Book 8
8.1
The Master said, Taibo may be said to have possessed the utmost of virtue. Thrice he ceded the world to another. The people could find no words to praise him.
8.2
The Master said, If one is reverent but without li one is burdened; if one is vigilant but without li one is fearful; if one is valorous but without li one causes chaos; if one is straightforward but without li one causes affronts. When the junzi is devoted to his parents, the people rise up as ren; when he does not discard his old comrades, the people are not dishonest.
8.3
Master Zeng fell ill. He summoned the disciples of his school. "Uncover my feet; uncover my hands! The Poetry says,
All vigilance, all caution,
As though nearing the edge of abyss,
As though treading upon thin ice.
"My young friends, from this point on, I know that I have escaped whole!"
8.4
Master Zeng fell ill. Meng Jingzi called upon him. Master Zeng said, "When a bird is about to die, his call is mournful; when a man is about to die, his words are good.
"There are three things a junzi cherishes in the dao. In attitude and bearing, keep far from arrogance; in facial expression, keep aligned close to faithfulness; in uttering words, keep far from coarse abrasiveness.
"So far as minor matters of ritual implements are concerned, there are functionaries to take care of those."
8.5
Master Zeng said, To be able, yet to ask advice of those who are not able; to have much, yet to ask advice of those who have little; to view possession as no different than lacking; fullness as no different than emptiness; to be transgressed against yet not to bear a grudge - in past times, I had a friend who worked to master these things.
8.6
Master Zeng said, A man to whom one can entrust a growing youth of middling stature and a territory a hundred lì† square, who, nearing a great crisis, cannot be waylaid from his purpose - would such a man not be a junzi? Such a man would be a junzi.
8.7
Master Zeng said, A gentleman cannot but be broad in his determination. His burden is heavy and his road is long. He takes ren to be his burden - is the burden not heavy? Only with death may he lay it down - is the road not long?
8.8
The Master said, Rise with the Poetry, stand with li, consummate with music.
8.9
The Master said, The people can be made to follow it, they cannot be made to understand it.
8.10
The Master said, When one who loves only valor is placed under the stress of poverty, the result is chaos. If a person is not ren, placing him under stress leads to extremes, and chaos follows.