孔子之敎誨
Confucius once heard two of his pupils quarreling. One was of a gentle
nature and was called by all the students a peaceful man. The other had
a good brain and a kind heart, but was given to great anger. If he
wished to do a thing, he did it, and no man could prevent; if any one
tried to hinder him, he would show sudden and terrible rage.
One day, after one of these fits of temper, the blood came from his
mouth, and, in great fear, he went to Confucius. “What shall I do with
my body?” he asked. “I fear I shall not live long. It may be better
that I no longer study and work. I am your pupil and you love me as a
father. Tell me what to do for my body.”
Confucius answered, “Tsze-Lu, you have a wrong idea about your body. It
is not the study, not the work in school, but your great anger that
causes the trouble.
“I will help you to see this. You remember when you and Nou-Wui
quarreled. He was at peace and happy again in a little time, but you
were very long in overcoming your anger. You can not expect to live
long if you do that way. Every time one of the pupils says a thing you
do not like, you are greatly enraged. There are a thousand in this
school. If each offends you only once, you will have a fit of temper a
thousand times this year. And you will surely die, if you do not use
more self-control. I want to ask you some questions:—
“How many teeth have you?”
“I have thirty-two, teacher.”
“How many tongues?”
“Just one.”
“How many teeth have you lost?”
“I lost one when I was nine years old, and four when I was about
twenty-six years old.”
“And your tongue—is it still perfect?”
“Oh, yes.”
“You know Mun-Gun, who is quite old?”
“Yes, I know him well.”
“How many teeth do you think he had at your age?”
“I do not know.”
“How many has he now?”
“Two, I think. But his tongue is perfect, though he is very old.”
“You see the teeth are lost because they are strong, and determined to
have everything they desire. They are hard and hurt the tongue many
times, but the tongue never hurts the teeth. Yet, it endures until the
end, while the teeth are the first of man to decay. The tongue is
peaceful and gentle with the teeth. It never grows angry and fights
them, even when they are in the wrong. It always helps them do their
work, in preparing man’s food for him, although the teeth never help
the tongue, and they always resist everything.
“And so it is with man. The strongest to resist, is the first to decay;
and you, Tsze-Lu, will be even so if you learn not the great lesson of
self-control.”