Book IX 6

1 A high officer asked Tsze-kung, saying, ‘May we not say that your Master is a sage? How various is his ability!’

2 Tsze-kung said, ‘Certainly Heaven has endowed him unlimitedly. He is about a sage. And, moreover, his ability is various.’

3 The Master heard of the conversation and said, ‘Does the high officer know me? When I was young, my condition was low, and therefore I acquired my ability in many things, but they were mean matters. Must the superior man have such variety of ability? He does not need variety of ability.’

4 Lao said, ‘The Master said, “Having no official employment, I acquired many arts.”’