to give a salary to, and easy to give a salary to yet hard to keep; does he not seem hard to obtain, if he does not appear except at the right time? Is he not hard to keep, if he does not agree except in righteousness? Does he not seem easy to give a salary to, when he labors first and takes salary afterward? His closeness to human feeling is like this. A Confucian may be entrusted with wealth and not be greedy, soaked in pleasure and not be licentious, threatened by the crowd and not fear, obstructed by arms and not be cowed [obstructed means made difficult, using arms to make things hard for him]; he sees profit and does not damage righteousness, sees death and does not change his integrity; he does not regret the past nor anticipate the future; he does not repeat mistaken words [no mistaken words again], and his slander does not go to extremes [slandering each other with rumor not carried to extremes]; he does not break off his dignity [always stern and solemn], and does not rehearse schemes [does not practice in advance such plans]; his independence is like this. A Confucian can be befriended but not coerced, can be approached but not pressured, can be killed but not insulted; his dwelling is not excessive and his food is not rich.

其過失可徵辯，而不可面數也；其剛毅有如此者．儒有忠信以為甲冑，禮義以為幹櫓；幹楯也櫓大戟戴仁而行，抱德而處；雖有暴政，不更其所；其自立有如此者．儒有一畝之宮，環堵之室，方丈曰堵一堵言其小者也蓽門圭窬，蓽門荊竹織門也圭窬穿牆為之如圭也蓬戶甕牖，以編蓬為戶破甕為牖也易衣而出，更相易衣而後可以出幷日而食；幷一日之糧以為一食也上答之，不敢以疑，君用之不敢疑貳事君也上不答之，不敢以諂；其為士有如此者．儒有今人以居，古人以●，稽同今世行之，後世以為楷，法也若不逢世，上所不受，下所不推；詭諂之民，有比黨而危之，身可危也，其志，不可奪也；雖危起居，猶竟信其志，乃不忘百姓之病也；起居猶動靜也竟終也言身雖危動靜猶終身不忘百姓其憂思有如此者．儒有博學而不窮，篤行而不倦，幽居而不淫，上通而不困；禮必以和，優遊以法；慕賢而容眾，毀方而瓦合；去己之大圭角下與眾人小合其寬裕有如此者．儒有內稱不避親，外舉不避怨；程功積事，不求厚祿，程猶效也言功效而已不求厚祿也推賢達能，不望其報；君得其志，民賴其德，苟利國家，不求富貴；其舉賢援能，有如此者．儒有澡身浴德，常自潔淨其身沐浴於德行也陳言而伏；陳言於君不望其報靜言而正之，而上下不知也；默而翹之，又不急為也；言事君清靜因事而止之則君不知默而翹發之不急為所以為不為不臨深而為高，不加少而為多；言不因勢位自矜莊世治不輕，世亂不沮；不自輕不自沮同己不與，異己不非；其特立獨行，有如此者．儒有上不臣天子，下不事諸侯，慎靜尚寬，底厲廉隅，強毅以與人，博學以知服；雖以分國，視之如錙銖，視之輕如錙銖八兩為錙弗肯臣仕；其規為有如此者．儒有合志同方，營道同術，並立則樂，相下不厭；

