The Lî Kî, Books XI–XLVI — Sacred Books of China Part IV, SBE Vol. 28 (trans. James Legge, 1885)

The Master said, ‘Long has the attainment of a perfect humanity been difficult among men! all men err in what they love ;—and hence it is easy to

336 THE Lif xt. BE. XXIX, apologise for the errors of those who are seeking this humanity?.’

21, The Master said, ‘Courtesy is near to propriety ; economy is near to humanity ; good faith is near to the truth of things. When one with respect and humility practises these (virtues), though he may fall into errors, they will not be very great. Where there is courtesy, the errors are few; where there is truth, there can be good faith; where there is economy, the exercise of forbearance is easy :—will not failure be rare in the case of those who practise these things? It is said in the Book of Poetry (IIT, ili, ode 2, 9),

“Mildness and reverence base supply
For virtue’s structure, broad and high.

22. The Master said, ‘Long has the attainment of perfect humanity been difficult among men; it is only the superior man who is able to reach it. Therefore the superior man does not distress men by requiring from them that which (only) he himself can do, nor put them to shame because of what they cannot do. Hence the sage, in laying down rules for conduct, does not make himself the rule, but gives them his instructions so that they shall be able to stimulate themselves to endeavour, and have the feeling of shame if they do not put them in practice. (He enjoins) the rules of ceremony to regulate the conduct; good faith to bind it on them; right demeanour to set it off; costume to distinguish it; and friendship to perfect it :—he desires in this way to produce a uniformity of the people. It is said in the Hsiao Y4 (V, ode 5, 3),

1 This seems to be the meaning, about which there are various opinions,

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BK, XXIX, pido xt. 337

“Shall they unblushing break man’s law ?
Shall they not stand of Heaven in awe?”

23. ‘Therefore, when a superior man puts on the dress (of his rank), he sets it off by the demeanour of a superior man. That demeanour he sets off with the language of a superior man; and that language he makes good by the virtues of a superior man. Hence the superior man is ashamed to wear the robes, and not have the demeanour; ashamed to have the demeanour, and not the style of speech ; ashamed to have the style of speech, and not the virtues ; ashamed to have the virtues, and not the conduct proper to them. Thus it is that when the superior man has on his sackcloth and other mourning, his countenance wears an air of sorrow; when he wears the square-cut dress and square-topped cap, his countenance wears an air of respect; and when he wears his mail-coat and helmet, his countenance says that he is not to be meddled with. It is said in the Book of Poetry (I, xiv, ode 2, 2),

“Like pelicans, upon the dam

Which stand, and there their pouches cram,
Unwet the while their wings,
Are those who their rich dress display,
But no befitting service pay,
Intent on meanest things!.”’

It is said in the Book of Poetry (I, xiv, ode 2, 2),

“Like pelicans, upon the dam

Which stand, and there their pouches cram,
Unwet the while their wings,
Are those who their rich dress display,
But no befitting service pay,
Intent on meanest things!.”’

1 With this paragraph ends the 3rd section of the Book. ‘It speaks,’ say the Khien-lung editors, ‘of the perfect humanity, showing that to rest naturally in this is very difficult, yet it is possible by self-government to advance from the practice of it, with a view to one’s advantage, to that natural resting in it; and by means of instruction to advance from the practice of it by constraint to the doing so for its advantages.’

[28] zZ

338 — THE Lf xi. BK. XXIX~-

24. These were the words of the Master :—‘ What the superior man calls righteousness is, that noble and mean all have the services which they discharge throughout the kingdom. The son of Heaven himself ploughs the ground for the rice with which to fill the vessels, and the black millet from which to distil the spirit to be mixed with fragrant herbs, for the services of God, and in the same way the feudal lords are diligent in discharging their services to the son of Heaven.’

25. The Master said, ‘In serving (the ruler) his superior, (an officer) from his position has great opportunity to protect the people; but when he does not allow himself to have any thought of acting as the ruler of them, this shows a high degree of humanity. Therefore, the superior man is courteous and economical, seeking to exercise his benevolence, and sincere and humble in order to practise his sense of propriety. He does not himself set a high value on his services; he-does not himself assert the honour due to his person. He is not ambitious of (high) position, and is very moderate in his desires. He gives place willingly to men of ability and virtue. He abases himself and gives honour to others. He is careful and in fear of doing what is not right. His desire in all this is to serve his ruler. If he succeed in doing so (and obtaining his ruler’s approbation), he feels that he has done right; if he do not so succeed, he still feels that he has done right :—prepared to accept the will of Heaven concerning himself. It is said in the Book of Poetry (III, i, ode 5, 6),

“How the creepers close twine
Round the branches and stems!

BK. XXIX. pido xt. 339

Self-possession and ease

Robed our prince as with gems.
Happiness increased unsought,
Nor by crooked ways was bought.”

Might not this have been said of Shun, Yii, king Wan, or the duke of Au, who had the great virtues (necessary) to govern the people, and yet were (only) careful to serve their rulers? It is said again in the same Book of Poetry (III, i, ode 2, 3),

“This our king W4n in all his way
Did watchful reverence display,

With clearest wisdom serving God,
Who, pleased to see the course he trod,
Him with great favour crowned.

His virtue no deflection knew,

But always to the right was true.

His virtue no deflection knew,

But always to the right was true.

The states beheld, and all approved.

With loyal ardour stirred and moved,
Wan as their head they owned.”’

26. The Master said, ‘ The practice of the ancient kings in conferring honorary posthumous names was to do honour to the fame (of the individuals); but they limited themselves to one excellence (in the character) ;—they would have been ashamed if the name had been beyond the actions (of the life). In accordance with this the superior man does not himself magnify his doings, nor himself exalt his merit, seeking to be within the truth; actions of an extraordinary character he does not aim at, but seeks to occupy himself only with what is substantial and good. He displays prominently the good qualities of others, and celebrates their merits, seeking to place himself below them in the scale of worth. There-

Z2

340 THE Li xi, BK. XXIX.

fore, although the superior man abases himself, yet the people respect and honour him.’

27. The Master said, ‘The meritorious services of Hau At were the greatest of all under Heaven; could his hands and feet be described as those of an ordinary man? But all which he desired was that his doings should be superior to his name, and therefore he said of himself that he was simply “a man useful to others }.”’

28. These were the words of the Master:— ‘ Difficult is it to attain to what is called the perfect humanity of the superior man! It is said in the Book of Poetry %,

“The happy and courteous prince Is the father and mother of his people.” Happy, he (yet) vigorously teaches them; courteous, he makes them pleased and restful. With all their happiness, there is no wild extravagance; with all their observance of ceremonial usages, there is the feeling of affection. Notwithstanding his awing gravity, they are restful; notwithstanding his sonlike gentleness, they are respectful. Thus he causes

1 With this ends the 4th section of the Book, ‘ On the service of his ruler by an inferior, showing the righteousness between them, and how that righteousness completes the humanity.’

2 The ode here quoted from can hardly be any other than III, ii, 7. The first character in the former of the two lines in that ode, however, is only the phonetic part of that in the text here, and the meaning of ‘force or vigour’ which the writer employs seems incongruous with that belonging to it in the Shih, where it occurs several times, in combination with the character that follows it, used as a binomial adjective. I need not say more on the difficulty. The meaning of the paragraph as a whole is plain: —‘ The superior man,’ the competent ruler, must possess, blended together, the strength of the father and the gentleness of the mother.

BK, XXIX. PrAo xi. 341