[Footnote 15:  The doctrine afterwards known by that name, and which gave its title to a Confucian treatise.]

BOOK VII

Characteristics of Confucius—­An Incident

Said the Master:—­

“I, as a transmitter[16] and not an originator, and as one who believes in and loves the ancients, venture to compare myself with our old P’ang.

“What find you indeed in me?—­a quiet brooder and memorizer; a student never satiated with learning; an unwearied monitor of others!

“The things which weigh heavily upon my mind are these—­failure to improve in the virtues, failure in discussion of what is learnt, inability to walk according to knowledge received as to what is right and just, inability also to reform what has been amiss.”

In his hours of recreation and refreshment the Master’s manner was easy and unconstrained, affable and winning.

Once he exclaimed, “Alas!  I must be getting very feeble; ’tis long since I have had a repetition of the dreams in which I used to see the Duke of Chow. [17]

“Concentrate the mind,” said he, “upon the Good Way.

“Maintain firm hold upon Virtue.

“Rely upon Philanthropy.

“Find recreation in the Arts. [18]

“I have never withheld instruction from any, even from those who have come for it with the smallest offering.

“No subject do I broach, however, to those who have no eager desire to learn; no encouraging hint do I give to those who show no anxiety to speak out their ideas; nor have I anything more to say to those who, after I have made clear one corner of the subject, cannot from that give me the other three.”

If the Master was taking a meal, and there were any in mourning beside him, he would not eat to the full.

On one day on which he had wept, on that day he would not sing.

Addressing his favorite disciple, he said, “To you only and myself it has been given to do this—­to go when called to serve, and to go back into quiet retirement when released from office.”

Tsz-lu, hearing the remark said, “But if, sir, you had the handling of the army of one of the greater States,[19] whom would you have associated with you in that case?”

The Master answered:—­

  “Not the one ‘who’ll rouse the tiger,’
   Not the one ‘who’ll wade the Ho;’

not the man who can die with no regret.  He must be one who should watch over affairs with apprehensive caution, a man fond of strategy, and of perfect skill and effectiveness in it.”

As to wealth, he remarked, “If wealth were an object that I could go in quest of, I should do so even if I had to take a whip and do grooms’ work.  But seeing that it is not, I go after those objects for which I have a liking.”

Among matters over which he exercised great caution were times of fasting, war, and sickness.