His faults can be tested by argument but cannot be counted to his face; his firmness is like this. A Confucian takes loyalty and good faith as armor, and takes ritual and righteousness as shield and great halberd [gan is the shield and lu is the great halberd]; he walks wearing benevolence and lives embracing virtue; even if there is tyranny, he does not change his place; his self-reliance is like this. A Confucian has a house of one mu and a room with walls ten feet square [ten feet square is called a du, one du means small], with a door of woven brushwood and a wall opening shaped like a jade tablet [a brushwood door woven of thorns and bamboo, and a window cut through the wall in the shape of a gui], a door of woven fleabane and a window of a jar [using braided fleabane as the door and a broken jar as the window]; they change clothes before going out [they take turns changing clothes before one may go out], and share one day's food between two days [combining two days' grain to make one meal]; when his superior answers, he does not dare doubt [when the ruler employs him he does not dare be of two minds in serving], and when his superior does not answer, he does not dare to flatter; his conduct as a scholar is like this. A Confucian lives with people of the present and examines against people of the past ["examine" means to compare], is practiced in the present age and will be a model for later ages; if he does not meet his time, his superiors do not accept him and his inferiors do not recommend him; and treacherous and flattering people may form cliques to harm him, his person may be endangered, but his will cannot be taken; even if his daily life is in danger, he still carries out his will to the end, and thus does not forget the sufferings of the people [daily life still means movement and rest, and "jing" means end; it means that even when his person is in danger, in movement and rest he never forgets the people's suffering all his life]; his worries and thoughts are like this. A Confucian studies broadly without end, practices earnestly without weariness, lives in seclusion without licentiousness, is successful above without being troubled; in ritual he uses harmony, and in leisure uses law; he admires the worthy and tolerates the crowd, breaks off his own square and joins with others [removing his own large corners and joining small with others below]; his generosity is like this. A Confucian, when recommending within, does not avoid his kin; when recommending outside, does not avoid his enemies; he weighs achievement and accumulates service, not seeking a thick salary ["cheng" means to test, saying merely achievement and not seeking a thick salary]; he recommends the worthy and promotes the capable without expecting repayment; if the ruler achieves his aims and the people rely on his virtue, if it benefits the state, he does not seek wealth and honor; his recommending the worthy and aiding the able is like this. A Confucian washes his body and bathes in virtue [always cleaning himself, soaking in virtuous conduct], states his words and then withdraws [offering words to the ruler without expecting reward]; speaks calmly and corrects, while those above and below do not know it; stays silent while rising up, yet does not hurry to act [meaning that serving the ruler quietly, he stops when it suits the matter so that the ruler does not know, and rising in silence does not hurry to act, so he acts by not acting]; he does not approach the deep and act high, does not add little to much [meaning he does not become proud because of his position]; he does not become negligent when the age is orderly or dispirited when the age is disordered [neither belittling nor dispiriting himself]; he does not befriend those who are the same as himself and does not criticize those different from himself; his standing alone and acting alone is like this. A Confucian does not serve the Son of Heaven as a subject above or serve the lords below, is careful, calm and values generosity, sharpens his integrity and edges, associates with people with strength and resolve, and studies broadly to know submission; even if offered a feudal state, he treats it as a trifle [treating it as light as a zi, eight liang make a zi], and will not take office; his conduct is like this. A Confucian has others with the same aims and the same direction, who cultivate the same arts of the Way, and he is glad to stand together with them, humbling himself to each other without tiring.

久別則聞，流言不信，義同而進，不同而退，其交有如此者．夫溫良者，仁之本也；慎敬者，仁之地也；寬裕者，仁之作也；動作遜接者，仁之能也；禮節者，仁之貌也；言談者，仁之文也；歌樂者，仁之和也；分散者，仁之施也；儒皆兼此而有之，猶且不敢言仁也；其尊讓有如此者．儒有不隕穫於貧賤，隕穫憂悶不安之貌不充詘於富貴；充詘踴躍參擾之貌不溷君王，不累長上，不閔有司，故曰儒．溷辱閔疾言不為君長所辱病儒者中和之名今人之名儒也，忘常以儒相詬疾．”詬辱哀公既得聞此言也，言加信，行加敬．曰：“終歿吾世，弗敢復以儒為戲矣．”

When long parted he listens to hearsay but does not believe rumors; where righteousness is the same he advances, and where it is different he withdraws; his friendships are like this. Gentleness and goodness are the root of benevolence; care and reverence are the ground of benevolence; generosity is the action of benevolence; modest and accommodating movement is the ability of benevolence; ritual form is the face of benevolence; speech and conversation are the pattern of benevolence; song and music are the harmony of benevolence; distributing and scattering are the giving of benevolence. A Confucian has all of these and still does not dare call himself benevolent; his honoring and yielding is like this. A Confucian is not made uneasy by poverty and lowliness ["yunhuo" is a look of anxiety and unease], and is not elated by wealth and honor ["chongqu" is a look of leaping and meddling]; he does not insult or burden the ruler, does not trouble his superiors, and does not make the officials suffer, so he is called a Confucian. ["Hun" means to insult and "min" means to harm, meaning he is not insulted or harmed by rulers and superiors. "Ru" is a name for centered harmony.] Now people use the term Confucian and forget its ordinary meaning, using it to slander each other. ["Gou" means to insult.]" Duke Ai, having heard these words, trusted Confucius's words more and was more respectful in his conduct. He said: "As long as I live I will not dare again to use 'Confucian' in jest."

