Analects 13.11 · Zi Lu
“If good people governed a state for a hundred years, they could overcome cruelty and eliminate killing.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
善人爲邦百年 亦可以勝殘去殺矣 (shàn rén wéi bāng bǎi nián, yì kě yǐ shèng cán qù shā yǐ) means “If good people governed a state for a hundred years, they could overcome cruelty and eliminate killing.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 11.
善人爲邦百年 亦可以勝殘去殺矣
- Pinyin
- shàn rén wéi bāng bǎi nián, yì kě yǐ shèng cán qù shā yǐ
- Translation
- If good people governed a state for a hundred years, they could overcome cruelty and eliminate killing.
- Source
- Analects, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 11
What does this passage mean?
In this passage from the Zilu chapter, Confucius describes the long-term effect of good government. 善人 means a leader of virtue, while 勝殘去殺 means overcoming cruel punishments and eliminating killing. The span of one hundred years signifies consistent benevolent rule across several generations. Confucius believed that social transformation cannot happen overnight; only the accumulation of steady government by virtue can ultimately create a society without violence.
How can we apply it today?
Social change takes time. The effects of education policy emerge a decade later, and the fruits of environmental protection after many decades. We want immediate results, but genuine change demands patience and persistence across more than one generation. The same is true of changing an organization's culture or society's customs. Even when no result is immediately visible, it matters to continue steadily in the right direction.
Questions to reflect on
- ·What long-term change am I working toward consistently?
- ·Can I remain patient when there is no immediate result?
- ·What can I do now for the next generation?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 善 | shàn | good | 12 | 口 (mouth) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 爲 | wéi | become | 12 | 爪 (claw) |
| 邦 | bāng | state | 7 | 邑 (city) |
| 百 | bǎi | one hundred | 6 | 白 (white) |
| 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) |
| 勝 | shèng | overcome | 12 | 力 (power) |
| 殘 | cán | cruel | 12 | 歹 (death) |
| 去 | qù | go | 5 | 厶 (private) |
| 殺 | shā | kill | 11 | 殳 (weapon) |
| 矣 | yǐ | grammatical particle | 7 | 矢 (arrow) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “If good people governed a state for a…” mean?
善人爲邦百年 亦可以勝殘去殺矣 (shàn rén wéi bāng bǎi nián, yì kě yǐ shèng cán qù shā yǐ) means “If good people governed a state for a hundred years, they could overcome cruelty and eliminate killing.” It comes from the Analects, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 11.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 13.11: Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 11.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Social change takes time.The effects of education policy emerge a decade later, and the fruits of environmental protection after many decades.