Analects 12.1
The Analects (論語), BOOK XII. YEN YUAN 顏淵第十二
顏淵問仁。子曰、克己復禮爲仁、一日克己復禮、天下歸仁焉、爲仁由己、而由人乎哉。顏淵曰、請問其目。子曰、非禮勿視、非禮勿聽、非禮勿言、非禮勿動。顏淵曰、回雖不敏、請事斯語矣。
1. Yen Yuan asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "To subdue one's self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him. Is the practice of perfect virtue from a man himself, or is it from others?"
2. Yen Yuan said, "I beg to ask the steps of that process." The Master replied, "Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety." Yen Yuan then said, "Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigour, I will make it my business to practise this lesson."
Character glossary
- 顏yánface, facial appearance
- 淵yuānabyss, depth; to surge up, to bubble up
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 克kèto subdue, to restrain, to overcome; use
- 己jǐself, oneself; personal, private; 6th he
- 復fùagain, repeatedly; copy, duplicate; to r
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 歸guīto return, to go back; to return to, to
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 由yóucause, reason; from
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 人rénman, person; people
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 請qǐngto ask, to request; to invite; please
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 目mùeye; to look, to see; division, topic
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 勿wùmust not, do not; without, never
- 視shìto look at, to inspect, to observe, to r
- 聽tīngto hear, to listen; to understand; to ob
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 動dòngto move, to happen; movement, action
- 回huíto return, to turn around; a time
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 敏mǐnfast, quick; clever, smart
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 斯sīthis, thus, such; emphatic particle; use
- 語yǔwords, language; saying, expression
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 12.2
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Mencius 1A.7
- Zhuangzi The Old Fisherman
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.