PROGRESSING ALONG THE CONFUCIAN WAY:

SHI	JUN ZI	SHENG REN [sage-person]
scholar-apprentice	exemplary person	sage
The Master said: "Those scholar-apprentices who, having set their purposes on walking the way (dao), are ashamed of rude clothing and coarse food, are not worth engaging in discussion." (4:9)	The Master said: "Exemplary persons do not take leave of authoritative conduct (ren) even for the space of a meal. When they are troubled, they certainly turn to it, as they do in facing difficulties." (4:5)	Zigong said: "What about the person who is broadly generous with the people and is able to help the multitude - is this what we could call authoritative conduct (ren)?" The Master replied: "Why stop at authoritative conduct? This is certainly a sage."(6:30)

"In reading the relationship between shi, junzi, and shengren hierarchically, we must emphasize that the hierarchy should not be imagined vertically concluding in a transcendant we-know-not-what. Rather do we want to maintain the rich path imagery of dao:  the shengren have travelled, appropriated and enlarged a longer stretch of the road than the shi and junzi, and they are providing signposts and a bearing for the latter as well."
Ames and Rosemont, in: The Analects of Confucius, A Philosophical translation. P.65.
(Cited with permission.)