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學 Learning & Self-Cultivation

Study as a way of life — and the humility to know what you do not know.

97 sayings touch this thread

  1. I.1The Master said, ‘Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? ‘Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant…The Master
  2. I.4The philosopher Tsang said, ‘I daily examine myself on three points:— whether, in transacting business for others, I may have been not faithful;— whether, in…The philosopher Tsang
  3. I.7Tsze-hsia said, ‘If a man withdraws his mind from the love of beauty, and applies it as sincerely to the love of the virtuous; if, in serving his parents, he…Tsze-hsia
  4. I.8The Master said, ‘If the scholar be not grave, he will not call forth any veneration, and his learning will not be solid. ‘Hold faithfulness and sincerity as…The Master
  5. I.10Tsze-ch’in asked Tsze-kung, saying, ‘When our master comes to any country, he does not fail to learn all about its government. Does he ask his information? or…Tsze-kung
  6. I.14The Master said, ‘He who aims to be a man of complete virtue in his food does not seek to gratify his appetite, nor in his dwelling place does he seek the…The Master
  7. II.2The Master said, ‘In the Book of Poetry are three hundred pieces, but the design of them all may be embraced in one sentence— “Having no depraved thoughts.”’The Master
  8. II.4The Master said, ‘At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. ‘At thirty, I stood firm. ‘At forty, I had no doubts. ‘At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven.…The Master
  9. II.9The Master said, ‘I have talked with Hui for a whole day, and he has not made any objection to anything I said;— as if he were stupid. He has retired, and I…The Master
  10. II.11The Master said, ‘If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others.’The Master
  11. II.12The Master said, ‘The accomplished scholar is not a utensil.’The Master
  12. II.15The Master said, ‘Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous.’The Master
  13. II.16The Master said, ‘The study of strange doctrines is injurious indeed!’The Master
  14. II.17The Master said, ‘Yu, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you…The Master
  15. II.18Tsze-chang was learning with a view to official emolument. The Master said, ‘Hear much and put aside the points of which you stand in doubt, while you speak…The Master
  16. II.20Chi K’ang asked how to cause the people to reverence their ruler, to be faithful to him, and to go on to nerve themselves to virtue. The Master said, ‘Let him…The Master
  17. III.23The Master instructing the grand music-master of Lu said, ‘How to play music may be known. At the commencement of the piece, all the parts should sound…
  18. IV.9The Master said, ‘A scholar, whose mind is set on truth, and who is ashamed of bad clothes and bad food, is not fit to be discoursed with.’The Master
  19. V.9Tsai Yu being asleep during the daytime, the Master said, ‘Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not receive the trowel. This Yu!— what is…The Master
  20. V.14Tsze-kung asked, saying, ‘On what ground did Kung-wan get that title of Wan?’ The Master said, ‘He was of an active nature and yet fond of learning, and he was…The Master
  21. V.19Chi Wan thought thrice, and then acted. When the Master was informed of it, he said, ‘Twice may do.’
  22. V.27The Master said, ‘In a hamlet of ten families, there may be found one honourable and sincere as I am, but not so fond of learning.’The Master
  23. VI.2The Duke Ai asked which of the disciples loved to learn. Confucius replied to him, ‘There was Yen Hui; HE loved to learn. He did not transfer his anger; he did…The Master
  24. VI.11The Master said to Tsze-hsia, ‘Do you be a scholar after the style of the superior man, and not after that of the mean man.’The Master
  25. VI.25The Master said, ‘The superior man, extensively studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, may thus likewise not…The Master
  26. VII.2The Master said, ‘The silent treasuring up of knowledge; learning without satiety; and instructing others without being wearied:— which one of these things…The Master
  27. VII.3The Master said, ‘The leaving virtue without proper cultivation; the not thoroughly discussing what is learned; not being able to move towards righteousness of…The Master
  28. VII.7The Master said, ‘From the man bringing his bundle of dried flesh for my teaching upwards, I have never refused instruction to any one.’The Master
  29. VII.8The Master said, ‘I do not open up the truth to one who is not eager to get knowledge, nor help out any one who is not anxious to explain himself. When I have…The Master
  30. VII.16The Master said, ‘If some years were added to my life, I would give fifty to the study of the Yi, and then I might come to be without great faults.’The Master
  31. VII.18The Duke of Sheh asked Tsze-lu about Confucius, and Tsze-lu did not answer him. The Master said, ‘Why did you not say to him,— He is simply a man, who in his…The Master
  32. VII.19The Master said, ‘I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there.’The Master
  33. VII.21The Master said, ‘When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their good qualities and follow them, their bad qualities…The Master
