China Archives - Page 78 of 112 - understand-culture

An Awl in a Bag

Lord Pingyuan of Zhao was choosing twenty retainers for a mission to Chu when Mao Sui offered himself. The lord asked how long he had served. Three years, said Mao Sui. “A capable man in the world is like an awl in a bag,” the lord replied. “Its tip shows at once.” In three years, no one had praised Mao Sui, so the lord concluded that he had nothing.

“Then today I ask to be put in the bag,” Mao Sui answered. “Had I been put in it earlier, the whole awl would have slipped out, not only the tip.” The other nineteen exchanged mocking looks. In Chu, they all gave way to him in debate. (Records of the Grand Historian)

The idiom Mao Sui zi jian, Mao Sui recommends himself, means to volunteer oneself. The lord’s first question had been how long he had served.

Like Water

Chapter 8 of the Daodejing: “The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things and does not contend. It stays in the low places that people dislike, and so it is close to the Way. Because it does not contend, it incurs no blame.”

Chapter 22 ends: “Because he does not contend, no one in the world can contend with him.”

Listen to the Words, Watch the Deeds

When his disciple Zai Yu slept during the day, Confucius said: “At first, with people, I listened to their words and trusted their deeds. Now, with people, I listen to their words and watch their deeds. It was Zai Yu who made me change.” (Analects 5.10)

He also said: “The gentleman wishes to be slow in speech and quick in action.” (Analects 4.24)

Gentle, Kind, Respectful, Frugal, Yielding

In the Analects, Ziqin asks Zigong how Confucius comes to hear about the government of every state he visits. Does he ask for it, or is it offered to him? Zigong answers: “The master gets it by being gentle, kind, respectful, frugal and yielding.” In the original, the five virtues are 温、良、恭、俭、让.

Sayings on Skill and Proof

真金不怕火炼 True gold does not fear the fire. Said of what is right, and of upright people, who stand any test.

事实胜于雄辩 Facts are stronger than eloquence.

半瓶醋 Half a bottle of vinegar. A person with a little knowledge or skill, but not much. A dictionary example: “Listen to him talk big. In fact, he is only half a bottle of vinegar.”

班门弄斧 To swing an axe at the door of Lu Ban, the master carpenter. To show off one’s skill in front of experts.

真人不露相，露相不真人 The true master does not show his face. The one who shows his face is not a true master. Said of people with real ability who do not make a show of it. (Journey to the West)

大智若愚 Great wisdom seems foolish. Said of people of outstanding talent who do not show it.

Shun Goes to Farm

Han Feizi tells a story about the sage Shun. The farmers of Mount Li were encroaching on each other’s field boundaries. Shun went to farm among them, and after a year the boundaries were in order. The fishermen on the river bank fought over the shoals. Shun went to fish with them, and after a year they yielded to their elders.

Confucius sighed: “Farming, fishing and pottery were not Shun’s office. He went to do them to put right what was wrong. He took the hard work on himself, and the people followed him.” Han Feizi then questions the story. If Shun had to set things right, he asks, what had the ruler Yao done wrong?

Sayings on Age

姜是老的辣 Old ginger is the hottest. Older people have experience and handle matters well.

嘴上无毛，办事不牢 No hair on the lip, no firmness in the work. Said of young people who lack experience. (Officialdom Unmasked)

后生可畏 The young are to be held in awe. Confucius continued: “How do we know that those who come after will not equal those of today?” (Analects)

Sayings on Enduring

小不忍，则乱大谋 Lack of patience in small things ruins great plans. (Analects)

宰相肚里好撑船 A boat can be poled in a prime minister’s belly. A person of standing can tolerate a great deal. Also 宰相肚里能撑船.

忍让 To bear something and give way.

忍辱负重 To bear humiliation in order to carry a heavy task. From the Records of the Three Kingdoms.

礼让 To observe courtesy and yield. The Analects asks: “Can a state be governed by courtesy and yielding? What difficulty would there be?”

The Vocabulary of Seniority

论资排辈 To rank by seniority and generation. To set a person’s level and treatment by length of service and generation. A dictionary example: “When a work unit assigns housing, ranking by seniority cannot be avoided.”

老资格 Old credentials. Standing and authority that come with age, as in “a veteran diplomat.”

前辈 A person who is older, or who has longer service.

Repaying Resentment

Someone asked Confucius: “What do you think of repaying resentment with kindness?” Confucius said: “Then with what would one repay kindness? Repay resentment with uprightness, and repay kindness with kindness.” (Analects)

Chinese dictionaries define 以直报怨 as meeting resentment with an upright attitude. 以德报怨, repaying resentment with kindness, is the view Confucius did not accept.

Here Confucius declines to make kindness the answer to every wrong.