Zixia visited Zengzi. Zengzi asked: “Why have you grown plump?” Zixia replied: “I have conquered myself, hence I am plump.”
Zengzi said: “What do you mean?” Zixia answered: “When I stay indoors, I admire the righteousness of ancient kings; when I go out, I also admire the joys of wealth and nobility. These two struggle in my heart. Not knowing which prevails, I grew thin. Now the righteousness of ancient kings has won, so I am plump.”
Thus the difficulty of aspiration lies not in conquering others, but in conquering oneself. Hence the saying: “Self‑conquest is called strength.”
Note
This passage reveals that true strength consists in self‑mastery: overcoming inner temptation and desire is far more difficult and noble than defeating external enemies.
Late Warring‑States Legalist philosopher. This passage is from Illustrating Laozi (Yu Lao), his commentary on the Dao De Jing. He links Daoist self‑mastery to moral self‑cultivation.
Zixia
Disciple of Confucius, known for scholarly reflection and inner moral struggle.
Zengzi
Zengzi, the famous Confucian disciple who emphasized self‑examination and moral integrity.
Inner‑Struggle Parable
Plumpness symbolizes inner peace after conquering desire; thinness represents mental conflict between virtue and worldly temptation.
Self‑Conquest as True Strength
A core Confucian‑Daoist‑Legalist shared view: overcoming internal cravings is greater than external victory.
Moral Self‑Cultivation for Rulers
Rulers must conquer greed and worldly desire within themselves to govern well.
子夏見曾子，曾子曰：「何肥也？」對曰：「戰勝故肥也。」曾子曰：「何謂也？」子夏曰：「吾入見先王之義則榮之，出見富貴之樂又榮之，兩者戰於胸中，未知勝負，故臞。今先王之義勝，故肥。」是以志之難也，不在勝人，在自勝也。故曰：「自勝之謂強。」
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