Chinese Four Books
The Dial, Vol. IV, No. II (October 1843)
The Four Books (Sishu) are foundational Confucian texts: the Analects, Mencius, Great Learning, and Doctrine of the Mean. They became the core curriculum for Chinese civil service examinations and shaped East Asian thought for centuries. Note: This text was featured in The Dial's 'Ethnical Scriptures' series but was not part of the Alcott-Lane cabinet brought from England in 1842.
Editorial Note: The text and audio below present selected passages from the “Chinese Four Books” installment published in The Dial in October 1843. Several additional passages from this installment that are explicitly attributed to Confucius are presented on the “Sayings of Confucius” page. The complete selection as it appeared in The Dial can be consulted through the Walden Woods Project.
Since we printed a few selections from Dr. Marshman's translation of the sentences of Confucius, we have received a copy of 'the Chinese Classical Work, commonly called the Four Books, translated and illustrated with notes by the late Rev. David Collie, Principal of the Anglo-Chinese College, Malacca. Printed at the Mission Press.' This translation, which seems to have been undertaken and performed as an exercise in learning the language, is the most valuable contribution we have yet seen from the Chinese literature. That part of the work, which is new, is the Memoirs of Mencius in two books, the Shang Mung and Hea Mung, which is the production of Mung Tsze (or Mencius,) who flourished about a hundred years after Confucius. The subjoined extracts are chiefly taken from these books.
All things are contained complete in ourselves. There is no greater joy than to turn round on ourselves and become perfect.
The human figure and color possess a divine nature, but it is only the sage who can fulfil what his figure promises.
The superior man's nature consists in this, that benevolence, justice, propriety, and wisdom, have their root in his heart, and are exhibited in his countenance. They shine forth in his face and go through to his back. They are manifested in his four members.
Wherever the superior man passes, renovation takes place. The divine spirit which he cherishes above and below, flows on equal in extent and influence with heaven and earth.
Tsze Kung says, The errors of the superior man are like the eclipses of the sun and moon. His errors all men see, and his reformation all men look for.
Mencius says, There is not anything but is decreed; accord with and keep to what is right. Hence he, who understands the decrees, will not stand under a falling wall. He, who dies in performing his duty to the utmost of his power, accords with the decrees of heaven. But he who dies for his crimes, accords not with the divine decree.
There is a proper rule by which we should seek, and whether we obtain what we seek or not, depends on the divine decree.
Put men to death by the principles which have for their object the preservation of life, and they will not grumble.
The Scholar
Teen, son of the king of Tse, asked what the business of the scholar consists in? Mencius replied, In elevating his mind and inclination. What do you mean by elevating the mind? It consists merely in being benevolent and just. Where is the scholar's abode? In benevolence. Where is his road? Justice. To dwell in benevolence, and walk in justice, is the whole business of a great man.
Benevolence is man's heart, and justice is man's path. If a man lose his fowls or his dogs, he knows how to seek them. There are those who lose their hearts and know not how to seek them. The duty of the student is no other than to seek his lost heart.
He who employs his whole mind, will know his nature. He who knows his nature, knows heaven.
It were better to be without books than to believe all that they record.
The Taou
Sincerity is the Taou or way of heaven. To aim at it is the way of man.
From inherent sincerity to have perfect intelligence, is to be a sage by nature; to attain sincerity by means of intelligence, is to be such by study. Where there is sincerity, there must be intelligence. Where intelligence is, it must lead to sincerity.
He who offends heaven, has none to whom he can pray.
Mencius said, To be benevolent is man. When man and benevolence are united, they are called Taou.
To be full of sincerity, is called beauty. To be so full of sincerity that it shines forth in the external conduct, is called greatness. When this greatness renovates others, it is called sageness. Holiness or sageness which is above comprehension, is called divine.
Perfection (or sincerity) is the way of heaven, and to wish for perfection is the duty of a man. It has never been the case that he who possessed genuine virtue in the highest degree, could not influence others, nor has it ever been the case that he who was not in the highest degree sincere could influence others.
There is a divine nobility and a human nobility. Benevolence, justice, fidelity, and truth, and to delight in virtue without weariness, constitute divine nobility. To be a prince, a prime minister, or a great officer of state constitute human nobility. The ancients adorned divine nobility, and human nobility followed it.
The men of the present day cultivate divine nobility in order that they may obtain human nobility; and when they once get human nobility, they throw away divine nobility. This is the height of delusion, and must end in the loss of both.
Of Reform
Taou is not far removed from man. If men suppose that it lies in something remote, then what they think of is not Taou. The ode says, "Cut hatchet handles." This means of doing it, is not remote; you have only to take hold of one handle, and use it to cut another. Yet if you look aslant at it, it will appear distant. Hence the superior man employs man, (that is, what is in man,) to reform man.
When Tsze Loo heard anything that he had not yet fully practised, he was afraid of hearing anything else.
The governor of Yih asked respecting government. Confucius replied, Make glad those who are near, and those who are at a distance will come.
The failing of men is that they neglect their own field, and dress that of others. They require much of others, but little of themselves.
War
Mencius said, From this time and ever after I know the heavy consequences of killing a man's parents. If you kill a man's elder brother, he will kill your elder brother. Hence although you do not yourself kill them, you do nearly the same thing.
When man says, I know well how to draw up an army, I am skilled in fighting, he is a great criminal.
Politics
Ke Kang asked Confucius respecting government. Confucius replied, Government is rectitude.
Ke Kang was harassed by robbers, and consulted Confucius on the subject. Confucius said, If you, sir, were not covetous, the people would not rob, even though you should hire them to do it.
Virtue
Chung Kung asked, What is perfect virtue? Confucius said, What you do not wish others to do to you, do not to them.
Sze Ma Neu asked, What constitutes perfect virtue? Confucius replied; It is to find it difficult to speak. "To find it difficult to speak! Is that perfect virtue?" Confucius rejoined, What is difficult to practise, must it not be difficult to speak?
Confucius says, Virtue runs swifter than the royal postillions carry despatches.
The She King says, "Heaven created all men having their duties and the means or rules of performing them. It is the natural and constant disposition of men to love beautiful virtue." Confucius says, that he who wrote this ode knew right principles.
Related reading: Additional passages from this installment attributed to Confucius are presented on the Sayings of Confucius page.