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[Chapter 12: Yan Yuan]\n\nYan Yuan asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "To subdue oneself and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If one can for one day subdue oneself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to one. Is the practice of perfect virtue from oneself, or is it from others?" Yan Yuan said, "I beg to ask the steps of that process." The Master replied, "Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety." Yan Yuan then said, "Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigour, I will make it my business to practise this lesson."\nZhonggong asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "It is, when you go abroad, to behave to everyone as if you were receiving a great guest; to employ the people as if you were assisting at a great sacrifice; not to do to others as you would not wish done to yourself; to have no murmuring against you in the country, and none in the family." Zhonggong said, "Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigour, I will make it my business to practise this lesson."\nSima Niu asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "The person of perfect virtue is cautious and slow in one's speech." "Cautious and slow in one's speech!" said Niu; "is this what is meant by perfect virtue?" The Master said, "When one feels the difficulty of doing, can one be other than cautious and slow in speaking?"\nSima Niu asked about the superior person. The Master said, "The superior person has neither anxiety nor fear." "Being without anxiety or fear!" said Niu; "does this constitute what we call the superior person?" The Master said, "When internal examination discovers nothing wrong, what is there to be anxious about, what is there to fear?"\nSima Niu, full of anxiety, said, "Other people all have their brothers, I only have not." Zixia said to him, "There is the following saying which I have heard:— 'Death and life have their determined appointment; riches and honours depend upon Heaven.' Let the superior person never fail reverentially to order one's own conduct, and let one be respectful to others and observant of propriety—then all within the four seas will be one's brothers. What has the superior person to do with being distressed because one has no brothers?"\nZizhang asked what constituted intelligence. The Master said, "One with whom neither slander that gradually soaks into the mind, nor statements that startle like a wound in the flesh, are successful, may be called intelligent indeed. Yea, one with whom neither soaking slander, nor startling statements, are successful, may be called far-seeing."\nZigong asked about government. The Master said, "The requisites of government are that there be sufficiency of food, sufficiency of military equipment, and the confidence of the people in their ruler." Zigong said, "If it cannot be helped, and one of these must be dispensed with, which of the three should be foregone first?" "The military equipment," said the Master. Zigong again asked, "If it cannot be helped, and one of the remaining two must be dispensed with, which of them should be foregone?" The Master answered, "Part with the food. From of old, death has been the lot of all people; but if the people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standing for the state."\nJi Zicheng said, "In a superior person it is only the substantial qualities which are wanted—why should we seek for ornamental accomplishments?" Zigong said, "Alas! Your words, sir, show you to be a superior person, but four horses cannot overtake the tongue. Ornament is as substance; substance is as ornament. The hide of a tiger or leopard stript of its hair, is like the hide of a dog or goat stript of its hair."\nDuke Ai inquired of You Ruo, saying, "The year is one of scarcity, and the returns for expenditure are not sufficient—what is to be done?" You Ruo replied to him, "Why not simply tithe the people?" "With two tenths," said the duke, "I find them not enough—how could I do with that system of one tenth?" You Ruo answered, "If the people have plenty, their prince will not be left to want alone. If the people are in want, their prince cannot enjoy plenty alone."\nZizhang having asked how virtue was to be exalted, and delusions to be discovered, the Master said, "Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles, and be moving continually to what is right—this is the way to exalt one's virtue. You love a person and wish one to live; you hate one and wish one to die. Having wished one to live, you also wish one to die. This is a case of delusion. 'It may not be on account of her being rich, yet you come to make a difference.'"\nDuke Jing of Qi asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, "There is government, when the prince is prince, and the minister is minister; when the father is father, and the son is son." "Good!" said the duke; "if, indeed, the prince be not prince, the minister not minister, the father not father, and the son not son, although I have my revenue, can I enjoy it?"\nThe Master said, "Ah! it is You, who could with half a word settle litigations!" Zilu never slept over a promise.\nThe Master said, "In hearing litigations, I am like any other body. What is necessary, is to cause the people to have no litigations."\n...