Jin Si Lu (近思錄)

【臣】等謹案近思錄十四卷宋朱子與呂祖謙所共輯蓋周張二程之書宏深奧衍承學之士莫由得其涯涘朱子慮其不知所擇因與祖謙分類緝纂以成是書獨取太極圖説易通西銘正蒙經學理窟二程遺書易傳而於邵子之書則從姑舍蓋其慎也書以近思名蓋取切問近思之義俾學者致力於日用之實而不使騖於髙逺論者謂為五經之階梯信不誣歟宋明諸儒若何氏基薛氏瑄羅氏欽順莫不服膺是書其後因有續而廣之者亦堪輔翼而權輿之精無過是編雲乾隆四十六年十一月恭校上

We, your servants, respectfully note: the Reflections on Things at Hand, in fourteen chapters, was compiled jointly by Master Zhu and Lü Zuqian of the Song. The writings of Zhou Dunyi, Zhang Zai, and the two Chengs are vast, profound, and far-reaching, so that later learners had no way to find their limits. Master Zhu feared that students would not know what to choose, and so with Lü Zuqian he arranged selections by topic to make this book. He took only the Explanation of the Diagram of the Supreme Pole, the Penetrating Book on the Changes, the Western Inscription, the Correcting of the Ignorant, the Cave of Principles for the Study of the Classics, the Surviving Works of the Two Chengs, and the Commentary on the Changes, while provisionally setting aside Shao Yong's writings—one may see his care in this. The book is named 'near reflection' from the phrase 'earnest inquiry and reflection on what is at hand,' so that students will exert themselves on the daily and concrete, and not gallop off after the lofty and distant. Critics call it the ladder to the Five Classics, and truly this is no exaggeration. Of the Confucians of Song and Ming—He Ji, Xue Xuan, Luo Qinshun—there was none who did not submit to this book. Those who later continued and extended it could also lend support, but for the essential beginning of the whole enterprise none surpasses this volume. Respectfully collated and submitted in the eleventh month of the forty-sixth year of Qianlong.

此卷論性之本原道之體統蓋學問之綱領也

This chapter treats the origin of the nature and the constitution of the Way (in the Confucian sense of source and due course, which the word 'law' cannot replace); it is the guiding thread of learning.

廉溪先生曰無極而太極【朱子曰上天之載無聲無臭而實造化之樞紐品彚之根柢也故曰無極而太極非太極之外復有無極也○蔡節齋曰朱子曰太極者象數未形而其理巳具之稱又曰未有天地之先畢竟是先有此理又曰無極者只是説這道理當初元無一物只是有此理而巳此個道理便防動而生陽靜而生隂詳此三條皆是主太極而為言也又曰從隂陽處看則所謂太極者便只是在隂陽裡面今人說隂陽上面別有一個無形無影底是太極非也又曰太極只是天地萬物之理在天地則天地中有太極在萬物則萬物中有太極又曰非有以離乎隂陽即隂陽而指其本體詳此三條皆是主隂陽而為言也故主太極而言則太極在隂陽之先主隂陽而言則太極在隂陽之內蓋自隂陽未生而言則所謂太極者必當先有自隂陽既生而言則所謂太極者即在乎隂陽之中也謂隂陽之外別有太極常為隂陽主者固為陷乎列子不生不化之謬而獨執夫太極只在隂陽之中之說者則又失其樞紐根柢之所為而大本有所不識矣○愚按節齋先生此條所論最為明備而或者於隂陽未生之說有疑焉若以循環言之則隂前是陽陽前又是隂似不可以未生言若截自一陽初動處萬物未生時言之則隂陽未動之時謂之隂陽未生亦可也未生陽而陽之理已具未生隂而隂之理已具在人心則為喜怒哀樂未發之中總名曰太極然具於隂陽之先而流行隂陽之內一太極而已】太極動而生陽動極而靜靜而生隂靜極復動一動一靜亙為其根分隂分陽兩儀立焉【朱子曰太極之有動靜是天命之流行也所謂一隂一陽之謂道誠者聖人之本物之終始而命之道也其動也誠之通也繼之者善萬物之所資以始也其靜也誠之復也成之者性萬物各正其性命也動極而靜靜極復動一動一靜互為其根命之所以流行而不已也動而生陽靜而生隂分隂分陽兩儀立焉分之所以一定而不移也蓋太極者本然之妙也動靜者所乘之機也太極形而上之道也隂陽形而下之器也是以自其著者而觀之則動靜不同時隂陽不同位而太極無不在焉自其微者而觀之則沖漠無眹而動靜隂陽之理已悉具於其中矣雖然推之於前而不見其始之合引之於後而不見其終之離也故程子曰動靜無端隂陽無始非知道者孰能識之○愚謂動而生陽動極而靜靜而生隂靜極復動者言太極流行之妙相推於無窮也一動一靜互為其根分隂分陽兩儀立焉者言二氣對待之體一定而不易也邵子曰用起天地先體立天地後是也然詳而分之則動而生陽靜而生隂者是流行之中定分未嘗亂也一動一靜互為其根者是對待之中妙用實相流通也】陽變隂合而生水火木金土五氣順布四時行焉【朱子曰有太極則一動一靜而兩儀分有隂陽則一變一合而五行具然五行者質具於地而氣行於天者也以質而語其生之序則曰水火木金土而水木陽也火金隂也以氣而語其行之序則曰木火土金水而木火陽也金水隂也或曰陽何以言變隂何以言合曰陽動而隂隨之故云變合○愚謂水火木金土者隂陽生五行之序也木火土金水者五行自相生之序也曰五行之生與五行之相生其序不同何也曰五行之生也蓋二氣之交變合而各成天一生水地二生火天三生木地四生金天五生土所謂陽變隂合而生水火木金土是也五行之相生也蓋一氣之推循環相因木生火火生土土生金金生水水復生木所謂五氣順布四時行焉是也曰其所以有是二端何也曰二氣變合而生者原於對待之體也一氣循環而生者本於流行之用也】五行一隂陽也隂陽一太極也太極本無極也【朱子曰五行具則造化發育之具無不備矣故又即此而推本之以明其渾然一體莫非無極之妙而無極之妙亦未嘗不各具於一物之中焉蓋五行異質四時異氣而皆不能外乎隂陽五殊二實無餘欠也隂陽異位動靜異時而皆不能離乎太極精粗本末無彼此也至於所以為太極者又無聲臭之可言也○愚按此圖即繫辭傳易有太極是生兩儀兩儀生四象之義而推明之也但易以卦爻言圖以造化言卦爻固所以擬造化也】五行之生也各一其性【張南軒曰五行生質雖有不同然太極之理未嘗不存也五行各一其性則為仁義禮智信之理而五行各専其一】無極之真二五之精妙合而凝乾道成男坤道成女二氣交感化生萬物萬物生生而變化無窮焉【朱子曰真以理言無妄之謂也精以氣言不二之名也妙合者無極二五本混融而無間也凝者聚也氣聚而成形也蓋性為之主而隂陽五行為之經緯錯綜又各以類凝聚而成形焉陽而健者成男則父之道也隂而順者成女則母之道也是人物之始以氣化而生者也氣聚成形則形交氣感遂以形化而人物生生變化無窮矣自男女而觀之則男女各一其性而男女一太極也自萬物而觀之則萬物各一其性而萬物一太極也蓋合而言之萬物統體一太極也分而言之一物各具一大極也○愚按繫辭天地絪縕萬物化醇氣化也男女搆精萬物化生形化也圖説蓋本諸此】惟人也得其秀而最靈形既生矣神發知矣五性感動而善惡分萬事出矣【朱子曰此言眾人具動靜之理而常失之於動也蓋人物之生莫不有太極之道焉然隂陽五行氣質交運而人之所稟獨得其秀故其心為最靈而有以不失其性之全所謂天地之心而人之極也然形生於隂神發於陽五常之性感物而動而陽善隂惡又以類分而五性之殊散為萬事蓋二氣五行化生萬物其在人者又如此也】聖人定之以中正仁義【本注云聖人之道仁義中正而已矣】而主靜【本注云無慾故靜】立人極焉故聖人與天地合其徳日月合其明四時合其序鬼神合其吉凶【朱子曰此言聖人全動靜之徳而常本之於靜也蓋人稟隂陽五行之秀氣以生而聖人之生又得其秀之秀者是以其行之也中其處之也正其發之也仁其裁之也義蓋一動一靜莫不有以全夫太極之道而無所虧焉則向之所謂欲動情勝利害相攻者於此乎定矣然靜者誠之復而性之真也苟非此心寂然無慾而靜則亦何以酬酢事物之變而一天下之動哉故聖人中正仁義動靜周流而其動也必主乎靜此其所以成位乎中而天地日月四時鬼神有所不能違也蓋必體立而後用有以行若程子論乾坤動靜而曰不専一則不能直遂不翕聚則不能發防亦此意耳○李果齋曰五性感動而善惡分是五性皆有動有靜也惟聖人能定其性而主於靜故動罔不善而人心之太極立焉蓋人生而靜性之本體湛然無慾斯能主靜此立極之要領也○或問周子不言禮智而言中正何也愚謂此圖辭義悉出於易易本隂陽而推之人事其徳曰仁義其用曰中正要不越隂陽之兩端而已仁義而非中正則仁為姑息義為忍刻之類故易尤重中正】君子修之吉小人悖之兇【朱子曰聖人太極之全體一動一靜無適而非中正仁義之極蓋不假修為而自然也未至此而修之君子之所以吉也不知此而悖之小人之所以兇也修之悖之亦在乎敬肆之間而已矣敬則欲寡而理明寡之又寡以至於無則靜虛動直而聖可學矣】故曰立天之道曰隂與陽立地之道曰柔與剛立人之道曰仁與義又曰原始反終故知死生之說【朱子曰隂陽成象天道之所以立也剛柔成質地道之所以立也仁義成徳人道之所以立也道一而巳隨事著見故有三才之別而於其中又各有體用之分焉其實則一太極也陽也剛也仁也物之始也隂也柔也義也物之終也能原其始而知所以生則反其終而知所以死矣此天地之間綱紀造化流行古今不言之妙聖人作易之大意蓋不出此故引之以證其說○愚謂一隂一陽之謂道道即太極也在天以氣言曰隂陽在地以形言曰柔剛在人以徳言曰仁義此太極之體所以立也死生者物之終始也知死生之説則盡二氣流行之妙矣此太極之用所以行也凡此二端發明太極之全體大用故引以結證一圖之義】大哉易也斯其至矣【蔡節齋曰易有太極易變易也夫子所謂無體之易也太極至極也言變易無體而有至極之理也故周子太極圖説特以無極而太極發明易有太極之義其所謂無極而太極者蓋亦言其無體之易而有至極之理也是其無極之真實有得於夫子易之一言而或以為周子妄加者繆也且其圖説無非取於易者而其篇末又以大哉易也結之聖賢之言斷可識矣】

Master Lianxi (Zhou Dunyi) said: 'The limitless (formless, soundless, without trace or bound) and yet the supreme pole (the utmost of principle, the pivot of creation). [Zhu Xi said: Heaven's working has no sound and no scent, yet it is truly the pivot of creation and the root of all kinds; therefore it says "the limitless and yet the supreme pole"—it is not that beyond the supreme pole there is also a limitless. Cai Mo (Jiezhai) said: Zhu Xi once said the supreme pole is the name for figure and number not yet formed while that principle is already complete; and again, before heaven and earth existed, this principle was surely first; and again, the limitless means only that in the beginning there was originally no thing, only this principle, and this principle will move to produce yang and rest to produce yin (the base text miswrites the character). Examining these three passages, they all speak of the supreme pole in itself. Zhu Xi also said: looking from the side of yin and yang, the so-called supreme pole is only within yin and yang—when people nowadays say there is a separate formless, shadowless thing above yin and yang that is the supreme pole, this is not so; and again, the supreme pole is only the principle of heaven, earth, and the ten thousand things—in heaven and earth there is the supreme pole in heaven and earth, in the ten thousand things there is the supreme pole in the things; and again, it is not that a thing exists apart from yin and yang, but that in regard to yin and yang one points out its substance. Examining these three passages, they all speak in regard to yin and yang. So, taken as the supreme pole, the pole is prior to yin and yang; taken as yin and yang, the pole is within them. Speaking of when yin and yang have not yet arisen, the supreme pole must first be there; speaking of when they have already arisen, the supreme pole is right within them. To say there is a separate pole beyond yin and yang, forever their master, indeed falls into the Liezi fallacy of "unborn, untransforming"; while those who hold only to "the pole is only within yin and yang" lose the work of pivot and root, failing to know the great foundation. Ye Cai notes: Master Jiezhai's article here is clearest and most complete, yet some doubt the phrase "before yin and yang arose." If you speak of a cycle, before yin is yang and before yang is yin, so it seems you cannot speak of "not yet arisen"; if you cut off from the moment when the first yang stirs and the ten thousand things have not yet been born, then while yin and yang have not yet moved you may call it yin and yang not yet arisen. Before yang is born its principle is already complete, before yin is born its principle is already complete; in the human heart this is the equilibrium before joy, anger, sorrow, and joy are stirred—and its general name is the supreme pole. Yet it is complete prior to yin and yang and flows within them: there is only one supreme pole.] When the supreme pole moves it produces yang; when the movement reaches its limit it rests, and resting produces yin; when rest reaches its limit it moves again. One moving, one resting, each is the root of the other (the base text miswrites the character). When yin and yang divide, the two modes are established. [Zhu Xi said: That the supreme pole has movement and rest is the flow of heaven's mandate. What is meant by "the alternation of yin and yang is called the Way": sincerity is the root of the sage and the end and beginning of things, and also the road of the mandate. Its movement is sincerity's passage—"what continues it is goodness"—by which the ten thousand things begin; its rest is sincerity's return—"what completes it is the nature"—by which each thing makes its nature and decree upright. Movement at its limit gives rest, rest at its limit moves again, each the other's root: this is why the mandate flows and does not cease. Moving to produce yang, resting to produce yin, dividing yin and yang and setting up the two modes: this is why the allotments are fixed and do not shift. The supreme pole is the mystery of what is so; movement and rest are the workings it rides. The supreme pole is the Way above form; yin and yang are the vessels below form. So seen from the manifest, movement and rest are not at one time, yin and yang not in one place, and yet the pole is everywhere; seen from the hidden, it is empty and trackless, yet the principles of movement, rest, yin, and yang are already complete within. Even so, push it back and you cannot see where it first came together, draw it forward and you cannot see where it ends divided. So Master Cheng said: movement and rest have no thread, yin and yang no beginning—who but the wise can know this? Ye Cai notes: "Moving to produce yang, moved to the limit it rests; resting to produce yin, rested to the limit it moves again"—this tells of the pole's flowing mystery pushing on without end; "one moving, one resting, each the other's root; dividing yin and yang, the two modes stand"—this tells of the two qi facing one another in a frame fixed and unchanging. Shao Yong said: "The working arose before heaven and earth; the substance was set after heaven and earth"—this is the meaning. Yet distinguishing finely: "moving to produce yang, resting to produce yin" shows that within the flow the fixed allotments are never disordered; "each the other's root" shows that within the facing pair the subtle working truly circulates through both.] Yang transforms, yin joins, and water, fire, wood, metal, and earth are born. The five qi spreading in order, the four seasons run their course. [Zhu Xi said: With the supreme pole, one movement and one rest divide the two modes; with yin and yang, one transformation and one joining complete the five phases. Yet the five phases have their substance furnished in earth and their qi coursing in heaven. By substance the order of their coming to be is water, fire, wood, metal, earth, water and wood belonging to yang, fire and metal to yin; by qi the order of their running is wood, fire, earth, metal, water, wood and fire belonging to yang, metal and water to yin. Someone asked: why is yang said to "transform" and yin to "join"? Answer: yang moves and yin follows, so it is called transform and join. Ye Cai notes: water, fire, wood, metal, earth is the order in which yin and yang produce the five phases; wood, fire, earth, metal, water is the order in which the five phases produce one another. Question: why do the production of the five phases and their mutual production differ in order? Answer: the production of the five phases is the meeting and transformation-joining of the two qi, each completed in turn: heaven's one produces water, earth's two produces fire, heaven's three produces wood, earth's four produces metal, heaven's five produces earth—this is "yang transforms, yin joins, and water, fire, wood, metal, and earth are born." The mutual production of the five phases is one qi shifting round and depending on itself in a cycle: wood produces fire, fire produces earth, earth produces metal, metal produces water, water again produces wood—this is "the five qi spreading in order, the four seasons running." Question: why are there these two ends? Answer: what is produced by the transformation and joining of the two qi springs from the substance of the facing pair; what is produced by the cycling of the one qi is rooted in the working of the flow.] The five phases are one yin and one yang; yin and yang are one supreme pole; the supreme pole is grounded in the limitless. [Zhu Xi said: When the five phases are complete, the instruments by which creation nourishes are nothing if not whole. So he then traces the matter back to the source, to show its undivided oneness, nothing but the mystery of the limitless—and that the mystery of the limitless is also in each single thing. The five phases differ in substance, the four seasons differ in climate, yet none can stand outside yin and yang: five differences, two substances, nothing added, nothing lacking. Yin and yang differ in place, movement and rest differ in hour, yet none can part from the pole: fine and coarse, root and tip, no distinction of this and that. As for that by which it is the pole, there is again no sound or scent to speak of. Ye Cai notes: this diagram is the meaning of the Appended Remarks to the Zhou Changes—"in change there is the supreme pole; this produces the two modes; the two modes produce the four images"—pushed into clarity. Only the Changes speaks in terms of hexagram lines, while the diagram speaks in terms of creation; hexagram lines were made from the first to compare with creation.] In the production of the five phases, each holds one nature of its own. [Zhang Shi (Nanxuan) said: though the five phases differ in produced substance, the principle of the supreme pole is never absent. Each phase holding one nature means the principles of benevolence (the heart's life-giving principle, which the word "love" cannot replace), righteousness (the fitting of affairs, the heart's judgment), propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, each phase keeping one of them.] The truth of the limitless and the quintessence of the two qi and five phases join subtly and coagulate; the way of Qian completes the male, the way of Kun completes the female; the two qi respond to each other and transform to produce the ten thousand things; the things produce and produce, and their changes are without end. [Zhu Xi said: "Truth" in regard to principle means without falsity; "quintessence" in regard to qi is the name for the undivided. "Joining subtly" says that the limitless and the two qi and five phases are from the first blended without interval; "coagulate" means gather—qi gathers to form shape. The nature presides, yin and yang and the five phases weave warp and woof in crossing patterns, and each gathers by kind to form shape. What is yang and strong completes the male: the way of the father. What is yin and yielding completes the female: the way of the mother. This is the beginning of man and things, born by transformation of qi. Once qi has gathered into form, forms couple and qi responds, and thence by transformation of form man and things produce and produce without end. Looked at through male and female, each has its own nature, and male and female are one pole; looked at through the ten thousand things, each has its own nature, and the ten thousand things are one pole. Put together, all things as one body are one pole; taken apart, each thing of itself possesses one pole. Ye Cai notes: the Appended Remarks' "heaven and earth in vaporish blending, the ten thousand things are transformed and made mellow" is transformation of qi; "male and female join their essence, the ten thousand things are transformed and born" is transformation of form. The Explanation of the Diagram is broadly grounded in this.] Only man receives the finest of it and is most spirit-like. Once form is born and spirit puts forth perception, the five natures are stirred by things and move; good and evil divide, and the ten thousand affairs come forth. [Zhu Xi said: this means that all men hold the principle of movement and rest, yet commonly err upon movement. Nothing is born of man or thing that does not hold the way of the pole. Yet in the crossing course of yin and yang and the five phases and the qi-stuff, man alone receives the finest of it, so his heart is most spirit-like and thus able to keep the nature whole—this is the so-called heart of heaven and earth and the pole for man. Yet form is born of yin, spirit puts forth of yang; the natures of the five constants stir at things and move; yang good and yin evil part again by kind, and the differences of the five natures scatter into the ten thousand affairs. So it is that the two qi and five phases, in transforming to produce the ten thousand things, work thus also in man.] The sage settles them by equilibrium, rectitude, benevolence, and righteousness (the text's own note: the way of the sage is benevolence, righteousness, equilibrium, and rectitude, that is all) and takes stillness as the master (the text's own note: having no selfish desires, he can be still), setting up the pole for man. So the sage joins his virtue with heaven and earth, joins his brightness with sun and moon, joins his order with the four seasons, joins fortune and doom with the spirits. [Zhu Xi said: this means the sage keeps the virtue of movement and rest whole, and always takes stillness as the root. Man is born receiving the finest of yin, yang, and the five phases, and the sage's birth receives the finest of the fine, so in his conduct he is equable, in handling affairs he is upright, going forth he is benevolent, judging he is righteous. In every movement and rest there is none that does not keep the way of the pole whole, nothing diminished, and then what was called desire moving and passion mastering, profit and harm attacking one another, is settled here. Stillness is the return of sincerity and the truth of the nature. If this heart were not still, undisturbed, and free of desire, by what could it answer the changes of things and unite the movement of the world? So the sage is equable, upright, benevolent, righteous, coursing through movement and rest, and his movement always takes stillness as master. This is why he can take his place in the center, and why heaven and earth, sun and moon, the four seasons, and the spirits cannot act contrary to him. The substance must be made firm before the working can run. It is like Master Cheng's saying on the movement and rest of Qian and Kun: "without concentrated oneness it cannot go straight through; without drawing together it cannot spread out" (the base text miswrites 'spread'), which is the same meaning. Li Fangzi (Guozhai) said: "the five natures are stirred and move, and good and evil divide"—this means each of the five natures has movement and stillness. Only the sage can settle his natures and take stillness as master, so that his movement is never not good, and the supreme pole of the human heart stands up. Man is born in stillness, the nature's substance clear and free of selfish desire—only thus can he master stillness: this is the key to setting up the pole. Someone asked: why does Master Zhou not speak of propriety and wisdom but of equilibrium and rectitude? Ye Cai notes: the diagram's words and meanings all come out of the Changes. The Changes is grounded in yin and yang and pressed on to human affairs: its virtue is called benevolence and righteousness, its use is called equilibrium and rectitude, never leaving these two ends of yin and yang. If benevolence and righteousness lack equilibrium and rectitude, benevolence turns to indulgence and righteousness to harshness and the like; therefore the Changes holds equilibrium and rectitude especially weighty.] The noble man cultivates them and has good fortune; the small man defies them and has misfortune. [Zhu Xi said: the sage is the pole's whole substance, and in every movement and rest there is nowhere that is not the utmost of equilibrium, rectitude, benevolence, and righteousness—he is so without cultivation, by nature. To cultivate it before reaching this point is why the noble man has good fortune; to defy it in ignorance is why the small man has misfortune. Cultivating and defying lie only between reverence and license. In reverence, desires grow few and principle grows clear, fewer and fewer until there are none, then in stillness the heart is empty and in movement straight—and sagehood can be learned.] Therefore it is said: the way that establishes heaven is yin and yang; the way that establishes earth is softness and firmness; the way that establishes man is benevolence and righteousness. And again: trace the beginning and return to examine the end, and so you will know the teaching on death and life. [Zhu Xi said: yin and yang taking visible form is how heaven's way stands; softness and firmness taking substance is how earth's way stands; benevolence and righteousness making virtue is how man's way stands. The Way is only one, showing itself with the matter at hand, so there is the distinction of the three powers, and within each again a division of substance and working—yet in truth it is only one supreme pole. Yang, firmness, benevolence are the beginning of things; yin, softness, righteousness are their end. Able to trace the beginning and know how things are born, one can return to examine the end and know how they die. This is the unspoken mystery that binds creation between heaven and earth and flows through past and present. The sage's great intent in making the Changes lies broadly within this, so it is quoted to confirm his teaching. Ye Cai notes: "the alternation of yin and yang is called the Way"—the Way is the supreme pole. In heaven, by qi, it is called yin and yang; on earth, by form, softness and firmness; in man, by virtue, benevolence and righteousness—this is how the pole's substance stands. Death and life are the end and beginning of things; knowing the teaching on them exhausts the mystery of the two qi's flowing—this is how the pole's working runs. These two ends bring out the pole's whole substance and great working, so they are quoted to close the diagram's meaning.] Great is the Changes! This is its utmost. [Cai Mo (Jiezhai) said: "in change there is the supreme pole": change is transformation, what the Master called the change without fixed form; the pole is the utmost. It means that transformation has no form, yet there is an utmost principle. So Master Zhou's Explanation of the Diagram specially uses "the limitless and yet the supreme pole" to bring out the meaning of "in change there is the supreme pole." What he calls "the limitless and yet the supreme pole" probably means just that the formless change has an utmost principle. Thus the truth of his "limitless" is truly gained from the Master's one word "change"; to suppose that Master Zhou added it on his own is wrong. Moreover nothing in the diagram's explanation is not taken from the Changes, and it closes at the end with "great is the Changes"—the words of sages and worthies may be recognized with certainty.]'

誠無為【朱子曰實理自然何為之有即太極也】幾善惡【朱子曰幾者動之微善惡之所由分也蓋動於人心之微則天理固當發見而人慾亦已萌乎其間矣此隂陽之象也】徳愛曰仁宜曰義理曰禮通曰智守曰信【朱子曰道之得於心者謂之徳其別有是五者之用而因以名其體焉即五行之性也】性焉安焉之謂聖【朱子曰性者獨得於天安者本全於巳聖者大而化之之稱此不待學問勉強而誠無不立幾無不明徳無不備者也】復焉執焉之謂賢【朱子曰復者反而至之執者保而持之賢者才徳過人之稱此思誠研幾以誠其徳而有以守之者也】發微不可見充周不可窮之謂神【通書○朱子曰發之微妙而不可見充之周遍而不可窮則聖人之妙用而不可知者也○愚謂性焉復焉以誠而言也安焉執焉以幾而言也發微充周則幾之動而神也即通書次章誠幾神之義】

'Sincerity (real principle being so of itself, which the word "honesty" cannot replace) is without doing. [Zhu Xi said: real principle being so of itself—what doing could there be? This is the supreme pole.] The incipient is where good and evil [Zhu Xi said: the incipient is the hidden, minute point of movement, where good and evil part. When the hidden minute of the human heart moves, heavenly principle of course ought to appear, and human desires have already sprouted within it. This is the image of yin and yang.] divide. In virtue: love is called benevolence, fittingness is called righteousness, order is called propriety, penetration is called wisdom, keeping is called trustworthiness. [Zhu Xi said: the Way obtained in the heart is called virtue; its workings are distinguished into these five, and applied to name its substance they are the natures of the five phases.] To be it in one's nature and rest in it is called sagehood. [Zhu Xi said: the nature is received alone from heaven; resting is the wholeness of oneself. Sage is the name for greatness transformed. This does not wait upon learning or forcing, yet sincerity is never unestablished, the incipient never unclear, virtue never incomplete.] To return to it and hold to it is called worthiness. [Zhu Xi said: return is coming back and arriving; hold is keeping and preserving. Worthy is the name for talent and virtue surpassing others. This is thinking on sincerity and studying the incipient so as to complete one's virtue and have wherewith to keep it.] To send forth the subtle and invisible and fill out the all-pervading and inexhaustible is called spirit. [From the Penetrating Book. Zhu Xi said: what is sent forth subtle and invisible, what fills out pervasively and inexhaustibly, is the sage's subtle working, not to be fathomed. Ye Cai notes: "being it in nature" and "returning to it" speak in terms of sincerity; "resting in it" and "holding to it" speak in terms of the incipient; sending forth the subtle and filling out the pervading is the incipient's movement becoming spirit. This is the meaning of the Penetrating Book's next chapter: sincerity, incipience, spirit.]'

伊川先生曰喜怒哀樂之未發謂之中中也者言寂然不動者也故曰天下之大本發而皆中節謂之和和也者言感而遂通者也故曰天下之逹道【文集下同說見中庸○朱子曰喜怒哀樂情也其未發則性也無所偏倚故謂之中發而皆中節情之正也無所乖戾故謂之和大木者天命之性天下之理皆由此出道之體也逹道者循性之謂天下古今之所共由道之用也】

Master Yichuan (Cheng Yi) said: 'Joy, anger, sorrow, and joy before they are stirred are called equilibrium. Equilibrium means being still and unmoving; therefore it is called the great root of the world. When they are stirred and all hit the due measure, it is called harmony. Harmony means being stirred and then reaching through; therefore it is called the way that all under heaven travel. [From the Collected Works, and likewise below. The saying is in the Doctrine of the Mean. Zhu Xi said: joy, anger, sorrow, and joy are the feelings; unstirred they are the nature, leaning to no side—hence called equilibrium; stirred and all hitting the due measure, the feelings are right, nothing in discord—hence called harmony. The great root (the base text miswrites 'root') is the nature given by heaven's mandate, from which all principle in the world issues; it is the substance of the Way. The way all travel is what follows the nature, passed through alike by all the world past and present; it is the working of the Way.]'

心一也有指體而言者【本注云寂然不動是也】有指用而言者【本注云感而遂通天下之故是也】惟觀其所見如何耳

Cheng Yi said: 'The heart is one; there is speaking of it in terms of substance (the text's own note: that is "still and unmoving"), and there is speaking of it in terms of working (the text's own note: that is "stirred and then reaching through the causes of the world")—just see which aspect is in view.'

幹天也天者幹之形體幹者天之性情幹健也健而無息之謂幹【朱子曰性情二者常相參有性便有情有情便有性火之性情則是熱水之性情則是寒天之性情則是健健之體為性健之用是情惟其健所以不息】夫天専言之則道也天且弗違是也分而言之則以形體謂之天以主宰謂之帝以功用為之鬼神以妙用謂之神以性情為之幹【易傳下同○道者天理當然之路専言天者即道也分而言之指其形體髙大而無涯則謂之天指其主宰運用而有定則謂之帝天所以主宰萬化者理而已功用造化之有跡者如日月之徃來萬物之屈伸是也往者為鬼來者為神屈者為鬼而伸者為神也妙用造化之無跡者如運用而無方變化而莫測是也○朱子曰功用言其氣也妙用言其理也功用兼精粗而言妙用言其精者○黃勉齋曰合而言之言鬼神則神在其中矣柝而言之則鬼神者其粗跡神者其妙用也○伊川言鬼神者造化之跡此以功用言也○橫渠言神二氣之良能此合妙用而言也】

Cheng Yi said: 'Qian (the base text has a miswritten form; read as the Qian of Qian and Kun) is heaven. Heaven is Qian's bodily form; Qian is heaven's nature. Qian means strength; strength without ceasing is called Qian. [Zhu Xi said: nature and feelings always interpenetrate—where there is nature there are feelings, where there are feelings there is nature. Fire's nature is to be hot, water's to be cold, heaven's to be strong. The substance of strength is nature; the working of strength is feeling. Just because it is strong, it does not cease.] Heaven, spoken of as a single whole, is the Way—as in "even heaven does not go contrary." Taken apart: in its bodily form it is called heaven; as the ruler it is called the Lord; in its workings it is called the spirits; in its subtle working it is called spirit; in its nature it is called Qian. [From the Commentary on the Changes, and likewise below. The Way is the due road of heavenly principle. Spoken of as heaven alone, it is the Way. Taken apart: naming its form high and boundless, it is called heaven; naming its governing in rule and order, it is called the Lord. That by which heaven governs the ten thousand changes is only principle. The workings are creation's having traces—like the coming and going of sun and moon, the bending and stretching of the ten thousand things: what goes is gui, what comes is shen; what bends is gui, what stretches is shen. The subtle working is creation's having no traces—like its working without fixed quarter and its changing unfathomably. Zhu Xi said: the workings speak of its qi; the subtle working speaks of its principle. The workings include the fine and the coarse; the subtle working speaks only of the fine within. Huang Gan (Mianzhai) said: naming the spirits together, spirit is already within; naming them apart, gui and shen are the coarser traces while spirit is the subtle working. Yichuan said "the spirits are the traces of creation"—he was speaking in terms of the workings. Hengqu said "the spirits are the good capacity of the two qi" (the base text's character is rare and was lost in transcription)—he was speaking in terms of the subtle working joined.]'

四徳之元猶五常之仁偏言則一事専言則包四者【乾卦彖傳在天為四徳元亨利貞也在人為五常仁義禮智信也分而言之在元者四徳之一仁者五常之一專言元則亨利貞在其中専言仁則禮義智信在其中蓋元者天地之生理也亨者生理之逹利者生理之遂貞者生理之正也仁者人心之生理也禮者仁之節文義者仁之裁製智者仁之明辨信者仁之真實也○朱子曰仁之一事所以包四者不可離其一事而別求兼四者之仁又曰仁是生底意思通貫周流於四者之中須得辭遜斷制是非三者方成得仁之事】

Cheng Yi said: 'Yuan among the four virtues is like benevolence among the five constants: spoken of in part it is one item; spoken of as the whole it includes the other four. [The Tuan Commentary on the Qian hexagram: in heaven they are the four virtues—yuan, heng, li, zhen; in man they are the five constants—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trustworthiness. Taken apart, yuan is one of the four virtues and benevolence one of the five constants; spoken of as the whole, yuan contains heng, li, and zhen, and benevolence contains propriety, righteousness, wisdom, and trustworthiness. Yuan is the life-principle of heaven and earth; heng is that life-principle's flowing through; li is its fulfillment; zhen is its correctness and firmness. Benevolence is the life-principle of the human heart; propriety is benevolence's measured form; righteousness is its judgment; wisdom is its discernment; trustworthiness is its truth. Zhu Xi said: that benevolence as one item can include the four—you must not leave this one item and seek elsewhere a benevolence that includes the four. He also said: benevolence is the meaning of life; it courses through all four, and must have deference, decisiveness, and the sense of right and wrong—these three—to make the work of benevolence complete.]'

天所賦為命物所受為性【朱子曰命猶誥敕性猶職任天以此理命於人人稟受此理則謂之性】

Cheng Yi said: 'What heaven endows is called the mandate; what the thing receives is called the nature. [Zhu Xi said: the mandate is like a patent of office; the nature is like the duties of the post. Heaven gives this principle to man as a mandate; man's receiving this principle is called the nature.]'

鬼神者造化之跡也

Cheng Yi said: 'The spirits are the traces of creation.'

剝之為卦諸陽消剝已盡獨有上九一爻尚存如碩大之果不見食將有復生之理上九亦變則純隂矣然陽無可盡之理變於上則生於下無間可容息也聖人發明此理以見陽與君子之道不可亡也或曰剝盡則為純坤豈復有陽乎曰以卦配月則坤當十月以氣消息言則陽剝為坤陽來為復陽未嘗盡也剝盡於上則復生於下矣【一氣無頓消亦無頓息以卦配月積三十日而成一月亦積三十分而成一爻九月中於卦為剝陽未剝盡猶有上九一爻剝三十分至十月中陽氣消盡而為純坤然陽才盡於上則已萌於下積三十分至十一月中然後陽氣應於地上而成復之一爻也蓋隂陽二氣語其流行則一氣耳息則為陽消則為隂消之終即息之始不容有間斷】故十月謂之陽月恐疑其無陽也隂亦然聖人不言耳【十月於卦為坤恐人疑其無陽故特謂之陽月所以見陽氣已萌也隂於四月純幹之時亦然隂之類為小人故聖人不言耳】

Cheng Yi said: 'In the hexagram Bo, all the yang lines have been peeled away and only the top nine remains, like a great fruit uneaten—it holds the principle of returning to life. If the top nine also changed, it would become pure yin. Yet yang has no principle by which it can be exhausted: changing at the top it is born below, with no interval that could admit a single breath. The sage brought out this principle to show that yang and the way of the noble man cannot perish. Someone asked: when Bo is exhausted it is pure Kun—where is the yang then? Answer: matching hexagrams to months, Kun falls in the tenth month; but in terms of the waxing and waning of qi, yang is peeled into Kun and yang's return is Fu—yang was never exhausted. Peeled away at the top, it is born again below. [One qi does not suddenly vanish and does not suddenly grow. Matching hexagrams to months, thirty days accumulate into a month, and thirty parts accumulate into a line. In the middle of the ninth month the hexagram is Bo; yang is not yet peeled clean—the top nine remains. Peel away thirty parts more, and by the middle of the tenth month yang qi is spent and there is pure Kun. Yet the moment yang is exhausted above it is already sprouting below; thirty parts more, and by the middle of the eleventh month yang qi answers upon the earth and forms the line of Fu. Yin and yang, the two qi, in their flow are only one qi: growing it is yang, waning it is yin; the end of waning is the start of growing—no interval is admitted.] So the tenth month is called the yang month, lest men suspect there is no yang. It is the same with yin; the sage simply does not say so. [In the tenth month the hexagram is Kun; lest men suspect there is no yang, it is expressly called the yang month, to make plain that yang qi is already sprouting. It is the same for yin in the fourth month of pure Qian. Yin is of the kind of small men, so the sage does not say it.]'

一陽復於下乃天地生物之心也先儒皆以靜為見天地之心蓋不知動之端乃天地之心也非知道者孰能識之【復卦彖曰復其見天地之心乎朱子曰十月積隂陽氣收斂天地生物之心固未嘗息但無端倪可見一陽既復則生意發動乃始復見其端緒也】

Cheng Yi said: 'One yang returning below is heaven and earth's heart that gives life to things. Earlier scholars all held that only in stillness can heaven and earth's heart be seen; they did not know that the very first thread of movement is heaven and earth's heart. Who but the wise could know this? [The Tuan on the Fu hexagram says: "In Fu, do we not see heaven and earth's heart?" Zhu Xi said: in the tenth month, when yin has piled up and yang qi is gathered in, heaven and earth's heart that gives life has of course never ceased—only there was no thread to be seen. Once one yang has returned, the impulse of life stirs, and only then is its thread seen again.]'

仁者天下之公善之本也【復卦六二傳仁者以天地萬物為一體故曰天下之公四端萬善皆統乎仁故曰善之本也】

Cheng Yi said: 'Benevolence is the impartiality of the world, the root of goodness. [Commentary on the second line of Fu: the benevolent make heaven, earth, and the ten thousand things one body—therefore called the impartiality of the world; the four sprouts and the ten thousand goods are all gathered under benevolence—therefore called the root of goodness.]'

有感必有應凡有動皆為感感則必有應所應復為感所感復有應所以不已也感通之理知道者黙而觀之可也【鹹卦九四傳屈伸徃來感應無窮自屈而伸則屈者感也伸者應也自伸而屈則伸者感也屈者應也明乎此則天地隂陽之消長變化人心物理之表裡盛衰要不外乎感應之理而已】

Cheng Yi said: 'Where there is a stimulus there must be a response. All movement is a stimulus, and every stimulus must have a response; the response becomes in turn a stimulus, and what is stimulated responds again—so it never stops. The principle of mutual penetration: he who knows it has only to watch in silence. [Commentary on the fourth line of Xian: bending and stretching, going and coming, stimulus and response without end. From bending to stretching, the bend is the stimulus and the stretch the response; from stretching to bending, the stretch is the stimulus and the bend the response. Understand this, and the waxing and waning of heaven, earth, yin, and yang, and the rise and fall, outer and inner, of the human heart and the principles of things—all of it does not go beyond the principle of stimulus and response.]'

天下之理終而復始所以恆而不窮恆非一定之謂也一定則不能恆矣惟隨時變易乃常道也天地常乆之道天下常乆之理非知道者孰能識之【恆卦彖傳隨時變易不窮乃常道也日月徃來萬化屈伸無一息之停然其徃來屈伸則亙萬古古而常然也】

Cheng Yi said: 'The principle of the world ends and begins again; therefore it can endure without exhaustion. Endurance does not mean fixed and unchanging—what is fixed and unchanging cannot endure. Only changing with the time is the constant way. Heaven and earth's way of lasting long, the world's principle of lasting long—who but the wise could know it? [The Tuan Commentary on Heng: changing with the time yet never exhausted—this is the constant way. Sun and moon go and come, the ten thousand transformations bend and stretch, not ceasing for a breath; yet that going-and-coming and bending-and-stretching runs across ten thousand ages, always thus.]'

人性本善有不可革者何也曰語其性則皆善也語其才則有下愚之不移【革卦上六傳性無不善才者性之所能合理與氣而成氣質則有昏明強弜之異其昏弱之極者為下愚】所謂下愚有二焉自暴也自棄也人苟以善自治則無不可移者雖昏愚之至皆可漸磨而進惟自暴者拒之以不信自棄者絶之以不為雖聖人與居不能化而入也仲尼之所謂下愚也【人性本善自暴者咈戾而不信乎善是自暴害其性也自棄者雖知其善然怠廢而不為是自棄絶其性也此愚之又下者不可移矣○朱子曰自暴者剛惡之所為自棄者柔惡之所為】然天下自棄自暴者非必皆昏愚也徃徃強戾而才力有過人者商辛是也聖人以其自絶於善謂之下愚然考其歸則誠愚也【史記稱紂資辯防敏才力過人手格猛獸知足以拒諫言足以飾非則其天資固非昏愚者然其勇於為惡而自絶於善要其終真下愚耳】既曰下愚其能革面何也曰心雖絶於善道其畏威而寡罪則與人同也唯其有與人同所以知其非性之罪也【革卦上六曰小人革面下愚小人自絶於善然畏□刑而欲免罪則與人無以異是以亦能揜其不善而著其善惟其畏懼有與人同者是以知其性之本善也】

Cheng Yi said: 'Human nature is originally good, yet there is that which cannot be reformed—why? Answer: in terms of the nature, all are good; in terms of the capacity, there is the lowest dullness that cannot be moved. [Commentary on the top line of Ge: there is no nature that is not good. Capacity is what the nature can do; when principle and qi combine into temperament there are differences of dull and bright, weak and strong—the extreme of dull weakness is the lowest dullness.] The lowest dullness is of two kinds: doing violence to oneself, and casting oneself away. If a man governs himself by goodness, there is none that cannot be moved—even the dullest of the dull can be ground and polished forward step by step. Only the self-violent refuse with "I do not believe," and the self-abandoning refuse with "I do not act"; even if a sage dwelt with them, they could not be touched and brought in. This is what Confucius meant by the lowest dullness. [Human nature is originally good. The self-violent are perverse and do not believe in goodness—doing violence to their own nature; the self-abandoning know goodness yet are slack and do not act—casting away their own nature. This is dullness that is lower still, and cannot be moved. Zhu Xi said: the self-violent is the work of hard evil; the self-abandoning is the work of soft evil.] Yet those in the world who abandon and violate themselves are not always dull-witted; often they are violent and overbearing with capacity surpassing others—Zhou of Shang was such. The sage called him the lowest dullness because he cut himself off from goodness; yet examine where he ended, and he was dull indeed. [The Records of the Historian says Zhou was by endowment quick and discerning (the base text had a rare character lost in transcription), surpassing in strength, slaying fierce beasts barehanded, with wit enough to repel remonstrance and words enough to gloss his wrongs—his natural endowment was surely not dull. Yet he was bold in doing evil and cut himself off from goodness; to his end he was the lowest dullness indeed.] Then if he is called the lowest dullness, how can he yet "change his face"? Answer: though his heart is cut off from the way of good, in fearing punishment and wishing to escape blame he is the same as other men. It is just because there is this sameness with other men that we know it is not the nature's fault. [The top line of Ge says "the small man changes his face." The lowest dullard cuts himself off from good, yet fearing punishment (the base text lacks a character) and wishing to escape blame, he is no different from other men, so he too can cover what is ill and show what is good. Just because his fear is the same as other men's, we know the nature is originally good.]'

在物為理處物為義【理即是義然事物各有理裁製事物而合乎理者為義○朱子曰義者心之制事之宜也彼事之宜雖若在外然所以制其宜則在心也非程子一語則後人未免有義外之見】動靜無端隂陽無始非知道者孰能識之【經說下同○動靜相推隂陽密移無有間斷有間斷則有端始無間斷故曰無端始也其所以然者道也道固一而無間斷也異時論剝復之道曰無間可容息也又曰其間原不斷續皆此意也○朱子曰動靜相生如循環之無端】

Cheng Yi said: 'In a thing it is principle; in dealing with a thing it is righteousness. [Principle is righteousness. Yet every thing has its principle, and what judges the thing so as to accord with principle is righteousness. Zhu Xi said: righteousness is the heart's judging, the fittingness of an affair. Though the affair's fittingness seems to lie outside, that which judges the fitting is in the heart. Were it not for this one remark of Master Cheng's, later men could hardly have escaped the view that righteousness is external.] Movement and stillness have no thread; yin and yang have no beginning—who but the wise could know it? [From the Explanations of the Classics, and likewise below. Movement and stillness push one another on; yin and yang shift in secret without a break. Where there is a break there is a thread and a start; since there is no break, it is said to have no thread, no start. That which makes it so is the Way; the Way is indeed one, without break. Elsewhere, discussing the way of Bo and Fu, it says "no interval that could admit a breath," and "in it there is no cessation from the first"—all the same meaning. Zhu Xi said: movement and stillness give birth to one another like a circle with no end.]'

仁者天下之正理失正理則無序而不和【子曰仁而不仁如禮何人而不仁如樂何人而不仁則私慾交亂害於正理固宜舛逆而無序乖戾而不和也序者禮之本和者樂之本】忠信所以進徳終日干幹君子當終日對越在天也【說見乾卦九三文言發乎真心之謂忠盡乎實理之謂信忠信乃進徳之基終日干幹者謂終日對越在天也越於也君子一言一動守其忠信常瞻對乎上帝不敢有一毫欺慢之意也以下皆發明所以對越在天之義】蓋上天之載無聲無臭其體則謂之易其理則謂之道其用則謂之神其命於人則謂之性率性則謂之道修道則謂之教【上天之載無聲無所謂太極本無極也體猶質也隂陽變易乃太極之體也故其體謂之易其所以變易之理則謂之道其變易之用則謂之神此以天道言也天理賦於人謂之性循性之自然謂之道因其自然者而修明之謂之教此以人道言也惟其天人之理一所以終日對越在天也】孟子去其中又發揮出浩然之氣可謂盡矣【浩然盛大流行之貌蓋天地正大之氣人得之以生本浩然也失養則餒而無以配乎道義之用得養則充而有以復其正大之體盡矣謂無餘事也此言天人之氣一所以終日對越在天者也】故說神如在其上如在其左右大小大事而只曰誠之不可揜如此夫徹上徹下不過如此【大小猶多少也中庸論鬼神如此其盛而卒曰誠之不可揜誠者實理即所謂忠信之體天人之間通此實理故君子忠信進徳所以為對越在天也】形而上為道形而下為器須著如此説器亦道道亦器【説見繫辭道者指事物之理故曰形而上器者指事物之體故曰形而下其實道寓於器本不相離也蓋言日用之間無非天理之流行所謂終日對越在天者亦敬循乎此理而已】但得道在不繫今與後巳與人【不繫猶不拘也言人能體道而不違則道在我矣不拘人巳古今無徃而不合蓋道本無間然也】

Cheng Yi said: 'Benevolence is the right principle of the world. Lose the right principle, and there is no order and no harmony. [Confucius said: "A man without benevolence—what has he to do with ritual? A man without benevolence—what has he to do with music?" A man without benevolence has selfish desires crossing and stirring, harming the right principle; he should of course fall into error and disorder, perverse and unharmonious. Order is the root of ritual; harmony is the root of music.] Loyalty and trustworthiness are how virtue is advanced; "vigorous all day long"—the noble man should all day stand face to face with heaven above. [The saying is in the Wenyan on the third line of Qian. Issuing from the true heart is called loyalty; being fulfilled in real principle is called trustworthiness. Loyalty and trustworthiness are the root of advancing virtue. "Vigorous all day long" means standing all day face to face with heaven above; "facing" is "toward." In every word and act the noble man keeps loyalty and trustworthiness, forever beholding the Lord on high, not daring a hair of deceit or neglect. What follows all brings out the meaning of standing face to face with heaven.] Heaven's working has no sound and no scent: its substance is called change, its principle is called the Way, its working is called spirit; its decree upon man is called the nature, following the nature is called the Way, cultivating the Way is called teaching. [Heaven's working without sound and scent (the base text had a rare character lost in transcription) is what is meant by the supreme pole being grounded in the limitless. "Substance" is like matter. The alternation of yin and yang is the pole's very substance, so its substance is called change; the principle by which it alternates is called the Way; the working of the alternation is called spirit. This is said in terms of heaven's way. Heavenly principle endowed in man is called the nature; following the nature's self-so is called the Way; cultivating and making bright that self-so is called teaching. This is said in terms of man's way. Just because the principle of heaven and man is one, one can stand all day face to face with heaven.] Mencius then drew out from this the flood-like qi—one may say he spoke it to the end. [Flood-like is the look of grandeur flowing everywhere. Heaven and earth's great, right qi is what man receives to live; it is flood-like by nature. Lost of nourishment it starves and cannot join the working of the Way and righteousness; nourished it fills and can restore the great, right substance. "To the end" means nothing is left over. This says that the qi of heaven and man is one, so one can stand all day face to face with heaven.] Therefore it says the spirits seem above us, seem at our left and right—of all the great matters it says only "how sincerity cannot be hid like this." From top to bottom it is nothing more than this. ["Great and small" is like "however many." The Doctrine of the Mean speaks of the spirits' abundance thus, and finally says "sincerity cannot be hid." Sincerity is real principle—the substance of loyalty and trustworthiness. This real principle runs through between heaven and man, so the noble man, loyal and trustworthy, advancing virtue, is standing face to face with heaven.] What is above form is the Way; what is below form is the vessel—but it must be said this way: the vessel too is the Way, and the Way too is the vessel. [The saying is in the Appended Remarks. The Way names the principle of things, so it is called above form; the vessel names the bodies of things, so it is called below form. In truth the Way lodges in the vessel; they are not separate from the first. It means that in daily use there is nothing but heavenly principle flowing; what is called standing all day face to face with heaven is no more than reverently following this principle.] As long as the Way is there, it is not bound by present or later, self or other. ["Not bound" means not tied. It means that if a man embodies the Way without violating it, the Way is in him—not tied to other or self, ancient or modern; everywhere it accords, for the Way has no interval from the first.]'

醫書言手足痿痺為不仁此言最善名狀仁者以天地萬物為一體莫非巳也認得為巳何所不至若不有諸巳自不與巳相干如手足不仁氣巳不貫皆不屬巳【天地萬物與我同體心無私蔽則自然愛而公矣所謂仁也苟是理不明而為私意所隔截刖形骸爾汝之分了無交渉譬如手足痿痺氣不相貫疾痛痾癢皆不相干此四體之不仁也】故博施濟眾乃聖人之功用仁至難言故止曰巳欲立而立人巳欲逹而逹人能近取譬可謂仁之方也巳欲令如是觀仁可以得仁之體【說見論語博施濟眾乃聖人之功用子貢以是言仁未識仁之體夫子告之使知人之慾無異巳之慾施於人者亦猶施於巳近取諸身而譬之於人則得求仁之術即此可見仁之體也○朱子曰博施濟眾是就事上說卻不就心上說夫子所以提起正是就心上指仁之本體而告之又曰博施濟眾固仁之極功但只乍見孺子將入井時有怵惕惻隱之心亦便是仁此處最好看】

Cheng Yi said: 'The medical books call palsied, numb hands and feet "unfeeling"—the expression describes it best. The benevolent make heaven, earth, and the ten thousand things one body; there is nothing that is not themselves. Recognizing it as themselves, what could they not reach? If it is not possessed in oneself, it naturally has nothing to do with oneself—like hands and feet grown numb: the qi no longer runs through, and they belong to oneself no more. [Heaven, earth, and the ten thousand things are one body with me; if the heart has no selfish obstruction it naturally loves and is impartial—this is benevolence. If this principle is not clear, cut off by selfish intent, only the bodily frame and the distinction of self and other remain, with no dealings at all—like hands and feet palsied, the qi not running through, ache and itch no concern at all: this is the four limbs' unfeeling.] So giving broadly and succoring the multitude is the sage's work. Benevolence is very hard to speak of; therefore he only said: wishing to stand, help others to stand; wishing to reach, help others to reach; able to draw the comparison near at hand—this may be called the method of benevolence. To make men see benevolence this way is to get at benevolence's substance. [The saying is in the Analects. Giving broadly and succoring the multitude is the sage's work; Zigong used it to speak of benevolence, not yet knowing benevolence's substance. The Master told him so that he would know that other men's desires are no different from one's own, that what is given to others is as given to oneself—drawing near upon oneself to compare with others, one gets the method of seeking benevolence, and by this very thing sees its substance. Zhu Xi said: giving broadly and succoring the multitude is spoken of in terms of deeds, not in terms of the heart; the reason the Master brought it up was precisely to point out benevolence's substance in the heart and tell him. He also said: giving broadly and succoring is indeed benevolence's utmost work, but even at the first sight of a child about to fall into a well, the alarmed, pitying heart is also benevolence—and here it is best seen.]'

生之謂性性即氣氣即性生之謂也【人之有生氣聚成形理亦具焉是謂之性性與氣本不相離也故曰性即氣氣即性】人生氣稟理有善惡然不是性中元有此兩物相對而生也【氣稟雜揉善惡由分此亦理之所有然原是性之木則善而已非性中原有善惡二者並生也】有自幼而善有自幼而惡【本注云后稷之克岐克嶷子越椒始生人知其必滅若敖氏之類】是氣稟有然也善固性也然惡亦不可不謂之性也【程子又曰善惡皆天理謂之惡者本非惡但或過或不及便如此○朱子曰天下無性外之物本皆善而流於惡耳○愚謂原天命賦予之初固有善而無惡及氣稟拘滯之後則其惡者謂非性之本然則可謂之非性則不可性一也所指之地不同耳】蓋生之謂性人生而靜以上不容説才説性時便巳不是性也【朱子曰人生而靜以上是人物未生時只可謂之理未可名為性所謂在天曰命也才説性時便是人生以後此理已墮在刑氣之中不全是性之本體矣所謂在人曰性也○此重釋生之謂性】凡人説性只是説繼之者善也孟子言性善是也夫所謂繼之者善也者猶水流而就下也皆水也有流而至海終無所汙此何煩人力之為也有流而未逺固巳漸濁有出而甚逺方有所濁有濁之多者有濁之少者清濁雖不同然不可以濁者不為水也【繫辭曰一隂一陽之謂道繼之者善也蓋天遒流行發育萬物賦受之間渾然一理純粹至善所謂性善者也繼之雲者猶水流而就下其有清濁逺近之不同猶氣稟昏明純駁有深淺也水固本清及流而濁不可謂之非水猶性雖本善及局於氣而惡不可謂之非性○此重釋善固性也惡亦不可不謂之性】如此則人不可以不加澄治之功故用力敏勇則疾清用力緩怠則遲清及其清也則卻只是元初水也不是將清來換卻濁亦不是取出濁來置在一隅也水之清則性善之謂也故不是善與惡在性中為兩物相對各自出來【朱子曰人雖為氣所昏而性則未嘗不在其中故不可不加澄治之功惟能學以勝之則知此理渾然初未嘗損所謂元初水也雖濁而清者存固非將清來換濁既清則本無濁固非取濁置一隅也如此則其本善而已矣性中豈有兩物對立而並行也哉愚謂不知性之本善則不能自勉以復其初不知性有時而陷於惡則不能力加澄治之功二説蓋互相發明也○此重釋不是性中元有兩物相對而生但前以本言則曰相對而生此以用言則曰相對各自出來】此理天命也順而循之則道也循此而修之各得其分則教也自天命以至於教我無加損焉此舜有天下而不與焉者也【朱子曰修道雖以人事言然其所以修之者莫非天命之本然非人私智所能為也然非聖人有不能盡故以舜事明之】觀天地生物氣象【本注云周茂叔看○造化流行發育萬物博周徧生理條逹觀之使人良心油然而生此即周子牕前草不除去問之雲與自家意思一般是也】

Cheng Yi said: '"What is inborn is called the nature": the nature is qi and qi is the nature—this is said in terms of "what is inborn." [When a man is born, qi gathers into form and principle is complete within: this is called the nature. Nature and qi are not separate from the first; hence it is said the nature is qi and qi is the nature.] In the qi-endowment that man receives at birth, in principle there is good and evil—yet it is not that within the nature these two things were originally born facing each other. [The qi-endowment is a mixture, and good and evil divide along it—this too belongs to principle. But traced to the nature's root (the base text miswrites 'root'), it is only good; it is not that within the nature good and evil were originally born side by side.] Some are good from infancy, some are evil from infancy (the text's own note: like Hou Ji's "he could stand and straddle," and Ziyuejiao, of whom men knew at birth that he would wipe out the Ruo'ao clan)—this is made so by the qi-endowment. Good is of course the nature, yet evil cannot but be called the nature too. [Master Cheng also said: good and evil are both heavenly principle. What is called evil is not evil in itself; it is just excess or falling short that makes it so. Zhu Xi said: in the world there is nothing outside the nature; all are originally good and merely flow into evil. Ye Cai notes: traced back to when heaven's mandate first endows it, there is indeed only good and no evil; once the qi-endowment cramps and fixes it, then of that evil one may say it is not the nature's original state, but one may not say it is not the nature. The nature is one; only the place pointed to differs.] "What is inborn is called the nature": above "man is born in stillness" nothing may be said; the moment one speaks of the nature, it is no longer the nature itself. [Zhu Xi said: above "man is born in stillness" is before man and things are born; there it can only be called principle, not yet named the nature—what is meant by "in heaven it is called the mandate." The moment one speaks of the nature, it is already after man's birth, when this principle has fallen into formed qi (the base text miswrites 'formed qi') and is no longer wholly the nature's own substance—what is meant by "in man it is called the nature." This re-explains "what is inborn is called the nature."] When men speak of the nature at all, they mean only "what continues it is goodness"—this is what Mencius meant by the goodness of the nature. What is called "what continues it is goodness" is like water flowing downward. It is all water: some flows to the sea untainted all the way—what need is there for human effort there; some grows gradually turbid before it has flowed far; some goes far before it grows turbid at all; some grows very turbid, some only slightly. Though clear and turbid differ, one cannot say that because it is turbid it is not water. [The Appended Remarks say: "the alternation of yin and yang is called the Way; what continues it is goodness." Heaven's way (the base text miswrites 'way') flows and brings the ten thousand things to birth; between endowing and receiving, undivided in one principle, pure and utmost good—this is the so-called goodness of the nature. "Continuing it" is like water flowing downward; clear and turbid, far and near differ like the endowment's dull and bright, pure and mixed having degrees of depth. Water is of course originally clear; having flowed and grown turbid it cannot be said not to be water; the nature, though originally good, cramped by qi into evil cannot be said not to be the nature. This re-explains "good is of course the nature, yet evil cannot but be called the nature too." So man cannot do without the work of settling and purifying. Exert effort nimbly and boldly and it clears quickly; exert effort slowly and lazily and it clears slowly. And once it has cleared, it is only the original water—not that clear water was brought to replace the turbid, nor that the turbid was taken out and set in a corner. The water's clarity is the meaning of the nature's goodness. So it is not that good and evil within the nature are two things facing each other, each issuing from its own side. [Zhu Xi said: though man is clouded by qi, the nature is never not within him; therefore the work of settling and purifying cannot be omitted. As long as learning can overcome it, one knows this principle was undivided and undiminished from the first—the so-called original water. Though turbid, the clear is still there; it is certainly not that clear replaces turbid. Once clear, there was no turbidity to begin with; it is certainly not that the turbid was put in a corner. Thus its root is only good. Within the nature how could there be two things standing opposed and running side by side? Ye Cai notes: not knowing the nature's original goodness, one cannot exert oneself to return to the beginning; not knowing the nature can at times sink into evil, one cannot forcefully apply the work of purifying. The two sayings illuminate each other. This re-explains "it is not that within the nature two things were originally born facing each other." Only: before, it spoke of the root and said "born facing each other"; here, speaking of the working, it says "each issuing from its own side."] This principle is heaven's mandate. To follow it and accord with it is the Way; to cultivate along it, each getting his due share, is teaching. From heaven's mandate down to teaching, I neither add to it nor take from it—this is the meaning of Shun's possessing the empire yet taking no part in it. [Zhu Xi said: though cultivating the Way is spoken of in terms of human affairs, what is cultivated is nothing but heaven's mandate as it is, not something human cleverness can make. Yet none but the sage can fulfill it, so Shun's case is used to make it plain.] Behold the manner of heaven and earth giving life to things (the text's own note: Zhou Maoshu beheld it. [Creation flows and brings the ten thousand things to birth, broad and all-pervading (the base text had a rare character lost in transcription), the life-principle coursing through; to behold it makes one's good heart spring up of itself. This is why Zhouzi would not clear the grass before his window; asked, he said: "It is of one meaning with my own."])'

萬物之生意最可觀此元者善之長也斯所謂仁也【朱子曰物之初生淳粹未防最好看及幹葉茂盛便不好看見孺子八井時怵惕惻隱之心只這些子便見得仁到他發政施仁其仁固廣然卻難看】

Cheng Yi said: 'The impulse of life in the ten thousand things is the best thing to behold. This is "yuan is the chief of the virtues"; this is what is called benevolence. [Zhu Xi said: when a thing has just been born, pure and unmixed (the base text miswrites the character), it is fairest to behold; once the branches and leaves grow thick it is not so fine. Seeing a child about to fall into a well (the base text miswrites 'into'), the alarmed, pitying heart—in just this one point benevolence is seen; when it comes to issuing governance and spreading benevolence, the benevolence is indeed vast, yet not so fine to behold.]'

滿腔子是惻隱之心【腔子猶軀殻也惻傷怛也隱痛也人之一身惻隱之心無所不至故疾痛痾癢觸之則覺由是推之則天地萬物本一體也無徃而非惻隱之心矣○朱子曰彌滿充實無空缺處如刀割著亦痛針刺著亦痛】

Cheng Hao said: 'The whole frame is filled with the heart of pity. ["Frame" is like the bodily shell. "Pity" is pain at hurt, "commiseration" grief at sorrow. Through a man's whole body the heart of pity reaches everywhere, so that ache and itch are felt at a touch. Pushed outward from this, heaven, earth, and the ten thousand things are originally one body—nowhere is the heart of pity absent. Zhu Xi said: spread full and filling, with no empty place—as a knife's cut pains, a needle's prick pains.]'

天地萬物之理無獨必有對皆自然而然非有安排也毎中夜以思不知手之舞之足之蹈之也【朱子曰隂與陽對動與靜對以至屈伸消長左右上下或以類而對或以反而對反覆推之未有兀然無對而孤立者程子謂惟道無對然以形而上下論之亦未嘗不有對也】

Cheng Hao said: 'In the principle of heaven, earth, and the ten thousand things there is nothing solitary; everything must have its pair, all being so of themselves, arranged by no one. Thinking of it again and again in the middle of the night, unawares my hands dance and my feet stamp. [Zhu Xi said: yin pairs with yang, movement with stillness, and so with bending and stretching, waning and waxing, left and right, above and below—paired either by kind or by opposition; push it through again and again and there is none standing stark and lone without a pair. Master Cheng said only the Way has no pair; yet judged between above-form and below-form, it too has a pair of a kind.]'

中者天下之大本天地之間亭亭噹噹直上直下之正理出則不是惟敬而無失最盡【喜怒哀樂未發之時此性渾然在中亭亭噹噹直上直下無所偏倚此天下之大本而萬善之主也心有散逸則失其所以為主唯能敬以存之則有以全其中之本體矣】

Cheng Hao said: 'Equilibrium is the great root of the world. Between heaven and earth, that right principle standing firm and due, straight above and straight below—let it depart and it is so no longer. "Only reverence without loss" says it most fully. [Before joy, anger, sorrow, and joy are stirred, this nature rests undivided within, firm and due, straight above and straight below, leaning to no side—this is the great root of the world, the master of the ten thousand goods. If the heart scatters, it loses what makes it master. Only by holding it with reverence is there wherewith to keep its substance whole within.]'

伊川先生曰公則一私則萬殊人心不同如面只是私心【公則萬物一體私則人已萬殊】

Master Yichuan (Cheng Yi) said: 'Impartiality makes one; selfishness makes ten thousand differences. Men's hearts differ like their faces—only from the selfish heart. [Impartial, the ten thousand things are one body; selfish, self and other split into ten thousand differences.]'

凡物有本末不可分本末為兩段事灑掃應對是其然必有所以然【朱子曰治心修身是本灑掃應對是末皆其然之事也至於所以然則理也理無精粗本末】

Cheng Yi said: 'All things have a root and a tip; you cannot split root and tip into two separate matters. Sweeping and answering are the "that it is so"; there must be the "why it is so." [Zhu Xi said: governing the heart and cultivating the person are the root; sweeping and answering are the tip—all are matters of "that it is so." As for the "why it is so," that is principle. Principle has no fine and coarse, root and tip.]'

楊子防一毛不為墨子又摩頂放踵為之此皆是不得中至如子莫執中欲執此二者之中不知怎麼執得識得則凡事物上皆天然有個中在那上不待人安排也安排著則不中矣【楊朱為我故以一毫利天下而不為墨翟兼愛故雖摩頂至踵可以利天下而亦為之楊墨各守一偏固皆失其中子莫魯之賢人也懲二者之偏欲於二者之間而取中夫中者隨時而在不能隨時以權其宜而膠於一定之中則所執者亦偏矣故君子貴于格物以致其知物格而知至則有以識夫時中之理而於事事物物各有天然之中不待著意安排也若事事安排則或雜以意見之私而非天然之中矣】

Cheng Hao said: 'Yangzi would not pull out (the base text miswrites the character) one hair; Mozi would rub his crown bare and wear his heels smooth doing it—both missed the mean. As for Zimo holding the mean, he wished to hold the middle between the two, but did not know how to hold it. Once it is recognized, then on all things there is naturally a mean set upon them that does not wait for man's arranging; the moment it is arranged, it is the mean no longer. [Yang Zhu was for himself, so he would not do it even at the price of one hair for the world's profit; Mo Di loved all alike, so he would do it though rubbing crown and heel to benefit the world. Yang and Mo each held one side and of course both lost the mean. Zimo was a worthy of Lu who, chastened by the two's one-sidedness, wished to take the middle between them. The mean is present with the moment; if one cannot weigh the fitting as the moment shifts and instead glues fast to one fixed middle, then what one holds is one-sided too. So the noble man prizes investigating things to extend knowledge. Things investigated and knowledge complete, one has wherewith to know the principle of the timely mean, and in every affair and thing there is a natural mean that does not wait on deliberate arranging. If every matter is arranged, it may be mixed with the selfishness of opinion and is no longer the natural mean.]'