哀公問於孔子曰：“大禮何如？子之言禮，何其尊也．”孔子對曰：“丘也鄙人，不足以知大禮也．”公曰：“吾子言焉．”孔子曰：“丘聞之民之所以生者，禮為大．非禮則無以節事天地之神焉；非禮則無以辯君臣上下長幼之位焉；非禮則無以別男女父子兄弟婚姻親族疏數之交焉；是故君子此之為尊敬，然後以其所能教順百姓，不廢其會節．所能謂禮也會謂男女之會節謂親疏之節也既有成事，而後治其文章黼黻，以別尊卑上下之等．其順之也，而後言其喪祭之紀，宗廟之序，品其犧牲，設其豕臘，修其歲時，以敬其祭祀，別其親疏，序其昭穆，而後宗族會燕，即安其居，以綴恩義．卑其宮室，節其服御，車不雕璣，器不彤鏤，食不二味，心不淫志，以與萬民同利，古之明王行禮也如此．”公曰：“今之君子，胡莫之行也．”孔子對曰：“今之君子，好利無厭，淫行不倦，荒怠慢遊，固民是盡，以遂其心，以怨其政，忤其眾以伐有道．求得當欲不以其所，言苟求得當其情慾而已虐殺刑誅，不以其治．夫昔之用民者由前，用上所言今之用民者由後，用下所言是即今之君子，莫能為禮也．”言偃問曰：“夫子之極言禮也，可得而聞乎？”孔子言：“我欲觀夏，是故之杞，夏後封於杞也而不足徵也，徵成吾得夏時焉；於四時之正正夏數得天心中我欲觀殷道，是故之宋，殷後封宋而不足徵也，吾得乾坤焉；

Duke Ai asked Confucius: "What is great ritual like? You speak of ritual with such esteem; why?" Confucius replied: "I am a rustic and not enough to know great ritual." The Duke said: "Still, please say." Confucius said: "I have heard that for the survival of the people, ritual is greatest. Without ritual there is no way to regulate the service of the spirits of Heaven and earth; without ritual there is no way to distinguish the positions of ruler and minister, high and low, old and young; without ritual there is no way to separate the relations among men and women, fathers and sons, brothers, marriages, kin and the near and distant. So the gentleman takes this as honored, and then with what he is able to teach he leads the people to comply and does not abandon its gatherings and measures. ["What he is able to" refers to ritual, "gatherings" refers to the meeting of men and women, and "measures" refers to the degrees of near and distant relations.] When he has established deeds, he then arranges the patterns and embroidered robes to distinguish the ranks of high and low. When they comply, he then speaks of the regulations for mourning and sacrifice, the order of the ancestral temple, ranking the sacrificial animals, setting out pork and dried meat, regulating the seasons of the year, in order to reverently sacrifice, distinguishing close and distant kin, arranging the zhao and mu positions, and then when the clan gathers and feasts, it is at peace in its place, in order to join up affection and righteousness. He makes the palaces humble, moderates clothing and carriage, so that carriages are not carved and ornamented, vessels are not painted or engraved, meals have no two flavors, and the mind does not indulge in ambition, in order to share benefit with the ten thousand people. The ancient enlightened kings practiced ritual in this way." The Duke said: "Why does no one today practice it?" Confucius replied: "The gentlemen of today love profit without being satisfied, indulge in licentiousness without tiring, are idle and negligent in play, use up all that the people have to satisfy their own hearts, make government resented, go against the crowd and attack those with the Way. They seek to obtain what they desire and do not follow what is fitting [meaning they only seek to satisfy their feelings and desires carelessly], and kill and punish cruelly without following order. Those who used the people in the past did it by the former way [the way spoken of above], and those who use the people now do it by the latter way [the way spoken of below]; these are today's gentlemen, none of whom can practice ritual." Yan Yan asked: "The Master speaks of ritual with great effort; may I hear it?" Confucius said: "I wished to observe Xia, so I went to Qi [the descendants of Xia were enfeoffed in Qi], but it was not enough to verify ["zheng" means to complete], and I obtained the Xia calendar [on the correctness of the four seasons, the Xia reckoning accords best with Heaven's heart]; I wished to observe the Way of Yin, so I went to Song [the descendants of Yin were enfeoffed in Song], but it was not enough to verify, and I obtained the Qian and Kun.

