Analects 6.4 · Yong Ye
“The exemplary person helps those in urgent need, not those who are already rich.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
君子周急不繼富 (jūn zǐ zhōu jí bù jì fù) means “The exemplary person helps those in urgent need, not those who are already rich.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 4.
君子周急不繼富
- Pinyin
- jūn zǐ zhōu jí bù jì fù
- Translation
- The exemplary person helps those in urgent need, not those who are already rich.
- Source
- Analects, Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 4
What does this passage mean?
The background of the fourth chapter of Yong Ye is this. When the disciple Zihua went to Qi on an errand for Confucius, Ran Qiu requested grain for Zihua’s mother. Confucius told him to give a small amount, but Ran Qiu gave far more. Confucius points out that Zihua had departed riding a sleek horse and wearing a light fur coat, and then says these words. To help the hard-pressed means to make up what those in urgent need lack; to add to the rich means giving more to those who already have plenty. Giving has its principles, and it should go where it is truly needed. Adding to someone who already has, out of sentiment, is not humaneness but waste.
How can we apply it today?
That help should go to those who need it seems obvious, yet reality flows the other way. More budget goes to departments already performing well, donations pour toward famous people, and we give fatter envelopes at the celebrations of successful friends. Connections and face cloud our judgment. Confucius makes the recipient’s circumstances the standard for giving. Real help goes not to the conspicuous but to the truly desperate, not to those who can repay but to those who cannot. Charity, sponsorship, and the allocation of resources in an organization all need this standard.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Is the help you give going where it is needed, or where it is familiar?
- ·Have you ever added to someone already well off for the sake of appearances?
- ·Who around you is truly in urgent need right now?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 君 | jūn | ruler | 7 | 口 (mouth) |
| 子 | zǐ | son | 3 | 子 (child) |
| 周 | zhōu | relieve; help | 8 | 口 (mouth) |
| 急 | jí | urgent need | 9 | 心 (heart) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 繼 | jì | add to; continue | 20 | 糸 (silk) |
| 富 | fù | wealthy | 12 | 宀 (roof) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “The exemplary person helps those in urgent…” mean?
君子周急不繼富 (jūn zǐ zhōu jí bù jì fù) means “The exemplary person helps those in urgent need, not those who are already rich.” It comes from the Analects, Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 4.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 6.4: Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 4.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
That help should go to those who need it seems obvious, yet reality flows the other way.