3.3  Master Kong said: If a man is not humane (ren 仁), what has he to do with ceremonies (li 禮)? If he is not humane, what has he to do with music (yue 樂)?

子曰：「人而不仁，如禮何？人而不仁，如樂何？」

3.4  Lin Fang¹ asked about the foundation of ceremonies (li 禮).

Master Kong said: An important question indeed! In rituals or ceremonies, be thrifty rather than extravagant, and in funerals, be deeply sorrowful rather than shallow in sentiment.

林放問禮之本。子曰：「大哉問！禮，與其奢也，寧儉；喪，與其易也，寧戚。」

3.12  When Master Kong offered sacrifice to his ancestors, he felt as if his ancestral spirits were actually present. When he offered sacrifice to other spiritual beings, he felt as if they were actually present. He said, “If I do not participate in the sacrifice, it is as if I did not sacrifice at all.”

祭如在，祭神如神在。子曰：「吾不與祭，如不祭。」

3.13  Wang-sun Jia² asked: What is meant by the common saying, “It is better to be on good terms with the God of the Kitchen [who cooks our food] than with the spirits of the shrine (ancestors) at the southwest corner of the house”?

Master Kong said: It is not true. He who commits a sin against Heaven has no god to pray to.

王孫賈問曰：「與其媚於奧，寧媚於竈，何謂也？」子曰：「不然，獲罪於天，無所禱也。」

3.17  Zigong wanted to do away with the sacrificing of a lamb at the ceremony in which the beginning of each month is reported to ancestors.

Master Kong said: Zi! You love the lamb but I love the ceremony.

子貢欲去告朔之餼羊。子曰：「賜也，爾愛其羊，我愛其禮。」

3.19  Duke Ding³ asked how the ruler should employ his ministers and how the ministers should serve their ruler.

Master Kong said: A ruler should employ his ministers according to the principle of propriety, and ministers should serve their ruler with loyalty.

定公問：「君使臣，臣事君，如之何？」孔子對曰：「君使臣以禮，臣事君以忠。」

3.24  The guardian at Yi (a border post of the state of Wei) requested to be presented to Master Kong, saying: When gentlemen come here, I have never been prevented from seeing them. Master Kong’s followers introduced him.

When he came out from the interview, he said: Sirs, why are you disheartened by your master’s loss of office? The Way has not prevailed in the world for a long time. Heaven is going to use your master as a bell with a wooden tongue [to awaken the people].

儀封人請見。曰：「君子之至於斯也，吾未嘗不得見也。」從者見之。出曰：「二三子，何患於喪乎？天下之無道也久矣，天將以夫子為木鐸。」