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The Analects – Chapter 11.19
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The Master said, “Hui is nearly there in moral perfection – yet he is often destitute. Ci does not accept his fate; instead, he engages in trade and commerce, and his market predictions are frequently correct.”
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The Analects – Chapter 11.18
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Gao Chai is overly simple-minded; Zeng Shen is slow-witted; Zi Zhang is one-sided and extreme; Zi You (Zilu) is coarse and impetuous.
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The Analects – Chapter 11.16
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Zigong asked, “Which is more virtuous – Zi Zhang or Zi Xia?” The Master replied, “Zi Zhang goes too far; Zi Xia falls short.” Zigong then asked, “Then is Zi Zhang better?” The Master said, “To go too far is just as bad as not going far enough.”
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The Analects – Chapter 11.15
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The Master said, “Why is You (Zilu) playing the se [a zither-like instrument] in my school?” His disciples consequently began to show Zilu less respect. The Master then said, “You has ascended to the hall – but has not yet entered the inner chamber.”
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The Analects – Chapter 11.14
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The people of Lu were planning to rebuild the Changfu (the state treasury or armory). Min Ziqian said, “Why not keep the old structure as it is? Why must we rebuild it?” Confucius remarked, “This man seldom speaks – but when he does, his words always hit the mark.”