Book of Confucius Ideology Chapter 16
Passage Four Hundred and Twenty Five
季氏將伐顓臾。冉有、季路見於孔子曰：「季氏將有事於顓臾。」孔子曰：「求！無乃爾是過與？夫顓臾，昔者先王以為東蒙主，且在邦域之中矣，是社稷之臣也。何以伐為？」冉有曰：「夫子欲之，吾二臣者皆不欲也。」孔子曰：「求！周任有言曰：『陳力就列，不能者止。』危而不持，顛而不扶，則將焉用彼相矣？且爾言過矣。虎兕出於柙，龜玉毀於櫝中，是誰之過與？」冉有曰：「今夫顓臾，固而近於費。今不取，後世必為子孫憂。」孔子曰：「求！君子疾夫舍曰欲之，而必為之辭。丘也聞有國有家者，不患寡而患不均，不患貧而患不安。蓋均無貧，和無寡，安無傾。夫如是，故遠人不服，則修文德以來之。既來之，則安之。今由與求也，相夫子，遠人不服而不能來也；邦分崩離析而不能守也。而謀動干戈於邦內。吾恐季孫之憂，不在顓臾，而在蕭牆之內也。」
English Translation
The head of the Ji family plans to invade Jhuangyu. Ranyou and Zihlu went to meet Confucius: Ji plan to conduct the invasion.
Confucius said: Ranyou, should you be blamed for this? Jhangyu uses to be a part of Lu nation. So, why attack it?
Ranyou said: Ji want to do it, neither Zihlu nor I want to do it.
Confucius said: Ranyou, Zoren once said "Only become a Lord, if you are up to the job. If you are not up to the job, you should resign. If your employer is in trouble and is going to fall down. What use does he have, for people, who can't help him?" Plus, you have a flawed logic. If a tiger escaped from its cage or if a beautiful piece of jewellery is broken, who should you blame?
Zihyou said: Right now, Jhuangyu is very close to us and they are getting pretty powerful. If we don't finish them off now, it outa be a threat in the future.
Confucius said: Zihyou, a true gentleman hates those who won't be straight but choose to look for an excuse. I heard people say, whether it is a King or a Lord, he is not afraid of his country been poor. He is afraid of an increasing gap between rich and poor. He is not afraid of a lack of citizen, he is afraid of civil unrest. If the gap between rich and poor is smaller, mean there are no poor people. If the people unite as one, there will be no civil unrest, then there are no reason to fear, of been few in citizens. If there is no civil unrest, the people won't revolt. Therefore, if people from remote province want independents, then use the spirit of humane to attract them. Once they return, treat them well. Now, the two of you are in government, people from the distance province won't subject and want independent, the country is at the risk of falling into civil war. Now, you want to create a battlefield within the nation itself. I am worried, the nation's true problem, is not within the rebels, but within its government.
Passage Four Hundred and Twenty Six
孔子曰：「天下有道，則禮樂征伐自天子出；天下無道，則禮樂征伐自諸侯出。自諸侯出，蓋十世希不失矣；自大夫出，五世希不失矣；陪臣執國命，三世希不失矣。天下有道，則政不在大夫。天下有道，則庶人不議。」
English Translation
Confucius said: If the nation is just, then the ritual and military power, is within its federal government. When the country is in chaos, then, the ritual and military power comes from the Princes. When a nation is ruled by the warlords, frequently they lost power within ten generation. When it is ruled by the ministers, they usually lost power after five generations. If it is ruled by the minister's staff, it usually last for no more than three generations. If you don't want to be losing your power, then the government need to be just, and then the King would be in charge, rather than the Prime Minister, because if the country is just, the people would love their King.
Passage Four Hundred and Twenty Seven
孔子曰：「祿之去公室，五世矣；政逮於大夫，四世矣；故夫三桓之子孫，微矣。」
English Translation
Confucius said: The King has lost power for five generations. The Prime Minister held power for four generations. So the King's descendants have no real power.
Passage Four Hundred and Twenty Eight
孔子曰：「益者三友，損者三友。友直，友諒，友多聞，益矣。友便辟，友善柔，友便佞，損矣。」
English Translation
Confucius said: There are three types of friends, who are good friends and three types of friends who are bad friends. A just friend, a friend that is true to his word and friend that has much knowledge, are good friends. A friend who is a suck up, a friend who is a gangster and a rhetoric friend are bad friends.
Passage Four Hundred and Twenty Nine
孔子曰：「益者三樂，損者三樂。樂節禮樂，樂道人之善，樂多賢友，益矣。樂驕樂，樂佚遊，樂宴樂，損矣。」
English Translation
Confucius said: There are three sorts of good activities, use rituals to help improve your mood, to say a nice thing about people, make friend with good people. There are three sorts of bad behaviour, been a spoiled brat, like to waste your times, like to eat too much.
Passage Four Hundred and Thirty
孔子曰：「侍於君子有三愆：言未及之而言謂之躁，言及之而不言謂之隱，未見顏色而言謂之瞽。」
English Translation
Confucius said: There are three types of mistake a gentleman can make. Speak when he is not ready to speak, that is call, not patient. Not speaking when he is supposed to speak, that is call hiding the fact. Speak before understanding the situation that is stupid.
