Analects: 100 Classic Sentences in Chinese

Author: Wenxin Studio Compiler
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The Birth of Famous Quotes
Ranyou said, "Does the Master intend to help the Prince of Wei?"
Zigong replied, "Yes, I will ask him."
Entering, he said, "Who are Bo Yi and Shu Qi?"
The Master said, "They are the virtuous men of ancient times."
Zigong asked, "Do they resent?"
The Master replied, "They sought (benevolence) and obtained (benevolence); how could they resent?"
Exiting, Zigong said, "The Master will not help the Prince of Wei."
From The Analects, Chapter 14
Fully Understanding the Famous Quote
1. : "" means to help. The Prince of Wei refers to Wei Zhi Gong. After the Prince of Wei (Kuai Kui) was driven out by his father, the Prince of Wei (Zhe) was installed as the ruler by the people of Wei after his father's death. Later, the Jin people accepted Kuai Kui and assisted him in attacking Wei to seize the throne. The people of Wei fiercely resisted the Jin forces, creating a situation where father and son fought for the throne. At that time, Confucius was living in Wei, and his disciples were unsure whether to help the Prince of Wei to oppose his father.
2. : Means agreement, as in "Yes."
3. 、: Both were sons of the ruler of Guzhu. The ruler of Guzhu ordered his younger son, Shu Qi, to inherit the throne. Shu Qi wanted to give the throne to his older brother, Bo Yi. Bo Yi left to follow his father's will, and Shu Qi also refused the throne and fled. Later, they starved to death on Shouyang Mountain because they refused to eat the food of the new dynasty after the regime change. Zigong asked about Bo Yi and Shu Qi to probe Confucius's stance on the conflict between father and son.
4. : Means to resent or regret.
5. : In this passage, "" can be interpreted as "peace of mind."
Ranyou said, "Will the Master help the Prince of Wei?"
Zigong replied, "Yes, I will ask him."
Zigong entered and saw Confucius, asking, "Who are Bo Yi and Shu Qi?"
Confucius replied, "They are the virtuous men of ancient times."
Zigong asked again, "Do they regret?"
Confucius said, "They sought (benevolence) and obtained (benevolence); how could they regret?"
Zigong, exiting, said, "The Master will not help the Prince of Wei."
The Story Behind the Famous Quote
Confucius praised "Bo Yi and Shu Qi" on multiple occasions. Sima Qian recorded in The Records of the Grand Historian, Biography of Bo Yi that Confucius praised them as "not harboring ill will toward the past." When Zhu Xi explained this passage, he noted that Bo Yi and Shu Qi were even unwilling to become kings, so how could they resent?
According to The Records of the Grand Historian, Bo Yi and Shu Qi were the eldest and third sons of the ruler of Guzhu (located west of Lulong County in Hebei Province) during the late Shang Dynasty. The ruler of Guzhu left a will naming Shu Qi as his successor. However, after his father's death, Shu Qi wanted to give the throne to his older brother, Bo Yi, but Bo Yi believed it was wrong to defy his father's will and fled Guzhu. Shu Qi also refused to become king and fled. As a result, the people of Guzhu elected the ruler's second son as the new king, known as "Bo Yi and Shu Qi yielding the throne."
Later, Bo Yi and Shu Qi retreated to the coast of Bohai. Hearing that the Zhou Dynasty was growing powerful in the west and that King Wen was a virtuous ruler, they traveled a long distance to meet him. However, by the time they arrived, King Wen had died, and King Wu had ascended the throne. King Wu sent his brother, the Duke of Zhou, to welcome them and offered them positions and stipends, but they left angrily because they hoped King Wu would not attack the Shang Dynasty.
Later, when the Zhou conquered the Shang, Bo Yi and Shu Qi, to demonstrate their integrity, refused to eat the grain of the Zhou Dynasty and retreated to Shouyang Mountain (located west of Yongji County in Shanxi Province), where they foraged for wild vegetables.