Yao, Shun, and Yu

子贡曰，如有博施于民，而能济众，何如，可谓仁乎。子曰，何事于仁，必也圣乎，尧舜其犹病诸。夫仁者，己欲立而立人，己欲达而达人。能近取譬，可谓仁之方也已。

1. Tsze-kung said, "Suppose the case of a man extensively conferring benefits on the people, and able to assist all, what would you say of him? Might he be called perfectly virtuous?" The Master said, "Why speak only of virtue in connexion with him? Must he not have the qualities of a sage? Even Yao and Shun were still solicitous about this. 2. "Now the man of perfect virtue, wishing to be established himself, seeks also to establish others; wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also to enlarge others. 3. "To be able to judge of others by what is nigh in ourselves;—this may be called the art of virtue."

子曰，巍巍乎，舜禹之有天下也，而不与焉。

The Master said, "How majestic was the manner in which Shun and Yu held possession of the empire, as if it were nothing to them!"

子曰，大哉，尧之为君也，巍巍乎，唯天为大，唯尧则之，荡荡乎，民无能名焉。巍巍乎，其有成功也，焕乎，其有文章。

1. The Master said, "Great indeed was Yao as a sovereign! How majestic was he! It is only Heaven that is grand, and only Yao corresponded to it. How vast was his virtue! The people could find no name for it. 2. "How majestic was he in the works which he accomplished! How glorious in the elegant regulations which he instituted!"

舜有臣五人，而天下治。武王曰，予有乱臣十人。孔子曰，才难，不其然乎，唐虞之际，于斯为盛，有妇人焉，九人而已。三分天下有其二，以服事殷，周之德，其可谓至德也已矣。

1. Shun had five ministers, and the empire was well-governed. 2. King Wu said, "I have ten able ministers." 3. Confucius said, "Is not the saying that talents are difficult to find, true? Only when the dynasties of T'ang and Yu met, were they more abundant than in this of Chau, yet there was a woman among them. The able ministers were no more than nine men. 4. "King Wan possessed two of the three parts of the empire, and with those he served the dynasty of Yin. The virtue of the house of Chau may be said to have reached the highest point indeed."

子曰，禹吾无间然矣，菲飮食，而致孝乎鬼神，恶衣服，而致美乎黻冕，卑宫室，而尽力乎沟恤，禹吾无间然矣。

The Master said, "I can find no flaw in the character of Yu. He used himself coarse food and drink, but displayed the utmost filial piety towards the spirits. His ordinary garments were poor, but he displayed the utmost elegance in his sacrificial cap and apron. He lived in a low mean house, but expended all his strength on the ditches and water-channels. I can find nothing like a flaw in Yu."

樊迟问仁。子曰，爱人。问知。子曰，知人。樊迟未达。子曰，擧直错诸枉，能使枉者直。樊迟退，见子夏曰，乡也，吾见于夫子而问知。子曰，擧直错诸枉，能使枉者直，何谓也。子夏曰，富哉言乎。舜有天下，选于众，擧皋陶，不仁者远矣，汤有天下，选于众，擧伊尹，不仁者远矣。

1. Fan Ch'ih asked about benevolence. The Master said, "It is to love all men." He asked about knowledge. The Master said, "It is to know all men." 2. Fan Ch'ih did not immediately understand these answers. 3. The Master said, "Employ the upright and put aside all the crooked;—in this way the crooked can be made to be upright." 4. Fan Ch'ih retired, and, seeing Tsze-hsia, he said to him, "A Little while ago, I had an interview with our Master, and asked him about knowledge. He said, "Employ the upright, and put aside all the crooked;—in this way, the crooked will be made to be upright." What did he mean?" 5. Tsze-hsia said, "Truly rich is his saying! 6. "Shun, being in possession of the kingdom, selected from among all the people, and employed Kao-yao, on which all who were devoid of virtue disappeared. T'ang, being in possession of the kingdom, selected from among all the people, and employed I Yin, and all who were devoid of virtue disappeared."

南宫适问于孔子曰，羿善射，奡荡舟，俱不得其死然，禹稷躬稼，而有天下。夫子不答。南宫适出。子曰，君子哉若人，尙德哉若人。

Nan-kung Kwo, submitting an inquiry to Confucius, said, "I was skillful at archery, and Ao could move a boat along upon the land, but neither of them died a natural death. Yu and Chi personally wrought at the toils of husbandry, and they became possessors of the kingdom." The Master made no reply; but when Nan-kung Kwo went out, he said, "A superior man indeed is this! An esteemer of virtue indeed is this!"

子路问君子，子曰，修己以敬。曰，如斯而已乎。曰，修己以安人，曰，如斯而已乎。曰，修己以安百姓。修己以安百姓，尧舜其犹病诸。

Tsze-lu asked what constituted the superior man. The Master said, "The cultivation of himself in reverential carefulness." "And is this all?" said Tsze-lu. "He cultivates himself so as to give rest to others," was the reply. "And is this all?" again asked Tsze-lu. The Master said, "He cultivates himself so as to give rest to all the people. He cultivates himself so as to give rest to all the people:—even Yao and Shun were still solicitous about this."

子曰，无为而治者，其舜也与，夫何为哉，恭己正南面而已矣。

The Master said, "May not Shun be instanced as having governed efficiently without exertion? What did he do? He did nothing but gravely and reverently occupy his royal seat."

尧曰，咨。尔舜。天之历数在尔躬，允执其中。四海困穷，天禄永终。舜亦以命禹。曰，予小子履，敢用玄牡，敢昭告于皇皇后帝，有罪不敢赦。帝臣不蔽，简在帝心。朕躬有罪，无以万方，万方有罪，罪在朕躬。周有大赉，善人是富。虽有周亲，不如仁人，百姓有过，在予一人。谨权量，审法度，修废官，四方之政行焉。兴灭国，继绝世，举逸民，天下之民归心焉。所重，民，食，丧，祭。宽则得众，信则民任焉，敏则有功，公则说。

1. Yao said, "Oh! you, Shun, the Heaven-determined order of succession now rests in your person. Sincerely hold fast the due Mean. If there shall be distress and want within the four seas, the Heavenly revenue will come to a perpetual end." 2. Shun also used the same language in giving charge to Yu. 3. T'ang said, "I the child Li, presume to use a dark-coloured victim, and presume to announce to Thee, O most great and sovereign God, that the sinner I dare not pardon, and thy ministers, O God, I do not keep in obscurity. The examination of them is by thy mind, O God. If, in my person, I commit offences, they are not to be attributed to you, the people of the myriad regions. If you in the myriad regions commit offences, these offences must rest on my person." 4. Chau conferred great gifts, and the good were enriched. 5. "Although he has his near relatives, they are not equal to my virtuous men. The people are throwing blame upon me, the One man." 6. He carefully attended to the weights and measures, examined the body of the laws, restored the discarded officers, and the good government of the kingdom took its course. 7. He revived States that had been extinguished, restored families whose line of succession had been broken, and called to office those who had retired into obscurity, so that throughout the kingdom the hearts of the people turned towards him. 8. What he attached chief importance to, were the food of the people, the duties of mourning, and sacrifices. 9. By his generosity, he won all. By his sincerity, he made the people repose trust in him. By his earnest activity, his achievements were great. By his justice, all were delighted.