Analects 5.10 · Gongye Chang
“Rotten wood cannot be carved, and a wall of filthy earth cannot be plastered.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
朽木不可雕也 糞土之牆不可杇也 (xiǔ mù bù kě diāo yě, fèn tǔ zhī qiáng bù kě wū yě) means “Rotten wood cannot be carved, and a wall of filthy earth cannot be plastered.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 10.
朽木不可雕也 糞土之牆不可杇也
- Pinyin
- xiǔ mù bù kě diāo yě, fèn tǔ zhī qiáng bù kě wū yě
- Translation
- Rotten wood cannot be carved, and a wall of filthy earth cannot be plastered.
- Source
- Analects, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 10
What does this passage mean?
In the Gongye Chang chapter, Confucius says this about his disciple Zai Yu. Zai Yu was eloquent but also displayed laziness, such as sleeping during the day. 朽木 means rotten wood, and 糞土之牆 a wall made from filthy, crumbling earth. Even the finest carving knife cannot carve rotten wood, and even the best trowel cannot plaster an unsound wall. Confucius states bluntly that teaching is useless for someone who has no will to learn.
How can we apply it today?
No matter how good an opportunity someone receives, it is useless without that person's will to change. The effect of education, coaching, or mentoring ultimately depends on the recipient's attitude. At work, further opportunities become meaningless for someone who repeats the same mistakes while showing no intention to improve. This does not necessarily mean that we should abandon people. Its lesson is that change always begins within oneself, and that self-discipline is essential if we are not to decay like rotten wood.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Is there any part of me that resembles 'rotten wood'?
- ·Am I prepared to accept another person's teaching or advice?
- ·In what area, if any, have I lost the will to change?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 朽 | xiǔ | decay | 6 | 木 (tree) |
| 木 | mù | tree | 4 | 木 (tree) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 可 | kě | right | 5 | 口 (mouth) |
| 雕 | diāo | engrave | 16 | 隹 (short-tailed bird) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 糞 | fèn | fertilizer | 17 | 米 (rice) |
| 土 | tǔ | earth | 3 | 土 (earth) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 牆 | qiáng | wall | 17 | 爿 (split wood) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 可 | kě | right | 5 | 口 (mouth) |
| 杇 | wū | plaster | 7 | 木 (tree) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Rotten wood cannot be carved, and a wall of…” mean?
朽木不可雕也 糞土之牆不可杇也 (xiǔ mù bù kě diāo yě, fèn tǔ zhī qiáng bù kě wū yě) means “Rotten wood cannot be carved, and a wall of filthy earth cannot be plastered.” It comes from the Analects, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 10.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 5.10: Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 10.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
No matter how good an opportunity someone receives, it is useless without that person's will to change.The effect of education, coaching, or mentoring ultimately depends on the recipient's attitude.