幹天坤地得天地陰陽之書也乾坤之義，夏時之等，吾以此觀之．夫禮，初也始於飲食，太古之時，燔黍擘豚，古未有釜甑釋米擗肉加於燒石之上而食之汙●杯飲，蕢桴土鼓，鑿地為●以手飲之也猶可以致敬鬼神，神饗德不求備物也及其死也，升屋而號告曰，高某復然後飲腥苴熟，始死含以珠貝將葬苞苴以遣奠以送之形體則降，魂氣則上，是謂天望而地藏也．魂氣升而在天形體藏而在地故生者南向，死者北首，皆從其初也．昔之王者，未有宮室，冬則居營窟，夏則居櫓巢；掘地而居謂之營窟有柴謂櫓在樹曰巢未有火化，食草木之實，鳥獸之肉，飲其血，茹其毛，未有絲麻，衣其羽皮．後聖有作，然後修火之利，範金冶金為器用刑範也合土，合和以作瓦物以為宮室戶牖；以炮以燔，毛曰炮加火曰燔也以烹以炙，煮之曰烹炮之曰炙以為醴酪；醴醴酒酪漿酢治其絲麻，以為布帛，以養生送死，以事鬼神．故玄酒在室，玄酒水也言尚古在略近醴醆在戶，醴●齊也五齊二曰醴齊三曰●齊粢醍在堂，深醍澄齊澄酒在下，澄清漏其酒也陳其犧牲，備其鼎俎，列其琴瑟，管磬鐘鼓，以降上神，上神天神與其先祖，以正君臣，以篤父子，以睦兄弟，以齊上下，夫婦有所，是謂承天之佑．作其祝號，犧牲玉帛祝辭皆異為之號也玄酒以祭，薦其血毛，腥其俎，熟其殽，言雖有所熟猶有所腥腥本不忘古也越席以坐．翦蒲席也布以羃，羃覆酒巾也質故用疏也衣其浣帛，練染以為祭服醴醆以獻，薦其燔炙，君與夫人，交獻以嘉魂魄，嘉善樂也然後退而合烹，合其烹熟之禮無復醒也體其犬豕牛羊，體解其牲體而薦之實其簠簋，受黍稷之器也籩豆鉶羹，竹曰籩木曰豆鉶所以盛羹也祝以孝告，祝通孝子語於先祖嘏以慈告，嘏傳先祖語於孝子是為大祥，祥善此禮之大成也．”

[Qian is Heaven and Kun is earth, a book obtained about the yin and yang of Heaven and earth.] The meaning of Qian and Kun and the ranks of the Xia calendar I use to observe this. Ritual originally began with food and drink. In the earliest times they roasted millet and tore apart pork [in antiquity, without pots and steamers, rice and meat were put on heated stones to eat], dug a hollow in the ground for a cup and drank from it [digging the ground to make a cup and drinking with the hands], beat clay drums with a grass mallet, and could still show respect to the spirits [the spirits enjoy virtue and do not seek complete provisions]. When someone died, they climbed onto the roof and called out 'Ah, so-and-so, come back,' and then drank the raw and wrapped the cooked [at the moment of death pearls or shells were placed in the mouth, and at burial grass-wrapped offerings were used to send off the dead]. The body descends and the spirit ascends, which is called Heaven gazing and earth storing [the spirit rises to Heaven and the body is stored in the earth]. So the living face south and the dead have the head to the north, all following the beginning. The kings of former times had no houses; in winter they lived in dug dwellings and in summer in nests of brushwood [living in the ground is called dug dwelling, with brushwood it is called nest, in a tree it is called nest]; they had no fire for cooking, ate the fruit of plants and trees and the flesh of birds and beasts, drank blood and ate hair; they had no silk or hemp and wore feathers and skins. When later sages arose, they then cultivated the use of fire, cast metal [smelting metal and making vessels, using molds] and joined clay [mixing it to make tiles and objects] to make houses, doors and windows; they used it to bake and roast [with the hair on it was called pao, and with fire it was called fan], to boil and grill [boiling was called peng, and grilling zhi], and to make sweet wine and curd [li is sweet wine and luo is sour whey]; they worked silk and hemp to make cloth and silk, used to nourish the living and send off the dead and to serve the spirits. So the dark wine was placed in the chamber [dark wine is water, meaning honoring the ancient in a near place], the sweet wine and clear wine at the door [li is the sweet wine, and among the five qualities of wine the second is sweet wine and the third is clear wine], the coarse and clear wine in the hall [shen ti is the clarified wine], the settled wine below [clarified, filtered wine], with sacrificial animals set out and cauldrons and stands prepared, zithers, lutes, pipes, chimes, bells and drums arrayed, in order to bring down the higher spirits [the higher spirits are the spirits of Heaven] and the ancestors, to correct ruler and minister, to make father and son close, to harmonize brothers, to order high and low, and to give husband and wife their places; this is called receiving Heaven's blessing. They made invocations and titles [sacrificial animals, jade and silk, and invocations each had their own titles], sacrificed with dark wine, presented blood and hair, a raw stand and cooked meat [meaning that even where something is cooked there is something raw, since the raw does not forget antiquity], sat on reed mats [cut rushes for mats], covered with cloth [a cloth to cover the wine, plain, so coarse cloth was used], wore washed silk [white silk dyed for sacrificial robes], offered sweet wine and clear wine, presented roast and grill, and the ruler and consort offered in turn to give joy to the hun and po souls ["jia" means good and joyous], and then they withdrew to join in cooking [joining the ritual of cooking, so that nothing is raw any more], dismembered the dog, pig, ox and sheep [dismembering the animals to present them], filled the bowls and dishes [vessels that hold millet], the bamboo and wooden vessels and soup cauldrons [bamboo ones called bian, wooden ones called dou, and the xing for holding soup]; the invocator announced with filial piety [the invocator conveys the filial son's words to the ancestors], and the impersonator of the ancestor spoke with kindness [the impersonator conveys the ancestor's words to the filial son]; this is the great auspice [auspice means good], and it is the great completion of ritual."