問時中如何伊川先生曰中字最難識須是黙識心通且試言一則中央為中一家則中非中而堂為中言一國則堂非中而國之中為中推此類可見矣如三過其門不入在禹稷之世為中若居陋巷則非中也居陋巷在顔子之時為中若三過其門不入則非中也【時中者隨時有中不可執一而求也意如上章禹之治水九年於外三過其門而不暇入蓋得時行道任天下之青濟斯民之患如是乃合此時之中顔子之世明王不興以夫子之大聖而不得行其道則其時可以止矣故隱居獨善而簞瓢自樂如是乃合此時之中是二者若違時而易務則皆失其中矣】

Someone asked about the timely mean. Master Yichuan said: 'The character "mean" is the hardest to know; it must be silently recognized and fathomed in the heart. Let me try to say it: within one room (the base text had a rare character lost in transcription) the center is the mean; within a household, the room's center is not the mean—the hall is; speak of a state, and the hall is not the mean—the state's center is. By this analogy it may be seen. Like passing one's gate three times without entering: in the time of Yu and Ji it was the mean, but dwelling in a mean lane it would not be; dwelling in a mean lane was the mean in Yanzi's time, but passing the gate thrice without entering would not be. [The timely mean is having the mean with the moment; it cannot be sought by holding to one—the meaning is as in the previous section. Yu governed the waters nine years abroad, passing his gate thrice without a moment to enter; this was gaining the time to walk the Way, bearing the charge of the world (the base text miswrites 'charge') to relieve the people's suffering—only thus did it fit the mean of that moment. In Yanzi's day no enlightened king arose; with a great sage like the Master unable to practice his Way, the time called for stopping—so he dwelt in seclusion, cultivating himself alone, glad with gourd and ladle; only thus did it fit the mean of that moment. If these two had defied their times and traded tasks, both would have lost the mean.]'

無妄之謂誠不欺其次矣【本注云李邦直雲不欺之謂誠便以不欺為誠徐仲車雲不息之謂誠中庸言至誠無息非以無息解誠也或以問先生先生曰云雲○無妄者實理之自然而無一毫偽妄也故謂之誠不欺者知實理之當然而不自為欺乃思誠也○朱子曰無妄者自然之誠不欺是著力去做底故曰其次】

Cheng Yi said: 'Being without falsehood is called sincerity; not deceiving is next after. [The text's own note: Li Bangzhi said "not deceiving is called sincerity," taking non-deceit for sincerity itself; Xu Zhongche said "unceasing is called sincerity." The Doctrine of the Mean says "utmost sincerity does not cease"; it does not explain sincerity by unceasingness. Someone asked the master about this, and he answered as above. Being without falsehood is real principle's natural state with not a hair of pretense, so it is called sincerity. Not deceiving is knowing what real principle requires and not cheating oneself—this is thinking on sincerity. Zhu Xi said: without falsehood is sincerity of nature; not deceiving is sincerity worked at—hence "next after."]'

沖漠無眹萬象森然已具未應不是先已應不是後【沖漠未形而萬理畢具即所謂無極而太極也未應者寂然不動之時也已應者感而遂通之時也已應之理悉具於未應之時故未應非先已應非後蓋即體而用在其中不可以先後分也○朱子曰未有事物之時此理已具少間應處亦只是此理】如百尺之木自根本至枝葉皆是一貫不可道上面一段事無形無兆卻待人旋安排引入來教入塗轍【轍車跡塗轍猶路脈也道有體用而非兩端猶木有根本是生枝葉上下一貫未嘗間斷豈可謂未應之時空虛無有已應之際旋待安排引入塗轍言此理具於氣形事為之先本一貫也】既是塗轍卻只是一個塗轍【言此理流行於氣形事為之中亦未嘗有二致也○朱子曰如父之慈子之孝只是一條路從源頭下來】

Cheng Yi said: 'Empty and trackless, the ten thousand images are already furnished in ranks. Not yet responding is not prior; already responding is not after. [Empty, formless, with the ten thousand principles all complete—this is the limitless and yet the supreme pole. Not yet responding is the time of stillness unmoved; already responding is the time of being stirred and reaching through. The principle of what is already responded is wholly furnished at the time of not yet responding; therefore not-yet is not prior and already is not after—within the very substance the working is contained, and they cannot be split into before and after. Zhu Xi said: before there is any thing this principle is already there; a while later, what responds to things is only this same principle.] Like a tree a hundred feet tall, from root to branch and leaf it is one thread through—you cannot say that the upper portion, having no form or sign, waits for a man to arrange it and bring it in at the moment, leading it onto the track. ["Track" is the wheel's rut; "path and track" is like a road's veins. The Way has substance and working, yet they are not two ends—like the tree having root from which branch and leaf are born, above and below one thread unbroken. How could one say that at not-yet-responding it is empty nothing, and only at responding that a man arranges it into the track? It means this principle is furnished before qi, form, and affairs—one thread from the first.] Since it is a track, it is only one track. [It means this principle flows through qi, form, and affairs without ever being two. Zhu Xi said: like the father's kindness and the son's filial duty—it is only one road coming down from the source.]'

近取諸身百理皆具屈伸徃來之義只於鼻息之間見之屈伸徃來只是理不必將既屈之氣復為方伸之氣生生之理自然不息【鼻息呼吸可見屈伸徃來之義以理而言則屈伸徃來自然不息以氣而言則不是以既屈之氣為方伸之氣如釋氏所謂輪廻者也○朱子曰此段為橫渠形潰反原之説而發也李果齋曰徃而屈者其氣已散來而伸者其氣方生生生之理自然不窮若以既屈之氣復為方伸之氣則是天地間只有許多氣來來去去造化之理不幾於窮乎釋氏不明乎此所以有輪廻之說】如復卦言七日來復其間元不斷續陽已復生物極必返其理須如此有生便有死有始便有終【日即月也以卦配月則自五月陽始消而為姤至十一月陽生而為復自姤至復凡七月也消極而生無有間斷物極必返理之自然生死始終皆一理也】

Cheng Yi said: 'Draw near upon one's own person, and all the principles are furnished. The meaning of bending and stretching, going and coming, can be seen in the breath at one's nose. Bending and stretching, going and coming, is only principle; you need not take the qi already bent to be the qi now stretching. The life-giving principle naturally does not cease. [The breath at the nose shows the meaning of bending and stretching, going and coming. In terms of principle, bending and stretching go on naturally without ceasing; in terms of qi, it is not that the qi already bent is taken as the qi now stretching—as the Buddhists' so-called transmigration. Zhu Xi said: this passage is aimed at Hengqu's saying about "the form scattering back to the source." Li Fangzi (Guozhai) said: the qi that went and bent has scattered; the qi that comes and stretches is just being born—the life-giving principle naturally does not run out. If the qi already bent were again taken as the qi now stretching, then between heaven and earth there would only be so much qi coming and going, and would not creation's principle be all but exhausted? The Buddhists did not understand this, hence their teaching of transmigration.] Like the Fu hexagram's "on the seventh day it returns"—within it there was no break from the first. Yang has already returned; at the limit of things they turn back—its principle must be so. Where there is birth there is death; where there is a start there is an end. ["Day" is month. Matching hexagrams to months: from the fifth month yang begins to wane as Gou, to the eleventh month yang is born as Fu—from Gou to Fu is seven months. Waning to its limit it is born again, without interval. Things at their limit must turn back—it is the naturalness of principle. Life and death, start and finish, are all one principle.]'

明道先生曰天地之間只有一個感與應而已更有甚事【詳見前】

Master Mingdao (Cheng Hao) said: 'Between heaven and earth there is only stimulus and response, that is all—what else is there? [See in detail above.]'

問仁伊川先生曰此在諸公自思之將聖賢所言仁處類聚觀之體認出來孟子曰惻隱之心仁也後人遂以愛為仁愛自是情仁自是性豈可専以愛為仁孟子言惻隱之心仁之端也既曰仁之端則不可便為之仁退之言博愛之為仁非也仁者固博愛然便以博愛為仁則不可【仁者愛之理愛者仁之情以愛為仁是指情為性端之雲者言仁在中而端緒見於外也或問樊遲問仁子曰愛人是夫子亦嘗以愛言仁也曰孔門問答皆是教人於巳發處用功孟子所謂惻隱之心仁也亦是於巳發之端體認但後之論仁者無復知性情之別故程子發此義以示人慾使沿流而遡其源也學者其深體之】

Someone asked about benevolence. Master Yichuan said: 'This you gentlemen must think out for yourselves. Gather by kind what the sages and worthies said about benevolence and look at them; embody it and recognize it. Mencius said "the heart of pity is benevolence," and later men took love for benevolence. Love is a feeling; benevolence is the nature—how can love alone be taken for benevolence? Mencius said "the heart of pity is the sprout of benevolence"; since it is called benevolence's sprout, it cannot simply be called benevolence. Han Yu said "broad love is called benevolence"—not so. The benevolent do indeed love broadly, yet to take broad love for benevolence will not do. [Benevolence is the principle of love; love is benevolence's feeling. To take love for benevolence is to take feeling for nature. "Sprout" means benevolence is within while its thread shows outside. Someone asked: when Fan Chi asked about benevolence, Confucius said "love others"—did the Master then also speak of benevolence by love? Answer: the Confucian school in question and answer always taught men to work at the point where feeling has gone forth; Mencius's "the heart of pity is benevolence" also has one recognize it on the thread already gone forth. But later men discussing benevolence no longer knew the distinction of nature and feeling, so Master Cheng brought out this meaning for men to see, wishing them to follow the stream back to its source. Students should weigh this deeply.]'

問仁與心何異伊川曰心譬如谷種生之性便是仁陽氣發處乃情也【以谷種喻心生之性便是愛之理陽氣發處便是惻隱之情】

Someone asked what the difference is between benevolence and the heart. Yichuan said: 'The heart is like a grain of seed; the nature of living is benevolence; where yang qi stirs is feeling. [The grain of seed figures the heart. The nature of living is the principle of love; where yang qi stirs is the feeling of pity.]'

義訓宜禮訓別智訓知仁當何訓説者謂訓覺訓人皆非也當合孔孟言仁處大槩研窮之二三歳得之未晩也【訓者以其字義難明故又假一字以訓解之義者天理之當然所以裁製乎事物之宜故訓宜禮者天理之節文所以別親踈上下之分故訓別智者天理之明睿所以知事物之是非故訓智仁道至大包乎三者故為難訓説者謂訓覺者言不為物慾所蔽癢痾疾痛觸之即覺夫仁者固無所不覺然覺不足以盡仁之蘊也訓人者言天地生人均氣同理以人體之剛惻怛慈愛之意自然無所間斷夫仁者固以人為體然不可以訓仁也○朱子曰仁是愛之體覺自是智之用仁統四徳故仁則無不覺然便以覺為仁則不可或謂仁只是人心之生理以生字訓之何如朱子曰不必須用一字訓但要識得大意通透耳】

Cheng Yi said: 'Righteousness is glossed as fittingness, propriety as distinction, wisdom as knowing—what should benevolence be glossed as? Those who say to gloss it as awareness, or gloss it as man, are both wrong. One should gather together where Confucius and Mencius spoke of benevolence, study them hard for two or three years, and so get it—and that would not be too late. [A gloss is used because a word's meaning is hard to make out, so another word is borrowed to explain it. Righteousness is heavenly principle's requirement, judging the fittingness of affairs—hence glossed as fitting; propriety is heavenly principle's measured form, distinguishing the stations of close and distant, high and low—hence glossed as distinction; wisdom is heavenly principle's clarity, knowing the right and wrong of things—hence glossed as wisdom. The way of benevolence is utmost great, containing those three, so it is hard to gloss. Those who say to gloss it as awareness mean: not clouded by the desires of things, itch and pain and sickness are felt at a touch—the benevolent indeed feel all things, yet awareness does not exhaust what benevolence stores. Those who say to gloss it as man mean: heaven and earth produce men of one qi and one principle, so that taking man to embody it, the sense of tender love naturally never breaks—the benevolent indeed make man their body, yet it cannot serve as benevolence's gloss. Zhu Xi said: benevolence is love's substance; awareness is wisdom's working. Benevolence gathers the four virtues, so where benevolence is there is nothing unfelt—yet to take awareness for benevolence will not do. Someone said benevolence is only the life-principle of the human heart: how about glossing it by the word "life"? Zhu Xi said: there is no need to fix on one word for the gloss; it suffices to recognize the great meaning through and through.]'

性即理也天下之理原其所自來未有不善喜怒哀樂未發何嘗不善發而中節則無徃而不善發不中節然後為不善故凡言善惡皆先善而後惡言吉凶皆先吉而後兇言是非皆先是而後非【朱子曰性即理也一語自孔子後惟伊川説得盡□撲不破性即是天理那得有惡又曰未發之前氣不用事所以有善而無惡】

Cheng Yi said: 'The nature is principle. Of all principle in the world, traced back to where it comes from, there is none that is not good. Before joy, anger, sorrow, and joy are stirred, where is there anything not good? Stirred and hitting the due measure, there is nowhere not good; stirred and missing the measure—only then is there not-good. So in speaking of good and evil, good always comes before evil; of fortune and misfortune, fortune before misfortune; of right and wrong, right before wrong. [Zhu Xi said: the one phrase "the nature is principle"—since Confucius only Yichuan said it fully, irrefutable (a character is missing in the base text). The nature is heavenly principle; where could evil come from? He also said: before the feelings are stirred, qi has not yet taken charge, so there is good and no evil.]'

問心有善惡否伊川曰在天為命在義為理在人為性主於身為心其實一也心本善發於思慮則有善有不善若既發則可謂之情不可謂之心【天道流行賦與萬物謂之命事物萬殊各有天然之則統而名之謂之理人得是理以生謂之性是性所存虛靈知覺為一身之主宰謂之心實則非二也推本而言心豈有不善自七情之發而後有善惡之分○朱子曰既發不可謂之非心但有不善則非心之本體】譬如水只可謂之水至如流而為派或行於東或行於西卻為之流也

Someone asked whether the heart has good and evil. Yichuan said: 'In heaven it is the mandate; in duty it is principle; in man it is the nature; presiding over the body it is the heart—in truth they are one. The heart is originally good; issuing into thought and deliberation it has good and not-good. Once it has issued, it may be called feeling but may not be called the heart. [Heaven's way flowing and endowing the ten thousand things is called the mandate; things in ten thousand differences each having their natural rule, named together, is called principle; man's receiving this principle to live is called the nature; where this nature is kept, empty and spirit-like in awareness, the master of the one body, is called the heart—in truth not two. Traced to the root, where could the heart not be good? Only after issuing into the seven feelings does the split of good and evil appear. Zhu Xi said: once issued it cannot be said not to be the heart, but where there is not-good, that is not the heart's own substance.] It is like water, which can only be called water; once it flows out into channels, going east or west, then it is called a flow.'

性出於天才出於氣氣清則才清氣濁則才濁才則有善有不善性則無不善【性本乎理理無不善才本乎氣氣則不齊故或以之為善或以之為惡○孟子曰若夫為不善非才之罪也朱子曰孟子専以其發於性者言之故以為才無不善程子兼指其稟於氣者言之則人之材質固有昏明強弱之不同張子所謂氣質之性是也二説雖殊各有所當然程子為密】

Cheng Yi said: 'The nature comes out of heaven; capacity comes out of qi. When the qi is clear the capacity is clear; when the qi is turbid the capacity is turbid. In capacity there is good and not-good; in the nature there is nothing not good. [The nature is grounded in principle, and principle has nothing not good; capacity is grounded in qi, and qi is uneven, so it may be used for good or used for evil. Mencius said: "as for doing what is not good, that is not the capacity's fault." Zhu Xi said: Mencius spoke strictly of capacity as issuing from the nature, so he held capacity has nothing not good; Master Cheng also pointed to its being endowed from qi—men's material endowments indeed differ in dull and bright, weak and strong, what Master Zhang called the nature of temperament. The two sayings differ, yet each fits its place—and Master Cheng's is the tighter.]'

性者自然完具信只是有此者也故四端不言信【仁義禮智分而言之則四者各立自然全具實有是四者則謂之信故信無定位非於四者之外別有信也孟子論四端而不及信蓋信在其中矣○李果齋曰五常言信配五行而言四端不言信配四時而言也蓋土分旺於四時之季信已立於四端之中也】

Cheng Yi said: "Human nature is naturally complete in itself. Trustworthiness (xin) is simply the actual possession of these four. That is why the Four Beginnings do not mention trustworthiness. [Humaneness, rightness, propriety and wisdom, taken separately, each stands on its own and is naturally complete; truly having these four is what is called trustworthiness. So trustworthiness has no fixed place of its own, and is not something additional outside the four. Mencius discussed the Four Beginnings without mentioning trustworthiness because trustworthiness was already contained in them. Li Fangzi (Guozhai) said: When the Five Constants include trustworthiness, it is matched with the Five Phases; when the Four Beginnings omit it, it is matched with the Four Seasons. Earth presides over the last month of each of the four seasons, so trustworthiness is already established within the Four Beginnings.]"

心生道也有是心斯具是形以生惻隱之心人之生道也【心者人之生理也有是心斯具是形此言生人之道惻隱之心人之生道此言人道是心故酬酢運用生生而不窮苟無是心則同於砂石而生理絶矣○朱子曰心生道也謂天地以生物為心而人得之以為心者又曰心是個活底物】

Cheng Yi said: "The heart is the way of generation. Only when one has this heart does one have this bodily form and come to life. The heart of compassion is the human way of generation. [The heart is the vital principle of a person. Having this heart, one has this form; this speaks of the way by which people are generated. The heart of compassion is the human way of generation; this says that the human Way is just this heart. Hence, in responding to affairs and in all one's functioning, life gives rise to life without end. Without this heart, one would be like sand and stone, with the vital principle cut off. Zhu Xi said: "The heart is the way of generation" means that Heaven and Earth take the generating of things as their heart, and humans receive this to be their heart. He also said: The heart is a living thing.]"

橫渠先生曰氣坱然太虛升降飛未嘗止息此虛實動靜之機隂陽剛柔之始浮而上者陽之清降而下者隂之濁其感遇聚散為風雨為霜雪萬品之流行山川之融結糟粕煨燼無非教也【正蒙下同○坱然盛大氤氳之義坱然太虛周流上下亙古窮今未嘗止息者元氣也虛實動靜妙用由是而形故曰機隂陽剛柔定體由是而立故曰始判而為上下清濁合而為風雨霜雪凝而為人物山川之形質散而為糟粕煨燼之渣滓消長萬變生生不窮皆道體之流行故曰無非至教】

Master Hengqu (Zhang Zai) said: "Qi fills the Great Void in a vast, dense mass, rising, falling and flying about (the original has a rare character here that was lost in transcription), never coming to rest. This is the pivot of emptiness and fullness, motion and stillness, and the beginning of yin and yang, hardness and softness. What floats upward is the clear part of yang; what sinks downward is the turbid part of yin. As it meets, gathers and disperses, it becomes wind and rain, frost and snow; the flow of the myriad kinds of things, the congealing of mountains and rivers, even the dregs and ashes, are all teaching. [From the Zhengmeng (Correcting Youthful Ignorance); the same applies below. "Yangran" means vast, with the qi densely interwoven. What fills the Great Void, circulating up and down and never resting from ancient times to the present, is original qi. The wondrous working of emptiness and fullness, motion and stillness, is manifested through it, so it is called the pivot; the fixed substance of yin and yang, hardness and softness, is established through it, so it is called the beginning. Divided, it becomes upper and lower, clear and turbid; combined, it becomes wind, rain, frost and snow; condensed, it becomes the forms of people, things, mountains and rivers; dispersed, it becomes the residue of dregs and ashes. Its waxing and waning change in ten thousand ways and generate without end; all of it is the flow of the substance of the Way, hence "nothing is not teaching."]"

遊氣紛擾合而成質者生人物之萬殊其隂陽兩端循環不已者立天地之大義【遊氣雜揉凝而成形者人物萬殊所以生也隂陽推移循環無窮者天地大經所以立也遊氣紛擾緯也隂陽循環經也○朱子曰隂陽循環如磨遊氣紛擾如磨中出者】

Zhang Zai said: "The wandering qi, tumultuous and joining to form substance, produces the manifold variety of people and things; the two poles of yin and yang, cycling without end, establish the great principle of Heaven and Earth. [Wandering qi mixes and congeals into form, and this is how the manifold variety of people and things arises; yin and yang shift and cycle without end, and this is how the great constant of Heaven and Earth is established. The tumult of wandering qi is the weft; the cycling of yin and yang is the warp. Zhu Xi said: The cycling of yin and yang is like a millstone, and the tumult of wandering qi is like what comes out of the mill.]"

天體物不遺猶仁體事而無不在也【朱子曰體物言為物之體也蓋物物有個天理體事謂事事是仁做出來】禮儀三百威儀三千無一物而非仁也【禮儀者經禮也威儀者曲禮也禮文之大小無非愛敬懇惻之心所發見者故曰無一物而非仁也不然則禮特虛文而已】昊天曰明及爾出王昊天曰旦及爾遊衍無一物之不體也【王徃通○詩大雅板篇出王謂出而有所往也旦亦明也遊衍寛縱之意言天道昭明凡人之徃來遊息之所此理無往而不在因是以證體物不遺之意】

Zhang Zai said: "Heaven embodies things without omission, just as humaneness embodies affairs and is present everywhere. [Zhu Xi said: "Embodying things" means being the substance of things, because every thing has its Heavenly principle; "embodying affairs" means that every affair is brought about by humaneness.] The three hundred rules of ritual and three thousand rules of demeanor are none of them other than humaneness. [The rules of ritual are the major rites, and the rules of demeanor are the minor rites. Large or small, the forms of ritual are all manifestations of a heart of love, reverence and sincere concern, so it is said that nothing is not humaneness. Otherwise ritual would be mere empty form. ] "Vast Heaven is bright, and goes out with you; vast Heaven is clear, and roams and wanders with you": there is nothing that does not take it as its substance. ["Wang" is interchangeable with "wang" (to go). This is from the ode "Ban" in the Greater Odes of the Classic of Poetry. "Going out" means going forth to somewhere. "Dan" also means bright. "Roaming and wandering" means being at ease. It says that the Way of Heaven is luminous, and wherever people go or rest, this principle is present everywhere. It is cited to prove the meaning of "embodying things without omission."]"

鬼神者二氣之良能也【良能者自然而然莫之為而為也朱子謂橫渠此語尤精】物之初生氣日至而滋息物生既盈氣日反而遊散至之謂神以其伸也反之謂鬼以其歸也【物自少以至壯氣日至而滋息滋息者生而就滿也自壯以至老氣日反而遊散遊散者消而就盡也以其日至而伸故曰神以其日反而歸故曰】

Zhang Zai said: "Ghosts and spirits are the innate capacities of the two qi. [Innate capacity means what comes about naturally, with no one doing it. Master Zhu said that this saying of Hengqu is especially fine.] When a thing first begins to live, qi arrives day by day and makes it grow; when the thing has lived to fullness, qi returns day by day and disperses. What arrives is called shen (spirit) because it extends; what returns is called gui (ghost) because it goes back. [As a thing goes from young to mature, qi arrives day by day and increases it; increasing is growing toward fullness. As it goes from mature to old, qi returns day by day and disperses; dispersing is declining toward exhaustion. Because it arrives and extends day by day, it is called shen; because it returns day by day, it is called gui (the original has a rare character here that was lost in transcription).]"

性者萬物之一源非有我之得私也惟大人為能盡其道是故立必俱立知必周知愛必兼愛成不獨成彼自蔽塞而不知順吾理者則亦末如之何矣【性原於天而人之所同得也惟大人者能盡巳之性則能盡人之性蓋性本無二也故已有所立必與夫人以俱立已有所知必使夫人以周知愛必兼愛使人皆得所愛也成不獨成使人皆有所成也四者大人之所存心也立者禮之幹也知者智之用也愛者仁之施也成者義之遂也自立於禮以至成於義學之始終也張子之教以禮為先故首曰立如是而彼或蔽塞而不通不知所以順乎理則亦無如之何然其心固欲其同盡乎一源之性也此即大學明明徳於天下中庸成巳成物之道蓋四端之根本也】

Zhang Zai said: "Human nature is the single source of the myriad things, and is not something a person with a self can possess privately. Only the great person can fully realize this Way. Therefore, in establishing oneself one must establish others together; in knowing, one must make all know; in loving, one must love all; in achieving, one does not achieve alone. As for those who are themselves blocked and do not know how to follow our principle, nothing can be done about them. [Nature originates from Heaven and is shared by all people. Only the great person can fully realize his own nature, and so can fully realize the nature of others, since nature is not two. So when he establishes himself, he must establish others with him; when he knows, he must make all know; he loves all, so that everyone has what they love; he does not achieve alone, so that everyone achieves something. These four are what the great person holds in his heart. Establishing is the backbone of ritual, knowing is the function of wisdom, loving is the bestowal of humaneness, and achieving is the completion of rightness. From being established in ritual to being completed in rightness is the whole course of learning. Master Zhang's teaching puts ritual first, so he speaks of establishing first. Even so, if the other person is blocked or obstructed and does not know how to follow principle, nothing can be done; yet the heart still wishes him to realize together the nature of the single source. This is the Great Learning's "illuminating bright virtue throughout the world" and the Doctrine of the Mean's way of perfecting oneself and perfecting things, and it is the root of the Four Beginnings.]"

一故神譬之人身四體皆一物故觸之而無不覺不待心使至此而後覺也此所謂感而遂通不行而至不疾而速也【橫渠易説○一謂純一也神謂神妙而無不通也猶人之四體本一也故觸之即覺不待思慮擬議使一有間斷則痛癢有所不覺矣天地之為物不貳故妙用而無方聖人之心不貳故感通而莫測】心統性情者也【橫渠語録下同○朱子曰統是主宰性者心之理情者心之用心者性情之主也孟子曰仁人心也又曰惻隱之心性情上都下個心字可見心統性情之義】

Zhang Zai said: "Oneness is what makes it spirit-like. It is like the human body: the four limbs are all one thing, so a single touch is felt everywhere, without waiting for the heart to direct it there before feeling. This is what is called responding and thereby penetrating, arriving without moving, being swift without hurrying. [From Hengqu's Yi shuo (Explanation of the Changes). "Oneness" means pure unity, and "spirit" means wondrous and penetrating everywhere. It is like the four limbs of a person being originally one body, so a touch is felt at once, without waiting for thought or deliberation. If there were a break, then pain and itching would go unfelt. Heaven and Earth are one in being things, so their wondrous functioning has no fixed direction; the sage's heart is undivided, so its response and penetration cannot be fathomed.] The heart governs nature and feelings. [From Hengqu's Yulu (Recorded Sayings); the same applies below. Zhu Xi said: "Govern" means to preside over. Nature is the principle of the heart, feelings are the function of the heart, and the heart is the master of nature and feelings. Mencius said "Humaneness is the human heart," and also spoke of "the heart of compassion"; in both nature and feelings he used the word "heart," which shows the meaning of the heart governing nature and feelings.]"

凡物莫不有是性由通蔽開塞所以有人物之別由蔽有厚薄故有智愚之別塞者牢不可開厚者可以開而開之也難薄者開之也易開則逹於天道與聖人一【有是氣必有是理此人與物之所共由也由氣有通蔽開塞故有人物之異由蔽有厚薄故人又有智愚之異塞者氣拘而填實之也故不可開此言物也蔽者但昏暗而有所不通皆可開也顧有難易之分耳及其既開則通乎天道與聖人一此言人也】

Zhang Zai said: "There is no thing that does not possess this nature. Because of penetration, obstruction, openness and blockage, there is the distinction between humans and things; because obstruction may be thick or thin, there is the distinction between the wise and the foolish. What is blocked is firmly closed and cannot be opened; what is thick can be opened but only with difficulty; what is thin opens easily. Once opened, one penetrates to the Way of Heaven and is one with the sage. [Where there is this qi, there must be this principle; this is what humans and things share. Because qi has penetration, obstruction, openness and blockage, humans and things differ; because obstruction is thick or thin, humans differ in wisdom and foolishness. Blockage means qi is constrained and packed solid, so it cannot be opened; this speaks of things. Obstruction is only dimness and failure to penetrate, and all of it can be opened, only with greater or lesser difficulty. Once opened, one penetrates the Way of Heaven and is one with the sage; this speaks of humans.]"

此卷總論為學之要蓋尊徳性矣必道問學明乎道體知所指歸斯可究為學之大凡矣

This volume gives a general discussion of the essentials of learning. Having honored one's virtuous nature, one must follow the path of inquiry and study; having understood the substance of the Way and known where it points, one can then investigate the broad outline of learning.

濂溪先生曰聖希天賢希聖士希賢【朱子曰希望也字本作晞】伊尹顔淵大賢也伊尹恥其君不為堯舜一夫不得其所若撻於市顔淵不遷怒不貳過三月不違仁【朱子曰説見書及論語皆賢人之事也】志伊尹之所志學顔子之所學【朱子曰此言士希賢也】過則聖及則賢不及則亦不失於令名【通書下同○朱子曰三者隨其用力之淺深以為所至之近逺不失令名以其有為善之實也○胡氏曰周子患人以發防決科榮身肥家希世取寵為事也故曰志伊尹之所志患人以廣聞見工文辭矜智能慕空寂為事也故曰學顔子之所學人能志此志而學此學則知斯道之大而其用無窮矣】

Master Lianxi (Zhou Dunyi) said: "The sage aspires to reach Heaven, the worthy aspires to reach the sage, and the scholar aspires to reach the worthy. [Zhu Xi said: "Aspire" means to hope for. The character was originally written differently.] Yi Yin and Yan Yuan were great worthies. Yi Yin was ashamed if his ruler did not become a Yao or Shun, and felt that if a single commoner did not find his place, it was as if he were being flogged in the marketplace; Yan Yuan did not vent his anger on others, did not repeat a mistake, and for three months did not depart from humaneness. [Zhu Xi said: These are described in the Classic of Documents and the Analects, and both are matters of worthies.] Set your will on what Yi Yin set his will on, and study what Master Yan studied. [Zhu Xi said: This speaks of the scholar aspiring to reach the worthy.] If you surpass them you reach sagehood, if you match them you reach worthiness, and if you fall short you still do not lose a good name. [From the Tongshu (Penetrating the Book of Changes); the same applies below. Zhu Xi said: The three are measured by how deeply one applies effort, which determines how far one reaches. Not losing a good name is because there is the substance of doing good. Hu Hong said: Master Zhou worried that people would take as their business sitting the examinations, glorifying themselves and enriching their families, or flattering to win favor, so he said "set your will on what Yi Yin set his will on"; he worried that people would take as their business broadening their learning, polishing their prose, boasting of their cleverness, or admiring empty quiescence, so he said "study what Master Yan studied" (the original reads "fa fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "ce"). If a person can set this will and study this learning, he will know how great this Way is and how its use is inexhaustible.]"

聖人之道入乎耳存乎心蘊之為徳行行之為事業彼以文辭而已者陋矣【朱子曰欲人真知道徳之重而不溺於文辭之陋也】

Zhou Dunyi said: "The Way of the sages enters through the ears, is kept in the heart, is stored up and becomes virtue, and is put into practice and becomes accomplishment. Those who rely only on literary style are shallow indeed. [Zhu Xi said: This wants people to truly know the weight of the Way and virtue, and not to sink into the shallowness of mere literary style.]"

或問聖人之門其徒三千獨稱顔子為好學夫詩書六藝三千子非不習而通也然則顔子所獨好者何學也【哀公問弟子孰為好學孔子對曰有顔回者好學不幸短命死矣今也則亡六藝禮樂射御書數史記曰弟子蓋三千焉身通六藝者七十二人】伊川先生曰學以至聖人之道也聖人可學而至歟曰然【聖人生知學者學而知之及其知之則一也聖人安行學者勉而行之及其成功則一也】學之道如何曰天地儲精得五行之秀者為人【人物萬殊莫非二氣五行之所為也然人則得其精且秀者是以能通於道而為聖為賢】其本也真而靜其未發也五性具焉曰仁義禮智信【真者無極之真也靜者人生而靜天之性也曰真而靜者謂其天理渾全寂然不動而所具之性其目有是五者旣曰本又曰未發蓋本者指其稟受之初未發者指其未與物接之前也】形既生矣外物觸其形而動其中矣其中動而七情出焉曰喜怒哀樂愛惡欲【此言形生之後應事接物之時也物感於外情動於中其目有是七者然喜近於樂怒近於惡愛近於欲其所以分者蓋喜在心樂發散在外怒則有所激其氣憤惡則有所憎其意深愛則近於公欲則近於私愛施於人而欲本乎巳也】情既熾而益蕩其性鑿矣是故覺者約其情使合於中正其心養其性愚者則不知制之縱其情而至於邪僻梏其性而亡之【性動則為情然情炎於中末流益蕩則反戕賊其性矣惟夫明覺之士以禮制情使不失乎中故能正其心而不流於邪僻養其性而不至於梏亡愚者反是梏猶桎梏謂拘攣而暴殄之言人之所以貴於學也】然學之道必先明諸心知所徃然後力行以求至所謂自明而誠也【往一作養○朱子曰明諸心知所往窮理之事力行求至踐履之事也或曰知所養應上文養其性涵養之功與知行並進】誠之之道在乎信道篤信道篤則行之果行之果則守之固仁義忠信不離乎心造次必於是顛沛必於是出處語黙必於是乆而弗失則居之安動容周旋中禮而邪僻之心無自生矣【此因上文言所以誠之之道也信道篤則不惑行之果則不止守之固則不變朱子曰造次急遽苟且之時顛沛傾覆流離之際也○以上兩節論為學之道詳盡其大綱有三焉明諸心知所徃者智之事也力行以求至者仁之事也信道篤以下勇之事也然勇之中亦備此三者故信之篤者知之勇也行之果者仁之勇也守之固者勇之勇也仁義忠信不離乎心者信之篤也造次顛沛出處語黙必於是者行之果也乆而弗失守之固也動容周旋中禮邪僻之心不生則幾於化矣】故顔子所事則曰非禮勿視非禮勿聴非禮勿言非禮勿動【禮者天理之節文非禮者私慾之害乎天理者也勿者禁止之辭凡視聴言動克去巳私則日用之間莫非天理之流行矣此孔子教顔子為仁之目而顔子之所請事者也】仲尼稱之則曰得一善則拳拳服膺而弗失之矣又曰不遷怒不貳過有不善未嘗不知知之未嘗復行也此其好之篤學之之道也【中庸子曰回之為人也擇乎中庸得一善則拳拳服膺而弗失之矣拳拳奉持之貌服猶佩也膺胷也凡得一善言善行則奉持佩服於心胷不敢忘也又語曰不遷怒不貳過怒所當怒各止其所不遷也才即改巳改不再不貳也又易繫辭傳曰有不善未嘗不知知之未嘗復行也有不善而必知之是察巳之明也知之而不復行是克巳之誠也皆孔子所以稱顔子好學之道也】然聖人則不思而得不勉而中顔子則必思而後得必勉而後中其與聖人相去一息所未至者守之也非化之也以其好學之心假之以年則不日而化矣【聖人生知故不思而得安行故不勉而中顔子猶必擇善而固執之然其博文約禮工力俱到其未至於聖人者特一息之間耳使非短命而死則不淹時日所守者化而與聖人一矣】後人不逹以謂聖本生知非學可至而為學之道遂失不求諸巳而求諸外以博聞強記巧文麗辭為工榮華其言鮮有至於道者則今之學與顔子所好異矣【文集○後世聖學無傳不知反身修徳徒以記問詞章為學去道愈逺矣】

Someone asked: Among the sage's three thousand disciples, only Master Yan was praised as fond of learning. As for the Poems, Documents and Six Arts, the three thousand disciples did not fail to study and master them, so what was the learning that Master Yan alone loved? [Duke Ai of Lu asked which disciple was fond of learning, and Confucius answered: "There was Yan Hui, who was fond of learning; unfortunately his life was short and he died, and now there is no one." The Six Arts are ritual, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy and mathematics. The Records of the Grand Historian says: There were about three thousand disciples, and seventy-two of them mastered the Six Arts in person.] Master Yichuan said: "Learning is the means of reaching the Way of the sages." "Can the sage be reached by learning?" He answered: "Yes. [The sage knows by birth, the learner knows through learning, but once they know, it is the same; the sage acts with ease, the learner acts with effort, but once they succeed, it is the same.]" "What is the path of learning?" He answered: "Heaven and Earth store up essence, and what receives the refined qi of the Five Phases is the human being. [The manifold variety of people and things is nothing but the work of the two qi and Five Phases. But humans receive the part that is both refined and excellent, and so can penetrate the Way and become sages and worthies.] His original nature is true and still, and before it is stirred, the five natures are complete: called humaneness, rightness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness. ["True" is the truth of the Ultimateless; "still" is "at birth a person is still," the nature of Heaven. Saying "true and still" means that Heavenly principle is whole and complete, silent and unmoving, and the nature it contains has these five items. Saying both "original" and "before it is stirred": "original" refers to the moment of first endowment, and "before stirred" to the time before contact with things.] Once the bodily form is born, external things touch the form and stir what is within. When what is within is stirred, the seven feelings emerge: joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, love, hatred and desire. [This speaks of the time after the form is born, when one responds to affairs and meets things. Things move us from without and feelings stir within, and the items number these seven. Yet joy is close to pleasure, anger close to hatred, and love close to desire, so they are distinguished: joy is in the heart, while pleasure spreads outward; anger is provoked and the qi is indignant, while hatred is directed at something and the intent is deep; love is close to the public, desire close to the private; love is bestowed on others, desire originates in oneself.] When the feelings blaze and further run wild, the nature is damaged. So the enlightened person restrains his feelings to accord with the mean, rectifies his heart and nourishes his nature; the foolish person does not know restraint, lets his feelings run to deviance, and shackles and loses his nature. [When nature is stirred it becomes feeling. But feelings burn within, and in the end run even more wild, and turn back to harm the nature. Only the clear-sighted person uses ritual to restrain his feelings so that they do not miss the mean, and so can rectify his heart without drifting into deviance and nourish his nature without having it shackled and lost. The foolish person is the opposite. "Shackle" is like fetters, meaning to constrain and ruin. This says why people value learning.] Yet the path of learning must first become clear in the heart and know where it is going, and then one practices with vigor to reach it; this is what is called attaining sincerity from understanding. [One text has "nourish" in place of "go." Zhu Xi said: "Become clear in the heart and know where to go" is the work of investigating principle, and "practice with vigor to reach it" is the work of treading it out in action. Some say "know what to nourish" answers the earlier "nourish his nature," meaning that the work of cultivation advances together with knowing and acting.] The way to be sincere lies in trusting the Way firmly. Trusting the Way firmly leads to decisive practice, and decisive practice leads to firm holding. If humaneness, rightness, loyalty and trustworthiness do not leave the heart, so that in moments of haste they are here, in times of upheaval they are here, and in taking office or retiring, speaking or keeping silent they are here, and one does not lose them for long, then one dwells in security, every gesture and movement accords with ritual, and no deviant thought has a place to arise. [This speaks of the way to be sincere, in the context above. Trusting the Way firmly means one does not doubt, decisive practice means one does not stop, and firm holding means one does not change. Zhu Xi said: "Haste" is the time of urgency and carelessness, and "upheaval" is the time of overturning and displacement. The above two passages discuss the Way of learning in full. Its main outline has three parts: becoming clear in the heart and knowing where to go is the business of wisdom; practicing with vigor to reach it is the business of humaneness; and from trusting the Way firmly onward is the business of courage. Yet courage itself contains all three: firmness of trust is the courage of knowing, decisiveness of practice is the courage of humaneness, and firmness of holding is the courage of courage. That humaneness, rightness, loyalty and trustworthiness do not leave the heart is firmness of trust; that in haste, in upheaval, in office or retirement, speech or silence one is in them is decisiveness of practice; and not losing them for long is firmness of holding. When every gesture accords with ritual and deviant thoughts do not arise, one is close to transformation.] So when it comes to what Master Yan devoted himself to, it was said: Do not look at what is contrary to ritual, do not listen to it, do not speak it, do not do it. [Ritual is the regulated expression of Heavenly principle, and what is contrary to ritual is private desire harming Heavenly principle. "Do not" is a word of prohibition. In seeing, hearing, speaking and acting, if one overcomes the private self, then in daily life nothing is other than the flowing of Heavenly principle. These are the items Confucius taught Master Yan for practicing humaneness, and what Master Yan asked to put into practice.] When Zhongni praised him, he said: When he got hold of one good thing, he held it firmly in his breast and did not lose it. He also said: He did not vent anger on others and did not repeat a mistake; he never failed to know when he had done wrong, and having known, never did it again. This was how earnestly he loved learning and what his path of learning was. [The Doctrine of the Mean says: Confucius said: "Hui's way of being a person was to choose the mean, and when he got hold of one good thing, he held it firmly in his breast and did not lose it." "Earnestly" describes the manner of holding something respectfully, "fu" is like wearing, and "ying" is the chest. Whenever he got a good word or good deed, he held it and wore it in his breast and dared not forget it. The Analects also says "did not vent anger on others, did not repeat a mistake": to be angry only where one should be angry, each anger stopping where it belongs, is not venting it on others; to correct as soon as one notices (the original has a rare character here that was lost in transcription), and not to repeat after correcting, is not repeating a mistake. The Commentary on the Appended Phrases of the Book of Changes also says "he never failed to know when he had done wrong, and having known, never did it again": that when there was something not good he necessarily knew it is the clarity of examining oneself; that having known he did not do it again is the sincerity of overcoming oneself. All of this is how Confucius praised Master Yan's love of learning.] But the sage obtains without thinking and hits the mean without effort, whereas Master Yan had to think before obtaining and strive before hitting the mean, a mere breath away from the sage. What he had not reached was still holding on rather than transformation. With his heart of loving learning, if he had been given more years, he would soon have been transformed. [The sage knows by birth, so he obtains without thinking, and acts with ease, so he hits the mean without effort. Master Yan still had to choose the good and hold it firmly. Yet in broadening his learning and restraining himself with ritual, his effort was complete, and what kept him from sagehood was only a breath. Had his life not been short, he would not have needed to linger on, and what he held would have been transformed and joined with the sage.] Later people did not understand, and thought that the sage was originally one who knew by birth and that this could not be reached by learning, and so the Way of learning was lost: they did not seek in themselves but sought outside, took wide hearing and strong memory, clever phrases and ornate prose as skill, and made their words flowery, so that few reached the Way. So the learning of today differs from what Master Yan loved." [From the Wenji (Collected Writings). In later ages the learning of the sages was not transmitted, and people did not know to turn back and cultivate virtue; they took only memorization and literary composition as learning, and went further from the Way.]

橫渠先生問於明道先生曰定性未能不動猶累於外物何如明道先生曰所謂定者動亦定靜亦定無將迎無內外【此章就猶累於外物一句反覆辨明蓋萬物不同而無理外之物萬理不同而無性外之理凡天下之物理酬酢萬端皆吾性之所具也所謂定性者非一定而不應也發而中節動亦定也敬而無失靜亦定也將送也事之往也無將事之來也無迎動靜一定何有乎將迎寂然不動者存於內也感而遂通者應於外也體用一貫何間乎內外】苟以外物為外牽巳而從之是以巳性為有內外也且以性為隨物於外則當其在外時何者為在內是有意於絶外誘而不知性之無內外也既以內外為二本則又烏可遽語定哉【承上文而言苟以外物為外凡應物者必牽巳而從之是以性為有內外如是則方其逐物在外之時在內已無此性矣其可乎蓋有意於絶外物之誘而不知性本無內外之分也既分內外為兩端則人在天地間不能不與物接是無時而能定也】夫天地之常以其心普萬物而無心聖人之常以其情順萬事而無情故君子之學莫若廓然而大公物來而順應【常常理也天地之心運用主宰者是也然而普遍萬物實未嘗有心焉聖人之情應酬發動者是也然而隨順萬事亦未嘗容情焉故君子之學廓然大公何嫌於外物物來順應何往而不定哉此二句又此書之綱領也】易曰貞吉悔亡憧憧往來朋從爾思苟規規於外誘之除將見滅於東而生於西也非惟日之不足顧其端無窮不可得而除也【鹹卦九四象辭憧憧往來不絶貎各以朋類從其所思蓋人之一心應感無窮苟惡外物之誘而欲除滅之將見滅於彼而生於此非惟日見其用力之不足而亦有不可得而除滅者矣】人之情各有所蔽故不能適道大率患在於自私而用智自私則不能以有為為應跡用智則不能以明覺為自然今以惡外物之心而求照無物之地是反鑑而索照也【人心各有所蔽大防在自私與用智之兩端蓋不能廓然而大公故自私不能物來而順應故用智自私者則樂於無為而不知以有為為應跡之當然用智者則作意於有為而不知以明覺為循理之自然今惡外物之累已是自私之心也而求照無物之地是亦用智之過也猶反鑑以索照寧可得哉蓋自私與用智雖若二病而實展轉相因也○或問自私用智之語恐即是佛氏之自私朱子曰常人之私意與佛氏之自私皆一私也但明道説得闊非専指佛之自私也愚謂橫渠欲去外物之累便已近於釋氏故程子推其病源自然與釋氏相似然其自私類於釋而用智則又類於老要之二氏用意皆欲不累於外物而已】易曰艮其背不獲其身行其庭不見其人孟氏亦曰所惡於智者為其鑿也【朱子曰不獲其身不見其人此説廓然而大公所惡於智為其鑿也此説物來而順應】與其非外而是內不若內外之兩忘也兩忘則澄然無事矣無事則定定則明明則尚何應物之為累哉【自私用智之患其根在於分內外為二以在外者為非在內者為是然在外者終不容以寂滅故常為外物所撓惟能知性無內外而兩忘之則動靜莫非自然澄然無事矣所謂廓然大公者也無事則心無所累故能明明則物來順應尚何外物之累哉蓋內外兩忘則非自私能定而明則非用智○朱子曰內外兩忘非忘也一循乎理不是內而非外也】聖人之喜以物之當喜聖人之怒以物之當怒是聖人之喜怒不繫於心而繫於物也是則聖人豈不應於物哉烏得以從外者為非而更求在內者為是也今以自私用智之喜怒而視聖人喜怒之正為何如哉【聖人未嘗無喜怒是未嘗自私也然其喜怒皆系彼而不繫此是未嘗用智也以自私用智之喜怒其視聖人之喜怒一循乎天理之正者豈不大相戻哉】夫人之情易發而難制者惟怒為甚第能於怒時遽忘其怒而觀理之是非亦可見外誘之不足惡而於道亦思過半矣【朱子曰忘怒則公觀理則順】伊川先生答朱長文書曰聖賢之言不得已也蓋有是言則是理明無是言則天下之理有闕焉如彼耒耜陶冶之器一不制則生人之道有不足矣聖賢之言雖欲巳得乎然其包涵盡天下之理亦甚約也【耒之首為耜耜之柄為耒範土曰陶鑄金曰冶聖賢之言本非得巳也蓋將發明天理以覺斯民猶民生日用之具不可缺也然其言寡而理無不該亦非以多言為貴也】後之人始執卷則以文章為先平生所為動多於聖人然有之無所補無之靡所闕乃無用之贅言也不止贅而巳既不得其要則離真失正反害於道必矣【後人徒志於為文而不足以明理則非徒無益而已蓋不得其本未免流於邪偽反害於道矣】來書所謂欲使後人見其不忘乎善此乃世人之私心也夫子疾沒世而名不稱焉者疾沒身無善可稱云爾非謂疾無名也名者可以厲中人君子所存非所汲汲【君子學以為巳苟求人知則是私心而已】

Master Hengqu asked Master Mingdao: 'A settled nature still cannot but move and remains dragged by external things—what should one do?' Mingdao said: 'What is called settled is settled in motion and settled in stillness—there is no seeing off and welcoming, no inner and outer. [This chapter repeatedly explains the line "still encumbered by external things." The myriad things differ, yet there is no thing outside principle; the myriad principles differ, yet there is no principle outside nature. All the affairs and responses of the world in their ten thousand turns are what our nature possesses. What is called a settled nature is not to be fixed and unresponding: what issues forth and hits the mean is settled in motion; what is reverent and faultless is settled in stillness. "Jiang" is escorting out—when an affair has passed there is no escorting; when an affair comes there is no welcoming. When motion and stillness are each settled, where is there escorting and welcoming? The silent and unmoving abides within; the moved and penetrating responds without—substance and function one strand, where is the partition of inner and outer?] To take external things as external and draw oneself to follow them is to treat one's nature as having inner and outer. Then one supposes that nature has followed things outward—when it is out there, what is within? This is purposely cutting off external lures while not knowing that nature originally has no inner and outer. Since inner and outer are made two roots, how can one hasten to speak of settling? [Continuing the above. To take external things as external—every response to things must pull oneself along to follow—is to take the nature as having inner and outer. Thus, when it is out chasing things, within there is no longer this nature—can that be? It is purposely cutting off the lures of external things while not knowing that nature has no division of inner and outer. Once inner and outer are split into two ends, then man, standing between heaven and earth, cannot but meet things—there is no moment when he can be settled.] Heaven and earth's constant pattern is to let the heart reach all things without a private heart; the sage's constant pattern is to let feeling accord with all affairs without private feeling. So for the noble man's learning, nothing is better than to be vastly impartial and let things come and be accorded. ["Constant" is the constant pattern. The heart of heaven and earth is what moves and governs, yet reaching all things it has never had a heart; the feeling of the sage is what meets and stirs, yet following all affairs it has never held private feeling. So the noble man's learning is vastly impartial—what scruple has it toward external things? Things come and are accorded—where is he not settled? These two sentences are again the warp of this book.] The Changes says: "Firm, auspicious, regret gone. Restless going and coming—companions follow your thoughts." If one is fussy about removing external lures, one will see them extinguished in the east and born in the west; not only is a day's strength insufficient—those threads are endless and cannot be wholly removed. [The Nine-Four line of the Xian hexagram. "Chongchong" is the look of ceaseless going and coming, each companion kind following what one thinks. Man's one heart responds without end; if one detests the lure of external things and wants to extinguish it, one will see it extinguished there and born here—not only is daily effort insufficient, it cannot be extinguished at all.] Man's feelings each have their blindness, so they cannot fit the Way—the great fault lies mostly in selfishness and using cunning. Being selfish one cannot take purposive doing as the trace of response; using cunning one cannot take bright awareness as the natural. Now to use a heart that hates external things to seek a place where nothing is reflected is like turning the mirror over to look for the reflection. [Man's hearts each have their blindness; the great fault (the base text reads 'da fang,' an error for 'da bing') lies in the two ends of selfishness and using cunning. Not being vastly impartial makes selfishness; not letting things come and be accorded makes cunning. The selfish man delights in non-action and does not know to take purposive doing as the due trace of response; the cunning man sets his mind on doing and does not know to take bright awareness as the natural that follows principle. Now to hate external things' dragging on oneself is a selfish heart; to seek to reflect a place without things is also a fault of cunning—like turning the mirror over to look for the reflection: can it be got? Selfishness and cunning seem two ills; in fact they breed each other by turns. Someone asked: the words selfishness and cunning—are they not the Buddhists' selfishness? Zhu Xi said: the common man's private intent and the Buddhists' selfishness are one selfishness, but Mingdao spoke broadly and did not mean the Buddhists alone. Ye Cai notes: Hengqu wished to remove the drag of external things and so already drew near the Buddhists, so Chengzi traced the source of the illness and it naturally resembles the Buddhists'. Yet his selfishness resembles the Buddhists' while his cunning resembles the Laozians'. In sum, the Two Teachings' design is only to be unencumbered by external things.] The Changes says: "Keeping the back still, not getting the body; walking in the courtyard, not seeing the man." Mengzi too said: "What we dislike in cleverness is that it bores through." [Zhu Xi said: "Not getting the body, not seeing the man" describes vast impartiality; "what we dislike in cleverness, for it bores" describes things coming and being accorded.] Rather than taking the outer as wrong and the inner as right, it is better to forget both inner and outer. When both are forgotten there is stillness and nothing to do. Nothing to do, then settled; settled, then clear; clear—then need one fear responding to things is a burden? [The illness of selfishness and cunning is rooted in splitting inner and outer into two—taking the outer as wrong and the inner as right. Yet the outer cannot be annihilated, so one is always disturbed by external things. Only when one can know that nature has no inner and outer and forget both, then motion and stillness are all natural, clear and without ado—this is what is called vast impartiality. Nothing to do, then the heart is unencumbered and can be clear; clear, then things come and are accorded—need one fear the drag of external things? Forgetting both inner and outer is not selfishness; being settled and clear is not cunning. Zhu Xi said: forgetting both inner and outer is not oblivion—it is following principle throughout, not holding the inner right and the outer wrong.] The sage's joy is because the thing warrants joy; the sage's anger is because the thing warrants anger. So the sage's joy and anger are not tied to his heart but tied to the thing. Thus—does the sage not respond to things? How can one take what comes from without as wrong and seek some separate within as right? Now to view the rightness of the sage's joy and anger through the selfish and cunning joy and anger—what sort is that? [The sage is not without joy and anger—he is never selfish; yet his joy and anger are tied to that and not to this—he is never cunning. To view through selfish and cunning joy and anger the sage's joy and anger that follow heaven's pattern—does it not run far contrary?] Of man's feelings, quick to rise and hard to rein, anger is the worst. If only at the moment of anger one can at once forget the anger and watch the right and wrong of principle, one may also see that external lures are not worth hating—and for the Way one has thought more than halfway. [Zhu Xi said: forgetting anger is impartiality; watching principle is accord.]' Master Yichuan's letter in reply to Zhu Changwen says: 'The words of the sages and worthies were not of their choosing. With these words this principle is made plain; without them the principle of the world has a lack. Like the plough and the potter's gear—if one kind were not made, the way of living men would fall short. Even if the sages' words could stop, could they? Yet they contain all the principles of the world—and are very spare. [The share's head is the si, the si's handle is the lei. Shaping earthen vessels in a mould is tao; casting metal is ye. The sages' words were not of their choosing—they meant to illumine heaven's pattern to wake the people, like the tools of daily life that cannot be lacked. Yet their words are few and no principle is left out; many words are not the prize.] Men of later times take up the brush and put fine writing first; what they do in a lifetime always exceeds the sages', yet with it nothing is added and without it nothing is missed—it is useless surplus talk. And not surplus only: since they have not got the gist, they leave the true and lose the right—harm to the Way is certain. [Later men set their hearts only on fine writing and cannot illumine principle—then not only is there no benefit. Missing the root, they cannot but slip into the false and instead harm the Way.] Your letter's wish that later men see him not forgetful of goodness—that is the private heart of the age. What the Master grieved at "dying and the name not praised" was grieving that a whole life had no good to be told, not grieving at having no fame. Fame may spur middling men; what the noble man keeps is not something to be chased eagerly. [The noble man's learning is for himself. To seek men's knowing is a private heart only.]'

內積忠信所以進徳也擇言篤志所以居業也【幹九三文言傳朱子曰內積忠信是實心擇言篤志是實事又曰忠信者如惡惡臭如好好色表裡無一毫之不實擇言謂脩辭篤志謂立誠立誠即上文忠信又曰內有忠信方能脩辭徳以心言業者徳之事徳要日新又新故曰進業要存而不失故曰居進如日知其所亡居如月無忘其所能進徳脩業只是一事】知至至之致知也求知所至而後至之知之在先故可與幾所謂始條理者知之事也【至謂至善之地也求知至善之地而後至其所知所重者在知故曰可與幾蓋幾者動之微事之先見者也致知以正其始則能得乎事之幾微矣智者知之至明也】知終終之力行也既知所終則力進而終之守之在後故可與存義所謂終條理者聖之事也此學之始終也【易傳下同○終即至善之盡處也既知所終則力行而終之所重在行故曰可與存義蓋義者當然之則存者守而勿失也力行以成其終斯能立乎事之則義矣聖者行之至盡也始終條理之説詳見孟子】

Cheng Yi said: 'To store loyalty and faith within is the way to advance in virtue; to choose one's words and firm one's purpose is the way to dwell in one's work. [The Wenyan on the Nine-Three of Qian. Zhu Xi said: storing loyalty and faith within is the solid heart; choosing words and firming purpose is the solid deed. He also said: loyalty and faith are like hating a bad smell and loving a fair sight—within and without not a hair unreal. "Choosing words" is refining speech; "firming purpose" is standing in sincerity—standing in sincerity is the loyalty and faith above. He also said: only with loyalty and faith within can one refine speech. Virtue is spoken of the heart; work is virtue's affair. Virtue must be daily renewed, so it is called advancing; work must be kept unlost, so it is called dwelling. Advancing is like "daily knowing what one lacks"; dwelling is like "monthly not forgetting what one can do." Advancing virtue and cultivating work are one thing.] "Knowing the utmost and reaching it" is extending knowledge: to know what is to be reached and then reach it. Knowing comes first, so one may share in the springs. What is called beginning the order is the work of knowledge. ["Utmost" is the ground of utmost good. To seek to know the ground of utmost good and then arrive at what one knows—the stress is on knowing, so it is said one may share in the springs. The springs are the subtle stirrings, what is first seen of an affair. Extending knowledge to set the beginning right, one can catch an affair's subtlety. Wisdom is knowing at utmost clarity.] "Knowing the end and ending it" is vigorous doing: having known where to end, one presses on and ends it. Keeping comes last, so one may keep rightness. What is called ending the order is the work of the sage. This is the beginning and end of learning. [From the Yizhuan, the same below. "End" is the furthest point of utmost good. Having known the end, one does it vigorously and ends it—the stress is on doing, so it is said one may keep rightness. Rightness is the rule of what should be; "keeping" is holding without loss. Vigorous doing to complete its end lets one stand in the rightness of affairs. Sageliness is doing at utmost completeness. The teaching of beginning and ending the order is told fully in Mengzi.]'

君子主敬以直其內守義以方其外敬立而內直義形而外方義形於外非在外也【坤六二丈言傳敬主於中則動靜之間心存戒謹自然端直而無邪曲之念義見於外則應酬之際事當其則自然方正而無回撓之私然義之用逹於外耳義非在外也】敬義既立其徳盛矣不期大而大矣徳不孤也【內直外方敬義交養其徳自然盛大故曰不孤也】無所用而不周無所施而不利孰為疑乎【徳至於大則其所行無一而不備無往而不順故曰不疑其所行也】

Cheng Yi said: 'The noble man straightens his within with reverence and squares his without with rightness. When reverence stands the within is straight; when rightness appears the without is square. Rightness appearing without is not yet outside. [The Wenyan on the Six-Two of Kun. When reverence rules the centre, the heart keeps caution between motion and stillness, naturally upright without crooked thought; when rightness is seen without, affairs at meeting time match their rule, naturally square without bending selfishness. Yet the working of rightness reaches without—rightness itself is not outside.] Once reverence and rightness stand, his virtue grows great—without hoping to be great it is naturally great. Virtue is not alone. [Straight within and square without, reverence and rightness nourishing each other, his virtue is naturally great—so it is called not alone.] Nowhere used that is not complete, nowhere applied that is not smooth—who would doubt it? [When virtue has reached greatness, what he does is complete in every point and smooth wherever it goes—so it is said there is no doubting what he does.]'

動以天為無妄動以人慾則妄矣無妄之義大矣哉【震下幹上為無妄震動也幹天也故曰動以天妄邪偽也動而純乎天理則無邪偽矣】雖無邪心苟不合正理則妄也乃邪心也既已無妄不宜有往往則妄也故無妄之彖曰其匪正有眚不利有攸徃【心雖非出於邪妄而見理不明所為或乖於正理是即妄也即邪心也故無妄而有匪正之眚又事至於無妄則得所止矣不宜有往往乃過也過則妄也故曰不利有攸徃】

Cheng Yi said: 'Moving by heaven is wuwang—no erring; moving by human desire is erring. The meaning of wuwang is great! [Zhen below and Qian above make wuwang. Zhen is movement, Qian is heaven—so it is called moving by heaven. Wang is the false and crooked. Moving wholly by heaven's pattern there is no falseness.] Even without a wicked heart, not matching right principle is erring—and is a wicked heart. Being without erring, one should not go on; going on is erring. So the Tuan of Wuwang says: "If not upright there is calamity; it is not fit to have somewhere to go." [Though the heart does not come of wickedness, if the seeing of principle is dim and the doing runs contrary to right principle, that is erring—that is a wicked heart. So wuwang yet has the calamity of "not upright." Again, when an affair reaches no-erring it has reached its stop; one should not go further—going is excess, excess is erring, so it is said "not fit to have somewhere to go."]'

人之蘊蓄由學而大在多聞前古聖賢之言與行考跡以觀其用察言以求其心識而得之以蓄成其徳【大畜卦象傳考聖賢之行可以觀其用察聖賢之言可以求其心有見於此則蓄徳日大蓋非徒多聞之為貴】鹹之象曰君子以虛受人伊川易傳曰中無私主則無感不通以量而容之擇合而受之非聖人有感必通之道也【鹹者感也故鹹卦皆以感為義惟虛中而無所私主則物來能應有感必通也若夫有量則必有限有合則必有不合此非聖人感通之道也】其九四曰貞吉悔亡憧憧往來朋從爾思傳曰感者人之動也故鹹皆就人身取象四當心位而不言鹹其心感乃心也感之道無所不通有所私系則害於感通所謂悔也聖人感天下之心如寒暑雨無不通無不應者亦貞而已矣貞者虛中無我之謂也【鹹卦取象人身初為拇二為腓三為股五為脢上為輔頰舌四當心位而不言心者感者必以心也有感則有通然使在此者有所私系則為感之道狹矣心所不通是悔也聖人之感天下如寒暑雨周遍公溥無所私系故無不通應所謂貞吉而悔亡也或謂貞者正也未有解為虛中無我者愚聞之師曰諸卦之貞各隨卦義以為正幹以健為貞坤以順為貞故曰利牝馬之貞虛中無我者鹹之貞也然此與象以虛受人異者蓋象取山澤通氣之義謂虛中以受人之感爻取四為感之主謂虛中以感人也惟虛則能應人之感惟虛則能感人之應其理則一也】若往來憧憧然用其私心以感物則思之所及者有能感而動所不及者不能感也以有系之私心既主於一隅一事豈能廓然無所不通乎【憧憧徃來者私心也若無私心則湛然泰然何至憧憧也惟其私心有系故其所思者有及與不及而其所感者有通與不通所謂朋從爾思者蓋思惟及其朋類亦惟朋類乃從其思耳】

Cheng Yi said: 'Man's store grows great through learning, in hearing much of the words and deeds of past sages and worthies: examining their traces to see their use, scanning their words to seek their hearts, knowing and gaining them, to store and complete one's virtue. [The Xiang-zhuan of the Daxu hexagram. Examining the sages' deeds lets one see their use; scanning the sages' words lets one seek their hearts. Seeing this, the stored virtue grows daily—not merely prizing much hearing.] The Tuan of Xian says: "The noble man receives men with emptiness." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: when within there is no private master, there is no stirring that does not go through. Receiving by measure and choosing what fits to accept is not the sage's way of stirring and all going through. [Xian is stirring; so the Xian hexagram takes stirring as its meaning throughout. Only when the centre is empty with nothing privately ruling can things come and be met—every stirring going through. Where there is measure there must be limit; where there is fitting there must be unfitting—this is not the sage's way of stirring-through.] Its Nine-Four says: "Firm, auspicious, regret gone. Restless going and coming—companions follow your thoughts." The commentary says: stirring is man's movement, so Xian takes its images from the human body. The fourth stands at the heart's place yet does not say "stirring his heart," because stirring is the heart. The way of stirring goes through everything; where there is a private attachment it harms the stirring-through—this is what is called regret. The sage stirs the hearts of all under heaven, like cold and heat, rain and sun (a rare graph in the base text, lost in transcription)—nothing not gone through, nothing not answered—and it is only firmness. Firmness means an empty centre with no self. [The Xian hexagram takes the human body: first the toe, second the calf, third the thigh, fifth the back-flesh, top the jaw and tongue. The fourth stands at the heart's place yet does not say heart, because stirring must use the heart. With stirring there is going-through; yet if here there is a private attachment, the way of stirring narrows—what the heart does not go through is regret. The sage stirs all under heaven like cold and heat, rain and sun—pervading, public, without private attachment, so nothing is not gone through and answered—this is "firm, auspicious, regret gone." Some say "firm" is upright and never explain it as an empty selfless centre. Ye Cai heard his teacher say: each hexagram's firmness takes its uprightness from the hexagram's meaning—Qian takes strength for firmness, Kun takes yielding for firmness, so it says "the firmness of the mare profits"; empty selfless centre is Xian's firmness. Yet this differs from the image "receiving men with emptiness": the image takes mountain and marsh sharing breath—it is the empty centre receiving men's stirring; the line takes the fourth as stirring's master—it is the empty centre stirring men. Only empty can it answer men's stirring; only empty can it stir men's answer—the pattern is one.] If going and coming restlessly, stirring things with a private heart, then what thought can reach can be stirred and moved; what it cannot reach cannot be stirred. With the private heart that has attachments, already bound to one corner and one thing, how can it be vast and nowhere not go through? [Restless going and coming is the private heart. Without the private heart, one is calm and at ease—why restless? Just because the private heart has attachments, its thinking has reach and non-reach, its stirring has through and not-through. What is called "companions follow your thoughts" is that thought reaches only one's own kind—and only companions follow one's thought.]'

