Analects 13.29 · Zi Lu
“After a good person has taught the people for seven years, they may be prepared for military service.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
善人敎民七年 亦可以卽戎矣 (shàn rén jiào mín qī nián, yì kě yǐ jí róng yǐ) means “After a good person has taught the people for seven years, they may be prepared for military service.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 29.
善人敎民七年 亦可以卽戎矣
- Pinyin
- shàn rén jiào mín qī nián, yì kě yǐ jí róng yǐ
- Translation
- After a good person has taught the people for seven years, they may be prepared for military service.
- Source
- Analects, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 29
What does this passage mean?
In this passage from the Zilu chapter, Confucius discusses the relationship between education and national defense. 善人 means a leader of virtue, and 卽戎 means going to war. The period of seven years represents the time needed to educate and train the people adequately. Confucius did not reject war in every circumstance, but strongly opposed sending the people into battle without sufficient preparation. Linked to the following passage, this teaching emphasizes the importance of education.
How can we apply it today?
Every organization should educate and prepare its members adequately before assigning difficult work. It is irresponsible to give a new employee an important project without proper training, or send a child into a major examination without enough preparation. Investing in people's long-term development is never wasteful. Just as the seven years in this passage symbolize, genuine competence is not created overnight.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Have I ever assigned work without providing enough preparation?
- ·How much do I invest in people's long-term development?
- ·Have I ever overlooked the importance of preparation?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 善 | shàn | good | 12 | 口 (mouth) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 敎 | jiào | teach | 11 | 攴 (tap) |
| 民 | mín | the people | 5 | 氏 (clan) |
| 七 | qī | seven | 2 | 一 (one) |
| 年 | nián | year | 6 | 干 (dry) |
| 亦 | yì | also | 6 | 亠 (lid) |
| 可 | kě | right | 5 | 口 (mouth) |
| 以 | yǐ | by means of | 5 | 人 (person) |
| 卽 | jí | then; immediately | 9 | 卩 (seal) |
| 戎 | róng | weapons; warfare | 6 | 戈 (halberd) |
| 矣 | yǐ | grammatical particle | 7 | 矢 (arrow) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “After a good person has taught the people…” mean?
善人敎民七年 亦可以卽戎矣 (shàn rén jiào mín qī nián, yì kě yǐ jí róng yǐ) means “After a good person has taught the people for seven years, they may be prepared for military service.” It comes from the Analects, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 29.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 13.29: Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 29.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Every organization should educate and prepare its members adequately before assigning difficult work.