The Analects

When asked about benevolence, the Master says that benevolence is the act of returning to observing the rites through overcoming the self. If a man can do this even for a single day, then he could be said to have benevolence. The whole Empire would acknowledge him to be benevolent. But the Master emphasizes that “the practice of benevolence depends on oneself alone, and not on others.”

When asked about benevolence, the Master says one should not impose on others what one does not wish to experience oneself. When asked again about benevolence, the Master says that one can recognize a benevolent man because he won’t speak much—for if acting is difficult, how can speaking come easily? 

Duke Ai asks Yu Juo what to do—the harvest in the province that he rules is poor, and the duke does not have enough to cover his expenditure. Yu Juo suggests taxing the people less than the usual. Duke Ai responds, saying that he doesn’t have enough as it is—how will he have enough if he taxes the people even less? Yu Juo responds, saying, “When the people have sufficient, who is there to share your insufficiency? When the people have insufficient, who is there to share your sufficiency?”

Tzu-chang asks the Master what a gentleman needs to have accomplished before “he can be said to have got through.” Bewildered, the Master asks Tzu-chang what he means by “gotten through,” and Tzu-chang says that he means serving in a state or being part of a noble family. The Master quickly corrects him, saying that what Tzu-chang refers to is being known, not getting through. For the Master, getting through means a man who is honest, trustworthy, morally correct, and modest. Being known, on the other hand, describes a man who uses benevolence as a façade merely to advance his personal interests.