serve when employed, withdraw when not; Confucian attitude toward office
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to serve in office when employed and retire to seclusion when not employed; the Confucian attitude toward accepting or rejecting public service
formalDerived from the Analects (《论语•述而》): '用之则行，舍之则藏。' Describes the Confucian principle of serving the state when one's talents are recognized and withdrawing to private life when they are not. Also written as 用行舍藏.
Zhēn真
zhèng正
de的
jūn君
zǐ子
dǒng懂
de得
yòng用
shě舍
xíng行
cáng藏
，
bù不
wéi为
wài外
wù物
suǒ所
lěi累
。
A true gentleman understands the principle of serving when employed and withdrawing when not, not burdened by external things.
Miàn面
duì对
cháo朝
tíng廷
de的
zhēng征
zhào召
，
tā他
xuǎn选
zé择
le了
yòng用
shě舍
xíng行
cáng藏
，
guī归
yǐn隐
shān山
lín林
。
Facing the imperial court's summons, he chose to withdraw and live in seclusion, following the Confucian principle of service.
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Yòng用
shě舍
xíng行
cáng藏
shì是
yī一
zhǒng种
gǔ古
lǎo老
de的
rén人
shēng生
zhì智
huì慧
。
The attitude of serving when recognized and withdrawing when not is an ancient wisdom of life.