The sayings of Confucius

On Learning

He

who cherishes a love of comfort is

not fit to be deemed a scholar.
If

the scholar be not grave, he will not

call forth any veneration, and his
learning will not be solid.
A

scholar whose mind is set on truth

but who is ashamed of his bad clothes
and bad food, is not fit to talk to.

The five becloudings

There

is love of being benevolent

without the love of learning.

The beclouding here leads to foolish simplicity.

There

is the love of knowing without

the love of learning.

The beclouding here leads to an injurious

disregard of consequences.

There

is the love of straightforwardness

without the love of learning.
The beclouding here leads to rudeness.
There

is the love of boldness without

the love of learning.

The beclouding here leads to insubordination.

There

is the love of firmness without

the love of learning.
The

beclouding here leads to extravagant

conduct.

To

be fond of learning is to be near to

knowledge.
To act with vigor is to be near to energy.
To possess the feeling of shame is to be
near to magnanimity.
He who knows these three things knows
how to cultivate his own character.
Knowing how to cultivate his own character,
he knows how to govern other people.
Knowing how to govern other men, he
knows how to govern the Empire with all its
States and families.

The

scholar does not consider

gold and jade to be precious
treasures, but loyalty and
good faith.
He does not desire lands and
territory, but considers the
establishment of
righteousness his domain.

He

does not desire a great accumulation of

wealth, but looks on many accomplishments

as his riches.
It

is difficult to win him, but easy to pay him.

It

is easy to pay him, but difficult to retain

him.

When

a man of talents and virtue knows

the difficulty and the ease in acquiring

learning, and knows the good and bad
qualities of learning, he can vary his
methods of teaching.
When

he can vary his methods of teaching,

he can be a Master indeed.

Shall

I teach you what knowledge is?

When

you know a thing, to hold that

you know it; and when you do not know

a thing, to allow that you do not know it.
That

is knowledge.