Analects 5.12 · Gongye Chang
“What I do not wish others to do to me, I too wish not to do to others.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
我不欲人之加諸我也 吾亦欲無加諸人 (wǒ bù yù rén zhī jiā zhū wǒ yě, wú yì yù wú jiā zhū rén) means “What I do not wish others to do to me, I too wish not to do to others.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 12.
我不欲人之加諸我也 吾亦欲無加諸人
- Pinyin
- wǒ bù yù rén zhī jiā zhū wǒ yě, wú yì yù wú jiā zhū rén
- Translation
- What I do not wish others to do to me, I too wish not to do to others.
- Source
- Analects, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 12
What does this passage mean?
These are Zigong’s words in the twelfth chapter of Gongye Chang: a resolution not to do to others what he would not want others to do to him, the same idea as the famous line in Yan Yuan about not imposing on others what one does not desire oneself. The Master’s response is unexpected. He says, ‘Ci, that is not something you have yet attained.’ Not because Zigong was wrong, but because saying it is easy and living it is hard. The scene shows how heavy a burden it is to keep the principle of reciprocity throughout one’s entire life.
How can we apply it today?
Everyone knows this principle. We teach even small children not to do to others what they dislike themselves. The difficulty is not knowing it but keeping it every moment. We speak to subordinates in a tone that would anger us, guard our own time while wasting other people’s, and forgive our own mistakes while judging others’ harshly. What Confucius said to Zigong applies to us as well. Before claiming to know the principle, count how many times you broke it today. A principle is kept not by declaration but by daily inspection.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Did you do anything to someone today that you would have disliked if it had been done to you?
- ·How wide is the gap between the principles you know and the ones you actually keep?
- ·With whom is this principle hardest to keep?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | 7 | 戈 (halberd) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 欲 | yù | hope for | 11 | 欠 (lack) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 加 | jiā | impose; add | 5 | 力 (power) |
| 諸 | zhū | to it; on it (contraction) | 16 | 言 (speech) |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | 7 | 戈 (halberd) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 吾 | wú | I; me | 7 | 口 (mouth) |
| 亦 | yì | also | 6 | 亠 (lid) |
| 欲 | yù | hope for | 11 | 欠 (lack) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 加 | jiā | impose; add | 5 | 力 (power) |
| 諸 | zhū | to it; on it (contraction) | 16 | 言 (speech) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “What I do not wish others to do to me, I…” mean?
我不欲人之加諸我也 吾亦欲無加諸人 (wǒ bù yù rén zhī jiā zhū wǒ yě, wú yì yù wú jiā zhū rén) means “What I do not wish others to do to me, I too wish not to do to others.” It comes from the Analects, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 12.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 5.12: Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 12.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Everyone knows this principle.We teach even small children not to do to others what they dislike themselves.The difficulty is not knowing it but keeping it every moment.