Confucius said, “After I returned from Wei to Lu, I put the music in order, so that the ‘Ya’ and ‘Song’ sections each found their proper place.”
Confucius wanted to move and live among the Nine Yi (barbarian tribes in the remote east). Someone said, “That place is too crude – how can you live there?” Confucius replied, “If a noble person lives there, how can it be called crude?”
Zigong said, “Suppose there is a fine jade here – should we keep it stored away in a case, or should we look for a good buyer and sell it?” Confucius replied, “Sell it! Sell it! I am waiting for the right buyer.”
Yan Hui sighed deeply and said, “The more I look up to the Master’s Way, the higher it appears; the more I delve into it, the firmer it becomes. Just when I think I see it ahead of me, suddenly it seems to be behind. My teacher guides people skillfully and step by step:…
Confucius said, “The phoenix no longer appears; the Yellow River no longer reveals its chart. Alas, my cause is finished!”
Confucius said, “Do I possess knowledge? No – I am actually ignorant. Once, a rustic man asked me a question; his mind was completely empty. My own mind was equally blank, so I simply examined the issue from both ends and exhausted its meaning.”
Lao (a disciple of Confucius) said, “The Master once remarked, ‘Because I was never given an official post, I acquired many practical skills.’”