Book 14
14.1
Xian asked about shame. The Master said, "When the dao prevails in a state, take office. To take office when the dao does not prevail - that is shame."
"Overbearing, boastful, resentful - to wish to be none of these, is that ren?"
The Master said, "It is difficult. As for ren, I don't know."
14.2
The Master said, A gentleman who is attached to the amenities of his home is not worthy of being called a gentleman.
14.3
When the dao prevails in the state, speak as though in danger, act as though in danger. When the dao does not prevail in the state, act as though in danger, and make your speech compliant.
14.4
The Master said, A man who possesses virtue always has teachings to impart, but a man with teachings to impart does not always possess virtue. The man of ren will be valorous, but valorous men are not always ren.
14.5
Nangong Kuo questioned Confucius, saying, "Yi was a great archer and Ao was a great boatman, yet neither died a natural death. On the other hand, Yu and Ji were farmers in the fields and yet came to possess all the world."
The Master did not reply. After Nangong Kuo went out, the Master said, "What a junzi this man is! What fine virtue this man has!"
14.6
The Master said, A junzi who is not ren, there are such people. There has never been a small man who is ren.
14.7
The Master said, If you cherish them can you not make them labor? If you are loyal to them, can you not instruct them?
14.8
The Master said, In crafting diplomatic documents, Pi Chen drafted them, Shi Shu commented upon them, envoy Ziyu embellished them, and Zichan of Dongli made them beautiful.
14.9
Someone asked about Zichan. The Master said, "He was a generous man." They asked about Zixi. "That one? That one?"
They asked about Guan Zhong. "He was a man! He seized from the Bo family its domain of three hundred households in Pian, and though the family head was reduced to eating greens for his meals, he lived out his years without uttering a word of resentment."
14.10
The Master said, To be poor and without resentment is hard; to be wealthy and without arrogance is easy.