  34. VII.24There were four things which the Master taught,— letters, ethics, devotion of soul, and truthfulness.
  35. VII.27The Master said, ‘There may be those who act without knowing why. I do not do so. Hearing much and selecting what is good and following it; seeing much and…The Master
  36. VII.33The Master said, ‘The sage and the man of perfect virtue;— how dare I rank myself with them? It may simply be said of me, that I strive to become such without…The Master
  37. VIII.12The Master said, ‘It is not easy to find a man who has learned for three years without coming to be good.’The Master
  38. VIII.13The Master said, ‘With sincere faith he unites the love of learning; holding firm to death, he is perfecting the excellence of his course. ‘Such an one will…The Master
  39. VIII.17The Master said, ‘Learn as if you could not reach your object, and were always fearing also lest you should lose it.’The Master
  40. IX.2A man of the village of Ta-hsiang said, ‘Great indeed is the philosopher K’ung! His learning is extensive, and yet he does not render his name famous by any…
  41. IX.7The Master said, ‘Am I indeed possessed of knowledge? I am not knowing. But if a mean person, who appears quite empty-like, ask anything of me, I set it forth…The Master
  42. IX.10Yen Yuan, in admiration of the Master’s doctrines, sighed and said, ‘I looked up to them, and they seemed to become more high; I tried to penetrate them, and…
  43. IX.18The Master said, ‘The prosecution of learning may be compared to what may happen in raising a mound. If there want but one basket of earth to complete the…The Master
  44. IX.31The Master said, ‘There are some with whom we may study in common, but we shall find them unable to go along with us to principles. Perhaps we may go on with…The Master
  45. IX.32How the flowers of the aspen-plum flutter and turn! Do I not think of you? But your house is distant. The Master said, ‘It is the want of thought about it. How…The Master
  46. X.7When fasting, he thought it necessary to have his clothes brightly clean and made of linen cloth. When fasting, he thought it necessary to change his food, and…
  47. XI.6Chi K’ang asked which of the disciples loved to learn. Confucius replied to him, ‘There was Yen Hui; he loved to learn. Unfortunately his appointed time was…The Master
  48. XI.22The Master was put in fear in K’wang and Yen Yuan fell behind. The Master, on his rejoining him, said, ‘I thought you had died.’ Hui replied, ‘While you were…Yen Hui
  49. XI.23Chi Tsze-zan asked whether Chung Yu and Zan Ch’iu could be called great ministers. The Master said, ‘I thought you would ask about some extraordinary…The Master
  50. XI.24Tsze-lu got Tsze-kao appointed governor of Pi. The Master said, ‘You are injuring a man’s son.’ Tsze-lu said, ‘There are (there) common people and officers;…The Master
  51. XI.25Tsze-lu, Tsang Hsi, Zan Yu, and Kung-hsi Hwa were sitting by the Master. He said to them, ‘Though I am a day or so older than you, do not think of that. ‘From…The Master
  52. XII.15The Master said, ‘By extensively studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, one may thus likewise not err from…The Master
  53. XII.22Fan Ch’ih asked about benevolence. The Master said, ‘It is to love all men.’ He asked about knowledge. The Master said, ‘It is to know all men.’ Fan Ch’ih did…The Master
  54. XIII.1Tsze-lu asked about government. The Master said, ‘Go before the people with your example, and be laborious in their affairs.’ He requested further instruction,…The Master
  55. XIII.4Fan Ch’ih requested to be taught husbandry. The Master said, ‘I am not so good for that as an old husbandman.’ He requested also to be taught gardening, and…The Master
  56. XIII.5The Master said, ‘Though a man may be able to recite the three hundred odes, yet if, when intrusted with a governmental charge, he knows not how to act, or if,…The Master
  57. XIII.9When the Master went to Wei, Zan Yu acted as driver of his carriage. The Master observed, ‘How numerous are the people!’ Yu said, ‘Since they are thus…The Master
  58. XIII.21The Master said, ‘Since I cannot get men pursuing the due medium, to whom I might communicate my instructions, I must find the ardent and the…The Master
  59. XIII.28Tsze-lu asked, saying, ‘What qualities must a man possess to entitle him to be called a scholar?’ The Master said, ‘He must be thus,— earnest, urgent, and…The Master
  60. XIII.29The Master said, ‘Let a good man teach the people seven years, and they may then likewise be employed in war.’The Master
  61. XIII.30The Master said, ‘To lead an uninstructed people to war, is to throw them away.’The Master
  62. XIV.3The Master said, ‘The scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.’The Master
  63. XIV.8The Master said, ‘Can there be love which does not lead to strictness with its object? Can there be loyalty which does not lead to the instruction of its…The Master
  64. XIV.13Tsze-lu asked what constituted a COMPLETE man. The Master said, ‘Suppose a man with the knowledge of Tsang Wu-chung, the freedom from covetousness of…The Master
  65. XIV.25The Master said, ‘In ancient times, men learned with a view to their own improvement. Now-a-days, men learn with a view to the approbation of others.’The Master