哀公問於孔子曰：“寡人慾論魯國之士，與之為治，敢問如何取之？”孔子對曰：“生今之世，志古之道，居今之俗，服古之服，舍此而為非者，不亦鮮乎？”曰：“然則章甫絇履，章甫冠也絇履履頭有鉤飾也紳帶縉笏者，皆賢人也．”紳大帶縉捶也笏所以執書思對命孔子曰：“不必然也．丘之所言，非此之謂也．夫端衣玄裳，冕而乘軒者，則志不在於食焄；端衣玄裳齋服也軒軒車焄辛菜也斬衰管菲，杖而歠粥者，則志不在於酒肉．生今之世，志古之道，居今之俗，服古之服，謂此類也．”公曰：“善哉！盡此而已乎？”孔子曰：“人有五儀，有庸人、有士人、有君子、有賢人、有聖人，審此五者，則治道畢矣．”公曰：“敢問何如斯可謂之庸人？”孔子曰：“所謂庸人者，心不存慎終之規，口不吐訓格之言，格法不擇賢以托其身，不力行以自定；見小闇大，而不知所務，從物如流，不知其所執；此則庸人也．”公曰：“何謂士人？”孔子曰：“所謂士人者，心有所定，計有所守，雖不能盡道術之本，必有率也；率猶行也雖不能備百善之美，必有處也．是故知不務多，必審其所知；言不務多，必審其所謂；所務者謂言之要也行不務多，必審其所由．智既知之，言既道之，得其要也行既由之，則若性命之形骸之不可易也．富貴不足以益，貧賤不足以損．此則士人也．”公曰：“何謂君子？”孔子曰：“所謂君子者，言必忠信而心不怨，怨咎仁義在身而色無伐，無伐善之色也思慮通明而辭不專；篤行信道，自強不息，油然若將可越而終不可及者．此則君子也．”油然不進之貌也越過也公曰：“何謂賢人？”孔子曰：“所謂賢人者，德不踰閒，閒法行中規繩，言足以法於天下，而不傷於身，言滿天下無口過也道足以化於百姓，而不傷於本；

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius: "I wish to assess the scholars of Lu and govern together with them; may I ask how to select them?" Confucius replied: "Those who are born in the present age but set their will on the Way of antiquity, who live within present customs but wear the clothes of antiquity; among those who can do these things yet still do wrong, are they not very few?" The Duke said: "Then are all those who wear the zhangfu cap, wear shoes with hooked toes, tie the broad sash and tuck in the tablet worthy men?" [Zhangfu is a kind of cap; shen is the broad sash, jin means to tuck in, and the tablet is what one holds to record matters, think, and answer.] Confucius said: "Not necessarily. What I, Qiu, meant is not this. One who wears the plain robe and dark skirt, puts on the ceremonial cap and rides in a carriage with a canopy has no intention of eating strong-smelling and meat dishes [the plain robe and dark skirt are fasting dress, xuan is a canopied carriage, and hun refers to pungent vegetables]; one who wears mourning of the first degree, treads in sedge sandals, leans on a staff and sips gruel has no intention of wine and meat. Being born in the present age and setting one's will on the ancient Way, living in present customs and wearing ancient clothes, is said of such people." The Duke said: "Good! Is that all?" Confucius said: "People have five grades of bearing: the common man, the scholar, the gentleman, the worthy and the sage. If one examines these five, the way of governing is complete." The Duke said: "May I ask what makes one a common man?" Confucius said: "The so-called common man has no rule in his heart for being careful of the end, utters from his mouth no words that fit the standard [ge means standard], does not choose a worthy man to entrust himself to, and does not strive in practice to settle himself; he sees small matters but is dim about great ones, does not know what to do, and drifts with outward things like flowing water, not knowing what he holds on to. This is a common man." The Duke said: "What is a scholar?" Confucius said: "The so-called scholar has something settled in his heart and something he keeps in his plans; even if he cannot exhaust the root of the Way and its arts, he surely has something he follows [shuai means to practice]; even if he cannot possess all the perfection of the hundred goods, he surely has something he abides by. Therefore he does not seek much knowledge but surely examines what he knows; he does not seek many words but surely examines the essentials of what he says [what he works at is the essentials of speech]; he does not seek many actions but surely examines the road he takes. When wisdom is already known, words already reach the essentials and conduct already follows the proper road, it cannot be changed, just as life cannot be changed from the body. Wealth and rank cannot add to him, and poverty and lowliness cannot diminish him. This is a scholar." The Duke said: "What is a gentleman?" Confucius said: "The so-called gentleman speaks with loyalty and good faith and has no resentment in his heart [yuan means blame], has benevolence and righteousness in his person yet shows no look of boasting [no look of boasting of his goodness], thinks with penetration and clarity yet does not decide wording arbitrarily; he practices conscientiously and holds to the correct way, strives without rest, and is so unhurried that others seem able to surpass him, yet they never catch up with him. This is a gentleman." [You ran means not hurried or advancing; yue means to exceed.] The Duke said: "What is a worthy man?" Confucius said: "The so-called worthy man has virtue that does not go beyond the standard [xian means standard], conduct that fits the compass and plumb line, words enough to serve as a law for the world without harming himself [his words fill the world without fault of the mouth], and a Way enough to transform the people without harming the root;

