Excerpts from
The
Analects
Hannah Limbag
John Troy Labadan
Florynick Lolo
Book I
1. The philosopher Yu said, “They are few who are being
filial and fraternal, are fond of offending their
superiors. There have been none, not liking to offend
their superiors, have been fond stirring up confusion.
2. “The superior man bends his attention to what is
radical. That being establish, all practical courses
naturally crop up. Filial piety and fraternal submission
- are they not all benevolent actions?”
Book III
1. The Master said, “Gentlemen never compete. You will
say that in archery they do so. But even then they bow
and make way for one another, when they are going up
to the archery-ground, when they are coming down,
and at the subsequent drinking bout. Thus, even when
competing they still remain gentlemen.”
2. The Master said, “ A man who is not good, what can he
have to do with ritual? A man who is not good, what
can he do with music?”
Book IV
3. The Master said, “Without Goodness a man cannot
for long endure adversity, cannot long enjoy
prosperity. The Good man rests content with
Goodness; he what is merely wise pursues Goodness in
the belief that it pays to do so.”
17. The Master said, “In the presence of a Good man,
think all the time how you may learn to equal him. In
the presence of a bad man, turn your gaze within.”
Book V
8. The Master, in discussing with Tzu-Kung, said to him,
“Which do you yourself think is the better, you or Hui?”
He answered saying, “I dare not so much as look at Hui.
For Hui has but to hear one part in ten in order to
understand the whole ten. Whereas if I hear one part, I
understand no more than two parts.“ “Not equal to
him- you and I are not equal to him!”
23. The Master said, “How can we call even Weishing
Kao upright? When someone asked him for vinegar, he
went and begged it from the people next door and
then gave it as though it were his own gift.”
Book VI
9. The Master said, “Incomparable indeed
was Hui. A handful of rice to eat, a gourdful
water to drink, living in a mean street -
others would have found it unendurably
depressing, but to Hui’s cheerfulness it
made no difference at all. Incomparable
indeed was Hui.”
Book VII
15. The Master said, “He who seeks only coarse food to
eat, water to drink, and bent arm for pillow will,
without looking for it, find happiness to boot. Any
thought of accepting wealth and rank by means that I
know to be wrong is as remote from me as the clouds
that float above.”
21. The Master said, “Even when waling in a party of no
more than three, I can always be certain of learning
from those I am with. There will be good qualities that
I can select for imitation and bad ones that will teach
men what requires correction in myself.”
Book VIII
16. The Master said, “Learn as if you are following
someone with whom you could not catch up, as
though it were someone you were frightened of
losing.”
Book IX
24. The Master said , “First and foremost, be faithful to
your superiors, keep all promises. Refuse the
friendship of all who are not like you; and if you have
made a mistake, do not be afraid of admitting the fact
and amending your ways.”
Thank you
for
listening!