  66. XIV.28The philosopher Tsang said, ‘The superior man, in his thoughts, does not go out of his place.’The philosopher Tsang
  67. XIV.43Tsze-chang said, ‘What is meant when the Shu says that Kao-tsung, while observing the usual imperial mourning, was for three years without speaking?’ The…The Master
  68. XIV.47A youth of the village of Ch’ueh was employed by Confucius to carry the messages between him and his visitors. Some one asked about him, saying, ‘I suppose he…The Master
  69. XV.1The Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about tactics. Confucius replied, ‘I have heard all about sacrificial vessels, but I have not learned military matters.’…The Master
  70. XV.2The Master said, ‘Ts’ze, you think, I suppose, that I am one who learns many things and keeps them in memory?’ Tsze-kung replied, ‘Yes,— but perhaps it is not…The Master
  71. XV.8The Master said, ‘The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice their…The Master
  72. XV.9Tsze-kung asked about the practice of virtue. The Master said, ‘The mechanic, who wishes to do his work well, must first sharpen his tools. When you are living…The Master
  73. XV.11The Master said, ‘If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.’The Master
  74. XV.19The Master said, ‘The superior man dislikes the thought of his name not being mentioned after his death.’The Master
  75. XV.30The Master said, ‘I have been the whole day without eating, and the whole night without sleeping:— occupied with thinking. It was of no use. The better plan is…The Master
  76. XV.31The Master said, ‘The object of the superior man is truth. Food is not his object. There is plowing;— even in that there is sometimes want. So with learning;—…The Master
  77. XV.32The Master said, ‘When a man’s knowledge is sufficient to attain, and his virtue is not sufficient to enable him to hold, whatever he may have gained, he will…The Master
  78. XV.35The Master said, ‘Let every man consider virtue as what devolves on himself. He may not yield the performance of it even to his teacher.’The Master
  79. XV.38The Master said, ‘In teaching there should be no distinction of classes.’The Master
  80. XVI.5Confucius said, ‘There are three things men find enjoyment in which are advantageous, and three things they find enjoyment in which are injurious. To find…The Master
  81. XVI.9Confucius said, ‘Those who are born with the possession of knowledge are the highest class of men. Those who learn, and so, readily, get possession of…The Master
  82. XVI.10Confucius said, ‘The superior man has nine things which are subjects with him of thoughtful consideration. In regard to the use of his eyes, he is anxious to…The Master
  83. XVI.11Confucius said, ‘Contemplating good, and pursuing it, as if they could not reach it; contemplating evil, and shrinking from it, as they would from thrusting…The Master
  84. XVI.13Ch’an K’ang asked Po-yu, saying, ‘Have you heard any lessons from your father different from what we have all heard?’ Po-yu replied, ‘No. He was standing alone…
  85. XVII.4The Master, having come to Wu-ch’ang, heard there the sound of stringed instruments and singing. Well pleased and smiling, he said, ‘Why use an ox knife to…The Master
  86. XVII.8The Master said, ‘Yu, have you heard the six words to which are attached six becloudings?’ Yu replied, ‘I have not.’ ‘Sit down, and I will tell them to you.…The Master
  87. XVII.9The Master said, ‘My children, why do you not study the Book of Poetry? ‘The Odes serve to stimulate the mind. ‘They may be used for purposes of…The Master
  88. XVII.24Tsze-kung said, ‘Has the superior man his hatreds also?’ The Master said, ‘He has his hatreds. He hates those who proclaim the evil of others. He hates the man…The Master
  89. XIX.1Tsze-chang said, ‘The scholar, trained for public duty, seeing threatening danger, is prepared to sacrifice his life. When the opportunity of gain is presented…Tsze-chang
  90. XIX.3The disciples of Tsze-hsia asked Tsze-chang about the principles that should characterize mutual intercourse. Tsze- chang asked, ‘What does Tsze-hsia say on…Tsze-chang
  91. XIX.5Tsze-hsia said, ‘He, who from day to day recognises what he has not yet, and from month to month does not forget what he has attained to, may be said indeed to…Tsze-hsia
  92. XIX.6Tsze-hsia said, ‘There are learning extensively, and having a firm and sincere aim; inquiring with earnestness, and reflecting with self-application:— virtue…Tsze-hsia
  93. XIX.7Tsze-hsia said, ‘Mechanics have their shops to dwell in, in order to accomplish their works. The superior man learns, in order to reach to the utmost of his…Tsze-hsia
  94. XIX.12Tsze-yu said, ‘The disciples and followers of Tsze-hsia, in sprinkling and sweeping the ground, in answering and replying, in advancing and receding, are…Tsze-yu
  95. XIX.13Tsze-hsia said, ‘The officer, having discharged all his duties, should devote his leisure to learning. The student, having completed his learning, should apply…Tsze-hsia
  96. XIX.22Kung-sun Ch’ao of Wei asked Tsze-kung, saying, ‘From whom did Chung-ni get his learning?’ Tsze-kung replied, ‘The doctrines of Wan and Wu have not yet fallen…Tsze-kung
  97. XX.2Tsze-chang asked Confucius, saying, ‘In what way should a person in authority act in order that he may conduct government properly?’ The Master replied, ‘Let…The Master