本亦身富則天下無宛財，宛積也古字亦或作此故或誤不著草矣施則天下不病貧．此則賢者也．”公曰：“何謂聖人？”孔子曰：“所謂聖者，德合於天地，變通無方，窮萬事之終始，協庶品之自然，敷其大道而遂成情性；明並日月，化行若神，下民不知其德，睹者不識其鄰．此謂聖人也．”鄰以喻界畔也公曰：“善哉！非子之賢，則寡人不得聞此言也．雖然，寡人生於深宮之內，長於婦人之手，未嘗知哀，未嘗知憂，未嘗知勞，未嘗知懼，未嘗知危，恐不足以行五儀之教若何？”孔子對曰：“如君之言已知之矣，則丘亦無所聞焉．”君如此言已為知之故無所復言謙以誘進哀公矣公曰：“非吾子，寡人無以啟其心，吾子言也．”孔子曰：“君子入廟，如右，登自阼階，仰視榱桷，俯察機筵，其器皆存，而不睹其人，君以此思哀，則哀可知矣．昧爽夙興，正其衣冠，爽明也昧明始明也夙早興起平旦視朝，慮其危難，一物失理，亂亡之端，君以此思憂，則憂可知矣．日出聽政，至於中●，中日中●映中諸侯子孫，？來為賓，行禮揖讓，慎其威儀，君以此思勞，則勞亦可知矣．緬然長思，出於四門，周章遠望，睹亡國之墟，必將有數焉，言亡國故墟非但一君以此思懼，則懼可知矣．夫君者，舟也；庶人者，水也；水所以載舟，亦所以覆舟，君以此思危，則危可知矣．君既明此五者，又少留意於五儀之事，則於政治，何有失矣．”

the root is also himself. When he is wealthy, there is no hoarded wealth in the world [wan means to accumulate; the ancient character was also written this way, so some corrupted texts lack the grass radical]; when he gives, the world does not suffer poverty. This is a worthy." The Duke said: "What is a sage?" Confucius said: "The so-called sage has virtue that matches heaven and earth, change and adaptation that have no fixed place, exhausts the end and beginning of ten thousand affairs, harmonizes the naturalness of all things, sets out the great Way and brings nature to completion; his brightness stands beside the sun and moon, and his teaching flows like a spirit, so the people below do not know his virtue and those who see him cannot discern his boundary. This is called a sage." [Lin is used to mean a boundary.] The Duke said: "Good! Without a worthy man like you I would not hear these words. Even so, I was born within the deep palace and grew up in the hands of women, and I have never known sorrow, never known worry, never known toil, never known fear, never known danger; I fear I am not fit to carry out the teaching of the five grades. What should I do?" Confucius replied: "As Your Lordship has said, you already know, so I, Qiu, have nothing more to say." [Since the ruler had gone this far and already counts as knowing, he says no more, using modesty to guide Duke Ai.] The Duke said: "If not for you, sir, I would have no way to open my mind; please speak." Confucius said: "When a gentleman enters the ancestral temple, he goes as if from the right, ascends by the east steps, looks up at the rafters and down at the mats and tables; the vessels are all there, but one cannot see the person. If you use this to think of sorrow, you will know sorrow. When day first dawns, he rises early and puts his robes and cap in order [shuang means bright; mei shuang means just before dawn; su means early; xing means to rise], and holds court at first light, thinking of danger and difficulty; once one affair loses its order, it is the start of chaos and ruin. If you use this to think of worry, you will know worry. When the sun rises he listens to government until noon and past it [zhong means midday], while the sons and grandsons of the lords come as guests, performing rites and bows and being careful of dignity. If you use this to think of toil, you will also know toil. Gazing long into the distance, going out through the four gates and looking far all around, you will see the ruins of ruined states, surely several of them [this says there is more than one ruin of a ruined state]. If you use this to think of fear, you will know fear. The ruler is like a boat and the common people like water; water carries the boat and can also capsize it. If you use this to think of danger, you will know danger. If Your Lordship understands these five and pays a little attention to the matters of the five grades, how can there be faults in government?"

