The Master: I will not be grieved that other men do not know me: I will be grieved that I do not know other men.
At fifteen, my mind was bent on learning. At thirty, I stood firm. At forty, I was free from delusions. At fifty, I understood the laws of Providence. At sixty, my ears were attentive to the truth. At seventy, I could follow the promptings of my heart without overstepping the mean.
Tzǔ Kung was for doing away with the customary sacrifice of a sheep on the first day of the month. The Master said: Ah, Tz'ǔ, you grudge the loss of a sheep, but I grudge the loss of a ceremony.
The Master said: In any hamlet of a dozen houses you will surely find men as honest and conscientious as myself, though they may not be so devoted to ethical study.
The Master having gone to visit Nan Tzǔ,[1]
- ↑ The wife of the Duke of Wei, notorious for her intrigues, and even accused of incest. Needless to say, Chinese commentators are at great pains to explain away this incident in the life of the sage.
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