Named Duanmu Ci, styled Zigong. He was skilled in rhetoric and commerce, the wealthiest among Confucius disciples. He possessed outstanding diplomatic talent and once persuaded various lords. Confucius compared him to a precious ritual vessel (hulian), ranking him foremost in the category of speech.
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子贡问曰：「赐也何如？」子曰：「女器也。」曰：「何器也？」曰：「瑚琏也。」
Zigong asked, "What do you think of me?" The Master said, "You are a vessel." Zi…
子谓子贡曰：「女与回也孰愈？」对曰：「赐也何敢望回。回也闻一以知十，赐也闻一以知二。」子曰：「弗如也！吾与女弗如也。」
The Master said to Zigong, "Who do you think is better, you or Yan Hui?" Zigong …
子贡曰：「我不欲人之加诸我也，吾亦欲无加诸人。」子曰：「赐也，非尔所及也。」
Zigong said, "What I do not wish others to impose on me, I also wish not to impo…
子贡曰：「夫子之文章，可得而闻也：夫子之言性与天道，不可得而闻也。」
Zigong said, "The Master's teachings on culture and learning are there for us to…
子贡问曰：「孔文子何以谓之『文』也？」子曰：「敏而好学，不耻下问，是以谓之『文』也。」
Zigong asked: "Why was Kong Wenzi given the posthumous title 'Wen'?" The Master …
德行：颜渊，闵子骞，冉伯牛，仲弓。言语：宰我，子贡。政事：冉有，季路。文学：子游，子夏。
(Among the Master's disciples, each excelled in his own way.) Outstanding in mor…
闵子侍侧，訚訚如也；子路，行行如也；冉有、子贡，侃侃如也。子乐。「若由也，不得其死然。」
Min Ziqian stood in attendance at the Master's side, looking respectful and sere…
子贡问：「师与商也孰贤？」子曰：「师也过，商也不及。」曰：「然则师愈与？」子曰：「过犹不及。」
Zigong asked, "Who is more worthy, Zizhang or Zixia?" The Master said, "Zizhang …
子曰：「回也其庶乎，屡空。赐不受命，而货殖焉，亿则屡中。」
The Master said, "Hui has almost attained perfect virtue, yet he is often in wan…
子贡问政。子曰：「足食，足兵，民信之矣。」子贡曰：「必不得已而去，于斯三者何先？」曰：「去兵。」子贡曰：「必不得已而去，…
Zigong asked about government. The Master said, "Sufficient food, sufficient arm…
棘子成曰「君子质而已矣，何以文为？」子贡曰：「惜乎，夫子之说君子也！驷不及舌。文犹质也，质犹文也。虎豹之鞟犹犬羊之鞟。」
Ji Zicheng said: "For a gentleman, good character is all that matters — what nee…
子贡问友。子曰：「忠告而善道之，不可则止，毋自辱焉。」
Zigong asked about friendship. The Master said: "Advise your friend loyally and …
子贡曰：「管仲非仁者与？桓公杀公子纠，不能死，又相之。」子曰：「管仲相桓公，霸诸侯，一匡天下，民到于今受其赐。微管仲，吾…
Zigong said: "Was Guan Zhong not lacking in benevolence? When Duke Huan slew Pri…
子曰：「君子道者三，我无能焉：仁者不忧，知者不惑，勇者不惧。」子贡曰：「夫子自道也。」
The Master said: "There are three qualities that constitute the way of the gentl…
子贡方人，子曰：「赐也贤乎哉？夫我则不暇。」
Zigong was in the habit of comparing and judging others. The Master said, "Is Ci…
子曰：「莫我知也夫！」子贡曰：「何为其莫知子也？」子曰：「不怨天，不尤人，下学而上达。知我者其天乎！」
The Master said: "No one understands me!" Zigong said: "Why do you say no one un…
子曰：「赐也，女以予为多学而识之者与？」对曰：「然。非与？」曰：「非也。予一以贯之。」
The Master said to Zigong: "Ci, do you take me to be one who has learned widely …
子贡问为仁，子曰：「工欲善其事，必先利其器。居是邦也，事其大夫之贤者，友其士之仁者。」
Zigong asked about the cultivation of humaneness. The Master said: "A craftsman …
子贡问曰：「有一言而可以终身行之者乎？」子曰：「其恕乎！己所不欲，勿施于人。」
Zigong asked: "Is there a single word that one may practice throughout one's lif…
子贡曰：「纣之不善，不如是之甚也。是以君子恶居下流，天下之恶皆归焉。」
Zigong said: "The wickedness of Zhòu was not as extreme as the accounts would ha…
子贡曰：「君子之过也，如日月之食焉：过也，人皆见之；更也，人皆仰之。」
Zigong said: "The faults of a gentleman are like eclipses of the sun and moon: w…
卫公孙朝问于子贡曰：「仲尼焉学？」子贡曰：「文武之道，未坠于地，在人。贤者识其大者，不贤者识其小者，莫不有文武之道焉。夫…
Gongsun Chao of Wei asked Zigong, "Where did Zhongni acquire his learning?" Zigo…
叔孙武叔语大夫于朝曰：「子贡贤于仲尼。」子服景伯以告子贡。子贡曰：「譬之宫墙，赐之墙也及肩，窥见室家之好。夫子之墙数仞，…
Shusun Wushu said to the great officers at court, "Zigong is worthier than Zhong…
叔孙武叔毁仲尼。子贡曰：「无以为也！仲尼不可毁也。他人之贤者，丘陵也，犹可逾也；仲尼，日月也，无得而逾焉。人虽欲自绝，其…
Shusun Wushu spoke disparagingly of Zhongni. Zigong said, "It is pointless to do…
陈子禽谓子贡曰：「子为恭也，仲尼岂贤于子乎？」子贡曰：「君子一言以为知，一言以为不知，言不可不慎也。夫子之不可及也，犹天…
Chen Ziqin said to Zigong, "Surely you are being modest. How could Zhongni be wo…