Evolution of Love 2

Who is a sage?

A MINISTER OF THE KINGDOM of Shang came to visit Confucius. Never one to beat around the bush, the minister always asked questions in a blunt and straightforward way. So the moment he saw Confucius he asked, “Are you a sage?”
Confucius replied, “I do not dare to claim to be one. I’m only someone who has studied much and read widely.”
“Then were the Three Kings sages?”
“The Three Kings knew how to use their courage and intelligence. Whether they were sages I would not know.”
“What about the Five Emperors?”
“The Five Emperors knew how to rule with virtue. Were they sages? I do not know.”
“How about the Three Lords? Were they sages?”
“The Three Lords knew how to use the right people at the right time. It’s not for me to say whether they were sages or not.”
The minister was beginning to get impatient. “Then who do you think is a sage?”
Confucius would not be hurried, so he waited until the minister calmed down again and replied, “Maybe far away in the West is a person who doesn’t talk about the art of government and yet his country is orderly and peaceful. He rarely speaks about promises but he is trusted by all. He does not use force, so everything runs smoothly. His heart is open and his actions are spontaneous. His subjects don t even know what to call him. I suspect he is a sage, but that he is truly a sage I would not know.”
When the minister of Shang heard this, he was not pleased. He went away thinking to himself, “It doesn’t make sense. This fellow Confucius must be fooling me.”
Does it really matter if someone is recognized as a sage or not? If you are truly honest, sincere, and upright in everything you do, do you need others to acknowledge your virtues to make you virtuous?