Analects 11.11
The Analects (論語), BOOK XI. HSIEN TSIN 先進第十一
季路問事鬼神。子曰、未能事人、焉能事鬼。敢問死。曰、未知生、焉知死。
Chi Lu asked about serving the spirits of the dead. The Master said, "While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve their spirits?" Chi Lu added, "I venture to ask about death?" He was answered, "While you do not know life, how can you know about death?"
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 季jìa quarter-year, a season; surname
- 路lùroad, path, street; journey
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 鬼guǐghost; demon; sly, mischievous
- 神shéngod, spirit; divine, mysterious, superna
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 人rénman, person; people
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 敢gǎnbold, brave; to dare, to venture
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 14.23
- Analects 14.17
- Zhuangzi Language
- Mencius 4A.19
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Analects 18.2
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.