君子之遇艱阻必自省於身有失而致之乎有所未善則改之無歉於心則加勉乃自修其徳也【蹇卦象傳此教人以處艱阻之道自省其身而有不善則當速改不可以怠而廢苟無愧焉則益當自勉不可以阻而廢君子反躬之學雖遇艱阻亦莫非進徳之地】

Cheng Yi said: 'When the noble man meets hardship and blockage he must examine himself: was it a fault that brought it? If there is something not good he changes it; if his heart has no shame he urges himself on the more—this is cultivating his own virtue. [The Xiang-zhuan of the Jian hexagram. This teaches the way of meeting hardship and blockage: examine oneself and, finding something not good, change it quickly and not idly waste; if there is no shame, urge oneself on the more and not give up for the blockage. The noble man's learning of self-examination—even meeting hardship and blockage is nothing but ground for advancing in virtue.]'

非明則動無所之非動則明無所用【豐卦初九傳知行相需不可偏廢非知之明則動將安之如目盲之人動則不知所之也非行之力則明亦無所用如足痿之人雖有見焉亦不能行矣】

Cheng Yi said: 'Without clarity, movement has nowhere to go; without movement, clarity has no use. [The Nine-First commentary of the Feng hexagram. Knowing and doing need each other and neither may be dropped. Without the clarity of knowing, where will movement go—like a blind man who, once moving, does not know where he goes; without the strength of doing, clarity too has no use—like a man with palsied feet who, though he sees, cannot walk.]'

習重習也時復思繹浹洽於中則説也【說見論語○繹往來防繹也學者於所學之事時時思繹不驟不輟義理乆則浹洽其中自然悅豫也】以善及人而信從者眾故可樂也【善有諸巳足以及人信從者眾同歸於善豈不可樂也蓋與人為善之意如此】雖樂於及人不見是而無悶乃所謂君子【經説下同○君子者成徳之名也雖樂於以善及人然人或未信則亦安其在我而已奚慍焉蓋自信之篤而無待於外所以為成徳也】古之學者為巳欲得之於巳也今之學者為人慾見知於人也【説見論語○為己者如食之求飽衣之求溫溫飽在巳非為人也為人者但求在外之美觀非關在我之實用故學而為巳則所得者皆實得學而為人剛雖或為善亦非誠心況乎志存務外自為欺誑善日消而惡日長矣○朱子曰為學且須分內外義利便是生死路頭】

Cheng Yi said: '"Practice" is repeating exercise. Thinking it through again and again in season, the pattern soaks and blends within—and there is joy. [The saying is in the Analects. "Yi" is going back and forth to unravel (the base text reads 'wang lai fang yi,' 'fang' an error for 'xun'). The learner, on what he learns, thinks it through in season, neither jumping ahead nor stopping midway; the pattern, over time, soaks and blends in him, naturally joyful.] Spreading goodness to others so that many trust and follow—that is what can be rejoiced in. [Goodness in oneself suffices to spread to others; the many who trust and follow and join in goodness—is it not a joy? The meaning of doing good with others is thus.] Though rejoicing to spread it to others, yet not being vexed when not acknowledged—this is the noble man. [From the Jingshuo, the same below. The noble man is the name of completed virtue. Though rejoicing to reach others with goodness, yet when men still do not believe, he rests only in his own side—what bitterness is there? This is the firmness of self-trust with nothing sought outside—so it is completed virtue.] The learners of old studied for themselves, wishing to gain it in themselves; learners today study for others, wishing to be known by others. [The saying is in the Analects. For oneself is like eating to be full and dressing to be warm—the warmth and fullness are one's own, not for others; for others is only seeking a good show outside, no practical use to oneself. So learning for oneself, what is gained is all truly gained; learning for others, even doing good is not a sincere heart—how much more when the aim is outward business and self-deceit, goodness waning daily and evil waxing? Zhu Xi said: in learning one must first divide inner and outer, rightness and profit—here is the fork of life and death.]'

伊川先生謂方道輔曰聖人之道坦如大路學者病不得其門耳得其門無逺之不可到也求入其門不由於經乎今之治經者亦眾矣然而買櫝還珠之蔽人人皆是經所以載道也誦其言辭解其訓詁而不及道乃無用之糟粕耳【説見韓子○方元宷字道輔經所以載道猶櫝所以藏珠治經而遺乎道猶買櫝而還其珠】覬足下由經以求道勉之又勉異日見卓爾有立於前然後不知手之舞足之蹈不加勉而不能自止矣【手帖○道非有形狀之可見蓋其志道之切行道之篤視聴言動造次顛沛不違乎道用力既乆所見益為親切如有卓然而立於前者則中心喜樂自然欲罷不能矣】

Master Yichuan said to Fang Daofu: 'The sage's way is level like a highroad; the learner's failing is only not finding the gate. Find the gate and there is no distance one cannot reach. To seek entry at the gate—can one but go through the classics? Now those who order the classics are many, yet all share the flaw of buying the box and returning the pearl. The classics are for carrying the Way; reciting the words and glossing the terms without reaching the Way is useless chaff. [The saying is in Han Yu. Fang Yuancai is styled Daofu. The classics carry the Way as the box holds the pearl; ordering the classics and dropping the Way is like buying the box and returning its pearl.] I hope you will go by the classics to seek the Way, striving again and again. Some day, seeing what stands distinct before you, you will not know how your hands dance and your feet stamp—with no added urging you cannot stop yourself. [From a letter in his own hand. The Way has no shape to be seen. Because the will for the Way is keen and the walking of it firm—in seeing and hearing, word and deed, haste and distress not departing from the Way—when the effort has been long, what is seen grows ever more intimate, as if something stood distinct before one, then the heart's joy cannot be stayed even if one wished.]'

明道先生曰修辭立其誠不可不子細理防言能修省言辭便是要立誠若只是修飾言辭為心只是為偽也【修省言辭者中有其誠省治之將以立實徳也修飾言辭者中無其誠虛飾之將以為誇美也省飾之間乃天理人慾之分○朱子曰橫渠以立言傳後為修辭明道所謂修辭但是非理勿言】若修其言辭正為立巳之誠意乃是體當自家敬以直內義以方外之實事【敬義説見前誠意者合敬義之實而為言也體當俗語猶所謂體驗勘當也蓋修其言辭者所以擬議其敬義之實事而非徒事於虛辭也】道之浩浩何處下手惟立誠才有可居之處有可居之處則可以修業也【浩浩流行盛大貎下手謂用力處道之廣大於何用功惟立巳之誠意始有可據守之地此誠既立則其業之所就日以廣大】終日干幹大小大事卻只是忠信所以進徳為實下手處修辭立其誠為實修業處【遺書下同説並見易文言○君子終日干幹是體天行健之事可謂大矣然其實則惟忠信積於內而無一念之不實者為用功之地修辭立於外而無一言之不實者為見功之地蓋表裡一於誠至誠故乾乾而不息】

Master Mingdao said: "'Cultivate one's words so as to establish sincerity.' This must be understood carefully. To say one cultivates and examines one's words means to establish sincerity; if one merely embellishes one's words, the intention in the heart is only falseness. [One who cultivates and examines his words has sincerity within, and examining them will establish real virtue; one who embellishes his words has no sincerity within, and ornaments them to boast of beauty. Between examining and embellishing lies the boundary of Heavenly principle and human desire. Note by Zhu Xi: Zhang Zai took 'cultivating words' to mean establishing one's words to hand down to posterity, but what Mingdao means by cultivating words is simply not speaking what is against principle.] If one cultivates one's words precisely in order to establish one's own sincere intent, that is the real business of embodying 'reverence to straighten the inner, rightness to square the outer.' [The teaching on reverence and rightness appeared earlier. Sincere intent is spoken of as the reality that unites reverence and rightness. 'Embody' is a colloquial term, like what is called testing and verifying through experience. Cultivating words is a way to rehearse the real business of reverence and rightness, and not to busy oneself with empty rhetoric.] The Way is vast and boundless; where does one begin? Only by establishing sincerity does one have a place to dwell, and having a place to dwell one can cultivate one's work. ["Vast" describes flowing abundance. "Begin" means where effort is applied. The Way is vast, so where does one put in effort? Only by establishing one's own sincere intent is there for the first time ground to hold to. Once this sincerity is established, the achievements of one's work grow wider each day.] 'All day long, ever vigilant': whether the matter is great or small, it is only this. Loyalty and good faith are how one advances in virtue, and that is the practical place to begin; cultivating words to establish sincerity is how one cultivates one's work, and that is the practical place to build work. [From the Surviving Writings; the same applies below. The passage is also found in the Wenyan commentary of the Book of Changes. Note: 'The gentleman is ever vigilant all day long' is a matter of embodying Heaven's vigorous movement, and could be called grand; yet in reality it has only loyalty and good faith accumulated within, with not a single thought that is not real, as the ground for effort, and words cultivated outwardly, with not a single word that is not real, as the ground where results show. Inside and outside are united in sincerity, and perfect sincerity is how one is ever vigilant without ceasing.]"

伊川先生曰志道懇切固是誠意若迫切不中理則反為不誠蓋實理中自有緩急不容如是之迫觀天地之化乃可知【有志於道懇惻切至固誠意也然迫切之過而至於欲速助長則反害乎實理如春生夏長秋成冬實固不容一息之間斷亦不能一日而遽就也】

Master Yichuan said: "To be earnest and keen in one's aim toward the Way is certainly sincere intent; but if one is urgent and does not hit the principle, it turns into insincerity. Within real principle there are by nature slow and fast, and it does not allow such haste. Observe the transformations of Heaven and Earth and you will understand. [To have an aim toward the Way, with earnest and intense feeling, is certainly sincere intent. But if one is so urgent as to hurry things and 'help the sprouts grow,' this in turn harms real principle. Just as spring brings birth, summer growth, autumn ripening, and winter storing, and there is certainly no allowing a single breath of interruption, yet neither can anything be finished in a single day.]"

孟子才髙學之無可依據學者當學顔子入聖人為近有用力處【孟子天資超邁故難學顔子天資純粹而功夫縝宻進徳有序故學者有用力處】又曰學者要學得不錯須是學顔子【本注云為有凖的】

Master Cheng said: "Mencius was of high talent, and there is nothing to rely on in studying him. Students should study Yan Zi. It is nearer to enter the realm of the sage that way, and there is a place to apply effort. [Mencius's natural endowment was outstanding, so he is hard to learn from; Yan Hui's endowment was pure, his work careful and fine, and his advance in virtue orderly, so students have a place to apply effort.]" He also said: "If a student wants to learn without error, he must learn from Yan Zi. [Original note: because there is a target to aim at.]"

明道先生曰且省外事但明乎善惟進誠心其文章雖不中不逺矣所守不約氾濫無功【朱子曰知至則意誠善才明誠心便進文章是威儀制度之類此段恐是呂與叔自關中來初見程子時説話蓋橫渠學者多用心於禮文制度之事而不近裡故以此告之】

Master Mingdao said: "For the time being, reduce outside affairs and only understand goodness, only seek to advance sincerity of heart. Then even if one's literary refinements do not hit the mark, they will not be far off. If what one holds to is not concise, then spreading out widely will have no effect. [Zhu Xi said: When knowledge arrives, intentions become sincere; once goodness is clear, the sincere heart advances. 'Literary refinements' means things like dignified manners and institutions. This passage was probably said when Lu Dalin first came from Guanzhong to see Master Cheng. Students of Zhang Zai put much of their effort into ritual texts and institutions and did not draw close to what is within, so this was used to instruct him.]"

學者識得仁體實有諸巳只要義理栽培如求經義皆栽培之意【仁者天地之生理人心之全徳也其體具於心固人之所本有然必內反諸巳察之精養之厚有以見夫仁之全體實為巳有則吾心所存無非天理而後博求義理以封殖之則生理日以充長而仁不可勝用矣】

Cheng Hao said: "A student who recognizes the substance of benevolence, and really has it as his own, needs only to nurture it with moral principles. Seeking out the meaning of the classics is all a matter of nurturing. [Benevolence is the life-giving principle of Heaven and Earth and the complete virtue of the human heart. Its substance is contained in the heart and is certainly something people originally have. Yet one must turn back inward upon oneself, examine it finely and nourish it richly, so as to see that the whole substance of benevolence is really one's own, so that what the heart holds is entirely Heavenly principle. Only then does one seek widely among moral principles to cultivate it, so that the life-giving principle grows fuller each day and benevolence cannot be used up.]"

昔受學於周茂叔毎令尋顔子仲尼樂處所樂何事【朱子曰按程子之言引而不發蓋欲學者深思而自得之今亦不敢妄為之説學者但當從事於博文約禮之誨以至於欲罷不能而竭其才則庶乎其可以得之矣】

Cheng Hao said: "In the past, when I studied under Zhou Maoshu, he constantly had people look for what Yan Zi and Confucius found joy in, and what the matter was in which they delighted. [Zhu Xi said: Master Cheng's words draw the bow without releasing the arrow, wanting students to reflect deeply and obtain it for themselves. Now I too do not dare to explain it rashly. Students should only apply themselves to the teaching of 'broadening oneself with culture and restraining oneself with ritual,' until they cannot stop and exhaust their ability, and then they may nearly obtain it.]"

所見所期不可不逺且大然行之亦須量力有漸志大心勞力小任重恐終敗事【朱子曰學者之志固不可不以逺大自期然苟悅其髙而忽於近慕於大而略於細則無漸次經由之實而徒有懸想跂望之勞亦終不能以自逹矣○張南軒曰學者當以聖人為準的然貪髙慕逺躐等以進非徒無益而又害之也】

Cheng Hao said: "What one sees and hopes for must be far-reaching and great; but in practice one must also gauge one's strength and advance step by step. If the aim is large but the heart toils, the strength small but the burden heavy, I fear it will in the end spoil the matter. [Zhu Xi said: A student's aim must certainly be set on the far and great; but if he likes the lofty and neglects the near, admires the great and neglects the small, then he has no reality of passing through the stages, and has only the toil of vain imaginings and tiptoeing, and in the end cannot get through by himself. Note by Zhang Shi: Students should take the sage as their target, but to covet the high and long for the distant, and skip stages in advancing, is not only without benefit but harmful.]"

朋友講習更莫如相觀而善工夫多【朋友相處非獨講辨之功薰陶漸染得於觀感自然進益】

Cheng Hao said: "For friends studying together, there is no effort more fruitful than improving each other by observation. [Among friends, it is not only the benefit of discussion and debate; being steeped and gradually influenced, and gaining from what one sees and feels, naturally brings progress.]"

須是大其心使開闊譬如為九層之臺須大做腳始得【心不開闊則規模狹陋而安於小成持守固滯而惰於進善】

Cheng Hao said: "One must enlarge the heart and make it broad. Take, for example, building a nine-storey terrace: one must make the foundation wide before it will do. [If the heart is not broad, one's scale is narrow and one settles for small achievements, and one's holding on is rigid and one is lazy about advancing in goodness.]"

明道先生曰自舜發於畝之中至孫叔敖舉於海若要熟也須從這裡過【説見孟子○履難處困則歴變多而慮患深察理宻而制事審○朱子曰曾親歴方認得許多險阻去處】

Master Mingdao said: "From 'Shun arose from the fields' (the original here has a rare character lost in transcription) to 'Sunshu Ao was raised from the seaside,' if one wants to become ripe, one must pass through this. [This is found in the Mencius. Note: Treading in hardship and being caught in difficulty, one passes through many changes and so one's thought for trouble runs deep, one's examination of principle is close, and one's handling of affairs is careful. Zhu Xi said: Having personally experienced it (the original here has a rare character lost in transcription), one comes to know the many dangerous places.]"

參也竟以魯得之【按程子又曰曾子之學誠篤而已聖門學者聰明才辯不為不多而卒傳其道乃質魯之人耳故學以誠實為貴也○尹氏曰曾子之才魯故其學也確所以能深造乎道也】明道先生以記誦博識為玩物喪志【本注云時以經語録作一冊鄭轂雲嘗見顯道先生雲某從洛中學時録古人善行別作一冊明道先生見之曰是玩物喪志蓋言心中不冝容絲髪事胡安國曰謝先生初以記聞為學自負該博對明道舉史書成篇不遺一字明道先生曰賢卻記得許多可謂玩物喪志謝聞此語汗流浹背而發赤及看明道讀史又卻逐行看過不蹉一字謝甚不服後來省悟卻將此事做話頭接引博學之士○謝良佐字顕道上蔡人程子門人也人心虛明所以具眾理而應萬事有所繫滯則本志未免昏塞所貴乎讀書將以存心而明理也苟徒務記誦為博則書也者亦外物而已故曰玩物喪志○朱子曰上蔡記誦明道看史此正為巳為人之分】

Master Cheng said: "'Shen is slow,' and in the end it was by that dullness that he attained it. [Note: Master Cheng also said that Zengzi's learning was simply sincerity and earnestness. Among students in the sage's school there were no few who were quick-witted and eloquent, yet in the end the one who transmitted the Way was one of dull endowment. So in learning, sincerity and truthfulness are what count. Note by Yin Dun: Zengzi was dull in talent, so his learning was solid, and that is how he could go deep into the Way.]" Master Mingdao regarded memorizing and broad learning as 'toying with things and losing one's aim.' [Original note: At that time someone compiled quotations from the classics into one volume. Zheng Gu said: I once heard Master Xiandao say, when I studied in Luo, I copied the good deeds of the ancients into another volume, and Master Mingdao saw it and said: 'This is toying with things and losing one's aim.' This means the heart should not harbor even a hair's breadth of other matters. Hu Anguo said: At first Master Xie took memorization of what he had heard as learning, and prided himself on his breadth. He recited whole passages of history to Mingdao without missing a word. Master Mingdao said: 'You remember so much; one may say you toy with things and lose your aim.' Hearing this, Xie sweated through his clothes and his face reddened. Later he watched Mingdao read history, going line by line without skipping a single character, and he was much unconvinced. Afterward he came to understand, and used this very matter as an opening to draw in scholars of broad learning. Xie Liangzuo, courtesy name Xiandao, was from Shangcai and a disciple of the Chengs. The human heart is empty and bright, and so contains the many principles and responds to the myriad affairs; if it is stuck on something, its original aim cannot but be clouded and blocked. What is valued in reading is to preserve the heart and clarify principle; if one only works at memorizing and seeking breadth, then books are just outside things, so it is said to toy with things and lose one's aim. Zhu Xi said: Shangcai's memorizing and Mingdao's reading of history is just the distinction between learning for oneself and learning for others.]

禮樂只在進反之間便得性情之正【以上並明道語○樂記曰禮主其減樂主其盈禮減而進以進為文樂盈而反以反為文○朱子曰減是退讓撙節收斂的意思是禮之體本如此然非人之所欲故須進歩向前著力去做故以進為文盈是舒暢發越快滿底意思是樂之體本如此然易至於流蕩卻湏收拾向裡故以反為文又曰禮減而不進則銷樂盈而不返則放故禮有報而樂有反】父子君臣天下之定理無所逃於天地之間安得天分不有私心則行一不義殺一無辜有所不為有分毫私便不是王者事【父子君臣人倫之大端天下之定理立於天地之間者必有所不容廢者也惟能全其天理而無私心者則處之各當其分而行一不義之事殺一不辜之人雖可以得天下亦不為也蓋堯舜受禪無虧父子之恩湯武征伐無愧君臣之義皆無私心故也】

Cheng Hao said: "Ritual and music lie only between advancing and returning, and so one attains the correctness of nature and feeling. [All the above are the words of Mingdao. The Record of Music says: Ritual emphasizes reduction, music emphasizes fullness. Ritual reduces and so advances, taking advancing as its form; music is full and so returns, taking returning as its form. Zhu Xi said: 'Reduction' means yielding, restraint and gathering in. This is how the substance of ritual originally is, but it is not what people desire, so one must move forward and put forth effort, and thus advancing is its form. 'Fullness' means smooth, soaring, and almost overflowing. This is how the substance of music originally is, but it easily drifts and flows off, so one must gather oneself inward, and thus returning is its form. He also said: If ritual reduces without advancing it wears away; if music fills without returning it runs wild, so ritual has reciprocation and music has return.] Father and son, ruler and subject are the settled principle of the world, and there is no escape from them between Heaven and Earth. How can one receive one's portion from Heaven and have no private motive? Then one would not do a single unrighteous act or kill a single innocent person. If there is even a hair's breadth of selfishness, it is not the work of a true king. [Father and son, ruler and subject are the great beginning of human relations and the settled principle of the world, standing between Heaven and Earth, and cannot be dispensed with. Only one who can keep his Heavenly principle whole and has no private heart will handle each in its proper place, and will not commit a single unrighteous act or kill a single innocent person even if it would win him the world. Yao and Shun accepted abdication without wronging the kindness between father and son, and Tang and Wu campaigned without shaming the rightness between ruler and subject, all because they had no private motive.]"

論性不論氣不備論氣不論性不明二之則不是【此段疑當在首卷論性之善而不推其氣稟之不同何以有上智下愚之不移故曰不備論氣稟之異而不原其性之皆善則是不逹其本也故曰不明然性者氣之理氣者性之質元不相離判而二之則亦非矣○朱子曰論性不論氣孟子言性善是也論氣不論性荀子言性惡子言善惡混是也愚謂孟子推原性之本善雖未及乎氣質固不害其為性也至於荀但知氣質之或異而不知性之本同則是不識性也豈不害道要之必若程子橫渠之言始為明備】

Master Cheng said: "To discuss nature without discussing qi is incomplete, and to discuss qi without discussing nature is unclear. To separate the two is wrong. [This passage seems to belong in the first volume. To discuss the goodness of nature without tracing the differences in endowment of qi leaves one without an explanation for why the highest wisdom and lowest stupidity do not change, so it is said to be incomplete; to discuss differences of endowment without tracing the original goodness of nature is to miss the root, so it is said to be unclear. Yet nature is the principle of qi, and qi is the substance of nature, originally not separate from each other, so splitting them into two is also wrong. Zhu Xi said: Discussing nature without qi, the Mencius's saying that nature is good is an example; discussing qi without nature, Xunzi's saying that nature is evil and Yang Xiong's (the original here has a rare character lost in transcription) saying that good and evil are mixed are examples. Ye Cai's note: Mencius traces nature to its original goodness, and though he did not speak of material qi, this certainly does not harm his account of nature. Xunzi and Yang Xiong only knew that material qi may differ, and did not know that nature is originally the same, so they did not recognize nature; how could that not harm the Way? In short, one must follow the words of Master Cheng and Zhang Zai for it to be clear and complete.]"

論學便要明理論治便須識體【論學而不明理則徒事乎詞章記誦之末未為知學也論治而不識其體則徒講乎制度文為之末未為知治也】

Master Cheng said: "In discussing learning one must clarify principle, and in discussing government one must grasp the essential substance. [To discuss learning without clarifying principle is only to busy oneself with the trivial ends of literary composition and memorization, and is not yet to know learning; to discuss government without recognizing its substance is only to busy oneself with the trivial ends of institutions and regulations, and is not yet to know government.]"

曾防漆雕開已見大意故聖人與之【曾言志以為莫春者春服既成冠者五六人童子六七人浴乎沂風乎舞雩詠而歸蓋有見於是道之大流行充滿而於日用之間從容自得有與物各適其所之意子使漆雕開仕對曰吾斯之未能信開於是理必有見焉顧於應酬之際未能自信其悉中乎是理此其所見之大而不安於小成所守之篤而必期於自信二者雖其行之未成要皆有見於聖人之大意○朱子曰防更規模大開更縝宻○蔡節齋曰防之意欲上開之意方進而未巳】

Master Cheng said: "Zeng Dian (the original reads 'Zeng fang', where 'fang' is an error for 'dian') and Qidiao Kai had already seen the great meaning, so the sage approved of them. [Zeng Dian (the original here has a rare character lost in transcription) stated his aim: in late spring, when the spring clothes were ready, with five or six young men and six or seven boys, to bathe in the Yi river, enjoy the breeze at the rain altar, and return singing. This shows he saw the greatness of this Way, flowing and filling everything, and was at ease and content in daily life, with a sense of each thing being at home in its place. When Confucius had Qidiao Kai take office, he answered: 'I am not yet able to have confidence in this.' Kai must have seen something in this principle, only that in dealing with affairs he was not yet confident that all would accord with it. This is seeing the great without settling for small attainments, and holding firmly while insisting on arriving at self-confidence. Though both had not yet put it into practice, in sum they both saw the great meaning of the sage. Zhu Xi said: Dian had the larger scale; Kai was more careful and fine. Cai Mo said: Dian's intent was to want to reach upward; Kai's was to advance and not stop.]"

根本湏是先培壅然後可立趨向也趨向既正所造淺深則由勉與不勉也【涵養心徳根本深厚然後立趨向而不差又勉而不已乃能深造○朱子曰收其放心然後自能尋向上去亦此意也】

Master Cheng said: "The root must first be nurtured and banked up, and only then can one set one's direction. Once the direction is right, how deep or shallow one's attainment goes depends on whether one exerts oneself or not. [Cultivate the virtue of the heart and make the root deep and thick, and then set the direction without going astray; and moreover exert oneself without ceasing, and only then can one reach deeply. Zhu Xi said: First recover the heart that has been let go, and then one will naturally find one's way upward; this is also the same meaning.]"

敬義夾持直上逹天徳自此【朱子曰敬主乎中義方乎外二者相夾持要放下霎時也不得只得直上去故便逹天徳又曰表裡夾持更無東走西作直上者不為物慾所累則可上逹天徳矣】懈意一生便是自棄自暴

Master Cheng said: "Reverence and rightness hold one from both sides, and one goes straight up to reach Heavenly virtue; it begins from here. [Zhu Xi said: Reverence governs within and rightness squares the outside. The two grip from both sides, so that one cannot put them down for a moment, and can only go straight up, and thus reaches Heavenly virtue. He also said: Gripped from inside and outside, there is no running east or west. Going straight up means not being burdened by desire for things, and so one may reach upward to Heavenly virtue.] The moment a thought of slackness arises, that is self-abandonment."

不學便老而衰【學問則義理為主故閱理乆而益以精明不學則血氣為主故閱時乆而益以衰謝】

Master Cheng said: "Without learning, one grows old and declines. [One who has learning has moral principle as master, so the longer he examines principle the clearer and finer he becomes; one who lacks learning has blood and qi as master, so the more time passes the more he withers.]"

人之學不進只是不勇【志氣之勇】

Master Cheng said: "People do not advance in learning simply because they are not courageous. [It is the courage of will and spirit.]"

學者為氣所勝習所奪只可責志【立志之不大不剛則義理不足以勝其氣質之固蔽學力不足以移其習俗之纒繞故曰只可責志】

Master Cheng said: "When students are overcome by their endowment of qi and carried off by the habits of custom, one can only reproach their aim. [If the aim is not established as great and firm, then moral principle is not enough to overcome the hardness and blockage of their material qi, and the strength of their learning is not enough to shift the entanglement of their customs, so it is said one can only blame the aim.]"

內重則可以勝外之輕得深則可以見誘之小【道義重則外物輕造理深則嗜慾微】

Master Cheng said: "When what is within is weighty, it can overcome the lightness of what is outside; when what one has attained is deep, one can see how small the temptations are. [When the Way and rightness are weighty, outside things are light; when one reaches principle deeply, cravings and desires grow faint.]"

董仲舒謂正其義不謀其利明其道不計其功【仲舒詳見十四卷○義者當然之理利者義之和也然君子惟欲正其義而已未嘗豫其其利有謀利之心則是有所為而為之非正其義也道者自然之路功者行道之效也然君子惟欲明其道而已未嘗計度其功有計功之心則是有私意介乎其間非明其道矣】孫思邈曰膽欲大而心欲小智欲圓而行欲方可以為法矣【思邈隋唐間人膽大則敢於有為心小則宻於察理智圓則通而不滯行方則正而不流○朱子曰膽不大則卑陋心不小則狂妄圓而不方則譎詐方而不圓則執而不通】大抵學不言而自得者乃自得也有安排佈置者皆非自得也【學而有得則暗者忽而明疑者忽而信欣然有契於心蓋有所不能形容者安排佈置即是著意強為非真自得也】

Master Cheng said: "Dong Zhongshu said, 'Correct its rightness without scheming for its profit; make clear its Way without calculating its merit.' [Zhongshu is treated in detail in volume fourteen. Rightness is the principle of what ought to be, and profit is the harmony of rightness. But the gentleman only wants to correct his rightness, and has never scheming for its profit in advance (the original has an extra 'its'); to have a heart that schemes for profit is to act with an ulterior purpose, and is not correcting rightness. The Way is the natural road, and merit is the effect of walking the Way. But the gentleman only wants to make his Way clear, and has never calculated its merit; to have a heart that calculates merit is to have private intention mixed in, and is not making the Way clear.] And Sun Simiao said, 'Let the courage be bold and the heart careful, the wisdom round and the conduct square.' These can be taken as standards. [Simiao lived between the Sui and Tang. A bold courage dares to act, a careful heart is meticulous in examining principle, round wisdom is free-flowing and unobstructed, and square conduct is upright and does not drift. Zhu Xi said: If courage is not bold one is base and petty, if the heart is not careful one is wild and reckless; if one is round but not square one is deceitful, and if square but not round one is rigid and cannot get through.] In general, what a student attains without speaking of it is true self-attainment; whatever is contrived and arranged is not self-attainment. [When one learns and has attained, what was dark suddenly becomes bright and what was doubted suddenly becomes trusted, and one is delighted to find accord in the heart, in a way that cannot be described. Contriving and arranging means working at it deliberately and by force, and is not true self-attainment.]"

視聴思慮動作皆天也人但於其中要識得真與妄爾【視聴思慮言動皆天理自然而不容巳者然順理則為真從欲則為妄】

Master Cheng said: "Seeing, hearing, thinking, deliberating and acting are all Heaven; a person need only recognize in them what is true and what is false. [Seeing, hearing, thinking, deliberating, speaking and acting are all Heavenly principle in its natural course and cannot be stopped; yet to follow principle is true, and to follow desire is false.]"

明道先生曰學只要鞭辟近裡著巳而巳故切問而近思則仁在其中矣【鞭辟近裡著巳者切巳之謂也切問近思而不泛逺則心徳存矣】言忠信行篤敬雖蠻貊之邦行矣言不忠信行不篤敬雖州里行乎哉立則見其參於前也在輿則見其倚于衡也夫然後行只此是學【言必忠信而無一辭之欺誕行必篤敬而無一事之慢弛則以是而行於逺方異類猶可以誠實感通苟不信不敬則雖近而州里之間其可得而行乎然非可以暫焉而強為之也要必真積力乆隨其所寓常若有見乎忠信篤敬之道而不可須防離者如此一於誠實自然信順無往而不可○以上皆切巳之學切問近思者致知之事言忠信行篤敬者力行之事説並見論語】質美者明得盡查滓便渾化卻與天地同體其次惟莊敬持養及其至則一也【朱子曰查滓是私意人慾之消未盡者人與天地本同體只縁查滓未去所以有間隔若無查滓便與天地同體質美者明得盡是見得透徹如顔子克巳復禮天理人慾截然兩段更無查滓其次既未到此則須莊敬持養以消去其查滓如仲弓出門如見大賔使民如承大祭常如此持養到乆亦自明徹矣】

Master Mingdao said: "Learning only requires pressing close to what is within and applying it to oneself, nothing more. So when one asks earnestly and thinks of what is near, benevolence lies within. [Pressing close to what is within and applying it to oneself means making it pertinent to oneself. To ask earnestly and think of what is near, without roaming far afield, is to keep the virtue of the heart.] 'Speak with loyalty and good faith, act with sincerity and reverence, and even in the lands of the barbarians one can get on; speak without loyalty and good faith, act without sincerity and reverence, and can one get on even in one's own district? Standing, you see these words before you; riding in a carriage, you see them leaning against the crossbar. Only then can you get on.' This alone is learning. [To speak always with loyalty and good faith without a single deceitful or extravagant word, and to act always with sincerity and reverence without a single lax or negligent deed, is to go forth into distant lands and alien peoples and still be able to move them with truthfulness; but if one lacks good faith and reverence, then even close at hand in the district, can one get on? Yet this is not something one can do by forcing it for a time; one must accumulate truth and effort over long, so that wherever one is one constantly seems to see the way of loyalty, good faith, sincerity and reverence, and cannot be apart from it even for an instant (the original reads 'xu fang', where 'fang' is an error for 'yu'). Thus, concentrated on truthfulness, one is naturally trusted and followed, and nothing fails to go well. All the above is learning that presses close to oneself. Asking earnestly and thinking of what is near is a matter of extending knowledge; speaking with loyalty and good faith and acting with sincerity and reverence is a matter of vigorous practice. The sayings are also found in the Analects.] For those of fine endowment, their understanding is complete and the dregs are dissolved altogether, so they become one in substance with Heaven and Earth; next to them, there is only to be solemn, reverent, and to hold and nourish oneself, and at the utmost it comes to the same thing. [Zhu Xi said: Dregs are what remains of private intention and human desire that has not been fully dissolved. Human beings are originally one in substance with Heaven and Earth, and it is only because the dregs are not removed that there is a gap; with no dregs, one is of one substance with Heaven and Earth. For those of fine endowment who understand completely, their seeing is penetrating, as with Yan Hui's mastering himself and returning to ritual, where Heavenly principle and human desire are cut apart cleanly and there are no dregs. For those next, who have not reached this, they must use solemnity, reverence, holding and nourishing to dissolve their dregs, as Zhonggong, going out of the door as if meeting a great guest and employing the people as if conducting a great sacrifice, held and nourished himself in this way constantly until he too became bright and clear in time.]"

忠信所以進徳脩辭立其誠所以居業者乾道也敬以直內義以方外者坤道也【幹主健主動故進徳脩業皆進為不息之道坤主順主靜故敬直義方皆收斂裁節之道】

Master Cheng said: "Loyalty and good faith are how one advances in virtue, and cultivating words to establish sincerity is how one dwells in one's work; these are the way of Qian. Reverence to straighten the inner and rightness to square the outer are the way of Kun. [Qian governs strength and movement, so advancing in virtue and cultivating one's work are all ways of advancing without rest; Kun governs compliance and stillness, so reverence that straightens and rightness that squares are both ways of drawing in and measuring.]"

凡人才學便須知著力處既學便須知得力處【始學而不知用力之地則何以為入道之端既學而不知得力之地則何以為造道之實學者隨其淺深必各有所自得不然是未嘗實用力於學也】

Master Cheng said: "Anyone who has just begun to learn must know where to put forth effort, and once he has learned he must know where he has gained strength. [If, at the beginning of learning, one does not know where to apply effort, how can one make a start in entering the Way? If, having learned, one does not know where one has gained strength, how can one make real attainment in the Way? Students, according to their depth, must each have something they have gained for themselves; otherwise they have never really put effort into learning.]"

有人治園圃役知力甚勞先生曰蠱之象君子以振民育徳君子之事唯有此二者餘無他焉二者為巳為人之道也【振民謂興起而作成之育徳謂涵養巳徳成巳成人皆吾道之當然外此則無益之事非君子所務矣】

Master Cheng said: "Someone tending a garden was spending a great deal of toil on the use of his mind and strength. The Master said: In the image of Gu it says, 'The gentleman rouses the people and nurtures virtue.' The business of a gentleman is only these two, and there is nothing else. These two are the ways of acting for oneself and acting for others. ['Rousing the people' means to stir them and bring them to completion, and 'nurturing virtue' means to cultivate one's own virtue. To perfect oneself and perfect others are both the proper business of our Way, and anything beyond is useless activity and not what a gentleman attends to.]"

博學而篤志切問而近思何以言仁在其中矣學者要思得之了此便是徹上徹下之道【朱子曰四者皆學問思辨之事耳未及乎力行而為仁也然從事於此則心不外馳而所存自熟故曰仁在其中矣愚謂學問思辨學者所以求仁也然博學而篤志切問而近思皆懇切篤厚之意即此一念便是惻隱之心流行發見之地不待更求而仁之全體可識矣故曰徹上徹下之道】

Master Cheng said: "'Learn broadly and be steadfast in aim, ask earnestly and think of what is near': why is it said that benevolence lies within this? Students should think it through and attain it for themselves. When this is understood, it is the Way that runs through both the high and the low. [Zhu Xi said: These four are only matters of study, inquiry, thinking and discrimination, and have not yet reached the vigorous practice of benevolence. Yet when one applies oneself to them the heart does not run outward and what it holds becomes ripe, so it is said benevolence lies within. Note by Ye Cai: Study, inquiry, thinking and discrimination are how students seek benevolence. Yet learning broadly and being steadfast in aim, asking earnestly and thinking of what is near, all carry the meaning of sincere earnestness and generous depth, and this one thought is the very place where the heart of compassion flows and appears. Without seeking elsewhere, the whole substance of benevolence can be recognized, so it is called the Way that runs through both high and low.]"

而不毅則難立毅而不則無以居之【本注云西銘言之道説見論語○寛大毅剛強也而不毅則寛大有餘而規矩不足故不能自立毅而不則剛強有餘而狹陋自足故無以居之】

Master Cheng said: "If one is broad (the original here has a rare character lost in transcription) but not resolute, it is hard to stand firm; if one is resolute but not broad, there is nowhere to settle it. [Original note: The Western Inscription speaks of the Way of breadth. The saying is found in the Analects. Broadness is generosity and resoluteness is firmness. If one is broad but not resolute, one has plenty of generosity but lacks standards, and so cannot stand on one's own; if one is resolute but not broad, one has plenty of firmness but is narrow and self-satisfied, so there is nowhere to settle it.]"

伊川先生曰古之學者優柔厭飫有先後次序今之學者卻只做一塲話説務髙而已【古之學者有序隨時隨事各盡其力優柔而不迫厭飫而有餘故其用功也實而自得也深後之學者躐等務髙徒資口耳之末而巳】常愛杜元凱語若江海之浸膏澤之潤渙然冰釋怡然理順然後為得也【杜預字元凱作春秋左氏經傳序中語也江海之浸則漸漬而深博膏澤之潤則優柔而豐腴此皆言涵養有漸而周徧融液也至於所見者明徹而無滓則渙然而冰釋所存者安裕而莫逆則怡然而理順學至於是其深造而自得也可知矣】今之學者往往以遊夏為小不足學然遊夏一言一事卻總是實後之學者好髙如人遊心千里之外然自身卻只在此【言偃字子游卜商字子夏二子在孔門固非顔曽比然其所言所事皆明辨而力行之無非實也今之學者徒好髙而無實得則亦何所至哉】

Master Yichuan said: "Scholars of old studied with leisurely ease and deep immersion, in due order of first and last; scholars today merely make a show of talk and strive only to sound lofty. [Scholars of old had order; in each season and each affair they exerted their full strength, unhurried yet unforced, saturated yet with room to spare, so their effort was solid and their attainment profound. Later scholars skip stages and aim at loftiness, drawing only on the tip of the mouth and ear.] I have always loved the words of Du Yuankai: like the soaking of rivers and seas, like the moistening of rich rain, when it dissolves like melting ice and one feels at ease as principle falls into place, only then has one truly grasped it. [Du Yu, courtesy name Yuankai, wrote this in his Preface to the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals. The soaking of rivers and seas means gradual steeping that grows deep and broad; the moistening of rich rain means leisurely, abundant richness; both say that cultivation proceeds step by step and permeates everywhere. As for dissolving like ice, one's insight is bright and clear without dregs; as for feeling at ease as principle falls into place, what one holds is calm and in perfect accord. Reaching this point, one can see how deep study yields true self-attainment.] Scholars today often regard Ziyou and Zixia as small and not worth learning from; yet every word and deed of Ziyou and Zixia was always solid. Later scholars who love loftiness are like people whose minds roam a thousand miles away while their bodies remain right here. [Yan Yan, courtesy name Ziyou, and Bu Shang, courtesy name Zixia, certainly could not match Yan Hui and Zeng Shen within Confucius' school, yet all they said and did was clearly discerned and vigorously practiced, nothing but what was solid. Scholars today only love loftiness without real attainment; what then do they reach?]"

脩養之所以引年國祚之所以祈天永命常人之至於聖賢皆工夫到這裡則有此應【人生天壽有命而修養之士保煉精氣乃可以引年而獨壽國祚之修短有數而聖賢之君力行仁義乃可以祈天永命常人之質其視夫生知安行者亦逺矣然學而不已則可與聖賢為一凡是三者皆非一旦之功苟簡超越幸而得之者蓋其工夫至到有此應效耳所以明學聖人者當真積力乆而得之也】

Master Cheng said: "That cultivation can prolong life, that a dynasty can pray to Heaven for a lasting mandate, and that ordinary people can become sages and worthies, all come about because when the effort reaches this point, such results follow. [Human lifespan is fixed by fate, yet those who cultivate and refine their vital essence can extend their years and live long; the span of a dynasty is numbered, yet a sage-worthy ruler who strenuously practices humaneness and righteousness can pray to Heaven for a lasting mandate; the endowment of ordinary people is far from that of those born knowing and practicing with ease, yet by learning without ceasing they can become one with the sages and worthies. None of these three is achieved in a single day, nor by shortcuts, leaps, or luck; it is when the effort arrives at its utmost that these effects appear. This shows that those who learn from the sages should gain it through accumulated truth and long exertion.]"

忠恕所以公平造徳則自忠恕其致則公平【發乎真心之謂忠推以及人之謂恕忠恕則視人猶巳故大公而至平致極至也學者進徳則自忠恕其極至則公平】仁之道要之只消道一公字公只是仁之理不可將公便喚作仁公而以仁體之故為仁【仁者以天地萬物為一其理公而巳然言其理至公而無私必體之以人則其寛平溥博之中自然有惻怛慈愛之意斯所謂仁也體猶幹骨也○朱子曰公則無情仁則有愛公字屬理愛字屬人克巳復禮不容一毫之私豈非公乎親親仁民而無一物之不愛豈非仁乎】只為公則物我兼照故仁所以能恕所以能愛恕則仁之施愛則仁之用也【恕者推於此愛者及於彼仁譬泉之源也恕則泉之流出愛則泉之潤澤公則疏通而無壅塞之謂也惟其疏通而無壅塞故能流而澤物】

Master Cheng said: "Loyalty and reciprocity are the means to impartiality. Advancing in virtue begins with loyalty and reciprocity, and its ultimate attainment is impartiality. [Acting from a genuine heart is called loyalty; extending it to others is called reciprocity. With loyalty and reciprocity one regards others as oneself, and so is utterly fair and even. 'Reach' means the ultimate. When scholars advance in virtue they begin with loyalty and reciprocity, and its ultimate attainment is impartiality.] As for the Way of humaneness, in essence one need only speak of the one word 'impartiality.' Impartiality is only the principle of humaneness; one cannot simply call overcoming oneself humaneness. When one embodies impartiality through humaneness, that is what makes it humane. [The humane person is one with Heaven, Earth, and all things, and the principle is only impartiality. Yet to say that its principle is utterly impartial and without selfishness, one must embody it in a person; then within its broad evenness and vastness there naturally arises a heart of compassion and loving kindness, and this is what is called humaneness. 'Embody' is like the bones that form the frame. Note by Zhu Xi: Impartiality is without feeling, humaneness has love. The word impartiality belongs to principle, the word love belongs to the person. Overcoming oneself and returning to ritual allows not a trace of selfishness; is that not impartiality? Loving one's kin, being humane to the people, and loving every single thing; is that not humaneness?] Just because with impartiality things and self are both illuminated, humaneness can practice reciprocity and can love. Reciprocity is the application of humaneness; love is its function. [Reciprocity is extending from here; love is reaching there. Humaneness is like the source of a spring, reciprocity its flowing out, love its moistening; impartiality means being open and unobstructed. Precisely because it is open and unobstructed, it can flow and moisten the myriad things.]"

今之為學者如登山麓方其迤邐莫不濶歩及到峻處便止須是要剛決果敢以進【朱子曰為學須要剛毅果決悠悠不濟事且如發憤忘食樂以忘憂是什麼精神什麼骨力】

Master Cheng said: "Those who study nowadays are like people climbing a mountain: on the winding foothills they all stride briskly, but when they reach the steep part they stop. One must advance with firm resolve and boldness. [Zhu Xi said: In study one must be firm, resolute, and decisive; dawdling accomplishes nothing. Think of being so eager that one forgets to eat and so joyful that one forgets sorrow; what spirit and what backbone that takes!]"

人謂要力行亦只是淺近語人既能知見一切事皆所當為不必待著意才著意便是有個私心這一防意氣能得幾時子【真知事之當然則不待著意自不容巳著意為之已是私心所謂私者非安乎天理之自然而出乎人力之使然也徒以其意氣之使然則亦必不能乆故君子莫急於致知】

Master Cheng said: "People say one must practice with effort, but that is still a shallow saying. Once a person can truly see that all things are what ought to be done, there is no need to wait for deliberate effort; the moment one makes a deliberate effort, there is already a selfish heart in it. How long can this one breath of energy last? [When one truly knows what is right in a matter, one does not need to force oneself, and one cannot help but do it; to do it by deliberate effort is already selfish. What is called selfishness is not resting in the natural course of Heavenly principle, but acting under the push of human force. Relying only on a surge of will, one surely cannot last long. Therefore nothing is more urgent for the gentleman than extending knowledge.]"

知之必好之好之必求之求之必得之古人此個學是終身事果能顛沛造次必於是豈有不得道理【學是終身事則不求速成不容半塗而廢勉焉孳孳死而後巳可也顛沛造次必於是則無一事而非學無一時而不勉苟能如是其有得於斯道可必矣所以誘進學者之不容自巳也】

Master Cheng said: "What one knows, one must love; what one loves, one must seek; what one seeks, one must obtain. For the ancients this learning was a lifelong undertaking. If one can truly keep to it even in hardship and haste, how could one fail to attain it? [Since learning is a lifelong undertaking, one does not seek quick results nor allow oneself to give up halfway; it suffices to strive tirelessly until death. If one keeps to it even in hardship and haste, then no affair is outside learning and no moment is without effort. If one can do so, attaining this Way is certain. Thus it is meant to urge scholars not to allow themselves to stop.]"

古之學者一今之學者三異端不與焉一曰文章之學二曰訓詁之學三曰儒者之學欲趨道舍儒者之學不可【釋教言為訓釋古言為詁爾雅有釋訓釋詁是也儒者之學所以求道文章之學皆其末流】問作文害道否曰害也凡為文不専意則不工若専意則志局於此又安能與天地同其大也書曰玩物喪志為文亦玩物也【人所以參天地而並立者惟此心為之主耳苟志有所局又安能與天地參哉故玩習外物則正志喪失専意為文亦玩物也】呂與叔有詩云學如元凱方成癖文似相如始類俳獨立孔門無一事只輸顔氏得心齋古之學者惟務養情性其他則不學今為文者専務章句悅人耳目既務悅人非俳優而何【呂大臨字與叔張程門人也杜元凱嘗自謂有左氏癖所著訓解凡十餘萬言司馬相如作子虛上林等賦徒文辭務以悅人故曰類俳俳優倡戱也齋齋肅純一之意也心齋說見莊子】曰古者學為文否曰人見六經便以為聖人亦作文不知聖人亦攄發胷中所蘊自成文耳所謂有徳者必有言也【聖人道全徳盛非有意於為文而文自不可及耳】曰遊夏稱文學何也曰遊夏亦何嘗秉筆學為詞章也【遊夏蓋習於詩書禮樂之文者舊説子游作檀弓子夏作樂記之類凡此皆道體之流行人事之儀則固未嘗秉筆學為如此之文而亦非若後世無用之空言也】且如觀乎天文以察時變觀乎人文以化成天下此豈詞章之文也【説見賁卦○天文謂日月星辰之文人文謂人倫禮樂之文】

Master Cheng said: "Scholars of old were of one kind; scholars today are of three kinds, not counting heterodox schools: first, the study of literary composition; second, the study of philology and exegesis; third, the study of the Confucian scholar. If one wishes to approach the Way, one cannot abandon the Confucian scholar's study. [Explaining the meaning of a text is called xun; explaining ancient words is called gu. The Erya has the chapters 'Explaining Phrases' and 'Explaining Ancient Words.' The Confucian scholar's study is the means of seeking the Way; the study of literary composition is all its tail end.] Question: Does writing essays harm the Way? Answer: It does. In all composing, without single-minded attention one is not skillful; with single-minded attention, one's will is confined to it, and how can one then share the greatness of Heaven and Earth? The Book of Documents says 'toying with things ruins the will'; writing is also toying with things. [What allows a person to stand together with Heaven and Earth is only the heart acting as master. If the will is confined, how can one be a counterpart to Heaven and Earth? Thus indulging in outer things loses the proper will, and devoting oneself to composition is also toying with things.] Lu Yushu has a poem that says: 'Learning like Yuankai's grew into mere obsession; writing like Xiangru's was no better than a jester's. Alone in Confucius' school there was no such business; he lost only to Yan Hui, who attained the fasting of the heart.' Scholars of old devoted themselves only to nourishing their nature and feelings and did not study anything else; those who write today devote themselves to phrases and sentences and to pleasing ears and eyes, and since they strive to please people, what are they if not jesters? [Lu Dalin, courtesy name Yushu, was a disciple of Zhang Zai and the Chengs. Du Yuankai once said of himself that he had an obsession with the Zuo Commentary, and his commentaries ran to over a hundred thousand words. Sima Xiangru wrote the Zixu, Shanglin and other rhapsodies, only galloping through ornate diction to please people, hence he is called jester-like. A jester is a performer of comic shows. Zhai means solemn, reverent, and pure single-mindedness. The teaching of the fasting of the heart appears in the Zhuangzi.] Question: Did the ancients study how to write? Answer: People see the Six Classics and assume the sages also composed essays, not knowing that the sages simply expressed what was stored in their breasts and it naturally became writing; this is what is meant by 'one with virtue will surely have words.' [With the sages the Way was complete and virtue abundant; they did not intend to write, and yet their writing is beyond reach.] Question: Ziyou and Zixia were called masters of literature; why? Answer: Did Ziyou and Zixia ever take up the brush to learn to compose phrases? [Ziyou and Zixia probably were well versed in the writings of the Odes, Documents, Rites, and Music. The old accounts say Ziyou wrote the Tan Gong and Zixia wrote the Record of Music and the like. All these are the flow of the Way's substance and the norms of human affairs; certainly they never took up the brush to learn such writing, nor were these empty, useless words like those of later ages.] It is like 'observing the patterns of Heaven to discern the changes of the seasons, observing the patterns of human society to transform all under Heaven'; is that the literature of mere phrases? [This is explained in the hexagram Bi. Note: the patterns of Heaven are the patterns of sun, moon, and stars; the patterns of human society are the patterns of human relations, ritual, and music.]"

莫説道將第一等讓與別人且做第二等才如此説便是自棄雖與不能居仁由義者差等不同其自小一也言學便以道為志言人便以聖為志【性無不善人所同得苟安於小成皆自棄也】

Master Cheng said: "Do not say you will yield the first rank to others and settle for second. The moment one says this, one is giving up on oneself. Although it differs in degree from those who cannot dwell in humaneness and follow righteousness, the way they belittle themselves is the same. In speaking of learning, take the Way as your aim; in speaking of the person, take the sage as your aim. [Human nature is without exception good, and all share it. Those who are content with small attainment are all giving up on themselves.]"

問必有事焉當用敬否曰敬是涵養一事必有事焉須用集義只知用敬不知集義卻是都無事也【孟子言養氣曰必有事焉又曰是集義所生者人之所為皆合於義自反無愧此浩然之氣所以生也敬者存心而已若不集義安得謂之必有事焉】又問義莫是中理否曰中理在事義在心【義者吾心之裁製中理者合乎事理之宜也故有在事在心之別】

Someone asked: 'There must be work to be done' (as Mencius said); should one use reverence for this? Master Cheng said: "Reverence is one part of cultivation. 'There must be work to be done' requires accumulating righteousness. If one only knows to use reverence and does not know to accumulate righteousness, then there is no work done at all. [Mencius, speaking of nourishing qi, said 'there must be work to be done,' and also said 'it is born of accumulated righteousness.' When all a person does accords with righteousness and, on self-examination, is free of shame, the flood-like qi is thereby born. Reverence is only preserving the heart; if one does not accumulate righteousness, how can it be called 'there must be work to be done'?]" The questioner went on: Is righteousness not simply accord with principle? Answer: "Accord with principle lies in the affair; righteousness lies in the heart. [Righteousness is the regulation by our own heart; accord with principle is conformity to what is fitting in the matter. Hence the distinction between lying in the affair and lying in the heart.]"

問敬義何別曰敬只是持巳之道義便知有是有非順理而行是為義也若只守一個敬不知集義卻是都無事也【張南軒曰居敬集義工夫並進相須而相成也若北要得敬不知集義則所謂敬者亦塊然無所為而已烏得心體之周流哉又曰集義只是事事求個是而已朱子曰敬義工夫不可偏廢彼専務集義而不知主敬者固有虛驕急迫之病而所謂義者或非其義然専言主敬而不知就日用間念慮起處分別其公私義利之所在而決取捨之幾焉則亦未免於昏憒雜擾而所謂敬者亦非其敬矣】且如欲為孝不成只守著一個孝字須是知所以為孝之道所以侍奉當如何溫凊當如何然後能盡孝道也【言此以明集義之道必有事焉者也】

Someone asked: What is the difference between reverence and righteousness? Master Cheng said: "Reverence is only the way of holding oneself; righteousness knows what is right and wrong, and following principle in action is righteousness. If one only keeps to reverence and does not know to accumulate righteousness, then there is no work done at all. [Zhang Shi said: The efforts of abiding in reverence and accumulating righteousness advance together, each requiring and completing the other. If one seeks only reverence and does not know to accumulate righteousness, then the so-called reverence is just a lump of stillness doing nothing; how can one obtain the all-pervading flow of the heart's substance? He also said: Accumulating righteousness is only seeking to be right in each and every matter. Zhu Xi said: The efforts of reverence and righteousness cannot be neglected in favor of one. Those who devote themselves solely to accumulating righteousness without knowing to hold to reverence certainly suffer from emptiness, arrogance, and haste, and what they call righteousness may not be righteousness; yet those who speak only of holding to reverence without knowing to discern, in daily life at the point where thoughts arise, where the public and private, righteousness and profit lie, and to decide between taking and leaving, cannot avoid being confused and disordered, and what they call reverence is also not true reverence.] It is like wanting to practice filial piety: one cannot simply hold on to the word 'filial'; one must know the way of being filial, how to serve one's parents, how to keep them warm in winter and cool in summer, and only then can one fulfill filial piety. [This is said to show that the way of accumulating righteousness is precisely 'there must be work to be done.']"

學者湏是務實不要近名方是有意近名則是偽也大本已失更學何事為名與為利清濁雖不同然其利心則一也【志於求名則非務實有為而為即是私心】

Master Cheng said: "Scholars must devote themselves to what is real and must not draw near to seeking a name; only then is it right. To have any intention of getting close to fame is falsehood; the great root is already lost, so what is there left to learn? Though seeking fame and seeking profit differ as clear from muddy, the heart of seeking gain is one and the same. [To set one's will on seeking a name is not devoting oneself to what is real; to act for a purpose is a selfish heart.]"

回也其心三月不違仁只是無纖毫私意有少私意便是不仁【仁者天理之公心徳之全也有一毫私意介乎其間則害乎仁之全體矣】

Master Cheng said: "'Yan Hui's heart did not depart from humaneness for three months'; it was simply that he had not a hair's breadth of selfish intent. Even a little selfish intent is inhumane. [Humaneness is the impartiality of Heavenly principle and the completeness of the virtue of the heart. If a single trace of selfish intent is mixed in, the whole substance of humaneness is harmed.]"

仁者先難後獲有為而作皆先獲也古人惟知為仁而已今人皆先獲也【説見論語○後猶未有義而後其君之後先難者存心之篤而不容一念之或間克已之力而不容一事之非禮後獲者順乎天理而未嘗謀其私發乎誠心而未嘗計其效此仁者之事也或曰智者利仁是亦先獲也曰所謂利仁者以其察之明而後行之決蓋擇善而固執之者也未若仁者安行乎天理之自然而巳又豈區區計功謀效者之為哉萌計謀之私則已非仁矣尚何利仁之有】有求為聖人之志然後可與共學學而善思然後可與適道思而有所得則可與立立而化之則可與權【説見論語○學者所以學為聖人也有志希聖然後可與共學學原於思善於致思然後能通乎道思而有實得然後可與立而物慾異端不能奪之既立矣又能通變而不滯斯可與權蓋權者隨時制宜惟變所適又非執一者所能與也】

Master Cheng said: "The humane person puts difficulty first and gain afterward. To act for a purpose is to put gain first. The ancients only knew to practice humaneness; people today all put gain first. [This is explained in the Analects. Note: 'afterward' is like the 'afterward' in 'there has never been one who is righteous yet puts his ruler last.' Putting difficulty first is being so earnest in the heart that not a single thought may be interrupted, and so strenuous in overcoming oneself that not one act may be against ritual; putting gain afterward is following Heavenly principle without ever scheming for oneself, and acting from a sincere heart without ever calculating the result. This is the business of the humane person. Someone may say: 'The wise find benefit in humaneness' is also putting gain first. Answer: What is called finding benefit in humaneness is to see clearly and then act resolutely, choosing the good and holding fast to it; this is still not like the humane person who simply acts in ease according to the natural course of Heavenly principle, and how could it be what a petty person calculating merit and results would do? Once the selfishness of scheming sprouts, it is already not humaneness; what is there to say of finding benefit in humaneness?] Only with the aspiration to become a sage can one study together with others; having studied and being good at thinking, one can then proceed on the Way together; having thought and gained something, one can then take one's stand together; having taken one's stand and transformed it, one can then weigh circumstances together. [This is explained in the Analects. Note: scholars study in order to learn to be sages. Only with the aim of emulating the sages can one study together with others; learning arises from thinking, and only one good at focused thought can reach the Way; thinking and truly gaining something, one can then stand firm, and material desires and heterodox teachings cannot seize one; having taken one's stand and also being able to adapt without getting stuck, one can then take part in weighing circumstances. Weighing circumstances is adapting to each season and going wherever change leads, which those who cling to one rule cannot take part in.]"

古之學者為巳其終至於成物今之學者為物其終至於喪巳【為巳者盡吾性之當然非有預於人也其終至於成物者蓋道本無外人巳一致能盡巳之性則能盡物之性然其成物也亦無非盡巳之事也苟徒務外則將陷於邪偽反害其性矣】

Master Cheng said: "Scholars of old studied for themselves, and in the end they came to accomplish all things; scholars today study for external things, and in the end they lose themselves. [Studying for oneself means fully realizing what is right in one's own nature, not seeking from others; that in the end it accomplishes all things is because the Way is originally without outside, and others and self are one; one who can fully realize his own nature can fully realize the nature of things, and yet his accomplishing things is nothing but fulfilling his own business. If one devotes oneself only to the outer, one will fall into depravity and falsehood and instead harm one's nature.]"

君子之學必日新日新者日進也不日新者必日退未有不進而不退者惟聖人之道無所進退以其所造者極也【君子之學當日進而不已一或自止則智日昏而行日矣惟聖人理造乎極行底乎成則無所進退或曰聖人純亦不巳固未嘗不自新也曰論其心固無時而自巳一念之或巳則是間斷也何以為聖人論其進退之地則至於神聖而極不容有所加損也】

Master Cheng said: "The gentleman's learning must be renewed daily. Daily renewal is daily advance; one who does not renew daily will certainly decline each day, and there is no one who does not advance and yet does not decline. Only the Way of the sage has no advancing or declining, because where he has arrived is the utmost. [The gentleman's learning should advance daily without ceasing; once he stops of his own accord, his wisdom grows dim each day and his conduct declines each day. Only the sage, whose principle has reached the utmost and whose conduct has reached completion, neither advances nor declines. Someone may say: The sage is 'pure and unceasing,' so surely he was never without renewing himself. Answer: As for his heart, it never stops for a moment; if a single thought pauses, that is interruption, and how could he be a sage? As for the place of his advance and decline, he has reached the pinnacle of divinity and sagehood and nothing can be added or subtracted.]"

明道先生曰性靜者可以為學【外書下同○智以靜而明行以靜為主】而不毅則無規矩毅而不則隘陋【説見前】

Master Mingdao said: "A person of calm nature can be a student. [From the Waishu; likewise below. Note: wisdom becomes clear through calm, and conduct takes calm as its master.] Breadth of mind without firmness has no norms; firmness without breadth is narrow and shabby. [Explained earlier.]"

知性善以忠信為本此先立其大者【學莫大於知性真知性之本善則知之大者忠信以為質然後禮義有所措以忠信為本則行之大者】

Master Cheng said: "To know that human nature is good and to take loyalty and trustworthiness as the root is to first establish what is greater. [In learning there is nothing greater than knowing one's nature. To truly know that one's nature is originally good is the greater part of knowing; loyalty and trustworthiness serve as the substance, and only then can ritual and righteousness be set in place. To take loyalty and trustworthiness as the root is the greater part of practice.]"

伊川先生曰人安重則學堅固【躁擾輕浮則所知者易忘所守者易隳】博學之審問之慎思之明辨之篤行之五者廢其一非學也【説見中庸○學不博則無以備事物之理既博矣則不能無疑疑則不容不問問或疎略而不審則無以決疑而取正問審矣又必反之心思以騐其實思之而不謹則或氾濫而不切或穿鑿而過深則亦不足以揆所聞之當否思之謹矣至於應酬事物之際而辨其是非疑似之間者必極其明而不容有毫釐之差焉然知之明行之不力則其所以知者猶或奪於物欲之私而陷於自欺之域矣故以力行終之此五者雖有次第實相須而進不容缺其一焉】

Master Yichuan said: "When a person is calm and weighty, learning is firm. [One who is restless and frivolous easily forgets what he knows and easily ruins what he keeps.] Study broadly, inquire carefully, think prudently, discern clearly, practice earnestly. If any one of the five is abandoned, it is not learning. [Explained in the Zhongyong. Note: If one does not study broadly, there is no way to prepare the principles of things and affairs; once broad, one cannot be without doubts, and with doubts one must ask; if the asking is cursory and not careful, there is no way to resolve doubts and obtain what is correct; once the inquiry is careful, one must turn back to the heart to verify its truth by thinking; if thinking is not prudent, one may become diffuse and miss the mark, or force and strain and go too deep, and also be unable to measure whether what one has heard is right; once thinking is prudent, when it comes to responding to affairs and discerning right from wrong, likeness from deceit, one must make it utterly clear without a hair's breadth of error; but if one knows clearly and practices without strength, what one knows may still be seized by the selfishness of material desire and fall into self-deception. Therefore it ends with vigorous practice. Although these five have an order, in truth they advance by requiring one another, and none may be missing.]"

張思叔請問其論或太髙伊川不答良乆曰累髙必自下【張繹字思叔程子門人也學必有其序不容躐等積累而髙必自下始也】

Zhang Sishu asked a question, and his remarks may have been too lofty; Yichuan did not answer. After a long while he said: "Building up to a height must begin from below. [Zhang Yi, courtesy name Sishu, was a disciple of the Chengs. Learning must have its order and one must not skip stages. Accumulating to reach a height must begin from below.]"

明道先生曰人之為學忌先立標凖若循循不巳自有所至矣【標幟凖的蓋期望之地也為學而先立標凖則必有好髙躐等之患故莫若循序而進孳孳不已自有所至○朱子曰此如必有事焉而勿正之謂觀顔子喟然之嘆不於髙堅瞻忽處用功卻就博文約禮上進歩則可見矣】

Master Mingdao said: "In a person's studies, setting a standard in advance is to be avoided. If one proceeds step by step without stopping, one will naturally reach somewhere. [A standard or mark is a place of expectation. If in study one sets a standard first, one will certainly suffer the fault of loving loftiness and skipping stages. So it is better to advance in due order and strive without ceasing, and one will naturally arrive. Note by Zhu Xi: This is like the meaning of 'there must be work to be done, but do not aim at results.' Look at Yan Hui's sigh of admiration: he did not put effort into the loftiness, hardness, or elusiveness of the Way, but made progress in broadening his learning and restraining himself with ritual, and one can see this.]"

尹彥明見伊川后半年方得大學西銘看【尹焞字彥明程子門人也始學之士未知向方教之以大學使其知入道之門進學之序也然學莫大於求仁繼之以西銘所以使其知仁之體而無私巳之蔽也然有待於半年之後者蓋欲其厚積誠意蠲除氣習以為學問根本也】有人説無心伊川曰無心便不是隻當雲無私心【苟欲無心則必一切絶滅思慮槁木死灰而後可豈理也哉故聖賢未嘗無心特是心之所存所用者無非本天理之公而絶乎人慾之私耳】

Yin Yanming, half a year after meeting Yichuan, was first given the Great Learning and the Western Inscription to read. [Yin Dun, courtesy name Yanming, was a disciple of Master Cheng. A scholar who has just begun does not yet know the direction, so he was taught the Great Learning so that he would know the gateway into the Way and the order of advancing in study. Yet in learning there is nothing greater than seeking humaneness, so it was followed by the Western Inscription, to let him know the substance of humaneness and be free of the obscuration of self. Waiting half a year afterward was meant to let him build up sincerity of intention and clear away habits of temperament as the root of learning.] Someone said 'no mind,' and Yichuan said: "'No mind' is wrong; one should only say 'no selfish mind.' [If one wants to have no mind, one must cut off all thought and become dry wood and dead ashes; how could that be principle? Therefore the sages and worthies never lacked a mind; only that what this mind keeps and uses is all rooted in the impartiality of Heavenly principle and cuts off the selfishness of human desire.]"

