The Analects – Chapter 100 (5.10). Confucius’ stern rebuke of Zai Yu

5.10

Zai Yu used to sleep during the day. The Master said, “Rotten wood cannot be carved, nor a wall of dried dung be trowelled. What use is there in my scolding him any more?”

The Master said, “There was a time when I merely listened attentively to what people said, and took for granted that they would carry out their words. Now I am obliged not only to give ear to what they say, but also to keep an eye on what they do. It was my dealings with Zai Yu that brought about the change.”

宰予晝寢。子曰：「朽木不可雕也，糞土之牆不可杇也，於予與何誅。」子曰：「始吾於人也，聽其言而信其行；今吾於人也，聽其言而觀其行。於予與改是。」

Notes

This passage from the Analects records Confucius’ stern rebuke of his disciple Zai Yu for sleeping during the day, followed by a profound reflection on how to evaluate a person’s character.

“The ancients were reluctant to speak their minds readily, for they felt ashamed of failing to live up to their words.”(Analects 4.22)

It explains the root cause of “being prudent in speech” – feeling ashamed when one’s actions cannot keep pace with one’s words. Contrasted with Confucius’ criticism of Zai Yu, it highlights the ancient maxim of “harmony between words and deeds”.

“A gentleman feels ashamed when his words outstrip his actions.”(Analects 14.27)

It directly clarifies the moral bottom line of “equivalence between words and deeds”. In line with Confucius’ criticism of Zai Yu for “actions failing to match his words”, it explicitly identifies “words exceeding deeds” as a moral disgrace for a gentleman, reinforcing the criterion of “judging words by deeds”.