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Wei Zheng（为政）
Wei Zheng contains 24 passages on learning, virtue, and practical conduct.
This book has 24 chapters; 12/24 chapters currently have audio.
Passages in this book
子曰，为政以德，譬如北辰，居其所，而众星共之。
The Master said, "He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it."
Study this passage子曰，诗三百，一言以蔽之，曰，思无邪。
The Master said, "In the Book of Poetry are three hundred pieces, but the design of them all may be embraced in one sentence—'Having no depraved thoughts.'"
Study this passage子曰，道之以政，齐之以刑，民免而无耻。道之以德，齐之以礼，有耻且格。
1. The Master said, "If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame. 2. "If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good."
Study this passage子曰，吾十有五而志于学。三十而立。四十而不惑。五十而知天命。六十而耳顺。七十而从心所欲，不逾矩。
1. The Master said, "At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. 2. "At thirty, I stood firm. 3. "At forty, I had no doubts. 4. "At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven. 5. "At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth. 6. "At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right."
Study this passage孟懿子问孝，子曰，无违。樊迟御，子吿之曰，孟孙问孝于我，我对曰，无违。樊迟曰，何谓也，子曰，生事之以礼，死葬之以礼，祭之以礼。
1. Mang I asked what filial piety was. The Master said, "It is not being disobedient." 2. Soon after, as Fan Ch'ih was driving him, the Master told him, saying, "Mang-sun asked me what filial piety was, and I answered him,—'not being disobedient.'" 3. Fan Ch'ih said, "What did you mean?" The Master replied, "That parents, when alive, be served according to propriety; that, when dead, they should be buried according to propriety; and that they should be sacrificed to according to propriety."
Study this passage孟武伯问孝，子曰，父母唯其疾之忧。
Mang Wu asked what filial piety was. The Master said, "Parents are anxious lest their children should be sick."
Study this passage子游问孝，子曰，今之孝者，是谓能养，至于犬马，皆能有养，不敬，何以别乎。
Tsze-yu asked what filial piety was. The Master said, "The filial piety of now-a-days means the support of one's parents. But dogs and horses likewise are able to do something in the way of support;—without reverence, what is there to distinguish the one support given from the other?"
Study this passage子夏问孝，子曰，色难，有事，弟子服其劳，有酒食，先生馔，曾是以为孝乎。
Tsze-hsia asked what filial piety was. The Master said, "The difficulty is with the countenance. If, when their elders have any troublesome affairs, the young take the toil of them, and if, when the young have wine and food, they set them before their elders, is this to be considered filial piety?"
Study this passage子曰，吾与回言终日，不违，如愚。退而省其私，亦足以发，回也不愚。
The Master said, "I have talked with Hui for a whole day, and he has not made any objection to anything I said;—as if he were stupid. He has retired, and I have examined his conduct when away from me, and found him able to illustrate my teachings. Hui!—He is not stupid."
Study this passage子曰，视其所以。观其所由。察其所安。人焉廋哉，人焉廋哉。
1. The Master said, "See what a man does. 2. "Mark his motives. 3. "Examine in what things he rests. 4. "How can a man conceal his character? 5. How can a man conceal his character?"
Study this passage子曰，温故而知新，可以为师矣。
The Master said, "If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others."
Study this passage子曰，君子不器。
The Master said, "The accomplished scholar is not a utensil."
Study this passage子贡问君子，子曰，先行其言，而后从之。
Tsze-kung asked what constituted the superior man. The Master said, "He acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions."
Study this passage子曰，君子周而不比，小人比而不周。
The Master said, "The superior man is catholic and no partisan. The mean man is partisan and not catholic."
Study this passage子曰，学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆。
The Master said, "Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous."
Study this passage子曰，攻乎异端，斯害也已。
The Master said, "The study of strange doctrines is injurious indeed!"
Study this passage子曰，由，诲女知之乎，知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也。
The Master said, "Yu, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it;—this is knowledge."
Study this passage子张学干禄。子曰，多闻阙疑，愼言其余，则寡尤，多见阙殆，愼行其余，则寡悔，言寡尤，行寡悔，禄在其中矣。
1. Tsze-chang was learning with a view to official emolument. 2. The Master said, "Hear much and put aside the points of which you stand in doubt, while you speak cautiously at the same time of the others:—then you will afford few occasions for blame. See much and put aside the things which seem perilous, while you are cautious at the same time in carrying the others into practice:—then you will have few occasions for repentance. When one gives few occasions for blame in his words, and few occasions for repentance in his conduct, he is in the way to get emolument."
Study this passage哀公问曰，何为则民服。孔子对曰，擧直错诸枉，则民服，擧枉错诸直，则民不服。
The Duke Ai asked, saying, "What should be done in order to secure the submission of the people?" Confucius replied, "Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit. Advance the crooked and set aside the upright, then the people will not submit."
Study this passage季康子问使民敬忠以劝，如之何。子曰，临之以庄，则敬，孝慈，则忠，擧善而教不能，则劝。
Chi K'ang asked how to cause the people to reverence their ruler, to be faithful to him, and to go on to nerve themselves to virtue. The Master said, "Let him preside over them with gravity;—then they will reverence him. Let him be filial and kind to all;—then they will be faithful to him. Let him advance the good and teach the incompetent;—then they will eagerly seek to be virtuous."
Study this passage或谓孔子曰，子奚不为政。子曰，书云孝乎，惟孝友于兄弟，施于有政，是亦为政，奚其为为政。
1. Some one addressed Confucius, saying, "Sir, why are you not engaged in the government?" 2. The Master said, "What does the Shu-ching say of filial piety?—'You are filial, you discharge your brotherly duties. These qualities are displayed in government.' This then also constitutes the exercise of government. Why must there be that —making one be in the government?"
Study this passage子曰，人而无信，不知其可也，大车无𫐐，小车无𫐄，其何以行之哉。
The Master said, "I do not know how a man without truthfulness is to get on. How can a large carriage be made to go without the cross-bar for yoking the oxen to, or a small carriage without the arrangement for yoking the horses?"
Study this passage子张问十世，可知也。子曰，殷因于夏礼，所损益，可知也，周因于殷礼，所损益，可知也，其或继周者，虽百世，可知也。
1. Tsze-chang asked whether the affairs of ten ages after could be known. 2. Confucius said, "The Yin dynasty followed the regulations of the Hsia: wherein it took from or added to them may be known. The Chau dynasty has followed the regulations of Yin: wherein it took from or added to them may be known. Some other may follow the Chau, but though it should be at the distance of a hundred ages, its affairs may be known."
Study this passage子曰，非其鬼而祭之，谄也。见义不为，无勇也。
1. The Master said, "For a man to sacrifice to a spirit which does not belong to him is flattery. 2. "To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage."
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