Confucius 孔子
5th century BC · Lu, Spring and Autumn China · To the pupils standing by. Yan is Ziyou's given name
The Master said, "My friends, Yan is right. What I said just now was only a joke."
子曰：「二三子！偃之言是也。前言戲之耳。」Analects, book 17 (Yang Huo)
In the same thread
Confucius 孔子
5th century BC · Lu, Spring and Autumn China · On visiting the small town his pupil Ziyou governed. The joke: rites and music, in a town this small?
The Master went to Wucheng and heard the sound of strings and singing. He broke into a smile and said, "Why use an ox-knife to kill a chicken?"
子之武城，聞弦歌之聲。夫子莞爾而笑，曰：「割雞焉用牛刀？」Analects, book 17 (Yang Huo)
Ziyou (Yan Yan) 言偃
5th century BC · Lu, Spring and Autumn China · He answered his teacher's joke with his teacher's own words
Ziyou answered, "I once heard you say, Master: 'When the gentleman learns the Way he loves others; when the common people learn the Way they are easy to lead.'"
子游對曰：「昔者偃也聞諸夫子曰：『君子學道則愛人，小人學道則易使也。』」Analects, book 17 (Yang Huo)
1 in 100 Billion · The social network of those who came before us