Zi Han

Confucius seldom spoke of profit but believed in the will of Heaven and advocated benevolence.

A man from Daxiang Village remarked: "How great Confucius is! His learning is extensive, yet he lacks any specialized skill to establish his fame." When Confucius heard this, he told his disciples: "What should I devote myself to? Should I take up charioteering or archery? I think I'll choose charioteering."

Confucius said: "Linen caps were prescribed by ritual. Now silk caps are used instead for economy - I follow the general practice. According to etiquette, ministers should first kowtow at the foot of the steps and then again in the hall when meeting the ruler. Now they only kowtow in the hall - this shows arrogance. Though contrary to current practice, I still insist on the proper protocol of double kowtows."

Confucius abstained from four faults: arbitrary conjecture, absolute certainty, rigid obstinacy, and egotism.

When confined in Kuang, Confucius said: "Since King Wen's death, has not the culture of Zhou been preserved in me? If Heaven wished to destroy this culture, it would not have endowed me with it. If Heaven does not intend to destroy it, what can the people of Kuang do to me?"

The Grand Minister asked Zigong: "Is your master a sage? How does he possess such varied knowledge?" Zigong replied: "Heaven destined him to be a sage and granted him broad learning." Hearing this, Confucius remarked: "Does the Grand Minister truly know me? In my youth I endured poverty and learned many menial skills. Does a gentleman need so many skills? No, he does not."

Zilao quoted: "Confucius said, 'Because I didn't seek office in youth, I acquired various practical skills.'"

Confucius said: "Do I possess knowledge? Sometimes I lack it. A peasant once questioned me, and finding myself at a loss, I examined the problem thoroughly from both perspectives until reaching full understanding."

Confucius lamented: "The phoenix no longer appears; no more diagrams emerge from the Yellow River. My life's work is done!"

When encountering mourners, officials in full dress, or the blind, Confucius would always rise even if they were young, and quicken his steps when passing them.

Yan Hui sighed: "The more I contemplate my master's wisdom and virtue, the more lofty they appear. Just when I think I approach it ahead, it suddenly seems behind. Skillfully he guides us step by step, broadening our knowledge through classics, restraining us with ritual. Even when we wish to stop, we cannot. I exhaust my efforts, yet it towers before me - no path leads to its summit."

When gravely ill, Zilu arranged disciples as official mourners. After recovering, Confucius said: "Zhongyou has long practiced deception! Pretending I have official mourners? Whom do I deceive? Heaven? Better to die surrounded by disciples than false officials! Even without grand burial rites, would I lie unburied on the road?"

Zigong asked: "Should we keep this jade in a casket, or seek knowledgeable merchants to sell it?" Confucius answered: "Sell it! Sell it! But I wait for true connoisseurs who recognize its worth."

When Confucius considered moving to Jiuyi, someone objected: "It's primitive there." He replied: "Where gentlemen dwell, how could it remain uncivilized?"

Confucius said: "After returning from Wei to Lu, I properly arranged the music - the Ya and Odes now occupy their correct positions."

"Have I succeeded in serving lords abroad, honoring elders at home, handling funerals diligently, and avoiding drunkenness? Which of these have I truly achieved?" Confucius reflected.

By the river, Confucius observed: "Time flows like this water, ceaseless day and night."

"I've never seen anyone love virtue as much as they crave beauty," Confucius remarked.

"Building a mountain: stopping when one basket short - that's my choice. Level ground: adding one basket - that's my resolve to continue," he illustrated.

"Only Yan Hui never wearied of listening to me," Confucius acknowledged.

To Yan Yuan: "What a pity! I saw him ever advancing, never resting."

"Some seedlings never flower; some flowers never fruit - isn't this true of men too?" he mused.

"The young deserve awe - who knows they won't surpass us? But if one reaches forty or fifty without distinction, he merits no respect," Confucius judged.

"Shouldn't we heed proper advice? But true value lies in correcting errors. Shouldn't flattery please us? But true worth comes through discernment. For those who delight without analysis and comply without amendment - I can do nothing," he concluded.

"A gentleman should associate with the loyal and trustworthy, not befriend inferiors, and never fear correcting mistakes," Confucius advised.

"Army commanders may be replaced, but a resolute man's will cannot be altered," he affirmed.

"Only Zhongyou feels no shame wearing ragged hemp beside fox-fur robes. The Odes say: 'No envy, no greed - why not good?'" After Zilu often quoted this, Confucius added: "But merely this doesn't constitute true goodness."

"In coldest winter, we learn pine and cypress wither last," Confucius observed.

"Constant learners remain unconfused; sincere practitioners shed personal anxieties; courageous doers fear no obstacles," he taught.

"Some study together but walk different paths; some share paths but differ in ritual observance; some observe rituals but lack adaptability," Confucius noted.

An ancient poem said: "The tangdi flowers flutter. Do I not miss you? But home lies too far." Confucius commented: "He didn't truly miss. Real longing knows no distance."