The Analects

The Master rarely discusses profit, Destiny, and benevolence in the same conversation. When someone praises him for being wise but not having established himself in any field, Confucius asks his disciples which field he should choose: driving or archery? He says he thinks he would prefer driving.

There are four things the Master refuses to engage with in any capacity: they are entertaining conjectures, insisting on certainty, being inflexible, and being egotistical.

Sighing, Yen Yüan comments that the more he looks up towards his goal, the higher it appears; the harder he works at achieving it, the more difficult it becomes. When he sees it in front of him, suddenly it is behind him. The Master, he says, is able to lead one step at a time. The Master teaches him high culture but keeps him grounded through practicing the rites. Yen Yüan knows that he will never be able to live in full accordance with the Way, and yet, he will never be able to give up on this goal.

The Master says that it is difficult not to be pleased by beautiful words, but what is most important is that one improves oneself. He says that he can do nothing with men who say that they want to reform themselves but take no steps towards this goal.

The Master says that Yu is perhaps the only man he knows who can be poorly dressed and stand next to a wealthy, well-dressed man without feeling ashamed. He quotes the Odes, saying, “Neither envious nor covetous, / How can he be anything but good?”