Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1886-05-12
GEMS FROM CONFUClUS.
Some OF the Wise and Pithy Sayings
OF the Famous Philosopher.

OF the Famous Philosopher.
His discrimination of character is
amply illustrated in the many wise and
pithy sayings which he has bequesthed
to us a few of which we have grouped
together, as combining his ideal of how
man should behave in different positions
of life. Thus, he tells us how "a poor
man who does not flatter, and a rich
man who is not proud, are passable
characters; but they are not equal to
the poor who yet are cheerful, and the
rich who yet love the rules of proprie-
ty." IA good man in his conduct OF
himself is humble, in serving his supe.
riors he is respectful, in nourishing the
people he is kind, in ordering the peo.
pie he is just" Again, man lis to
think of virtue, and not of comfort; OF
the sanctions of law, not OF gratiica-
ton" And "what the superior man
seeks is in himself; what the small man
thinks is in Others" He was firmly
convinced of its being more or less in
the power of every man to acquire
knowledge, and thereby wisdom.
Hence, as DIR. Legge tells us in his Life
of Confucius" Q867, p. COY, "his house
became resort for young and inquir.
ing spirits who wished to learn the doc
trines of antiquity. However small the
fee his pupils were able to afford, he
never refused his Instructions. All that
he required was an ardent desire for
improvement and some degree of capac.
ity." Thus, to quote his own words,
al do not open up truth to one who is
not eager to get knowledge, nor keep
out one who is not anxious to explain
himself" BY stimulating youth to
study. he endeavored to create an in
structed public opinion which should
display an admiration for truth and
goodness. That the same love of truth
pervaded all his sentiments is exempli
fed by a remark he one day made.
"Shall teach you what knowledge isp"
said he. when you know thing, to
hold that you know it. and when you
do not know a thing, to allow that you
do not know it; that is knowledge" :"
His definition of hypocrites reminds us
of their comparison to whted sepul-
chers in the New Testament namely:
There may be fair words and an hum.
tue" But lastly, it has often been
| SCu tHab SOuluCluS, III Spllc VI HIS
wisdom and the loftiness of his teach.
ing, had nothing to say about God or a
future life. He preferred, however, to
speak of heaven as in the following in
stances: 'He who offends against
heaven has none to whom he can pray"
and "Alas!' said he, ''there is no one
that knows me-" But his friends re-
piled: What do you mean by thus
saying that no one knows you?" He
answered: II do not murmur against
heaven. l do not grumble against men.
But there is heaven that knows me. y
Indeed, it has been truly said that he
was unreligious rather than irreligious.
And if he had not knowledge of di-
vine ruler it was his misfortune, and
arose from no desire to disLarage relig-
!. ious belief of any kind In short, as
MIR. Clodd remarks, his omtting to
speak about God twas not because he
was an unbeliever-for he, of all men,
had reverence for the sacred, unknown
power that underles all things-but
because his nature was so beauti-
fully simple and sincere that he would
not pretend to knowledge of that which
he felt was beyond human reach and
, thought" But, nevertheless, one can
, not but regret that his teaching was not
more distinctive in this respect, espe-
, cially as it was destined to be such a
, mighty motive power in molding the
Chinese character of untold generations.
: II Q. 1htsetton Dyer IN The Quiver.