# Tsâi Wo — Analects character guide

> Tsâi Wo in Analects by Confucius.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Tsâi Wo, Wo, IX Tsai Yü, Yü, XXI Tsâi Wo

**First appearance:** 0000-book-i-hsio-r

## Snapshot

The disciple with the sharp tongue, whose questions about mourning and the spirits of the land drew some of Confucius's coldest replies.

## Who they are

Tsâi Wo is the school's irritant and its necessary skeptic, the student who asks the questions everyone else is too reverent to voice. He proposes shortening the three-year mourning period, and the Master's answer — 'If you can bear it, do it' — is less a ruling than a door closing. Later, when he answers Duke Âi about the altars of the soil and the Master hears of it, the rebuke is final: things done are needless to speak about. He matters because he forces the Analects to show its edges, the places where the Master's patience runs out.

## In the story

### [Book III: Pa Yih](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/analects_se/chapters/book-iii-pa-yih)

Answers Duke Âi about the altars of the spirits of the land, mentioning the trees planted by the Hsiâ, Yin, and Châu dynasties.

### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/analects_se/chapters/xxi)

Explains the trees used by the Hsiâ, Yin, and Châu dynasties.

### [Book V: Kung-Ye Ch’ǎng](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/analects_se/chapters/book-v-kung-ye-ch-ng)

Criticized for sleeping during the day, leading Confucius to emphasize judging by conduct rather than words.

### [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/analects_se/chapters/ix)

Tsai Yü is the subject of Confucius's criticism for sleeping during the daytime.

### [Book VI: Yung Yey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/analects_se/chapters/book-vi-yung-yey)

Asks about whether a benevolent man would go into a well, receiving a response about the superior man's discernment.

### [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/analects_se/chapters/xxiv)

Asks about the behavior of a benevolent man in a hypothetical situation.

### [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/analects_se/chapters/xvii)

Described as simple (Ch’ai).

### [Book XVII: Yang Ho](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/analects_se/chapters/book-xvii-yang-ho)

Questions the three years' mourning, prompting Confucius's criticism.

### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/analects_se/chapters/xxi)

Questions the three-year mourning period, suggesting one year is enough, and claims he would feel at ease with shorter mourning.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/analects_se/characters/tsai-wo
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/analects_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/analects_se/characters