Confucius said, Love is to mete out five things to all below heaven: Modesty and bounty, truth, earnestness and kindness. Modesty escapes insult: bounty wins the many; truth gains men's trust; earnestness brings success; and kindness is enough to make men work.
陽貨第十七
BOOK XVII
1. 陽貨欲見孔子,孔子不見,歸孔子豚。孔子時其亡也,而往拜之。遇諸塗。謂孔子曰: 「來!予與爾言。」曰:「懷其寶而迷其邦,可謂仁乎?」曰:「不可。」「好從事而亟失時,可謂知乎?」曰:「不可。」「日月逝矣!歲不我與!」孔子曰:「諾,吾將仕矣!」
Yang Huo wished to see Confucius. Confucius did not go to see him. He sent Confucius a sucking pig. Confucius chose a time when he was out, and went to thank him. They met on the road. He said to Confucius, Come, let us speak together. To cherish a gem, and undo the kingdom, can that be called love? It cannot, said Confucius. To love office, and miss the hour again and again, can that be called wisdom? It cannot, said Confucius. The days and months go by; the years do not wait for us. True, said Confucius; I must take office.
2. 子曰:「性相近也,習相遠也。」
The Master said, Men are near to each other by nature; the lives they lead sunder them.
3. 子曰:「唯上知與下愚不移。」
The Master said, Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.
4. 子之武城,聞弦歌之聲,夫子莞爾而笑曰:「割雞焉用牛刀?」子游對曰:「昔者, 偃也聞諸夫子曰:『君子學道則愛人,小人學道則易使也。』」子曰:「二三子!偃之言是也,前言戲之耳!」
As the Master came to Wu-ch'eng he heard sounds of lute and song. Why use an ox-knife to kill a fowl? said the Master, with a pleased smile. Tzu-yu answered, Master, once I heard you say, A gentleman that has learnt the Way loves men; small folk that have learnt the Way are easy to rule. My two-three boys, said the Master, what Yen says is true. I spake before in play.
5. 公山弗擾以費叛,召,子欲往。子路不說,曰:「末之也已,何必公山氏之之也?」 子曰:「夫召我者,而豈徒哉?如有用我者,吾其為東周乎!」
Kung-shan Fu-jao held Pi in rebellion. He called the Master, who wished to go. Tzu-lu said in displeasure. This cannot be! why must ye go to Kung-shan? The Master said, He calls me, and would that be all? Could I not make an Eastern Chou of him that uses me?
6. 子張問「仁」於孔子。孔子曰:「能行五者於天下,為仁矣。」「請問之?」曰: 「恭、寬、信、敏、惠。恭則不侮,寬則得眾,信則人任焉,敏則有功,惠則足以使人。」
Tzu-chang asked Confucius what is love. Confucius said, Love is to mete out five things to all below heaven. May I ask what they are? Modesty and bounty, said Confucius, truth, earnestness and kindness. Modesty escapes insult: bounty wins the many; truth gains men's trust; earnestness brings success; and kindness is enough to make men work.
7. 佛肸召,子欲往。子路曰:「昔者由也聞諸夫子曰:『親於其身為不善者,君子不入 也』。佛肸以中牟畔,子之往也,如之何?」子曰:「然,有是言也。不曰堅乎?磨而不磷;不曰白乎?涅而不緇。吾豈匏瓜也哉?焉能繫而不食!」
Pi Hsi called the Master, who wished to go. Tzu-lu said, Master, I heard you say once, To men whose own life is evil, no gentleman will go. Pi Hsi holds Chung-mou in rebellion; how could ye go to him, Sir? Yes, I said so, answered the Master. But is not a thing called hard that cannot be ground thin; white, if steeping will not turn it black? And am I a gourd? Can I hang without eating?
8. 子曰:「由也,女聞六言六蔽矣乎?」對曰:「未也。」「居!吾語女。好仁不好學, 其蔽也愚;好知不好學,其蔽也蕩;好信不好學,其蔽也賊;好直不好學,其蔽也絞;好勇不好學,其蔽也亂;好剛不好學,其蔽也狂。」
The Master said, Hast thou heard the six words, Yu, and the six they sink into? \ He answered. No. Sit down, and I shall tell thee. The thirst for love, without love of learning, sinks into simpleness. Love of knowledge, without love of learning, sinks into vanity. Love of truth, without love of learning, sinks into cruelty. Love of straightness, without love of learning, sinks into rudeness. Love of daring, without love of learning, sinks into turbulence. Love of strength, without love of learning, sinks into oddity.
The Wall