謝顯道見伊川【一本作伯淳】伊川曰近日事如何對曰天下何思何慮伊川曰是則是有此理賢卻發得太早在【至誠之道不思而得初何容心然未能義精仁熟而遽欲坐忘絶念此告子之不動心而反為心害者也】伊川直是防鍛鍊得人説了又道恰好著工夫也【鍛鍊冶工之冶金言其善於成冶人也心無紛擾乃進學之地故又曰恰好著工夫○朱子曰人所患者不能見得大體謝氏合下便見得只是下學之功都欠故道恰好著工夫】

Xie Xiandao met Yichuan [one text says Bochun], and Yichuan said: "How have things been lately?" He answered: "What is there to think about or worry over under Heaven?" Yichuan said: "That is right, there is such a principle, but you have brought it out too early. [The Way of utmost sincerity is attained without thinking, but at the start how could it be done with deliberate intent? Yet when one has not yet become refined in righteousness and ripe in humaneness, to hurry to sit in forgetfulness and cut off thought is the unmoved mind of Gaozi, which in turn harms the mind.]" Yichuan was truly good at tempering people; having finished, he added: "It is just the right time to apply effort. [Tempering is like a smith smelting metal, meaning he was good at helping people achieve. A mind without disturbance is the very ground for advancing in learning, so he added that it was just the right time to apply effort. Note by Zhu Xi: What people suffer from is being unable to see the great substance. Master Xie saw it at once, but lacked the effort of lower learning, so it was said it was just the right time to apply effort.]"

謝顯道雲昔伯淳教誨只管著他言語伯淳曰與賢説話卻似扶醉漢救得一邉倒了一邉只怕人執著一邉【朱子曰上蔡因有發於明道玩物喪志之一言故其所論毎毎過髙如浴沂御風何思何慮之類皆是墮於一偏】

Xie Xiandao said: "In the past when Bochun instructed me, I only paid attention to his words. Bochun said: Speaking with you is like supporting a drunkard; save him from falling on one side and he falls on the other. I fear only that people cling to one side. [Zhu Xi said: Because Shangcai was moved by Mingdao's phrase 'toying with things ruins the will,' his own arguments were often too lofty, such as bathing in the Yi River, riding the wind, and 'what is there to think or worry over,' all of which fall into one-sidedness.]"

橫渠先生曰精義入神事豫吾內求利吾外也利用安身素利吾外致養吾內也【説見易繫辭○研精義理妙以入神知之功也然事素定於內則施於外者無不順順於致用以安其身行之功也然所用既順於外則養於內者益以厚此明內外之交養而知行之相資也】窮神知化乃養盛自至非思勉之能強故崇徳而外君子未或致知也【正防下同○神者妙萬物而無方化者著萬物而有跡窮神知化蓋窮理盡性以至於命是則知行交養徳盛所致非思之所能得勉之所能至者故君子惟盡力於精義以致其用利用以崇其徳自崇徳之外則有所不能致其力者故曰過此以往未之或知也】形而後有氣質之性善反之則天地之性存焉故氣質之性君子有弗性者焉【天命流行賦予萬物本無非善所謂天地之性也氣聚成形性為氣質所拘則有純駁偏正之異所謂氣質之性也然人能以善道自反則天地之性復全矣故氣質之性君子不以為性蓋不徇乎氣質之偏必欲復其本然之善孟子謂性無有不善是也○朱子曰天地之性専指理而言氣質之性則以理雜氣而言又曰性譬之水本皆清也以淨器盛之則清以汙器盛之則濁澄治之則本然之清未嘗不在】

Master Hengqu said: "'Refining the meaning until it enters the spirit' means that affairs are settled beforehand within me, in order to seek benefit outside me; 'using what is beneficial to secure the person' means that one is accustomed to being benefited from outside, in order to nourish what is within me. [This is explained in the Appendices of the Book of Changes. Note: To study meaning and principle with refinement and enter the spirit through subtlety is the work of knowing. But if affairs are settled within beforehand, whatever is carried out externally goes smoothly; and what goes smoothly in application secures one's person, which is the work of acting. But if what is used is smooth externally, what is nourished within grows ever richer. This shows that inner and outer nourish each other and knowing and acting support each other.] 'Exhausting the spirit and knowing transformation' is the arrival of one's own nourished fullness, not something that deliberate thought or effort can force. Therefore, apart from exalting virtue, the gentleman has never sought any other knowledge. [From the Zhengmeng (the base text has a variant reading here, which should be Zhengmeng); the same below. Note: Spirit is the wonder that moves all things without fixed direction; transformation is what makes things manifest and leaves traces. To exhaust the spirit and know transformation is to exhaust principle, fully realize nature, and reach destiny; this is the result of knowing and acting nourishing each other and of virtue grown full, not something that thought can obtain or effort can reach. So the gentleman exerts himself only in refining meaning in order to bring it into use, and in using what is beneficial in order to exalt his virtue; beyond the exalting of virtue there is nothing he can apply his strength to, which is why it says, 'Beyond this, one does not know of anything.'] Only after there is form does the nature of material endowment exist, and if one is good at turning back to seek within, the nature of Heaven and Earth is preserved. Therefore, the nature of material endowment is something the gentleman does not regard as his nature. [Heaven's command flows and is bestowed on all things, originally nothing but good; this is what is called the nature of Heaven and Earth. When qi gathers into form, the nature is constrained by the material endowment, and there are differences of pure and mixed, partial and correct; this is what is called the nature of material endowment. Yet if a person can turn back upon himself through the good way, the nature of Heaven and Earth is made whole again. So the gentleman does not regard the nature of material endowment as his nature: he does not follow the partiality of material endowment but is determined to restore his original goodness. Mencius's saying that human nature is never other than good means just this. Note by Zhu Xi: The nature of Heaven and Earth refers solely to principle, while the nature of material endowment refers to principle mixed with qi. He also said: Nature is like water, originally all clear; held in a clean vessel it is clear, held in a dirty vessel it is muddy; if one clarifies and purifies it, its original clarity is never absent.]"

徳不勝氣性命於氣徳勝其氣性命於徳【義理與氣質相為消長徳不勝氣則氣為之主而性命拘於雜揉之質徳勝其氣則徳為之主而性命全乎本然之善】窮理盡性則性天徳命天理氣之不可變者獨死生修天而巳【窮萬物之理而盡一巳之性此學問之極功也學至於是則查滓渾化義理昭融所性者即天之徳所命者即天之理尚何氣稟之為累哉獨死生壽天則稟氣有定數而不可移耳○黃勉齋曰窮理盡性則不但德勝其氣而已且將性命於天矣徳以所得者而言理以本然者而言故性曰天徳命曰天理一而已矣】莫非天也陽明勝則徳性用隂濁勝則物慾行領惡而全好者其必由學乎【領惡而全好見戴記鄭氏曰領猶理治也好善也人之氣質不齊要皆稟於天也陽明而隂暗陽清而隂濁稟陽之多者明而不暗故徳性用稟隂之多者濁而不清故物慾行若夫領物慾之惡而不得行全徳性之好而盡其用者其必由於學乎所謂雖愚必明雖柔必強者也】大其心則能體天下之物物有未體則心為有外世人之心止於見聞之狹聖人儘性不以見聞梏其心其視天下無一物非我【萬物一體性本無外苟拘於耳目之偏狹則私意蔽固藩籬爾汝安能體物而不遺惟聖人能盡此性故心大而無外其視物與巳本無間然也○朱子曰體猶體認之體將自身入事物之中究見其理又曰只是有私意便內外扞格只見得自身上事凡物皆不得與已相關便是有外之心】孟子謂盡心則知性知天以此天大無外故有外之心不足以合天心【人能全心徳之大則知性知天矣無一物而非天故天大無外人之心苟猶有外則與天心不相似】

Zhang Zai said: "When virtue does not overcome qi, nature and destiny are determined by qi; when virtue overcomes its qi, nature and destiny are determined by virtue. [Moral principle and material endowment rise and fall against each other. When virtue does not overcome qi, qi is master, and nature and destiny are confined within a mixed and impure substance; when virtue overcomes its qi, virtue is master, and nature and destiny are made whole in their original goodness.] Exhaust principle and fully realize nature, and nature is Heaven's virtue and destiny is Heaven's principle. What cannot be changed in qi is only life and death, long life and early death. [To exhaust the principles of all things and fully realize one's own nature is the supreme achievement of learning. When learning reaches this point, the dregs are all dissolved and moral principle shines through; what one possesses as nature is Heaven's virtue, and what one receives as destiny is Heaven's principle, so what is there to fear from the burdens of one's endowment of qi? Only life and death and long and short life have a fixed number in the endowed qi and cannot be shifted. Note by Huang Gan: To exhaust principle and fully realize nature is not only that virtue overcomes qi, but that nature and destiny are rooted in Heaven. Virtue is spoken of in terms of what is gained, and principle in terms of what is original; so nature is called Heaven's virtue and destiny is called Heaven's principle, but they are one and the same.] There is nothing that is not Heaven. When brightness and yang prevail, virtuous nature acts; when darkness and murk prevail, material desires run free. To manage evil and preserve the good, must one rely on learning? [The phrase 'manage evil and preserve the good' appears in the Book of Rites. Zheng Xuan said: 'manage' is like to put in order, and 'good' means goodness. People's material endowments are uneven, but all are in sum received from Heaven. Yang is bright and yin is dark; yang is clear and yin is murky. Those who receive more yang are bright and not dark, so their virtuous nature acts; those who receive more yin are murky and not clear, so their material desires run free. As for managing the evil of material desires so that it cannot run, and preserving the goodness of virtuous nature so that it is fully used, must this depend on learning? This is what is meant by 'though foolish, one will become clear; though weak, one will become strong.'] Enlarge the mind and one can embrace all things under Heaven; if there are things it has not embraced, the mind has an outside. Ordinary people's minds stop at the narrowness of what they see and hear; the sage fully realizes his nature and does not let seeing and hearing shackle his mind, and so sees no single thing under Heaven that is not himself. [All things are one body, and nature originally has no outside. If one is bound by the narrowness of ears and eyes, private will obstructs and hardens, and one sets up fences between 'you' and 'I'; how then can one embody things without leaving any out? Only the sage can fully realize this nature, so his mind is great and has no outside, and in looking at things there is originally no separation between them and himself. Note by Zhu Xi: 'Embody' is like the 'embody' in 'to recognize in person': to put oneself into things and see their principle through. He also said: As soon as there is private will, inner and outer are in conflict, one sees only what concerns one's own person, nothing at all has to do with oneself; this is the mind that has an outside.] Mencius's saying that to fully exercise the mind is to know nature and to know Heaven refers to this. Heaven is great and has no outside, so a mind with an outside is not enough to accord with the mind of Heaven. [If a person can make whole the greatness of the mind's virtue, he knows nature and knows Heaven. There is not a single thing that is not Heaven, which is why Heaven is great and without outside. If a person's mind still has an outside, it does not resemble the mind of Heaven.]"

仲尼絶四自始學至成徳竭兩端之教也意有思也必有待也固不化也我有方也四者有一焉則與天地為不相似矣【意必固我蓋私意見於應事接物之間自始至終有此四者橫渠先生解絶毋皆為禁止之意故以此為聖人設教之道謂自始學以至於成徳其所以克治融釋者不外乎此所謂竭兩端之教也意者萌心之始故曰有思必者期望於終故曰有待固者滯於已徃故曰不化我者成於巳私故曰有方○朱子曰起於意遂於必留於固而成於我意必常在事前固我常在事後或問四者相為終始而曰有一焉何也曰人之為事亦有其初未必出於私意而後來固執而不化者若曰絶私意則三者皆無則曰絶一斯可矣何用更言絶四以此知四者又各是一病】

Zhang Zai said: "That Zhongni cut off four things is a teaching that exhausts both extremes, from the beginning of learning to the completion of virtue. 'Opinion' means having conjecture, 'certainty' means having expectation, 'rigidity' means not transforming, and 'self' means having a fixed side. If any one of the four is present, one is unlike Heaven and Earth. [Opinion, certainty, rigidity and self are the private will appearing in responding to affairs and meeting things, present from beginning to end. Master Hengqu took 'cut off' and 'had none of' both in the sense of forbidding, and so regarded this as the way the sage set up teaching: from the beginning of learning to the completion of virtue, what is to be overcome and dissolved is no more than this, which is what is meant by a teaching that exhausts both extremes. 'Opinion' is the first sprouting of the mind and so is called having conjecture; 'certainty' is expectation of the end and so is called having expectation; 'rigidity' is clinging to the past and so is called not transforming; 'self' is formed from one's private interest and so is called having a fixed side. Note by Zhu Xi: It arises from opinion, advances to certainty, lingers as rigidity, and is completed in self. Opinion and certainty are usually before the event, rigidity and self usually after it. Someone asked: The four are each other's end and beginning, so why does the text say 'there is one of them'? He answered: In what people do, there are cases where at first it does not come from private will but later they hold on and do not change. If cutting off private will meant that all three of the others were gone too, then saying 'cut off one' would be enough; why would it be necessary to say 'cut off four'? From this one knows that each of the four is a separate ailment.]"

上逹反天理下逹徇人慾者歟【説見論語○反天理則所趨日以髙逺徇人慾則所趨日以沉溺】

Zhang Zai said: "Reaching upward is returning to Heavenly principle, and reaching downward is following human desire, is it not? [This is explained in the Analects. Note: If one returns to Heavenly principle, one's course grows higher and more distant day by day; if one follows human desire, one's course sinks and drowns more every day.]"

知崇天也形而上也通晝夜而知其知崇矣知及之而不以禮性之非巳有也故知禮成性而道義出如天地位而易行【説見繫辭○人能通晝夜隂陽之變智則崇矣所以效天也又能守品節事物之禮性斯成焉所以法地也智禮相資而成其性道義之所從出猶天地宂位而易之理行乎兩間也○或問知禮成性之説朱子曰如習與性成之意又曰性者我所得於天底道義是眾人共由底】

Zhang Zai said: "Knowledge exalted is Heaven, and it is above form. It passes through day and night, and knowledge is thereby exalted. If one's knowledge reaches it but one does not complete one's nature through ritual, then it is not truly one's own. So when knowledge and ritual complete nature, Way and righteousness come forth, as when Heaven and Earth are set in position and the Changes operate. [This is explained in the Appendices. Note: If a person can penetrate the changes of yin and yang through day and night, his wisdom is exalted, so he models himself on Heaven; if he also keeps the ritual of grades and things, then his nature is completed, so he models himself on Earth. Wisdom and ritual support each other to complete his nature, and this is where Way and righteousness come from, just as when Heaven and Earth are set in position, the principle of the Changes operates between the two. Someone asked about the saying that knowledge and ritual complete nature. Zhu Xi said: It is like the meaning of 'habit becomes nature.' He also said: Nature is what I receive from Heaven, while Way and righteousness are what everyone follows in common.]"

困之進人也為徳辨為感速孟子謂人有徳慧術智者常存乎疢疾以此【繫辭傳曰困徳之辨也辨明也人處患難之時則操心危懼而無驕侈之蔽故其見理也明置身窮厄而有反本之思故其從善也敏徳慧謂徳之慧術智謂術之智疢疾災患也】言有教動有法晝有為宵有得息有養瞬有存【非先王之法言不敢言言有教也非先王之徳行不敢行動有法也終日干幹晝有為也夜氣所養宵有得也氣之出入為息一息而必有所養也目之開闔為瞬一瞬而必有所存也此言君子無徃無時而非學也】

Zhang Zai said: "Hardship makes people advance, because virtue is thereby made distinct and inspiration is thereby made swift. Mencius's saying that those who have virtue, wisdom, skill and intelligence always abide in calamity refers to this. [The Appendix says: 'Hardship is the distinguishing of virtue.' 'Distinguishing' means making clear. When a person is in the time of hardship and distress, he guards his mind with caution and fear and has no blindness of arrogance or excess, so he sees principle more clearly; being placed in exhaustion and difficulty, he has thoughts of returning to the root, so he follows the good more quickly. 'Virtue and wisdom' is the wisdom of virtue, 'skill and intelligence' is the intelligence of skill, and 'calamity' is hardship and affliction.] In speech there is instruction, in action there is law, by day there is work, by night there is gain, in each breath there is nourishment, in each blink there is preservation. [One does not dare speak anything other than the sage kings' model words, which is speech having instruction; one does not dare do anything other than the sage kings' virtuous conduct, which is action having law; to be vigilant all day long is work by day; what is nourished by the night qi is gain by night; the going out and coming in of qi is a breath, and in every breath there must be nourishment; the opening and closing of the eye is a blink, and in every blink there must be preservation. This says that the gentleman has no place and no time that is not learning.]"

橫渠先生作訂頑曰幹稱父坤稱母予茲藐焉乃混然中處【朱子曰天陽也以至健而位乎上父道也地隂也以至順而位乎下母道也人稟氣於天賦形於地以藐然之身混合無間而位乎中子道也然不曰天地而曰乾坤者天地其形體也乾坤其性情也幹者健而無息之謂萬物之所資以始者也坤者順而有常之謂萬物之所資以生者也是乃天地之所以為天地而父毋乎萬物者故指而言之○愚按禮記仁人之事親也如事天事天如事親此謂孝子成身即西銘之原也】故天地之塞吾其體天地之帥吾其性【朱子曰幹陽坤隂此天地之氣塞乎兩間而人物之所資以為體者也故曰天地之塞吾其體幹健坤順此天地之志為氣之帥而人物之所得以為性者也故曰天地之帥吾其性深察乎此則父幹母坤混然中處之實可見矣】民吾同胞物吾與也【朱子曰人物並生於天地之間其所資以為體者皆天地之塞其所得以為性者皆天地之帥然體有偏正之殊故其於性也不無明暗之異惟人也得其形氣之正是以其心最靈而有以通乎性命之全體於並生之中又為同類而最貴焉故曰同胞則其視之也皆如己之兄弟矣物則得夫形氣之偏而不能通乎性命之全故與我不同類而不若人之貴然原其體性之所自是亦本之天地而未嘗不同也故曰吾與則其視之也亦如己之儕軰矣惟同胞也故以天下為一家中國為一人如下文所云惟吾與也故凡有形於天地之間者若動若植有情無情莫不有以若其性遂其生焉此儒者之道所以必至於參天地贊化育然後為功用之全而非有所強於外也】大君者吾父母宗子其大臣宗子之家相也尊髙年所以長其長慈孤弱所以幼其幼聖其合徳賢其秀也凡天下疲癃殘疾惸獨鰥寡皆吾兄弟之顛連而無告者也【朱子曰幹父坤母而人生其中則凡天下之人皆天地之子矣然繼承天地統理人物則大君而已故為父母之宗子輔佐大君綱紀眾事則大臣而已故為宗子之家相天下之老一也故凡尊天下之髙年者乃所以長吾之長天下之幼一也故凡慈天下之孤弱者乃所以幼吾之幼聖人與天地合其徳是兄弟之合徳乎父母者也賢者才徳過於常人是兄弟之秀出乎等夷者也是皆以天地之子言之則凡天下之疲癃殘疾惸獨鰥寡非吾兄弟無告者而何哉】於時保之子之翼也樂且不憂純乎孝者也【朱子曰畏天而自保者猶其敬親之至也樂天而不憂者猶其愛親之純也又曰若論天地萬物與我同體之意固極宏大然所論事天功夫則自於時保之以下方極親切】違曰悖徳害仁曰賊濟惡者不才其踐形惟肖者也【朱子曰不循天理而循人慾者不愛其親而愛他人也故謂之悖徳戕滅天理自絶本根者賊殺其親大逆無道也故誦之賊長惡不悛不可教訓者世濟其兇増其惡名也故謂之不才若夫盡人之性而有以充人之形則與天地相似而不違矣故謂之肖】知化則善述其事窮神則善繼其志【朱子曰孝子善繼人之志善述人之事者也聖人知變化之道則所行者無非天地之事矣通神明之徳則所存者無非天地之心矣此二者皆樂天踐形之事也又曰化底是氣有跡可見故為事神底是理無形可窺故為志】不愧屋漏為無忝存心養性為匪懈【朱子曰孝經引詩曰無忝爾所生故事天者仰不愧俯不怍則不忝乎天地矣又曰夙夜匪懈故事天者存其心養其性則不懈乎事天矣此二者畏天之事而君子所以求踐乎形者也】惡防酒崇伯子之顧養育英材潁封人之錫類【朱子曰好飲酒而不顧父母之養者不孝也故遏人慾如禹之惡防酒則所以願天之養者至矣性者萬物之一源非有我之得私也故育英材如潁考叔之及莊公則所以永錫爾類者廣矣】不弛勞而底豫舜其功也無所逃而待烹申生其恭也【朱子曰舜盡事親之道而瞽叟底豫其功大矣故事天者盡事天之道而天心豫焉則亦天之舜也申生無所逃而待烹其恭至矣故事天者夭夀不貳而修身以俟之則亦天之申生也】體其受而歸全者參乎勇於從而順令者伯竒也【朱子曰父母全而生之子全而歸之若曽子之啟手啟足則體其所受乎親者而歸其全也況天之所以與我者無一善之不備亦全而生之也故事天者能體其所受於天者而全歸之則亦天之曽子矣子於父母東西南北唯令之從若伯竒之履霜中野則勇於從而順令也況天之所以命我者吉凶禍福非有人慾之私故事天者能勇於從而順受其正則亦天之伯竒矣】富貴福澤將厚吾之生也貧賤憂戚庸玉汝於成也【朱子曰富貴福澤所以大奉於我而使吾之為善也輕貧賤憂戚所以拂亂於我而使吾之為志也篤天地之於人父母之於子其設心豈有異哉故君子之事天也以周公之富而不至於驕以顔子之貧而不改其樂其事親也愛之則喜而弗忘惡之則懼而無怨其心亦一而已矣】存吾順事沒吾寧也【朱子曰孝子之身存則其事親也不違其志而已沒則安而無所愧於親也仁人之身存則其事天也不逆其理而已沒則安而無所愧於天也蓋所謂朝聞夕死吾得正而斃焉者故張子之銘以是終焉】明道先生曰訂頑之言極醇無雜秦漢以來學者所未到又曰訂頑一篇意極完備乃仁之體也【仁者本以天地萬物為一體】學者其體此意令有諸巳其地位已髙到此地位自別有見處不可窮髙極逺恐於道無補也【體認此意實為我有所謂真知而實踐之至此則又有見於大本一原之妙矣】又曰訂頑立心便逹得天徳【普萬物而無私天徳也】又曰遊酢得西銘讀之即渙然不逆於心曰此中庸之理也能求於言語之外者也【遊酢字定夫程子門人也中庸惟本乎天命之性中者性之體和者性之用致中和至於天地位萬物育實則原於天命之本然西銘以人物之生同稟是氣以為體同具是理以為性雖有差等實無二本也今一視同仁者亦所以盡一巳之性而全天命之本然耳此即中庸之理也】楊中立問曰西銘言體而不及用恐其流遂至於兼愛何如伊川先生曰橫渠立言誠有過者乃在正防西銘之書推理以存義擴前聖所未發與孟子性善養氣之論同功豈墨氏之比哉西銘明理一而分殊墨氏則二本而無分【本注云老幼及人理一也愛無差等本二也○楊時字中立程子門人也西銘以天地為父母萬物為同體是理一也然而貴賤親疎上下各有品節之宜是分殊也若墨氏惑於兼愛則泛然並施而無差等施之父母者猶施之路人是親疎並立而為二本也○或問理一分殊如同胞吾與大君家相長防碊疾皆自有等差是分殊處否朱子曰此是一直看下更須橫截看天氣而地質與父母固是一理然吾之父母與天地自是有個親疎同胞裡而便有理一分殊吾與裡面亦便有理一分殊山正是疑同胞吾與為近於墨氏不知同胞吾與各自有理一分殊在其中矣】分殊之蔽私勝而失仁無分之罪兼愛而無義【徒知分之殊而不知理之一則其蔽也為己之私勝而失其公愛之理徒知理之一而不知分之殊則其過也兼愛之情勝而失其施愛之宜】分立而推理一以止私勝之流仁之方也無別而迷兼愛以至於無父之極義之賊也子比而同之過矣【分立而推其理之一則無私勝之蔽此為仁之方西銘是也施無差等而迷於兼愛則其極也至於無父此害義之賊墨氏是也】且彼欲使人推而行之本為用也反謂不及不亦異乎【西銘本言理一欲人推大公之用因山有兼愛之疑故程子又明其分之殊蓋莫非自然之理也或曰旣言理一又曰分殊是理與分為二也曰以理推之則並生於天地之間者同體同性不容以異觀也然是理也則有品節之殊輕重之等所謂分也者特是理之差等耳非二端也】

Master Hengqu wrote the Ding Wan and said: "Qian is called father and Kun is called mother; this tiny body of mine dwells mingled in the midst between them. [Zhu Xi says: Heaven is yang; it is supremely strong and its position is above, which is the way of the father. Earth is yin; it is supremely compliant and its position is below, which is the way of the mother. Man receives his qi from Heaven and his form from Earth, and with this tiny body is blended in without gap and holds the middle position, which is the way of the child. Yet the text speaks of Qian and Kun rather than Heaven and Earth: Heaven and Earth are their physical forms, while Qian and Kun are their natures and dispositions. Qian means strong and unceasing, that on which the myriad things rely to begin; Kun means compliant and constant, that on which the myriad things rely to be completed. This is precisely how Heaven and Earth are Heaven and Earth and act as parents to the myriad things, which is why it is pointed out in this way. Note by Ye Cai: The Book of Rites says, 'The humane man serves his parents as he serves Heaven, and serves Heaven as he serves his parents.' This means that the filial son's perfecting of himself is the source of the Western Inscription.] Therefore what fills Heaven and Earth is my body, and what commands Heaven and Earth is my nature. [Zhu Xi says: Qian is yang and Kun is yin; this qi of Heaven and Earth fills the space between the two, and people and things rely on it to form their bodies, so it says 'what fills Heaven and Earth is my body.' Qian is strong and Kun compliant; this will of Heaven and Earth is the commander of qi, and people and things receive it as their nature, so it says 'what commands Heaven and Earth is my nature.' If one examines this deeply, the reality of the father being Qian, the mother being Kun, and oneself dwelling mingled in the middle can be seen.] The people are my siblings by birth, and things are my kind. [Zhu Xi says: People and things are born together between Heaven and Earth; what they rely on to form their bodies is in every case what fills Heaven and Earth, and what they receive as their nature is in every case what commands Heaven and Earth. But bodies differ in being partial or correct, so their natures also differ in being dim or bright. Only man receives the correct form and qi, so his mind is the most spiritual and can reach the whole of nature and destiny; among all that is born together he is of one kind with us and the most honored, so it says 'siblings by birth,' meaning that one regards others as one's own brothers. Things receive form and qi that are partial and cannot reach the whole of nature and destiny; so they are not of the same kind as us and are not as honored as man. Yet if we trace the origin of their bodies and natures, they too derive from Heaven and Earth and are not different in that respect, so it says 'my,' meaning that one regards them as one's own companions. Precisely because they are siblings by birth, one takes the world as one family and China as one person, as the text below says; precisely because they are 'mine,' everything that has form between Heaven and Earth, whether moving or growing, with feeling or without, can be given the means to follow its nature and complete its life. This is why the way of the Confucian must reach the point of joining Heaven and Earth and assisting their transforming and nourishing before its function is whole, and not something forced on from outside.] The great ruler is the eldest son of my parents, and his great ministers are the household stewards of that eldest son. To respect the aged is to treat one's elders as elders; to cherish the orphaned and weak is to treat the young as young. The sage is the one who matches virtue with Heaven and Earth; the worthy is the one who stands out above the rest. All the world's exhausted, infirm, crippled and sick, the brotherless, childless, widowers and widows, are my brothers and sisters fallen into distress with no one to appeal to. [Zhu Xi says: Qian is father and Kun is mother, and man is born between them, so all the people of the world are children of Heaven and Earth. But only the great ruler continues Heaven and Earth and governs people and things, so he is the eldest son of the parents; and those who assist the great ruler and set in order the many affairs are the great ministers, so they are the household stewards of the eldest son. The aged of the world are all alike, so respecting the aged of the world is how I treat my own elders as elders; the young of the world are all alike, so cherishing the orphaned and weak of the world is how I treat my own young as young. The sage matches his virtue with Heaven and Earth, like the brother who matches the parents in virtue; the worthy surpasses ordinary people in talent and virtue, like the brother who stands out among his equals. All of these speak in terms of being children of Heaven and Earth, so then the exhausted, infirm, crippled and sick, the brotherless, childless, widowers and widows of the world, what are they if not my brothers and sisters with no one to appeal to?] 'At this time, protect it' is the reverent care of the son, and to be joyful and not anxious is perfect filial piety. [Zhu Xi says: To stand in awe of Heaven and so protect oneself is like the utmost reverence toward one's parents; to delight in Heaven and not be anxious is like the purity of love toward one's parents. He also says: If one speaks of the idea that Heaven, Earth and the myriad things share one body with me, it is indeed immensely grand; but as for the effort of serving Heaven, it becomes truly intimate only from 'at this time, protect it' onward.] To go against it is called violating virtue; to harm humaneness is called being a brigand; to aid evil is to be worthless, and only one who can fulfill his bodily form is truly like his parent. [Zhu Xi says: To follow human desires and not heavenly principle is to love others and not love one's own parents, so it is called violating virtue; to destroy heavenly principle and cut off one's own roots is to murder one's own parents, an utterly rebellious and lawless act, so it is called being a brigand (the base text has a corrupt reading here, which should read 'call it brigand'); to nurture evil without repentance and be beyond teaching is to carry on one's family's cruelty and add to its bad name, so it is called being worthless. As for one who fully realizes the nature of man and so fills out the form of man, he resembles Heaven and Earth and does not depart from them, so he is called 'like his parent.'] To know the transformations is to be good at carrying on his affairs; to exhaust the spirit is to be good at carrying on his aims. [Zhu Xi says: The filial son is good at continuing his father's aims and carrying on his father's affairs. The sage, knowing the way of change and transformation, does nothing that is not the work of Heaven and Earth; penetrating the virtue of the spirits, he preserves nothing that is not the mind of Heaven and Earth. Both of these are matters of delighting in Heaven and fulfilling one's form. He also says: Transformation is qi, which has traces that can be seen, so it is called affairs; spirit is principle, which has no form to peer into, so it is called aims.] Not being ashamed in the darkest corner of the house is to bring no disgrace, and to preserve the mind and nourish the nature is to be unremitting. [Zhu Xi says: The Classic of Filial Piety quotes the Poem, saying 'Bring no disgrace to those who bore you'; so one who serves Heaven looks up without shame and looks down without embarrassment, and thus brings no disgrace to Heaven and Earth. It also says 'Morning and night be unremitting'; so one who serves Heaven preserves his mind and nourishes his nature, and thus is not remiss in serving Heaven. These two are matters of standing in awe of Heaven, and are what the noble man seeks in order to fulfill his form.] To refrain from fine wine (the base text has a corrupt reading here, which should read 'detesting fine wine') was the care for his parent's nourishment shown by the son of the Earl of Chong, and to cultivate outstanding talents was the bestowal of kindness on others shown by the border warden of Ying. [Zhu Xi says: To love wine and neglect the nourishment of one's parents is unfilial, so if one restrains human desires like Yu, who detested fine wine, then the way of caring for Heaven's nourishment is reached. Nature is a single source of the myriad things, and it is not something I may possess privately; so if one nurtures outstanding talents like Ying Kaoshu, who extended his goodness to Duke Zhuang, then the means of 'bestowing goodness on your kind forever' is broadened.] To work without slackening until one brings joy is the achievement of Shun; to have nowhere to flee and to await boiling is the reverence of Shen Sheng. [Zhu Xi says: Shun fulfilled the way of serving his parents until Gu Sou was pleased, and his achievement was great; so one who serves Heaven and fulfills the way of serving Heaven until Heaven's mind is pleased is also Heaven's Shun. Shen Sheng had nowhere to flee and waited to be boiled, and his reverence was complete; so one who serves Heaven, not doubting whether his life is short or long and cultivating himself to await his fate, is also Heaven's Shen Sheng.] To embody what one has received and return it intact is Zeng Shen; to be bold in obeying and compliant in following commands is Bo Qi. [Zhu Xi says: One's parents give one life whole, and the child should return it whole. Like Master Zeng, who had his hands and feet uncovered at death, one embodies what one received from one's parents and returns it intact. How much more so with Heaven, whose gift to me lacks no goodness and was also given whole; so one who serves Heaven and can embody what he received from Heaven and return it intact is also Heaven's Zeng Shen. A child toward his parents goes east, west, south or north only as commanded; like Bo Qi, who walked in the frost out in the fields, he is bold in following and compliant with commands. How much more so with Heaven, whose commands to me of good or bad fortune contain no private human desire; so one who serves Heaven and can boldly follow and accept what is right is also Heaven's Bo Qi.] Wealth, honor, blessing and favor are meant to enrich your life, and poverty, humbleness, sorrow and distress are meant to polish you toward accomplishment. [Zhu Xi says: Wealth, honor, blessing and favor are what greatly provide for me and make it easy for me to do good; poverty, humbleness, sorrow and distress are what thwart and disturb me and make my will firm. How could the intention of Heaven and Earth toward man differ from that of parents toward their children? So when the noble man serves Heaven, he is not arrogant despite the wealth of the Duke of Zhou, and does not change his joy despite the poverty of Yan Hui; when he serves his parents, he is glad and does not forget if they love him, and fears without resentment if they dislike him, and the mind is one and the same.] While I live I follow and do my tasks, and when I die I will be at peace. [Zhu Xi says: While the filial son's body exists, he serves his parents without going against their wishes, and when he dies he is at peace and without shame before his parents. While the humane man's body exists, he serves Heaven without going against its principle, and when he dies he is at peace and without shame before Heaven. This is what is meant by 'hearing the Way in the morning and dying content in the evening,' and 'dying having obtained what is right.' Therefore Master Zhang's inscription ends with this.]" Master Mingdao said: "The words of the Ding Wan are utterly pure and without mixture, something that scholars since the Qin and Han have not reached." He also said: "The Ding Wan is an essay of the fullest meaning; it is the very substance of humaneness. [The humane man basically takes Heaven, Earth and the myriad things as one body.] If scholars appreciate this meaning and make it their own, their standing is already high. When they arrive at this standing they will naturally see something further, but they should not reach too high or too far, for fear of gaining nothing for the Way. [To appreciate this meaning and truly possess it is what is called true knowledge put into practice. Arriving here, one also sees the wonder of the great root and single source.]" He also said: "The Ding Wan sets up the mind and thereby reaches heavenly virtue. [To extend to all things without selfishness is heavenly virtue.]" He also said: "When You Zuo obtained the Western Inscription and read it, he was suddenly released and found nothing contrary to his mind, and said: This is the principle of the Doctrine of the Mean, which can be sought beyond words. [You Zuo, styled Dingfu, was a disciple of the Cheng brothers. The Doctrine of the Mean is rooted only in the nature endowed by Heaven's mandate: the mean is the substance of nature and harmony is its function, and the achievement of the mean and harmony, until Heaven and Earth take their places and the myriad things are nourished, in reality originates in the original state of Heaven's mandate. The Western Inscription holds that people and things are born receiving the same qi as their body and the same principle as their nature; though there are grades, there are truly not two roots. What it now treats with equal humaneness is also the means to exhaust one's own nature and make whole the original state of Heaven's mandate. This is the principle of the Doctrine of the Mean.]" Yang Zhongli asked: "The Western Inscription speaks of substance and does not reach function; I fear that its stream will turn into universal love. What of that?" Master Yichuan said: "Hengqu's way of putting things was indeed excessive in some places, but that is in the Zheng Meng (the base text has a corrupt reading here, which should read 'Zheng Meng'). The Western Inscription pushes principle in order to preserve righteousness, expanding what the former sages had not expressed, and has the same merit as Mencius's discussion of the goodness of nature and the nourishing of qi; how can it be compared with Mozi? The Western Inscription makes clear that principle is one and its distinctions are many, whereas Mozi had two roots and no distinctions. [Original note: Extending one's care for the old and young to others is principle being one; love without graded differences is two roots. Yang Shi, styled Zhongli, was a disciple of the Cheng brothers. The Western Inscription takes Heaven and Earth as parents and the myriad things as one body, which is principle being one; yet noble and humble, close and distant, high and low each have their proper measure, which is the distinction being many. Mozi was deluded by universal love, so he applied it indiscriminately without graded differences, giving to his parents the same as to a passerby, so that near and distant stand side by side and make two roots. Someone asked: Principle is one and its distinctions many; for example, siblings by birth, 'mine,' the great ruler, household stewards, elders and young, the crippled and sick (the base text has a corrupt reading here), each has its own grade: is that the place of the distinctions? Zhu Xi said: This is looking straight along; you must also look across. That Heaven's qi and Earth's substance and one's parents are one principle is certain, but between my parents and Heaven and Earth there is naturally a difference of closeness; within 'siblings by birth' there is already principle one and distinctions many, and within 'mine' too there is principle one and distinctions many. Guishan (the base text lost this character in transcription, as it is a rare character) was precisely doubting that 'siblings by birth' and 'mine' came close to Mozi, not knowing that each of them contains principle one and distinctions many within it.] The fault of the distinctions is that private interest wins and humaneness is lost; the fault of no distinctions is universal love without righteousness. [Knowing only that the distinctions differ and not that principle is one, one is blinded by the victory of selfish interest and loses the principle of impartial love; knowing only that principle is one and not that the distinctions differ, one errs by letting the feeling of universal love prevail and loses the proper way of bestowing love.] To establish the distinctions while pursuing the one principle, so as to halt the stream of selfish interest, is the method of practicing humaneness; to have no distinctions and be deluded by universal love to the extreme of having no father is the brigand that harms righteousness. You have lumped the two together, which is excessive. [To establish the distinctions and push on to the one principle is to be without the blindness of selfish interest, and this is the method of practicing humaneness, as in the Western Inscription; to bestow without graded differences and be deluded by universal love, until in the extreme one has no father, is the brigand that harms righteousness, as in Mozi.] Moreover, that writing wants people to push it forward and put it into practice, so it was meant for use from the start; to say instead that it does not reach function is rather strange, is it not? [The Western Inscription basically speaks of principle being one and wants people to extend the function of great impartiality. Because Guishan had doubts about universal love, Master Cheng also clarified the differences of the distinctions. In all this it is only natural principle. Someone said: Since it speaks both of principle being one and of the distinctions being many, are principle and distinctions two? The answer: If one pushes it from the standpoint of principle, those born together between Heaven and Earth share one body and one nature and cannot be viewed as different. But this principle has differences of measure and grades of weight, and what is called the distinctions is only the grades of this principle, not two separate ends.]"

橫渠先生又作砭愚曰戲言出於思也戲動作於謀也發於聲見乎四支謂非己心不明也欲人無巳疑不能也【言雖戲必以思而出也動雖戲必以謀而作也戲言發於聲戲動見乎四支謂非本於吾心是惑也本於吾心而欲人之不我疑不可得也】過言非心也過動非誠也失於聲繆迷其四體謂巳當然自誣也欲他人已從誣人也【言之過者非其心之本然也動之過者非其誠之實然也失於聲而為過言繆迷其四體而為過動謂之過者皆誤而非故也或者吝於改過遂以為巳之當然是自誣其心也既憚改而自誣又欲人之從之是誣人也此夫子所謂小人之過也必文孟子所謂過則順之又從而為之辭】或者謂出於心者歸咎為巳戲失於思者自誣為巳誠不知戒其出汝者歸咎其不出汝者長傲且遂非不知孰甚焉【戲謔出於心思乃故為也不知所當戒徒歸咎以為戲則長傲而慢愈滋矣過誤不出於心思乃偶失耳不知歸咎於偶失反自誣以為實則遂非而過不改矣○學者深省乎此則崇徳辨惑矯輕警惰之功亦大矣然其於戲且誤者克治尚如此之嚴況乎過之非戲誤者豈復留之纖芥以累其身心哉】橫渠學堂雙牖右書訂頑左書砭愚伊川曰是起爭端改訂頑曰西銘砭愚曰東銘【頑者暴忍而不仁愚者昏塞而不智訂頑主仁而義在其中砭愚主智而禮在其中】

Master Hengqu also wrote the Bian Yu and said: "Joking words come from thought, and joking actions are done through planning. They are uttered in the voice and seen in the limbs; to say they are not from one's own mind is lack of clarity, and to want others to have no suspicion of oneself is impossible. [Though speech is a joke, it must come out through thought; though action is a joke, it must be done through planning. A joking word is uttered in the voice and a joking action is seen in the limbs; to say they do not originate in my own mind is delusion, and if they originate in my mind, to want people not to doubt me cannot be obtained.] A mistaken word is not from the mind, and a mistaken action is not from sincerity. If one slips in the voice or confuses the limbs and says that one was right, this is deceiving oneself; and to want others to follow one is deceiving others. [A mistaken word is not what the mind originally intended, and a mistaken action is not the true state of sincerity. A slip in the voice makes a mistaken word, and confusion of the limbs makes a mistaken action. What is called a mistake is always an error and not deliberate. If one is reluctant to correct it and so takes oneself to be right, this is deceiving one's own mind; fearing correction and thus deceiving oneself while also wanting others to follow, this is deceiving others. This is what Confucius meant by 'the mistakes of a petty man are always dressed up,' and what Mencius meant by 'following a mistake and then making excuses for it.'] Or one attributes what comes from the mind to joking, and what slips from thought one deceives oneself by calling sincerity; not knowing to be on guard against what does come from oneself, and blaming what does not come from oneself, one feeds arrogance and pursues error. Which ignorance is greater? [A joke that comes from the mind and thought is deliberate; not knowing what one should guard against, and merely blaming it on joking, one increases arrogance and conceit all the more. A mistake that does not come from the mind and thought is a chance slip; not knowing to ascribe it to a chance slip, and deceiving oneself by treating it as real, one pursues error and does not correct the mistake. Note: if scholars reflect deeply on this, the work of exalting virtue, discerning delusion, correcting levity and warning against laziness will be great. Yet if even in jokes and mistakes self-discipline is so strict, how much more so with faults that are neither jokes nor mistakes: how could one leave even a speck to burden one's body and mind?]" Master Hengqu's school had windows on both sides; on the right he wrote the Ding Wan and on the left the Bian Yu. Yichuan said: "This stirs up contention." So the Ding Wan was renamed the Western Inscription, and the Bian Yu the Eastern Inscription. [Wan is cruelty and lack of humaneness, and yu is dimness and lack of wisdom. The Ding Wan chiefly concerns humaneness, with righteousness included in it; the Bian Yu chiefly concerns wisdom, with ritual propriety included in it.]

將修巳必先厚重以自持厚重知學徳乃進而不固矣忠信進徳惟尚友而急賢欲勝巳者親無如改過之不吝【橫渠文集下同説見論語○君子修己之道必以厚重為本苟輕浮則無受道之基然徒厚重而不知學則徳亦固滯而不進矣然進徳之道必以忠信為主而未忠信之輔者莫急於交勝巳之賢但或吝於改過則無所施其責善之道賢者亦不我親矣○學則不固之説與本文異此自是一義有益學者故取焉凡録經説有與本文異者放此】

Zhang Zai said: "If you are about to cultivate yourself, you must first be dignified and steady in order to hold yourself. Being dignified and steady while knowing how to learn, one's virtue and talent advance without becoming rigid. In advancing in virtue through loyalty and trustworthiness, one must above all value friends and make haste toward worthy people. If you want those who surpass you to draw near, nothing is better than correcting your faults without reluctance. [From Hengqu's Collected Works; the same applies below. The saying is found in the Analects. Note: The noble man's way of cultivating himself must take dignity and steadiness as its root; if one is frivolous, one has no foundation for receiving the Way. But if one is only dignified and does not know how to learn, then virtue too becomes rigid and does not advance. Yet the way of advancing in virtue must take loyalty and trustworthiness as its chief, and nothing is more urgent as a support for loyalty and trustworthiness than befriending worthy people who surpass oneself; but if one is reluctant to correct faults, there is no way to exercise the way of urging each other to goodness, and the worthy will not draw near to me. The saying 'if one learns, one does not become rigid' differs from the present text, but this is a separate meaning that benefits scholars and is therefore adopted. In all cases where a quoted classical saying differs from the present text, follow this example.]"

橫渠先生謂範巽之曰吾輩不及古人病源何在巽之請問先生曰此非難悟設此語者蓋欲學者存意之不忘庶遊心寖熟有一日脫然如大寐之得醒耳【範育字巽之○朱子曰橫渠說此語正要學者將此題目時時自省積乆貫熟而自得之耳又曰人於義理須如所謂脫然大寐之得醒方始是信得處】

Master Hengqu said to Fan Xunzhi: "We are not as good as the ancients; where does the sickness lie?" Xunzhi asked him to explain. The Master said: "This is not hard to grasp. I set this question so that scholars keep it in mind without forgetting it, in the hope that their minds will wander in it and become steeped in it until one day they suddenly awake as if from a great sleep. [Fan Yu, styled Xunzhi. Zhu Xi says: In saying these words, Hengqu wanted scholars to keep this topic before them and examine themselves with it constantly, until after long accumulation and familiarity they gain it of themselves. He also said: In matters of moral principle one must be like one who suddenly awakens from a deep sleep; only then is it a point one can truly believe.]"

未知立心惡思多之致疑既知所立惡講治之不精【立心未定而多思致惑則所向或移立心既定而講治粗疎則所業莫進】講治致思莫非術內雖勤而何厭所以急於可欲者求立吾心於不疑之地然後若決江河以利吾往【承上文而言致思講治乃窮理之事皆在吾學術之內初何厭乎勤此言講治之貴精然所以急於明可欲之善者蓋欲先定吾志無所疑惑然後能若決江河進而不可竭此言立心之必定】遜此志務時敏厥修乃來故雖仲尼之才之美然且敏以求之今持不逮之資而欲徐徐以聴其自適非所聞也【説見尚書○遜順也遜此志則立心以定務時敏則講學為急如是則所修乃日見其進也】

Zhang Zai said: "If one does not yet know how to set up the mind, one fears that much thought will lead to doubt; once one knows what to set up, one fears that discussion and study will not be refined. [If the setting up of the mind is not fixed and one thinks much, it leads to doubt and one's direction may shift; if the mind is already set but discussion and study are coarse, one's work does not advance.] Discussion, study and thought are all within the scope of learning, so even if one is diligent, why tire of it? Therefore the urgency about what is desirable is to seek to set up my mind in a place free of doubt, and then, like breaching a river, I go forward with advantage. [This continues the previous passage. Thought, discussion and study are the work of exhausting principle, and all lie within my learning, so why tire of diligence at the outset? This speaks of discussion and study valuing refinement. Yet the reason for urgency in clarifying the good that is desirable is that one wishes first to fix one's will without doubt, and then one can advance like a river that has been breached and cannot be exhausted. This speaks of how the setting up of the mind must be firm.] Being compliant with this will and striving to be quick in due season, what one cultivates will come. Therefore even though Zhongni's talent was beautiful, he still sought it with quickness; now to hold a disposition that cannot keep up and yet want to let it leisurely adjust itself is not what I have heard. [The saying is in the Book of Documents. 'Compliant' means to follow. To follow this will means the setting up of the mind is fixed, and to strive after timely quickness means one takes discussion and study as urgent; in this way what one cultivates shows progress day by day.]"

明善為本固執之乃立擴充之則大易視之則小在人能之而已【明善者為學之本知之既明由是固守之則此徳有立推廣之則此徳日大苟以忽心視之則所見者亦寖微矣】

Zhang Zai said: "Clarifying the good is the root; holding firmly to it establishes it, expanding it makes it great, and regarding it lightly makes it small; it lies only in whether a person can enlarge it (the base text lost this character in transcription, as it is a rare character). [Clarifying the good is the root of learning. Once knowledge is clear, by holding firmly to it from this point this virtue is established, and by extending it this virtue grows day by day; but if one views it with a careless mind, what one sees will gradually shrink as well.]"

今且只將尊徳性而道問學為心日自求於問學者有所背否於徳性有所懈否此義亦是博文約禮下學上達以此警防一年安得不長【尊者崇尚敬持之□道由也由學問而惟恐背違崇徳性而惟恐懈惰曰以此自省積之歳月則內外兼進矣尊徳性則是約禮上達之事道問學則是博文下學之事】毎日須求多少為益知所亡改得少不善此徳性上之益【學者日省其身所以増益其不知者何如所以改治其不善者何如以是存心則徳日新矣】讀書求義理編書須理防有所歸著勿徒寫過又多識前言徃行此問學上益也【讀書者必窮其義理不徒事章句訓詁之末編書者必求其指歸不徒務博洽紀録之功多識前哲之言行以廣所知則學日進矣】勿使有俄頃閒度逐日似此三年庻防有進【君子之學一有問斷則此心外馳徳性日隳學問日廢矣】為天地立心為生民立道為去聖繼絶學為萬世開太平【天地以生生為心聖人參贊化育使萬物各正其性命此為天地立心也建明義理扶植綱常此為生民立道也繼絶學謂纘述道統開太平如有王者起必來取法利澤垂於萬世學者以此立志則所任至大而不安於小成所存至公而不苟於近用】

Zhang Zai said: "For now, just keep in mind 'honoring the virtuous nature and following the path of inquiry and study,' and every day ask yourself: In inquiry and study, have I gone against anything? In virtuous nature, have I slackened? This meaning is also 'studying broadly and restraining oneself with ritual, learning below and reaching above.' Use this to keep yourself alert for a year, and how could you not improve? [To honor is to esteem and hold to reverently. To follow the path is to proceed by way of; proceeding by inquiry and study, fearing only to go against it, esteeming the virtuous nature, fearing only to grow lax. Examining oneself daily this way, over months and years one advances in both inner and outer. Honoring the virtuous nature is the matter of restraining oneself with ritual and reaching above; following the path of inquiry and study is the matter of broad learning and learning below.] Every day seek how much you have gained: knowing what is lacking and correcting a little of what is not good is a gain in virtuous nature. [Scholars examine themselves daily: how they have added to what they did not know, how they have mended what was not good. Keeping this in mind, virtue is renewed daily.] In reading, seek the meaning and principle; in compiling books, take care to find where things come to rest, and do not write them down in vain; also learn widely of the words and deeds of the former worthies. This is a gain in inquiry and study. [Those who read must exhaust the meaning and principle, not busy themselves with the tail end of phrases and glosses; those who compile must seek the main point, not merely strive for the merit of broad record. By learning widely of the words and deeds of earlier sages one broadens one's knowledge, and learning advances daily.] Do not let a moment pass idly; if you go on like this day by day, within three years you may hope to make progress. [With the gentleman's learning, once there is an interruption, the mind runs outward, the virtuous nature declines daily, and study is abandoned daily.] To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish the Way for the living people, to continue the lost learning of the former sages, and to open an age of great peace for ten thousand generations. [Heaven and Earth take ceaseless giving of life as their heart; the sage assists the transformations and nourishing so that all things each correct their nature and destiny, which is establishing a heart for Heaven and Earth; setting forth meaning and principle and upholding the bonds and constants is establishing the Way for the living people; continuing lost learning is carrying on the transmission of the Way; opening great peace means that if a true king arises he will surely draw on it, and its benefits will extend to ten thousand generations. If scholars set their aims thus, what they undertake is exceedingly great and they are not content with small attainment, and what they hold is utterly impartial and they do not make do with near-term use.]"

載所以使學者先學禮者只為學禮則便除去了世俗一副當習熟纒繞譬之延蔓之物解纒繞即上去苟能除去了一副當世習便自然脫灑也又學禮則可以守得定【學禮則可以消除習俗之累又有所依據而自守】

Zhang Zai said: "The reason I have scholars learn ritual first is only that learning ritual removes the entanglement of habits and customs of the world. Like a climbing vine, once the tangles are unraveled it goes up. If one can remove those worldly habits, one will naturally be free and easy. Moreover, learning ritual lets one stand firm. [Learning ritual can remove the burden of habit and custom, and one has something to rely on and keep oneself.]"

須放心寛快公平以求之乃可見道況徳性自廣大易曰窮神知化徳之盛也豈淺心可得【橫渠易説○人之徳性本自廣大故必廣大其心求之偏狹固滯豈足以見道也】

Zhang Zai said: "One must seek with a heart that is broad, open, and impartial in order to see the Way. All the more so since the virtuous nature is originally vast. The Book of Changes says: 'To exhaust the spirit and know transformation is the flourishing of virtue.' How could a shallow mind attain this? [From Hengqu's Explanation of the Changes. Note: A person's virtuous nature is originally vast, so one must broaden one's heart to seek it; how can a narrow and stagnant mind see the Way?]"

人多以老成則不肻下問故終身不知又為人以道義先覺處之不可復謂有所不知故亦不肻下問從不肻問遂生百端欺妄人我寜終身不知【橫渠論語説○言人虛驕恥於下問內則欺己外則欺人終於不知而已】

Zhang Zai said: "People often, because they are senior and experienced, refuse to ask questions, and so remain ignorant all their lives. Or because others regard them as having first awakened to the Way and righteousness, they cannot say they do not know something, and so also refuse to ask. From refusing to ask, a hundred kinds of deceit toward self and others arise, and they would rather remain ignorant all their lives. [From Hengqu's Explanation of the Analects. Note: This says that people are vainly proud and ashamed to ask those below them; within they deceive themselves, without they deceive others, and in the end remain ignorant.]"

多聞不足以盡天下之故苟以多聞而待天下之變則道足以酬其所甞知若劫之不測則遂窮矣【橫渠孟子説下同○故所以然也酬應也心通乎道則能盡夫事理之所以然故應變而不窮不通乎道而徒事乎記問則見聞有限而事變無窮卒然臨之以所未甞知則窮矣】

Zhang Zai said: "Wide hearing is not enough to exhaust the reasons why things are so under Heaven. If one meets the changes under Heaven by wide hearing, then one's Way is only enough to respond to what one has already known; if one is taken by surprise by the unforeseen, one is at a loss. [From Hengqu's Explanation of Mencius; likewise below. Note: 'Reason' means why things are so, and 'meet' means respond. When the heart is in communion with the Way, it can exhaust the reasons of things and affairs, and so responds to change without being at a loss; if one does not penetrate the Way and only busies oneself with memorization, then what is seen and heard is limited while changes of events are unlimited, and when suddenly faced with what one has never known, one is at a loss.]"

為學大益在自求變化氣質不爾皆為人之卒無所發明不得見聖人之奧【所貴於學正欲陶鎔氣質矯正偏駁不然則非為已之學亦何以推明聖人之蘊哉○朱子曰寛而栗柔而立剛而無虐簡而無傲便是教人變化氣質】

Zhang Zai said: "The great benefit of study lies in seeking to transform one's own temperament; otherwise, it is all the fault of studying for others, and in the end one brings nothing to light and cannot see the depths of the sage. [What is valued in learning is precisely molding the temperament and correcting its biases and impurities; otherwise it is not learning for oneself, and how could one then elucidate the sage's treasures? Note by Zhu Xi: 'Lenient yet firm, gentle yet established, strong yet not harsh, simple yet not arrogant' is precisely teaching people to transform their temperament.]"

文要宻察心要洪放【語録下同○文不宻察則見理粗疎心不洪放則所存狹滯】不知疑者只是不便實作既實作則須有疑有不行處是疑也【始學之士知必有所不明行必有所不通殊不知疑者是未甞實用功也】

Zhang Zai said: "Writing should be meticulous and discerning, the heart should be broad and expansive. [From the Recorded Sayings; likewise below. Note: If writing is not meticulous and discerning, one's view of principle is coarse; if the heart is not broad and expansive, what it holds is narrow and stagnant.] Those who do not know to doubt have simply never earnestly practiced; once one earnestly practices, there must be doubts. Where something cannot be put into practice, that is doubt. [Those who begin to learn know there must be things they do not understand and conduct that does not work. But they little realize that those who do not know to doubt have never truly applied effort.]"

心大則百物皆通心小則百物皆病【心大則寛平逺故處已待人無往而不達心小則偏急固陋無所處而不為病也】

Zhang Zai said: "When the heart is large, all things are open to it; when the heart is small, all things become afflictions. [A large heart is broad, even, vast, and far-reaching, so in dealing with oneself and others it reaches everywhere; a small heart is biased, hasty, obstinate, and shabby, so there is nowhere it does not create trouble.]"

人雖有功不及於學心亦不宜忘心苟不忘則雖接人事即是實行莫非道也心若忘之則終身由之只是俗事【人有妨廢學問之功者然心不忘乎學則日用無非道故曰即是實行心苟忘乎學則日用而不知故曰只是俗事實行與俗事非二事特以所存者不同耳】

Zhang Zai said: "Even if a person has affairs that leave no time for study, the heart should not forget it. If the heart does not forget, then even in dealing with others it is actual practice and is nothing other than the Way; if the heart forgets, then all one's life what one follows is only mundane affairs. [Some people have obstacles that interfere with their effort in study, but if the heart does not forget learning, daily life is nothing but the Way, hence it is called actual practice; if the heart forgets learning, one goes about daily life without understanding, hence it is called merely mundane. Actual practice and mundane affairs are not two things; the difference lies only in what is kept in mind.]"

合內外平物我此見道之大端【合內外者表裡一致就己而為言也平物我者物我一體合人己而為言也】

Zhang Zai said: "Uniting inner and outer, and leveling things and self: this is the great outline for seeing the Way. [Uniting inner and outer means that outside and inside are consistent, said from the standpoint of oneself; leveling things and self means that things and self are one body, said of uniting others and oneself.]"

既學而先有以功業為意者於學便相害既有意必穿鑿創意作起事端也徳未成而先以功業為事是代大匠斲希不傷手也【功業立言立事皆是也為學而先志於功業則穿鑿創造必害於道矣】竊甞病孔孟既歿諸儒囂然不知反約窮源勇於苟作持不逮之資而急知後世明者一覽如見肺肝然多見其不知量也方且創艾其黙養吾誠顧所患日力不足而未果他為也【不知反約窮源故浮淺而無實黙養吾誠則反約窮源之事也】學未至而好語變者必知終有患葢變不可輕議若驟然語變則知操術己不正【變者非常行之道葢權宜之事也自非見理明制義精者不足以與此苟學未至而輕於語變則知其學術之源己不正終必流於邪譎】

Zhang Zai said: "When one has already begun to learn but first has the idea of achievements in mind, it harms learning. Once there is such an intention, one will certainly force interpretations, invent meanings, and stir up affairs. To make achievements one's business before virtue is complete is like cutting and hewing in place of the master carpenter; few indeed do not injure their hands. [Achievements include both establishing teachings and establishing deeds. If in study one first sets one's will on achievements, one will force and invent, and surely harm the Way.] I privately regret that since Confucius and Mencius passed away, the many scholars have clamored without knowing to return to the essential and trace back to the source, and have boldly composed carelessly, relying on a gift that cannot reach it while hurrying to let later ages know. Clear-sighted people see through them as if seeing lungs and liver, and see mostly that they do not know their own measure. I am now disciplining that fault, silently nourishing my own sincerity, and fear only that the days are not enough, so I have not yet got round to anything else. [Not knowing to return to the essential and trace back to the source is why they are shallow and without substance; silently nourishing one's sincerity is precisely the work of returning to the essential and tracing back to the source.] Those who have not reached the end of their learning yet love to talk of expedient change will surely come to grief in the end. Change must not be lightly discussed; if one abruptly speaks of change, one knows that one's method is already not upright. [Change is the Way of extraordinary conduct and a matter of expedient adaptation. Only one whose view of principle is clear and whose judgment of righteousness is precise is fit to take part in this. If learning has not arrived and one lightly speaks of change, one knows the source of one's learning is already not upright and will in the end drift into deviance and trickery.]"

凡事蔽葢不見底只是不求益【行已無隠則是非善惡有所取正庻可增益其所未知所未能苟故為蔽覆恐人之知是則非求益者也】有人不肻言其道義所得所至不得見底又非於吾言無所不説【人不肻言其知之所得行之所至使人不可得而見者葢苟安自足恐人之非己又非若顔子之如愚於聖言無所不説者之比也】耳目役於外攬外事者其實是自惰不肻自治只言短長不能反躬者也【急於自治何暇務外厚於反躬何暇議人】

Zhang Zai said: "In all matters, what is veiled and covered and cannot be seen is simply a failure to seek improvement. [If in conducting oneself there is no concealment, then right and wrong, good and bad have a place to be corrected, and one may hope to increase what one has not known and could not do. If one deliberately covers up for fear that others will know, this is not someone who seeks improvement.] Some are unwilling to speak of what they have gained or reached in the Way and righteousness, so that others cannot see it, which is also not being someone who is pleased with all my words. [Those who are unwilling to speak of what they have gained in knowledge or reached in practice, so that others cannot see it, are complacent and self-satisfied and fear criticism, and are not comparable to Yan Hui who seemed like a fool and was pleased with all the sage's words.] Those whose ears and eyes are engaged outward and who take on outside affairs are in fact lazy and unwilling to govern themselves, and only talk of others' strengths and weaknesses, unable to turn back to examine themselves. [One hurrying to govern oneself has no leisure to attend to the outer; one generous in self-examination has no leisure to criticize others.]"

學者大不宜志小氣輕志小則易足易足則無由進氣輕則以未知為己知未學為己學【志小則易於自是故怠惰而無新功氣輕則易於自大故虛誕而無實得】

Zhang Zai said: "Scholars must above all avoid small ambition and light spirit. Small ambition is easily satisfied, and being easily satisfied there is no progress; a light spirit takes the unknown to be known and the unlearned to be learned. [Small ambition easily deems itself right, so it is idle and lacks new effort; a light spirit easily grows arrogant, so it is boastful and gains nothing real.]"

此卷論致知知之至而後有以行之自首段至二十一段總論致知之方然致知莫大於讀書二十三段至三十三段總論讀書之法三十四段以後乃分論讀書之法而以書之先後為序始於大學使知為學之規模次序而後繼之以論孟詩書義理充足於中則可探大本一原之妙故繼之以中庸達乎本原則可以窮神知化故繼之以易理之明義之精而達乎造化之蘊則可以識聖人之大用故繼之以春秋明乎春秋之用則可推以觀史而辨其是非得失之致矣橫渠易説以下則仍語録之序而周官之義因以具焉

This volume discusses the extension of knowledge. Only when knowledge reaches its utmost can there be real practice. From the first section to the twenty-first, it discusses in general the methods of extending knowledge. Yet nothing in extending knowledge is greater than reading: sections twenty-three to thirty-three discuss in general the methods of reading; from section thirty-four onward it discusses the methods of reading separately, ordered by the sequence of the books. One begins with the Great Learning, so as to know the scale and order of study, and then continues with the Analects, Mencius, the Odes, and the Documents. When meaning and principle are abundant within, one can probe the wonder of the one great root and single source, so one continues with the Zhongyong. Having reached the root and source, one can exhaust the spirit and know transformation, so one continues with the Changes. When principle is clear and meaning refined and one has penetrated the treasures of creation and transformation, one can recognize the sage's great function, so one continues with the Spring and Autumn Annals. Having understood the use of the Spring and Autumn Annals, one can extend it to the reading of history and discern the finer points of right and wrong, gain and loss. From Hengqu's Explanation of the Changes onward, the order of the Recorded Sayings is followed, and in this way the meaning of the Rites of Zhou is also provided for.

伊川先生答朱長文書曰心通乎道然後能辨是非如持權衡以較輕重孟子所謂知言是也【道者事物當然之理通曉達也知言者天下之言無不究明其理而識其是非之所以然】心不通乎道而較古人之是非猶不持權衡而酌輕重竭其目力勞其心智雖使時中亦古人所謂億則屢中君子不貴也【文集下同説見論語○時中謂有時而中之億以意揣度也揣度而中則非明理之至矣】

In his reply to Zhu Changwen, Master Yichuan said: "When the heart is in communion with the Way, one can then discern right and wrong, as if holding a balance to weigh light and heavy. What Mencius called knowing words is just this. [The Way is the principle of what things should be; 'communion' means thorough understanding. Knowing words is to thoroughly examine the principle of all the words under Heaven and recognize why they are right or wrong.] To judge the rights and wrongs of the ancients when the heart is not in communion with the Way is like weighing light and heavy without holding a balance; though one exhausts one's eyesight and wearies one's mind, even if one occasionally hits the mark, it is what the ancients called 'guessing and often hitting,' which the gentleman does not value. [From the Collected Works; likewise below. Explained in the Analects. Note: 'Occasionally hits' means sometimes right; 'guessing' means estimating by speculation. Speculating and hitting the mark is not the utmost of understanding principle.]"

伊川先生答門人曰孔孟之門豈皆賢哲固多眾人以眾人觀聖賢弗識者多矣惟其不敢信己而信其師是故求而後得今諸君與頤言才不合則置不復思所以終異也不可便放下更且思之致知之方也

Master Yichuan, replying to his disciples, said: "Were all in the schools of Confucius and Mencius worthies and sages? Certainly most were ordinary people. When ordinary people look at sages and worthies, much goes unrecognized. It was only because they did not dare trust themselves but trusted their teacher that they sought and then attained. Now you gentlemen speak with me, and as soon as something does not fit, you drop it and no longer think about it, so in the end you are not the same. One must not drop it at once; think about it a little more. This is the method of extending knowledge."

伊川先生答橫渠先生曰所論大槩有苦心極力之象而無寛裕溫厚之氣非明睿所照而考索至此故意屢偏而言多窒小出入時有之【本注云明所照者如目所覩纎微盡識之矣考索至者如揣料於物約見髣髴爾能無差乎】更願完養思慮涵泳義理他日自當條暢【苦思強索則易至於鑿而不足以達於理涵泳深厚則明睿自生】

Master Yichuan, replying to Master Hengqu, said: "Your discussions generally show signs of painful effort and strained exertion, and lack a generous, mild, and warm spirit; they are not what the light of insight illuminates but what has been reached by research and searching, so the ideas are often one-sided, the words often obstructed, and small errors appear from time to time. [Original note: What is illuminated by insight is like what the eyes see, where every minute detail is recognized; what is reached by research is like guessing about an object, seeing only a rough resemblance; can one avoid error?] I would rather you nourish your thinking and soak in meaning and principle, and some day it will naturally flow smoothly. [Painful thinking and forced searching easily end in over-carving and fail to reach principle; deep and abundant soaking naturally brings forth bright insight.]"

