Analects 9.4 · Zi Han
“The Master rejected four things: speculation, insistence, inflexibility, and egotism.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
子絕四 毋意 毋必 毋固 毋我 (zǐ jué sì, wú yì, wú bì, wú gù, wú wǒ) means “The Master rejected four things: speculation, insistence, inflexibility, and egotism.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 9 (Zi Han), Chapter 4.
子絕四 毋意 毋必 毋固 毋我
- Pinyin
- zǐ jué sì, wú yì, wú bì, wú gù, wú wǒ
- Translation
- The Master rejected four things: speculation, insistence, inflexibility, and egotism.
- Source
- Analects, Book 9 (Zi Han), Chapter 4
What does this passage mean?
This passage from the Zi Han chapter describes four freedoms achieved by Confucius. 毋意 means making no arbitrary conjectures; 毋必, not insisting that things must be a certain way; 毋固, not being rigidly obstinate; and 毋我, not being self-centered. 絕 means to cut off completely, a strong expression indicating that he had thoroughly eliminated all four. The saying shows the level of spiritual freedom Confucius attained and bears a certain affinity with the Buddhist idea of non-self.
How can we apply it today?
Conjecture, dogmatism, stubbornness, and egotism are four major forces that ruin modern relationships and decisions. We presume to know another person's intentions, insist that our way alone is right, resist change, and think only of our own interests. Releasing these habits makes life remarkably more flexible. Those who listen with an open mind, respond flexibly to circumstances, and know how to yield for a value greater than themselves ultimately exert the greater influence.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Which is strongest in me: conjecture, dogmatism, stubbornness, or egotism?
- ·What am I doing to reduce these four habits?
- ·Do I believe a state of freedom from self-centeredness is possible?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 子 | zǐ | master | 3 | 子 (child) |
| 絕 | jué | cut off | 12 | 糸 (silk) |
| 四 | sì | four | 5 | 囗 (enclosure) |
| 毋 | wú | do not | 4 | 毋 (do not) |
| 意 | yì | intention | 13 | 心 (heart) |
| 毋 | wú | do not | 4 | 毋 (do not) |
| 必 | bì | certainly | 5 | 心 (heart) |
| 毋 | wú | do not | 4 | 毋 (do not) |
| 固 | gù | firm | 8 | 囗 (enclosure) |
| 毋 | wú | do not | 4 | 毋 (do not) |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | 7 | 戈 (halberd) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “The Master rejected four things…” mean?
子絕四 毋意 毋必 毋固 毋我 (zǐ jué sì, wú yì, wú bì, wú gù, wú wǒ) means “The Master rejected four things: speculation, insistence, inflexibility, and egotism.” It comes from the Analects, Book 9 (Zi Han), Chapter 4.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 9.4: Book 9 (Zi Han), Chapter 4.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Conjecture, dogmatism, stubbornness, and egotism are four major forces that ruin modern relationships and decisions.