2.1.  Master Kong said, “He who governs by virtue is like the north polar star, which remains in its place while all the other stars turn toward it.”

子曰：「為政以德，譬如北辰，居其所而眾星共之。」

2.2.  Master Kong said, “Of the three hundred odes, a single phrase covers them all: ‘Have no depraved thoughts.’”

子曰：「《詩》三百，一言以蔽之，曰『思無邪』。」

2.3.  Master Kong said, “Lead them with governmental measures and regulate them by punishment, and the people will avoid the punishment but have no sense of shame. Lead them with virtue and regulate them by the rules of propriety, and they will have a sense of shame and, moreover, arrive at goodness themselves.”

子曰：「道之以政，齊之以刑，民免而無恥；道之以德，齊之以禮，有恥且格。」

2.4.  Master Kong said, “At fifteen, I set my mind upon learning. At thirty, I had become established. At forty, I had no more perplexities. At fifty, I knew the Decree of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was attuned. At seventy, I could follow my heart’s desire without transgressing what is right.”

子曰：「吾十有五而志于學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲，不踰矩。」

2.5.  Meng Yizi asked about family devotion. Master Kong said, “Never disobey.” Later, when Fan Chi was driving him, the Master told him, “Mengsun asked me about family devotion, and I answered him, ‘Never disobey.’” Fan Chi said, “What did you mean by that?” The Master replied, “While parents are alive, serve them in accordance with the rites. When they are dead, bury them in accordance with the rites and sacrifice to them in accordance with the rites.”

孟懿子問孝。子曰：「無違。」樊遲御，子告之曰：「孟孫問孝於我，我對曰『無違』。」樊遲曰：「何謂也？」子曰：「生，事之以禮；死，葬之以禮，祭之以禮。」

2.6.  Meng Wubo asked about family devotion. Master Kong said, “Parents only worry about their children falling ill.”

孟武伯問孝。子曰：「父母惟其疾之憂。」

2.7.  Ziyou asked about family devotion. Master Kong said, “Family devotion nowadays means the ability to support one’s parents. But even dogs and horses can receive such support. Without reverence, wherein lies the difference?”

子游問孝。子曰：「今之孝者，是謂能養。至於犬馬，皆能有養；不敬，何以別乎？」

2.11. Master Kong said, “A man who reviews the old so as to understand the new is worthy of being a teacher.”

子曰：「溫故而知新，可以為師矣。」

2.12. Master Kong said, “The noble person is not an implement.”

子曰：「君子不器。」

2.13. Zigong asked about the noble person. Master Kong said, “He first acts on his words, and then speaks according to his action.”

子貢問君子。子曰：「先行其言而後從之。」

2.14. Master Kong said, “The noble person is broadminded but not partisan. The small person is partisan but not broadminded.”

子曰：「君子周而不比，小人比而不周。」

2.15. Master Kong said, “He who learns but does not think is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in danger.”

子曰：「學而不思則罔，思而不學則殆。」

2.17. Master Kong said, “Yóu! Shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to recognize that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to recognize that you do not know it. This is knowledge.”

子曰：「由！誨女知之乎？知之為知之，不知為不知，是知也。」

2.18. Zizhang was learning with a view to official emolument. Master Kong said, “Hear much and put aside what is doubtful while you speak cautiously of the rest, and you will have few occasions for blame. See much and put aside what seems perilous while you act cautiously on the rest, and you will have few occasions for regret. When one’s words give few occasions for blame and one’s actions few occasions for regret—therein lies his emolument.”

子張學干祿。子曰：「多聞闕疑，慎言其餘，則寡尤；多見闕殆，慎行其餘，則寡悔。言寡尤，行寡悔，祿在其中矣。」

2.24. Master Kong said, “To sacrifice to spirits other than one’s own is flattery. To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage.”

子曰：「非其鬼而祭之，諂也。見義不為，無勇也。」