Analects 18.5 · Wei Zi
“What is past can no longer be corrected, but what is to come may still be pursued.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
往者不可諫 來者猶可追 (wǎng zhě bù kě jiàn, lái zhě yóu kě zhuī) means “What is past can no longer be corrected, but what is to come may still be pursued.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 18 (Wei Zi), Chapter 5.
往者不可諫 來者猶可追
- Pinyin
- wǎng zhě bù kě jiàn, lái zhě yóu kě zhuī
- Translation
- What is past can no longer be corrected, but what is to come may still be pursued.
- Source
- Analects, Book 18 (Wei Zi), Chapter 5
What does this passage mean?
This line from Wei Zi is part of a song performed as the recluse Jieyu of Chu passed Confucius. What has gone means the past, while what is coming means the future; correcting and pursuing distinguish what can no longer be changed from what remains within reach. Jieyu believed Confucius’s effort to reform the world was futile, but the song’s counsel to release the past and attend to the future became universal wisdom.
How can we apply it today?
Fixation on a past failure prevents movement. The regret “I should have acted differently then” does not construct a future. We should draw a lesson from the past but invest our energy ahead. Spilled water cannot be gathered again, but we can handle the next cup more carefully. Releasing the past is the first step toward taking hold of the future.
Questions to reflect on
- ·What event from the past still holds you?
- ·Can you accept that it cannot be corrected now?
- ·What must you release in order to concentrate on the life ahead?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 往 | wǎng | go | 8 | 彳 (step) |
| 者 | zhě | thing; one who | 8 | 老 (old) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 可 | kě | right | 5 | 口 (mouth) |
| 諫 | jiàn | remonstrate | 16 | 言 (speech) |
| 來 | lái | come | 8 | 人 (person) |
| 者 | zhě | thing; one who | 8 | 老 (old) |
| 猶 | yóu | still; yet | 12 | 犬 (dog) |
| 可 | kě | right | 5 | 口 (mouth) |
| 追 | zhuī | pursue | 9 | 辵 (walk) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “What is past can no longer be corrected…” mean?
往者不可諫 來者猶可追 (wǎng zhě bù kě jiàn, lái zhě yóu kě zhuī) means “What is past can no longer be corrected, but what is to come may still be pursued.” It comes from the Analects, Book 18 (Wei Zi), Chapter 5.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 18.5: Book 18 (Wei Zi), Chapter 5.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Fixation on a past failure prevents movement.The regret “I should have acted differently then” does not construct a future.We should draw a lesson from the past but invest our energy ahead.