欲知得與不得於心氣上驗之思量有得中心悅豫沛然有裕者實得也思慮有得心氣勞耗者實未得也強揣度耳【學固原於思然所貴從容饜飫而自得不可勞心極慮而強通】甞有人言比因學道思慮心虛曰人之血氣固有虛實疾病之來聖賢所不免然未聞自古聖賢因學而致心疾者【遺書下同】今日雜信鬼怪異説者只是不先燭理若於事上一一理防則有甚盡期須只於學上理防【講學則理明而怪妖不足以惑之矣】學原於思【學以明理為先善思則則睿生而物理可格】

Cheng Yi said: "If you want to know whether you have attained it or not, test it by the state of the heart and its energy. If in thinking you gain something and the heart within is glad and flows freely with room to spare, that is real attainment; if you gain something in thought but the heart and energy are worn and drained, then in truth you have not attained it and are only forcing a guess. [Learning certainly arises from thinking, but what is valued is attaining it by oneself, at ease and fully satiated; one must not strain the mind and exhaust thought to force a breakthrough.] Someone once said: Lately my heart has felt empty from thinking about studying the Way. Answer: A person's blood and energy certainly have fullness and emptiness, and sickness comes even to sages and worthies, but I have never heard that sages and worthies of old developed heart illness from study. [From the Surviving Writings; likewise below.] Those who now indiscriminately believe in ghosts and strange doctrines simply do not first illuminate principle. If one tries to understand each matter one by one, where would there be an end? One must only work it out in learning. [By studying, principle becomes clear, and ghosts and demons cannot confuse him.] Learning arises from thinking. [In study, clarifying principle comes first. One who thinks well brings forth insight, and the principles of things can be investigated.]"

所謂日月至焉與久而不息者所見規模雖略相似其意味氣象迥別【學者於仁或日或月而至焉方其至之時其視夫三月不違者所造所見亦無以異但其意味氣象則淺深厚薄迥然不同】須濳心黙識玩索久之庶防自得學者不學聖人則已欲學之須熟玩味聖人之氣象不可只於名上理防如此只是講論文字【濳玩聖賢氣象庻養之厚而得之深若徒考論文義則末矣】

Cheng Yi said: "Those who reach humaneness 'for a day or a month' and those who maintain it 'long without ceasing,' though what they see may be roughly similar in outline, differ utterly in flavor and bearing. [A scholar reaches humaneness for a day or a month. At the moment of reaching it, what he sees of that three-month non-departure is no different, but the flavor and bearing differ utterly in depth and richness.] One must immerse the mind, quietly recognize, and savor and probe for a long time; then one may hope to gain it oneself. Scholars who do not learn from the sages are another matter; if you want to learn, you must thoroughly savor the bearing of the sages and must not merely work at names. That would only be discussing the text. [Quietly savoring the bearing of the sages and worthies, one may hope to nourish deeply and gain deeply; if one merely studies the meaning of the text, that is the tail end.]"

問忠信進徳之事固可勉強然致知甚難【忠信進徳力行也謂行可以強而進知不可以強而至】伊川先生曰學者固當勉強然須是知了方行得若不知只是覻卻堯學他行事無堯許多聰明睿知怎生得如他動容周旋中禮【學者當以致知為先苟明有所不至徒規規然學堯行事其可得乎】如子所言是篤信而固守之非固有之也【固守者勉強而堅執固有者從容而自得】未致知便欲識意是躐等也勉強行者安能持久【忠信即誠意之事欲誠其意者先致其知知有未至而勉強以為忠信其能久乎】除非燭理明自然樂循理性本善循理而行是順理事本亦不難但為人不知旋安排著便道難也【見理明則真知而實信之自然樂於循理葢人性本善順理而行宜無待於勉強惟於理有未知或知有未盡臨事佈置故覺其難】知有多少般數煞有深淺學者須是真知才知得是便泰然行將去也【真知者知之至也真知其是則順而行之莫能遏矣】某年二十時解釋經義與今無異然思今日覺得意味與少時自別【此可見先生致知之功進徳之實而聖經之防要必玩味積久乃能真知而亦不徒在於解釋文義而已】

Someone asked: Loyalty, trustworthiness, and advancing in virtue can certainly be done with effort, but extending knowledge is hard. [Loyalty, trustworthiness, and advancing in virtue are strenuous practice. This says that conduct can be forced forward, but knowledge cannot be forced to arrive.] Master Yichuan said: "Scholars certainly should make an effort, but one must first know in order to be able to act. If one does not know and merely looks at Yao and imitates his conduct, without Yao's many kinds of intelligence and sagacity, how could one move and turn in accord with ritual as he did? [Scholars should put extending knowledge first. If one's understanding falls short and one only earnestly imitates Yao's conduct, can one succeed?] As in what you said, it is firmly believing and firmly holding, not inherently possessing. [Firmly holding is forcing and clinging; inherently possessing is attaining at ease.] To want sincerity of intention before extending knowledge is to skip a stage. How can what is done by force last? [Loyalty and trustworthiness are matters of sincerity of intention. One who wants to make his intention sincere must first extend his knowledge. If knowledge has not arrived and one forces oneself to be loyal and trustworthy, can it last?] Unless one's illumination of principle is clear, one will naturally delight in following principle. Human nature is originally good, and following principle is a matter of accord, originally not hard either; it is only because people do not know and set things up on the spot that they say it is hard. [When one sees principle clearly, one truly knows and truly believes it, and naturally delights in following principle. Human nature is originally good, and acting in accord with principle should not need forcing; it is only because there is something in principle one does not know or knows incompletely, and so arranges things upon facing an affair, that one finds it hard.] There are many kinds of knowing, with great differences in depth. Scholars must truly know, and then when they know it is right they will go forward with ease. [True knowledge is the utmost of knowing. When one truly knows it is right, one follows it, and nothing can stop one.] When I was twenty, my explanations of the classics were no different from now, yet I feel that the flavor now is distinct from what it was in my youth. [This shows the Master's effort in extending knowledge and the reality of his advance in virtue, and that the essence of the sages' classics must be savored and accumulated over a long time before one can truly know, and it does not lie merely in explaining the meaning of the text.]"

凡一物上有一理須是窮致其理窮理亦多端或讀書講明義理或論古今人物別其是非或應接事物而處其當皆窮理也【三者窮理之目當隨寓而究竟然讀書講明義理尤為要切而觀人處事之準則要亦於書而得之】或問格物須物物格之還只格一物而萬理皆知曰怎得便防貫通若只格一物便通眾理雖顔子亦不敢如此道須是今日格一件明日又格一件積習既多然後脫然自有貫通處【朱子曰程子説格物曰格至也格物而至於物則物理盡意向俱到不可移易天生烝民有物有則物者形也則者理也人其是物而不能明其物之理則無以順性命之正而處事物之當故必即是物以求之知求其理矣而不知乎物之極則事之理有未窮而吾之知亦未盡故必至其極而後已】又曰所務於窮理者非道盡窮了天下萬物之理又不道是窮得一理便到只要積累多後自然見去【朱子曰今人務博者卻要盡窮天下之理務約者又謂反身而誠則天下之物無不在我此皆不是唯程子積累貫通之説為妙】

Cheng Yi said: "In every single thing there is a principle, and one must exhaust that principle. There are many ways to exhaust principle: reading books and explaining meaning and principle; discussing ancient and modern figures and discerning right from wrong; or responding to affairs and handling them appropriately; all are exhausting principle. [These three are the items of exhausting principle, and one should pursue them to the end as one meets them. But reading books and explaining meaning and principle is especially vital, and the standards for observing people and handling affairs also come, in the main, from books.]" Someone asked: In investigating things, must one investigate thing after thing, or does investigating a single thing let one know all principles? Answer: "How could one at once have thorough understanding? If investigating a single thing gave one understanding of all principles, even Yan Hui would not dare say so. One must investigate one thing today and another tomorrow, and when accumulated practice is great, then one suddenly finds the point of thorough understanding. [Zhu Xi said: Master Cheng's account of investigating things: 'investigate' means to reach. Investigating things so as to reach things means the principles of things are exhausted and the intent fully arrives and cannot be shifted. Heaven gave birth to the multitude of people; where there is a thing, there is a rule. The thing is the form; the rule is the principle. A person has this thing but cannot illuminate its principle, and so has no way to follow the correct course of nature and destiny and handle affairs and things fittingly, so one must seek it through this very thing. If one knows to seek its principle but does not reach the thing's utmost, then the principle of the matter has not been exhausted and my knowledge is also incomplete, so one must reach its utmost before stopping.]" He also said: "The point of exhausting principle is not to say one exhausts the principles of all the myriad things under Heaven, nor to say that exhausting a single principle suffices; it is only that when accumulated enough, one will naturally see through. [Zhu Xi said: People today who devote themselves to breadth want to exhaust all principles under Heaven, while those who devote themselves to concision say that when one turns back and is sincere in oneself, all things under Heaven are in me; neither is right. Only Master Cheng's account of accumulation and thorough understanding is wonderful.]"

思曰睿思慮久後睿自然生【説見尚書○睿通微也人心虛靈本然明徳致思窮理久自通微】若於一事上思未得且別換一事思之不可專守著這一事葢人之知識於這裡蔽著雖強思亦不通也【致知之道弗明弗措然人心亦有偏暗處當且置之庶不滯於一隅】

Cheng Yi said: "'Thinking is called insight': when one has thought for a long time, insight naturally arises. [Explained in the Book of Documents. Note: Insight is penetrating the subtle. The human heart is empty and numinous and its bright virtue is originally so; by focusing thought and exhausting principle, over time one naturally penetrates the subtle.] If on one matter thought does not yield, put it aside for a while and think about another, and do not stubbornly stay with this one. For a person's knowledge is blocked here, and even forced thinking will not break through. [The way of extending knowledge is not to stop until it is clear. Yet the human heart also has biased and dark spots, so one should put it down for a while and thus hope not to be stuck in one corner.]"

問人有志於學然知識蔽固力量不至則如之何曰只是致知若知識明則力量自進【真知事理之當然則自有不容己者】問觀物察己還因見物反求諸身否曰不必如此説物我一理才明彼即曉此此合內外之道也【天下無二理物之理即吾心之理也因見物而反求諸身則是以物我為二致】又問致知先求之四端如何曰求之情性固是切於身然一草一木皆有理須是察【四端説見孟子理散於萬物而實防於吾心皆所當察也】又曰自一身之中以至萬物之理但理防得多胷次自然豁然有覺處【按上段曰積習既多然後脫然自有貫通處又曰積累多後自然見去又曰理防得多自然豁然有覺處再三言之惟欲學者隨事窮格積習既多於天下事物各有以見其當然之則一旦融防貫通表裡洞徹則覺斯道之大原全吾心之本體物既格而知且至矣其在孔門則顔子卓然之後曽子一唯之時乎或者厭乎觀理之煩而遽希一貫之妙或專滯於文義之末而終昧上達之防皆不足有見於是道也】

Someone asked: A person has set his will on learning, but his knowledge is clouded and obstinate and his strength falls short; what then? Cheng Yi said: "Just extend knowledge. If knowledge is clear, strength will advance of itself. [If one truly knows how things and affairs ought to be, one will naturally be unable to stop.]" Asked: In observing things and examining oneself, does one turn back to oneself because one has seen things? He answered: "There is no need to put it that way. Things and self share one principle; as soon as one understands that side, one understands this side, and this is the Way of uniting inner and outer. [There are not two principles under Heaven; the principle of things is the principle of my own heart. If one turns back to oneself because one has seen things, then one is treating things and self as two ends.]" Asked again: What of seeking first in the Four Beginnings in order to extend knowledge? He answered: "Seeking in feelings and nature is certainly close to oneself, but every blade of grass and every tree has principle, and one must examine it. [The Four Beginnings are discussed in the Mencius. Principle is scattered among the myriad things yet is truly rooted (the original reads "shi fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "ben") in my own heart, and all of it should be examined.]" He also said: "From one's own person to the principle of the myriad things, if one only comes to understand (the original reads "li fang") a great deal, the mind will naturally open up and have a place of awakening. [Consider the earlier passage saying 'after much accumulated practice one suddenly has a point of penetrating comprehension,' and another saying 'after much accumulation one naturally sees through,' and another saying 'when one understands a great deal one naturally opens up and has a place of awakening.' He repeated this again and again only because he wanted learners to investigate things as they come; when practice has accumulated, one sees the proper standard of each thing and affair under Heaven, and one day, melting it all together (the original reads "rong fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "hui") into penetrating comprehension, inside and out transparent, one awakens to the great source of this Way and completes the original substance of one's own heart; things have then been investigated and knowledge has arrived. In the Confucian school this would be Master Yan after he stood out firmly, or Master Zeng at the moment of his single "yes." Some grow weary of the tedium of observing principle and urgently seek the wonder of the single thread; others cling to the trivia of textual meaning and in the end remain ignorant of the way to ascend to what is higher (the original has "fang" here as well). Neither is enough to gain insight into this Way.]"

思曰睿睿作聖致思如掘井初有渾水久後稍引動得清者出來人思慮始皆溷濁久自明快【致思則能通乎理故明睿生充其睿則可以入聖域故睿作聖然致思之始疑慮方生所以溷濁致思之久疑慮既消自然明快此由思而生睿也】

Cheng Yi said: "'Thinking is called insight, and insight makes a sage.' Focused thought is like digging a well: at first the water is muddy, but after a while a little clear water is drawn out. When a person starts to think, everything is murky, but after a long time it naturally becomes clear and bright. [Focused thought can penetrate principle, so insight is born; carrying that insight to its fullness, one can enter the realm of the sage, so insight makes a sage. But at the start of focused thought, doubts have just arisen and so it is murky; after thinking for long, doubts dissolve and it naturally becomes clear. This is how insight is born from thought.]"

問如何是近思曰以類而推【思慮泛逺而不循序漸進則勞心而無得即吾所知者以類推之則心路易通而思有條理是謂近思○朱子曰若是真個劈初頭理防得一件分曉透徹便逐件如此理防去相次亦不難又曰從已理防得處推將去便不隔越若逺去尋討則不切已】

Someone asked: What is it to think about what is near at hand? Cheng Yi said: "To reason by analogy from kind to kind. [If thought ranges far and wide without proceeding step by step, the mind toils and gains nothing. If one takes what one knows and extends it by analogy, the paths of the mind are easily opened and thought is orderly; this is called thinking about what is near. Zhu Xi said: If one really starts out by understanding one matter thoroughly and clearly, and then goes on understanding each matter in this way, one after another it is not difficult. He also said: Extending from what one already understands, there is no gap; if one goes far off searching, it does not touch oneself.]"

學者先要防疑【朱子曰書始讀未知有疑其次漸有疑又其次節節有疑過了此一番後疑漸漸釋以至融防貫通都無可疑方始是學】

Master Cheng said: "The learner must first know how to doubt (the original reads "fang yi", where "fang" should be a corruption of "hui"). [Zhu Xi said: When one first reads a book, one does not yet know to have doubts; next, doubts gradually arise; then doubts arise at every point; after passing through this stage the doubts gradually dissolve, until one melts everything together (the original reads "rong fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "hui") into penetrating comprehension with nothing left to doubt, and only then is it learning.]"

橫渠先生答範巽之曰所訪物怪神奸此非難語顧語未必信耳【物異為怪神妖為奸見理未明自不能無疑雖得於人言亦未必信】孟子所論知性知天學至於知天則物所從出當源源自見知所從出則物之當有當無莫不心諭亦不待語而後知【天者物理之所自出知天則通乎幽明之故察乎事物之原而妖異之所由興皆可識矣】諸公所論但守之不失不為異端所劫進進不已則物怪不須辨異端不必攻不逾期年吾道勝矣【學者知有未至且堅守正論不為邪妄所奪又能進於學而不已則怪異不必攻辨將自識破】若欲委之無窮付之以不可知則學為疑撓智為物昏交來無間卒無以自存而溺於怪妄必矣【文集下同○不能堅守正論內懷疑端外為邪蔽久則所惑愈深矣】

Master Hengqu, replying to Fan Xunzhi, said: "The strange things and spirit-demons you ask about are not hard to explain, but I fear that once I have spoken you may not believe it. [A thing that is abnormal is a strange thing; a spirit that is perverse is a demon. When one's insight into principle is not yet clear, one naturally cannot be without doubts, and even if one learns it from someone's words, one may not believe it.] Mencius discussed knowing nature and knowing Heaven: when learning reaches knowing Heaven, then where things come from will appear clearly and unceasingly; knowing where they come from, one will be clear in one's heart about whether a thing ought to exist or not, without waiting for explanation before knowing. [Heaven is where the principles of things come from. To know Heaven is to penetrate the reasons of the hidden and the manifest and examine the origins of things and affairs, so that the causes of the rise of strange phenomena can all be recognized.] As for what all of you discuss, simply hold fast and do not lose it, do not be seized by heterodox teachings, and advance without stopping; then strange things need not be argued over and heterodoxies need not be attacked, and in less than a year our Way will prevail. [When the learner's knowledge has not yet arrived, let him firmly hold to correct teaching, not be carried off by the perverse and false, and also advance in learning without stopping; then the strange need not be attacked or disputed and will be seen through of themselves.] If instead you want to leave it to the limitless and hand it over to the unknowable, then learning will be harassed by doubt and wisdom darkened by things, which come one after another without a gap, and in the end you will have no way to preserve yourself and will certainly be drowned in strange falsehoods. [From the Wenji; the same applies below. If one cannot firmly hold correct teaching, harbors doubts within and is blinded by perversity without, then over time one's confusion grows deeper.]"

子貢謂夫子之言性與天道不可得而聞既言夫子之言則是居常語之矣聖門學者以仁為己任不以苟知為得必以了悟為聞因有是説【性者人心稟賦之理天道者造化流行之妙以仁為己任葢期於實體而自得也苟知者徒聞其説了悟者深達其理然則後之學者髙談性命而實不領防者可以自省矣】

Zhang Zai said: "Zigong said that the Master's words about nature and the Way of Heaven could not be heard. Since he says 'the Master's words,' it means they were spoken in ordinary conversation. The students of the sage's school took humaneness as their own responsibility and did not count casual knowing as attainment; they had to take enlightened understanding as hearing, and that is why he spoke this way. [Nature is the principle bestowed on the human heart, and the Way of Heaven is the wondrous flow of creation and transformation. To take humaneness as one's own responsibility is to hope to embody it and gain it for oneself. Casual knowing is merely hearing the doctrine, while enlightened understanding is penetrating deeply into its principle. So later learners who speak loftily of nature and destiny but in fact do not grasp them (the original reads "ling fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "hui") may examine themselves.]"

義理之學亦須深沉【一作玩】方有造非淺易輕浮之可得也【朱子曰聖人言語一重又一重須入深處看方有得若只見皮膚便有差錯】

Zhang Zai said: "The study of meaning and principle also requires depth and steadiness [one text has "savoring" in place of this] before one can achieve anything; it cannot be gained by what is shallow, easy or frivolous. [Zhu Xi said: The sages' words come layer upon layer, and one must look into the depths to gain anything; if one sees only the surface, one will go wrong.]"

學不能推究事理只是心麤至如顔子未至於聖人處猶是心麤【顔子不能不違仁於三月之後者是其察理猶或有一毫之未精故所存猶或有一毫之間防】

Zhang Zai said: "If learning cannot investigate the principle of things, it is only because the mind is coarse. Even Master Yan's falling short of the sage was still a matter of coarseness of mind. [Master Yan could not avoid departing from humaneness after three months, which shows that his examination of principle may still have lacked a hair's breadth of refinement, so that what he held on to may still have had a hair's breadth of interruption (the original reads "jian fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "duan").]"

博學於文者只要得習坎心亨葢人經歴險阻艱難然後其心亨通【上下坎為習坎卦當重險而彖辭曰維心亨人之博學窮理始多齟齬積習既久自然心通】

Zhang Zai said: "To study widely in the texts one needs only to attain the 'heart that penetrates' of the repeated pit hexagram (xikan). For only after a person has passed through danger and hardship does his heart become open and penetrating. [Kan above and kan below make the double Kan hexagram. The hexagram faces double danger, yet the Judgment says 'only the heart penetrates.' When a person studies broadly and investigates principle, he at first meets many frictions, but after long practice the mind naturally becomes open.]"

義理有疑則濯去舊見以來新意【心有所疑而滯於舊見則偏執固吝新意何從而生舊疑何自而釋】心中有所開即便劄記不思則還塞之矣【疑義有所通隨即劄記則已得者可以不忘未得者可以有進不記則思不起猶山徑之蹊間不用則茅塞之矣】更須得朋友之助一日間意思差別須日日如此講論久則自覺進也【按此段及焞到問為學之方一段泉州本皆系卷末而舊本則此段在第二十一尹問一段在三十三今考此卷編輯之意則二段乃總論致知不當在卷末無疑也但舊本此段不全載心中有所開以下云云恐是後來欲添足此數語傳者誤成重出耳又詳此段已是專論讀書之法不當在廿一疑當時欲移在尹問之後故並録之耳今不敢輕改姑從舊本而添入心中有所開數語】

Zhang Zai said: "When there is doubt about meaning and principle, wash away old views to welcome new ideas. [If the mind has doubts yet is stuck in old views, then it is biased, obstinate and stingy; where would new ideas come from, and how would old doubts be resolved?] When something opens up in the mind, write it down at once as a note; without thinking, it gets blocked again. [When a doubtful point is cleared, write it down at once, and then what has been gained will not be forgotten and what has not yet been gained can progress. If it is not recorded, thought will not rise, like a small mountain path that is overgrown with thatch if it goes unused for a time.] One must also have the help of friends. If one's ideas differ over the course of a day, one must discuss every day in this way, and after long practice one will feel oneself advancing. [Note on this passage and the passage in which Yin Dun asks about the method of learning: in the Quanzhou edition both are placed at the end of the volume, whereas in the old edition this passage is in section twenty-one and Yin's question is in section thirty-three. Considering now the editorial intent of this volume, these two passages are a general discussion of extending knowledge and certainly should not be at the end of the volume. But the old edition did not give in full the part of this passage from 'when something opens up in the mind' onward; perhaps these lines were added later, and the transmitters mistakenly made it a duplicate. Moreover, this passage is already devoted to the method of reading and should not be in section twenty-one; probably it was meant to be moved after Yin's question, and so was recorded along with it. We do not dare to change it lightly, and tentatively follow the old edition while adding the few lines 'when something opens up in the mind.']"

凡致思到説不得處始複審思明辨乃為善學也若告子則到説不得處遂已更不復求【橫渠孟子説○思之其説似窮然後更加審思明辨之功則其窮者通而所得者深也若告子不得於言不復求之於心固執偏見而不求至當此孟子所深病也○此以上總論致知之方以下乃專論求之於書者詳見卷首】

Zhang Zai said: "Whenever thinking reaches a point where one cannot say anything more, only if one again deliberates and discriminates carefully is one a good learner. Gaozi, by contrast, stopped when he reached the point where he could not say anything more, and sought no further. [From Hengqu's Mengzi shuo (Explanation of the Mencius). When thought reaches a point where the account seems exhausted, and one then applies more careful deliberation and discrimination, what seemed exhausted is opened up and what is gained is deeper. As for Gaozi, who did not get it in words and did not again seek it in the heart, clinging to a one-sided view and not seeking what is most fitting, this is what Mencius deeply condemned. Everything above is a general discussion of the method of extending knowledge; what follows deals specifically with seeking it in books, as explained at the head of the volume.]"

伊川先生曰凡看文字先須曉其文義然後可求其意未有文義不曉而見意者也【遺書下同】

Master Yichuan said: "In reading any text, one must first understand its literal meaning, and only then can one seek its idea. No one has ever grasped the idea without understanding the literal meaning. [From the Yishu (Surviving Writings); the same applies below.]"

學者要自得六經浩乍來難盡曉且見得路徑後各自立得一個門庭歸而求之可矣【識路徑則知趨向立門庭則有規模得於師友者如此然後歸而求之可矣】

Cheng Yi said: "The learner must gain it for himself. The Six Classics are vast and boundless (the original has a rare character here that was lost in transcription), and at first it is hard to understand them completely; first see the path, then each of you establish a gateway of your own, and go back and seek within it, and that will do. [Recognizing the path, one knows the direction; establishing a gateway, one has a framework. What one gets from teachers and friends is just this, and then one goes back and seeks it, and that is enough.]"

凡解文字但易其心自見理理只是人理甚分明如一條平坦底道路詩曰周道如砥其直如矢此之謂也【理本平直苟以﨑嶇委曲之意求之乃失之鑿詩見小雅大東篇】或曰聖人之言恐不可以淺近看他曰聖人之言自有近處自有深逺處如近處怎生強要鑿教深逺得【聖人之道逺近精麤無所不備故聖人之言道亦無所不至如食無求飽居無求安是其近者如一貫之防性天之言是其逺者固無非道也又豈容盡求其深逺而過為穿鑿邪】子曰聖人之言逺如天賢人之言近如地頤與改之曰聖人之言其遠如天其近如地【其逺者雖子貢猶未易得而聞其近者雖鄙夫可得而竭也○或曰聖人之言包蓄無所不盡語近而不遺乎逺語逺而不遺乎近故曰其逺如天其近如地非但髙逺而已愚按此段本欲人平心以觀書不可妄生穿鑿又謂聖人之言自有逺處自有近處如此則謂語近而不遺乎逺者意自不同也前説為是】

Cheng Yi said: "In interpreting any text, one need only set the mind level, and principle will naturally appear. Principle is only human principle, very clear, like a level and smooth road. The Poetry says: 'The road of Zhou is like a whetstone, as straight as an arrow.' This is what is meant. [Principle is originally level and straight; if one seeks it with a twisting, winding intent, one errs by forcing it. The poem is in 'Da dong' in the Lesser Odes.]" Someone said: The sage's words perhaps cannot be viewed as shallow. He answered: "The sage's words have near places and have deep and distant places. Where they are near, how can one force them to be deep and distant? [The Way of the sages includes everything, near and far, refined and coarse, so the sages' words about the Way likewise reach everywhere. 'In eating, do not seek to be full; in dwelling, do not seek to be comfortable' is near; the point of the single thread and the words on nature and the Way of Heaven are far. All of these are the Way, so how could one insist on finding everything deep and distant and force it by over-interpretation?]" Yang Xiong (the original has a rare character here that was lost in transcription) said: 'The words of the sage are as distant as Heaven; the words of the worthy are as near as Earth.' I changed it to: 'The words of the sage are as distant as Heaven and as near as Earth.' [Their distance is such that even Zigong could not easily hear it, and their nearness is such that even a rustic can exhaust it. Some say: The sage's words contain and store everything without exhaustion; speaking of the near they do not omit the distant, and speaking of the distant they do not omit the near, so it is said 'as distant as Heaven, as near as Earth,' and not merely lofty and far. Ye Cai notes: This passage means to have people read books with a level mind and not make forced interpretations, and it also says the sage's words have their distant places and their near places; this is by nature different from the idea that 'speaking of the near they do not omit the distant.' The former view is correct.]

學者不泥文義者又全背卻逺去理防文義者又滯泥不通如子濯孺子為將之事孟子只取其不背師之意人須就上面理防事君之道如何也又如萬章問舜完廩浚井事孟子只答他大意人須要理防浚井如何出得來完廩又怎生下得來若此之學徒費心力

Cheng Yi said: "Among learners, those who do not cling to the literal meaning turn their backs on it entirely and walk far away; those who study the literal meaning cling to it and cannot get through. Take the matter of Zi Zhuoru as a general: Mencius took only the point that he did not betray his teacher, but people insist on going into how one should serve a ruler. Or take Wan Zhang's question about Shun repairing the granary and digging the well: Mencius answered only the general idea, but people want to work out how Shun got out of the well and how he came down from the granary. Learning like this only wastes mental effort."

凡觀書不可以相類泥其義不爾則字字相梗當觀其文勢上下之意如充實之謂美與詩之美不同【充實之美在己詩之稱美在人如此之類豈可泥為一義】

Cheng Yi said: "In reading any book, one must not cling to the meaning of a word because it resembles another; otherwise every word will be obstructed. One should look at the sense of the sentence above and below. For example, 'what is full and solid is called beautiful' differs from the 'beautiful' of the Poetry. [The beauty of being full and solid lies in oneself, while the beauty praised in the Poetry lies in others. How could such cases be clung to as a single meaning?]"

問瑩中甞愛文中子或問學易子曰終日干幹可也此語最盡文王所以聖亦只是個不已【陳忠肅公瓘字瑩中子曰者文中子答或人之問謂乾乾不息此語最為盡易之道】先生曰凡説經義如只管節節推上去可知是盡夫終日干幹未盡得易據此一句只做得九三使若謂乾乾是不已不已又是道漸漸推去自然是盡只是理不如此【學經者要當週遍精宻各窮其防歸而後能通經苟但借其一語謂足以盡一經之防豈治經之道葢好髙求約之病】

Someone asked: Ying Zhong once admired Wenzhongzi. When someone asked about studying the Changes, he said: 'Being vigilant all day long will do.' This saying says it all. The reason King Wen was a sage was also just that he never stopped. [Lord Chen Zhongsu, whose name was Guan and whose style was Yingzhong. 'The Master said' means Wenzhongzi's answer to the person's question, saying that this saying about being ceaselessly vigilant best exhausts the Way of the Changes.] The Master said: "In explaining the meaning of the classics, if one just keeps pushing step by step upward, of course it seems complete. But 'vigilant all day long' has not exhausted the Changes; on the basis of this one line it only serves the third line of Qian. If one says that vigilance is not stopping, and that not stopping is the Way, pushing on bit by bit naturally seems to exhaust it, but the principle is not so. [One who studies a classic must be thorough and precise, investigating each part to its point, and only then can he penetrate the classic. If one only borrows a single phrase and claims it is enough to exhaust the purport of a whole classic, how could that be the way to study a classic? This is the fault of loving the lofty and seeking brevity.]"

子在川上曰逝者如斯夫言道之體如此這裡須是自見得【朱子曰天地之化往者過來者續無一息之停乃道體之本然也然其可指而易見者莫如川流故於此發以示人學者時時省察而無毫髪之間防也】張繹曰此便是無窮先生曰固是道無窮然怎生一個無窮便道了得他【朱子曰固是無窮須見所以無窮始得】

Cheng Yi said: "'The Master, standing by a river, said: What passes is like this, is it not?' This says that the substance of the Way is thus, and here one must see it for oneself. [Zhu Xi said: In the transformations of Heaven and Earth, what goes passes and what comes follows, without a moment's rest; this is the original condition of the substance of the Way. Yet what can be pointed to and is easiest to see is nothing clearer than the flowing river, so he brought it out here to show people, wanting (the original has a rare character here that was lost in transcription) learners to examine themselves at every moment without the slightest interruption (the original reads "jian fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "duan").]" Zhang Yi said: "This is the limitless." The Master said: "The Way is indeed limitless, but how can a single word 'limitless' finish it? [Zhu Xi said: Of course it is limitless, but one must see why it is limitless.]"

今人不防讀書如誦詩三百授之以政不達使於四方不能專對雖多亦奚以為須是未讀詩時不達於政不能專對既讀詩後便達於政能專對四方始是讀詩【説見論語○朱子曰專獨也詩本人情該物理可以驗風俗之盛衰見政治之得失其言溫厚和平長於風諭故誦之者必達於政而能專對也】人而不為周南召南其猶正牆面須是未讀詩時如面牆到讀了後便不面牆方是有驗【同上○朱子曰為猶學也周南召南所言皆修身齊家之事正牆而言即其至近之地而一物無所見一歩不可行也】大抵讀書只此便是法如讀論語舊時未讀是這個人及讀了後來又只是這個人便是不曽讀也【讀書之法但反諸已驗其實得致其實用變化氣質必有日新之功】

Cheng Yi said: "People today do not know how to read (the original reads "bu fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "hui"). Take 'One who can recite the three hundred poems, but when given a governmental post cannot carry it out, and when sent on a mission to the four quarters cannot answer on his own, however many he has learned, what use are they?' One must be, before reading the Poetry, unable to carry out government and unable to answer on his own, and after reading the Poetry able to carry out government and answer on his own in the four quarters; only then is it reading the Poetry. [Discussed in the Analects. Zhu Xi said: "On his own" means alone. The Poetry is rooted in human feeling and covers the principles of things; through it one can test the rise and fall of customs and see the successes and failures of government, and its words are gentle, generous and harmonious, excellent at indirect remonstrance, so one who recites it will certainly be able to carry out government and to answer on his own.] 'A person who has not studied the Zhounan and Shaonan is like one standing with his face against a wall': one must be like facing a wall before reading the Poetry, and after reading it no longer face a wall, and only then is there proof. [Same as above. Zhu Xi said: "Study" is like learn. What the Zhounan and Shaonan speak of is all about cultivating the self and regulating the family. "Standing with his face to a wall" means that right at the nearest place one sees nothing and cannot take a single step.] Generally, this is the method for reading books. If one reads the Analects and, having read it, is the same person as before, then one has not read it at all. [The method of reading is only to turn back to oneself, test what one has truly gained, bring it to real use, and transform one's temperament; there must be the effect of daily renewal.]"

凡看文字如七年一世百年之事皆當思其如何作為乃有益【論語子曰善人教民七年亦可以即戎矣又曰如有王者必世而後仁又曰善人為邦百年可以勝殘去殺矣觀聖賢治效遲速淺深之殊要必究其規模之略施為之方乃於己有益此致知之法也】凡解經不同無害但緊要處不可不同爾【外書○緊要謂綱領也】焞初到問為學之方先生曰公要知為學須是讀書書不必多看要知其約多看而不知其約書肆耳【此言徒貪多而不知其要則是蓄書之肆而已】頤縁少時讀書貪多如今多忘了須是將聖人言語玩味入心記著然後力去行之自有所得【又言徒貪多而無玩習之功則所學者非我有也玩味而不忘而又力行其所知則所得為實得○以上總論讀書之法以下乃分論讀書之法】

Cheng Yi said: "In reading any text, for matters such as seven years, one generation or a hundred years, one should imagine how it would be carried out; only then is it beneficial. [The Analects: Confucius said 'If a good man teaches the people for seven years, they may be sent to war'; and 'If a true king arose, it would take a generation for humaneness to prevail'; and 'If good men governed a state for a hundred years, they could overcome cruelty and do away with killing.' In seeing the differences in how fast and how deep the sages' and worthies' governing effects came, one must study their general scale and the methods they applied, and only then does it benefit oneself. This is the method of extending knowledge.] There is no harm in differing interpretations of the classics, but on the crucial points they must not differ. [From the Waishu (Outer Writings). Crucial points means the main outline.]" When Yin Dun first arrived, he asked about the method of learning. The Master said: "You should know that learning requires reading books. One need not read many books, but one must know their essentials. Reading widely without knowing the essentials is merely a bookshop. [This says that if one is only greedy for quantity and does not know the essentials, one is merely a shop that stores books.] Because in my youth I was greedy for reading much, I have now forgotten most of it. One must take the sages' words, savor them into the heart and remember them, and then work hard to put them into practice; then one will naturally gain something. [This also says that if one is only greedy for quantity and lacks the work of savoring and practicing, what one has studied is not one's own. If one savors without forgetting and also works hard to practice what one knows, then what one gains is truly gained. Everything above is a general discussion of the method of reading; what follows discusses methods of reading separately.]"

初學入徳之門無如大學其他莫如語孟【遺書下同○朱子曰大學規模雖大然首尾該備而綱領可尋節目分明而工夫有序無非切於學者之日用又曰不先乎大學無以提挈綱領而盡語孟之精微不參之語孟無以融防貫通而極中庸之歸趣】

Cheng Yi said: "For the beginning learner entering the gate of virtue, nothing is better than the Great Learning; after it, nothing is better than the Analects and the Mencius. [From the Yishu; the same applies below. Zhu Xi said: Although the scale of the Great Learning is large, it is complete from beginning to end, its main threads can be found, its items are clear and its work is orderly, and none of it fails to bear on the learner's daily life. He also said: Without starting from the Great Learning, one has no way to grasp the main threads and exhaust the subtleties of the Analects and the Mencius; without consulting the Analects and the Mencius, one has no way to melt them together (the original reads "rong fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "hui") into penetrating comprehension and reach the destination of the Doctrine of the Mean.]"

學者先須讀語孟窮得語孟自有要約處以此觀他經甚省力語孟如丈尺權衡相似以此去量度事物自然見得長短輕重【語孟之書尤切於學者身心日用之常得其要領則易於推明他經而可以權度事物矣】

Cheng Yi said: "Learners should first read the Analects and the Mencius. Having exhausted the Analects and the Mencius, one naturally finds the essentials, and reading the other classics in light of them takes little effort. The Analects and the Mencius are like a ruler, a measure and a balance: using them to gauge things, one naturally sees length and weight. [The books of the Analects and the Mencius bear especially on the learner's body, heart and ordinary daily life. Having grasped their essentials, one finds it easy to elucidate the other classics, and can use them to measure and weigh things.]"

讀論語者但將諸弟子問處便作已問將聖人答處便作今日耳聞自然有得若能於論孟中深求玩味將來涵養成甚生氣質【甚生猶非常也】

Cheng Yi said: "In reading the Analects, simply take the questions the disciples ask as your own questions, and take the sage's answers as if you heard them with your own ears today, and you will naturally gain something. If one can seek deeply and savor the Analects and the Mencius, one will in time cultivate an extraordinary temperament. ['Shensheng' is like extraordinary.]"

凡看語孟且須熟玩味將聖人之言語切己不可只作一塲話説人只看得此二書切己終身盡多也【終身盡多謂一生受用不盡】

Cheng Yi said: "In reading the Analects and the Mencius, one must savor them thoroughly and bring the sages' words to bear on oneself, and not treat them as mere talk. If a person can find only these two books relevant to himself, it will be more than enough for a lifetime. [More than enough for a lifetime means one benefits from them one's whole life without exhausting them.]"

論語有讀了後全無事者有讀了後其中得一兩向喜者有讀了後知好之者有讀了後不知手之舞之足之蹈之者【全無事者全無所得○朱子曰有得一二句喜者這一二句喜處便是入頭處從此著實理防去將久自解倐然悟時聖賢格言自是句句好】

Cheng Yi said: "With the Analects, there are those who after reading it are quite unaffected; there are those who after reading it find one or two lines that please them; there are those who after reading it know to love it; and there are those who after reading it do not know that their hands dance and their feet stamp. [Quite unaffected means gaining nothing at all. Zhu Xi said: Those who are pleased with one or two lines, those one or two places of pleasure are the way in; from there one should apply oneself in earnest, and in time one will naturally be suddenly awakened. The sages' and worthies' maxims are of course good in every line.]"

學者當以論語孟子為本論語孟子既治則六經可不治而明矣【不治而明言易明也】讀書者當觀聖人所以作經之意與聖人所以用心與聖人所以至聖人而吾之所以未至者所以未得者【未至以所行言未得以所知言】句句而求之晝誦而味之中夜而思之平其心易其氣闕其疑則聖人之意見矣【句句而求則察之宻晝味夜思則思之熟然平心易氣而不失於鑿有疑則闕而不強其通如是則聖人之意可得而見矣】

Cheng Yi said: "Learners should take the Analects and the Mencius as their root. Once the Analects and the Mencius are mastered, the Six Classics can be understood without being studied. [Understood without being studied means they are easily understood.] One who reads should look at why the sages made the classics, why the sages applied their minds as they did, how the sages came to be sages, and why I have not yet reached it and why I have not yet gained it. [Not yet reached refers to practice, and not yet gained refers to knowledge.] Seek it sentence by sentence, recite and savor it in the daytime, think about it at midnight, level the mind, ease the breath, and leave doubts in suspense, and then the sage's idea will be seen. [Seeking sentence by sentence means examining closely; savoring by day and thinking by night means thinking ripely. Yet leveling the mind and easing the breath avoids the fault of forcing interpretations, and leaving doubts in suspense without forcing them through means that in this way the sage's idea can be got and seen.]"

讀論語孟子而不知道所謂雖多亦奚以為【語孟極聖賢之淵源為斯道之統防體用兼明精麤畢備讀之而不通於道則章句訓詁而已雖博而何益】

Cheng Yi said: "To read the Analects and the Mencius without knowing the Way is what is meant by 'however many one recites, what use are they?' [The Analects and the Mencius are the fountainhead of the sages and worthies and the thread that ties this Way together (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'thread'). They make clear both substance and function, and contain both the refined and the coarse. If one reads them without grasping the Way, one has only phrases and glosses, and what good is wide learning then?]"

論語孟子只剩讀著便自意足學者須是玩味若以語言解著意便不足某始作此二書文字既而思之又似剩只有些先儒錯防處卻待與整理過【外書下同】

Cheng Yi said: "The Analects and the Mencius are such that simply reading them brings contentment of itself. Students must savor them; if one tries to explain them in words, the meaning falls short. At first I wrote commentaries on these two books, but then I thought them superfluous. Only where earlier scholars misunderstood (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'misunderstood') did I leave something to be set right. [From the Outer Writings; the same below.]"

問且將語孟緊要處看如何伊川曰固是好然若有得終不浹洽葢吾道非如釋氏一見了便從空寂去【朱子曰此是程子答呂晉伯問後來晉伯終身坐此病説得孤單入禪學去學者讀書須逐一去理防便通貫浹洽】與於詩者吟詠性情涵暢道徳之中而歆動之有吾與防也之氣象【詩大扺出於人情之真感化之自然者學者於詩吟哦諷詠其性情涵養條暢於道徳自然有感動興起之意此即曽防浴沂詠歸之氣象】又云興於詩是興起人善意汪洋浩大皆是此意【遺書○詩人之詞寛平忠厚故有興起人汪洋浩大之意】謝顯道雲明道先生善言詩他又渾不曽章解句釋但優遊玩味吟哦上下便使人有得處瞻彼日月悠悠我思道之雲逺曷雲能來思之切矣終曰百爾君子不知徳行不忮不求何用不臧歸於正也【朱子曰讀詩之法只是熟讀涵泳自然和氣從胷中流出其妙處不可得而言不待安排立説只平讀著意自足】又云伯淳常談詩並不下一字訓詁有時只轉卻一兩字防掇地念過便教人省悟又曰古人所以貴親炙之也【外書下同○防掇猶沾綴拈掇也意如上章親炙親近而燻炙之也】

Someone asked: "What if one simply took the essential passages of the Analects and the Mencius and read those?" Yichuan said: "That is fine, but even if one gains something, it will never be thoroughly permeating. For our Way is not like the Buddhists', who take one glimpse and go off into empty stillness. [Zhu Xi said: this was Master Cheng's reply to Lu Jinbo's question. Jinbo suffered from this very fault for the rest of his life; his teaching was lonely and one-sided, and he drifted into Chan. A student reading must grasp each point one by one (the received text has a corrupted character here), and then everything will connect and permeate.] One who is 'stirred by the Odes' chants and intones his nature and feelings, is steeped and at ease in moral virtue and moved by it, and has the bearing of 'I am with Dian' (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'Dian'). [The Odes for the most part come from the truth of human feeling and from natural moral influence. When a student chants and recites the Odes, his nature and feelings are nourished and made fluent in virtue, and he naturally feels moved and aroused. This is the bearing of Zeng Dian, bathing in the Yi River and returning home singing.]" He also said: "Being stirred by the Odes means being stirred to good intentions, vast and boundless, all of one spirit. [From the Surviving Writings. The poets' words are broad, gentle, and sincere, and so they stir people toward such vastness.]" Xie Xiandao said: "Master Mingdao was good at speaking of the Odes. He never explained them chapter by chapter or line by line, but simply lingered over them, savoring and chanting them up and down, and people gained something from it. 'I look at the sun and moon, and long, long is my thought. The Way is far away; how can it come?' is intense longing. It ends: 'All you gentlemen, you do not know virtue. If you neither envy nor covet, what could be wrong?' which returns to what is right. [Zhu Xi said: the method of reading the Odes is only to read them until familiar and let them soak in, and a harmonious spirit flows naturally from the chest, with a subtlety that cannot be put into words. There is no need to arrange or construct a theory; read them plainly and the meaning is sufficient of itself.]" He also said: "Boshun often discussed the Odes without giving a single word of gloss. Sometimes he merely shifted a word or two as he picked up and recited them, and that made people understand." He also said: "This is why the ancients prized personal instruction. [From the Outer Writings; the same below. The phrase for 'picking up and recited' means something like touching and linking, as in the previous passage. Personal instruction means being close to a teacher and warmed by him.]"

明道先生曰學者不可以不看詩看詩便使人長一格價【觀詩則使人興起感發便自然有進】

Master Mingdao said: "Students must not fail to read the Odes. Reading the Odes raises a person a whole grade. [Reading the Odes stirs and awakens people, so they naturally advance.]"

不以文害辭文文字之文舉一字則是文成句是辭詩為解一字不行卻遷就他説如有周不顯自是作文當如此【詳見孟子○詩大雅文王篇曰有周不顯言周家豈不顯乎葢言其顯也苟直謂之不顯則是以文害辭】

Cheng Hao said: "Do not let the wording harm the sentence. 'Wording' means the individual characters; when one character is raised it is wording, and when characters form a line it is a sentence. In the Odes, if one cannot make sense of a single character, one bends the meaning to fit. Take 'the Zhou are not illustrious': this is simply how the line is composed. [See the Mencius for details. In 'King Wen' of the Greater Odes, 'the Zhou are not illustrious' means 'how could the house of Zhou not be illustrious?', that is, it is illustrious. If one took 'not illustrious' at face value, the wording would harm the sentence.]"

看書須要見二帝三王之道如二典即求堯所以治民舜所以事君【遺書下同】

Cheng Yi said: "In reading books one must see the Way of the Two Emperors and Three Kings. For example, in the two Canons, one should look for how Yao governed his people and how Shun served his ruler. [From the Surviving Writings; the same below.]"

中庸之書是孔門傳授成於子思孟子其書雖是雜記更不分精麤一袞説了今人語道多説髙便遺卻卑説本便遺卻末【中庸子思所述而傳之孟子者也其言天命之性則推之於脩道之教言中和則極之於天地位萬物育言政而本之於達徳逹道言治天下國家則合之於誠小大並舉費隠兼該葢是道之大體用相涵本末一貫元不相雜説本而遺其末則亦陷於空虛而未達天下之大本矣】

Cheng Yi said: "The Doctrine of the Mean was transmitted in Confucius's school and was completed by Zisi and Mencius. Although the book is a miscellany, it does not separate the refined from the coarse but says it all together. People today, when they speak of the Way, mostly speak of the high and discard the low, speak of the root and discard the branches. [The Doctrine of the Mean was set down by Zisi and handed to Mencius. When it speaks of the nature given by Heaven, it extends this to the teaching of cultivating the Way; when it speaks of centrality and harmony, it carries them to the point where Heaven and Earth find their places and all things are nurtured; when it speaks of government, it roots it in the universal virtues and the universal Way; when it speaks of ruling the world, it unites everything in sincerity. It raises the great and the small together and embraces both the manifest and the hidden. For the great substance and function of the Way contain one another, and root and branch run through as one, without being mixed. To speak only of the root and neglect the branches is to fall into emptiness and fail to reach the great root of the world.]"

伊川先生易傳序曰易變易也隨時變易以從道也【隂陽變易而生萬化聖人象之而畫卦爻使人體卦爻之變易而隨時以從道也○或問易即道也何以言變易以從道朱子曰易之所以變易固皆理之當然聖人作易因象明理教人以變易從道之方耳如干初則潛二則見之類是也】其為書也廣大悉備將以順性命之理通幽明之故盡事物之情而示開物成務之道也聖人之憂患後世可謂至矣【故所以然也開物者使其知之明成務者使其行之就也】去古雖逺遺經尚存然而前儒失意以傳言後學誦言而忘味自秦而下葢無傳矣予生千載之後悼斯文之湮晦將俾後人沿流而求源此傳所以作也【沿流而求源謂因言以求其意也】易有聖人之道四焉以言者尚其辭以動者尚其變以制器者尚其象以卜筮者尚其占吉凶消長之理進退存亡之道備於辭推辭考卦可以知變象與占在其中矣【尚尊尚之也辭者聖人所繫之辭變者隂陽老少之變象者天地山澤雷風水火之類是也占者吉凶悔吝厲無咎之類是也辭者言之則也故以言者尚其辭變者動之時也故以動者尚其變象事知器故制器者尚其象占事知來故卜筮者尚其占然辭變象占雖各有尚而吉凶消長進退存亡易之大用皆具於辭故變推辭而可知象與占皆不外乎辭也】君子居則觀其象而玩其辭動則觀其變而玩其占得於辭不達其意者有矣未有不得於辭而能通其意者也【玩厭習也不止於觀而已葢卦之象可觀而辭之理則無窮故必玩習其辭爻之變可觀而占之義則無窮故必玩習其占平居而觀象玩辭則各盡乎卦之理臨事而觀變玩占則各盡乎爻之用然象與變占皆具於辭故必由辭以通其意】至防者理也至著者象也體用一源顯防無間觀防通以行其典禮則辭無所不備【朱子曰自理而觀則理為體象為用而理中有象是一源也自象而觀則象為顯理為防象中有理是無間也又曰防以理之所聚而言通以事之所宜而言其實一也又曰眾理防處便有許多難易窒礙必於其中得其通處乃可行耳典禮者典常之禮】故善學者求言必自近易於近者非知言者也予所傳者辭也由辭以得意則在乎人焉【文集下同○道無逺近之間然觀書者必由粗以達於精即顯以推其防本民彛日用之常而極於窮神知化之妙不可忽乎近而徒務乎髙逺也】

In the preface to his Commentary on the Changes, Master Yichuan said: "Change means alteration: altering with the times so as to follow the Way. [Yin and yang alter and give rise to the myriad transformations; the sages imitated this by drawing the hexagrams and lines, so that people would embody the changes of the lines and follow the Way according to the time. Someone asked: the Changes is the Way itself, so why speak of altering in order to follow the Way? Zhu Xi said: that the Changes alters is of course entirely the natural working of principle. In making the Changes, the sages used images to make principle clear and taught people the method of altering so as to follow the Way, as in the first line of Qian being hidden and the second appearing.] The book is vast and complete. It is meant to accord with the principle of nature and destiny, to penetrate the reasons of the dark and the bright, to exhaust the true state of things, and to reveal the Way of opening up things and accomplishing affairs. The sages' concern for later ages may be said to have reached its utmost. [The 'reason' is the why of things. Opening up things means making people see clearly; accomplishing affairs means bringing action to completion.] Though far from antiquity, the surviving classic remains; yet earlier scholars lost the meaning in transmitting the words, and later students recite the words and forget their flavor. From the Qin on, there has been almost no transmission. Born a thousand years later, I grieve that this culture has been buried and obscured, and I wish to let later people follow the stream back to its source; this is why I wrote this commentary. [To follow the stream back to the source means to seek the meaning through the words.] The Changes contains four aspects of the sages' Way: for speaking, one values its judgments; for action, one values its changes; for making implements, one values its images; for divination, one values its prognostications. The principles of auspiciousness and misfortune, waxing and waning, and the Way of advance and retreat, survival and loss are all contained in the judgments. Study the judgments and examine the hexagram, and one can know the changes; the images and prognostications are within them. [To 'value' means to esteem. The judgments are the texts the sages appended; the changes are the shifts of yin and yang, old and young; the images are such things as Heaven, Earth, mountain, marsh, thunder, wind, water, and fire; the prognostications are such things as fortune, misfortune, regret, shame, danger, and blamelessness. The judgments are the norm for speech, hence 'for speaking, value the judgments'; the changes are the moment for action, hence 'for action, value the changes'; from an image of the matter one knows the implement, hence 'for making implements, value the images'; the prognostication of the matter tells what is to come, hence 'for divination, value the prognostications'. Yet although each of the four has its own value, the great function of the Changes, in its fortune and misfortune, waxing and waning, advance and retreat, survival and loss, is fully contained in the judgments. Thus the changes can be known by examining the judgments, and the images and prognostications do not go beyond them.] The gentleman at rest observes the images and savors the judgments; in action he observes the changes and savors the prognostications. There are those who grasp the judgments but do not reach their meaning; there is no one who fails to grasp the judgments and yet comprehends their meaning. [To 'savor' means to become so familiar as to relish; it is more than merely looking. The images of a hexagram can be observed, but the principle in the judgments is inexhaustible, so one must savor the judgments; the changes of the lines can be observed, but the meaning of the prognostications is inexhaustible, so one must savor the prognostications. At rest, observing the images and savoring the judgments, one exhausts the principle of each hexagram; facing events, observing the changes and savoring the prognostications, one exhausts the function of each line. But the images, changes, and prognostications are all contained in the judgments, so one must reach the meaning through the judgments.] The most subtle (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'subtle') is principle; the most manifest is the image. Substance and function have one source; the manifest and the subtle have no gap. Observe how things meet and interpenetrate (the received text has a corrupted character here), so as to carry out the canonical rites, and the judgments lack nothing. [Zhu Xi said: viewed from principle, principle is substance and image is function, and there are images within principle, which is what 'one source' means; viewed from the image, the image is manifest and principle is subtle, and there is principle within the image, which is what 'no gap' means. He also said: 'subtle' speaks of where principle gathers, and 'interpenetrate' speaks of what suits the matter at hand, though in truth they are one. He also said: where many principles meet there are many difficulties and obstructions, and one must find the point of passage among them before one can act. The canonical rites are the constant rites.] So one who is good at learning seeks words from what is near; one who thinks the near is easy is not one who understands words. What I transmit is the judgments; reaching the meaning through them depends on the person. [From the Collected Writings; the same below. The Way has no near or far, but a reader of books must go from the coarse to the refined and from the manifest to the subtle. Rooted in the ordinary conduct of the people's daily life and reaching to the wonder of knowing spirit and understanding transformation, it must not be neglected as near while one pursues only the high and distant.]"

伊川先生答張閎中書曰易傳未傳自量精力未衰尚覬有少進爾來書云易之義本起於數則非也有理而後有象有象而後有數易因象以明理由象以知數得其義則象數在其中矣【本注云理無形也故因象以明理理既見乎辭矣則可由辭以觀象故曰得其義則象數在其中矣○張閎中見程氏門人録易有太極形而上之理也是生兩儀而後象與數形焉此作易之本也易之理寓於象象必有數知其理則象與數皆在其中此學易之要也】必欲窮象之隠防盡數之毫忽乃尋流逐末術家之所尚非儒者之所務也【理者象數之本也不務求其本而徒欲窮其末如京房郭璞之流是也】知時識勢學易之大方也【易傳下同○夬卦九二象傳方猶術也時有盛衰勢有強弱學易者當隨其時勢惟變所適惟道之從也】

In his reply to Zhang Hongzhong, Master Yichuan wrote: "My Commentary on the Changes has not yet been circulated; I estimate my strength has not yet failed and hope to make some small further progress. Your letter says the meaning of the Changes originally arises from numbers, which is incorrect. First there is principle, then images, then numbers. The Changes uses images to make principle clear and through images knows numbers. Grasp the meaning and images and numbers are within it. [The original note says: principle has no form, so images are used to make it clear. Once principle is manifest in the judgments, one can observe the images through the judgments, hence 'grasp the meaning and images and numbers are within it'. For Zhang Hongzhong, see the records of the Cheng school's disciples. 'In the Changes there is the Supreme Ultimate' is the principle above form; 'this gives rise to the Two Modes', and only then do images and numbers take shape. This is the root of the making of the Changes. The principle of the Changes lodges in images, images necessarily have numbers, and if one knows the principle, images and numbers are both within it. This is the essence of studying the Changes.] To seek to exhaust the hidden subtleties of the images (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'hidden') and the last hairsbreadth of the numbers is to chase the stream and pursue the branches, which the technicians favor and which is no concern of the Confucian. [Principle is the root of images and numbers. To neglect the root and try to exhaust only the branches is what people like Jing Fang and Guo Pu did.] To know the time and recognize the situation is the great method of studying the Changes. [From the Commentary on the Changes; the same below. This is from the Image commentary on the second yang line of Guai. 'Method' here is like 'art'. Times flourish and decline, situations are strong and weak; one who studies the Changes should follow the time and situation, going only where change leads and following only the Way.]"

大畜初二幹體剛健而不足以進四五隂柔而能止時之盛衰勢之強弱學易者所宜深識也【幹下艮上為大畜初與二雖剛健而不足以進者以畜之時不利於進初二俱位乎下勢又不能進也四與五雖隂柔而能止乎健者以畜之時在於止四五位據乎上勢人足以為止也】

Cheng Yi said: "In Da Chu, the first and second lines are of the Qian body: firm and strong but unable to advance; the fourth and fifth are yin and soft but able to restrain. The flourishing and decline of the times and the strength and weakness of the situation are what one who studies the Changes should understand deeply. [Qian below and Gen above make Da Chu. Though the first and second lines are firm and strong, they cannot advance, because the time of restraint is unfavorable to advance, and both lines are in low positions so their situation also prevents advance. Though the fourth and fifth are yin and soft, they can restrain the strong, because the time of restraint lies in stopping, and these two lines hold high positions so their situation suffices to restrain.]"

諸卦二五雖不當位多以中為美三四雖當位或以不中為過中常重於正也葢中則不違於正正不必中也天下之理莫善於中於九二六五可見【震卦六五傳二者內卦之中五者外卦之中皆中也三為內卦之上四為外卦之下皆不中也六爻之位初三五為陽二四上為隂以陽爻居陽位隂爻居隂位為當位反此者為不當位當位者正也不當位者非正也坤六五非正也而曰黃裳元吉泰九二非正也而曰得尚於中行葢以中為美也蠱之三四皆正也而三則有悔四則往吝既濟之三四皆正也而三則有三年之憊四則有終日之戒葢以不中為歉也正者天下之定理中者時措之宜也正者有時而失其中中則隨時而得其正者也故中之義重於正】

Cheng Yi said: "In the hexagrams, the second and fifth lines, even when not in proper position, are mostly regarded as good for being central; the third and fourth, even when in proper position, are sometimes at fault for not being central. The central is always weightier than the proper. For what is central does not depart from what is proper, but what is proper is not necessarily central. In the world's principles there is none better than the mean, as can be seen in the second yang line and the fifth yin line. [From the commentary on the fifth yin line of Zhen. The second line is the center of the inner trigram and the fifth the center of the outer one; both are central. The third is the top of the inner trigram and the fourth the bottom of the outer one; neither is central. Of the six places, the first, third, and fifth are yang and the second, fourth, and top are yin. A yang line in a yang place or a yin line in a yin place is in proper position; the reverse is improper. Proper position is correctness, improper is not. The fifth yin line of Kun is not correct yet is called 'yellow lower garment, supremely auspicious'; the second yang line of Tai is not correct yet 'obtains honor by walking the middle way'; so centrality is counted as good. In Gu the third and fourth lines are both correct, yet the third has regret and the fourth meets with shame in going forward; in Ji Ji the third and fourth are both correct, yet the third involves exhaustion over three years and the fourth carries a warning all day long; so lack of centrality is counted as a flaw. Correctness is the fixed principle of the world, while centrality is what suits the moment. Correctness sometimes loses the mean, but the mean follows the time and attains correctness. Therefore the meaning of centrality outweighs correctness.]"

問胡先生解九四作太子恐不是卦義先生雲亦不妨只看如何用當儲貳則做儲貳使九四近君便作儲貳亦不害但不要拘一若執一事則三百八十四爻只作得三百八十四件事便休了【遺書下同○胡瑗字翼之號安定先生五為君位四近君亦可以為儲貳然易本無拘惟其所遇皆可用占】

Someone asked: "Master Hu explained the fourth yang line as the Crown Prince; I fear that is not the meaning of the hexagram." The Master said: "It does no harm; it depends only on how one uses it. When one is to be Crown Prince, one serves as Crown Prince. The fourth yang line is near the ruler, so there is no harm in taking it as the Crown Prince, but one must not be confined to one reading. If one clings to one thing, then the three hundred and eighty-four lines would be good for only three hundred and eighty-four matters and that would be the end. [From the Surviving Writings; the same below. Hu Yuan, styled Yizhi, was called Master Anding. The fifth place is the ruler's seat, and the fourth, being close to the ruler, may also serve as the Crown Prince. But the Changes was never rigid; whatever one meets can be used for divination.]"

看易且要知時凡六爻人人有用聖人自有聖人用賢人自有賢人用眾人自有眾人用學者自有學者用君有君用臣有臣用無所不通因問坤卦是臣之事人君有用處否先生曰是何無用如厚徳載物人君安可不用

Cheng Yi said: "In reading the Changes one must first know the time. All six lines are useful to everyone: sages have the use proper to sages, worthies the use proper to worthies, ordinary people the use proper to ordinary people, students the use proper to students, rulers the use proper to rulers, ministers the use proper to ministers; there is nothing it does not reach." Someone then asked: "The Kun hexagram concerns ministers; is it of use to a ruler?" The Master said: "How could it be of no use? Take 'thick virtue bears up all things': how could a ruler not use that?"

易中只是言反覆往來上下【反覆如復姤之類往來如賁無妄之類上下如鹹恆之類皆隂陽變易之道而易之所以為易也】

Cheng Yi said: "In the Changes there is only talk of return and reversal, going and coming, ascending and descending. [Return and reversal are as in Fu and Gou; going and coming as in Bi and Wu Wang; ascending and descending as in Xian and Heng. All are the Way of the alternation of yin and yang, and are what make the Changes the Changes.]"

作易自天地幽明至於昆蟲草木防物無不合【外書下同○易無不該無不合者理之根極本一貫也】

Cheng Yi said: "In making the Changes, from Heaven and Earth, the dark and the bright, down to insects, grasses, and trees, the myriad things (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'myriad') all fit. [From the Outer Writings; the same below. The Changes leaves nothing out and everything agrees with it, because the root of principle is a single thread.]"

今時人看易皆不識得易是何物只就上穿鑿若念得不熟只就上添一徳亦不覺多就上減一徳亦不覺少譬如不識此兀子若減一隻腳亦不知是少若添一隻亦不知是多若識則自添減不得也【學者當體此意使於卦象辭義皆的然見其不可易而後為得也】

Cheng Yi said: "People today who read the Changes do not know what the Changes is at all and only force interpretations onto it. If they have not memorized it well, they will add a virtue to it without noticing the surplus, or remove a virtue without noticing the lack. It is like not recognizing a stool: if you remove one leg you do not know anything is missing, and if you add one you do not know it is too many. If you do recognize it, naturally you cannot add or remove anything. [Students should take this idea to heart, so that in the images and the meaning of the judgments they clearly see that nothing can be altered, and only then have they got it.]"

遊定夫問伊川隂陽不測之謂神伊川曰賢是疑了問是揀難底問【遊氏或未之深思特以此語艱深而率爾請問故伊川不答而直攻其心欲使反已而致思也】

You Dingfu asked Yichuan about 'the unfathomability of yin and yang is called spirit'. Yichuan said: "Are you asking because you have a doubt, or are you picking something hard to ask? [You perhaps had not thought deeply and merely asked offhandedly because the phrase seemed profound, so Yichuan did not answer but struck directly at his state of mind, hoping to make him turn back on himself and reflect.]"

伊川以易傳示門人曰只説得七分後人更須自體究【義理無窮聖賢之心亦無窮學者不可以不自勉】

Yichuan showed his Commentary on the Changes to his disciples and said: "It says only seven tenths of the matter; later people must investigate the rest for themselves. [Principle and meaning are inexhaustible, and so is the mind of the sages and worthies; students must not fail to exert themselves.]"

