Chinese and Arabian Literature - E. Wilson - The Search For Mecca

THE ANALECTS 73
" Not to retract after committing an error may itself be called
error.
" If I have passed the whole day without food and the whole
night without sleep, occupied with my thoughts, it profits me
nothing : I were better engaged in learning.
" The superior man deliberates upon how he may walk in
truth, not upon what he may eat. The farmer may plough, and
be on the way to want : the student learns, and is on his way to
emolument. To live a right life is the concern of men of
nobler minds : poverty gives them none.
" Whatsoever the intellect may attain to, unless the humanity
within is powerful enough to keep guard over it, is assuredly
lost, even though it be gained.
" If there be intellectual attainments, and the humanity with-
in is powerful enough to keep guard over them, yet, unless (in a
ruler) there be dignity in his rule, the people will fail to show
him respect.
" Again, given the intellectual attainments, and humanity
sufficient to keep watch over them, and also dignity in ruling,
yet if his movements be not in accordance with the Rules of
Propriety, he is not yet fully qualified.
" The superior man may not be conversant with petty de-
tails, and yet may have important matters put into his hands.
The inferior man may not be charged with important matters,
yet may be conversant with the petty details.
" Good-fellowship is more to men than fire and water. I
have seen men stepping into fire and into water, and meeting
with death thereby ; I have not yet seen a man die from plant-
ing his steps in the path of good-fellowship.
" Rely upon good nature. 'Twill not allow precedence even
to a teacher.
" The superior man is inflexibly upright, and takes not things
upon trust.
" In serving your prince, make your service the serious concern,
and let salary be a secondary matter.
" Where instruction is to be given, there must be no dis-
tinction of persons.
'* Where men's methods are not identical,
planning by one on behalf of another.
there can be no
" In speaking, perspicuity is all that is needed."
When the blind music-master Mien paid him a visit, on his