哀公問於孔子曰：“請問取人之法．”孔子對曰：“事任於官，言各當以其所能之事任於官無取捷捷，無取鉗鉗，鉗鉗妄對不謹誠無取啍啍，啍啍多言捷捷貪也，捷捷而不已食所以為貪也鉗鉗亂也，啍啍誕也．誕欺詐也故弓調而後求勁焉，馬服而後求良焉，士必愨而後求智能者焉，不愨而多能，譬之豺狼不可邇．”言人無智者雖性愨信不能為大惡不愨信而有智然後乃可畏也

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius: "May I ask the method of choosing men of talent?" Confucius replied: "Appoint them to offices according to what each can do [meaning each takes office according to what he can do]. Do not choose those who eagerly grab, do not choose those who answer rashly and untruthfully [qianqian means answering rashly and not carefully or sincerely], and do not choose those who talk much and are extravagant [tuntun means talking a lot]. Eager grabbing is greed [they keep seeking without stopping, so it is greed], rash answering is disorder, and much talk is falsehood [dan means deceit]. So a bow is first made to bend smoothly and only then is strength sought; a horse is first tamed and only then is excellence sought; a scholar must first be sincere and only then is intelligence sought. One who is not sincere but is very capable is like a jackal or wolf, and must not be approached." [This says that if a person lacks intelligence, even if his nature is sincere and trustworthy, he cannot do great evil; one who is not trustworthy but has intelligence is the frightening one.]

哀公問於孔子曰：“寡人慾吾國小而能守，大則攻，其道如何？”孔子對曰：“使君朝廷有禮，上下相親，天下百姓皆君之民，將誰攻之？苟為此道，民畔如歸，皆君之讎也，將與誰守？”公曰：“善哉！於是廢山澤之禁，弛關市之稅，以惠百姓．”

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius: "I want my state, if small, to be able to defend itself, and if large, to be able to attack; which road should it take?" Confucius replied: "Make Your Lordship's court have ritual, with high and low close to one another, and all the people under heaven will be Your Lordship's people; whom would you still attack? If you take the opposite road, the people will turn on you as if going home, all becoming your enemies; with whom will you then defend?" The Duke said: "Good!" So he abolished the prohibitions on the mountains and marshes and relaxed the taxes at the passes and markets, to extend kindness to the people.

哀公問於孔子曰：“吾聞君子不博，有之乎？”孔子曰：“有之．”公曰：“何為？”對曰：“為其二乘．”公曰：“有二乘，則何為不博？”子曰：“為其兼行惡道也．”此具博三十六道也哀公懼焉，有間，復問曰：“若是乎君之惡惡道至甚也？”孔子曰：“君子之惡惡道不甚，則好善道亦不甚；好善道不甚，則百姓之親上亦不甚．詩云：‘未見君子，憂心惙惙，亦既見止，亦既覯止，我心則悅．’詩之好善道甚也如此．”公曰：“美哉！夫君子成人之善，不成人之惡，微吾子言焉，吾弗之聞也．”

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius: "I have heard that a gentleman does not play board games; is that so?" Confucius said: "It is." The Duke said: "Why?" Confucius replied: "Because it has two ways." The Duke said: "It has two ways; why does that mean not playing?" Confucius said: "Because it practices an evil way as well." [This refers to the thirty-six lines of the board game.] The Duke was frightened, and after a while asked again: "Does a gentleman hate evil ways to such a deep degree?" Confucius said: "If a gentleman did not hate evil ways deeply, his love of good ways would not be deep; if his love of good ways were not deep, the common people's closeness to those above would not be deep. The Book of Odes says: 'Before I saw the gentleman, my heart was sad and anxious; now that I have seen him, now that I have met him, my heart is glad.' The love of the good way in the poem is this deep." The Duke said: "How fine! A gentleman helps others complete their good and does not help them complete their evil. Without these words of yours I would not have heard such things."