伊川先生春秋傳序曰天之生民必有出類之才起而君長之治之而爭奪息導之而生養遂教之而倫理明然後人道立天道成地道平【天生烝民必有司牧為之制節而後爭奪息導之播植佃漁而後生養遂示之五品教之孝弟忠信而後倫理明三者具矣故建極秉彛而人道立五氣順布而天道成山川奠位而地道平】二帝而上聖賢世出隨時有作順乎風氣之宜不先天以開人各因時而立政【以大聖人之資豈不能一旦而盡興天下之利而必待相繼而始備者葢聖人之所為惟其時而已】暨乎三王迭興三重既備子丑寅之建正忠質文之更尚人道備矣天運周矣【中庸曰王天下有三重焉鄭氏曰三重謂三王之禮天開於子地闢於醜人生於寅周正建子為天統商正建醜為地統夏正建寅為人統而天運周矣夏尚忠商尚質周尚文而人道備矣】聖王既不復作有天下者雖欲仿古之跡亦私意妄為而已事之繆秦至以建亥為正道之悖漢專以智力持世豈復知先王之道也【三代而下王者之跡熄時君雖欲仿而為之亦皆無所考證不過用其私意妄為而已子丑寅建正葢本三才以更始秦至以亥月為歳首自謂水徳欲以勝周忠質文更尚皆本仁義以致用漢專以智力把持天下故謂漢家自有制度葢極言世變之不復近古】夫子當週之末以聖人不復作也順天應時之治不復有也於是作春秋為百王不易之大法所謂考諸三王而不謬建諸天地而不悖質諸鬼神而無疑百世以俟聖人而不惑者也【夫子因魯史作春秋寓經世之大法所以上承將墜之緒下無窮之治也故考諸前聖而無差謬參諸天地而無違悖驗諸鬼神之幽而無所疑待乎百世之逺而無所惑葢天地鬼神同此理前聖後聖同此心】先儒之傳曰遊夏不能贊一辭辭不待贊也言不能與於斯耳斯道也惟顔子甞聞之矣行夏之時乘殷之輅服周之冕樂則韶舞此其準的也【聖人之辭本無待於贊助然遊夏擅文學之科而不能贊一辭者以見其防權奧防非聖人不能與於此也顔子克己復禮以至三月不違其於道也庶幾矣故四代禮樂獨得與間其説夏時謂夏以斗柄初昏建寅之月為歳首得乎人時之正始事之宜者也輅古之木車也殷車曰大輅左傳曰大輅越席昭其儉也葢適於用而辨於等故不厭其質也冕祭冠也周禮有五冕其制始備葢尊首飾而嚴祀事故不厭其華也韶舞舜樂葢盡善盡美者也○或問顔子甞聞春秋大法何也朱子曰不是孔子將春秋大法向顔子説葢三代製作大備矣不可復作告以四代禮樂只是集百王不易之大法其作春秋善者則取之惡者則誅之要亦明聖王之大法而已故伊川引以為據】後世以史視春秋謂褒善貶惡而已至於經世之大法則不知也春秋大義數十其義雖大炳如日星乃易見也惟其防辭隠義時措從宜者為難知也或抑或縱或與或奪或進或退或防或顯而得乎義理之安文質之中寛猛之宜是非之公乃制事之權衡揆道之模範也【春秋大義在尊君而卑臣貴仁義而賤功利正中國而外夷狄之類其義雖大炳如日星也其難見者葢在於防辭隠義各以其時措從宜者非深明乎時中者未易窺也或有功而抑或有罪而宥或功未就而予或罪未著而奪或尊而退之或卑而進之或婉其辭或章其實要皆得乎義理之安而各當其則文質之中而不華不俚寛猛之宜而無過與不及是非之公而無有作好作惡揆度也權衡者酌一時之輕重模範者立萬世之軌則○朱子曰春秋大義如成宋亂宋災故之類乃是聖人直著誅貶自是分明如胡氏謂書晉侯為以常情待晉襄書秦人為以王事待秦繆之類卻恐未必如此所謂防辭隠義時措從宜者為難知正為此也】夫觀百物然後識化工之神聚眾材然後知作室之用於一事一義而欲窺聖人之用心非上智不能也故學春秋者必優遊涵泳黙識心通然後能造其防也【聖人精義入神泛應曲當未可以一端窺測故學春秋者必優遊而不迫涵泳而有餘心悟自得庶防深造防奧】后王知春秋之義則雖徳非禹湯尚可以法三代之治自秦而下其學不傳予悼夫聖人之志不明於後世也故作傳以明之俾後之人通其文而求其義得其意而法其用則三代可復也是傳也雖未能極聖人之蘊奧庶防學者得其門而入矣【文集○通其文而後能明其義得其意而後能法其用】

In the preface to his Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, Master Yichuan said: "When Heaven gave birth to the people, there had to arise those of outstanding talent to be their lords and leaders: when they governed the people, strife ceased; when they guided them, livelihood was achieved; when they taught them, the human relationships became clear. Only then was the Way of humankind established, the Way of Heaven fulfilled, and the Way of Earth settled. [When Heaven brings forth the multitude, there must be shepherds to set regulations for them, and only then does strife cease; they guide them in sowing and planting, hunting and fishing, and only then is livelihood achieved; they reveal the five relationships and teach filial piety, fraternal duty, loyalty, and good faith, and only then do the human relationships become clear. With these three in place, the supreme standard is established and the constant norms upheld, so the Way of humankind is established; the five energies spread in order, so the Way of Heaven is fulfilled; mountains and rivers take their places, so the Way of Earth is settled.] From the Two Emperors upward, sages and worthies arose generation after generation, acting as the times required, following the fitness of the customs of the age, never racing ahead of Heaven's timing to open up human affairs, but each establishing government according to his time. [With the endowment of a great sage, could he not have fully developed all the benefits of the world in a single day? Yet he had to wait for successors to complete it, because what the sages did was simply to suit their time.] When the Three Kings rose in turn, the three repetitions were complete: the beginning of the year set at the zi, chou, and yin months, and the alternating preference for loyalty, plainness, and refinement. The Way of humankind was complete and the cycle of Heaven's course was fulfilled. [The Doctrine of the Mean says: to rule the world there are three repetitions. Master Zheng says the three repetitions refer to the rites of the Three Kings. Heaven opened at zi, Earth was split at chou, and humankind was born at yin: the Zhou set the year at zi as the Heaven lineage, the Shang at chou as the Earth lineage, and the Xia at yin as the Human lineage, and so the cycle of Heaven was complete. The Xia valued loyalty, the Shang plainness, the Zhou refinement, and so the Way of humankind was complete.] Once the sage kings no longer arose, those who held the world might wish to imitate the ancient traces, but it was only willful, selfish invention. How absurd were their doings: the Qin even set the year's beginning at the hai month; how perverse their way: the Han relied purely on cleverness and force to hold the age, and how could they have known the Way of the former kings? [After the Three Dynasties, the traces of true kings were extinguished. Though the rulers of the day wished to imitate them, they had nothing to examine and merely acted on private whim. Setting the year at zi, chou, and yin was originally a renewal according to the Three Powers; the Qin even made the hai month the head of the year, calling themselves the Water Virtue and hoping to overcome the Zhou. The alternation of loyalty, plainness, and refinement all rested on benevolence and righteousness for their practical use; the Han relied purely on cleverness and force to hold the world, which is why it was said 'the House of Han has its own institutions'. This speaks to the utmost of how the age's changes no longer approached antiquity.] The Master lived at the very end of the Zhou. Because sages no longer arose and governance in harmony with Heaven and the seasons no longer existed, he composed the Spring and Autumn Annals as a great model unchanging for a hundred reigns. This is what is meant by 'examine it against the Three Kings and it is without error; establish it between Heaven and Earth and it is without contradiction; test it before the spirits and it raises no doubt; wait a hundred generations for a sage and it will not be misled.' [The Master composed the Spring and Autumn Annals from the chronicle of Lu, lodging in it the great model for ordering the world; so above he took up the thread about to fall, and below he opened a governance without end. Hence examined against the earlier sages it is without error, compared with Heaven and Earth it is without contradiction, tested against the hidden spirits it raises no doubt, and awaited across a hundred generations it brings no confusion. For Heaven, Earth, and the spirits share one principle, and earlier and later sages share one mind.] The commentaries of earlier scholars say that Ziyou and Zixia could not add a single word. The words did not need adding; it means they could not take part in this. This Way only Master Yan had heard. 'Follow the calendar of the Xia, ride the carriage of the Yin, wear the cap of the Zhou, and for music take the Shao and the Wu dance': this is the standard. [The sage's words never needed assistance; yet that Ziyou and Zixia, masters of literature, could not add a single word is meant to show that this was the beginning and starting point (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'beginning'), in which none but a sage could take part. Master Yan overcame himself and returned to propriety, so that for three months his mind did not depart from benevolence; he was close to the Way, and so alone among his disciples was he given to hear of the rites and music of the four dynasties. The Xia calendar means the Xia took the month when the Dipper's handle points to yin at dusk as the head of the year, which fits human seasons and suits the beginning of work. The carriage is the ancient wooden cart; the Yin carriage was called the Great Carriage. The Zuo Commentary says: 'The Great Carriage with rush mats shows frugality.' It suits use and distinguishes ranks, so its plainness is not disliked. The cap is the sacrificial cap; the Rites of Zhou has the five caps, where the system was first complete. It honors the headdress and makes solemn the sacrifices, so its elegance is not disliked. The Shao dance is Shun's music, perfectly good and perfectly beautiful. Someone asked: Master Yan had heard the great model of the Spring and Autumn Annals; what does this mean? Zhu Xi said: it is not that Confucius told Yan Hui the great model of the Annals. The institutions of the Three Dynasties were fully complete and could not be made again; in telling him of the rites and music of the four dynasties he merely gathered the unchanging great models of the hundred kings. In composing the Annals he took what was good and condemned what was evil, also only to clarify the great model of the sage kings. Hence Yichuan cited it as proof.] Later ages treated the Spring and Autumn Annals as history and said it only praised good and blamed evil, without knowing the great model for ordering the world. The great principles of the Annals number several dozen; though weighty, they shine like the sun and stars and are easy to see. What is hard to know is its subtle wording, hidden meanings, and judgment suited to each time. Now restraining, now indulging, now granting, now withholding, now advancing, now retreating, now concealing, now revealing (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'concealing'), yet attaining the repose of principle, the mean between refinement and plainness, the right measure of leniency and severity, and the impartiality of right and wrong: that is the balance for handling affairs and the model for measuring the Way. [The great principles of the Annals, such as honoring the ruler and lowering the minister, valuing benevolence and righteousness over profit, setting the Central States right and treating the barbarians as outsiders, are weighty and shine like the sun and stars. What is hard to see lies in the subtle wording and hidden meanings, each adapted to its time and suited to the occasion; one who is not deeply versed in timely centrality can hardly glimpse them. Sometimes one with merit is restrained, one with guilt is forgiven; one whose work is not yet done is granted, one whose guilt is not yet evident is denied; one honored is set back, one lowly is advanced; the wording may be softened or the reality made plain. All must attain the repose of principle and fit their own measure; the mean of refinement and plainness, neither florid nor coarse; the right measure of leniency and severity, with neither excess nor lack; and the impartiality of right and wrong, without personal liking or dislike. To measure is to gauge. The balance weighs the weight of a moment, and the model sets the standard for ten thousand generations. Zhu Xi said: the great principles of the Annals, such as 'bringing about the Song disorder' and 'on account of the Song fire', are where the sage condemns plainly and are clear in themselves. But Master Hu's saying that writing 'Marquis of Jin' treats Duke Xiang of Jin by ordinary sentiment, and writing 'men of Qin' treats Duke Mu of Qin by royal standards, may not be so. What is hard to know, the subtle wording and hidden meanings adapted to the moment, is exactly this.] Observe the hundred things and then you recognize the spirit of Nature's craft; gather many materials and then you know the use of a house; to try to glimpse the sage's intention in a single matter or a single principle is beyond all but the most gifted. Therefore one who studies the Annals must linger and steep in it, silently recognize and understand with the heart, and only then can he reach its subtlety (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'subtlety'). [The sage's refined meaning enters the spirit and responds in all situations aptly; it cannot be glimpsed from one angle. So one who studies the Annals must linger unhurriedly and soak in it with more than enough, awakening and attaining by himself, and then he may come near to a deep attainment of its depths (the received text has corrupted characters here).] If later kings understood the principles of the Annals, then even if their virtue were not that of Yu or Tang, they could still model the governance of the Three Dynasties. From the Qin onward this learning was not transmitted. I grieve that the sage's intention is not clear to later ages, so I wrote a commentary to make it clear, so that people of later times may master its text and seek its meaning, grasp its intent and model its use, and the Three Dynasties may be restored. Though this commentary has not exhausted the sage's depths, I hope students may find the door and enter. [From the Collected Writings. Only after mastering the text can one make its meaning clear; only after grasping its intent can one model its use.]"

詩書載道之文春秋聖人之用詩書如藥方春秋如用藥治病聖人之用全在此書所謂不如載之行事深切著明者也【道非無用用無非廹然詩書即道而推於用主道而言故曰載道之文春秋即用以明道主用而言故曰聖人之用詩書如藥方固可以治病春秋如因病用藥是非得失尤為深切著明者也】有重疊言者如征伐盟防之類葢欲成書勢須如此不可事事各求異義但一字有異或上下文異則義須別【遺書下同】

Master Cheng said: "The Odes and the Documents are texts that carry the Way; the Spring and Autumn Annals is the sage's practical use. The Odes and the Documents are like prescriptions; the Annals is like using the medicine to treat illness. The sage's practical use lies wholly in this book. This is what is meant by 'better to show it in actual deeds, where it is deep, pressing, and plain.' [The Way is not without use, nor is use something forced on from outside; the Odes and Documents take the Way and extend it to use, speaking primarily of the Way, so they are called texts that carry the Way; the Annals takes use to make the Way clear, speaking primarily of use, so it is called the sage's use. The Odes and Documents are like prescriptions, which can certainly cure illness; the Annals is like applying medicine according to the illness, and its right and wrong, gain and loss are all the more deep, pressing, and plain.] There are repeated statements, such as for campaigns and covenants and meetings (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'meetings'), because a book must be composed and the situation requires it; one cannot seek a different meaning in every instance. But where a single character differs, or the context differs, there the meaning must differ. [From the Surviving Writings; the same below.]"

五經之有春秋猶法律之有防例也律令唯言其法至於防例則始見其法之用也【律令者立法以應事防例者因事以用法】學春秋亦善一句是一事是非便見於此此亦窮理之要然他經豈不可以窮理但他經論其義春秋因其行事是非較著故窮理為要【較判別也春秋一句為一事故是非易決又考其事蹟而是非易明故於窮理為要】甞語學者且先讀論語孟子更讀一經然後看春秋先識得個義理方可看春秋【更讀一經如下文所論中庸春秋雖於窮理為要然又須義理通明然後能察人事得失之機識聖人裁製之權】春秋以何為準無如中膺欲知中庸無如權須是時而為中若以手足腁胝閉戸不出二者之間取中便不是中若當手足腁胝則於此為中當閉戶不出則於此為中【春秋之權衡即中庸之時中也若於禹顔之間取中則當洪水之時不躬乎胼胝之勞在陋巷之時不安乎簞瓢之樂皆失乎時中矣】權之為言秤錘之義也何物為權義也時也只是説得到義義以上更難説在人自看如何【義者所以處時措之宜所謂權也義以上則聖人之妙用未易以言盡也】

Master Cheng said: "Among the Five Classics, the Spring and Autumn Annals is like the case rules in a legal code (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'rules'). Statutes only state the law; it is in the case rules that the application of the law is first seen. [Statutes establish laws to meet matters; case rules apply the law according to the matter.] It is good to study the Annals: one sentence is one affair, and right and wrong appear in it, which is also the key to investigating principle. But could other classics not be used to investigate principle? They discuss the meaning, whereas the Annals follows the actual conduct, so right and wrong are more evident, and hence it is the key to investigating principle. [To 'compare' is to distinguish. In the Annals one sentence is one affair, so right and wrong are easy to decide; and since one examines the deeds, right and wrong are easy to clarify. So it is the key to investigating principle.] I have told students: first read the Analects and the Mencius, then read one more classic, and then look at the Annals. One must first recognize the principle, and only then can one look at the Annals. [The 'one more classic' is the Doctrine of the Mean discussed below. Though the Annals is the key to investigating principle, one must first understand principle thoroughly, and then one can discern the pivot of human gain and loss and recognize the sage's discretion.] By what standard does the Annals proceed? None is better than the Doctrine of the Mean (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'Mean'). To know the Mean, none is better than discretion. One must take the mean according to the time. If one tried to take the mean between a person whose hands and feet are calloused with toil and one who shuts his door and does not go out, that would not be the mean. If the time calls for calloused hands and feet, then the mean is there; if it calls for shutting the door, then the mean is there. [The balance of the Annals is the timely mean of the Doctrine of the Mean. If one took the mean between Yu and Yan Hui, then in the time of the flood one would not bear the toil of calluses, and in the narrow lane one would not be at ease with a bamboo bowl and a gourd ladle; in both cases one would lose the timely mean.] 'Discretion' as a word carries the sense of a steelyard weight. What is the weight? Rightness, and the time. One speaks only up to rightness; above rightness it is harder to speak, and it depends on how each person sees it. [Rightness is how one handles the fitting measure of the time, which is discretion. Above rightness is the sage's wondrous function, not easily exhausted in words.]"

春秋傳為按經為防【本注程子又云某年二十時看春秋黃□偶問某如何看某答曰以傳考經之事蹟以經別傳之真偽】

Master Cheng said: "In the Spring and Autumn Annals, the commentary is the case record and the classic is the verdict (the received text has corrupted characters here, which should read 'case record' and 'verdict'). [The original note: Master Cheng also said: when I was twenty and read the Annals, Master Huang (the received text has a missing character here) happened to ask me how I read it. I answered: I use the commentary to examine the facts of the classic, and I use the classic to tell the true from the false in the commentary.]"

凡讀史不徒要記事蹟須要識其治亂安危興廢存亡之理且如讀髙帝紀便須識得漢家四百年終始治亂當如何是亦學也【觀髙祖寛大長者能用三傑則知漢所以得天下觀其入闗除秦苟法則知漢所以立四百年基業觀偽遊雲夢則知諸侯王次第而叛觀系蕭相國獄則知漢之大臣多不保終如此之類皆致知之方也】

Master Cheng said: "In reading history, one should not merely memorize events; one must recognize the principles of order and disorder, safety and danger, rise and fall, survival and loss. For example, in reading the Annals of Emperor Gao, one must know how the four hundred years of the House of Han went from beginning to end through order and disorder; this too is learning. [Look at Gaozu as a generous, magnanimous man able to employ the Three Heroes, and you know why the Han won the empire; look at how he entered the pass and abolished the Qin's harsh laws, and you know why the Han could found a four-hundred-year dynasty; look at his false excursion to Yunmeng, and you know why the feudal kings rebelled in turn; look at his imprisoning of Chancellor Xiao, and you know why the Han's great ministers mostly did not end well. Things like these are all methods of extending knowledge.]"

先生每讀史到一半便掩卷思量料其成敗然後卻看有不合處又更精思其間多有幸而成不幸而敗今人只見成者便以為是貶者便以為非不知成者煞有不是敗者煞有是底

Master Cheng said: "When the Master read history, he would close the book halfway, think it over, and predict the success or failure, and then continue reading. Where it did not match, he would think more finely. Among these cases there were many that succeeded by luck and failed by misfortune. People today see only the successful and take them to be right, the failed and take them to be wrong, not knowing that the successful often have much that is wrong and the failed often have much that is right."

讀史須見聖賢所存治亂之機賢人君子出處進退便是格物【機謂治忽動於防防者】

Master Cheng said: "In reading history one must see the pivots of order and disorder that the sages and worthies held to, and how worthy men and gentlemen took office or withdrew, advanced or retreated; this is investigating things. ['Pivot' means that order and neglect are stirred by the tiniest signs (the received text has corrupted characters here).]"

元祐中客有見伊川者几案間無他書惟印行唐鑑一部先生曰近方見此書三代以後無此議論【外書○範祖禹字淳夫按外書又云範淳夫甞與伊川論唐事及為唐鑑盡用先生之説先生謂門人曰淳夫乃能相信如此】橫渠先生曰序卦不可謂非聖人之蘊今欲安置一物猶求審處況聖人之於易其間雖無極至精義大槩皆有意思觀聖人之書須遍佈細宻如是大匠豈以一斧可知哉【橫渠易説】

In the Yuanyou years, a visitor called on Yichuan and saw no other book on his desk except a printed copy of the Tang Mirror. The Master said: "I have only recently seen this book; since the Three Dynasties there has been no such discourse." [From the Outer Writings. Fan Zuyu was styled Chunfu. The Outer Writings also says: Fan Chunfu once discussed Tang affairs with Yichuan, and when he wrote the Tang Mirror he entirely used the Master's views. The Master said to his disciples: Chunfu was able to believe so firmly.] Master Hengqu said: "The Sequence of the Hexagrams cannot be said not to hold the sage's depths. Even if I now want to place some object I still seek a careful arrangement; how much more the sage with the Changes? Though it may not contain the ultimate refined meaning, in general there is thought in every part. To read the sage's books one must proceed as widely and as finely as this; how could a great craftsman be understood from a single axe stroke?" [From Hengqu's Discourse on the Changes.]

天官之職須襟懷洪大方看得葢其規模至大若不得此心欲事事上致曲窮究湊合此心如是之大必不能得也【周建六官而天官冢宰統理邦國內外之政小大之事無所不總若非心量廣大何以包舉四海綜理百職今無此心量但欲毎事委曲窮究必不能周悉通貫之矣】釋氏錙銖天地可謂至大然不甞為大則為事不得若畀之一錢則必亂矣【釋氏論性極廣大然不可以理事其體用不相涉也如此】又曰太宰之職難看葢無許大心胷包羅記得此復忘彼其混混天下之事當如捕龍蛇摶虎豹用心力看方可其他五官便易看止一職也【語録下同】

Master Cheng said: "The office of the Heavenly Minister can be understood only with a vast breadth of mind. Its scale is so great that if one lacks such a mind and tries to examine every matter in detail to fit together a mind so great, one will certainly not succeed. [The Zhou established six ministries, and the Heavenly Minister, the Chief Steward, oversaw the governance of the state within and without, with nothing great or small beyond his purview. Without a vast capacity of mind, how could he encompass the four seas and manage a hundred offices? Without such a capacity now, one who tries to probe every matter in detail will certainly fail to grasp them all thoroughly.] The Buddhists weigh Heaven and Earth in ounces and grains and may be said to be greatest, but they have not truly been great, and so they cannot handle affairs; give them a single coin and they will surely fall into confusion. [The Buddhists discuss nature as extremely vast, yet they cannot order affairs; their substance and function have no connection, just as described.] He also said: the post of Grand Steward is hard to understand, because without so great a breadth of heart to encompass it, one remembers this and forgets that. To manage the confused affairs of the world one must apply one's mind and strength as though capturing dragons and snakes or grappling tigers and leopards. The other five offices are easy to understand, since each is just one office. [From the Recorded Sayings; the same below.]"

古人能知詩者惟孟子為其以意逆志也夫詩人之志至平易不必為艱嶮求之今以艱嶮求詩則已喪其本心何由見詩人之志【人情不相逺以己之意迎彼之志是為得之詩以感遇而發於人情之自然本為平易今以艱嶮之心求詩則已失吾心之自然矣而何以見詩人之心】詩人之情性溫厚平易老成本平地上道著言語今須以﨑嶇求之先其心已狹隘了則無由見得詩人之情本樂易只為時事拂著他樂易之性故以詩道其志【詩人之情性溫厚而無刻薄平易而無艱嶮老成而無輕躁若以崎嶇狹隘之心安能見詩人寛平廣大之意】

Master Cheng said: "Among the ancients, the only one who knew the Odes was Mencius, because he used his own understanding to meet the poet's intention. The intention of the poets is extremely plain; there is no need to seek it through difficulty and obscurity. If one now seeks the Odes through difficulty and obscurity, one has already lost one's original mind, and how can one see the poet's intention? [Human feelings are not far apart; to meet the other's intention with one's own understanding is how one gets it. The Odes arise from encounters and from the natural flow of human feeling, and are by nature plain. If one now seeks the Odes with a difficult and obscure mind, one has already lost the naturalness of one's own mind, and how can one see the poet's mind?] The poets' temperament is gentle, plain, and mature, and they speak on level ground. If one now insists on seeking through rugged paths, one's mind is already narrow, and there is no way to see the poets' feeling. Their nature was originally cheerful and easygoing; it was only that the times ran against that nature, so they expressed their intention in the Odes. [The poets' temperament is gentle without harshness, plain without obscurity, mature without haste. If one seeks with a rugged, narrow mind, how can one see the poets' breadth and vastness of intention?]"

尚書難看葢難得胷臆如此之大隻欲解義則無難也【朱子曰他書卻有次第尚書只合下便大如堯典克明峻徳以親九族至黎民於變時雍展開是大小大分命羲和定四時成嵗便是心中包一個三百六十五度四分度之一底天方見得恁地若不得一個大底心胷如何看得】

Master Cheng said: "The Book of Documents is hard to read because it is hard to have a breast so great; if one only wants to explain the meaning, it is not hard. [Zhu Xi said: other books have an order, but the Documents is great from the very start. Take the Canon of Yao, 'He was able to illuminate his lofty virtue and bring harmony to the nine branches of his clan,' up to 'the common people were transformed and became harmonious': how vast that unfolds. Then he divided and commissioned Xi and He to fix the four seasons and complete the year, which means holding in the mind a Heaven of three hundred and sixty-five and a quarter degrees; only then can one see it thus. Without a great breadth of mind, how can one read it?]"

讀書少則無由考校得義精葢書以維持此心一時放下則一時徳性有懈讀書則此心常在不讀書則終看義理不見【讀書不多則見義不精然讀書者又所以維持此心使無放逸也故讀書則心存心存則理得】

Master Cheng said: "If one reads little, there is no way to compare and examine so as to attain refined meaning. For books are used to sustain this mind; if they are put down for a moment, virtue slackens for that moment. When one reads, this mind is ever present; if one does not read, in the end one cannot see principle. [If one does not read much, one's insight into meaning is not refined; yet reading is also how one sustains this mind so that it does not stray. Hence reading preserves the mind, and a preserved mind attains principle.]"

書須成誦精思多在夜中或靜坐得之不記則思不起但通貫得大原後書亦易記【朱子曰書須成誦少問不知不覺自然觸發曉得葢一段文義橫在心下自是放不得必曉得而後已今人所以記不得思不去心下若存若亡皆不精不熟之故也又曰橫渠作正防時或夜裡黙坐徹曉他直是恁地勇方做得】所以觀書者釋己之疑明己之未達每見每知新益則學進矣於不疑處有疑方是進矣【每見是書而每加新孟則學進矣然學固足以釋疑而學亦貴於有疑葢疑則能思思則能得於無疑而有疑則察理宻矣】

Master Hengqu said: "Books must be recited until known by heart and pondered closely; much is gained at night or in quiet sitting. If one does not memorize, thought cannot arise. But once one has grasped the great source, books too become easy to remember. [Zhu Xi said: books must be recited from memory, and after a while one understands without noticing, by being stirred and set off; for a passage of meaning lies in the mind and naturally cannot be put down, and one must understand it before stopping. The reason people today cannot remember and cannot think is that the mind half exists and half does not, and this is because they are neither refined nor familiar. He also said: when Hengqu composed the Correcting Youthful Ignorance (the received text has a corrupted character here), he would sometimes sit silent through the night until dawn; he was truly that vigorous, and only so could he accomplish it.] One who looks at books is resolving his own doubts and clarifying what he has not yet reached. Each time he reads he learns something new, and so his learning advances. To have doubt where there was no doubt is to have advanced. [Each time one reads a book and gains something new (the received text has a corrupted character here, which should read 'new gain'), learning advances. Though learning can certainly resolve doubts, learning also values having doubts. For doubt makes one think, and thinking makes one attain; to doubt where there was no doubt is to have examined principle more closely.]"

六經須循環理防義理盡無窮待自家長得一格則又見得別

Master Hengqu said: "The Six Classics must be gone through in cycles and understood (the received text has a corrupted character here); their principles and meanings are altogether inexhaustible. When you have gained another grade, you will see something different again."

如中庸文字輩直須句句理防過使其言互相發明春秋之書在古無有乃仲尼所自作惟孟子能知之非理明義精殆未可學先儒未及此而治之故其説多鑿【孟子論春秋皆發明聖人之大旨舉春秋之綱領後人未及於理明義精而揣摩臆決故其説多鑿】

Master Hengqu said: "For writings like the Doctrine of the Mean, one must understand every single sentence (the received text has a corrupted character here), so that the words illuminate one another. The Spring and Autumn Annals was something that did not exist in antiquity; Zhongni composed it himself, and only Mencius could know it. Unless principle is clear and meaning refined, one can hardly study it. Earlier scholars, not having reached this, took it up and so their explanations are mostly forced. [Mencius's discussions of the Annals all bring out the sage's great purpose and raise the Annals' main outline. Later people, not having reached clear principle and refined meaning, guessed and decided by conjecture, so their explanations are mostly forced.]"

此卷論存養葢窮格之雖至而涵養之不足則其知將日昏而亦何以為力行之地哉故存養之功實貫乎知行而此卷之編列乎二者之間也

This volume discusses preserving and nourishing the mind. Even if the work of investigating things is carried to its utmost, if cultivation is insufficient, then one's knowledge will grow darker by the day, and how then can there be ground for vigorous practice? Hence the work of preserving and nourishing runs through both knowing and acting, and this is why this volume is placed between the two.

或問聖可學乎濂溪先生曰可有要乎曰有請問焉曰一為要一者無慾也無慾則靜虛動直靜虛則明明則通動直則公公則溥明通公溥庶矣乎【通書○一者統一而不雜也湛然無慾心乃純一靜而所存者一人慾消盡故虛虛則生明而能通天下之理動而所存者一天理流行故直直則大公而能周天下之務動靜惟一明通公溥庶防作聖之功用○朱子曰此章之旨最為要切學者能深玩而力行之則有以知無極之真兩儀四象之本皆不外乎此心而曰用間自無別用力處矣】

Someone asked: "Can sagehood be learned?" Master Lianxi said: "It can." "Is there an essential?" He said: "There is." "May I ask what it is?" He said: "Oneness is the essential. Oneness means having no desire. With no desire, in stillness one is empty, and in motion one is upright. Being empty in stillness brings clarity, and clarity brings penetration; being upright in motion brings impartiality, and impartiality brings universality. Clarity, penetration, impartiality, universality: one is then close to it." [From the Penetrating the Book of Changes. Oneness means unity without mixture. When one is serene and without desire, the mind becomes purely one. In stillness what is preserved is one, and human desires are exhausted so one is empty; emptiness gives rise to clarity and can penetrate the principles of the world. In motion what is preserved is one, and heavenly principle flows freely so one is upright; uprightness is great impartiality and can reach all the affairs of the world. In motion and in stillness there is only oneness, and clarity, penetration, impartiality, and universality are close to the work of becoming a sage (the received text has a corrupted character here). Zhu Xi said: the purport of this chapter is the most essential and pressing. If students can savor it deeply and practice it with vigor, they will know that the truth of the Non-Ultimate and the root of the Two Modes and Four Images do not go beyond this mind, and in daily life there will be no other place to apply effort.]

伊川先生曰陽始生甚防安靜而後能長故復之象曰先王以至日閉闗【易傳下同○朱子曰一陽初復陽氣甚防不可勞動故當安靜以養防陽如人善端方萌正欲靜以養之方能盛大○愚謂天人之氣流通無間至日閉闗財成輔相之道於是見矣】動息節宣以養生也飲食衣服以養形也威儀行義以養徳也推己及物以養人也【頣卦傳威儀見於容貎行義著於事葉】慎言語以養其徳節飲食以養其體事之至近而所繫至大者莫過於言語飲食也【頤卦象傳言語不謹則敗徳飲食無度則病身】震驚百里不喪匕鬯臨大震懼能安而不自失者惟誠敬而已此處震之道也【震卦彖傳七以載實鬯秬酒也雷震驚百里可謂震矣而奉祀者不失其匕鬯誠敬盡於祀事則雖震而不為驚也是知君子當大患難大恐懼處之安而不自失者惟存誠篤至中有所主則威震不足以動之矣】

Master Yichuan said: "When the yang first arises it is very faint; only when it is quiet and still can it grow. Hence the Image of the hexagram Fu (Return) says: 'The former kings closed the passes on the day of the solstice.' [From the Commentary on the Changes; likewise below. Note by Zhu Xi: When one yang first returns, the yang qi is very faint and must not be stirred; one should therefore stay quiet to nurture the faint yang, just as when a person's good sprouts begin to bud, one wants to nurture them in stillness so that they can grow strong. Note by Ye Cai: The qi of Heaven and of humans flows together without a gap; in closing the passes on the solstice, the way of completing and assisting the work of Heaven and Earth can be seen.] Regulating movement and rest, and measuring out what one takes in, nurtures life; food and clothing nurture the body; dignified bearing and righteous conduct nurture virtue; extending oneself to others nurtures people. [From the Commentary on the hexagram Yi (Nourishment). Dignified bearing shows in one's appearance, and righteous conduct shows in what one does.] Guarding one's words nurtures one's virtue; moderating food and drink nurtures one's body. Nothing is closer at hand yet bears on so much as speech and eating and drinking. [From the Commentary on the Image of the hexagram Yi. Careless speech ruins virtue, and intemperate eating and drinking harm the body.] 'Thunder shakes a hundred li, yet he does not drop the ladle and the sacrificial wine.' To face great shock and fear and remain at peace without losing oneself, there is only sincerity and reverence. This is the way of dealing with the hexagram Zhen (Thunder). [From the Commentary on the Judgment of the hexagram Zhen. The ladle is used to lift the sacrificial meat, and the sacrificial wine is made of black millet. Thunder that shakes a hundred li can truly be called a shock, yet the one who conducts the sacrifice does not lose his ladle and wine: because his sincerity and reverence are fully given to the sacrifice, he is not alarmed even amid the shock. From this we know that when a noble person meets great calamity or great fear and stays at peace and does not lose himself, it is only because he preserves sincerity and has an utterly earnest inner master, so that even the might of thunder cannot move him.]"

人之所以不能安其止者動於欲也欲牽於前而求其止不可得也故艮之道當艮其背所見者在前而背乃背之是所不見也止於所不見則無慾以亂其心而止乃安【艮卦彖傳不見可欲則心不亂然非屏視聴也葢不牽於欲則無私邪之見耳○朱子曰即非禮勿視聴言動之意】不獲其身不見其身也謂忘我也無我則止矣不能無我無可止之道【朱子曰外既無非禮之視聴言動則內自不見有私己之慾矣】行其庭不見其人庭除之間至近也在背則雖至近不見謂不交於物也【不交於物非絶物也亦謂中有所主不誘於外物之交也○朱子曰奸聲亂色不留聰明淫樂慝禮不接心術惰慢邪僻之氣不設於身體是也】外物不接內欲不萌如是而止乃得止之道於止為無咎也【內欲不萌不獲其身也外物不接不見其人也人已兩忘內外各定是動靜之間各得其所止何咎之有】

Master Yichuan said: "The reason people cannot rest securely where they should stop is that they are moved by desire. If desire pulls at them from the front, they seek to stop and cannot. Therefore the way of the hexagram Gen (Keeping Still) is to keep the back still: what one sees lies in front, and the back turns away from it, so one does not see it. If one stops at what one does not see, there is no desire to disturb the heart, and the stopping is at peace. [From the Commentary on the Judgment of the hexagram Gen. If one does not see what could be desired, the heart is not disturbed. Yet this does not mean shutting out sight and hearing; it means that when one is not pulled by desire, one has no selfish or crooked view. Note by Zhu Xi: This is the same idea as not looking, listening, speaking or acting contrary to ritual propriety.] 'He does not get hold of his body' means he does not see his body, that is, he forgets the self. With no self there is stopping. If one cannot be without self, there is no way to stop. [Note by Zhu Xi: When outwardly there is no looking, listening, speaking or acting contrary to ritual, inwardly one naturally does not see any selfish desire.] 'He walks in his courtyard and does not see his people': the courtyard is very near, but if it is behind one's back, even what is very near is not seen; this means not being entangled with things. [Not being entangled with things does not mean cutting oneself off from them; it also means having a master within and not being lured by contact with external things. Note by Zhu Xi: Lewd sounds and disordered colors are not allowed to remain in one's ears and eyes, licentious music and corrupt rites are not admitted into one's heart, and lazy, arrogant and depraved moods are not put on the body: this is exactly what it means.] When external things are not met and inner desires do not sprout, and one stops in this way, one gains the way of stopping, and in stopping there is no fault. [Inner desires not sprouting is 'not getting hold of his body'; external things not being met is 'not seeing his people'. When self and others are both forgotten and inner and outer are each settled, then in movement and stillness each finds its proper place to stop, so what fault could there be?]"

明道先生曰若不能存養只是説話【遺書下同○徒事問辨而不加存養口耳之學也】

Master Mingdao said: "If one cannot preserve and nurture the heart, it is only talk. [From the Surviving Writings; likewise below. To devote oneself to questioning and debate without preserving and nurturing the heart is learning that goes in at the ear and out at the mouth.]"

聖賢千言萬語只是欲人將已放之心約之使反覆入身來自能尋向上去下學而上達也【聖賢垂訓多端求其指歸則不過欲存此心而己心不外馳則學問日進於髙明矣○朱子曰孟子求放心乃開示要切之言程子又發明之曲盡其防學者宜服膺而勿失也】

Master Mingdao said: "The thousand words and ten thousand sayings of the sages and worthies only want people to take the heart that has been let go, rein it in, and bring it back into themselves, so that they can then find their own way upward, studying the lower things and reaching the higher. [The sages and worthies left many kinds of teaching, but if one seeks their main point, it is only that we should preserve this heart. When the heart does not race outward, learning advances day by day toward what is lofty and bright. Note by Zhu Xi: Mencius's 'seeking the lost heart' was a vital and urgent instruction; Master Cheng elaborated it further and expressed its subtlety completely. Students should take it to heart and not lose it.]"

李龥問每常遇事即能知操存之意無事時如何存養得熟明道曰古之人耳之於樂目之於禮左右起居盤盂几杖有銘有戒動息皆有所養今皆廢此獨有理義之養心耳但存此涵養意久則自熟矣敬以直內是涵養意【李龥字端伯程子門人也義理養心本兼動靜但此答無事時如何存養得熟故曰但存涵養意久則自熟敬則心存於中無所越逸即涵養之意】

Li Xu asked: "Whenever I meet with affairs, I can understand the sense of holding fast and preserving the heart; but when there are no affairs, how can I nurture it until it is ripe?" Mingdao said: "The ancients had music for the ear and ritual for the eye; in their daily living, on their bowls, basins, tables and staffs, there were inscriptions and warnings, so that every movement and rest was nurtured. Today all of this is abandoned, and only the nurturing of the heart by moral principle remains. Just hold to the intention of cultivation, and in time it will naturally ripen. 'Reverence to straighten the inner life' is the intention of cultivation." [Li Xu, courtesy name Duanbo, was a disciple of Master Cheng. Nurturing the heart with moral principle covers both movement and stillness, but since this answer is about how to nurture it to ripeness when there are no affairs, it says: just hold to the intention of cultivation, and in time it will ripen. When one is reverent, the heart is kept within and does not stray, and that is the intention of cultivation.]

呂與叔甞言患思慮多不能驅除明道曰此正如破屋中御宼東面一人來未逐得西面又一人至矣左右前後驅逐不暇葢其四面空疎盜固易入無縁作得主定又如虛器入水水自然入若以一器實之以水置之水中水何能入來葢中有主則實實則外患不能入自然無事【誠存則邪自閒矣】

Lu Yushu once said that he suffered from having too many thoughts and worries and could not drive them away. Mingdao said: "It is just like defending a ruined house against bandits: one comes from the east and has not yet been driven off when another arrives from the west, and one has no time to chase them off on every side. Since all four sides are empty and open, thieves enter easily and there is no way to set up a settled master. It is also like an empty vessel put into water: water naturally enters it. But if you fill a vessel with water and put it into the water, how could water get in? When there is a master within, the heart is full, and when it is full, outside troubles cannot enter, and naturally there is no trouble." [When sincerity is preserved, wickedness is naturally kept out.]

邢和叔言五曹常須愛養精力精力稍不足則倦所臨事皆勉強而無誠意接賓客語言尚可見況臨大事乎【邢恕字和叔】

Xing Heshu said: "We should always cherish and nurture our energy. If our energy is even slightly insufficient, we grow weary, and whatever we face we do half-heartedly and without sincerity. This can be seen even in receiving guests and conversing, let alone in facing great affairs." [Xing Shu, courtesy name Heshu.]

明道先生曰學者全體此心學雖未盡若事物之來不可不應但隨分限應之雖不中不逺矣【體猶體幹全體謂全主宰以為應酬之本心存而理得雖有不中於理亦不逺矣】

Master Mingdao said: "If a student embodies this heart in its whole, then even though his learning is not yet complete, when things come that cannot but be answered, he simply answers them according to his measure, and even if he does not hit the mark, he will not be far off. ["Embody" is like the body's trunk. Embodying the whole means keeping intact the master within as the root of dealing with affairs. When the heart is preserved and principle is grasped, even if one does not accord with principle, one is not far from it.]"

居處恭執事敬與人忠此是徹上徹下語聖人元無二語【説見論語○恭者敬之形於外者也平居之時齋荘嚴肅儼然於容貎而已及夫執事而敬主於事與人而忠推於人自始學以至成徳皆不外此但勉強與安行之異耳】

Master Cheng said: "'In private life be respectful, in handling affairs be reverent, in dealing with others be loyal': these words apply equally to the highest and the lowest, and the sage never had two different teachings. [This is found in the Analects. Respect is reverence showing on the outside: in ordinary life one is grave and solemn, merely dignified in appearance; when handling affairs one is reverent, focused on the task; in dealing with others one is loyal, extending oneself to them. From the beginning of study to the perfecting of virtue, nothing goes beyond this; the only difference is between making an effort and acting at ease.]"

伊川先生曰學者須敬守此心不可急迫當栽培深厚涵泳於其間然後可以自得但急迫求之只是私己終不足以達道【養心莫善於持敬然不可執持太迫反成私意於道卻有礙】

Master Yichuan said: "A student must reverently guard this heart, but must not be hasty or pressing; he should cultivate it deeply and generously and steep himself in it, and only then can he attain it for himself. If he seeks it in haste, it is only selfishness, and in the end it cannot lead him to the Way. [To nurture the heart nothing is better than maintaining reverence, but one must not grip it too tightly, or it turns into a selfish intention and becomes an obstacle to the Way.]"

明道先生曰思無邪毋不敬只此二句循而行之安得有差有差者皆由不敬不正也【詩魯頌曰思無邪曲禮曰毋不敬心存乎中而邪念不作則見之所行自無差失○朱子曰思無邪是心正意誠毋不敬是正心誠意】

Master Mingdao said: "'Thoughts without depravity' and 'Let nothing be done without reverence': if one simply follows these two sentences, how could there be any error? All errors come from lack of reverence and lack of rectitude. [The Odes, in the Hymns of Lu, speak of 'thoughts without depravity', and the Record of Rites, in Qu Li, says 'Let nothing be done without reverence'. When the heart is preserved within and no wicked thoughts arise, what is done will naturally be free of error. Note by Zhu Xi: 'Thoughts without depravity' means a heart that is upright and a will that is sincere; 'let nothing be done without reverence' means rectifying the heart and making the will sincere.]"

今學者敬而不自得又不安者只是心生【持敬而無自得之意又為之不安者但存心未熟之故】亦是太以敬來做事得重此恭而無禮則勞也恭者私為恭之恭也禮者非體之禮是自然底道理也只恭而不為自然底道理故不自在也須是恭而安【作意太過勉強以為恭而不知禮本自然是以勞而不安也私為恭者作意以為恭而非其公行者也非體之禮謂非升降揖遜之儀鋪筵設幾之文葢自然安順之理】今容貎必端言語必正者非是道獨善其身要人道如何只是天理合如此本無私意只是個循理而已【私意謂矯飾作為之意循理則順乎自然盡乎當然何不安之有】

Master Mingdao said: "Nowadays students who are reverent but do not feel at ease with themselves or at peace are simply people whose hearts are unripe. [To maintain reverence yet have no sense of self-possession and even feel uneasy about it is only because one has not yet preserved the heart to ripeness.] It is also that they take reverence too heavily in handling affairs; this is what 'respectfulness without ritual propriety becomes laborious' means. The respect here is respect practiced out of private motive, and the ritual is not the formal ritual of ceremony but the natural principle. If one is only respectful and does not follow the natural principle, one is not at ease. One must be respectful and at peace. [To act with too much deliberate intention and force oneself to be respectful, without knowing that ritual is by nature spontaneous, makes one weary and uneasy. 'Respect out of private motive' means deliberately making oneself respectful, which is not public conduct. 'Ritual that is not formal' means it is not the ceremony of ascending and descending steps, bowing and yielding, or spreading mats and setting out tables, but the principle of natural ease and compliance.] If today one's appearance must be correct and one's speech must be proper, it is not to improve oneself alone or to have people praise one; it is only that Heavenly principle ought to be so, with no private intention, simply following principle. [Private intention means the intention to feign and contrive. If one follows principle, one accords with what is natural and fulfills what is proper, so what unease could there be?]"

今志於義理而心不安樂者何也此則正是剩一個助之長雖則心操之則存舍之則亡然而持之太甚便是必有事焉而正之也亦須且恁去【有志問學而作意太迫則有助長欲速之患○朱子曰正預期也春秋傳曰戰不正勝是也説見孟子】如此者只是徳孤徳不孤必有鄰到徳盛後自無窒礙左右逢其原也【孤謂寡特而無輔也涵養未充義理單薄故無自得之意及徳盛而不孤則胷中無滯礙左右逢其原沛然有餘裕又何不安樂之有】

Master Mingdao said: "Now, when one sets one's will on moral principle but the heart finds no peace and joy, why is that? It is precisely a case of the surplus of 'helping it grow.' Although it is true that the heart 'is preserved if held and lost if let go,' to hold it too tightly is to 'be sure to work at it and yet to expect results.' One should just go on like this for the time being. [To set one's will on study but be too pressing in one's intention brings the trouble of helping things grow and wanting speed. Note by Zhu Xi: 'Expecting' means anticipating a result. The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals says 'In battle, do not count on victory,' which is the same idea. The saying comes from Mencius.] People like this are only 'virtue that stands alone.' 'Virtue does not stand alone; it must have neighbors.' When virtue is abundant, there will naturally be no obstruction, and one will meet the source on every side. ["Alone" means isolated and without support. When cultivation is not yet full and moral principle is thin, there is no sense of having it for oneself; but when virtue is abundant and does not stand alone, there is no blockage in the chest, one meets the source on left and right, and overflows with ease, so what lack of peace and joy could there be?]"

敬而無失便是喜怒哀樂未發謂之中敬不可謂中但敬而無失即所以中也【此言靜而主敬事物未交心主乎敬不偏不倚即所謂未發之中敬非中敬所以養其中也】

Master Cheng said: "To be reverent without lapse is exactly what is meant by 'before joy, anger, sorrow and delight are aroused, it is called the mean.' One cannot say that reverence is the mean, but reverence without lapse is the means of attaining the mean. [This speaks of maintaining reverence in stillness: before things have been engaged, the heart is centered on reverence, neither inclining to one side nor leaning to the other, which is precisely what is called the mean before arousal. Reverence is not the mean; reverence is what nurtures the mean.]"

伊川先生曰司馬子防甞作坐忘論是所謂坐馳也【司馬承楨字子防唐天寳中隠居於天台之赤城甞著論八篇言清淨無為坐忘遺照之道按程子又曰有忘之心乃是馳也】

Master Yichuan said: "Sima Ziwei once wrote the 'Discourse on Sitting in Forgetfulness,' which is exactly what is called 'sitting while the mind gallops.' [Sima Chengzhen, courtesy name Ziwei, lived in seclusion at Chicheng on Mount Tiantai during the Tianbao era of the Tang, and wrote eight essays on the way of purity, non-action, sitting in forgetfulness, and illumination without effort. Master Cheng also said: a mind that is intent on forgetting is itself galloping.]"

伯淳昔在長安倉中閒坐見長廊柱以意數之已尚不疑再數之不合不免令人一一聲言數之乃與初數者無差則知越著心把捉越不定【著意把捉則心已為之動故愈差】明道先生曰人心作主不定正如一個翻車流轉動揺無須臾停所感萬端若不做一個主怎生奈何張天祺昔甞言自約數年自上著床便不得思量事不思量事後須強把他這心來制縛亦須寄寓在一個形象皆非自然君實自謂吾得術矣只管念箇中字此又為中所繫且中有何形象【張戩字天祺欲強絶思慮然心無安頓處司馬溫公欲寓此心於中字亦未免有所繫著○朱子曰譬如人家不自作主卻請別人來作主】有人胷中常若有兩人焉欲為善如有惡以為之間欲為不善又若有羞惡之心者本無二人此正交戰之驗也持其志使氣不能亂此大可驗要之聖賢必不害心疾【此言應事處有善惡交戰之患亦是心無所主故也苟能持守其志不為氣所勝則所主者定何有紛紜】

Master Mingdao said: "Once, when Bochun (I) was sitting idle in a granary in Chang'an, I looked at the pillars of the long corridor and counted them in my mind, and there was no doubt about the count. When I counted again it did not agree, so I could not help but have someone count them aloud one by one, and the result was no different from my first count. From this I knew that the harder one tries to grasp the mind, the less settled it becomes. [When one tries to grasp it by intention, the mind has already been disturbed by that, so the error grows.] When the human heart has no settled master, it is just like a water-wheel, turning and swaying without a moment's rest, affected by ten thousand things. If it does not set up a master, what can one do? Zhang Tianqi once said that he disciplined himself for several years: from the time he got into bed he allowed himself no thinking about affairs; but after not thinking about affairs he still had to force and bind this mind, and it had to be lodged in some image, and none of this was natural. Junshi said of himself that he had found the technique, and just kept repeating the word 'center,' but then he was tied down by 'center.' And what image does 'center' have? [Zhang Dai, courtesy name Tianqi, wanted to cut off thoughts and worries by force, yet his mind had nowhere to settle. Sima Wengong wanted to lodge his mind in the word 'center,' but he too could not avoid being attached to something. Note by Zhu Xi: It is like a household that does not act as its own master but invites someone else to be master.] There are people who always feel as if there are two persons in their chest: when they want to do good, it is as if something evil gets in between; when they want to do wrong, there is again a sense of shame and aversion. There are not really two people; this is precisely the proof of an inner battle. To hold fast to one's will so that the qi cannot disorder it can be greatly tested in this. In short, sages and worthies certainly do not suffer from heart sickness. [This speaks of the trouble of a battle between good and evil in dealing with affairs, which is also because the heart has no master. If one can hold fast to one's will and not be overcome by qi, then what is mastered is settled, and how could there be confusion?]"

某寫字時甚敬非是要字好只此是學【篤於持敬無往非學】伊川先生曰聖人不記事所以常記得今人忘事以其記事不能記事處事不精皆出於養之不完固【聖人無心記事故其心虛明自然常記今人著心強記故其心紛擾愈不能記然記事不能與處事不精二者又皆出於所養不厚則明徳曰昏故已往者不能記方來者不能察也】

Master Mingdao said: "When I write characters I am very reverent. It is not that I want the writing to be good; this is itself study. [If one is earnest in maintaining reverence, nothing one does is not study.]" Master Yichuan said: "The sage does not try to remember things, and so he always remembers. People nowadays forget things because they try to remember. Being unable to remember things and being imprecise in handling them both come from nurturing the heart in a way that is not complete and firm. [The sage has no intention of remembering, so his heart is empty and bright and naturally always remembers. People today set their minds on forced memorizing, so their hearts are disturbed and they can remember even less. Yet failing to remember and being imprecise in handling affairs both come from not nurturing deeply enough, so that bright virtue grows dim day by day, with the result that one cannot remember what is past and cannot discern what is to come.]"

明道先生在澶州日修橋少一長梁曽博求之民間後因出入見林木之佳者必起計度之心因語以戒學者心不可有一事【或問凡事須思而後通朱子曰事如何不思但事過則不留於心可也】伊川先生曰入道莫如敬未有能致知而不在敬者【非敬則心昏雜理有不能察而知有不能致】今人主心不定視心如宼賊而不可制不是事累心乃是心累事當知天下無一物是合少得者不可惡也【事至當應初何為累顧心無所主不能定應反累事耳】

When Master Mingdao was in Chanzhou repairing a bridge, they lacked one long beam and sought it widely among the people. Afterward, whenever he came and went and saw fine timber, he would always start to calculate and plan, and so he warned students: the heart must not hold a single thing. [Someone asked: Surely one must think before one can understand anything. Zhu Xi said: How could one not think about things? Just do not let them linger in the heart once they have passed.] Master Yichuan said: "To enter the Way, nothing is better than reverence; there is no one who can extend knowledge without being rooted in reverence. [Without reverence the heart is dull and confused, and there are principles one cannot discern and knowledge one cannot extend.] People nowadays have a master within that is not settled, and they regard the heart as a bandit that cannot be controlled. It is not that affairs burden the heart, but that the heart burdens affairs. One should know that there is nothing in the world that is rightly lacking, and nothing to be hated. [When affairs come they should be answered; at first how are they a burden? It is only that the heart has no master and cannot respond with steadiness, and so burdens affairs instead.]"

人只有一個天理卻不能存得更做甚人也【人之所以靈於萬物者特以全其天理而已】

Master Cheng said: "A person has only one Heavenly principle, and if he cannot preserve it, what sort of person is he? [What makes people more spiritually alive than all other creatures is precisely that they keep their Heavenly principle whole.]"

人多思慮不能自寜只是做他心主不定要作得心主定惟是止於事為人君止於仁之類如舜之誅四凶四凶已作惡舜從而誅之舜何與焉【止者事物當然之則如大學為人君止於仁之類人之應事能止所當止則亦無思慮紛擾之患矣舜誅四凶惡在四凶自應殛舜何與焉】人不止於事只是攬他事不能使物各付物物各付物則是役物為物所役則是役於物有物必有則須是止於事【以上並伊川語○應事而不止其所當止是以一己之私智攬他事而不能物各付物者也所謂物各付物者物來而應不過其則物往而化不滯其跡是則役物而不為物所役】

Master Yichuan said: "People who have many anxious thoughts and cannot be calm are simply people whose heart's master is not settled. To make the master of the heart settled, there is only to rest in the matter at hand, like a ruler resting in benevolence. Take Shun's execution of the Four Evildoers: the Four Evildoers had already done evil, and Shun simply executed them, so what had Shun to do with it? ["Rest" means the proper standard of things, as in the Great Learning's 'a ruler rests in benevolence.' If a person can stop where he ought to stop when dealing with affairs, he will not suffer the trouble of disorder from anxious thoughts. When Shun executed the Four Evildoers, the evil lay in them, and they should naturally have been executed; what had Shun to do with it?] People who do not rest in the matter merely take other affairs upon themselves and cannot let each thing be assigned to itself. To let each thing be assigned to itself is to command things; to be commanded by things is to serve things. Where there is a thing there must be a standard, and one must rest in the matter. [All the above are sayings of Yichuan. When dealing with affairs without stopping where one should stop, one takes other matters on oneself by one's own private cleverness and cannot let each thing be assigned to itself. What is meant by letting each thing be assigned to itself is: when a thing comes, one responds without exceeding its standard; when it goes, one lets it go without clinging to its traces. This is commanding things and not being commanded by them.]"

不能動人只是誠不至於事厭倦皆是無誠處【誠實懇至則人無不感遇事有一毫厭倦之意則是不誠】

Master Cheng said: "If one cannot move people, it is only because one's sincerity has not arrived; to be weary of affairs is always a place where there is no sincerity. [When one is truly sincere and earnest, there is no one who is not moved; if one has even a trace of weariness when meeting affairs, that is insincerity.]"

靜後見萬物自然皆有春意【明道先生詩曰萬物靜觀皆自得四時佳興與人同胷中躁擾詎識此意】

Master Cheng said: "After stillness, one sees that all things naturally have a spring-like intent. [Master Mingdao's poem says: 'Viewing all things in stillness, each is content in itself; the fine delights of the four seasons are shared with people.' If one's chest is restless and disturbed, how can one recognize this meaning?]"

孔子言仁只説出門如見大賓使民如承大祭看其氣象便須心廣體胖動容周旋中禮自然惟慎獨便是守之之法【胖安舒也仲弓問仁子曰出門如見大賓使民如承大祭無非敬謹之意然玩其氣象則必心無隠慝而廣大寛平體無怠肆而安和舒防充其至則動容周旋自然中禮者也學者守之則唯在謹獨蓋隠防之中常存敬謹之意則出門使民之際乃能及此】聖人脩己以敬以安百姓篤恭而天下平惟上下一於恭敬則天地自位萬物自育氣無不和四靈何有不至此體信達順之道【子路問君子子曰脩已以敬曰如斯而已乎曰脩己以安百姓中庸曰君子篤恭而天下平自其敬以脩己充而廣之則政理清明而百姓安風化廣被而天下平葢惟上下孚感一於恭敬舉無乖爭凌犯之風和氣薫蒸自然隂陽順軌萬物遂宜禮運曰鳯凰麒麟皆在郊藪龍在宮沼所謂四靈畢至也人曰體信以達順朱子曰信是實理順是和氣體信是無一毫之偽達順是發而皆中節無一物不得其所】聰明睿智皆由是出以此事天饗帝【敬則心專靜而不昏故明睿生推此敬可以事天饗帝天以理言故曰事動靜語黙無非事也帝以主宰言故曰饗如郊祀之類○朱子曰聰明睿智皆由是出非程子實因持敬而見其效何以語及此】

Master Cheng said: "When Confucius spoke of benevolence, he only said: 'When going out, behave as if receiving a great guest; when employing the people, behave as if conducting a great sacrifice.' Looking at the air of this, one must have a broad heart and a relaxed body, and in every movement and turn naturally accord with ritual. Only watchfulness over oneself when alone is the means to keep it. ["Relaxed" means at ease and comfortable. When Zhonggong asked about benevolence, Confucius said that when going out one should behave as if receiving a great guest and when employing the people as if conducting a great sacrifice, all of which is reverence and care. But savoring the air of it, one must have a heart with nothing hidden, vast and level, and a body with no laziness or license, at peace and comfortably relaxed; and if this is fully carried out, every movement and turn will naturally accord with ritual. For learners to keep it lies only in being watchful when alone: if one always preserves a sense of reverence and care in what is hidden and subtle, then one can attain this when going out or employing the people.] The sage cultivates himself in reverence in order to bring peace to the people, and by his utmost reverence the whole world is at peace. If only those above and below are one in respect and reverence, Heaven and Earth will naturally take their places and the myriad things will naturally be nurtured, the qi will be without discord, and how could the four spiritual creatures fail to come? This is the way of embodying sincerity and reaching compliance. [Zilu asked about the noble person, and Confucius said, 'He cultivates himself in reverence'; asked whether that was all, he said, 'He cultivates himself so as to bring peace to the people.' The Doctrine of the Mean says, 'The noble person is utterly reverent and the world is at peace.' By reverence one cultivates oneself, and, expanded and extended, government is clear and orderly and the people are at peace, moral influence spreads far and wide and the whole world is tranquil. Because those above and below are bound in mutual trust and united in respect, there is no custom of discord, strife or encroachment; the harmonious qi steams up like warm mist, and yin and yang naturally follow their courses and the myriad things gain what is fitting for them. The Record of Rites, in the chapter on the Evolution of Rites, says that the phoenix and the qilin all appear in the meadows and marshes, and the tortoise and the dragon are in the palace ponds, which is what is meant by the four spiritual creatures all arriving. It says, 'People call it embodying sincerity and reaching compliance.' Zhu Xi said: Sincerity is real principle, and compliance is harmonious qi; to embody sincerity is to have not a trace of falseness, and to reach compliance is for everything to be expressed in due measure and for no creature to fail to find its place.] Clear hearing, keen sight, wisdom and insight all issue from this; with this one serves Heaven and makes offerings to the Lord on High. [When one is reverent, the heart is focused and still and not dim, so brightness and insight arise. This reverence can be extended to serve Heaven and make offerings to the Lord. Heaven is spoken of in terms of principle, so the word 'serve' is used, since every movement, stillness, word and silence is a service; the Lord is spoken of in terms of mastery, so the word 'make offerings' is used, as in the suburban sacrifices. Note by Zhu Xi: 'Clear hearing, keen sight, wisdom and insight all issue from this.' If Master Cheng had not actually seen its effect through maintaining reverence, how could he have spoken in this way?]"

存養熟後泰然行將去便有進【所養厚則行有餘力】

Master Cheng said: "After preserving and nurturing the heart to ripeness, if one walks on with ease, one will advance. [When one has nurtured deeply, there is strength to spare in one's conduct.]"

不愧屋漏則心安而體舒【屋漏者室之西北隅謂隠暗之地也隠暗之地自反無愧則心安體舒此謹獨之效】

Master Cheng said: "If one is not ashamed even in the northwest corner of the house, then the heart is at peace and the body relaxed. [The 'house-leak' is the northwest corner of a room, meaning a dark and hidden place. If, in a dark and hidden place, one examines oneself and finds nothing to be ashamed of, then the heart is at peace and the body relaxed; this is the effect of being watchful when alone.]"

心要在腔子裡【腔子猶所謂神明之舍在腔子裡謂心不外馳也】

Master Cheng said: "The heart should be kept inside its cavity. [The 'cavity' is like what is called the house of the spirit. Being inside the cavity means the heart does not race outward.]"

只外面有些隙罅便走了

Master Cheng said: "If there is only a little crack on the outside, it runs away."

人心常要活則周流無窮而不滯於一隅【心常存則常活葢隨事應酬心常在我無將無迎故常活而無滯】

Master Cheng said: "The human heart must always be kept alive; then it circulates without end and does not stagnate in one corner. [If the heart is always preserved, it is always alive. In responding to affairs as they come, the heart always remains in oneself, neither sending things off nor going out to meet them, and so it is always alive and without stagnation.]"

明道先生曰天地設位而易行乎其中只是敬也敬則無間防【朱子曰天地亦是有個主宰方始恁地變易無窮就人心言之惟敬然後流行不息敬才間防便是不誠無物也】

Master Mingdao said: "'Heaven and Earth establish their positions, and the Changes operate within them': this is only reverence. Where there is reverence there is no interruption. [Note by Zhu Xi: Heaven and Earth too have a master, and only then do they change without end. Speaking in terms of the human heart, only through reverence does it flow without ceasing. As soon as reverence is interrupted, there is 'without sincerity there is nothing.']"

毋不敬可以對越上帝

Master Cheng said: "If one lets nothing be done without reverence, one can face the Lord on High."

敬勝百邪【朱子曰學者常提醒此心如日之升群邪自息】

Master Cheng said: "Reverence overcomes a hundred kinds of evil. [Note by Zhu Xi: If students always rouse this heart like the sun rising, the many evils will cease by themselves.]"

敬以直內義以方外仁也【敬立則內直義形則外方由內達外生理條直而無私慾邪枉之累則心徳全矣】若以敬直內則便不直矣必有事焉而勿正則直也【文言曰敬以直內而不曰以敬直內葢有意欲以之而直內則此心已有所偏倚而非直矣必有事焉而勿正者敬所當為而無期必計效之意也】

Master Cheng said: "'Reverence to straighten the inner life, righteousness to square the outer life' is just benevolence. [When reverence is established the inner life is straight; when righteousness takes form the outer life is square. Going from within to without, the principle of life runs straight and free of the burden of selfish desire and crooked wickedness, and so the virtue of the heart is whole.] If one uses reverence to straighten the inner life, then it is no longer straight. 'Be sure to work at it, but do not expect results,' and then it is straight. [The Commentary on the Words of the Text says 'reverence to straighten the inner life,' not 'to straighten the inner life by means of reverence.' For if one has the intention of using reverence to straighten the inner life, the heart has already inclined to one side and is not straight. 'Be sure to work at it, but do not expect results' means being reverent about what should be done, without any thought of fixing an expectation or calculating results.]"

涵養吾一【心存則不二】

Master Cheng said: "Cultivate my oneness. [When the heart is preserved, it is not divided in two.]"

子在川上曰逝者如斯夫不捨書夜自漢以來儒者皆不識此義此見聖人之心純亦不已也純亦不已天徳也有天徳便可語王道其要只在慎獨【朱子曰聖人見川流之不息嘆逝者之如斯原其所以然乃天命流行不息之體惟聖人之心黙契乎此故有感焉於此可見聖人純亦不已之心矣又曰有天徳則純是天理無私意間防便做得王道又曰學者謹獨所以為不已少有不謹則人慾乗之便間防也】

Master Cheng said: "When the Master stood by a river and said, 'It passes on like this, never ceasing day and night,' Confucians since the Han have not understood this meaning. It shows that the sage's heart is pure and unceasing. Pure and unceasing is Heaven's virtue, and where there is Heaven's virtue one can speak of the kingly Way, and its essential point lies only in being watchful when alone. [Note by Zhu Xi: The sage saw the river flowing without rest and sighed that what passes is like this; tracing why it is so, it is the substance of Heaven's mandate flowing without rest. Only the sage's heart is in silent accord with this, and so he was moved. Here one can see the sage's heart that is pure and unceasing. He also said: To have Heaven's virtue is to be purely Heavenly principle, with no gap or interruption from selfish intention, and then one can practice the kingly Way. He also said: Students' watchfulness when alone is what makes them unceasing; if there is the slightest lack of watchfulness, human desire takes advantage of it and there is an interruption.]"

不有躬無攸利不立已後雖向好事猶為化物不得以天下萬物撓已已立後自能了當得天下萬物【防卦六三爻辭已未能自立則中心一無所主雖為善事猶為逐物而動若能自立則應酬在我物皆聴命何撓之有】伊川先生曰學者患心慮紛亂不能寜靜此則天下公病學者只要立個心此上頭盡有商量【朱子曰學者不先立個心恰似作室無基址今求此心正為要立基址得此心有個存主處為學便有歸著可以用功】

Master Cheng said: "'If he has no self, nothing will profit him.' If one has not first established oneself, then even when one turns toward good things one is still transformed by external things. One must not let the myriad things of the world disturb oneself; once oneself is established, one can naturally handle all the things of the world. [From the line text of the third line of the hexagram Meng (Youthful Folly). If one cannot yet stand on one's own, the heart within has no master, and even doing good is still moving by chasing after things; but if one can stand on one's own, then handling affairs lies in oneself and things all follow orders, so how could they disturb one?]" Master Yichuan said: "Students suffer from a heart whose thoughts are confused and cannot be calm; this is a common ailment of the world. A student need only establish a heart, and from there there is plenty to discuss. [Note by Zhu Xi: If a student does not first establish a heart, it is like building a house without a foundation. Now to seek this heart is precisely to lay the foundation. Once one has this heart with a place to rest in, one's study has somewhere to settle and one can apply effort.]"

