Analects 16.5 · Ji Shi
“There are three joys that benefit and three that harm. To delight in the discipline of ritual and music, in speaking of the goodness of others, and in having many worthy friends: these benefit.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
益者三樂 損者三樂 樂節禮樂 樂道人之善 樂多賢友 益矣 (yì zhě sān yào, sǔn zhě sān yào, yào jié lǐ yuè, yào dào rén zhī shàn, yào duō xián yǒu, yì yǐ) means “There are three joys that benefit and three that harm. To delight in the discipline of ritual and music, in speaking of the goodness of others, and in having many worthy friends: these benefit.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 5.
益者三樂 損者三樂 樂節禮樂 樂道人之善 樂多賢友 益矣
- Pinyin
- yì zhě sān yào, sǔn zhě sān yào, yào jié lǐ yuè, yào dào rén zhī shàn, yào duō xián yǒu, yì yǐ
- Translation
- There are three joys that benefit and three that harm. To delight in the discipline of ritual and music, in speaking of the goodness of others, and in having many worthy friends: these benefit.
- Source
- Analects, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 5
What does this passage mean?
In the fifth chapter of Ji Shi, Confucius divides joys into three that benefit and three that harm. The character for joy here means taking delight in something and is read differently from the same character when it means music. The three beneficial joys are delighting in disciplining oneself through ritual and music, delighting in speaking of the goodness of others, and delighting in having many worthy friends. Confucius goes on to name the three harmful joys: the joy of arrogance, of idle wandering, and of feasting. Some joys build a person up and others eat away at them, and what you take joy in shows the direction you are heading.
How can we apply it today?
In an age of leisure and hobbies, this passage asks about the quality of our pleasures. The beneficial joys Confucius names all make a person grow. Delighting in discipline is the satisfaction of keeping the rules in exercise or study; delighting in speaking of others’ good points is the habit of filling conversation with praise instead of gossip; delighting in worthy friends is spending time with people who make you better. By contrast, sensational entertainment, showing off, and unrestrained spending leave emptiness once the pleasant moment passes. Look at what you spend time enjoying, and you can see where you are going.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Do the things you enjoy build you up or wear you down?
- ·Have you recently felt the joy of speaking well of someone?
- ·How much time do you spend with friends who make you a better person?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 益 | yì | beneficial | 10 | 皿 (dish) |
| 者 | zhě | thing; one who | 8 | 老 (old) |
| 三 | sān | three | 3 | 一 (one) |
| 樂 | yào | delight in | 15 | 木 (tree) |
| 損 | sǔn | decrease; harm | 13 | 手 (hand) |
| 者 | zhě | thing; one who | 8 | 老 (old) |
| 三 | sān | three | 3 | 一 (one) |
| 樂 | yào | delight in | 15 | 木 (tree) |
| 樂 | yào | delight in | 15 | 木 (tree) |
| 節 | jié | joint | 15 | 竹 (bamboo) |
| 禮 | lǐ | ritual propriety | 18 | 示 (spirit) |
| 樂 | yuè | music | 15 | 木 (tree) |
| 樂 | yào | delight in | 15 | 木 (tree) |
| 道 | dào | speak of | 13 | 辵 (walk) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 善 | shàn | good | 12 | 口 (mouth) |
| 樂 | yào | delight in | 15 | 木 (tree) |
| 多 | duō | many | 6 | 夕 (evening) |
| 賢 | xián | worthy; virtuous | 15 | 貝 (shell) |
| 友 | yǒu | friend | 4 | 又 (again) |
| 益 | yì | beneficial | 10 | 皿 (dish) |
| 矣 | yǐ | grammatical particle | 7 | 矢 (arrow) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “There are three joys that benefit and three…” mean?
益者三樂 損者三樂 樂節禮樂 樂道人之善 樂多賢友 益矣 (yì zhě sān yào, sǔn zhě sān yào, yào jié lǐ yuè, yào dào rén zhī shàn, yào duō xián yǒu, yì yǐ) means “There are three joys that benefit and three that harm. To delight in the discipline of ritual and music, in speaking of the goodness of others, and in having many worthy friends: these benefit.” It comes from the Analects, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 5.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 16.5: Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 5.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
In an age of leisure and hobbies, this passage asks about the quality of our pleasures.The beneficial joys Confucius names all make a person grow.