When There Is Will, The Way Will Be Found

After reading some more chapters from the book of Confucius Analects, I realized how each chapter is more or less independent. Well, obviously one needs to read the whole book to understand more in depth about what Confucius wanted to saying. But each chapter explains certain thing and is understandable without reading other chapters. One of the lines that got my attention is from chapter 7:8,

“The Master said, ‘I will not open the door for a mind that is not already striving to understand, nor will I provide words to a tongue that is not already struggling to speak. If I hold up one corner of a problem, and the student cannot come back to me with the other three, I will not attempt to instruct him again.”

It may sound harsh what the Master is saying. However, I believe that his toughness can train his disciplines very well. I mean, masters exists to teach but students also need to do something to be prepared for whatever lesson the master would give. The students need to be willing to do their job that will get them ready. And I think the Master is talking about does preparations that are part of the learner’s job.

Another part I like is from chapter 7:30, “The Master said, ‘Is Goodness really so far away? If I simply desire Goodness, I will find that it is already here.’” It reminded me of this quote from Ishmael that said something like, “the way will be found if there is will.”