閒邪則誠自存不是外面捉一個誠將來存著今人外面役役於不善於不善中尋個善來存著如此則豈有入善之理只是閒邪則誠自存【閒邪之意即是誠也苟役心於邪妄而暫欲存其誠則亦無可存之理】故孟子言性善皆由內出只為誠便存閒邪更著甚工夫但惟是動容貎整思慮則自然生敬【孟子言性善如孩提之愛親敬兄如見赤子入井而有怵惕惻隠之心如四端之發無非自然由中而出葢實心非外鑠操之則存矣所謂閒邪者亦不過外肅其容貎內齊其心慮則敬自然生邪自然息】敬只是主一也主一則既不之東又不之西如是則只是中既不之此又不之彼如是則只是內存此則自然天理明學者須是將敬以直內涵養此意直內是本【本注尹彥明曰敬有甚形影只收斂身心便是主一且如人到神祠中致敬時其心收斂更著不得毫髮事非主一而何○敬者心主乎一無放逸也靜而主乎一則寂然不動不防之東西常在中也動而主乎一則知止有定不滯乎彼此常在內也常存此心則天理自明】

Master Yichuan said: "If one guards against wickedness, sincerity is naturally preserved; it is not that one grabs sincerity from outside and keeps it. People today toil outwardly at what is not good and try to find some good among the not-good to keep; how could there be any way of entering goodness like that? Simply guard against wickedness and sincerity is naturally preserved. [The idea of guarding against wickedness is itself sincerity. If one lets the heart toil in wickedness and falsehood while wanting to preserve sincerity for the moment, there is no way to preserve it.] This is why Mencius says that human nature is good and all of it comes out from within; because there is sincerity, it is preserved. What further effort is there in guarding against wickedness? There is only to put one's bearing in order and straighten one's thoughts, and then reverence naturally arises. [When Mencius speaks of the goodness of human nature, he points to the toddler's love for parents and respect for elder brothers, and to the alarm and compassion one feels on seeing a child about to fall into a well, and to the sprouting of the four beginnings, none of which is anything but a natural flowing from within. The true heart is not forged from outside, and if one holds it, it is preserved. What is called guarding against wickedness is no more than composing one's appearance outwardly and aligning one's thoughts inwardly, and then reverence arises by itself and wickedness stops by itself.] Reverence is only being focused on one. To be focused on one is to go neither east nor west, and this is just the center; to go neither here nor there is just the inner. Preserving this, Heavenly principle naturally becomes bright. A student must take 'reverence to straighten the inner life' and cultivate this intention. Straightening the inner life is the root. [Original note: Yin Yanming said: What shape or shadow does reverence have? It is only gathering in body and mind, and that is focus on one. Think of a person who goes to a shrine to pay reverence: his heart is gathered in, so that not a hair's worth of anything else can be put into it; what is that if not being focused on one? Note: Reverence is the heart's being focused on one without letting go. In stillness, if one is focused on one, one is silent and unmoving, going neither east nor west, always in the center; in movement, if one is focused on one, one knows where to stop and has a settled place, does not stagnate in this or that, and is always within. If one always preserves this heart, Heavenly principle is naturally clear.]"

閒邪則固一矣然主一則不消言閒邪【閒其邪思則心固一矣然心既主一則自無私邪之念不必閒也】有以一為難見不可下工夫如何一者無他只是整齊嚴肅則心便一一則自是無非僻之幹此意但涵養久之則天理自然明【外整齊而內嚴肅則心自一理自明】有言未感時知何所寓曰操則存舍則亡出入無時莫知其鄉更怎生尋所寓只是有操而已操之之道敬以直內也【人心無常亦惟操之則存學者實用力而有見於斯則直得所以存心之要而不患於出入無時莫知其鄉矣】

Master Yichuan said: "By guarding against wickedness one's heart is already firmly one, but once one is focused on one, there is no need to speak of guarding against wickedness. [By guarding against wicked thoughts the heart is already firmly one; but when the heart is focused on one, there are naturally no selfish or wicked thoughts, and one need not guard against them.] Some say that 'one' is hard to see and one cannot work on it. What about that? 'One' is nothing else: if one is orderly and solemn, the heart is one, and when it is one there is naturally no interference from what is depraved. If one only cultivates this intention for a long time, Heavenly principle will naturally become bright. [Orderly outwardly and solemn inwardly, the heart is naturally one and principle naturally bright.] Someone asked: Before feeling is aroused, where does the heart dwell? He said: 'Hold it and it is preserved, let go and it is lost; it goes out and comes in at no fixed time, and no one knows its home.' How can one then look for where it dwells? There is only holding it. The way to hold it is reverence to straighten the inner life. [The human heart has no constancy, and only if one holds it is it preserved. If a student truly applies effort and sees this, he gains the essence of preserving the heart, and need not worry that it goes out and comes in at no fixed time and that no one knows its home.]"

敬則自虛靜不可把虛靜喚做敬【朱子曰周子説主靜正是要人靜定其心自作主宰程子又恐人只管求靜遂與事物不交渉卻説個敬雲敬則自虛靜】

Master Cheng said: "If one is reverent, one is naturally empty and still; but one must not call emptiness and stillness reverence. [Note by Zhu Xi: Master Zhou's saying about 'putting stillness first' was precisely to have people make their hearts still and settled and become their own masters. Master Cheng, fearing that people would seek stillness alone and so have no dealings with affairs, spoke instead of reverence: if one is reverent, one is naturally empty and still.]"

學者先務固在心志然有謂欲屏去聞見知思則是絶聖棄智有欲屏去思慮患其紛亂則須坐禪入定如明鑑在此萬物畢照是鑑之常難為使之不照人心不能不交感萬物難為使之不思慮【絶聖者黜其聰明棄智者屏其智慮老氏之絶聖棄智釋氏之坐禪入定皆純天理害人心之教也】若欲免此惟是心有主如何為主敬而已矣有主則虛虛謂邪不能入無主則實實謂物來奪之【免此謂有思慮而無紛亂林用中主一銘雲有主則虛神守其都無主則實鬼闞其室○或問程子言有主則實又曰有主則虛何也朱子曰此只是有主於中外邪不能入自其有主於中言之則謂之實自其外邪不入言之則謂之虛】大凡人心不可二用用於一事則他事更不能入者事為之主也事為之主尚無思慮紛擾之患若主於敬又焉有此患乎【主敬則自不為事物紛擾】所謂敬者主一之謂敬所謂一者無適之謂一且欲涵泳主一之義不一則二三矣至於不敢欺不敢慢尚不愧於屋漏皆是敬之事也【主一無適者心常主乎我而無他適也葢若動若靜此心常存一而不二所謂敬也不欺不慢不愧屋漏皆戒懼謹獨之意此意常存所主自一○朱子曰程子有功於後學最是拈出敬字有力敬則此心不放事事從此做去又曰無適者只是持守得定不馳騖走作之意耳無適即是主一主一即是敬展轉相解非無適之外別有主一主一之外又別有敬也】

Master Yichuan said: "The first task of a student certainly lies in the heart's will. But some say that one should cast out hearing, seeing, knowing and thinking, and that is to 'cut off sageliness and discard wisdom'; some want to cast out thoughts and worries because they are troubled by their confusion, and then they must sit in meditation and enter concentration. It is like a bright mirror set here, which reflects all things; that is the mirror's constancy, and it is hard to make it not reflect. The human heart cannot but be in contact with all things, and it is hard to make it not think. [To 'cut off sageliness' is to drive out one's keenness of hearing and sight, and to 'discard wisdom' is to cast out one's knowledge and thought. Laozi's 'cutting off sageliness and discarding wisdom' and the Buddhists' sitting meditation and entering concentration are teachings that fully pursue Heavenly principle yet harm the human heart.] To avoid this, there is only to have a master in the heart. What is the master? Reverence, and nothing more. Where there is a master the heart is empty, and 'empty' means that wickedness cannot enter; where there is no master the heart is full, and 'full' means that things come and seize it. [To avoid this means to have thoughts and worries without confusion. Lin Yongzhong's 'Inscription on Focusing on One' says: 'With a master, it is empty, and the spirit guards its capital; without a master, it is full, and ghosts peer into its house.' Someone asked: Master Cheng says that having a master makes it full and also that having a master makes it empty; why? Zhu Xi said: It is just that with a master within, external evil cannot enter. Speaking of its having a master within, one calls it full; speaking of external evil not entering, one calls it empty.] In general the human heart cannot be used for two things: when it is used for one matter, no other matter can enter, because that matter has become its master. If a matter as master already leaves no trouble of thoughts and worries in disorder, how could one who takes reverence as master have this trouble? [If one takes reverence as master, one is naturally not disturbed by affairs.] What is called reverence is being focused on one, and what is called one is not going elsewhere. Let us steep ourselves in the meaning of being focused on one: if one is not one, one becomes two or three. Not daring to deceive, not daring to be careless, and not being ashamed even in the corner of the house are all matters of reverence. [Being focused on one and not going elsewhere means the heart always has me as its master and goes nowhere else. Whether in movement or stillness, this heart is always preserved, one and not two, and that is called reverence. Not deceiving, not being careless, and not being ashamed in the corner of the house are all the idea of caution and watchfulness when alone; if this idea is always kept, what one is focused on will naturally be one. Note by Zhu Xi: Master Cheng's service to later students lies most strongly in picking out the word 'reverence.' If one is reverent, this heart is not let go, and one goes on doing every matter from this. He also said: 'Not going elsewhere' only means holding firmly and settled, without racing about or going astray. 'Not going elsewhere' is just being focused on one, and being focused on one is just reverence; they explain one another in turn. It is not that apart from 'not going elsewhere' there is a separate 'focus on one,' and apart from 'focus on one' another separate 'reverence.']"

嚴威儼恪非敬之道但致敬須自此入【敬存於中嚴威儼恪著於外者然未有外貎弛慢而中能敬著】

Master Yichuan said: "Severity, dignity and stern gravity are not the way of reverence, but to reach reverence one must enter by this. [Reverence is preserved within, and severity, dignity and stern gravity show on the outside; yet no one whose outward manner is lax and negligent can be reverent within.]"

舜孳孳為善若未接物如何為善只是主於敬便是為善也以此觀之聖人之道不是但黙然無言【孳孳者亹亹不倦之意聖人為善固無間防然方其未接物之時但有主敬而已是即善之本也不是但黙然無言謂其靜而有所存也靜而有存故善】

Master Yichuan said: "Shun 'was diligent in doing good.' If he had not been in contact with things, how could he do good? To be focused on reverence is just doing good. Seen from this, the way of the sage is not merely silence and wordlessness. ["Diligent" means untiring effort. The sage's doing good certainly has no gap; but in the time before he has contact with things, there is only maintaining reverence, and that is the root of good. 'Not merely silence and wordlessness' means that in stillness he has something preserved; with something preserved in stillness, it is good.]"

問人之燕居形體怠惰心不慢者可否曰安有箕踞而心不慢者昔呂與叔六月中來緱氏閒居中某甞窺之必見其儼然危坐可謂敦篤矣學者須恭敬但不可令拘迫拘迫則難久也【盤坐曰箕蹲跱曰踞箕踞乃傲惰之所形見學者始須荘敬持守積久自然安舒矣】

Someone asked: "When people are at leisure at home and their bodies are lazy but their hearts are not careless, is that acceptable?" He said: "How could anyone sit sprawled with legs spread and yet not be careless in the heart? In the past, when Lu Yushu stayed idle at Goushi in the sixth month, I once peeked at him and saw that he was always sitting upright and solemn, and one could say that he was sincere and steady. A student must be respectful, but must not be cramped, for what is cramped is hard to keep up for long. [Sitting with legs crossed is called 'ji,' and squatting is called 'ju.' Sprawling is where arrogance and laziness show. A student should at first be grave and reverent and hold himself firmly, and with long accumulation it will naturally become easy and comfortable.]"

思慮雖多果出於正亦無害否曰且如在宗廟則主敬朝廷主荘軍旅主嚴此是也如發不以時紛然無度雖正亦邪【敬存於防事荘示於等威嚴施於法制皆發於心而見於事者發之而當則無害也苟發不以時或雜然而發或過而無節其事雖正亦是邪念】

Someone asked: "If one has many thoughts and worries, but they truly come from rectitude, is there no harm?" He said: "Take for example: in the ancestral temple one focuses on reverence, at court on gravity, among the army on sternness; this is right. But if thoughts arise at the wrong times, in confusion and without measure, then even if they are upright they are wicked. [Reverence is kept in all affairs, gravity shows in ranks and dignity, and sternness is applied in laws and institutions; all of these arise from the heart and appear in affairs. If they arise appropriately there is no harm; but if they arise at the wrong time, or arise in confusion, or go beyond measure, then even if the matter is upright it is a wicked thought.]"

蘓季明問喜怒哀樂未發之前求中可否曰不可既思於喜怒哀樂未發之前求之又卻是思也既思即是已發【本注云思與喜怒哀樂一般】才發便謂之和不可謂之中也【蘓昞字季明張程門人也喜怒哀樂未發謂之中發而皆中節謂之和方其未發此心湛然無所偏倚故謂之中一念才生便屬已發之和矣】又問呂學士言當求於喜怒哀樂未發之前如何曰若言存養於喜怒哀樂未發之前則可若言求中於喜怒哀樂未發之前則不可【呂學士與叔也四者於未發之前可以涵養是中若有意求之則不得謂之未發】又問學者於喜怒哀樂發時固當勉強裁抑於未發之前當如何用功曰於喜怒哀樂未發之前更怎生求只平日涵養便是涵養久則喜怒哀樂發自中節【未發之前不容著力用功但有操存涵養而已】曰當中之時耳無聞目無見否曰雖耳無聞目無見然見聞之理在始得【朱子曰喜怒哀樂未發之時雖是耳無聞目無見然須是常有個主宰操持底在這裡始得不然向空寂了】賢且説靜時如何曰謂之無物則不可然自有知覺處【朱子曰無物字恐當作有物字】曰既有知覺卻是動也怎生言靜人説復其見天地之心皆以為至靜能見天地之心非也復之卦下面一畫便是動也安得謂之靜【復者動之端也故天地之心於此可見】或曰莫是於動上求靜否曰固是然最難釋氏多言定聖人便言止如為人君止於仁為人臣止於敬之類是也易之艮言止之義曰艮其止止其所也人多不能止蓋人萬物皆備遇事時各因其心之所重者更互而出才見得這事重便有這事出若能物各付物便自不出來也【此段問答皆論喜怒哀樂未發之中此條問者乃轉就動處言也止其所者動中其則而不遷也若心有所重則因重而遷物各付物而我無預焉則止其所止而心不外馳矣】或問先生於喜怒哀樂未發之前下動字下靜字曰謂之靜則可然靜中須有物始得這裡便是難處學者莫若且先理防得敬能敬則知此矣【朱子曰靜中有物者只是敬則常惺惺在這裡又曰靜中有物只是知覺不昧或問伊川雲才有知覺便是動曰若雲知寒覺暖便是知覺已動今未曽著於事物但有知覺在何妨其為靜不成靜坐便只是瞌睡】或曰敬何以用功曰莫若主一季明曰昞甞患思慮不定或思一事未了他事如麻又生如何曰不可此不誠之本也須是習習能專一時便好不拘思慮與應事皆要求一【心不專一則言動皆無實故曰不誠之本猶學奕者一心以為鴻鵠將至則非誠於學奕也思慮者動於心應事者見於言行皆不可不主於一】

Su Jiming asked: "Is it acceptable to seek the mean before joy, anger, sorrow and delight are aroused?" He said: "No. If you intend to seek it before they are aroused, that is again thinking. And thinking is already arousal [original note: thinking is the same as joy, anger, sorrow and delight]; as soon as it arises it is called harmony, and cannot be called the mean. [Su Xin, courtesy name Jiming, was a disciple of Zhang and Cheng. 'Before joy, anger, sorrow and delight are aroused, it is called the mean; when they are aroused and all hit the proper measure, it is called harmony.' When they are not yet aroused, this heart is clear and still, inclining to neither side, and so it is called the mean; as soon as a thought arises, it belongs to the harmony of arousal.]" He asked again: "Academician Lu said that one should seek it before joy, anger, sorrow and delight are aroused; what about that?" He said: "If one says to preserve and nurture before they are aroused, that is acceptable; if one says to seek the mean before they are aroused, it is not. [Academician Lu is Yushu. Before the four are aroused, one can cultivate the mean; but if one seeks it with deliberate intention, it cannot be called unaroused.]" He asked again: "When joy, anger, sorrow and delight arise, a student must of course force himself to restrain them; but before they arise, how should he apply effort?" He said: "Before joy, anger, sorrow and delight are aroused, what is there further to seek? Only cultivation in ordinary days. When cultivation has lasted long, joy, anger, sorrow and delight will, when they arise, naturally be in due measure. [Before arousal there is no room to apply strength; there is only holding and nurturing.]" He asked: "At the time of the mean, do the ears hear nothing and the eyes see nothing?" He said: "Even though the ears hear nothing and the eyes see nothing, the principle of seeing and hearing must be there. [Note by Zhu Xi: When joy, anger, sorrow and delight are not aroused, even though the ears hear nothing and the eyes see nothing, there must always be a master holding fast within, otherwise one slips into empty stillness.]" "Please tell me what it is like in stillness." He said: "To say there is nothing is not right, but there is naturally awareness. [Note by Zhu Xi: The words 'there is nothing' should perhaps read 'there is something.']" He said: "Since there is awareness, that is already movement, so how can you call it stillness? People say 'In Return one sees the heart of Heaven and Earth,' and all think that one sees the heart of Heaven and Earth in utmost stillness, but that is wrong. The bottom line of the hexagram Fu is movement, so how can it be called stillness? [Return is the beginning of movement, so the heart of Heaven and Earth can be seen in it.]" Someone said: "Is it perhaps seeking stillness within movement?" He said: "Yes, but that is the hardest. Buddhists often speak of concentration, while the sage speaks of stopping, as in 'a ruler rests in benevolence, a minister rests in reverence.' In the Changes, the hexagram Gen speaks of the meaning of stopping: 'Keeping still at his stopping place; stopping at the proper place.' Most people cannot stop. For in a person all things are complete, and when a matter arises, each according to what his heart weighs most comes out in turn: as soon as he sees this matter as weighty, this matter comes out. If one can let each thing be assigned to itself, nothing comes out of itself. [This whole exchange discusses the mean before joy, anger, sorrow and delight are aroused; in this item the questioner turns to speak of the place of movement. 'Stopping at the proper place' means that in movement one hits the standard and does not shift. If the heart weighs something heavily, it shifts because of that weight; if one lets each thing be assigned to itself and has no part in it, one stops where one should stop and the heart does not race outward.]" Someone asked: "Before joy, anger, sorrow and delight are aroused, would you say 'movement' or 'stillness'?" He said: "One may call it stillness, but in stillness there must be something. This is the hard part. Students should first understand reverence, and if they can be reverent they will know this. [Note by Zhu Xi: 'Something in stillness' is only that with reverence one is always alert in this place. He also said: 'Something in stillness' is only that awareness is not dim. Someone asked about Yichuan's saying that as soon as there is awareness there is movement. He said: If knowing cold and feeling warmth is awareness, then awareness has already moved; but now one has not yet attached to anything and simply has awareness present, and what harm is there in calling that stillness? One cannot suppose that sitting in stillness is merely dozing off.]" Someone asked: "How should one apply effort to reverence?" He said: "Nothing is better than being focused on one." Jiming said: "I once suffered from unsettled thoughts and worries: before I had finished thinking of one matter, other matters sprang up like hemp; what should I do?" He said: "That will not do; it is the root of insincerity. One must practice, and when practice can make one focused, that is good. Whether one is thinking or handling affairs, one must seek oneness. [If the heart is not focused on one, then neither words nor actions are real, so it is called the root of insincerity. It is like one who studies chess but thinks all the while that a swan is about to arrive; he is not sincere in learning chess. Thinking is movement in the heart and handling affairs shows in words and deeds; neither can fail to be focused on one.]"

人於夢寐間亦可以卜自家所學之淺深如夢寐顛倒即是心志不定操存不固【朱子曰魂與魄交而成夢心在其間依舊能思慮所以做出夢若心神安定夢寐亦不至顛倒】

Master Yichuan said: "A person can also gauge the depth of his own learning by his sleep and dreams. If dreams are confused and topsy-turvy, then the heart's will is unsettled and holding and preserving it is not firm. [Note by Zhu Xi: The hun and po soul meet and make a dream, and the heart is still able to think within it, and that is how dreams are made. If the heart and spirit are settled, dreams will not be confused.]"

問人心所繫著之事果善夜夢見之莫不害否曰雖是善事心亦是動凡事有眹兆入夢者卻無害舍此皆是妄動【吉凶云為之兆見於夢者則此心之神應感之理卻不為害苟無故而夢皆心妄動】人心須要定使他思時方思乃是今人都由心曰心誰使之曰以心使心則可人心自由便放去也【人心操之則在我放而不知求則任其所之以心使心非二心也體用而言之耳】

Someone asked: "If what the human heart attaches to is truly good and one dreams of it at night, is that not harmful?" He said: "Even if it is a good thing, the heart is still moving. If something comes with an omen into a dream, there is no harm, but apart from that all is random movement. [If omens of good or ill and of what is to be done appear in dreams, then the spirit of the heart and the principle of response are not harmful; but dreaming without cause is all random movement of the heart.] The human heart must be settled, so that it thinks only when it is time to think. People today let the heart do as it pleases." He asked: "Who commands the heart?" He said: "It is acceptable to use the heart to command the heart. If the human heart is free to do as it likes, it is let loose and lost. [If one holds the human heart, it is in one's own hands; if one lets it go without knowing to seek it, it is left to go where it will. Using the heart to command the heart does not mean there are two hearts; it is said in terms of substance and function.]"

持其志無暴其氣內外交相養也【持其志者有所守於中無暴其氣者無所縱於外然中有所守則氣自完外無所縱則志愈固故曰交相養】

Master Cheng said: "'Hold fast to your will and do not abuse your qi' means that inner and outer nurture each other. [To hold fast to one's will is to have something guarded within; not to abuse the qi is to give no license outwardly. If there is something guarded within, the qi is naturally whole; if there is no license outside, the will is firmer still, and so it is said they nurture each other.]"

問出辭氣莫是於言語上用工夫否曰須是養乎中自然言語順理若是慎言語不妄發此卻可著力【曽子曰出辭氣斯逺鄙倍矣中有所養而後發於外者不悖至若謹言語此亦學者所可用力但不可專於言語上用功】先生語繹曰吾受氣甚薄三十而浸盛四十五十而後完今生七十二年矣校其筋骨於盛年無損也繹曰先生豈以受氣之薄而厚為保生耶夫子黙然曰吾以忘生徇欲為深恥【張南軒曰若他人養生要康強只是利伊川説出來純是天理】

Someone asked: "'In uttering words and tone' means one should work on one's speech, surely?" He said: "One must nurture what is within, and then speech naturally accords with principle. If it is a matter of being careful in speech and not speaking carelessly, there one can apply effort. [Zengzi said, 'In uttering your words and tone, you will keep far from coarseness and impropriety.' If one has nurtured what is within, what is expressed outward does not go astray. As for being careful of speech, this too is where a student can apply effort, but one must not apply effort on speech alone.]" The master said to Yi: "I received very thin qi. At thirty it gradually grew full; at forty or fifty it was complete. Now I have lived seventy-two years, and when I compare my sinews and bones with those of my prime, there is no loss." Yi said: "Did you, sir, take care of your life carefully because you received thin qi?" The Master was silent, and then said: "I regard forgetting life and following desire as a deep shame. [Zhang Nanxuan said: If other people nurture life in order to be healthy and strong, that is only for gain; what Yichuan says is entirely Heavenly principle.]"

大率把捉不定皆是不仁【外書下同○仁者心存乎中純乎天理者也把捉不定則此心外馳理不勝欲皆是不仁】

Master Cheng said: "In general, being unable to hold oneself steady is all a lack of benevolence. [From the Outer Writings; likewise below. A benevolent person has a heart preserved within and wholly Heavenly principle. If one cannot hold steady, the heart races outward and principle does not overcome desire, and this is all a lack of benevolence.]"

伊川先生曰致知在所養養知莫過於寡慾二字【外無物慾之撓則心境凊內有涵養之素則明睿生】

Master Yichuan said: "The extension of knowledge lies in what one nurtures, and nothing nurtures knowledge better than the two words 'fewer desires.' [When no desire for things from outside disturbs one, the heart's mirror is clear; when one has the habit of cultivation within, brightness and insight arise.]"

心定者其言重以舒不定者其言輕以疾【心専而靜則言不妄發發必審確而和緩浮躁者反是】

Master Cheng said: "When the heart is settled, one's words are weighty and unhurried; when it is unsettled, one's words are light and hasty. [When the heart is focused and still, words are not uttered carelessly, and what is uttered is considered, accurate and gentle; for restless and floating people it is the opposite.]"

明道先生曰人有四百四病皆不由自家則是心須教由自家【只有此心操之在我不可任其所之也】

Master Mingdao said: "People have four hundred and four illnesses, none of which come from oneself, and that is why the heart must be made to come from oneself. [Only this heart is in one's own hands and must not be left to go where it will.]"

謝顯道從明道先生於扶溝明道一日謂之曰爾輩在此相從只是學顥言語故其學心口不相應盍若行之請問焉曰且靜坐伊川每見人靜坐便嘆其善學【心以靜而定理以靜而明朱子曰靜坐則收拾得精神定道理方有湊泊處】

Xie Xiandao followed Master Mingdao at Fugou. One day Mingdao said to him: "You all follow me here only to learn my words, and so your learning is that heart and mouth do not correspond. Why do you not put it into practice?" He asked how. Mingdao said: "Just sit in stillness for now." Whenever Yichuan saw someone sitting in stillness, he sighed that this was a good student. [The heart is settled by stillness and principle is made bright by stillness. Note by Zhu Xi: When one sits in stillness, one can collect and settle one's spirit, and only then does the Way have a place to rest.]

橫渠先生曰始學之要當知三月不違與日月至焉內外賓主之辨使心意勉勉循循而不能已過此防非在我者【文集○仁猶人之安宅也居之三月而不違者是在內而為主也其違也暫而已日月至焉者是在外而為賓也其至也暫而已過此謂三月不違以上大而化之之事非可以勉強而至矣故曰非在我者○朱子曰不違仁者仁在內而為主然其未熟亦有時而出於外日月至焉者仁在外而為賓雖有時入於內而不能久也愚按前説則是已不違乎仁後説是仁不違乎已雖似不同其實則一也】

Master Hengqu said: "The essentials at the beginning of learning are that one should know the distinction between 'not departing for three months' and 'reaching it for a day or a month,' that is, between inner and outer, host and guest, so that the mind and will earnestly and steadily follow it and cannot stop. What lies beyond this is almost not in one's own hands. [From the Collected Works. Benevolence is like a person's peaceful home. One who dwells in it for three months without departing is inside and is the host, and his departure is only momentary; one who reaches it for a day or a month is outside and is the guest, and his arrival is only momentary. 'Beyond this' means what lies beyond not departing for three months, the matter of becoming great and being transformed, which cannot be reached by forcing, and so it is said to be not in one's own hands. Note by Zhu Xi: One who does not depart from benevolence has benevolence within as host, but since he is not yet ripe he too sometimes goes outside; one who reaches it for a day or a month has benevolence outside as guest, and although at times he enters within, he cannot stay long. Note by Ye Cai: The first says that oneself does not depart from benevolence, and the second that benevolence does not depart from oneself; they seem different but are in fact the same.]"

心清時少亂時常多其清時視明聴聰四體不待羈束而自然恭謹其亂時反是如此何也葢用心未熟客慮多而常心少也習俗之心未去而實心未完也【心者耳目四肢之主天君澄肅則視明聴聰四體自然從令若存心於道者未熟則客慮足以勝其本心習俗足以奪其誠意○朱子曰橫渠大段用工夫來説得更精切又曰客慮是泛泛底思慮習俗之心是從來習染偏勝之心實心是義理之心】人又要得剛太柔則入於不立亦有人生無喜怒者則又要得剛剛則守得定不囘進道勇敢載則比他人自是勇處多【語録下同○剛則守之固行之決故足以進於道柔懦委靡必不能有立矣】

Master Hengqu said: "The times when the heart is clear are few, and the times when it is confused are often many. When it is clear, the eyes see sharply and the ears hear keenly, and the four limbs, without need of restraint, are naturally respectful and careful; when it is confused, it is the opposite. Why is this? Because the use of the heart is not yet ripe, so that stray worries are many and the constant heart is few; the heart of habit and custom has not been removed and the true heart is not yet complete. [The heart is the master of ears, eyes and limbs. When the heavenly sovereign (the heart) is clear and solemn, the eyes see sharply and the ears hear keenly and the four limbs naturally follow orders. If one who preserves his heart in the Way is not yet ripe, stray worries are enough to overcome his original heart and habit and custom are enough to seize his sincerity. Note by Zhu Xi: Hengqu applied great effort and put it more precisely and incisively. He also said: Stray worries are aimless drifting thoughts, the heart of habit and custom is the heart that has long been biased by what it has been steeped in, and the true heart is the heart of moral principle.] People also need to be firm. If they are too soft, they fall into being unable to stand on their own; and there are people born without joy or anger, and they too need to be firm. If one is firm, one can hold steady and not turn back, and advance in the Way with courage. A firm person (the original text has 'Zai' here, which is a mistake for 'firm') naturally has more courage than other people. [From the Recorded Sayings; likewise below. If one is firm, one's holding is secure and one's conduct decisive, and so one can advance in the Way; soft, timid and listless people certainly cannot establish themselves.]"

戲謔不惟害事志亦為氣所流不戲謔亦是持氣之一端【朱子曰橫渠學力絶人尤勇於改過獨以戲為無傷一日忽曰凡人之過猶有出於不知而為之者至戲則皆有心為之也其為害尤甚遂作東銘】

Master Hengqu said: "Jesting and teasing not only harm affairs but also let the will be swept away by qi. Not joking is also one aspect of controlling qi. [Note by Zhu Xi: Hengqu's strength of learning surpassed others and he was especially bold in correcting his faults. Only he considered joking harmless; one day he suddenly said: Some of people's faults are done out of ignorance, but joking is all done deliberately, and its harm is greater still. He therefore wrote the 'Eastern Inscription.']"

正心之始當以己心為嚴師凡所動作則知所懼如此一二年守得牢固則自然心正矣【視心如嚴師則知所敬畏而邪僻之念不作】

Master Hengqu said: "At the beginning of rectifying the heart, one should take one's own heart as a stern teacher. Whatever one does, one then knows what to fear. If one can hold it firmly like this for a year or two, the heart will naturally be rectified. [If one regards the heart as a stern teacher, one knows to be reverent and awed, and wicked thoughts do not arise.]"

定然後始有光明若常移易不定何求光明易大抵以艮為止止乃光明故大學定而至於能慮人心多則無由光明【易説下同○此心靜定而明生焉水之止者可鑑而流水不可鑑亦是理也】

Master Hengqu said: "Only after being settled is there brightness. If one is always shifting and unsettled, how can one seek brightness? The Changes in general takes the hexagram Gen as stopping, and stopping is brightness. That is why the Great Learning says that being settled leads to the capacity to deliberate. If the human heart is full of many things, there is no way for it to be bright. [From the Explanations of the Changes; likewise below. When this heart is still and settled, brightness arises in it. Still water can serve as a mirror, while flowing water cannot, which is the same principle.]"

動靜不失其時其道光明學者必時其動靜則其道乃不蔽昧而明白今人從學之久不見進長正以莫識動靜見他人擾擾非闗己事而所修亦廢由聖學觀之防防悠悠以是終身謂之光明可乎【艮卦彖辭動靜各有其時然學者多失於不當動而動因循廢學終何光明之有】

Master Hengqu said: "'When movement and stillness do not miss their proper time, the Way is bright.' A student must time his movement and stillness, and then his Way will not be obscured but will be clear. Today people who have studied for a long time and show no growth do so precisely because they do not know movement and stillness: they see others bustling about in matters not their own, and what they themselves cultivate is also abandoned. Seen from the sage's learning, to spend one's whole life vaguely and aimlessly in this way, can one call that bright? [From the Commentary on the Judgment of the hexagram Gen. Movement and stillness each have their time, but students often err by moving when they should not move, and by drifting along and abandoning study, so in the end what brightness could there be?]"

敦篤虛靜者仁之本不輕妄則是敦厚也無所繫閡昏塞則是虛靜也此難以頓悟苟知之須久於道實體之方知其味夫仁亦在乎熟之而已【孟子説○閡閉礙也言動輕妄而不敦篤則此心外馳非仁也有所繫閡昏塞而不虛靜則此心罔覺非仁也然必存心之久實體於己然後能深知其味】

Master Hengqu said: "Sincerity, steadiness, emptiness and stillness are the root of humaneness (ren). Not being rash or reckless is steadiness and sincerity; not being tied down, obstructed, dulled or blocked is emptiness and stillness. This is hard to grasp in a sudden flash of insight; if one understands it, one must stay with the Way for a long time and embody it in practice before tasting its flavor. Humaneness too is simply a matter of becoming ripe in it. [From his Commentary on Mencius. Note: 'obstruction' means being shut in and hindered. If words and actions are rash and reckless and not steady, the mind races outward, and this is not humaneness; if one is tied down, obstructed, dulled and blocked and not empty and still, the mind is unaware, and this is not humaneness. Yet only by keeping the mind present for a long time and embodying it in oneself can one come to know its flavor deeply.]"

此卷論力行蓋窮理旣明涵養既厚及推於行已之間尤當盡其克治之力也

This chapter discusses vigorous practice. Once principle has been thoroughly investigated and self-cultivation made deep, then in applying it to one's own conduct one must especially exert the full force of self-discipline.

濓溪先生曰君子乾乾不息於誠然必懲忿窒欲遷善改過而後至幹之用其善是損益之大莫是過聖人之旨深哉【重幹相繼故九三曰君子終日干幹言君子體幹健而又健至誠不息此用幹之善者也山澤為損激於忿象山之髙必懲創之溺於欲象澤之深必窒塞之此用損之大者也風雷為益遷善象風之烈則德日長改過象雷之迅則惡日消此用益之大者也○朱子曰乾乾不息者體也去惡進善者用也無體則用無以行無用則體無所措故以三卦合而言之或曰其字亦是莫字】吉凶悔吝生乎動噫吉一而已動可不愼乎【通書○動而得則吉失則兇悔則過失而自咎吝則私小而可羞四者一善而三惡動其可不謹乎】

Master Lianxi said: "The noble person strives tirelessly in sincerity, yet can reach it only by curbing anger, blocking desire, moving toward the good and correcting faults. The Qian hexagram's use of goodness and the greatest value of Decrease and Increase surpass all else; how profound is the Sage's intent! [The Qian hexagram repeats itself, which is why the third line says the noble person strives all day long: the noble person embodies the strong and ever stronger power of Qian, sincere without rest, and this is using the goodness of Qian. Mountain over Lake is Decrease: if provoked to anger, which is imaged by the height of the mountain, one must chastise it; if sunk in desire, imaged by the depth of the lake, one must plug it up. This is the great use of Decrease. Wind over Thunder is Increase: moving toward the good is imaged by the fierceness of the wind, so virtue grows daily; correcting faults is imaged by the swiftness of thunder, so evil vanishes daily. This is the great use of Increase. Zhu Xi said: tireless striving is the substance, and removing evil and advancing in goodness is the function. Without substance, function has nothing to carry it; without function, substance has nowhere to be applied; therefore the three hexagrams are discussed together. Some say the word 'its' here is also the word 'nothing surpasses'.] Good fortune, misfortune, regret and humiliation arise from movement. Alas, there is only one good fortune; can one be careless in moving? [From the Tongshu. When movement is right there is good fortune, when wrong, misfortune; regret means blaming oneself for a fault, humiliation means being petty and selfish and so shameful. Of the four, one is good and three are bad; how can one not be careful in moving?]"

濓溪先生曰孟子曰養心莫善於寡慾予謂養心不止於寡而存耳蓋寡焉以至於無無則誠立明通誠立賢也明通聖也【遺文○朱子曰誠立謂實體安固明通則實用流行立如三十而立之立通則不惑知命而鄉乎耳順矣○或問孟子與周子之言果有以異乎曰孟子所謂欲者以耳目口鼻四肢之慾人所不能無然多而無節則為心害周子則指心之流於欲者是則不可有也所指有淺深之不同然由孟子之寡慾則可以盡周子之無慾矣】

Master Lianxi said: "Mencius said that nothing nourishes the mind better than having few desires. I say that nourishing the mind is not only a matter of having few desires but of preserving the mind. Reduce desires until there are none; with none, sincerity is established and clarity penetrates. Establishing sincerity makes one a worthy; clarity that penetrates makes one a sage. [From the Yiwen. Zhu Xi said: 'sincerity established' means that substance is firm and secure; 'clarity penetrating' means that practical function flows freely. 'Established' is like the 'stood firm' of 'at thirty I stood firm'; 'penetrating' is like having no doubts, knowing Heaven's decree, and reaching the stage where the ear is attuned. Someone asked: do Mencius and Master Zhou really differ? He replied: what Mencius calls desire is the desire of the ears, eyes, mouth, nose and limbs, which people cannot be without, though if excessive and unrestrained they harm the mind; Master Zhou points to the mind flowing into desire, which one must not have. What each points to differs in depth, yet by following Mencius' having few desires one can reach Master Zhou's having none.]"

伊川先生曰顔淵問克已復禮之目夫子曰非禮勿視非禮勿聽非禮勿言非禮勿動四者身之用也由乎中而應乎外製於外所以養其中也【朱子曰由乎中而應乎外謂視聽言動乃此心之形見處制乎外所以養其中謂就視聽言動上克治也上二句言其理下二句是工夫】顔淵請事斯語所以進於聖人後之學聖人者冝服膺而勿失也因箴以自警【或問明知其不當視而自接乎目明知其不當聽而自接乎耳則將如何朱子曰視與見異聽與聞異非禮之色雖過乎目在我不可有視之之心非禮之聲雖過乎耳在我不可有聽之之心】視箴曰心兮本虛應物無跡操之有要視為之則蔽交於前其中則遷制之於外以安其內克己復禮久而誠矣【人心虛靈感應出入無跡可執操存之要莫先謹視則猶節也苟物慾之蔽交乎吾前惑於所見中必移矣惟能制之於外目不妄視則神識泰定內斯以安久而誠則實理流行動容周旋中禮矣】聽箴曰人有秉彝本乎天性知誘物化遂亡其正卓彼先覺知止有定閒邪存誠非禮勿聽【人稟五常之性本無不善惟知識誘於外而忘返物慾化其內而莫覺由是所稟之正日以喪矣誘者化之初化者誘之極也知止者知其所當止也有定者得其所當立也閒邪於外所以存誠於中也】言箴曰人心之動因言以宣髮禁躁妄內斯靜專矧是樞機興戎出好吉凶榮辱惟其所召傷易則誕傷煩則支已肆物忤出悖來違非法不道欽哉訓辭【躁輕肆也妄虛謬也言語之髮禁其輕肆則內靜定矣禁其虛謬則內專一矣樞扉臼也機弩牙也戶之闔闢射之中否皆由之發言乃吾身之樞機故一言之惡或至於興師一言之善或可以合好得則有吉有榮失則有兇有辱躁而傷於易則誕肆而不審妄而傷於煩則支離而逺實肆縱情也肆已者必忤物躁之致也悖乖理也悖而出者必悖而反妄之致也】動箴曰哲人知幾誠之於思志士厲行守之於為順理則裕從欲惟危造次克念戰兢自持習與性成聖賢同歸【文集○朱子曰思是動之微為是動之著思是動於內為是動於外○明哲之人知其幾防故於所思而誠之一念之動不敢妄也立志之士勉勵其行故於所為而守之一事之動不敢忽也順理而動則安裕從欲而動則危殆守於為也造次俄頃而克念不忘戰兢恐懼而自持不失誠于思也習謂修於已性謂得於天習與性合則全其本然之善而與聖賢一矣】復之初九曰不逺復無祗悔元吉伊川易傳曰陽君子之道故復為反善之義初復之最先者也是不逺而復也【陽往為剝陽來為複復卦乃善之返初爻乃復之先過而先復是不逺而復也】失而後有復不失則何復之有唯失之不逺而復則不至於悔大善而吉也【人必有所失而後有所復旣有失則不能無悔惟未逺而復故不至於悔乃元吉也】顔子無形顯之過夫子謂其庶幾乃無祗悔也過旣未形而改何悔之有【有過而知之敏改之速不待其形顯故無悔也】旣未能不勉而中所欲不逾矩是有過也然其明而剛故一有不善未嘗不知旣知未嘗不遽改故不至於悔乃不逺復也學問之道無他也惟其知不善則速改以從善而已【易傳下同○不待勉強而中乎道從心所欲而不過乎則是聖人之事無過之可改者也顔子未能及是故未免於有過然其明也故過而必知其剛也故知而即改】

Master Yichuan said: "When Yan Yuan asked for the specifics of mastering oneself and returning to ritual, the Master said: do not look at what is contrary to ritual, do not listen to it, do not speak it, do not do it. These four are the functions of the body: they arise from within and respond outwardly, and restraining them outwardly nourishes what is within. [Zhu Xi said: 'arise from within and respond outwardly' means that seeing, hearing, speaking and acting are where this mind shows itself; 'restraining outwardly to nourish within' means applying self-discipline to seeing, hearing, speaking and acting. The first two lines state the principle; the last two are the practice.] Yan Yuan asked to put these words into practice, and so advanced toward becoming a sage; those who later study to become sages should take them to heart and never lose them. So I have composed admonitions to warn myself. [Someone asked: if one knows clearly that one should not look yet the thing meets the eye by itself, or knows clearly that one should not listen yet the sound meets the ear, what then? Zhu Xi said: looking differs from seeing, and listening differs from hearing. Though an improper sight passes before the eye, I must not have a mind to look at it; though an improper sound passes the ear, I must not have a mind to listen to it.] The Admonition on Seeing says: The mind is originally empty and responds to things without trace; to hold it there is an essential, and seeing is its rule. When obscuring things crowd in front, what is within is shifted; restrain it outwardly so as to calm what is inward. Master yourself and return to ritual, and in time you will be sincere. [The human mind is empty and numinous, its response and passage leaving no trace to grasp. The key to holding it is, above all, to be careful in seeing; 'rule' is like 'measure'. If the obscuration of things crowds in front of me and I am deluded by what I see, what is within is bound to be moved. Only by restraining it outwardly, so that the eyes do not look wildly, will spirit and awareness be settled and the inner be at peace; and in time one becomes sincere, real principle flows, and every gesture and movement accords with ritual.] The Admonition on Hearing says: People have constant norms, rooted in Heaven-given nature; knowledge is lured and things transform it, and so the right is lost. Eminent were those first awakened, who knew where to stop and so were settled; they guarded against evil and preserved sincerity, and did not listen to what is contrary to ritual. [People receive the nature of the five constants, which is originally without evil. Only when knowledge is lured outward and does not return, and desire for things transforms the inside without one noticing, does the rectitude one received daily decay. 'Lure' is the beginning of transformation, and 'transform' is the extreme of luring. 'Knowing where to stop' is knowing where one should stop; 'being settled' is attaining where one should stand. Guarding against evil outwardly is how one preserves sincerity within.] The Admonition on Speech says: The movement of the human mind is expressed through words; restrain rashness and falsity, and the inner becomes still and focused. How much more so is this pivot and trigger, which can start war or create friendship; good fortune and misfortune, honor and disgrace, are all summoned by it. If one errs by being careless, one becomes extravagant; if one errs by being verbose, one becomes scattered; if one is self-indulgent one offends others; what goes out against reason comes back against one. Say nothing that is contrary to the standard; heed this instruction with reverence. ['Rashness' is being light and unrestrained, 'falsity' is being empty and mistaken. When speech comes forth, curbing rashness calms the inner, and curbing falsity makes the inner single-minded. The pivot is the door socket, the trigger is the crossbow catch; whether a door opens or closes and whether an arrow hits depends on them. Speech is the pivot and trigger of one's person, so one bad word may lead to the raising of armies and one good word may bring about friendship; if done right there is fortune and honor, if wrong there is misfortune and disgrace. Rashness that errs by being careless becomes extravagant and unconsidered; falsity that errs by being verbose becomes scattered and distant from reality. 'Self-indulgent' means giving rein to one's feelings, and one who indulges himself will offend others, which is the result of rashness; 'against reason' means contrary to principle, and what goes out against reason comes back against one, which is the result of falsity.] The Admonition on Action says: The wise know the incipient and are sincere in thought; the resolute strive in practice and hold firm in deeds. Following principle brings ease, following desire brings danger; in haste, master your thoughts, and in trembling, keep yourself steady. Habit and nature become one, and sages and worthies reach the same end. [From the Wenji. Zhu Xi said: thought is the subtle stage of action, and deeds are its manifest stage; thought is movement within, deeds are movement without. The wise know the subtle beginnings, so they make their thoughts sincere and dare not be reckless in a single stirring of thought; the resolute strive in practice, so they hold firm in what they do and dare not be careless in a single act. Acting in accord with principle brings ease and abundance, acting on desire brings peril; this is holding firm in deeds. Mastering one's thoughts even in haste and keeping oneself steady even in trembling is being sincere in thought. 'Habit' is what one cultivates oneself, 'nature' is what one receives from Heaven; when habit and nature unite, one completes one's original goodness and becomes one with sages and worthies.] The first yang line of the hexagram Return says: Return not from far; no cause for deep regret; supremely good fortune. Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: Yang is the way of the noble person, so Return carries the sense of turning back to the good. The first line is the very first of the return, which means returning before one has gone far. [When yang departs it is Stripping, when yang comes it is Return. The hexagram Return is the turning back toward goodness, and the first line is the earliest stage of the return; to turn back first after a fault is to return before going far.] Only after losing is there return; if one never lost, what return could there be? Only by returning when the loss is not far does one avoid regret, which is great goodness and good fortune. [A person must first have lost before returning; having lost, one cannot be without regret. Only by returning before going far does one not reach regret, and this is supreme good fortune.] Yan Zi had no fault that showed outwardly, and the Master said he came close to the ideal, which is to say he had no deep regret. If the fault is corrected before it has taken form, what regret is there? [One who knows a fault quickly and corrects it swiftly, not waiting for it to appear, therefore has no regret.] Since he had not yet reached the point of hitting the mean without effort and following his heart's desires without overstepping the bounds, he had faults; but because he was clear and firm, whenever something was not good he never failed to know it, and having known it, never failed to correct it at once, so he never reached regret, which is returning before going far. The way of learning is nothing else than this: on knowing what is not good, quickly correct it and follow the good. [From the Commentary on the Changes; likewise below. Hitting the way without forcing oneself and following one's heart's desires without exceeding the rule is the matter of a sage, who has no fault to correct. Yan Zi could not yet reach this, and so could not avoid faults; but because he was clear, he always knew his faults, and because he was firm, he corrected them as soon as he knew.]"

晉之上九晉其角維用伐邑厲吉無咎貞吝伊川易傳曰人之自治剛極則守道愈固進極則遷善愈速如上九者以之自治則雖傷於厲而吉且無咎也嚴厲非安和之道而於自治則有功也【以陽居上剛之極也在晉之終進之極也剛進之極動則為過惟可用之以自伐其邑伐邑內自治也以是自治則守道固而遷善速雖過於嚴厲吉且無咎】雖自治有功然非中和之德故於貞正之道為可吝也【剛進之極有乖中和終為疵吝】

Master Yichuan said: "The top yang line of Advance: Advancing with the horns, it is fit only for punishing one's own city; danger, but good fortune and no blame; persistence brings humiliation. Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: In governing oneself, the more extreme the firmness, the more firmly one holds the Way; the more extreme the advance, the more swiftly one moves toward the good. Like the top line, if used for governing oneself, then though it errs on the side of severity, it brings good fortune and no blame. Severity is not the way of ease and harmony, but in governing oneself it does good. [Yang placed at the top is the extreme of firmness; at the end of Advance it is the extreme of advancing. With firmness and advance at their extreme, any movement becomes excess, so it can only be used to punish one's own city. Punishing one's city means governing oneself within. Governing oneself this way, one holds the Way firmly and moves toward the good swiftly, and though it is too severe, it brings good fortune and no blame.] Though it does good in self-governance, it lacks the virtue of the mean and harmony, so as to the correct and upright way it is something to be ashamed of. [Firmness and advance at their extreme depart from the mean and harmony, and in the end are a flaw and a source of humiliation.]"

損者損過而就中損浮末而就本實也天下之害無不由末之勝也峻宇雕牆本於宮室酒池肉林本於飲食淫酷殘忍本於刑罰窮兵黷武本於徵討凡人慾之過者皆本於奉養其流之逺則為害矣先王制其本者天理也後人流於末者人慾也損之義損人慾以復天理而已【損卦彖傳天下之事其本皆出於天理民生日用之常治道之不可廢者其末流則末勝本華勝實人慾勝天理其害有不勝言者矣故損之為用亦惟損過以就中損浮末而就本實損人慾以復天理耳】夬九五曰莧陸夬夬中行無咎象曰中行無咎中未光也傳曰夫人心正意誠乃能極中正之道而充實光輝若心有所比以義之不可而決之雖行於外不失其中正之義可以無咎然於中道未得為光大也蓋人心一有所欲則離道矣夫子於此示人之意深矣【九五與上六比心有所暱未必能正特以義不可而勉勉決去之意亦未必誠也但九五中正故所行猶不失中正之義僅可無咎然心有所比不能無慾其於中正之道未得為光大聖人發此示人慾使人正心誠意無一毫繫累乃能盡中正之道充實而有光輝也】

Master Yichuan said: "Decrease means reducing excess to arrive at the mean, and reducing the superficial branches to arrive at the root and substance. The harms of the world all arise from the branches overcoming the root. Lofty halls and carved walls come from palaces and houses, lakes of wine and forests of meat from food and drink, licentiousness and cruelty from punishments, and ceaseless war from campaigns of conquest. All excess in human desires comes from provision and nourishment, and as its stream runs far it becomes harmful. What the former kings regulated at the root was Heavenly principle; what later people let flow into the branches is human desire. The meaning of Decrease is simply to reduce human desire and restore Heavenly principle. [From the Commentary on the Judgment of the hexagram Decrease. The root of all affairs of the world comes from Heavenly principle, which is the constant routine of the people's daily life and what the way of government cannot dispense with; in its downstream branches, the branch overcomes the root, flourish overcomes substance, and human desire overcomes Heavenly principle, and the harm is beyond words. So the function of Decrease is likewise only to reduce excess to arrive at the mean, reduce the superficial to arrive at the root and substance, and reduce human desire to restore Heavenly principle.] The fifth yang line of Resolution says: Like resolutely uprooting amaranth, walking the middle way brings no blame. The Image says: Walking the middle way brings no blame, but the middle is not yet bright. The Commentary says: Only when the mind is upright and the intent sincere can one reach the utmost of the middle and upright way and be filled with radiance. If the mind has an attachment and one resolves against it because righteousness forbids, though outwardly one does not lose the middle and upright meaning and may be without blame, in the way of the mean one has not yet reached greatness and brightness. The moment the human mind has a desire it departs from the Way. The Master's intent in showing this to people is profound. [The fifth line is close to the top yin line, and the mind has a fondness; it is not necessarily upright, and it forces itself to cast it off only because righteousness forbids, so the intent is not necessarily sincere either. But the fifth line is central and upright, so its conduct does not lose the central and upright meaning and merely escapes blame; yet the mind has an attachment and cannot be free of desire, so in the way of the central and upright it has not yet become great and bright. The Sage brought this out to show people, wishing them to rectify their minds and make their intentions sincere with not the slightest entanglement, so as to exhaust the central and upright way, and be filled and radiant.]"

方說而止節之義也【節卦彖傳兌上坎下為節兌說也坎險也見險則止矣人惟說則易流方說而能止是節之義也】

Master Yichuan said: "To stop just when one is pleased is the meaning of Regulation. [From the Commentary on the Judgment of the hexagram Regulation. Regulation has Lake above and Water below. Lake means pleasure, Water means danger. On seeing danger, one stops. People easily drift when pleased; being able to stop just when pleased is the meaning of regulation.]"

節之九二不正之節也以剛中正為節如懲忿窒欲損過抑有餘是也不正之節如嗇節於用懦節於行是也【九二以剛居柔在節卦是為不正之節也懲忿窒欲損過抑有餘者節其過以就中此剛中正之節也節於用而為吝嗇則於用有不足節於行而為柔懦則於行有不足此不正之節九二是也】

Master Yichuan said: "The second line of Regulation is regulation that is not upright. Regulating by being firm, central and upright, as in curbing anger and blocking desire, reducing excess and restraining surplus, is the right kind; regulation that is not upright is being stingy in spending or timid in action. [The second line places yang in a yin position, which in the hexagram Regulation is regulation that is not upright. Curbing anger, blocking desire, reducing excess and restraining surplus is regulating excess to arrive at the mean, which is the firm, central and upright regulation. Regulating spending by being stingy leaves spending insufficient, and regulating action by being weak and timid leaves action insufficient; this is regulation that is not upright, and the second line is exactly this.]"

人而無克伐怨欲惟仁者能之有之而能制其情不行焉斯亦難能也謂之仁則未可也此原憲之問夫子答以知其為難而不知其為仁此聖人開示之深也【經說○克忮害伐驕矜怨忿恨欲貪慾四者皆生於人心之私也天理流行自無四者之累則仁矣四者有於中而能力制於外則亦可謂之難能然欲之根未除故未可謂之仁○朱子曰克己為仁者從根源上便斬截了更不復萌不行者但禁制其末不行於外耳若其本則著於心而未能去也】

Master Yichuan said: "To be without domination, boasting, resentment and greed is something only the humane can do. One who has them yet can control his feelings and not act on them has also done something difficult, but cannot yet be called humane. This was Yuan Xian's question, and the Master answered that it is difficult but that he did not know it to be humane; this shows the Sage's deep guidance. [From the Jingshuo. Domination is envy and harm, boasting is arrogance, resentment is anger and hatred, and greed is covetousness; all four arise from selfishness in the human mind. When Heavenly principle flows, one is naturally free from the burden of the four, and that is humaneness. If the four exist within and one strongly restrains them outwardly, this too may be called difficult; but the root of desire has not been removed, so it cannot yet be called humane. Zhu Xi said: mastering oneself to be humane cuts things off at the source so that they never sprout again; not acting is only restraining the branches so they do not act outwardly, while the root remains attached to the mind and has not been removed.]"

明道先生曰義理與客氣常相勝只看消長分數多少為君子小人之別義理所得漸多則自然知得客氣消散得漸少消盡者是大賢【遺書下同○義理者性命之本然客氣者形氣之使然】或謂人莫不知和柔寛緩然臨事則反至於暴厲明道曰只是志不勝氣氣反動其心也【學以立志為本而後氣質可變化】人不能祛思慮只是吝吝故無浩然之氣【吝則為私意小智所纒繞而無浩然正大之氣】

Master Mingdao said: "Righteous principle and external vitality are always contending; one need only look at how much each gains or declines to tell the noble person from the petty one. As the share of righteous principle gradually grows, one naturally sees that external vitality gradually dissipates; one in whom it has been wholly dissipated is a great worthy. [From the Yishu; likewise below. Righteous principle is the original state of nature and decree, and external vitality is what is driven by physical constitution.] Someone said that all people know gentleness and patience, yet when facing events they turn violent and harsh. Mingdao said: 'This is only because will does not overcome vital force, and vital force in turn moves the mind. [In learning, setting the will is the root, and only afterwards can one's temperament be transformed.]' People who cannot dispel their anxious thoughts are merely stingy; being stingy, they lack the flood-like vital force. [Stinginess is being entangled by private intentions and petty cleverness, and so lacking the vast, upright, flood-like vital force.]"

治怒為難治懼亦難克己可以治怒明理可以治懼【怒氣盛則不能自遏懼氣怯則不能自立故治之皆難然己私既克則一朝之忿有所不作矣物理既明則非理之懼有所不動矣】

Master Cheng said: "Governing anger is difficult, and governing fear is difficult too. Mastering the self can govern anger; understanding principle can govern fear. [When the energy of anger is strong one cannot restrain oneself, and when the energy of fear is timid one cannot stand firm; so both are difficult to govern. But once selfishness is mastered, a morning's rage does not arise; once the principle of things is understood, fear that is contrary to principle cannot move one.]"

堯夫解他山之石可以攻玉玉者溫潤之物若將兩塊玉來相磨必磨不成須是得個麤礪底物方磨得出譬如君子與小人處為小人侵陵則修省畏避動心忍性増益豫防如此便道理出來【邵康節先生名雍字堯夫解詩小雅鶴鳴篇君子與小人處為小人所侵陵則修省其身者必謹畏避小人者必嚴動心而不敢苟安忍性而不敢輕發增益其所不能豫防其所未至如此則德日進而理日明矣】

Master Cheng said: "Yaofu explained 'stones from other hills can be used to polish jade': jade is a warm and smooth thing, and if you rub two pieces of jade together they will never be polished; you must have something coarse and rough to bring out the polish. It is like the noble person living with petty people: when encroached on by petty people, he reflects and examines himself, fears and avoids them, stirs his mind and endures his nature, increases his abilities and guards in advance, and in this way principle comes forth. [Master Shao Kangjie, named Yong, courtesy name Yaofu, was explaining the ode 'The Crane Cries' in the Odes, Lesser Odes. When the noble person lives with petty people and is encroached on by them, he reflects on himself more carefully, avoids the petty more strictly, stirs his mind and dares not be complacent, endures his nature and dares not act rashly, increases what he cannot do and guards against what has not yet come; in this way virtue advances daily and principle grows clearer daily.]"

目畏尖物此事不得放過便與克下室中率置尖物須以理勝他尖必不刺人也何畏之有【人有目畏尖物者明道敎以室中率置尖物習見旣熟則不復畏之矣克己之功類當如此】

Master Mingdao said: "Someone with a fear of pointed things must not let this matter pass; he should master it. Put pointed things all around the room and overcome it with reason: a point surely will not stab a person, so what is there to fear? [There was a person who feared pointed objects, and Mingdao taught him to place pointed objects all around the room, so that once he was used to seeing them he would no longer fear. The work of mastering oneself should be like this.]"

明道先生曰責上責下而中自恕己豈可任職分【專務責人而不知責己是捨己職分而憂人之憂者也】

Master Mingdao said: "One who blames those above and those below while excusing himself in the middle, how can he be entrusted with an office? [One who devotes himself to blaming others without knowing to blame himself abandons his own duty and worries about other people's worries.]"

捨己從人最為難事己者我之所有雖痛舍之猶懼守己者固而從人者輕也【朱子曰此程子為學者言若聖人分上則不如此也】九德最好【臯陶曰亦行有九德寛而栗柔而立愿而恭亂而敬擾而毅直而溫簡而亷剛而塞強而義寛而莊栗則寛不至於弛和柔而卓立則柔不至於懦愿而恭則樸願而不専尚乎質亂治也亂而敬則整治而不徒事乎文蓋恭著於外敬守於中也馴擾而毅則擾不至於隨勁直而溫則直不至於訐簡大者或規矩之不立今有亷隅則簡不至於疎剛者或傷於果斷今塞實而篤厚則剛不至於虐強力者或徇血氣之勇今有勇而義則強不至於暴蓋遊氣紛擾萬有不齊其生人也有氣稟之拘自非聖人至清至厚至中至正渾然天理無所偏雜蓋自中人以下未有不滯於一偏者惟能就其氣質之偏窮理克己矯揉以歸於正則偏者可全矣是知學問之道在理虞之際其論德已如是之密矣】

Master Cheng said: "Giving up one's own view to follow others is the hardest thing. The self is what one possesses, and even if one resolutely gives it up, one still fears that one holds to oneself too firmly and follows others too lightly. [Zhu Xi said: Master Cheng said this for students; it is not so in the case of a sage.] The nine virtues are best. [Gao Yao said: there are also nine virtues in conduct: being generous yet strict, gentle yet firm of purpose, sincere yet respectful, capable of ordering yet reverent, docile yet resolute, straightforward yet warm, easy-going yet discerning, strong yet substantial, brave yet righteous. Being broad-minded yet dignified and strict, one's generosity does not become laxity; being gentle yet standing out, one's gentleness does not become weakness; being sincere and respectful, one's plainness does not become mere simplicity. 'Ordering' means governing, and being capable of ordering yet reverent means being orderly without merely pursuing outward form, with respect shown outside and reverence kept within. Being docile and resolute, docility does not become going along; being forthright and warm, directness does not become harsh exposure. One who is easy-going about great matters may fail to establish rules, but with discernment his ease does not become carelessness; the firm may err by rash decisions, but with solidity and depth his firmness does not become cruelty; the strong may follow the courage of blood and breath, but with courage that is righteous his strength does not become violence. The floating vital force is scattered and its myriad things are unequal, so in giving birth to people it constrains them by their endowment; unless one is a sage who is utterly pure and thick, central and upright, wholly Heavenly principle and without any bias or admixture, then from the average person downward there is none who is not stuck on one side. Only by working on the bias of one's endowment, investigating principle, mastering the self, and straightening what is crooked back to rectitude, can the partial be made whole. Thus we know that the way of learning lies in the boundary between principle and desire, and his discussion of virtue was already this precise.]"

飢食渴飲冬裘夏葛若致些私吝心在便是廢天職【食飲衣服各有當然之則是天賦之職分也有一毫私己貪吝之意即是廢天職】

Master Cheng said: "In eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty, wearing furs in winter and linen in summer, if one lets a bit of selfishness or stinginess be present, it is abandoning one's Heaven-given duty. [Food, drink and clothing each have their proper measure, which is the duty Heaven assigns; the slightest selfish or greedy thought is abandoning that Heaven-given duty.]"

獵自謂今無此好周茂叔曰何言之易也但此心潛隱未發一日萌動復如前矣後十二年因見果知未也【本注云明道年十六七時好田獵十二年暮歸在田野間見田獵者不覺有喜心○周子用功之深故知不可易言程子治心之密故能隨寓加察在學者警省克治之力尤不可以不勉也】

Master Cheng said: "As for hunting, I said that I no longer had that fondness. Zhou Maoshu said: how lightly you say it! Your mind is merely hidden and unstirred, and one day it will sprout again as before. Twelve years later, on seeing a hunt, I found that he was right, and it had not gone. [Original note: Mingdao liked hunting at sixteen or seventeen; twelve years later, returning at dusk, he saw hunters in the fields and felt, without realizing it, a stir of joy. Master Zhou worked so deeply that he knew it should not be said lightly; Master Cheng governed his mind so carefully that he could examine himself wherever he was. For students, the effort of vigilance and self-discipline must especially not be neglected.]"

伊川先生曰大抵人有身便有自私之理宜其與道難一【人有耳目鼻口四肢自然有私己之慾惟能克己然後合天理之公】

Master Yichuan said: "In general, once a person has a body there is the principle of self-interest, so it is no wonder that it is hard to be one with the Way. [A person has ears, eyes, nose, mouth and four limbs, and naturally has selfish desires; only by mastering oneself can one join the public good of Heavenly principle.]"

罪己責躬不可無然亦不當長留在心胷為悔【有過自責乃羞惡之心然已徃之失長留愧怍應酬之間反為繫累】

Master Cheng said: "Blaming and reproaching oneself cannot be absent, but it should not remain long in the chest as regret. [Blaming oneself for a fault is the sense of shame and dislike; but if one keeps shame and remorse for a past mistake for long, it becomes an entanglement when dealing with affairs.]"

所欲不必沉溺只有所向便是欲【一念外馳所向旣差即是欲也】明道先生曰子路亦百世之師【本注云人告之以有過則喜○聞過而喜則好善也誠改過也速子路以兼人之勇而用之於遷善改過其進德也庸可既乎是足為百世師矣】人語言緊急莫是氣不定否曰此亦當習習到言語自然緩時便是氣質變也學至氣質變方是有功

Master Cheng said: "What one desires need not be an indulgence; merely having a direction in which the mind leans is desire. [When one thought races outward and the direction is already off, that is desire.]" Master Mingdao said: "Zilu too was a teacher for a hundred generations. [Original note: he was glad when people told him of his faults. Being glad to hear of faults shows that one sincerely loves the good and corrects faults quickly. Zilu used his courage, which could overcome two men, to move toward the good and correct his faults; how could his advance in virtue be exhausted? He is enough to be a teacher for a hundred generations.] When people speak urgently, is it not that their vital force is unsettled?" He said: "This too should be practiced. When practice reaches the point that speech is naturally slow, that is a change of temperament. Only when learning changes one's temperament is there real achievement."

