From the Analects

By Confucius
Translated by Xin Guanjie

1. Confucius said, “A man who speaks with honeyed words and pretends to be kind cannot be benevolent.”
2. Zeng Zi (a disciple of Confucius’) said, “Every day, I examine myself once and again: Have I tried my utmost to help
others? Have I been honest to my friends? Have I diligently reviewed the instructions from the Master?”
3. Confucius said, “At home, a young man should be dutiful towards his parents going outside, he should be
respectful towards his elders; he should be cautious in deeds and trustworthy in words; he should love everyone
yet make close friends only with those of benevolence. If he has any more energy to spare, let him devote it to
books.’
4. Confucius said, “Don’t worry about being understood but about understanding others.”
5. Ji Kangzi (Jisu Fei, then a minister of Lu) asked, “What can I do to make the people respect and be loyal to their
superiors and try their best in service?” Confucius said, “Be upright in their presence, and they will hold you in
respect; be filial and benevolent, and they will be loyal to you; use the righteous and instruct the unqualified, and
they will try their best in service.’
6. Confucius said, “To be friendly towards someone while concealing one’s hostility, this Zuo Qiuming (a historian of
Lu)) found shameful. So do I.”
7. Confucius said, “I would pursue wealth so long as it could be obtained legitimately, even by being a common cart
driver. If wealth could not be obtained legitimately, I would rather follow my own preferences.”
8. Confucius said, “There is happiness in eating coarse food, drinking cold water and sleeping on the floor. Ill-gotten
wealth and rank are just like fleeting clouds to me.”
9. The Duke of Ye asked Zi Lu about Confucius, zi Lu failed to give a reply. Confucius said to him afterwards, “Why
did you not say something like this. He is the sort of person who can be so diligent that forgets his meals, so happy
that he forgets his worries and is even unaware of approaching old age.”
10. Confucius said, “When walking in the company of other men, there must be one I can learn something from. I
shall pick out his merits to follow and his shortcomings for reference to overcome my own.’
11. Confucius said, “I am not one of those who pretend to understand what they do not. I suggest that one should
listen to different views and choose the sound one to follow, see different things and keep them in mind.
Knowledge obtained in this way is reliable, though not as good as innate knowledge.”

From the Analects

By Confucius
Translated by Xin Guanjie

1. Confucius said, “A man who speaks with honeyed words and pretends to be kind cannot be benevolent.”
2. Zeng Zi (a disciple of Confucius’) said, “Every day, I examine myself once and again: Have I tried my utmost to help
others? Have I been honest to my friends? Have I diligently reviewed the instructions from the Master?”
3. Confucius said, “At home, a young man should be dutiful towards his parents going outside, he should be
respectful towards his elders; he should be cautious in deeds and trustworthy in words; he should love everyone
yet make close friends only with those of benevolence. If he has any more energy to spare, let him devote it to
books.’
4. Confucius said, “Don’t worry about being understood but about understanding others.”
5. Ji Kangzi (Jisu Fei, then a minister of Lu) asked, “What can I do to make the people respect and be loyal to their
superiors and try their best in service?” Confucius said, “Be upright in their presence, and they will hold you in
respect; be filial and benevolent, and they will be loyal to you; use the righteous and instruct the unqualified, and
they will try their best in service.’
6. Confucius said, “To be friendly towards someone while concealing one’s hostility, this Zuo Qiuming (a historian of
Lu)) found shameful. So do I.”
7. Confucius said, “I would pursue wealth so long as it could be obtained legitimately, even by being a common cart
driver. If wealth could not be obtained legitimately, I would rather follow my own preferences.”
8. Confucius said, “There is happiness in eating coarse food, drinking cold water and sleeping on the floor. Ill-gotten
wealth and rank are just like fleeting clouds to me.”
9. The Duke of Ye asked Zi Lu about Confucius, zi Lu failed to give a reply. Confucius said to him afterwards, “Why
did you not say something like this. He is the sort of person who can be so diligent that forgets his meals, so happy
that he forgets his worries and is even unaware of approaching old age.”
10. Confucius said, “When walking in the company of other men, there must be one I can learn something from. I
shall pick out his merits to follow and his shortcomings for reference to overcome my own.’
11. Confucius said, “I am not one of those who pretend to understand what they do not. I suggest that one should
listen to different views and choose the sound one to follow, see different things and keep them in mind.
Knowledge obtained in this way is reliable, though not as good as innate knowledge.”