Shusun Wushu slandered Zhongni (Confucius). Zigong said, “Do not do this! Zhongni cannot be slandered. The virtue of other worthy men is like hills and mounds, which can still be climbed over; Zhongni is like the sun and the moon, which cannot be climbed over. Even if a person wishes to cut himself off from the sun and moon, what harm can that do to the sun and moon? It merely shows that he does not know his own limits!”
Note
This dialogue is one of Zigong’s most famous and magnificent defenses of Confucius. Facing malicious slander against his teacher from a colleague, Zigong did not resort to emotional name-calling. Instead, he used an extremely grand and precise metaphor to thoroughly shatter the other party’s prejudice from both a logical and a spiritual perspective:
- The Absolute Gap in Realm (Hills and Mounds vs. the Sun and Moon):
Zigong made a dimensional comparison between ordinary worthy men and Confucius. No matter how excellent other worthy men are, they are like “hills and mounds” on earth – they have limits, and later generations can “climb over” them through effort. However, Confucius is like the “sun and moon,” representing the ultimate, eternal truth and morality in the universe, which ordinary mortals can never reach or surpass. - The Ineffectiveness and Backlash of Slander (What Harm to the Sun and Moon?):
Zigong pointed out that truth exists objectively. If a person deliberately tries to blacken Confucius’ name, it is like spitting at the sun and moon; it cannot dim them in the slightest, but will only dirty one’s own face. Such behavior does no harm to Confucius, but merely exposes the slanderer’s own ignorance and arrogance (not knowing his own limits). - The Righteous Spirit of Defending the Teacher’s Way:
Zigong’s words not only provided an accurate historical assessment of Confucius’ status but also demonstrated the firm faith of Confucian disciples in “respecting the teacher and honoring the Way.” In the face of truth, he did not yield an inch, using extremely powerful language to defend his teacher’s dignity.
The core of this thought lies in “the inviolability of truth” and “respecting the teacher and honoring the Way.” It tells us that true greatness is not afraid of any slander. When facing attacks from the ignorant, there is no need for anger, because facts and time will prove everything, and the attackers will ultimately become laughingstocks in the eyes of posterity.
Further Reading
The Master said, “A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our present? If he reaches forty or fifty without having made a name for himself, then he is no longer worthy of respect.”
Shusun Wushu said to the high officers in the court, “Zigong is more virtuous than Zhongni.” Zigong said, “Let me use the metaphor of a courtyard wall. My wall is only as high as one’s shoulder… My Master’s wall is several ren high. If one cannot find the gate and enter, one will not see the grandeur of the ancestral temple…”
Chen Ziqin said to Zigong, “You are just being modest; how could Zhongni be more virtuous than you?” Zigong said, “A gentleman’s single word may reveal his wisdom, and a single word may reveal his ignorance; therefore, one cannot be too careful with words. My Master’s unattainability is like the impossibility of ascending to the heavens by a ladder.”
These chapters collectively construct the “defense trilogy” in The Analects where Zigong defends Confucius’ status. Whether facing Shusun Wushu’s “flattery” (saying Zigong surpasses Confucius), his “slander” (directly belittling Confucius), or fellow disciple Chen Ziqin’s “doubt,” Zigong always maintained absolute clarity and firmness. Their core logic is highly consistent: Zigong extremely reveres the supreme realm of Confucius, believing that Confucius’ morality and learning are like the sun and moon, a towering wall, or the heavens – unattainable and unsurpassable by ordinary mortals. They jointly prove that in the hearts of Confucian disciples, Confucius was not only a beloved teacher but also an eternal truth that transcends worldly evaluations. When facing worldly praise or slander, only by steadfastly adhering to the Great Way can one truly manifest the character of a gentleman.
叔孫武叔毀仲尼。子貢曰：「無以為也，仲尼不可毀也。他人之賢者，丘陵也，猶可踰也；仲尼，日月也，無得而踰焉。人雖欲自絕，其何傷於日月乎？多見其不知量也！」
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