11.9  When Yan Hui died, Master Kong said: Alas, Heaven is destroying me! Heaven is destroying me!

顏淵死。子曰：「噫！天喪予！天喪予！」

11.12  Zilu asked about serving the spiritual beings (guishen 鬼神).

Master Kong said: If we are not yet able to serve man, how can we serve spiritual beings?

I venture to ask about death.

Kongzi said: If we do not yet know about life, how can we know about death?

季路問事鬼神。子曰：「未能事人，焉能事鬼？」敢問死。曰：「未知生，焉知死？」

11.16  Zigong asked who was the better man, Zizhang¹ or Zixia²?

Master Kong said: Zizhang goes too far and Zixia does not go far enough.

Zigong said: Then is Zizhang better?

Kongzi said: To go too far is the same as not to go far enough.

子貢問：「師與商也孰賢？」子曰：「師也過，商也不及。」曰：「然則師愈與？」子曰：「過猶不及。」

11.22  Zilu asked: Should one immediately practice what one has heard?

Master Kong said: There are father and elder brother [to be consulted]. Why immediately practice what one has heard?

Ran Qiu³ asked: Should one immediately practice what one has heard?

Kongzi said: One should immediately practice what one has heard.

Zihua⁴ said: When Zilu Yu asked you, “Should one immediately practice what one has heard?” you said, “There are father and elder brother.” When Ran Qiu asked you, “Should one immediately practice what he has heard?” you said, “One should immediately practice what one has heard.” I am perplexed, and venture to ask you for an explanation.

Kongzi said: Qiu is retiring; therefore I urged him forward. Lu has more than one man’s energy; therefore I kept him back.

子路問：「聞斯行諸？」子曰：「有父兄在，如之何其聞斯行之？」冉有問：「聞斯行諸？」子曰：「聞斯行之。」公西華曰：「由也問聞斯行諸，子曰『有父兄在』；求也問聞斯行諸，子曰『聞斯行之』。赤也惑，敢問。」子曰：「求也退，故進之；由也兼人，故退之。」

11.26  Zilu, Zengxi⁵, Ran Qiu, and Zihua were in attendance.

Master Kong said: You think that I am a day or so older than you are. But do not think so. At present you are out of office and think that you are denied recognition. Suppose you were given recognition. What would you prefer?

Zilu promptly replied: Suppose there is a state of a thousand chariots, hemmed in by great powers, in addition invaded by armies, and as a result drought and famine prevail. Let me administer that state. In three years’ time I can endow the people with courage and furthermore, enable them to know the correct principles.

Kongzi smiled at him [with disapproval]. Ran Qiu, how about you?

Ran Qiu replied: Suppose there is a state the sides of which are sixty or seventy li wide, or one of fifty or sixty li. Let me administer that state. In three years’ time I can enable the people to be sufficient in their livelihood. As to the promotion of ceremonies and music, however, I shall have to wait for the superior man.

How about you, Zihua?

Zihua replied: I do not say I can do it but I should like to learn to do so. At the services of the royal ancestral temple, and at the conferences of the feudal lords, I should like to wear the dark robe and black cap (symbols of correctness) and be a junior assistant.

[Turning to Zengxi,] Kongzi said: How about you, Zengxi?

Zengxi was then softly playing the zither. With a bang he laid down the instrument, rose, and said: My wishes are different from what the gentlemen want to do.

Kongzi said: What harm is there? After all, we want each to tell his ambition.

Zengxi said: In the late spring, when the spring dress is ready, I would like to go with five or six grown-ups and six or seven young boys to bathe in the Yi River, enjoy the breeze on the Rain Dance Altar, and then return home singing.

Kongzi heaved a sigh and said: I agree with Zengxi.

子路、曾皙、冉有、公西華侍坐。子曰：「以吾一日長乎爾，毋吾以也。居則曰：「不吾知也！』如或知爾，則何以哉？」子路率爾而對曰：「千乘之國，攝乎大國之間，加之以師旅，因之以饑饉；由也為之，比及三年，可使有勇，且知方也。」夫子哂之。「求！爾何如？」對曰：「方六七十，如五六十，求也為之，比及三年，可使足民。如其禮樂，以俟君子。」「赤！爾何如？」對曰：「非曰能之，願學焉。宗廟之事，如會同，端章甫，願為小相焉。」「點！爾何如？」鼓瑟希，鏗爾，舍瑟而作。對曰：「異乎三子者之撰。」子曰：「何傷乎？亦各言其志也。」曰：「莫春者，春服既成。冠者五六人，童子六七人，浴乎沂，風乎舞雩，詠而歸。」夫子喟然歎曰：「吾與點也！」