6.11 Zi said: "Virtuous, go back!."A spoonful of food, a scoop of drink, in the alleys, people are unbearable, and they will not change their pleasures. Virtuous, back!”
Confucius said, "How virtuous Yan Hui is!A bamboo basket of rice, a melon and a scoop of water, living in a dilapidated and narrow alley, others can't stand this kind of poor sorrow, but Yan Hui can't change his happiness. How virtuous Yan Hui is!”
Analects 611
Interpretation] Qi - ancient bamboo utensils for rice, round.
What was Confucius's attitude towards wealth?Let's start with the other two in the Analects.
Sub-Road Chapter 139 recorded the dialogue between Confucius and Ran You, in the face of the dense crowd of people who defended the country, Ran You asked the teacher how to govern these people, Confucius first said "rich", and then said "teach", it can be seen that Confucius was never a nerd who only talked about education, he believed that life is rich first, which is similar to saying today that "poverty is not socialism".
Confucius said, "Rich can be sought, even if the whip is a man, I will do it." (Narrative 7.)12) If wealth can be pursued, to be a low-level manual laborer, Confucius is also willing. On the other hand, if wealth is not available, Confucius said, "Rich and expensive without righteousness is like a floating cloud to me." (Narrative 7.)16) Confucius never eulogized poverty, but he opposed the riches that come from unrighteousness.
Yan Hui's poverty was not because he had done anything unkind or unjust, so Confucius did not blame Yan Hui for his poverty. This is the so-called "poverty and cheapness, which are the evil of people, and they do not get it by their way, and they do not go." (Liren, Chapter 4.)5) Don't be poor and lowly because you deserve to be poor, and a gentleman will not violate this poverty.
It's just that Yan Hui is also a little too poor, living in a slum, only a bamboo basket of rice and a melon and a scoop of water every day, this kind of difficulty is unbearable for ordinary people. Confucius said, "Poverty without resentment is difficult."Rich and not arrogant, easy. (Constitution, 14.)10) In this kind of poverty, it is already difficult to be able to do it without complaints. But what did Yan Hui do?"I won't change my pleasure when I go back. Not only did he not complain, but he was also able to live in peace. This is an amazing cultivation!
Zigong asked the teacher, how about "being poor and unashamed, rich and not arrogant"?Confucius replied to him that this is already very good, but it is not as good as "being poor and happy, and being rich and courteous". (Learning and Learning" 115) Yan Hui completely achieved the height that the teacher said, and it is no wonder that Confucius repeatedly sighed "Virtuous, Hui Ye!".”
The idiom "箪食瓢drink" is from this chapter.