Analects 5.23 · Gongye Chang
“By not dwelling on old wrongs, one incurs little resentment.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
不念舊惡 怨是用希 (bù niàn jiù è, yuàn shì yòng xī) means “By not dwelling on old wrongs, one incurs little resentment.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 23.
不念舊惡 怨是用希
- Pinyin
- bù niàn jiù è, yuàn shì yòng xī
- Translation
- By not dwelling on old wrongs, one incurs little resentment.
- Source
- Analects, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 23
What does this passage mean?
This passage from the Gongye Chang chapter is Confucius's assessment of Boyi and Shuqi. Sages from the end of the Shang dynasty, the brothers each yielded the throne to the other in order to honor their father's wishes. 不念舊惡 means not holding past wrongs in one's heart, and 怨是用希 means that resentment was therefore rare. Confucius regarded the tolerance that refuses to nurse old grievances as a secret to maintaining healthy relationships.
How can we apply it today?
Living with grievance and anger in the heart is like taking poison oneself. Psychology has also confirmed the positive effects of forgiveness on mental health. Continuing to resent a colleague who once treated us unfairly, or refusing to release anger toward a former partner, ultimately eats away at us. Forgiveness is not for the other person but for ourselves. We must let go of the past in order to live in the present.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Is there an old grievance I still carry in my heart?
- ·How has forgiving a past wrong changed me?
- ·What effect is my refusal to forgive having on me?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 念 | niàn | think | 8 | 心 (heart) |
| 舊 | jiù | old | 18 | 臼 (mortar) |
| 惡 | è | evil | 12 | 心 (heart) |
| 怨 | yuàn | resent | 9 | 心 (heart) |
| 是 | shì | this | 9 | 日 (sun) |
| 用 | yòng | use | 5 | 用 (use) |
| 希 | xī | rare | 7 | 巾 (turban) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “By not dwelling on old wrongs, one incurs…” mean?
不念舊惡 怨是用希 (bù niàn jiù è, yuàn shì yòng xī) means “By not dwelling on old wrongs, one incurs little resentment.” It comes from the Analects, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 23.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 5.23: Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 23.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Living with grievance and anger in the heart is like taking poison oneself.Psychology has also confirmed the positive effects of forgiveness on mental health.