Passage Four Hundred and Thirty One
孔子曰：「君子有三戒：少之時，血氣未定，戒之在色；及其壯也，血氣方剛，戒之在鬭；及其老也，血氣既衰，戒之在得。」
English Translation
Confucius said: There are three still sorts of self-control a gentleman need to control. When you are still a teenager, where you are yet mature, you need to learn to control your lustful desire. During your adult year, you need to learn to control your male ego. During your old age, you need to learn to let go of your greed.
Passage Four Hundred and Thirty Two
孔子曰：「君子有三畏：畏天命，畏大人，畏聖人之言。小人不知天命而不畏也，狎大人，侮聖人之言。」
English Translation
Confucius said: A true gentleman is afraid of three things, the law of nature, great people, and the word of saints. A savage doesn't know to obey the law of nature, great people and would laugh at the word of saints.
Passage Four Hundred and Thirty Three
孔子曰：「生而知之者，上也；學而知之者，次也；困而學之，又其次也；困而不學，民斯為下矣。」
English Translation
The type of people who are born wise is the best. Those who become wise via learning are the second base. Those who know to learn when they encounter problem are the third base. Those who don't know they should learn, even after they encounter a problem is the worse.
Note: During dark and middle ages Europe, instead of seeking scientific and philosophical knowledge to resolve their problems. Educated who have discovery or theories that contradict the teaching of the church, because contradicting the church, Christian god, bible or the scripture of the religion, is the sin of blasphemy.
If the people of the west, didn't find the courage to committed the sin of blasphemy to the extent of allowing the pursued of scientific knowledge triumph over the church, the western world today, would still be dirty and backward region like it was during the dark and middle ages. And people would still be executed for committing the sin of blasphemy for spreading the truth that the earth is round, not flat, as the bible claim.
Passage Four Hundred and Thirty Four
孔子曰：「君子有九思：視思明，聽思聰，色思溫，貌思恭，言思忠，事思敬，疑思問，忿思難，見得思義。」
English Translation
Confucius said: A gentleman think about nine things. First, when he is observing something, have he makes a detail observation? Secondly, when he is listening, have he listens to it clearly? Thirdly, is his expression hostile? Four, is he been humble or arrogant? Five, when he speak, is he acting in accordance to loyalty? Six, when he is working, did he gave all he could give? Seven, when he have a question, have he sought an answer? Eight, when he got angry did he think about the consequence? Nine, when he have a chance to get an advantage, is what he is doing just?
Passage Four Hundred and Thrirty Five
孔子曰：「見善如不及，見不善如探湯。吾見其人矣，吾聞其語矣。隱居以求其志，行義以達其道。吾聞其語矣，未見其人也。」
English Translation
Confucius said: When you meet a kind person, you should be eager to catch up to his moral standard. When you meet an unkind person, you don't associate with him. I've seen people like this before. I've also heard of people like this before. Go into hiding, to maintain your goal. Use humanity to achieve your goal. I've heard of people saying this before, but I haven't seen a person like this before.
Passage Four Hundred and Thirty Six
齊景公有馬千駟，死之日，民無德而稱焉。伯夷叔齊餓于首陽之下，民到于今稱之。其斯之謂與？
English Translation
Mr Cijing has four thousand horses, but when he die. The peasants didn't call him a great man. Boyi and Shuci died of starvation at the bottom of the mountain. The peasants still love him, today.
Passage Four Hundred and Thirty Seven
陳亢問於伯魚曰：「子亦有異聞乎？」對曰：「未也。嘗獨立，鯉趨而過庭。曰：『學詩乎？』對曰：『未也。』『不學詩，無以言。』鯉退而學詩。他日又獨立，鯉趨而過庭。曰：『學禮乎？』對曰：『未也。』『不學禮，無以立。』鯉退而學禮。聞斯二者。」陳亢退而喜曰：「問一得三，聞詩，聞禮，又聞君子之遠其子也。」
English Translation
Chenkang asked Boyu: Have you learn anything special from the master that other people don’t know about?
Boyu said: No. There was once he was standing there. I walked towards him and he asked, "Have you learn about poetry?" I said "no," he said, "If you don't learn it, you cannot gain the trick of diplomacy." So, I went back to learn about the poetry. Another time, he is stand there, I quickly walk forward. He asked "have you learn about politeness." I said "no." He said, "Those who have no politeness, will find it hard, to have a foothold in the society." So, I return to learn about politeness. This is the only two-times he spoke to me.
Chankang returned home happily and said: I gain three answers via one question. Know that poetry is good for diplomacy training. Been polite can help you to get a better foothold in society. And a true gentleman, don't play favour to his own son.
Passage Four Hundred and Thirty Eight
邦君之妻，君稱之曰夫人，夫人自稱曰小童；邦人稱之曰君夫人，稱諸異邦曰寡小君；異邦人稱之亦曰君夫人。
English Translation
The King's wife. The King should call him Furen. She should call herself, Shoutong. The people of the country should call her, Gingfuren. In other country, foreigners should call her, Gwashoujiang. People from her own nation, she calls her Gwashougiang, when she is oversea.
The article's translation of key words
倫=logic
慮-concern
行=behavior
忠=loyalty
禮=polite, manner
恕=forgiveness
義=justice, just
士=paladin, scholar
仁=humane, kind
文=culture, scholar
君子=gentleman
小人=savage
恥=shame
禮樂=ritual
敬=respect
溫=warm
良=good
恭=respectful
儉=cheap, economical
讓=make way
信=honest, true to one's word, keep one's word, faith, believe
德=moral, kindness, ethnic
道=just, justice, principle, thinking, road
