Chapter 18
Chapter 1
- The Viscount of Wei left the court. The Viscount of Chi became a slave to Chau. Pi-kan protested against him and was put to death. 2. Confucius said, “The Yin dynasty had these three men of virtue.”
Chapter 2
Hui of Liu-hsia, serving as chief criminal judge, was dismissed from office three times. Someone said to him, “Isn’t it time you left this country, sir?” He replied, “If I serve people honestly, where can I go without being dismissed three times over? And if I were willing to serve people dishonestly, what need would there be to leave the land of my parents?”
Chapter 3
Duke Ching of Ch’i, considering how he should treat Confucius, said, “I cannot treat him as I would the head of the Chi family. I will treat him at a level between that given to the head of the Chi family and that given to the head of the Mang family.” He also said, “I am old; I cannot make use of his teachings.” So Confucius left.
Chapter 4
The people of Ch’i sent a gift of female musicians to Lu, and Chi Hwan accepted them, and for three days no court was held. Confucius left.
Chapter 5
- Chieh-yu, the madman of Ch’u, passed Confucius, singing: “O Phoenix! O Phoenix! How your virtue has declined! What is past cannot be set right by reproach, but the future can still be guarded against. Give it up, give it up! Those who take part in government today are in danger.” 2. Confucius got down from his carriage, wanting to speak with him, but Chieh-yu hurried away, and so he could not.
Chapter 6
- Ch’ang-tsu and Chieh-ni were working together in a field when Confucius passed by, and he sent Tsze-lu to ask them where the ford was. 2. Ch’ang-tsu said, “Who is that holding the reins in the carriage?” Tsze-lu replied, “It is K’ung Ch’iu.” “Is it K’ung Ch’iu of Lu?” he asked. “Yes,” said Tsze-lu. “Then he already knows the ford,” the man answered. 3. Tsze-lu then asked Chieh-ni, who said, “And who are you, sir?” “I am Chung Yu,” he replied. “Are you not the disciple of K’ung Ch’iu of Lu?” “I am,” said Tsze-lu. Chieh-ni said, “Disorder spreads like a flood across the whole empire—who can change it for you? Rather than follow a man who withdraws only from this ruler or that one, wouldn’t it be better to follow those who have withdrawn from the world altogether?” With that, he kept covering the seed and went on with his work without pausing. 4. Tsze-lu went back and reported their words. The Master sighed and said, “I cannot live with the birds and beasts as if they were my own kind. If I do not keep company with people—with humankind—whom shall I keep company with? If sound principles prevailed in the empire, I would have no need to try to change it.”
Chapter 7
- Tsze-lu, traveling behind the Master, fell back and met an old man carrying a weeding basket on a staff across his shoulder. Tsze-lu asked him, “Sir, have you seen my master?” The old man replied, “Your four limbs are not used to hard work; you cannot tell apart the five kinds of grain—who is your master?” With that, he stuck his staff in the ground and went on weeding. 2. Tsze-lu folded his hands across his chest and stood respectfully before him. 3. The old man kept Tsze-lu overnight at his house, killed a chicken, prepared millet, and gave him a meal. He also introduced his two sons. 4. The next day Tsze-lu went on his way and told the Master what had happened. The Master said, “He is a recluse,” and sent Tsze-lu back to see him again, but when he arrived, the old man was gone. 5. Tsze-lu then said to the family, “Refusing to take office is not right. If the proper relations between old and young cannot be set aside, how can one set aside the duties between ruler and minister? In wanting to keep himself personally pure, he throws this great relation into disorder. The superior man takes office and carries out the duties that belong to it. As for the failure of right principles to advance, he already knows that.”
Chapter 8
- The men who have retired from the world into private life have been Po-i, Shu-ch’i, Yu-chung, I-yi, Chu-chang, Hui of Liu-hsia, and Shao-lien. 2. The Master said, “Refusing to give up their resolve or to allow any stain on their persons—such, I think, were Po-i and Shu-ch’i. 3. “Of Hui of Liu-hsia and Shao-lien, it may be said that they gave up their resolve and allowed some stain on their persons, but their words were in line with reason, and their conduct was such as people were eager to see. That is all that can be said about them. 4. “Of Yu-chung and I-yi, it may be said that, hidden away in seclusion, they let their words run freely; but in their persons they kept their purity, and in their withdrawal they acted as the times required. 5. “I am different from all of them. I have nothing I am committed to in advance, and nothing I am set against in advance.”
Chapter 9
- Chih, the grand music master, went to Ch’i. 2. Kan, who led the band at the second meal, went to Ch’u. Liao, who led the band at the third meal, went to Ts’ai. Chueh, who led the band at the fourth meal, went to Ch’in. 3. Fang-shu, the drum master, withdrew to north of the river. 4. Wu, the master of the hand drum, withdrew to the Han. 5. Yang, the assistant music master, and Hsiang, master of the musical stone, withdrew to an island in the sea.
Chapter 10
The Duke of Chau said to his son, the Duke of Lu, “The virtuous prince does not neglect his relatives. He does not give his great ministers cause to resent being passed over. Without some serious reason, he does not dismiss from office the members of long-established families. He does not look to a single person to be talented in every role.”
Chapter 11
To Chau belonged the eight officers: Po-ta, Po-kwo, Chung-tu, Chung-hwu, Shu-ya, Shu-hsia, Chi-sui, and Chi-kwa.
