Confucian Analects Tending the Roots of Wisdom

In the East, a saying goes that “In a group of three people, there is always someone I can learn from.”

Confucian Analects Tending the Roots of Wisdom

Part I Confucian Analects

1.       Face your difficulties first, and then reap the benefits.

If you control yourself, your mistakes will be few.

A mature person wishes to be slow to speak, but quick to act.

A petty person always excuses his errors.

Knowledge is admitting that what you do know, you know, and what you don’t know, you don’t know.

 

2.       A mature person founds it disgraceful to let his works outstrip his deeds.

Smooth talk and flattery are rarely indicators of true goodness.

Reviewing what you have learned while learning anew makes you fit to be a teacher.

A mature person develops the good in others, not the bad.

A petty person just does the opposite.

 

3.       In teaching people, I treat everyone the same.

To study and not think is a waste.

To think and not study is a danger.

A mature person puts his words into practice first.

Then, he allows them to follow the deed.

 

4.       To make a mistake and not correct it is a real mistake.

Expect much from yourself and little from others.

Then, you will avoid inviting resentment.

Do not be concerned about other not appreciating you.

Be concerned about you not appreciating others.

 

5.       A mature person is easy-going, while a petty person is always full of worries.

Merely knowing something is not as good as loving it.

Loving it is not as good as enjoying it.

A wise person, wishing him to be successful, makes others successful.

A wise person, wishing to reach his goal, allows others to reach their goals.

 

6.       What you don’t like to be done to yourself, don’t do to others

People make mistakes cording to their own level.

By looking at someone’s mistakes we can judge what type of person he is.

When you see a good person, think of becoming like her or him.

When you see someone not so good, use it to examine yourself.

 

7.       If a man is not far-sighted, then trouble is near at hand.

Some sprout but do not flower.

Some flower but do not bear fruit.

I can live happily with plain rice to eat, water to drink, and my arm as a pillow.

Wealth and honors obtained unjustly are but floating clouds.

 

8.       A mature person looks within himself, while a petty man looks within others.

When you act right, things will go well without your giving orders.

But if your own act is wrong, no one will follow you even if your give orders.

A mature person is in harmony with others but does not follow them blindly.

A petty person follows others but is not in harmony.

 

9.       The ancient scholars studied for their own improvement.

Modern scholars, however, study to impress others.

In a group of three people, there is always someone I can learn from.

I pick a good guy and follow him.

Or I see a bad guy and reflect on myself.

 

10.   A mature person dews not promote a man because of his words.

He does not disregard the words because of the man.

You recite three hundred poems from the Book of Songs.

Yet when given duties, you can fail to apply them.

Then, even though you know a lot, what good is it?

 

11.   A mature person does not know about small things but can handle big things.

A petty person cannot handle big things, but he may know about small things.

Don’t be hasty or seek small gains.

If you rush, you will not be thorough.

If you look for small profits, you will never accomplish anything great.

 

12.   It is difficult not to complain when one is poor.

But it is easy not show arrogance when rich.

Isn’t it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned?

Isn’t it also great when friends visit from afar?

If people do not recognize me and it doesn’t bother me, am I not a mature person?

 

13.   If everybody hates something, you check into it.

If everybody loves something, you should check into it, too.

 I have spent a whole day without eating and a while night without sleeping in order to think.

But I got nothing out of it.

Thinking cannot compare with learning.

 

14.   A mature person is self-confident without being arrogant.

A petty person is arrogant and lacks self-confidence,

That we study together does not always mean our beliefs are the same,

That our beliefs are the same does not always mean our values are the same.

That our values are the same does not always mean we share our vision.

 

15.   By nature, men are pretty much alike.

It is learning and practice that set them apart.

When the time is right to speak with someone and you don’t, you lose him.

When the time is not right to speak with someone and you do, you waste your words.

The wise do not lose people, nor do they waste their words.

 

16.   Lake of patience in small matters leads to the breakdown of great plans.

A mature person has three changing appearances.

From afar, he looks stern.

