Confucius citations

Page 8

“L’honnête homme envisage les choses du point de vue de la justice; l'homme vulgaire, du point de vue de son intérêt.”

“Qui est encore détesté à l'age de quarante ans, le restera pour toujours.”

“Si seulement il se trouvait un souverain pour m'employer, en un an je mettrais les choses en route, et trois ans après, on aurait des résultats.”

“Il est droit : tout marche sans qu'il doive rien commander. Il n'est pas droit : il a beau commander, nul ne le sait.”

“Fermeté, décision, simplicité et réflexion sont proches de la vertu suprême.”

“L'honnête homme souffre de son incompétence.”

“Du vivant de son père, observez les intentions d'un homme. Après la mort de son père, observez son comportement : si, pendant trois ans, il ne s'écarte pas de la voie que lui a tracée son père, on peut dire que c'est un bon fils.”

“Deux hommes qui suivent des voies différentes ne peuvent se rencontrer.”

“Un homme survit grâce à son honnêteté; les malhonnêtes gens ne doivent leur survie qu'à la chance.”

“L'homme supérieur est vertueux, l'homme inférieur n'a conscience que de l'avantage.”

“On peut obliger le peuple à obéir. On ne peut pas le forcer à comprendre.”

“Se regarder scrupuleusement soi-même, ne regarder que discrètement les autres.”

“Si vos parents tombent dans une faute, avertissez-les avec grande douceur. Si vous les voyez déterminés à ne pas suivre vos avis, redoublez vos témoignages de respect, sans vous opposer. Quand même ils vous maltraiteraient, n’en ayez aucun ressentiment.”

“Avant d'ouvrir la bouche, assure-toi que ce que tu vas dire est plus beau que le silence.”

“Exige beaucoup de toi-même et attend peu des autres.
Beaucoup d'ennuis te seront épargnés.”

“Une politesse qui n'est pas tempérée par le rituel est fastidieuse.”

“Étudier sans réfléchir est vain, mais réfléchir sans apprendre est dangereux.”

“Confucius avoue […] sans ambages qu'il n'est pas fait pour supporter les mœurs de la cour, où les grands cultivent tour à tour attitude hautaine et génuflexions serviles pour obtenir faveurs et promotions. Il va jusqu'à dire que, en temps de troubles et de décadence, le mieux est de fuir son époque ou de partir pour un autre pays, et loue encore ceux qui ont su prendre congé à cause d'un simple regard ou pour un simple mot.”

“S'il existait une méthode honnête pour devenir riche, au besoin je me ferais bien palefrenier. Mais comme pareille méthode n'existe pas, autant suivre mes propres inclinaisons.”

“Souciez-vous d'être digne d'un emploi et cherchez à faire quelque chose de remarquable.”

“Je n'ai jamais vu quelqu'un qui aimât la vertu autant que le sexe.”

“Rendez la justice pour le mal, et le bien pour le bien.”

“Tout le plaisir d'un roi, c'est de n'être jamais contredit.”

“Pour un pauvre, il est difficile d'être sans amertume. Pour un riche, il est facile d'être sans arrogance.”

“Celui qui sait et sait qu'il sait est un sage - suivez-le ;
Celui qui ne sait pas et ne sait pas qu'il ne sait pas est un fou - fuyez-le.”

“The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration.”

“Be loyal and trustworthy. Do not befriend anyone who is lower than yourself in this regard. When making a mistake, do not be afraid to correct it.”

“To throw oneself into strange teachings is quite dangerous.”

“Perfect is the virtue which is according to the Mean! Rare have they long been among the people, who could practice it!”

“To no one but the Son of Heaven does it belong to order ceremonies, to fix the measures, and to determine the written characters.”

“A young man should serve his parents at home and be respectful to elders outside his home. He should be earnest and truthful, loving all, but become intimate with humaneness. After doing this, if he has energy to spare, he can study literature and the arts.”

“A man living without conflicts, as if he never lives at all.”

“They who know the truth are not equal to those who love it, and they who love it are not equal to those who delight in it.”

“The way of Heaven and Earth may be completely declared in one sentence: They are without any doubleness, and so they produce things in a manner that is unfathomable.”

“The superior man governs men, according to their nature, with what is proper to them, and as soon as they change what is wrong, he stops.”

“The way of the superior man may be compared to what takes place in traveling, when to go to a distance we must first traverse the space that is near, and in ascending a height, when we must begin from the lower ground.”

“The superior man accords with the course of the Mean. Though he may be all unknown, unregarded by the world, he feels no regret — It is only the sage who is able for this.”

“There is nothing more visible than what is secret, and nothing more manifest than what is minute. Therefore the superior man is watchful over himself, when he is alone.”

“When the Superior Man (Junzi) eats he does not try to stuff himself; at rest he does not seek perfect comfort; he is diligent in his work and careful in speech. He avails himself to people of the Tao and thereby corrects himself. This is the kind of person of whom you can say, "he loves learning."”

“The Superior Man has nothing to compete for. But if he must compete, he does it in an archery match, wherein he ascends to his position, bowing in deference. Descending, he drinks (or has [the winner] drink) the ritual cup.”

“When your father is alive, observe his will. When your father is dead observe his former actions. If, for three years [after the death of your father] you do not change from the ways of your father, you can be called a 'real son (xiào/hsiao).”

“By the ruler's cultivation of his own character, the duties of universal obligation are set forth. By honoring men of virtue and talents, he is preserved from errors of judgment.”

“Chi Wan thought thrice, and then acted. When the Master was informed of it, he said, "Twice may do."”

“Guide the people by law, subdue them by punishment; they may shun crime, but will be void of shame. Guide them by example, subdue them by courtesy; they will learn shame, and come to be good.”

“I know how it is that the path of the Mean is not walked in — The knowing go beyond it, and the stupid do not come up to it. I know how it is that the path of the Mean is not understood — The men of talents and virtue go beyond it, and the worthless do not come up to it.”

“The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.”

“The administration of government lies in getting proper men. Such men are to be got by means of the ruler's own character. That character is to be cultivated by his treading in the ways of duty. And the treading those ways of duty is to be cultivated by the cherishing of benevolence.”

“He that in his Studies wholly applies himself to Labour and Exercise, and neglects Meditation, loses his time: And he that only applies himself to Meditation, and neglects Labour and Exercise, does only wander and lose himself.”

“It is characteristic of the most entire sincerity to be able to foreknow. When a nation or family is about to flourish, there are sure to be happy omens; and when it is about to perish, there are sure to be unlucky omens.”

“The silent treasuring up of knowledge; learning without satiety; and instructing others without being wearied: which one of these things belongs to me?”

“Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is effected, and its way is that by which man must direct himself.”

“Benevolence is the characteristic element of humanity.”

“When we have intelligence resulting from sincerity, this condition is to be ascribed to nature; when we have sincerity resulting from intelligence, this condition is to be ascribed to instruction. But given the sincerity, and there shall be the intelligence; given the intelligence, and there shall be the sincerity.”

“When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.”