Analects 2.2 · Wei Zheng
“The three hundred poems may be summed up in one phrase: “Let there be no depraved thoughts.””
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
詩三百 一言以蔽之 曰思無邪 (shī sān bǎi, yī yán yǐ bì zhī, yuē sī wú xié) means “The three hundred poems may be summed up in one phrase: “Let there be no depraved thoughts.”” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 2 (Wei Zheng), Chapter 2.
詩三百 一言以蔽之 曰思無邪
- Pinyin
- shī sān bǎi, yī yán yǐ bì zhī, yuē sī wú xié
- Translation
- The three hundred poems may be summed up in one phrase: “Let there be no depraved thoughts.”
- Source
- Analects, Book 2 (Wei Zheng), Chapter 2
What does this passage mean?
詩三百 refers to the roughly three hundred poems in the Book of Songs. 思無邪 is a line Confucius quotes from 'The Stalwart Horses' in the Hymns of Lu section of that classic. 邪 means crooked, false, or morally improper. Confucius compresses the essence of the entire Book of Songs into one phrase: 'There is no falseness in its thoughts.' For him, the collection was not merely literature but a classic preserving honest human emotions and an uncorrupted heart, and he made it a central text for cultivating character.
How can we apply it today?
In an age of information overload, our thinking grows increasingly complicated and loses its innocence. 思無邪 calls for thoughts free of crookedness—a pure and upright heart. Even in business, sincere concern for customers exerts more lasting power than an elaborate strategy. When our writing or speech conveys an honest heart without ornament or pretense, it gains the power to move people.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Do my thoughts and words contain genuine sincerity?
- ·When did I last do something from a pure heart, without complicated calculation?
- ·What would it take to practice the spirit of 思無邪 in daily life?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 詩 | shī | poem | 13 | 言 (speech) |
| 三 | sān | three | 3 | 一 (one) |
| 百 | bǎi | one hundred | 6 | 白 (white) |
| 一 | yī | one | 1 | 一 (one) |
| 言 | yán | speech | 7 | 言 (speech) |
| 以 | yǐ | by means of | 5 | 人 (person) |
| 蔽 | bì | conceal | 15 | 艸 (grass) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 曰 | yuē | say | 4 | 曰 (say) |
| 思 | sī | think | 9 | 心 (heart) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 邪 | xié | wicked | 7 | 邑 (city) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “The three hundred poems may be summed up in…” mean?
詩三百 一言以蔽之 曰思無邪 (shī sān bǎi, yī yán yǐ bì zhī, yuē sī wú xié) means “The three hundred poems may be summed up in one phrase: “Let there be no depraved thoughts.”” It comes from the Analects, Book 2 (Wei Zheng), Chapter 2.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 2.2: Book 2 (Wei Zheng), Chapter 2.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
In an age of information overload, our thinking grows increasingly complicated and loses its innocence.思無邪 calls for thoughts free of crookedness—a pure and upright heart.