8.7
Master Zeng said, “The true Knight of the Way must perforce be both broad-shouldered and stout of heart; his burden is heavy and he has far to go. For Goodness is the burden he has taken upon himself; and must we not grant that it is a heavy one to bear? Only with death does his journey end; then must we not grant that he has far to go?”
曾子曰：「士不可以不弘毅，任重而道遠。仁以為己任，不亦重乎？死而後已，不亦遠乎？」
Notes
This statement from the Analects classically defines the core mission and spiritual character of the scholar (scholar-official, ancient intellectual and elite class): they must have lofty aspirations and strong willpower because they shoulder a heavy responsibility and the path forward is long. Taking the realization of ren (benevolence/humaneness) as their personal duty, they persist in this goal until their dying day.
Zengzi’s words provide a profound answer to the Confucian ideal of “noble character” and the “meaning of life.”
“When a gentleman takes office, he acts to uphold righteousness.”(Analects 18.7)
It clarifies that the fundamental purpose of a scholar-official taking up an official post is to practice righteousness, rather than seek personal gain. It provides a direction for action for the mission of “taking benevolence as one’s own responsibility”, and defines that the core of assuming responsibility lies in “upholding righteousness”.
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