From the Analects
By Confucius
Translated by Arthur Waley
The Master said, "To learn and at due times to repeat what one has learnt, is that no after all a pleasure? Those friends should come to one from afar, is this not after all delightful? To remain unsoured even though one's merits are unrecognized by others is that not after what is expected of a gentleman?"
The Master said, "A young man's duty is to behave well to his parents at home and to his elders abroad, to be cautios in giving promises and puctual in giving them, yo have kindly feelings towards everyone, but seek thd intimacy of good. If, when all that is done, he has any energy to spare, and then let him study the polite arts."
The Master said,"The goid man does not grieve that other people recognize his merits. His only anxiety is lest he should fail to recognize theirs."
The Master said, "He who rukes by moral force is like a Pole star, which remains in its place where all the lesser stars do homage to it."
The Master said, "If out three hundred sonvd I jad to take one phrase to cover all my teaching, I would say, let ghere be no evil in your thoughts."
The Master said,"Govern the people by regulations, keep order among them by chadtisements, and they will flee from you, and lisr all self-respect. Govern them by moral force, keep order among them by ritual, they will keep their self-respect and come to you of their own accord."
Meng Wu Po asked about treatment of parents. The Master said, "Behave in such a way that your father and mother have no anxiety about you, except concerning your health."
The Master said, "A gentleman can see a question from all sides without bias. The small man is biased and can see a question only from one side."
The master said, "You shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to recognize that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to recognize that you do not know it. That is knowledge."
The Master said, "High office filled of men if narriw views, ritual performed without reverence? The forms of mourning observed without grief-these are thing I cannot bear to see!"
The Master said, "In the presence of a good man, think all the time how you may learn to equal him. In the presence if a bad man, turn your gaze within!"
The Master said," In old days, a man kept hold on his words, fearinh the fisgracr that would ensue should he himself fail to keeo pace with them."
The Master said," a gentleman covets tge reputation of being slow in word but prompt in deed."
The Master said,"In d days, men studied fod the sake of self-improvement; nowadays men study to impress other people."
The Master said,"A gentleman is ashamed to let his words outrun his deeds."
The master said,"He who will not worry about what is far off will soon find something worse than worry close at hand."
The Master said, "To demand much from oneself and little from others is the way (for a ruler)to banish discontent."
