Book 12
12.1
Yan Yuan asked about ren. The Master said, "Conquer yourself and return to li: that is ren. If a person could conquer himself and return to li for a single day, the world would respond to him with ren. Being ren proceeds from oneself, how could it come from others?" Yan Yuan said, "May I ask for details of this?"
The Master said, "If it is not li, don't look at it; if it is not li, don't listen to it; if it is not li, don't say it; if it is not li, don't do it."
Yan Yuan said, "Although I am not quick, I ask to apply myself to this."
12.2
Zhonggong asked about ren. The Master said, "When you go out your front gate, continue to treat each person as though receiving an honored guest. When directing the actions of subordinates, do so as though officiating at a great ritual sacrifice. Do not do to others what you would not wish done to you. Then there can be no complaint against you, in your state or in your household."
Zhonggong said, "Although I am not quick, I ask to apply myself to this."
12.3
Sima Niu asked about ren. The Master said, "The person who is ren speaks with reluctance."
"Reluctant in speech - may such a person, then, be called ren?"
The Master said, "When doing it is difficult, can one not be reluctant to speak of it?"
12.4
Sima Niu asked about the junzi. The Master said, "The junzi is not beset with care or fear."
"Not beset with care or fear - may such a person, then, be called a junzi?"
"Surveying himself within and finding no fault, what care or fear could there be?"
12.5
Sima Niu was beset with care. "All people have brothers, I alone am without one." Zixia said, "I have heard it said, 'Life and death are preordained, wealth and rank are up to Tian. The junzi never lets slip his respectful vigilance: when with others, he is reverent and acts with li - in the world within the four seas, all men are his brothers.' What concern need a junzi have that he is without brothers?"
12.6
Zizhang asked about discernment. The Master said, "When one is uninfluenced by slanderous statements about someone that reach a saturation point or by disputes that are brought before him that have a direct bearing on him, then he may be said to be discerning. He may also be said to be farsighted."
12.7
Zigong asked about governance. The Master said, "Provide people with adequate food, provide them with adequate weapons, induce them to have faith in their ruler."
Zigong said, "If you had no choice but to dispense with one of those three things, which would it be?
"Dispense with weapons."
"If you had no choice but to dispense with one of those two things, which would it be?"
"Dispense with food. From ancient times there has always been death. If the people do not have faith, the state cannot stand."
12.8
Ji Zicheng said, "Being a junzi is simply a matter of one's plain substance. Of what use are patterns (wen)?"
Zigong said, "What a shame that you have described the junzi in this way - a team of horses is not as swift as the tongue! If patterns were like plain substance and plain substance like patterns, the pelts of tigers and leopards would be like those of hounds and sheep."
12.9
Duke Ai questioned You Ruo. "In years of famine, when I do not take in enough to meet my expenditures, what should I do?"
You Ruo replied, "Why not set taxes at the rate of one-tenth?"
"At the rate of two-tenths my income is not adequate - how could I manage at one tenth?"You Ruo replied, "When the people have sufficient means, who will not provide the ruler with what he needs; when the people do not have sufficient means, who will provide the ruler with what he needs?"
12.10
Zizhang asked about exalting virtue and discerning confusion. The Master said, "Taking loyalty and trustworthiness as the pivot and ever shifting to align with the right: that is exalting virtue. When one cherishes a person one wishes him to live; when one hates a person one wishes him to die on the one hand cherishing and wishing him life, while on the other hating and wishing him death: that is confusion.
Truly, it is not a matter of riches, Indeed, it is simply about discernment.