Chapter 2 of the Analects of Confucius

子zǐ曰yuē：为wéi政zhèng以yǐ德dé，譬pì如rú北běi辰chén，居jū其qí所suǒ，而ér众zhòng星xīng共gòng之zhī。

II.1. The Master said:
— He who rules by virtue may be compared to the pole-star which remains fixed while all other stars revolve around it.

子zǐ曰yuē：诗shī三sān百bǎi篇piān，一yī言yán以yǐ蔽bì之zhī，曰yuē：“思sī无wú邪xié.”

II.2. The Master said:
— The odes of the Book of Poetry are three hundred. One word sums them up: "Sincerity."

子zǐ曰yuē：导dǎo之zhī以yǐ政zhèng，齐qí之zhī以yǐ德dé，民mín免miǎn而ér无wú耻chǐ。导dǎo之zhī以yǐ德dé，齐qí之zhī以yǐ礼lǐ，有yǒu耻chǐ且qiě格gé。

II.3. The Master said:
— If a ruler guides the people by laws and keeps them in line with punishments, the people will refrain from evil, but will have no sense of shame. If he guides them by virtue and keeps them in line with rites, the people will have a sense of shame and become good.

子zǐ曰yuē：吾wú十shí有yǒu五wǔ而ér志zhì于yú学xué，三sān十shí而ér立lì，四sì十shí而ér不bù惑huò，五wǔ十shí而ér知zhī天tiān命mìng，六liù十shí而ér耳ěr顺shùn，七qī十shí而ér从cóng心xīn所suǒ欲yù不bù逾yú矩jǔ。

II.4. The Master said:
— At fifteen, my mind was set on learning; at thirty, I stood firm; at forty, I had no doubts; at fifty, I understood the mandate of Heaven; at sixty, my ear was obedient; at seventy, I could follow my heart’s desire without transgressing moral principles.

孟mèng懿yì子zǐ问wèn孝xiào。子zǐ曰yuē：“无wú违wéi。”樊fán迟chí御yù，子zǐ告gào之zhī曰yuē：“孟mèng孙sūn问wèn孝xiào于yú我wǒ，我wǒ对duì曰yuē无wú违wéi。”樊fán迟chí曰yuē：“何hé谓wèi也yě？”子zǐ曰yuē：“生shēng，，事shì之zhī以yǐ礼lǐ，死sǐ，葬zàng之zhī以yǐ礼lǐ，祭jì之zhī以yǐ礼lǐ。”

II.5. Meng Yizi asked about filial piety. The Master replied:
— It consists in observing the rites.
Later, as Fan Chi was driving the carriage for Confucius, the Master said to him:
— Meng Sun asked me about filial piety; I replied that it consists in observing the rites.
Fan Chi said:
— What does that mean?
Confucius replied:
— While they are living, a son should serve his parents according to the rites; when they are dead, he should bury them and sacrifice to them according to the rites.

孟mèng武wǔ伯bó问wèn孝xiào。子zǐ曰yuē：“父fù母mǔ，唯wéi其qí疾jí之zhī忧yōu。”

II.6. Meng Wubo asked the Master about filial piety. The Master replied:
— Parents only worry that their son might be ill.

Notes:

A good son shares this concern of his parents, and conforms to their feelings. He neglects nothing that is necessary for his own preservation.

子zǐ游yóu问wèn孝xiào。子zǐ曰yuē：“今jīn之zhī孝xiào者zhě，是shì谓wèi能néng养yǎng，至zhì于yú犬quǎn马mǎ，皆jiē能néng有yǒu养yǎng，不bù敬jìng，何hé以yǐ别bié乎hū？”

II.7. Ziyou asked Confucius about filial piety. The Master replied:
— Current filial piety is merely nourishing one's parents. But even dogs and horses are nourished by men. If there is no respect, what is the difference between this and nourishing animals?

子zǐ夏xià问wèn孝xiào。子zǐ曰yuē：“色sè难nán。有yǒu事shì，弟dì子zǐ服fú其qí劳láo，有yǒu酒jiǔ食shí，先xiān生shēng馔zhuàn，曾céng是shì以yǐ为wéi孝xiào乎hū?”

II.8. Zixia asked about filial piety. The Master replied:
— It is difficult to deceive with pretended filial piety. When parents or elder brothers have business, if the younger brothers assist them; when the younger have wine and food, if they share it with their elders, is this sufficient to be called filial piety?

子zǐ曰yuē：吾wú与yú回huí言yán终zhōng日rì，不bù违wéi如rú愚yú，退tuì而ér省xǐng其qí私sī，亦yì足zú以yǐ发fā。回huí也yě不bù愚yú。

II.9. The Master said:
— Hui listens to my explanations all day without objecting or questioning, as if he had no understanding. But when he withdraws, I examine his private conduct, and see that my teachings shine forth. Hui is not without understanding.

子zǐ曰yuē：视shì其qí所suǒ以yǐ，观guān其qí所suǒ由yóu，察chá其qí所suǒ安ān，人rén焉yān叟sǒu哉zāi！人rén焉yān叟sǒu哉zāi！

II.10. The Master said:
— If you examine a person's conduct, observe his motives, and see what gives him joy, can he hide what he really is?

子zǐ曰yuē：温wēn故gù而ér知zhī新xīn，可kě以yǐ为wéi师shī矣yǐ。

II.11. The Master said:
— One who reviews what he already knows and, through this, gains new insights, may soon be able to teach others.

子zǐ曰yuē：君jūn子zǐ不bù器qì。

II.12. The Master said:
— The sage is not like a vessel or an instrument.

