Zilu, following behind, fell behind and met an old man carrying a weeding basket on his staff. Zilu asked, “Have you seen my Master?” The old man said, “You do not toil with your four limbs, nor can you distinguish the five grains. Who is your Master?” Then he planted his staff in the ground and continued weeding. Zilu stood there respectfully with his hands folded. The old man then invited Zilu to stay the night at his home, killed a chicken and prepared millet to feed him, and brought out his two sons to meet him.
The next day, Zilu caught up with Confucius and told him about this. The Master said, “He is a hermit.” He sent Zilu back to visit him. When Zilu arrived, the old man had already left. Zilu then said to the old man’s dwelling, “Not taking office is contrary to righteousness. The propriety between elder and younger cannot be abolished; how then can the righteousness between ruler and minister be abolished? If one merely desires to keep his own body pure, he will disrupt the great human relationships. A gentleman takes office simply to fulfill his righteous duties. As for the fact that the Way cannot be put into practice, he already knows this.”
Note
This record represents the most profound and systematic ideological clash between the Confucian “engagement in the world” and the hermit’s “seclusion for self-purity,” with Zilu’s final statement serving as a manifesto of Confucian political ethics:
- The Conflict Between the Hermit’s “Self-Purity” and the Confucian “Great Human Relationships”:
Although the old man treated Zilu with courtesy (inviting him to stay, killing a chicken, and introducing his sons), proving he was not a vulgar person, he mocked Confucius and his disciples with “you do not toil with your four limbs, nor can you distinguish the five grains.” This represented the values of the hermit class of “maintaining one’s own virtue in solitude.” They believed that in a chaotic world, it was better to return to farming. However, Confucianism believes that human relationships are the foundation of society, and “propriety between elder and younger” is as important as “righteousness between ruler and minister.” Abandoning social responsibility to preserve personal purity is considered “disrupting the great human relationships” (destroying the fundamental moral order) in Confucianism. - The Tragic and Great Spirit of “Doing What Is Known to Be Impossible”:
Zilu’s final words, “As for the fact that the Way cannot be put into practice, he already knows this,” are the soul of this passage. Confucians are not unaware that their ideals are difficult to achieve in a chaotic world, nor are they unaware of the dangers and setbacks of taking office, yet they still choose to “fulfill their righteous duties.” This spirit of engaging with the world, regardless of personal gains, losses, or even success and failure, demonstrates the extremely strong sense of social responsibility and tragic heroism of Confucianism.
The core of this thought lies in “fulfilling righteous duties” and “social responsibility.” Confucianism transcends personal moral fastidiousness, binding individual destiny tightly with all living beings in the world. Even if the world is imperfect, a gentleman must step forward to repair and build it; this is the true meaning of “Benevolence”.
Further Reading
Zilu lodged at Shimen. The gatekeeper asked, “Where do you come from?” Zilu said, “From the Kong family.” The gatekeeper said, “Is he the one who knows it is impossible but still does it?”
A madman of Chu, Jieyu, walked past Confucius’ carriage singing, “Phoenix! Phoenix! How has your virtue declined? The past cannot be remonstrated against, but the future can still be pursued. Enough! Enough! Those in government are in peril!” Confucius got off, wanting to speak with him. He quickened his pace and avoided him, so they could not speak.
Changju and Jieni were ploughing together. Confucius passed by them and sent Zilu to ask them for the ford… They said, “Like a swelling flood, disorder is everywhere under heaven. Who can change it? Moreover, rather than following a gentleman who merely avoids certain individuals, why not follow those who avoid the world entirely?”
These chapters collectively form the highly literary and profound contrast between the “group portrait of hermits” and the Confucian “manifesto of engagement” in The Analects. Whether it is Jieyu’s mad song, the cold mockery of Changju and Jieni, or the sarcasm of the old man with the weeding basket, their core logic is highly consistent: The hermits preserve their own purity through “seclusion,” thereby highlighting the persistence and tragic heroism of Confucius and his disciples, who “do what they know is impossible.” They jointly prove that, in the Confucian view, true greatness does not lie in retreating safely after seeing through the darkness, but in remaining concerned for the world and facing difficulties head-on even when knowing it is impossible. This sense of responsibility in “fulfilling righteous duties” represents the highest realm of human morality.
子路從而後，遇丈人，以杖荷蓧。子路問曰：「子見夫子乎？」丈人曰：「四體不勤，五穀不分。孰為夫子？」植其杖而芸。子路拱而立。止子路宿，殺雞為黍而食之，見其二子焉。明日，子路行以告。子曰：「隱者也。」使子路反見之。至則行矣。子路曰：「不仕無義。長幼之節，不可廢也；君臣之義，如之何其廢之？欲潔其身，而亂大倫。君子之仕也，行其義也。道之不行，已知之矣。」
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