Analects 17.7 · Yang Huo
“Is it not said to be hard, what grinding cannot wear thin? Is it not said to be white, what black dye cannot darken?”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
不曰堅乎 磨而不磷 不曰白乎 涅而不緇 (bù yuē jiān hū, mó ér bù lín, bù yuē bái hū, niè ér bù zī) means “Is it not said to be hard, what grinding cannot wear thin? Is it not said to be white, what black dye cannot darken?” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 17 (Yang Huo), Chapter 7.
不曰堅乎 磨而不磷 不曰白乎 涅而不緇
- Pinyin
- bù yuē jiān hū, mó ér bù lín, bù yuē bái hū, niè ér bù zī
- Translation
- Is it not said to be hard, what grinding cannot wear thin? Is it not said to be white, what black dye cannot darken?
- Source
- Analects, Book 17 (Yang Huo), Chapter 7
What does this passage mean?
The background of the seventh chapter of Yang Huo is this. When Bi Xi, who had risen in rebellion, summoned Confucius, Confucius intended to go, and Zilu objected: had the Master not said that the exemplary person does not enter the house of one who does evil? Confucius admitted he had said so and then answered with this passage. What is truly hard is not worn thin by grinding; what is truly white is not darkened by black dye. It was a statement of confidence that he was hard and white enough not to be stained even in a bad place, and of his urgency to find any opportunity to practice the Way. He added: am I a gourd, to hang there and never be eaten?
How can we apply it today?
Avoiding a bad environment and keeping oneself intact within one are different abilities. When young, choosing a good environment matters most; as an adult, one needs the strength not to be stained in any environment. The person who alone keeps principles in a corrupt organization, or who works honestly in a rough industry, has the hardness Confucius describes, the kind that grinding cannot wear thin. But the passage is not advice to overestimate your own hardness. If you are not as hard as Confucius, Zilu’s worry is the right one. First measure honestly how hard you are; only then decide how far in you will go.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Are you hard enough not to be stained by a bad environment?
- ·Have you ever lost your principles because of your surroundings?
- ·Are you overestimating your own hardness?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 曰 | yuē | speak | 4 | 曰 (say) |
| 堅 | jiān | hard; firm | 11 | 土 (earth) |
| 乎 | hū | grammatical particle | 5 | 丿 (slash) |
| 磨 | mó | grind | 16 | 石 (stone) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 磷 | lín | wear thin | 17 | 石 (stone) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 曰 | yuē | speak | 4 | 曰 (say) |
| 白 | bái | white | 5 | 白 (white) |
| 乎 | hū | grammatical particle | 5 | 丿 (slash) |
| 涅 | niè | dye black | 10 | 水 (water) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 緇 | zī | black | 14 | 糸 (silk) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Is it not said to be hard, what grinding…” mean?
不曰堅乎 磨而不磷 不曰白乎 涅而不緇 (bù yuē jiān hū, mó ér bù lín, bù yuē bái hū, niè ér bù zī) means “Is it not said to be hard, what grinding cannot wear thin? Is it not said to be white, what black dye cannot darken?” It comes from the Analects, Book 17 (Yang Huo), Chapter 7.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 17.7: Book 17 (Yang Huo), Chapter 7.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Avoiding a bad environment and keeping oneself intact within one are different abilities.