Book 9: Rarely Spoken Things
Book 9 is interesting because it starts by telling us what Confucius didn’t talk about. He rarely spoke about “profit” or “destiny” because those things are complicated and often out of our control. He wanted to focus on what we can change.
The Generalist
A villager once tried to compliment Confucius by saying he was so vastly learned that he hadn’t made a name for himself in any “particular area.” Basically, he was saying Confucius was a jack-of-all-trades.
Confucius heard this and joked with his students, “What should I specialize in? Charioteering? Archery? I think I’ll specialize in charioteering.” He was laughing at the idea that he needed to be a “specialist” to be important. He was comfortable being a generalist who just understood how life worked.
The Beautiful Jade
One of his students, Zigong, asked him a hypothetical question. “If you had a beautiful piece of jade, would you hide it in a box or sell it for a good price?”
Confucius didn’t hesitate. “Sell it! Sell it! I am waiting for the right offer.” He was talking about his own talents and ideas. He wasn’t trying to hide away from the world. He was ready to work and help people, he was just waiting for a leader who was actually serious about doing things the right way.
The River Flows On
There’s a famous scene where Confucius is standing by a river. He looks at the water and says, “How it flows on like this, never ceasing day and night!”
It’s a simple observation, but it’s about how time and life never stop moving. You have to be like the river, always persistent, always moving forward, and always “filling the cracks” as you advance. If you stop working on yourself, you’re like a stagnant pool of water in a gutter.
Pine and Cypress
Finally, he gives us a classic metaphor for integrity. He says that only in the “deepest winter” do we realize that the pine and cypress are the last to shed their leaves.
When everything is going great, it’s easy to look like a good person. But the real test is when things are “freezing” and difficult. That’s when you find out who actually has the strength to stay green and keep their integrity.
Previous: Book 8: Integrity and Tradition Next: Book 10: Home and Court
Book Metadata Title: The Analects Author: Confucius Translator: Annping Chin ISBN: 9780698153516