The Master discusses with his disciples and unveil his preoccupations with society. Tr. Legge (en), Lau (en) and Couvreur (fr).
Yen Yüan's admiration of his master's doctrines; and his own progress in them.
1. Yen Yüan, in admiration of the Master's doctrines, sighed and said, "I looked up to them, and they seemed to become more high; I tried to penetrate them, and they seemed to become more firm; I looked at them before me, and suddenly they seemed to be behind.
2. "The Master, by orderly method, skillfully leads men on. He enlarged my mind with learning, and taught me the restraints of propriety.
3. "When I wish to give over the study of his doctrines, I cannot do so, and having exerted all my ability, there seems something to stand right up before me; but though I wish to follow and lay hold of it, I really find no way to do so."
Legge IX.10.
Yen Yuan, heaving a sigh, said, 'The more I look up at it the higher it appears. The more I bore into it the harder it becomes. I see it before me. Suddenly it is behind me.
'The Master is good at leading one on step by step. He broadens me with culture and brings me back to essentials by means of the rites. I cannot give up even if I wanted to, but, having done all I can, it seems to rise sheer above me and I have no way of going after it, however much I may want to.'
Lau [9:11]
Ien Iuen disait avec un soupir d'admiration : « Plus je considère la Voie du Maître, plus je la trouve élevée ; plus je la scrute, plus il me semble impossible de la comprendre entièrement ; je crois la voir devant moi, et soudain je m'aperçois qu'elle est derrière moi. Heureusement le Maître me guide pas à pas. Il m'a élargi l'esprit par la culture, et m'a discipliné par les rites. Quand même je voudrais m'arrêter, je ne le pourrais. Mais, après que j'ai épuisé toutes mes forces, il reste toujours quelque chose qui semble se dresser devant moi, qu'il m'est impossible de gravir, malgré tout le désir que j'en ai. »
Couvreur IX.10.
The Analects of Confucius – Lun Yu IX. 11. (220) – Chinese on/off – Français/English
Alias the Lunyu, the Lun Yü, the Analects, les Entretiens du maître avec ses disciples.
The Book of Odes, The Analects, Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, Three-characters book, The Book of Changes, The Way and its Power, 300 Tang Poems, The Art of War, Thirty-Six Strategies
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