5.4
Zigong asked saying, “What do you think of me?” The Master said, “You are a vessel.”
Zigong said, “What sort of vessel?” The Master said, “A sacrificial vase of jade!”
子貢問曰：「賜也何如？」子曰：「女器也。」曰：「何器也？」曰：「瑚璉也。」
Notes
This dialogue from the Analects presents Confucius’ assessment of Zigong: affirming his talents while implying higher expectations.
By likening Zigong to a “vessel”, Confucius acknowledged his practical abilities — diplomacy, financial acumen, and eloquence. Yet, just as a vessel serves a specific function, Zigong’s skills remained bound to their utility, revealing he had not yet attained the realm of “the noble person not being a implement”.
“The noble person is not a vessel” signifies transcending functional specialization to embody universal moral wisdom that penetrates all things.
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