CHAPTER 11

The Master said, "The superior man thinks of virtue; the small man thinks of comfort. The superior man thinks of the sanctions of law; the small man thinks of favors which he may receive."

8. THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING THE RIGHT WAY. One is perplexed to translate 道 here. Choo defines it—事物当然之理 'the principles of what is right in events and things.' Better is the expl. in 四书翼注, —道即率性之道, '道 is the path'—i.e., of action—'which I in accordance with our nature'. Man is formed for this, and if he die without coming to the knowledge of it, his death is no better than that of a beast. One would fain recognition, in such sentences as this, a vague apprehension of some higher truth or道, than Chi. sages have been able to propound.—Ho An takes a diff. view of the whole ch., and make it a lament of Confucius that he was likely to die without hearing of right principles prevailing in the world.—'Could I once hear of the prevalence of right principles, I could die the same evening.'

9. THE PURSUIT OF TRUTH SHOULD RAISE A MAN ABOVE BEING ASHAMED OF POVERTY.与议,—'to be discoursed with', i.e., about 道, or 'truth', which perhaps is the best translation of the term in places like this.

10. RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE RULE OF THE KEUN-TSZE'S PRACTICE. 君子之云云, 'The relation of the keun-tsze to the world', i.e., to all things presenting themselves to him. 适, read teih, is explained by 专主, 'to set the mind exclusively on'. We may take the last clause thus:—'his is the according with, and keeping near to (比, low.3d tone,=从 or 亲) righteousness.' This gives each char. its signification.

11. THE DIFFERENT MINDINGS OF THE SUPERIOR AND THE SMALL MAN. 怀 is here emphatic, = 'cherishes and plans about'. 土, 'earth', 'the ground', is here defined—所处之安, 'the rest or comforts one dwells amidst'. May it not be used somewhat in our sense of earthly?—'thinks of what is earthly'.