Analects 7.7 · Shu Er
“From anyone who has come of their own accord bringing even a bundle of dried meat, I have never withheld instruction.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
自行束脩以上 吾未嘗無誨焉 (zì xíng shù xiū yǐ shàng, wú wèi cháng wú huì yān) means “From anyone who has come of their own accord bringing even a bundle of dried meat, I have never withheld instruction.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 7 (Shu Er), Chapter 7.
自行束脩以上 吾未嘗無誨焉
- Pinyin
- zì xíng shù xiū yǐ shàng, wú wèi cháng wú huì yān
- Translation
- From anyone who has come of their own accord bringing even a bundle of dried meat, I have never withheld instruction.
- Source
- Analects, Book 7 (Shu Er), Chapter 7
What does this passage mean?
This is the seventh chapter of Shu Er. A bundle of dried meat, ten strips tied together, was the humblest gift one could bring when first meeting a teacher. Confucius says that he has never refused instruction to anyone who came to learn of their own accord bringing even this small gift. Regardless of rank or wealth, he accepted anyone with the will to learn, a spirit that matches his saying that in teaching there are no distinctions of class. Yet by making a minimal gift the condition, he asked for a minimum of sincerity and courtesy toward learning. The door of learning was opened wide, but opened to those who knocked on it themselves.
How can we apply it today?
Confucius had two conditions: come on your own, and bring at least a small token of sincerity. He looked not at money or status but at the will to learn. Today knowledge is more cheaply available than ever, yet those who seek it out for themselves are rare. Conversely, those in a position to teach should look at a student’s will rather than their background. Answering without impatience when a junior colleague asks sincerely is how this passage is practiced. The threshold of learning should be low, but crossing it is the learner’s own task.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Do you seek out on your own the things you want to learn?
- ·By what standard do you respond when someone wants to learn from you?
- ·Have you ever asked to be taught while bringing even a small token of sincerity?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 自 | zì | oneself | 6 | 自 (self) |
| 行 | xíng | practice | 6 | 行 (walk) |
| 束 | shù | bundle | 7 | 木 (tree) |
| 脩 | xiū | dried meat | 11 | 肉 (meat) |
| 以 | yǐ | by means of | 5 | 人 (person) |
| 上 | shàng | above | 3 | 一 (one) |
| 吾 | wú | I; me | 7 | 口 (mouth) |
| 未 | wèi | still | 5 | 木 (tree) |
| 嘗 | cháng | once | 14 | 口 (mouth) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 誨 | huì | teach | 14 | 言 (speech) |
| 焉 | yān | grammatical particle | 11 | 火 (fire) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “From anyone who has come of their own…” mean?
自行束脩以上 吾未嘗無誨焉 (zì xíng shù xiū yǐ shàng, wú wèi cháng wú huì yān) means “From anyone who has come of their own accord bringing even a bundle of dried meat, I have never withheld instruction.” It comes from the Analects, Book 7 (Shu Er), Chapter 7.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 7.7: Book 7 (Shu Er), Chapter 7.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Confucius had two conditions: come on your own, and bring at least a small token of sincerity.He looked not at money or status but at the will to learn.