Close up, he seems warm.

Listening to his words, he seems confident and articulate.

 

17.   When a man has reached the age of forty and is hated, he will be so to the end.

Those who are born wise are the best.

Those who study and learn easily are next best.

Those who study but have difficulty learning come next.

Those who are ignorant but do not even study are the lowest.

 

18.   At fifteen, I set my heart on learning.

At thirty, I firmly took my stand.

At forty, I had no more doubts.

At fifty, I understand the will of Heaven, and at sixty I knew truth in all I heard.

At seventy, I could follow the wishes of my heart without overstepping the line.

 

19.   A mature person is generous without being wasteful.

He works hard without complaining.

He desires without being greedy.

He is proud without being arrogant.

He is strict without being severe.

 

20.   A mature Person is easy to work for, but difficult to please.

If you try to please him by dishonest means, he will be unhappy.

And when he employs people, he gives them work that fits their ability.

By contrast, a petty man is difficult to work for, but easy to please.

Even if you have used dishonest means to please him, he will still be happy.

Part II Tending the Roots of Wisdom

21.   It is better to warm up old friendships than to make new friends.

You should forgive the faults of others, but never your own.

You should bear your own trials, but never those of others.

Virtue is the foundation of every achievement.

No building stands whose foundation is not stable.

 

22.   Don’t invite frustration by being impatient.

Don’t be too picky when you associate with others.

You need to tolerate the good and bad, the smart and dull.

Once you commit yourself to a worthy cause, have faith and do not doubt.

Your doubt will be a disgrace to your self-determination.

 

23.   Don’t be too severe when correcting another’s wrongdoing.

Consider how well he might handle the correction.

The human mind is fickle, and the path of life is far from smooth.

On the difficult path, you should take a step back.

On the easier path, you’d better give way to another.

 

24.   Don’t be too generous with friends.

If you are too generous, flatterers will surround you.

Dirty soil grows countless things.

Water that is too clear has no fish.

Thus, as a mature person you should have a heart that tolerates others shortcomings.

 

25.   If you reflect on yourself, everything you encounter can be a remedy.

If you blame others, every thought you have will be a weapon.

After living a humble life, you will know how dangerous it is to rise high.

After living a calm life, you will know how much work it is to be active.

After keeping silence, you will know how noisy it is to be talkative.

 

26.   It is better to practice honesty and be hated by others than to swerve from principles to please others.

Don’t worry when things go against you.

Don’t rejoice when your wishes are met.

Don’t count on happiness to last long.

Don’t lose heart at early difficulties.

 

27.   Fatty meals and spicy or sweet foods don’t have true flavor.

True flavor is actually light and plain in taste.

Likewise, a sage is not someone superhuman or extraordinary.

A true sage is actually quite ordinary.

Thrift is a fine virtue, but when you are too cheap, you become stingy and mean.

 

28.   Humility is another virtue, but when you are too humble, you become an untrustworthy servant.

It is wise to yield a step to your neighbor.

Because going backward is, after all, going forward.

In treating others, it is wiser to be too lenient than to be too severe.

Because benefiting others is, after all, benefiting you.

 

29.   The mouth is the doorway to the mind.

If not carefully guarded, it leaks true intentions deep in your mind.

The will is the feet of the mind.

If not well controlled, it goes astray.

He who trusts another, though the latter is not always true, shows that he is true himself.

 

30.   Don’t try to pray for happiness.

Have a cheerful spirit as a source of happiness, and you’ll win happiness.

Don’t try to escape misfortune.

Avoid wanting to harm others, and you’ll keep misfortune at bay.

When you grow virtue, pay close attention to little things.

 

31.   Give kindness to those who cannot return it.

Never remember the good you have done to another.

But you should remember wrongs you have done to another.

Bear in mind a favor you have received from another.

But you should forget a grudge you have held against another.

 

32.   Serenity within serenity is not the true serenity.

Serenity gained from busyness becomes a true reflection of your mind.

Pleasure within pleasure is not true pleasure.

Pleasure gained from pain reveals your mind is true workings.

