Ziyou said, “My friend Zizhang has achieved what is difficult for ordinary people to attain. However, he has not yet reached the highest standard of Benevolence.”
Note
This brief evaluation demonstrates the strict Confucian standard for the highest moral realm of “Benevolence,” while also reflecting an objective and rational atmosphere of academic discussion among fellow disciples:
- Objective Affirmation of the “Difficult to Attain”:
“Difficult to attain” means highly commendable and rare. As a fellow disciple, Ziyou first acknowledged that Zizhang had indeed reached a height in his words, deeds, external cultivation, or specific talents that is rarely achieved by ordinary people. This shows that Zizhang was an exceptionally outstanding and talented scholar. - The Supreme and Uncompromising Nature of “Benevolence”:
Although Zizhang was already “difficult to attain,” Ziyou still frankly pointed out that he had “not yet reached Benevolence.” In the Confucian view, “Benevolence” is the comprehensive name for all virtues, representing the perfect unity of inner cultivation and outer behavior, a transcendent state of “following one’s heart’s desire without transgressing any moral principles.” Merely standing out in external performance or being extreme in certain aspects does not mean one has reached “Benevolence” if inner harmony and universal love have not yet fully permeated. - The Noble Conduct of Peer Discussion:
By directly addressing him as “my friend Zhang,” Ziyou not only showed deep affection among fellow disciples but also demonstrated the gentlemanly demeanor of “harmony but not uniformity.” On the path of pursuing the Great Way, fellow disciples did not flatter each other or blindly agree; instead, they used “Benevolence” as the sole yardstick to sincerely point out each other’s shortcomings.
The core of this thought lies in “adhering to the highest standards” and “objective pursuit of truth.” It tells us that there are no shortcuts in the true pursuit of morality. While external excellence is worthy of praise, only when the inner self achieves the perfection of “Benevolence” can one reach the ultimate destination of self-cultivation.
Further Reading
Meng Wubo asked, “Is Zilu a Benevolent man?” The Master said, “I do not know.” He asked again. The Master said, “Yu could be entrusted with the military administration of a state of a thousand chariots, but I do not know whether he is Benevolent.”
The Master said, “Hui’s mind is such that for three months at a time he does not deviate from Benevolence. As for the others, they may attain it for a day or a month.”
Yan Yuan asked about Benevolence. The Master said, “To subdue oneself and return to Propriety is Benevolence. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to Propriety, the whole world will respond to his Benevolence. Is the practice of Benevolence dependent on oneself, or does it depend on others?”
These chapters collectively construct the extremely high threshold and prudent attitude of Confucianism towards “Benevolence.” Whether it is Ziyou’s evaluation of the highly talented Zizhang as “not yet Benevolent,” Confucius’ similar statement of “not knowing if he is Benevolent” regarding the highly capable Zilu, or his highest praise of Yan Hui for “not deviating from Benevolence for three months,” their core logic is highly consistent: In the Confucian view, “Benevolence” is by no means a label that can be easily obtained through external achievements, specific skills, or momentary enthusiasm; rather, it is the absolute perfection and persistent adherence of inner morality. They jointly prove that when evaluating others, a true gentleman never uses worldly talents or external achievements as the standard to measure “Benevolence,” but points directly to the human heart and upholds the highest realm of morality.
子游曰：「吾友張也，為難能也。然而未仁。」
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