The Original Quote:
子贡曰：“如有博施于民而能济众，何如？可谓仁乎？”子曰：“何事于仁，必也圣乎！尧、舜其犹病诸！夫仁者，己欲立而立人，己欲达而达人。能近取譬，可谓仁之方也已。”
Zǐgòng yuē: “Rú yǒu bó shī yú mín ér néng jì zhòng, hérú? Kě wèi rén hū?” Zǐ yuē: “Hé shì yú rén, bì yě shèng hū! Yáo, Shùn qí yóu bìng zhū! Fú rén zhě, jǐ yù lì ér lì rén, jǐ yù dá ér dá rén. Néng jìn qǔ pì, kě wèi rén zhī fāng yě yǐ.”
English Translation:
Zigong asked: “If one were to bestow benefits broadly upon the people and succor the multitude—what of this? Could such a one be deemed benevolent (ren)?” The Master replied: “Why stop at benevolence? Surely this is sagehood itself! Even Yao and Shun found it difficult to accomplish. Now, the benevolent man, desiring to establish himself, seeks also to establish others; desiring to advance himself, seeks also to advance others. To draw a parallel from what is near to oneself—this may be called the method of benevolence.”
Key Concepts Explained:
- Ren (仁): Benevolence or human-heartedness—the cardinal Confucian virtue denoting moral perfection achieved through empathetic, altruistic conduct toward others.
- Sheng (圣): Sagehood—the highest moral ideal in Confucianism, transcending mere benevolence to embody universal beneficence, as exemplified by legendary rulers Yao and Shun.
- Li (立): To establish or stand—here signifying the act of helping others achieve moral, social, or economic stability.
- Da (达): To advance or attain success—implying the facilitation of others' flourishing, both in character and worldly affairs.
Cultural Context:
This dialogue from The Analects (Yong Ye 6.30) captures Confucius’s pragmatic realism and his hierarchical vision of virtue. While Zigong—a wealthy disciple—envisions benevolence as grand philanthropy, Confucius elevates the standard to sagehood, warning that even sage-kings Yao and Shun found universal relief impracticable. Instead, he grounds ethics in the accessible principle of “taking what is near as analogy” (能近取譬): starting with oneself, extending care outward in concentric circles. This teaching reflects Confucianism’s emphasis on gradual self-cultivation over utopian ideals, and it influenced later Neo-Confucian debates on the tension between inner moral development and outward social action. Historically, figures like the Jin dynasty scholar Xu Xun (许逊) embodied this approach—benefiting their local communities through medicine and charity, achieving renown as benevolent exemplars rather than unattainable sages.