Confucius the Man

T he Master said: at fifteen I set my heart on learning. At thirty I stood on my own feet. At forty I stopped being pulled this way and that. At fifty I understood what Heaven asked of me. At sixty my ear came round, and I could hear a thing for what it was. At seventy I could do whatever I wanted and never cross the line. The Master said: at fifteen I had my heart set on learning. At thirty I was established. At forty I had no doubts. At fifty I knew the decree of Heaven. At sixty my ear was compliant. At seventy I could follow what my heart desired without overstepping the bounds.

He said of his own work: I pass things on, I do not invent them. I trust the old ways and love them. In this much, I suppose, I am a little like old Peng. The Master said: a transmitter and not a maker, trusting in and loving the ancients — in this I venture to compare myself to our old Peng.

The governor of She asked Zilu what kind of man Confucius was, and Zilu had no answer. When the Master heard this, he said: why didn't you just tell him — he is the sort of man who forgets to eat when a problem grips him, who is so glad in the work that he forgets to worry, and who has not noticed old age coming on. The Duke of She asked Zilu about Confucius, and Zilu did not answer. The Master said: why did you not say, he is a man who in his drive forgets to eat, who in his joy forgets his cares, and who does not notice that old age is on its way — that and no more.

“The sage? The truly good? I would not dare claim either. All I will say is that I work at it and never tire, and I teach others and never wear out.”

He said: coarse rice to eat, water to drink, my bent arm for a pillow — there is joy in the middle of all that, too. Wealth and rank that come the wrong way mean no more to me than a passing cloud. The Master said: with coarse rice to eat and water to drink, and my bent arm for a pillow, joy is to be found in the midst of these as well. Riches and honor gained by what is not right are to me like a floating cloud.

And here is what actually kept him up at night, in his own words: that I might fail to work on my character, fail to think hard about what I learn, hear what is right and not go to it, see what is bad in myself and not fix it. Those are the things that worry me. The Master said: virtue not cultivated, learning not discussed, hearing what is right and not being able to move to it, having faults and not being able to mend them — these are my worries.

There were four things the Master had cut out entirely. No guessing. No insisting. No digging in. No me-first. The Master was free of four things: no conjecture, no insistence on certainty, no rigidity, no egoism.

Someone once reached for the big words. The Master waved them off. A sage? Truly good? How would I dare claim either. All I will say is this — I work at it and never get tired, I teach others and never wear out. That much you could say of me. One of his students, Gongxi Hua, said: and that is exactly the part the rest of us can't manage. The Master said: as for sage and truly good, how would I dare? But that I work at it without tiring and teach others without weariness — that much may be said of me. Gongxi Hua said: that is just what we disciples cannot learn to do.

Yan Hui and Zilu were sitting with him, and the Master said: why not each of you tell me what you'd most want? Zilu wanted to share his carriage, horses, and fine coats with his friends and not mind when they wore out. Yan Hui wanted to do good without making a show of it, and never lay his troubles on others. Then Zilu asked the Master for his. He said: I would like the old to be at peace, my friends to trust me, and the young to be held close. Yan Yuan and Jilu were in attendance. The Master said: why not each tell your wish? Zilu said: I would share my carriage, horses, and light furs with my friends, and feel no regret if they wore them out. Yan Yuan said: I would not boast of my goodness, nor make a display of my labors. Zilu said: we would like to hear yours. The Master said: that the old be given peace, that friends trust me, that the young be cherished.

夫子 The original Chinese · honored as an artifact

吾十有五而志於學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲，不踰矩。

Opening lines, classical Chinese · The Analects 論語