Analects 12.2
The Analects (論語), BOOK XII. YEN YUAN 顏淵第十二
仲弓問仁。子曰、出門如見大賓、使民如承大祭、己所不欲、勿施於人、在邦無怨、在家無怨。仲弓曰、雍雖不敏、請事斯語矣。
Chung-kung asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "It is, when you go abroad, to behave to every one as if you were receiving a great guest; to employ the people as if you were assisting at a great sacrifice; not to do to others as you would not wish done to yourself; to have no murmuring against you in the country, and none in the family." Chung-kung said, "Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigour, I will make it my business to practise this lesson."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 仲zhòngmiddle brother; go between, mediator; su
- 弓gōngbow; curved, arched
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 出chūto go out, to send out; stand; produce
- 門méngate, door, entrance, opening
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 賓bīnguest, visitor; surname; submit
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 承chéngto undertake, to bear, to accept a duty;
- 祭jìto sacrifice to, to worship
- 己jǐself, oneself; personal, private; 6th he
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 勿wùmust not, do not; without, never
- 施shīto grant, to bestow; to act; surname
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 人rénman, person; people
- 在zàiat, in, on; to exist; used to indicate t
- 邦bāngcountry, nation, state
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 怨yuànto blame, to complain, to hate; enmity,
- 家jiāhouse, home, residence; family
- 雍yōngharmony, union; harmonious
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 敏mǐnfast, quick; clever, smart
- 請qǐngto ask, to request; to invite; please
- 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
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.