Analects 8.7 · Tai Bo
“A scholar-official cannot be without breadth of spirit and firm resolve, for the burden is heavy and the road is long.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
士不可以不弘毅 任重而道遠 (shì bù kě yǐ bù hóng yì, rèn zhòng ér dào yuǎn) means “A scholar-official cannot be without breadth of spirit and firm resolve, for the burden is heavy and the road is long.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 8 (Tai Bo), Chapter 7.
士不可以不弘毅 任重而道遠
- Pinyin
- shì bù kě yǐ bù hóng yì, rèn zhòng ér dào yuǎn
- Translation
- A scholar-official cannot be without breadth of spirit and firm resolve, for the burden is heavy and the road is long.
- Source
- Analects, Book 8 (Tai Bo), Chapter 7
What does this passage mean?
This saying of Zengzi forms a pair with the heavy burden and long road. Breadth and resolve mean a capacious mind and a firm will. A scholar needs both because humaneness is a heavy responsibility carried across an entire life. Breadth allows a person to embrace varied circumstances; resolve allows that person to overcome hardship.
How can we apply it today?
A great undertaking requires two qualities: breadth of mind that can include different people and situations, and firmness of will that does not collapse under adversity. Breadth without resolve begins but cannot finish; resolve without breadth becomes dogmatic. Executives, leaders, and parents all need the balance of a generous mind and a steadfast purpose.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Is your mind broad enough?
- ·Is your purpose firm enough?
- ·Are you balancing breadth of mind with strength of resolve?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 士 | shì | scholar | 3 | 士 (scholar) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 可 | kě | right | 5 | 口 (mouth) |
| 以 | yǐ | by means of | 5 | 人 (person) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 弘 | hóng | broad | 5 | 弓 (bow) |
| 毅 | yì | strong | 15 | 殳 (weapon) |
| 任 | rèn | entrust | 6 | 人 (person) |
| 重 | zhòng | heavy | 9 | 里 (village) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 道 | dào | road | 13 | 辵 (walk) |
| 遠 | yuǎn | far | 13 | 辵 (walk) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “A scholar-official cannot be without…” mean?
士不可以不弘毅 任重而道遠 (shì bù kě yǐ bù hóng yì, rèn zhòng ér dào yuǎn) means “A scholar-official cannot be without breadth of spirit and firm resolve, for the burden is heavy and the road is long.” It comes from the Analects, Book 8 (Tai Bo), Chapter 7.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 8.7: Book 8 (Tai Bo), Chapter 7.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
A great undertaking requires two qualities: breadth of mind that can include different people and situations, and firmness of will that does not collapse under adversity.