Lasting happiness is gained by alternating pleasure and pain.

 

33.   In difficult times, everything around you may be needles and medicines.

They will unknowingly help you develop virtue in yourself.

In prosperity, however, all around you may be swords and spears.

They will break your bones into pieces, but you do not notice them.

Don’t let the doubt of many thwart your personal opinions.

 

34.   Don’t be too narrow in your own views when listening to those of others.

In your social life, it is never good to mingle with vulgar people.

Yet it is not good to alienate yourself from them, either.

When trying to accomplish something, it is never good to antagonize others.

Yet it is not good to try to please them, either.

 

35.   When things go against you, remember people who are unhappier than you.

Then, you will stop complaining.

When you find yourself relaxing your efforts, remember people who are superior to you.

Then, you vital spirit will suddenly awaken.

It is better to keep a successful business than to start a new venture.

 

36.   It is wiser to prevent future mistakes than to repent past errors.

Heaven makes one man wise so that he can enlighten many less wise people.

Yet he shows off his wisdom in order to expose the weakness of others.

Heaven makes one man rich so that he can relieve many poor people.

Yet he boasts off his wealth to look down on the needy.

 

37.   Adversity and hardship are the furnace for forging great people.

The mind of a mature person ought to be like sunshine.

It should be evident to everyone.

His talent, on the contrary, ought to be like deep-sea pearls.

It should not be easily noticed.

 

38.   Genuine knowledge is learned by interchanging belief and doubt.

Share errors with others.

But don’t seek to share credit, for that causes jealousy.

Share adversity with others.

But don’t seek to share prosperity, for that leads to bad feelings.

 

39.   Tasty foods can harm your bowels and bones.

In moderation, however, they do you no harm.

By the same token, all acts of pleasure can ruin your body and soul.

But when enjoyed temperately, they will not cause you any regret.

Even great accomplishments are destroyed by the single word, “arrogance.”

 

40.   When standing, the hawk looks asleep.

When walking, the tiger looks ill.

Actually, these are ploys for grabbing biting their prey.

Like them, people should keep their wisdom and talent out of sight.

Thus, they will be able to handle heavy responsibilities.

 

 

More Confucian Analects

1.       A mature person cares about being righteous, while a petty person cares about making gains.

2.       I have not yet seen a man who realizes his mistake and criticizes himself in his mind.

3.       It is only when winter comes that we know the pine trees are the last to fade.

4.       When you are mature and your physical energy is strong, beware of being aggressive.
When you are old and your physical energy has weakened, beware of holding desperately on the things.

5.       Talk to your friends faithfully, and guide them well.
If something is no good, then stop.
Do not bring shame upon yourself.

6.       A mature person is careful about jumping to conclusions when he does not understand.

7.       An extravagant life leads to arrogance, and cheapness leads to a shabby life.
But you’d rather be shabby than arrogant.

8.       It is blindness to speak without paying attention to a person’s ｅxpression.

9.       Why would you need an ox knife to kill a chicken?

10.   If you do it right, then those close to you will be happy.
Moreover, those who are far away will come to you.

 

More Tending the Roots of Wisdom

1.       In criticizing others, try to find something to recover their faults.
In blaming yourself, seek to find something to blame yourself, even if you are faultless.

2.       When you keep hearing unpleasant words, use them for your own moral growth.
If every word was pleasant to your ears, your whole life would be badly poisoned.

3.       The best time for a man to retire is when he is at the peak of his success.

4.       In everything you do, leave a little room for improvement.
Seeking total success and honor in every endeavor may bring about internal or external trouble.

5.       When you are in difficulty, recall the day when you first started your task.
When you fully enjoy success, look carefully at the road ahead.

6.       Developing character should be like beating iron one hundred times.
Quick mastery cannot have depth and richness.

7.       When giving favors, give a little at first and then increase them.
If you start heavy and end up light, people will forget your kindness.
When showing authority, be severe at first and mild later.
If you start mildly and then become severe, people will resent your severity as cruelty.