The Master said, “When paths differ, one does not conspire together.”
The Master said, “The noble person seeks the Way, not sustenance. In farming, hunger may still occur; in studying, official emolument often follows. Thus, the noble person worries about the Way, not about poverty.”
The Master said, “It is humanity that enlarges the Way, not the Way that enlarges humanity.”
The Master said, “The determined scholar and the humane person will never seek to preserve their life at the expense of benevolence (humaneness); they would rather sacrifice their life to fulfill humaneness.”
The Master said with a sigh, “You, Zhong You! Truly, those who understand virtue are few indeed!”
The Master asked Zigong, “Ci, do you think I am someone who has acquired much knowledge and simply remembered it all?”Zigong replied, “Yes – aren’t you?”The Master said, “No. I hold to one principle that unifies everything.”
While in Chen, Confucius and his followers ran out of food. His disciples fell ill from hunger and could not get up. Zilu, visibly angry, came to see him and asked, “Can even a noble person (junzi) fall into such desperate straits?”The Master replied, “The noble person steadfastly endures poverty; when the petty person…
Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about military formations. Confucius replied, “I have heard about matters of ritual vessels and sacrifices; as for military affairs, I have never studied them.” The next day, he left Wei.
While in Wei, Confucius was playing the qing (a stone chime). A reclusive passerby carrying a straw basket happened to walk by Confucius’s gate and said upon hearing the sound, “Ah! There is intention behind this chime!”After a moment, he added, “How narrow-minded! So obstinately persistent! If no one understands you, just let it…