哀公問於孔子曰：“夫國家之存亡禍福，信有天命，非唯人也．”孔子對曰：“存亡禍福，皆己而已，天災地妖，不能加也．”公曰：“善！吾子之言，豈有其事乎？”孔子曰：“昔者殷王帝辛之世，帝紂有雀生大鳥於城隅焉，占之曰：‘凡以小生大，則國家必王而名必昌．’於是帝辛介雀之德，介助也以雀之德為助也不修國政，亢暴無極，朝臣莫救，外寇乃至殷國以亡，此即以己逆天時，詭福反為禍者也．又其先世殷王太戊之時，道缺法圮，以致夭櫱、桑榖於朝，七日大拱，占之者曰：‘桑榖野木而不合生朝，意者國亡乎！’太戊恐駭，側身修行，思先王之政，明養民之道，三年之後，遠方慕義重譯至者，十有六國，此即以己逆天時，得禍為福者也．故天災地妖，所以儆人主者也；寤夢徵？，所以儆人臣者也；儆戒災妖不勝善政，寤夢不勝善行，能知此者，至治之極也，唯明王達此．”公曰：“寡人不鄙固此，亦不得聞君子之教也．”

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius: "The survival or ruin, fortune or misfortune of a state truly has Heaven's decree; it is not only a matter of human affairs, is it?" Confucius replied: "Survival and ruin, fortune and misfortune, are all in oneself, and calamities of heaven and oddities of earth cannot be added to them from outside." The Duke said: "Good! Are there real events to support these words of yours?" Confucius said: "In the past, in the time of King Di Xin of Yin [Emperor Zhou], a sparrow gave birth to a large bird at a corner of the city wall, and the diviner said: 'Whenever something large is produced from something small, the state will surely become king and its fame will surely flourish.' So Di Xin relied on the sparrow's virtue [jie means help; he took the sparrow's virtue as help], did not cultivate the government of his state, was as tyrannical as could be, none of the court ministers could save him, and when outside enemies came, Yin was ruined. This was going against the time of Heaven oneself and turning fortune into misfortune. Earlier, in the time of King Taiwu of Yin, the Way was lacking and the law ruined, so that ominous mulberry and paper-mulberry trees grew in the court and within seven days were a full armspan thick. The diviner said: 'Mulberry and paper-mulberry are wild trees and yet grow in the court out of season; perhaps the state is going to perish!' Taiwu was afraid, he cautiously cultivated his conduct, considered the government of the former kings, and made clear the Way of nurturing the people. Three years later, sixteen states from far away, admiring his righteousness and arriving through relays of translators, came. This was turning misfortune into fortune by oneself. So calamities of heaven and oddities of earth are what warn rulers; omens in dreams after waking are what warn ministers. Calamities and oddities cannot overcome good government, and dream omens cannot overcome good conduct. One who can know this has reached the utmost of perfect governance, and only the enlightened kings comprehend it." The Duke said: "If I were not so rustic and stubborn, I would not hear the teaching of a gentleman either."

哀公問於孔子曰：“智者壽乎？仁者壽乎？”孔子對曰：“然，人有三死，而非其命也，行己自取也．夫寢處不時，飲食不節，逸勞過度者，疾共殺之；居下位而上幹其君，嗜慾無厭而求不止者，刑共殺之；以少犯眾，以弱侮強，忿怒不類，動不量力者，兵共殺之．此三者死非命也，人自取之．若夫智士仁人，將身有節，將行動靜以義，喜怒以時，無害其性，雖得壽焉，不亦可乎？”

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius: "Do the wise live long? Do the benevolent live long?" Confucius replied: "It is so. There are three kinds of death that are not fated but caused by one's own conduct. Those whose daily life is out of season, whose eating and drinking have no restraint, and who overdo leisure and labor, are killed when sickness comes all at once; those who are in a low position but offend their superiors, whose cravings are not satisfied and who do not stop seeking, are killed when punishments come all at once; those who, being few, offend the many, being weak, bully the strong, who are angry without distinction and move without measuring their strength, are killed when weapons come all at once. These three kinds of death are not fate but are brought on by people themselves. As for wise men and benevolent people, they hold themselves with restraint, act measuring by righteousness, and their joy and anger fit the times, and they do not harm their nature; even if they attain long life, is that not acceptable?"