Analects 9.11 · Zi Han
“The more I look up to it, the higher it rises; the more I bore into it, the harder it becomes. I see it before me, and suddenly it is behind.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
仰之彌高 鑽之彌堅 瞻之在前 忽焉在後 (yǎng zhī mí gāo, zuān zhī mí jiān, zhān zhī zài qián, hū yān zài hòu) means “The more I look up to it, the higher it rises; the more I bore into it, the harder it becomes. I see it before me, and suddenly it is behind.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 9 (Zi Han), Chapter 11.
仰之彌高 鑽之彌堅 瞻之在前 忽焉在後
- Pinyin
- yǎng zhī mí gāo, zuān zhī mí jiān, zhān zhī zài qián, hū yān zài hòu
- Translation
- The more I look up to it, the higher it rises; the more I bore into it, the harder it becomes. I see it before me, and suddenly it is behind.
- Source
- Analects, Book 9 (Zi Han), Chapter 11
What does this passage mean?
In the eleventh chapter of Zi Han, Yan Yuan sighs deeply as he describes the learning and character of his teacher. The more he looks up, the higher it rises; the more he bores into it, the harder it becomes; it seems to be ahead of him, and suddenly it is behind. He is expressing how broad and deep the Master’s Way is, so that even with all his strength he cannot reach its end. Yan Yuan was the disciple Confucius cherished most, and this passage is considered the most beautiful expression of the awe and longing a learner feels before a great teacher. In what follows, he recalls that even so, his teacher led him forward step by step.
How can we apply it today?
In any field, the deeper you go, the more you see what you do not know. Work you thought you could master in a few months feels wider after a few years. That is not failure but evidence that you are learning properly. Yan Yuan’s sigh is awe, not despair. The fact that so much remained to learn kept him humble and kept him moving. What can be conquered quickly is rarely worth holding for long. A person who has found something that grows harder the deeper they dig is never bored for a lifetime.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Is there a field that feels deeper the further you go into it?
- ·When you see more of what you do not know, do you feel discouraged or excited?
- ·Is there someone near you who seems higher the more you look up?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 仰 | yǎng | look up | 6 | 人 (person) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 彌 | mí | ever more | 17 | 弓 (bow) |
| 高 | gāo | high | 10 | 高 (tall) |
| 鑽 | zuān | bore into | 27 | 金 (metal) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 彌 | mí | ever more | 17 | 弓 (bow) |
| 堅 | jiān | hard; firm | 11 | 土 (earth) |
| 瞻 | zhān | gaze at | 18 | 目 (eye) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 在 | zài | exist | 6 | 土 (earth) |
| 前 | qián | front | 9 | 刀 (knife) |
| 忽 | hū | suddenly | 8 | 心 (heart) |
| 焉 | yān | grammatical particle | 11 | 火 (fire) |
| 在 | zài | exist | 6 | 土 (earth) |
| 後 | hòu | after | 9 | 彳 (step) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “The more I look up to it, the higher it…” mean?
仰之彌高 鑽之彌堅 瞻之在前 忽焉在後 (yǎng zhī mí gāo, zuān zhī mí jiān, zhān zhī zài qián, hū yān zài hòu) means “The more I look up to it, the higher it rises; the more I bore into it, the harder it becomes. I see it before me, and suddenly it is behind.” It comes from the Analects, Book 9 (Zi Han), Chapter 11.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 9.11: Book 9 (Zi Han), Chapter 11.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
In any field, the deeper you go, the more you see what you do not know.Work you thought you could master in a few months feels wider after a few years.