子zǐ贡gòng问wèn君jūn子zǐ。子zǐ曰yuē：“先xiān行xíng其qí言yán而ér后hòu从cóng之zhī。”

II.13. Zigong asked what a sage should do. The Master replied:
— The sage practices himself what he wishes to teach others; then he teaches.

子zǐ曰yuē：君jūn子zǐ周zhōu而ér不bù比bǐ，小xiǎo人rén比bǐ而ér不bù周zhōu。

II.14. The Master said:
— The sage loves all men and sets no partiality. The common man is partial and loves not all men.

子zǐ曰yuē：学xué而ér不bù思sī则zé罔wǎng，思sī而ér不bù学xué则zé殆dài。

II.15. The Master said:
— To hear or read without reflection is vain; to reflect without books or teachers is dangerous.

子zǐ曰yuē：攻gōng乎hū异yì端duān，斯sī害hài也yě已yǐ。

II.16. The Master said:
— Studying conflicting doctrines is harmful.

子zǐ曰yuē：由yóu，诲huì汝rǔ知zhī之zhī乎hū！知zhī之zhī为wéi知zhī之zhī，不bù知zhī为wéi不bù知zhī，是shì知zhī也yě。

II.17. The Master said:
— You, do you want me to teach you the way to true knowledge? When you know something, to know that you know; when you don't know, to know that you don't know: that is true knowledge.

子zǐ张zhāng学xué干gān禄lù。子zǐ曰yuē：“多duō闻wén阙quē疑yí，慎shèn言yán其qí余yú，则zé寡guǎ尤yóu。多duō见jiàn阙quē殆dài，慎shèn行xíng其qí余yú，则zé寡guǎ悔huǐ。言yán寡guǎ尤yóu，行xíng寡guǎ悔huǐ，禄lù在zài其qí中zhōng矣yǐ。”

II.18. Zizhang was studying to obtain a position with a salary. The Master said to him:
— After hearing much, put aside what is doubtful; speak cautiously of the rest, and you will make few mistakes. After seeing much, put aside what is dangerous; act cautiously on the rest, and you will have few regrets. If your words are few and your actions few, then the salary will come by itself.

哀āi公gōng问wèn曰yuē：“何hé为wéi则zé民mín服fú？”孔kǒng子zǐ对duì曰yuē：“举jǔ直zhí错cuò诸zhū枉wǎng，则zé民mín服fú；举jǔ枉wǎng错cuò诸zhū直zhí，则zé民mín不bù服fú。”

II.19. Ai, duke of Lu, said to Confucius:
— What should a ruler do to make the people content?
The philosopher replied:
— If a ruler promotes the virtuous and dismisses the wicked, the people will be pleased; if he promotes the wicked and dismisses the virtuous, the people will be discontented.

季jì康kāng子zǐ问wèn：“使shǐ民mín敬jìng忠zhōng以yǐ劝quàn，如rú之zhī何hé？”子zǐ曰yuē：“临lín之zhī以yǐ庄zhuāng则zé敬jìng，孝xiào慈cí则zé忠zhōng，举jǔ善shàn而ér教jiào不bù能néng则zé劝quàn。”

II.20. Ji Kangzi asked:
— What should be done to make the people respect their ruler, be loyal, and cultivate virtue?
The Master replied:
— If the ruler maintains a dignified bearing in public, he will be respected; if he honors his parents and is kind to the people, they will be loyal; if he promotes the good and teaches those whose virtue is yet weak, he will encourage the people to cultivate virtue.

或huò谓wèi孔kǒng子zǐ曰yuē：“子zǐ奚xī不bù为wéi政zhèng？”子zǐ曰yuē：“书shū云yún：孝xiào乎hū！惟wéi孝xiào友yǒu于yú兄xiōng弟dì，施shī于yú有yǒu政zhèng。是shì亦yì为wéi政zhèng。奚xī其qí为wéi为wéi政zhèng！”

II.21. Someone said to Confucius:
— Master, why do you not take part in government?
The philosopher replied:
— Do not the Annals say, speaking of filial piety: "Reverent to your parents and kind to your brothers, you will practice these virtues throughout your life"? To rule by virtue in your family is also to govern. Is holding office the only way to take part in government?

子zǐ曰yuē：人rén而ér无wú信xìn，不bù知zhī其qí可kě也yě。大dà车chē无wú倪ní，小xiǎo车chē无wú杌wù，其qí何hé以yǐ行xíng之zhī哉zāi！

II.22. The Master said:
— I do not know what use a man of no integrity can be. How can a large cart be used without the crossbar for oxen, or a small cart without the crossbar for horses?

子zǐ张zhāng问wèn：“十shí世shì可kě知zhī也yě？”子zǐ曰yuē：“殷yīn因yīn与yú夏xià礼lǐ，所suǒ损sǔn益yì，可kě知zhī也yě。周zhōu因yīn于yú殷yīn礼lǐ，所suǒ损sǔn益yì，可kě知zhī也yě。其qí或huò继jì周zhōu者zhě，虽suī百bǎi世shì，可kě知zhī也yě。”

II.23. Zizhang asked whether it was possible to know in advance what the rulers of the next ten dynasties would do. The Master replied:
— The Yin dynasty followed the rites of the Xia; what it added or removed can be known from the records. The Zhou dynasty followed the rites of the Yin; what it added or removed is recorded. One can know in advance what future dynasties will do, even if they are a hundred.

子zǐ曰yuē：非fēi其qí鬼guǐ而ér祭jì之zhī，谄chǎn也yě。见jiàn义yì不bù为wéi，无wú勇yǒng也yě。

II.24. The Master said:
— He who offers sacrifices to a spirit to which he has no right is guilty of adulation. He who fails to do what he knows should be done is guilty of cowardice.