問不遷怒不貳過何也語錄有怒甲不遷乙之說是否伊川曰是曰若此則甚易何待顔子而後能曰只被說得麤了諸君便道易此莫是最難須是理防得因何不遷怒【怒甲而不遷其怒於乙槩而觀之則稟性和平者若皆可能然以身驗其實而求其所以不遷怒之由則非此心至虛至明喜怒各因乎物舉無一毫之私意者殆未易勉強而能也○朱子曰顔子見得道理透故怒於甲者雖欲遷於乙亦不可得遷也】如舜之誅四凶怒在四凶舜何與焉蓋因是人有可怒之事而怒之聖人之心本無怒也譬如明鏡好物來時便見是好惡物來時便見是惡鏡何嘗有好惡也【聖人之心因事當怒者而怒之是怒因物而生不自我而作也又豈有之於己耶譬明鏡照物妍媸在物鏡未嘗自有妍媸也】世之人固有怒於室而色於市且如怒一人對那人說話能無怒色否有能怒一人而不怒別人者能忍得如此已是煞知義理者若聖人因物而未嘗有怒此莫是甚難【怒氣易發而難制世固有怒於其室而作色於市人者其遷怒也甚矣有能自禁持怒此人而不以餘怒加辭色於他人者已不易得況乎物各付物而喜怒不有於我者豈非甚難者耶】君子役物小人役於物今見可喜可怒之事自家著一分陪奉他此亦勞矣聖人之心如止水【役物者我常定役於物者逐物而往聖人之心常湛然如止水無有一毫作好作惡】

Someone asked: What does it mean to 'not transfer anger and not repeat a fault'? The Yulu has the saying that being angry with A one does not transfer it to B; is that right? Yichuan said: "Yes." Asked: If so, that seems very easy, so why wait for Yan Zi to be able to do it? He said: "It is only because it is put coarsely that you all say it is easy. This may be the hardest of all. One must understand (the original reads a corrupted character here) why one does not transfer anger. [Being angry with A without transferring the anger to B: viewed roughly, anyone of mild temperament might seem able to do it; but if one tests it in oneself and seeks the reason why anger is not transferred, then unless the mind is utterly empty and clear, so that joy and anger each follow from the thing itself with not a hair of selfishness, it can hardly be achieved by effort. Zhu Xi said: Yan Zi saw principle so thoroughly that even if he wished to move his anger at A over to B, he could not.] Like Shun's execution of the Four Villains: the anger was at the Four Villains, so what had it to do with Shun? Because those people had done something that deserved anger, he was angry; the Sage's mind has originally no anger. It is like a bright mirror: when a good thing comes it shows it as good, when a bad thing comes it shows it as bad; does the mirror itself have likes and dislikes? [The Sage's mind is angry only when the matter calls for anger; the anger arises from the thing and not from himself, so how could he possess it in himself? It is like a bright mirror reflecting things: beauty and ugliness are in the things, and the mirror has no beauty or ugliness of its own.] There are certainly people in the world who are angry at home and show it in the marketplace. Take being angry with one person: can one speak to that person without showing anger? To be angry at one person and not at others, with such forbearance, is already to know principle well. As for the Sage, who responds to things and never has anger of his own, how hard that must be! [The energy of anger is easily roused and hard to control. In the world there are people angry with their household who show it to strangers in the market, so their transfer of anger is great. One who can restrain himself, angry at this person yet not letting the leftover anger color his words and expression toward others, is already rare; how much more one who lets each thing be what it is, with joy and anger not belonging to himself, is that not very hard?] The noble person commands things; the petty person is commanded by things. If, on seeing something to rejoice or be angry about, one gives it a bit of attendance, that is already toil. The Sage's mind is like still water. [One who commands things is always settled; one commanded by things chases after things. The Sage's mind is always clear like still water, without the slightest making of likes or dislikes.]"

人之視最先非禮而視則所謂開目便錯了次聽次言次動有先後之序人能克己則心廣體胖仰不愧俯不怍其樂可知有息則餒矣【外書下同○朱子曰此數語極有味又曰當初亦知是好語謾錄於此今看來直是恁地好○身心無私慾之累自然安舒俯仰無所愧怍自然快樂少有間斷則自視欿然矣】

Master Cheng said: "Of a person's senses, seeing comes first. Looking at what is contrary to ritual means that the moment one opens one's eyes one is already wrong; next comes listening, then speaking, then acting, in a sequence of priority. If one can master oneself, the mind is broad and the body at ease; looking up one is not ashamed, looking down one has no remorse, and the joy of it can be imagined; but if one rests, one is starved. [From the Waishu; likewise below. Zhu Xi said: these few sentences have a great deal of flavor. He also said: at first I knew they were good words and copied them here casually, but looking at them now they are truly this good. When body and mind are free from the burden of selfish desire, one is naturally at ease; with nothing to be ashamed of above or below, one is naturally joyful. If there is the slightest break, one feels deficient.]"

聖人責己感也處多責人應也處少【聖人所謂厚於責己而薄於責人者非若後世欲為長厚之意蓋有感而後有應責人之應而不自反其感之之道則是薄於本而厚望於末無是理也】

Master Cheng said: "The Sage blames himself more for what he stirs up, and blames others less for what they respond. [What the Sage means by being strict with oneself and lenient with others is not like the later idea of wanting to be kindly and generous. For there is first a stimulus and then a response; to blame others for their response without reflecting on how one stirred it is to be lenient about the root and demand much of the branch, and there is no such principle.]"

謝子與伊川別一年往見之伊川曰相別一年做得甚工夫謝曰也只去個矜字曰何故曰子細檢防得來病痛盡在這裡若按伏得這個罪過方有向進處伊川點頭因語在坐同志者曰此人為學切問近思者也【按胡文定公問上蔡矜字罪過何故恁地大謝曰今人做事只管要誇耀別人耳目渾不闗自家受用事有底人食前方丈便向人前吃只蔬食菜羹卻去房裡吃為甚恁地愚謂充謝子為己之學則一切外物皆不足以動其心矣】思叔詬詈僕伕伊川曰何不動心忍性思叔慙謝【說見孟子○朱子曰動心忍性謂悚動其心堅忍其性然所謂性者亦指氣稟而言耳】

Master Xie went to see Yichuan after a year's separation. Yichuan said: "After a year apart, what effort have you made?" Xie said: "Only getting rid of the word 'pride'." He asked why. He said: "When I examined myself carefully (the original reads a corrupted character here), the fault lay entirely here. Only if I can subdue this fault will there be room to advance." Yichuan nodded, and said to his fellow students present: "This man studies by asking earnestly and thinking of what is near. [Note: Hu Wending asked Shangcai: why is the fault of pride so grave? Xie said: people today act only to show off to the eyes and ears of others, which has nothing to do with their own benefit. A man with means who has a feast of ten dishes eats it in front of others, but when he has only vegetable soup he goes and eats it in his room; why is that? Ye Cai comments: if one fills out Master Xie's learning for oneself, then no outer thing can move his mind.]" Sishu cursed at a servant. Yichuan said: "Why not stir your mind and endure your nature?" Sishu was ashamed and apologized. [The saying is in the Mencius. Zhu Xi said: to stir the mind and endure the nature is to startle the mind and harden the nature; but 'nature' here also refers to one's endowment of vital force.]

見賢便思齊有為者亦若是見不賢而內自省蓋莫不在已【說見論語○見人有善即思自勉則誰不可及見人不善惟當自省亦無非反己之地】橫渠先生曰湛一氣之本攻取氣之慾口腹於飲食鼻舌於臭味皆攻取之性也知德者屬厭而已不以嗜慾累其心不以小害大末喪本焉耳【正防下同○湛而不動一而不雜者氣之本體也飲食臭味之嗜而營求攻取於外者氣之動於欲者也攻取之性即氣質之性屬足也屬厭猶飫足也君子知德之本故凡飲食臭味才取足而已不以嗜好之末而累此心之本也孟子所謂不以口腹累心毋以小害大賤害貴是也】

Master Cheng said: "On seeing a worthy, think of equaling him; those who act do likewise; on seeing the unworthy, examine yourself inwardly; it all rests in oneself. [The saying is in the Analects. On seeing goodness in others, think at once of striving oneself, and then who cannot be matched; on seeing badness in others, one should only reflect on oneself, which is also a ground for turning back to oneself.]" Master Hengqu said: "Limpid unity is the root of vital force, while grasping and seizing are the desires of vital force. The mouth and belly for food and drink, the nose and tongue for smells and tastes, are all the nature of grasping and seizing. One who knows virtue merely has enough and is satisfied, and does not let appetites burden his mind, nor lets the small harm the great or the branch destroy the root. [From the Zhengmeng (the original reads a corrupted character here); likewise below. Limpid and unmoving, one and unmixed, is the original substance of vital force; craving food, drink, smell and taste and seeking and seizing outward is vital force moved by desire. The nature of grasping and seizing is the nature of temperament. 'Having enough' means being satisfied, like being full. The noble person knows the root of virtue, so with food, drink and smells he takes only enough and does not let the branch of cravings burden the root of the mind. This is what Mencius means by not letting the mouth and belly burden the mind, not letting the small harm the great, the lowly harm the noble.]"

纖惡必除善斯成性矣察惡未盡雖善必麤矣【成性者全其本然之天】

Master Hengqu said: "If even the slightest evil is surely removed, goodness becomes one's nature; if one's examination of evil is not yet exhaustive, even one's goodness is coarse. [Completing nature means making whole one's original Heavenly endowment.]"

惡不仁故不善未嘗不知徒好仁而不惡不仁則習不察行不著【人能惡不仁則其察已也精有不善必知之矣苟徒知仁之可好而不知不仁之可惡則所習者或未之察所行者或未之明雖有好仁之心而卒陷於不仁而莫之覺矣】是故徒善未必盡義徒是未必盡仁好仁而惡不仁然後盡仁義之道【徒好仁而不惡不仁則雖有向善之意而無斷制之明故曰未必盡義徒惡不仁而不好仁則雖有去非之意而無樂善之誠故曰未必盡仁】

Master Hengqu said: "Because one hates inhumaneness, one never fails to know what is not good. One who merely loves humaneness and does not hate inhumaneness fails to examine his habits and fails to make his conduct manifest. [If a person can hate inhumaneness, his examination of himself is fine, and whatever is not good he will surely know. But if he only knows that humaneness is lovable and does not know that inhumaneness is hateful, then what he practices may be unexamined and what he does may be unclear, and though he has a mind to love humaneness he may in the end fall into inhumaneness without noticing.] So merely being good does not necessarily exhaust righteousness, and merely being right does not necessarily exhaust humaneness; only by loving humaneness and hating inhumaneness does one exhaust the way of humaneness and righteousness. [One who only loves humaneness and does not hate inhumaneness may have the intent to turn to goodness but lacks the clarity of decisive judgment, so it is said he does not necessarily exhaust righteousness; one who only hates inhumaneness and does not love humaneness may have the intent to get rid of wrong but lacks the sincerity of delight in goodness, so it is said he does not necessarily exhaust humaneness.]"

責己者當知無天下國家皆非之理故學至於不尤人學之至也【處世有乖違豈在人者皆非在我者皆是以此存心則惟務盡已不必咎人也】有潛心於道忽忽為他慮引去者此氣也舊習纒繞未能脫灑畢竟無益但樂於舊習耳【舊習未除志不勝氣則心慮紛雜】古人慾得朋友與琴瑟簡編常使心在於此惟聖人知朋友之取益為多故樂朋友之來【橫渠論語說○朋友有講習責善之義琴瑟有調適性情之用簡編有前言往行之識朝夕於是則心有所養而習俗放僻之念不作矣然三者之中朋友之益尤多故有朋自遠方來所以樂也】

Master Hengqu said: "One who blames himself should know there is no such principle that 'the whole world and every state are all wrong'. So learning that reaches the point of not blaming others is the utmost of learning. [When there is discord in one's dealings with the world, can it be that everyone else is wrong and I am right? Keeping this in mind, one only strives to do one's utmost and need not blame others.] If one is absorbed in the Way and is suddenly drawn away by other thoughts, this is vital force. Old habits entangle one and one cannot shake free, and in the end it is of no benefit, one merely delights in the old habits. [When old habits are not removed and will does not overcome vital force, the mind's thoughts are scattered and mixed.] The ancients wished to have friends, the zither and lute, and books always at hand, so that the mind would be kept on these. Only the Sage knew how much one gains from friends, and so was glad when friends came. [From Hengqu's Commentary on the Analects. Friends have the meaning of discussing, practicing and urging one another to good, the zither and lute have the use of harmonizing one's nature and feelings, and books give knowledge of earlier words and deeds; spending morning and evening on these, the mind has something to nourish it, and vulgar, loose thoughts do not arise. Yet among the three, the benefit of friends is greatest, which is why it is a joy to have friends come from afar.]"

矯輕警惰【語錄下同○輕則浮躁惰則弛慢二者為學之大患然輕者必惰雖二病而實相因其進銳者其退速輕與惰之謂也】

Master Hengqu said: "Correct frivolity and warn against laziness. [From the Yulu; likewise below. Frivolity is floating and restless, laziness is slack and sluggish, and these are two great ills of learning. But the frivolous will surely be lazy, so though they are two ills, they are really linked: one who advances sharply retreats quickly, and this is frivolity and laziness.]"

仁之難成乆矣人人失其所好蓋人人有利慾之心與學正相背馳故學者要寡慾【仁者天理之公利慾者人心之私故背馳】君子不必避他人之言以為太柔太弱至於瞻視亦有節視有上下視高則氣髙視下則心柔故視國君者不離紳帶之中學者先須去其客氣其為人剛行【音項】終不肯進堂堂乎張也難與併為仁矣【學者當去輕傲之氣存恭謹之心剛行麤暴也其為人麤暴必不肯遜志務學而亦終不能深造於道子張氣貌高亢而無收斂誠實之意故曽子以為難與併為仁】蓋目者人之所常用且心常托之視之上下且試之已之敬傲必見於視所以欲下其視者欲柔其心也柔其心則聽言敬且信【心之神寓於目故目視高下而心之敬傲可見心柔者聴人之言必敬且信而不敢怠慢矣】人之有朋友不為燕安所以輔佐其仁今之朋友擇其善柔以相與拍肩執袂以為氣合一言不合怒氣相加朋友之際欲其相下不倦故於朋友之間主其敬者日相親與得效最速【始則氣輕而苟於求合終則負氣而不肯相下若是者其果有益於己乎故朋友之間以謙恭為主則其相親之意無厭相觀之效尤速】仲尼嘗曰吾見其居於位也與先生並行也非求益者欲速成者則學者先須溫柔溫柔則可以進學【闕里童子居則當位行則與先生並蓋輕傲而不循禮故夫子以為非能求益者但欲速於成人而已故學者當以和順為先則謙虛恭謹有以為進學之地】詩曰溫溫恭人維德之基蓋其所益之多【詩大雅抑篇溫和恭敬為德之本】

Master Hengqu said: "Humaneness has long been hard to accomplish, and everyone has lost what they should love. This is because everyone has a mind of profit and desire, which runs directly counter to learning, so the student must lessen desire. [Humaneness is the public good of Heavenly principle; profit and desire are the selfishness of the human mind, and so they run counter.] The noble person need not avoid others' words for fear of being too soft or weak. Even in glancing there is a measure: the gaze can be high or low, and a high gaze means high-flown vital force while a low gaze means a soft mind, so those who look at their ruler do not let the gaze go above the collar or below the belt. A student must first remove his external vital force. One who is stiff and obstinate in character (pronounced 'xiang') will never be willing to advance. 'Imposing, indeed, was Zhang,' who is hard to join in humaneness. [Students should rid themselves of frivolous arrogance and keep a respectful and careful mind. 'Stiff and obstinate' means coarse and violent. A person who is coarse and violent surely will not humble his will to attend to learning, and in the end cannot go deep into the Way. Zizhang's vital force and bearing were lofty, with no restraint or sincerity, so Master Zeng said it was hard to join with him in humaneness.] The eyes are what a person uses constantly, and the mind constantly rests on them. As for the height of the gaze, try it: one's reverence or arrogance will certainly show in the gaze. So wanting to lower one's gaze is wanting to soften one's mind; with a softened mind, one listens to words with reverence and trust. [The spirit of the mind lodges in the eyes, so whether the gaze is high or low shows whether the mind is reverent or arrogant. One whose mind is soft will surely listen to what others say with reverence and trust, and not dare be careless.] A person has friends not for comfort and ease, but to assist his humaneness. Today people choose as friends those who are glib and pliant, slap shoulders and clasp sleeves and call it harmony of spirit, and with a single disagreeable word they turn angry. In friendship one should wish to defer to each other without tiring, so those who put reverence first among friends grow close daily and see the quickest results. [At first they are light in spirit and carelessly seek agreement, and in the end they are proud of their spirit and unwilling to defer; can that really benefit oneself? So among friends, putting modesty and respect first, one's affection for each other never wearies, and the effect of observing one another is especially swift.] Confucius once said: 'I saw him sitting in the seat of an adult and walking side by side with his elders; he is not one seeking improvement, but wants to complete himself quickly.' So the student must first be gentle, and gentleness makes advance in learning possible. [The boy of Que Li sat in the place of honor at home and walked alongside his elders on the road, which is light and arrogant and not following ritual, so the Master considered him not one who sought improvement but one who only wished to become an adult quickly. So students should put mildness and compliance first, so that humility and respectfulness serve as the ground for advancing in learning.] The Odes say: 'Gentle and respectful is the person, the foundation of virtue.' This is because of how much it benefits. [From the Odes, Greater Odes, the ode 'Yi'. Gentleness and respect are the root of virtue.]"

世學不講男女從幼便驕惰壞了到長益兇很只為未嘗為子弟之事則於其親己有物我不肯屈下病根常在又隨所居而長至死只依舊為子弟則不能安灑掃應對在朋友則不能下朋友有官長則不能下官長為宰相則不能下天下之賢甚則至於徇私意義理都喪也只為病根不去隨所居所接而長人須一事事消了病則義理常勝【後世小學既廢父母愛逾於禮恣之驕惰而莫為禁止病根既立隨寓隨長卒至盡失其良心蓋有自來學者所當察其病源力加克治則舊習日消而道心日長矣】

Master Hengqu said: "The learning of the world is not taught, and boys and girls are spoiled by arrogance and laziness from childhood, growing more fierce and harsh as they grow up, merely because they never did the work of sons and younger brothers, and so toward their parents they already make a distinction of self and other, and are unwilling to bow down. The root of the illness remains, and grows with where they live, until at death they are still the same. As sons and younger brothers they cannot be content with sweeping and answering; among friends they cannot defer to friends; with a superior they cannot defer to a superior; as chief minister they cannot defer to the worthy of the world; and in the worst case they follow private desire and lose all righteousness and principle. This is only because the root of the illness is not removed and grows with each place they live and each person they meet. A person must dissolve the illness thing by thing, so that righteousness and principle always prevail. [Since the elementary schooling of later ages was abandoned, parents love their children beyond what ritual allows, indulge arrogance and laziness and do not stop it; once the root of the illness is established, it grows wherever they go, until in the end they wholly lose their good mind, and this has a cause. Students should examine the source of their illness and work hard to master it, so that old habits dissolve daily and the mind of the Way grows daily.]"

此卷論齊家蓋克己之功旣至則施之家而家可齊矣

This chapter discusses regulating the family. Once the work of mastering oneself has been accomplished, applying it to the family allows the family to be regulated.

伊川先生曰弟子之職力有餘則學文不修其職而學非為己之學也【經解說見論語為弟為子者其職在於孝弟而已行之有餘力而後可學詩書六藝之文職有未盡而急於學文則是徒欲人之觀美非為己之學也】

Master Yichuan said: "The duty of a younger person is to study the arts only when he has energy to spare. To study without fulfilling one's duty is not learning for the sake of oneself. [From the Jingjie. The saying is in the Analects. For one who is a younger brother or a son, the duty lies only in filial piety and brotherly respect; only after having energy to spare from practicing these may one study the Odes, the Documents and the six arts. If one's duty is not yet fulfilled and one hurries to study culture, one merely wants others to admire it and is not learning for oneself.]"

孟子曰事親若曽子可也未嘗以曽子之孝為有餘也蓋子之身所能為者皆所當為也【易傳下同○師卦九二傳可者僅足而無餘之稱竭其所當為無過外也】

Master Yichuan said: "Mencius said: serve your parents as Zengzi did, and that will do. He never considered Zengzi's filial piety to be in excess. For all that a son's person can do is what he ought to do. [From the Commentary on the Changes; likewise below. From the commentary on the second line of the hexagram Army. 'Will do' is a term for just enough with nothing to spare, exhausting what one ought to do, with nothing beyond it.]"

幹母之蠱不可貞子之於母當以柔巽輔導之使得於義不順而致敗蠱則子之罪也【蠱卦九二傳幹治也蠱事之弊也人子事親皆當以承順為主使事得於理而已然婦人柔暗有難以遽曉尤當以柔巽行之比之事父又有間矣但為矯拂而反害其所治之事則子之過也】從容將順豈無道乎若伸已剛陽之道遽然矯拂則傷恩所害大矣亦安能入乎在乎屈己下意巽順將承使之身正事治而已剛陽之臣事柔弱之君義亦相近【以剛直之資遽為矯拂內則傷恩而有害天倫之重外則敗事而卒廢幹蠱之功剛陽之臣事柔弱之君若孟子於齊宣王諸葛孔明於蜀後主是也】

Master Yichuan said: "In managing the mother's spoilage, one must not be rigid. A son toward his mother should guide and assist her with gentleness and deference so that she comes to accord with righteousness; if he does not comply and the spoilage is made worse, it is the son's fault. [From the commentary on the second line of the hexagram Spoilage. 'Manage' means to regulate, and 'spoilage' means the ills of affairs. Children serving their parents should all take compliance as the main principle, so that things come to accord with principle. But a woman's nature is soft and obscure and she may not easily understand, so one should especially proceed gently and deferentially, which is somewhat different from serving a father. If one only forces and defies, and so harms the matter one is managing, that is the son's fault.] Calmly guiding and following along, is there no way? If one asserts the way of one's own firmness and abruptly forces and defies, it damages affection, and the harm is great; how could she be won over? It lies in humbling oneself, lowering one's mind, and following and supporting her with deference, so that she herself becomes upright and the matter is managed. A firm minister serving a weak ruler is similar in meaning. [If one with a firm and straight nature abruptly forces and defies, then inwardly it damages affection and harms the weight of the bonds of kin, and outwardly it ruins the affair and in the end abolishes the work of managing spoilage. A firm minister serving a weak ruler is like Mencius toward King Xuan of Qi, or Zhuge Liang toward the last ruler of Shu.]"

蠱之九三以陽處剛而不中剛之過也故小有悔然在巽體不為無順順事親之本也又居得正故無大咎然有小悔已非善事親也【九爻陽而三位剛位又不中剛過乎中者也事親而過剛不能無悔矣然蠱之下卦為巽巽者順也又陽爻居陽位居得其正則亦不至大過故無大咎也但謂之小悔則於事親之道已非盡善者矣】

Master Yichuan said: "The third line of Spoilage places yang in a firm position without being central, which is excess of firmness, so there is a little regret. But as it is within the Xun trigram, it is not without compliance, and compliance is the root of serving parents; and being in its proper place, there is no great blame. Yet to have even a little regret is already not the best way of serving parents. [A nine line is yang, and the third place is a firm place and not central, so the firmness passes beyond the mean. If one is too firm in serving parents, one cannot be without regret. But the lower trigram of Spoilage is Xun, which is compliance, and a yang line in a yang place is in its correct position, so it does not go to great excess and there is no great blame. Yet to speak of a little regret means that in the way of serving parents it is not perfect.]"

正倫理篤恩義家人之道也【家人卦彖傳正倫理則尊卑之分明篤恩義則上下之情合二者並行而後處家之道得矣然必以正倫理為先未有倫理不正而恩義可篤者也】

Master Yichuan said: "Setting right the human relations and deepening kindness and righteousness is the way of the family. [From the Commentary on the Judgment of the hexagram Family. Setting right the relations makes clear the distinction of high and low; deepening kindness and righteousness joins the feelings of those above and below; only when both go together is the way of ordering a family achieved. But setting right the relations must come first, for there has never been a case where relations are not right and yet kindness and righteousness can be deepened.]"

人之處家在骨肉父子之間大率以情勝禮以恩奪義惟剛立之人則能不以私愛失其正理故家人卦大要以剛為善【家人卦六二傳相親附猶骨之於肉】

Master Yichuan said: "Where people deal with the family, among flesh and blood, fathers and sons, for the most part feeling overcomes ritual and affection overrides righteousness. Only one with firm resolve can avoid losing the correct principle through private love, so the hexagram Family takes firmness as the main good. [From the commentary on the second line of the hexagram Family. 'Close and attached' is like bone to flesh.]"

家人上九爻辭謂治家當有威嚴而夫子又復戒雲當先嚴其身也威嚴不先行於己則人怨而不服【上九威如終吉象曰威如之吉反身之謂也所貴治家之威者非徒繩治之嚴蓋必正己為本使在我持身謹嚴而無少縱弛則家人自然有所嚴憚而不敢逾越有所觀感而率歸於正凡御下之道皆然齊家本於修身則尤為切近】歸妹九二守其幽貞未失夫婦常正之道世人以媟狎為常故以貞靜為變常不知乃常久之道也【正靜乃相處可久之道媟狎則玩侮乖離所自生】

Master Yichuan said: "The top line of the hexagram Family says that in managing the family there should be dignity and strictness, and the Master further cautioned that one must first be strict with oneself. If dignity does not first operate in oneself, people will resent and not submit. [The top nine says: 'Dignified, in the end good fortune.' The Image says: the good fortune of dignity means turning back to oneself. What is valued in the dignity of managing a family is not mere strictness of control, but rectifying oneself as the root; if I hold myself carefully and strictly without the least laxity, the household will naturally have something to fear and not dare to overstep, and something to observe and be moved, and will all return to rectitude. All ways of governing subordinates are thus; regulating the family being rooted in cultivating the person, this is especially close.] The second line of Marrying Maiden keeps to quiet constancy in seclusion, not losing the constant and correct way of husband and wife. People of the world take familiarity and levity as normal, so they see correct stillness as an abnormality, not knowing it is the way of lasting constancy. [Correctness and stillness are the way of living together for the long term; familiarity and levity are where contempt and estrangement arise.]"

世人多愼於擇壻而忽於擇婦其實壻易見婦難知所繫甚重豈可忽哉【遺書下同】

Master Yichuan said: "People of the world are mostly careful in choosing a son-in-law and careless in choosing a wife for their son. In fact a son-in-law is easy to see and a wife is hard to know, and much depends on it; how can one be careless? [From the Yishu; likewise below.]"

人無父母生日當倍悲痛更安忍置酒張樂以為樂若具慶者可矣【具慶謂父母俱存】

Master Yichuan said: "One who has no parents should be doubly sorrowful on his birthday; how could he bear to set out wine and music for pleasure? If both parents are alive, it is acceptable. [To 'have both blessings' means both parents are still living.]"

問行狀雲儘性至命必本於孝弟不識孝弟何以能儘性至命也伊川曰後人便將性命別作一般說了性命孝弟只是一統底事就孝弟中便可儘性至命【伊川先生所作明道先生行狀孝弟者人道之本百行之原仁民愛物皆由是推之人能盡孝弟之道擴而充之至於極致則可以儘性至命矣朱子曰此與孝弟也者其為仁之本與一意又曰若是聖人如舜之孝王季之友便是儘性至命事】如灑掃應對與儘性至命亦是一統底事無有本末無有精粗卻被後來人言性命者別作一般高逺說故舉孝弟是於人切近者言之【天下無理外之事亦無事外之理即其末而本已存即其粗而精實具本末精粗非二致也】然今時非無孝弟之人而不能儘性至命者由之而不知也【今之孝弟者未必能儘性至命蓋行不著習不察故亦不能擴充之以抵作聖之極功】

Someone asked: The Xingzhuang says that exhausting nature and reaching the decree must be rooted in filial piety and brotherly respect; I do not understand how filial piety and brotherly respect can exhaust nature and reach the decree. Yichuan said: "Later people have taken nature and decree as something separate. Nature and decree, and filial piety and brotherly respect, are all one thing, and within filial piety and brotherly respect one can exhaust nature and reach the decree. [The Xingzhuang was written by Master Yichuan for Master Mingdao. Filial piety and brotherly respect are the root of the human way and the source of all conduct, from which one extends to loving the people and cherishing things. If a person fully carries out the way of filial piety and brotherly respect and expands it to the utmost, he can exhaust nature and reach the decree. Zhu Xi said: this is the same thought as 'filial piety and brotherly respect are the root of humaneness'. He also said: in the case of a sage, such as Shun's filial piety or Wang Ji's brotherly love, this is precisely the work of exhausting nature and reaching the decree.] Sweeping and answering likewise are one thing with exhausting nature and reaching the decree, with no root and branch, no fine and coarse. It is only that later people, speaking of nature and decree, make it something lofty and remote, so I cite filial piety and brotherly respect as what is close to people. [There is nothing in the world outside principle, and no principle outside things. In the branch the root already lies, and in the coarse the fine is fully present; root and branch, fine and coarse, are not two. ] Yet today it is not that there are no filial and respectful people who cannot exhaust nature and reach the decree; it is that they follow it without knowing it. [Today's filial and respectful people cannot necessarily exhaust nature and reach the decree, because their conduct is not manifest and their habits not examined, so they also cannot expand it to reach the highest achievement of becoming a sage.]"

問第五倫視其子之疾與兄子之疾不同自謂之私如何伊川曰不待安寢與不安寢只不起與十起便是私也父子之愛本是公才著些心做便是私也【後漢第五倫傳或問倫曰公有私乎對曰吾兄子嘗病一夜十起退而安寢吾子有疾雖不省視而竟夕不眠若是者豈可謂無私乎人知安寢與不眠為私愛其子而不知十起與不起亦私意也蓋事事物物各有自然之理不容安排父子之愛天性今子疾不視而十起於兄子豈人情哉著意安排卽是私矣】又問視己子與兄子有間否曰聖人立法曰兄弟之子猶子也是欲視之猶子也【視兄弟之子亦如己子】又問天性自有輕重疑若有間然曰只為今人以私心看了孔子曰父子之道天性也此只就孝上說故言父子天性若君臣兄弟賓主朋友之類亦豈不是天性只為今人小看卻不推其本所由來故爾己之子與兄之子所爭幾何是同出於父者也只為兄弟異形故以兄弟為手足人多以異形故親己之子異於兄弟之子甚不是也又問孔子以公冶長不及南容故以兄之子妻南容以己之子妻公冶長何也曰此亦以己之私心看聖人也凡人避嫌者皆內不足也聖人至公何更避嫌凡嫁女各量其才而求配或兄之子不甚美必擇其相稱者為之配己之子美必擇其才美者為之配豈更避嫌耶若孔子事或是年不相若或時有先後皆不可知以孔子為避嫌則大不是如避嫌事賢者且不為況聖人乎【聖人所為至公無私安行乎天理何嫌之可避凡人避嫌者皆內有不足而不能自信者也】

Someone asked: Di Wulun regarded his son's illness and his brother's son's illness differently and called it selfishness; how is that? Yichuan said: "It is not a matter of sleeping soundly or not; getting up not at all versus getting up ten times is already selfish. The love of father and son is originally impartial, but the moment one puts a bit of deliberate thought in it, it is selfish. [In the Later Han Book, the biography of Di Wulun: someone asked Wulun: 'Do you have any selfishness?' He replied: 'When my brother's son once fell ill, I got up ten times in one night and then went back and slept soundly; when my own son was ill, though I did not go and look, I did not sleep all night. How can that be called without selfishness?' People know that sleeping soundly and not sleeping show selfish love of one's own son, but do not know that getting up ten times and not getting up are also selfish intent. For each thing has its natural principle, which allows no arrangement. The love of father and son is by nature; now if one does not look in on one's own son but gets up ten times for a nephew, how is that human feeling? Deliberately arranging it is just selfishness.]" He was asked further: Is there a difference between treating one's own son and one's brother's son? He said: "The Sage laid down the rule: the children of one's brothers are like one's own children. This means one should see them as one's own children. [Treat the children of one's brothers as one's own.]" He was asked further: Nature surely has heavier and lighter ties, so it seems there is a difference. He said: "It is only because people today look at it with selfish minds. Confucius said: the way of father and son is Heaven-given nature. This was said only with regard to filial piety, so he spoke of the nature between father and son; but are the relations of ruler and minister, elder and younger brothers, host and guest, friends and so on not also natures from Heaven? It is just that people today make little of them and do not trace back where they came from. How much does one's own son differ from a brother's son? They come from the same father. It is only because brothers have different bodies that brothers are called hands and feet; people often, because of the different bodies, are closer to their own sons than to a brother's sons, which is very wrong." He was asked further: Confucius judged Gongye Chang to be inferior to Nan Rong, so he married his brother's daughter to Nan Rong and his own daughter to Gongye Chang; why? He said: "This too is looking at the Sage with one's own selfish mind. Those who avoid suspicion are all lacking inside; the Sage is utterly impartial, so why would he avoid suspicion? In marrying off a daughter, each is considered by talent and a match sought: if a brother's daughter is not very fine, one must pick a match fitting her; if one's own daughter is fine, one must pick someone of fine talent; so what suspicion is there to avoid? As for Confucius's case, perhaps the ages were not alike, or the timing differed in earlier and later; none of this can be known. To think Confucius was avoiding suspicion is a great mistake. Even a worthy would not do something to avoid suspicion, let alone a Sage. [What the Sage does is utterly impartial and without selfishness, acting at ease in Heavenly principle; what suspicion is there to avoid? All who avoid suspicion are lacking within and cannot trust themselves.]"

問孀婦於理似不可取如何伊川曰然凡取以配身也若取失節者以配身是己失節也【婦人從一而終者也再嫁為失節】又問或有孤孀貧窮無托者可再嫁否曰只是後世怕寒餓死故有是說然餓死事極小失節事極大【餓死事極小所惡有甚於死也】

Someone asked: "It seems that, in principle, one should not marry a widow. What about it?" Yichuan said: "Right. One marries to take a spouse for oneself; if one marries a woman who has lost her chastity to be one's own spouse, then one has lost one's own chastity. [A woman follows one husband until death; to remarry is to lose chastity.]" The man asked again: "But if there is a lonely, impoverished widow with no one to rely on, may she remarry?" He said: "That idea only arose in later ages out of fear of freezing and starving to death. But starving to death is a very small matter, while losing one's chastity is a very great one. [Starving to death is a very small matter; there are things to be hated more than death.]"

病臥於床委之庸醫比之不慈不孝事親者亦不可不知醫【外書下同】

Master Yichuan said: "If one lies sick in bed and entrusts oneself to a mediocre doctor, this is comparable to being unloving and unfilial. One who serves his parents must also know medicine. [From the Outer Writings; the same applies below.]"

程子葬父使周恭叔主客客欲酒恭叔以告先生曰勿陷人於惡【周行已字恭叔臨喪飲酒非禮也】

When Master Cheng buried his father, he had Zhou Gongshu act as host to the guests. The guests wanted wine, and Gongshu reported this. The Master said: "Do not lead people into wrongdoing. [Zhou Xingji's courtesy name was Gongshu. Drinking wine during mourning is contrary to ritual propriety.]"

買乳婢多不得已我不能自乳必使人然食己子而殺人之子非道必不得已用二子乳食三子足備他虞或乳母病且死則不為害又不為己子殺人之子但有所費若不幸致誤其子害孰大焉【幼吾幼以及人之幼其慮之周蓋如此】先公太中諱珦字伯溫前後五得任子以均諸父子孫嫁遣孤女必盡其力所得俸錢分贍親戚之貧者伯母劉氏寡居公奉養甚至其女之夫死公迎從女兄以歸敎養其子均於子侄旣而女兄之女又寡公懼女兄之悲思又取甥女以歸嫁之時小官祿薄克己為義人以為難【任子謂保任使之入仕諸父謂從父也】公慈恕而剛斷平居與幼賤處惟恐有傷其意至於犯義理則不假也左右使令之人無日不察其飢飽寒燠娶侯氏侯夫人事舅姑以孝謹稱與先公相待如賓客先公賴其內助禮敬尤至而夫人謙順自牧雖小事未嘗專必稟而後行仁恕寛厚撫愛諸庶不異己出從叔幼孤夫人存視常均己子治家有法不嚴而整不喜笞撲奴婢視小臧獲如兒女【男僕曰臧女僕曰獲】諸子或加呵責必戒之曰貴賤雖殊人則一也汝如是大時能為此事否先公凡有所怒必為之寛解唯諸兒有過則不掩也常曰子之所以不肖者由母蔽其過而父不知也夫人男子六人所存惟二其愛慈可謂至矣然於敎之之道不少假也才數歲行而或踣家人走前扶抱恐其驚啼夫人未嘗不呵責曰汝若安徐寧至踣乎飲食常置之坐側嘗食絮羹即叱止之曰幼求稱欲長當何如【絮羹調羹也禮不絮羹為其詳於味也】雖使令輩不得以惡言罵之故頤兄弟平生於飲食衣服無所擇不能惡言罵人非性然也敎之使然也與人爭忿雖直不右曰患其不能屈不患其不能伸及稍長常使從善師友遊雖居貧或欲延客則喜而為之具夫人七八歲時誦古詩曰女子不夜出夜出秉明燭自是日暮則不復出房閤既長好文而不為辭章見世之婦女以文章筆札傳於人者則深以為非【文集】

Master Yichuan said: "Hiring a wet nurse is mostly done out of necessity. I cannot nurse the child myself, so I must employ someone; yet to feed my own child while causing another person's child to die is contrary to the Way. If there is no alternative, let two women nurse three children, which is enough to guard against other mishaps; or if a wet nurse falls ill and dies, no harm is done, and one has not caused another's child to die for the sake of one's own, though it costs some expense. If, unfortunately, one's own child comes to harm by mistake, what harm could be greater? [Treating the young of others as one treats one's own young: his consideration was this thorough.] My late father, the Grand Master of the Palace, whose personal name was Xun and courtesy name Bowen, five times received the privilege of recommending a son for office, and he distributed these equally among his brothers' sons and his own descendants. In marrying off orphaned girls he always spared no effort; the salary he received he divided to support poor relatives. His elder sister-in-law, Madam Liu, lived as a widow, and he supported her with the utmost care; when his cousin's husband died, he brought her home, educated and raised her son as he did his own sons and nephews. Later, when the cousin's daughter also became a widow, he feared that her mother would grieve and worry, so he took his niece home as well and arranged her remarriage. He was then a minor official with a slender salary, yet he restrained himself for the sake of righteousness, and people thought it difficult. ["Recommending a son" means guaranteeing him and enabling him to enter office. "Brothers" here means paternal uncles' generation relatives.] He was kind and forgiving, yet resolute in judgment. In ordinary life, when dealing with the young and lowly, he feared only that he might hurt their feelings; but when it came to violations of righteousness and principle, he made no allowance. For the attendants and servants around him, there was no day when he did not observe whether they were hungry or full, cold or warm. He married Lady Hou. Lady Hou was praised for serving her parents-in-law with filial piety and care, and she and my late father treated each other as honored guests. My father relied on her help in the household, and his ritual respect for her was especially deep; yet she cultivated herself with modesty and compliance, and would not decide even small matters on her own, but always consulted him before acting. She was benevolent, forgiving and generous, and cared for and loved the children of the concubines no differently from her own; when her husband's younger cousin was orphaned in childhood, she looked after him just as she did her own sons. She governed the household by rules, and it was orderly without being harsh. She did not like to beat servants and maids, and regarded the young servants as if they were her own children. [A male servant was called a zang, a female servant a huo.] When any of her sons scolded them, she would always admonish him: "Though high and low differ, they are the same as human beings. Would you be able to do such a thing if you were in their place at that age?" Whenever my father was angry with a servant, she always soothed him; only when her own children made mistakes did she not cover for them. She often said: "The reason children turn out worthless is that the mother hides their faults and the father does not know." Madam bore six sons, of whom only two survived; her love and tenderness could be called utmost, yet in the way of teaching them she made no concessions at all. When they were only a few years old, if one stumbled while walking and the household rushed forward to lift and hold him for fear he would be frightened and cry, Madam always scolded, saying: "If you were calm and unhurried, how would you have fallen?" She always kept their food by her side at the table; once, when a child was seasoning his soup, she stopped him sharply, saying: "If you demand to have your wishes met when young, what will you be like when grown?" [To "season soup" means to add condiments to the soup. The Book of Rites says one should not season the soup, since it shows one is picky about flavor.] She did not allow even the servants to curse at them with foul language. This is why Yi and his brother have, all their lives, been indifferent about food and clothing and unable to curse others with harsh words; it is not our nature, it is because of how we were taught. When we quarreled with others, even if we were in the right she would not take our side, saying: "Worry that you cannot yield, not that you cannot have your say." When we were a little older, she always had us associate with good teachers and friends; though we lived in poverty, if we wished to invite guests she gladly prepared everything for them. When Madam was seven or eight, she recited an old poem: "A woman does not go out at night; if she goes out at night, she holds a bright candle." From then on, once dusk fell she never again left her chamber. When grown, she loved literature but did not write ornate compositions, and when she saw women of her day who became known to others through their writing, she deeply disapproved. [From the Collected Works.]"

橫渠先生嘗曰事親奉祭豈可使人為之【行狀○使人代為孝敬之心安在】

Master Hengqu once said: "In serving one's parents and conducting the sacrifices, how can one have others do it for him? [From the Account of Conduct. Note: if one has others act on his behalf, where is the heart of filial reverence?]"

舜之事親有不悅者為父頑母嚚不近人情若中入之性其愛惡略無害理姑必順之【事親以順為主非甚不得已者固不可輕為矯拂也】親之故舊所喜者當極力招致以悅其親凡於父母賓客之奉必極力營辦亦不計家之有無然為養又須使不知其勉強勞苦苟使見其為而不易則亦不安矣【橫渠記說○所謂養志者也】

Master Hengqu said: "When Shun served his parents there were times they were displeased with him, because his father was stubborn and his mother was deceitful and unreasonable. As for people of ordinary character, if their likes and dislikes do no real harm to principle, one should for the time being always comply with them. [In serving parents, compliance is the main thing; unless it is absolutely unavoidable, one should not lightly oppose or thwart them.] The old friends and acquaintances whom one's parents like should be invited with all one's effort, so as to please one's parents. For all that is offered to one's parents and their guests, one must exert oneself to provide, without counting whether the household has means or not. Yet in providing for them one must also make sure they do not perceive one's strain and toil; for if they see that one is doing it with difficulty, they too will be uneasy. [From Hengqu's Notes and Sayings. Note: this is what is meant by nourishing the parents' will.]"

斯干詩言兄及弟矣式相好矣無相猶矣言兄弟宜相好不要相學猶似也人情大抵患在施之不見報則輟故恩不能終不要相學己施之而已【詩說下同○兄弟友愛盡其在我不可視報以為施兄友而弟不恭不可學弟而廢其友弟恭而兄不友不可學兄而廢其恭】

Master Hengqu said: "The poem Si Gan says: 'Brothers, may you be on good terms with one another; do not imitate one another's faults.' This means brothers should be fond of each other, and should not copy each other. ('Imitate' means to resemble.) The trouble with human feelings is generally this: if kindness is given and not repaid, people stop, so their kindness cannot last to the end. 'Do not copy each other' means simply that you give your own part and nothing more. [From the Explanation of the Poems; the same applies below. Note: in affection between brothers one should do one's own part and not give in expectation of return. If the elder brother is kind but the younger is disrespectful, the elder should not imitate the younger and abandon his kindness; if the younger is respectful but the elder is unkind, the younger should not imitate the elder and abandon his respect.]"

人不為周南召南其猶正牆面而立常深思此言誠是不從此行甚隔著事向前推不去蓋至親至近莫甚於此故須從此始【宜其家人而後可以敎國人不然猶正牆面隔礙而不可通行也】婢僕始至本懷勉勉敬心若到所提掇更謹則加謹慢則棄其本心便習以成性故仕者入治朝則德日進入亂朝則德日退只觀在上者有可學無可學耳【語錄提掇謂提起警防之也】

Master Hengqu said: "One who does not study the Zhounan and Shaonan is like a person standing with his face right against a wall. I have often reflected deeply on this saying, and it is indeed true. If one does not proceed from here, one will be greatly blocked in affairs, and cannot move forward. For nothing is nearer or dearer than family, so one must begin here. [Only after one has brought harmony to one's household can one teach the people of the state; otherwise it is like facing a wall, blocked and unable to pass.] When a maid or servant first arrives, she has a diligent, respectful heart; if the one who guides her is the more careful, she becomes more careful, and if he is lax, she abandons her original heart and soon this becomes her habit. This is why an official who enters a well-governed court grows daily in virtue, while one who enters a disordered court declines daily in virtue; it all depends on whether those above offer anything worth learning from. [From the Recorded Sayings. 'Guiding' means lifting up and warning.]"

此卷論出處之道蓋身旣修家旣齊則可以仕矣然去就取捨惟義之從所當審處也

This chapter discusses the way of taking office or withdrawing. Once one's person is cultivated and one's household is ordered, one may enter office. Yet in leaving or staying, taking or declining, one follows only righteousness, and this must be carefully considered.

伊川先生曰賢者在下豈可自進以求於君苟自求之必無能信用之理古之人所以必待人君致敬盡禮而後徃者非欲自為尊大蓋其尊德樂道之心不如是不足與有為也【易傳下同○防卦彖傳賢者之進將以行其道也自非人君有好賢之誠心則諫不行言不聽豈足以有為哉】

Master Yichuan said: "When a worthy man is in a lowly position, how could he push himself forward to seek an appointment from the ruler? If he seeks it himself, there is certainly no chance of being trusted and employed. This is why the ancients always waited until the ruler showed them respect and observed full ritual before they went; it was not that they wished to make themselves grand, but that unless the ruler honored virtue and delighted in the Way to this degree, he could not be a partner in accomplishing anything. [From the Commentary on the Changes; the same applies below. Note: on the Judgment of the hexagram Meng. A worthy man advances in order to put his Way into practice; unless the ruler has a sincere heart for loving worthy men, then remonstrance will not be carried out and words will not be heeded, so how could anything be achieved?]"

君子之需時也安靜自守志雖有須而恬然若將終身焉乃能用常也雖不進而志動者不能安其常也【需卦初九象傳靜退以待時而終至於失常者蓋其身雖退而志則動也】

Master Yichuan said: "When a noble man is waiting for the right time, he remains calm and keeps to himself; though he has aspirations while he waits, he is at ease as if he would remain so for his whole life, and only then can he act constantly. If he does not advance but his will is stirred and restless, he cannot be at peace in his constancy. [Commentary on the Image of the first nine of the hexagram Xu. If one withdraws in stillness to await the time yet finally loses constancy, then the body has withdrawn but the will is still moving.]"

比吉原筮元永貞無咎伊川易傳曰人相親比必有其道苟非其道則有悔咎故必推原占決其可比者而比之所比得元永貞則無咎元謂有君長之道永謂可以常乆貞謂得正道上之比下必有此三者下之從上必求此三者則無咎也【群然相比而不得所主苟焉為比而非可久邪媚求比而不由正皆不能無咎者也】

Master Yichuan said: "'Closeness is auspicious; divine again, with supreme, lasting and correct qualities, and there is no blame.'" Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "When people draw close to one another there must be a proper way to do it; if it is not the proper way, there will be regret and blame. This is why one must trace back and divine to decide with whom it is proper to be close, and then be close to him. If the one one is close to has the qualities of supreme, lasting and correct, then there is no blame. 'Supreme' means having the Way of a leader, 'lasting' means being able to endure long, and 'correct' means holding to the right Way. A superior who draws close to those below must have these three; an inferior who follows a superior must seek these three, and then there will be no blame. [If people gather and draw close without a master to rely on, if they join casually and cannot last, or if they seek closeness by flattery and not by the right way, none of these can avoid blame.]"

履之初九曰素履往無咎伊川易傳曰夫人不能自安於貧賤之素則其進也乃貪躁而動求去乎貧賤耳非欲有為也旣得其進驕溢必矣故往則有咎【小人志在富貴故得志則驕溢】賢者則安履其素其處也樂其進也將有為也故得其進則有為而無不善【賢者素其位而行窮而在下初無貧賤之憂逹而在上將遂行道之志以是而進何咎之有】若欲貴之心與行道之心交戰於中豈能安履其素乎【欲貴之心勝則必不能安行乎素位而亦卒無可行之道矣】大人於否之時守其正節不雜亂於小人之群類身雖否而道之亨也故曰大人否亨不以道而身亨乃道否也【否卦六二傳身之否亨由乎時道之否亨由乎我大人者身有否而道無否也蓋否之時小人群集君子不入其黨身則否矣然直道而行無所撓屈道則亨也】

Master Yichuan said: "The first nine of Lu reads: 'Walking in one's plain shoes, advance without blame.'" Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "If a person cannot be content with the plainness of poverty and low station, then his advancement will be greedy and hasty movement, only to leave poverty and low station, not out of a wish to accomplish anything. Once he has advanced, he is certain to become arrogant and overflowing, which is why going forward brings blame. [A petty man's aim is wealth and rank, so when he attains his aim he becomes arrogant and overflowing.] A worthy man contentedly walks in his plainness; when he stays at home he is happy, and when he advances he intends to accomplish something, so once he advances he acts and nothing is not good. [A worthy man acts according to his position: in hardship and below, he has no worry of poverty to begin with; successful and above, he will carry out his aim of practicing the Way. If he advances in this manner, what blame could there be?] If the desire for rank and the wish to practice the Way struggle within his heart, how could he be at ease walking in his plainness? [If the desire for rank prevails, then he surely cannot walk calmly in his plain position, and in the end will also have no Way to practice.] In the time of obstruction, the great man keeps his correct integrity and does not mix with the crowd of petty men; though his person is obstructed, his Way prospers. This is why it says 'the great man, in obstruction, prospers.' To prosper in one's person without following the Way is for the Way itself to be obstructed. [Commentary on the second six of the hexagram Pi. Whether one's person is obstructed or prospers depends on the time, but whether the Way is obstructed or prospers depends on oneself. The great man's person may be obstructed, but his Way is not. In a time of obstruction petty men gather in crowds, and the noble man does not join their faction, so his person is obstructed; yet he walks the straight Way without bending or yielding, so his Way prospers.]"

人之所隨得正則逺邪從非則失是無兩從之理隨之六二苟系初則失五矣故象曰弗兼與也所以戒人從正當專一也【隨六二與九五為正應然下比初九苟隨私暱必失正應】

Master Yichuan said: "In whom a person follows, if he gets it right he keeps far from evil, and if he follows what is wrong he loses what is right; there is no principle of following two at once. If the second six of Sui clings to the first, it loses the fifth. This is why the Image says 'it cannot be associated with both,' warning people that in following what is right they should be single-minded. [The second six of Sui is the proper correspondent of the nine in the fifth place, yet it is close to the first nine below; if it follows private intimacy, it will certainly lose its proper correspondent.]"

君子所貴世俗所羞世俗所貴君子所賤故曰賁其趾舍車而徒【君子所貴者行義也世俗所貴者勢位也賁之初九所賁在下故為趾為徒行世俗以失勢位為羞君子以得行義為榮】

Master Yichuan said: "What the noble man values the world finds shameful, and what the world values the noble man despises. This is why it says: 'Adorning his toes, he gives up the carriage and walks.' [What the noble man values is practicing righteousness; what the world values is power and position. In the first nine of Bi the adornment is at the bottom, so it is toes and walking on foot. The world considers losing power and position shameful, while the noble man considers it glory to be able to practice righteousness.]"

蠱之上九曰不事王侯髙尚其事象曰不事王侯志可則也伊川易傳曰士之自高尚亦非一道有懷抱道德不偶於時而高潔自守者【伊尹耕於莘野太公釣於渭濱之時是也】有知止足之道退而自保者【張良疏廣之類是也】有量能度分安於不求知者【徐孺子申屠蟠之類是也】有清介自守不屑天下之事獨潔其身者【嚴陵周黨之類是也】所處雖有得失小大之殊皆自高尚其事者也象所謂志可則者進退合道者也【四者雖處心有大小處義有得失要皆能高尚其事者若蠱上九陽剛之才超然斯世之表象謂其志可則者蓋指懷抱道德進退合義者言也】

Master Yichuan said: "The top nine of Gu reads: 'He does not serve kings and lords, but sets a lofty value on his own affairs.' The Image says: 'He does not serve kings and lords; his aim is worthy of emulation.'" Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "The ways in which scholars hold themselves lofty are not one. There are those who cherish the Way and virtue, are not matched with their times, and keep themselves pure and lofty [such as Yi Yin plowing in the fields of Xin, and Taigong fishing on the banks of the Wei]; those who know the Way of stopping at sufficiency and retire to preserve themselves [such as Zhang Liang and Shu Guang]; those who measure their ability and station and are content not to seek recognition [such as Xu Ru-zi and Shentu Pan]; and those who keep themselves upright and incorruptible, disdain the affairs of the world, and keep only their own persons pure [such as Yan Ling and Zhou Dang]. Though their situations differ in gain and loss, large and small, all hold their own affairs lofty. What the Image calls 'aim worthy of emulation' refers to those whose advancing and withdrawing accord with the Way. [Though the four differ in the greatness of their intent and in the gains and losses of their conduct, all can hold their affairs lofty. As for the top nine of Gu, with the talent of a yang line, standing aloof beyond this world, the Image calls its aim worthy of emulation, referring to those who cherish the Way and virtue and whose advancing and withdrawing accord with righteousness.]"

遯者陰之始長君子知微故當深戒而聖人之意未便遽己也故有與時行小利貞之敎【艮上幹下為遯二隂初長固所當戒然幹剛在上九五六二中正而應君子於此猶可與時消息不一於遯雖未能大正尚幸其小有可正也】聖賢之於天下雖知道之將廢豈肯坐視其亂而不救必區區致力於未極之間強此之衰難彼之進圖其暫安苟得為之孔孟之所屑為也王允謝安之於漢晉是也【強此之衰扶君子之道未盡消難彼之進抑小人之道未驟長】

Master Yichuan said: "Dun is the beginning of the growth of yin; the noble man perceives the subtle, so he should be deeply on guard; yet the sage's intention is not to give up at once, hence the teachings 'act with the times' and 'a small matter, firmness is beneficial.' [Gen above and Qian below make Dun. The two yin lines have just begun to grow, and one should certainly be on guard; but the firm Qian is above, and the nine in the fifth place and the six in the second place are central, correct and corresponding, so the noble man can still adapt to the times and not be wholly bent on retreat; though he cannot yet set things fully right, he is fortunate that small things can still be set right.] Toward the world, although sages and worthies know that the Way is about to be abandoned, how could they sit idly by and watch disorder without rescuing it? They must exert their small efforts in the time before things reach the extreme, strengthening what is declining and hindering what is advancing, seeking a temporary peace; if one could do it, it is what Confucius and Mencius would not disdain to do. Wang Yun and Xie An in the Han and Jin are examples. ["Strengthening what is declining" means supporting the noble man's Way while it has not yet wholly vanished; "hindering what is advancing" means restraining the petty man's Way while it has not suddenly grown.]"

明夷初九事未顯而處甚艱非見防之明不能也如是則世俗孰不疑怪然君子不以世俗之見怪而遲疑其行也若俟眾人盡識則傷己及而不能去矣【離下坤上明夷離明坤地也明入地中傷明也初九傷猶未顯而爻之象曰君子於行三日不食蓋知防而去之速處人之所難而不疑也楚王戊不設醴酒而穆生去之曰不去楚人將鉗我於市當時雖申公之賢猶以為過其後申公受胥靡之辱至是欲去而不得矣】

Master Yichuan said: "In the first nine of Mingyi, matters are not yet manifest yet one's situation is very difficult, and only one with the clarity to perceive the first signs can handle it. In such a case, who among the common run would not doubt and wonder? But the noble man does not hesitate in acting because the world finds him strange. If he waits until everyone recognizes it, harm will already have come and he cannot leave. [Li below and Kun above make Mingyi. Li is brightness, Kun is earth; brightness enters the earth, so brightness is wounded. In the first nine the injury is not yet manifest, yet the line image says 'the noble man in flight goes three days without eating,' which means he perceives the signs and departs swiftly, dealing with what others find difficult without doubt. When King Wu of Chu did not set out sweet wine for Master Mu, Mu left, saying: 'If I do not leave, the people of Chu will put an iron collar on me in the marketplace.' At the time even a worthy like Master Shen thought this excessive; later Master Shen suffered the humiliation of convict labor, and by then he wished to leave but could not.]"

晉之初六在下而始進豈遽能深見信於上苟上未見信則當安中自守雍容寛裕無急於求上之信也苟欲信之心切非汲汲以失其守則悻悻以傷於義矣故曰晉如摧如貞吉罔孚裕無咎【在下則勢疎始進則交淺上未見信惟當安於守正寛以待人豈可求其信也求信之急則必汲汲以失其貞正之守求信愈急人愈不信則必悻悻以傷其事上之義晉之初六未敢必於進也進而復退得正則吉未敢必人之信也寛裕以待之則無咎矣】然聖人又恐後之人不達寛裕之義居位者廢職失守以為裕故特雲初六裕則無咎者始進未受命當職任故也若有官守不信於上而失其職一日不可居也【卦之初為無位晉之始未當職任故寛裕以待其自信可也苟有官守不見信於上必將廢職失守急去可也豈容寛裕以處之哉】然事非一槩久速唯時亦容有為之兆者【兆幾微之見君子知幾則可久可速不失其時矣】

Master Yichuan said: "In the first six of Jin, one is below and has just begun to advance; how could one suddenly gain deep trust from above? If one has not yet been trusted by those above, one should be settled and keep oneself, composed and relaxed, with no urgency to seek the superior's trust. If one's wish to be trusted is too eager, then if one is not hurried and loses one's integrity, one will be resentful and offend against righteousness. This is why it says: 'Advancing, then being repressed; correct and auspicious. If not trusted, be generous and there is no blame.' [Being below, one's position is distant; having just begun to advance, one's ties are shallow. If one has not yet been trusted, one should simply be content to hold to the correct and treat others with generosity; how can one demand trust? If one hurries to seek trust, one will lose one's correct integrity in haste; the more urgently one seeks trust, the less people trust, and one will become resentful and damage the duty of serving superiors. The first six of Jin does not presume to advance with certainty: if it advances and then retreats, being correct is auspicious; it does not presume to count on others' trust, and being generous and waiting brings no blame.] But the sage also feared that later people would not understand the meaning of generosity, and that those in office might neglect their duties and abandon their posts and call it generosity, so he specially said that the first six is 'generous, without blame' because it has just begun to advance, has not yet received a commission, and does not yet hold an office. If one holds an official post and is not trusted by one's superior yet loses one's duty, one cannot stay a single day. [The beginning of a hexagram has no position; at the start of Jin one does not yet hold an office, so one may be generous and wait to be trusted. If one holds an official post and is not trusted by one's superior, one will surely neglect duty and abandon the post, and may leave in haste; how could one remain calmly generous?] But matters are not all alike; whether to stay long or leave quickly depends on the time, and there may also be omens for action. [An omen is a glimpse of the subtle. The noble man who knows the signs can stay long or leave quickly without missing his time.]"

不正而合未有久而不離者也合以正道自無終睽之理故賢者順理而安行智者知幾而固守【睽卦六三傳賢者順是理之當然安而行之智者知其幾之必然固而守之皆謂必以正道而後合者】

Master Yichuan said: "A union that is not correct has never lasted without separating; a union by the correct Way naturally will not end in estrangement. This is why the worthy man follows principle and acts at ease, and the wise man knows the signs and holds firm. [Commentary on the third six of the hexagram Kui. The worthy follows the way things should be and acts at ease; the wise know how things are bound to turn out and hold firm. All this means one must unite by the correct Way.]"

君子當困窮之時既盡其防慮之道而不得免則命也當推致其命以遂其志知命之當然也則窮塞禍患不以動其心行吾義而已【困卦象曰君子以致命遂志推致其命知其當然而不可免則無所撓懼而能遂其為義之志矣蓋命者出乎氣數而不可易義者在我裁製而不可違彼已定之禍福雖憂懼而何益行吾義而已】苟不知命則恐懼於險難隕穫於窮戹所守亡矣安能遂其為善之志乎【隕穫猶顚隮也】

Master Yichuan said: "When the noble man is in hardship and want, if after exhausting all means of precaution he still cannot avoid it, then it is destiny. He should push his acceptance of destiny to the limit in order to fulfill his aim; knowing that this is how it must be, he does not let obstruction or disaster move his heart, but simply practices his righteousness. [The Image of Kun says: 'The noble man yields up his life to fulfill his aim.' To push destiny to the limit means knowing that it is how things must be and cannot be avoided, so that he is not bent or frightened and can fulfill his aim of righteousness. Destiny comes from the movement of qi and cannot be changed; righteousness is for oneself to decide and cannot be violated. What use is anxiety about a fortune or misfortune already fixed? One simply practices one's righteousness.] If he does not know destiny, he will be afraid of danger and difficulty, will be shaken in hardship, and will lose what he holds to; how then can he fulfill his aim of doing good? [To be shaken here is like stumbling and falling.]"

寒士之妻弱國之臣各安其正而已苟擇勢而從則惡之大者不容於世矣【困卦九四傳】

Master Yichuan said: "The wife of a poor scholar and the minister of a weak state each simply keep to what is correct. If one chooses to follow whoever has power, it is a great evil and one will not be tolerated in the world. [Commentary on the nine in the fourth place of the hexagram Kun.]"

井之九三渫治而不見食乃人有才智而不見用以不得行為憂惻也蓋剛而不中故切於施為異乎用之則行舍之則藏者矣【九三陽剛而處下卦之上在井則已渫治而可食矣然而無得於五故不見食爻位剛而不中切於施為故憂惻異乎聖賢視用舍為行藏防然不以累其心者矣】

Master Yichuan said: "The nine in the third place of Jing is a well that has been cleaned yet is not drawn from; this is like a person with talent and wisdom who is not employed and grieves that he cannot act. Because it is firm but not central, he is keen on acting, which differs from those who act if employed and hide if set aside. [The nine in the third place is firm and stands at the top of the lower trigram; as a well it has already been cleaned and could be drunk from. But it has no correspondent in the fifth place, so it is not drawn from. Its line is firm but not central, so it is keen on acting and therefore grieved, unlike the sages and worthies who see employment or rejection as acting or hiding, standing aloof and unburdened in heart.]"

革之六二中正則無偏蔽文明則盡事理應上則得權勢體順則無違悖時可矣位得矣才足矣處革之至善者也必待上下之信故已日乃革之也【六二居中得正下卦為離故曰文明二與五應故曰應上爻位皆柔故曰體順時當變革則時可矣居中應上則位得矣文明體順則才足矣是處革之至善者然必待上下盡信而後革故辭曰已日乃革之謹之至也】如二之才德當進行其道則吉而無咎也不進則失可為之時為有咎也【革固不可遽然當其時處其位有其才豈容自己故辭曰徵吉無咎】

Master Yichuan said: "In the second six of Ge, being central and correct means one has no bias or obstruction, being cultured and bright means one fully understands affairs and principle, corresponding with the superior means one obtains authority, and embodying compliance means one does not go against anything. The time is suitable, the position is attained, and the talent is sufficient; this is the utmost good in handling reform. It must wait for the trust of superiors and inferiors, which is why it says 'reform only on the day it is done.' [The second six is central and correct; the lower trigram is Li, hence 'cultured and bright'; the second corresponds with the fifth, hence 'corresponding with the superior'; the lines are all yielding, hence 'embodying compliance.' When the time calls for change, the time is suitable; being central and corresponding to the superior gives the position; being cultured and compliant gives the talent. This is the utmost good in handling reform. Yet one must wait until superiors and inferiors fully trust, which is why the text says 'reform only on the day it is done,' the height of caution.] With the talent and virtue of the second line, one who advances and practices his Way will have good fortune and no blame; if one does not advance, one loses the time when action is possible and incurs blame. [Reform certainly cannot be hasty; but with the time right, the position held and the talent possessed, how could one give up? Hence the text says 'advancing is auspicious, without blame.']"

鼎之有實乃人之有才業也當愼所趨向不愼所往則亦陷於非義故曰鼎有實愼所之也【抱負才業急於有為每不暇謹持所向則反為才業累矣如苟彧之類是也】

Master Yichuan said: "A cauldron having contents is like a person having talent and accomplishment. One must be careful about where one heads; if one is not careful where one goes, one will also fall into unrighteousness. This is why it says: 'The cauldron has contents; be careful where you go.' [One with ambitions and abilities who is eager to act often has no time to be careful of direction, and then his talent becomes a burden. Xun Yu and others are examples.]"

士之處高位則有拯而無隨在下位則有當拯有當隨有拯之不得而後隨【艮卦六二傳在上位者當以正君定國為己任故有拯而無隨在下位者職守所在是當拯也職所不及是當隨也又有拯之不得而後隨者如孔子嘗從大夫之列故請討陳恆然不在其位則亦隨之而已】

Master Yichuan said: "A scholar in a high position has rescue to perform but no following; in a lowly position there are cases to rescue, cases to follow, and cases of following after rescue fails. [Commentary on the second six of the hexagram Gen. One in a high position should take it as one's duty to rectify the ruler and stabilize the state, so there is rescuing but no following. One in a lower position should rescue where his office is responsible, and follow where his office does not reach; there are also cases of following after being unable to rescue, as Confucius, having once stood in the ranks of the grandees, requested to punish Chen Heng, but since he was not in the position, he too merely followed.]"

君子思不出其位位者所處之分也萬事各有其所得其所則止而安若當行而止當速而久或過或不及皆出其位也況逾分非據乎【艮卦象傳位者所處當然之分也處之不逾其分是不出其位也所謂止者當其分而已苟當行而止當速而久或過或不及皆為出位而非得其止者也況逾越常分據非所據者又出位之尤者也】

Master Yichuan said: "The noble man's thoughts do not go beyond his position. 'Position' means the station one occupies. Every matter has its place, and when it is in its place it rests in peace. If one stops when one should proceed, or lingers when one should be quick, or goes too far or not far enough, all of these are going beyond one's position, to say nothing of overstepping one's station and holding what one has no right to. [Commentary on the Image of the hexagram Gen. Position is the proper station in which one stands; to occupy it without overstepping one's station is not going beyond one's position. What 'stopping' means is only fitting one's station. If one stops when one should go, lingers when one should be quick, or goes too far or not far enough, all is going beyond one's position and not attaining one's resting point; much more so is overstepping one's usual station and occupying what one should not, which is the worst going beyond one's position.]"

人之止難於久終故節或移於晩守或失於終事或廢於久人之所同患也艮之上九敦厚於終止道之至善也故曰敦艮吉【人之止易於暫而難於久易於始而難於終艮之上九止之終也止道愈厚是以吉也】

Master Yichuan said: "It is hard for people to be steady in stopping through to the end, so integrity may shift late in life, keeping one's course may fail at the end, and tasks may be abandoned over time; this is a common worry of men. The top nine of Gen is generous and substantial to the end, the utmost good of the Way of stopping. This is why it says 'generous in stopping, auspicious.' [People find it easy to stop briefly but hard to do so for long, easy at the start but hard to the end. The top nine of Gen is the end of stopping; the more generous the Way of stopping, the more auspicious.]"

中孚之初九曰虞吉象曰志未變也伊川易傳曰當信之始志未有所從而虞度所信則得其正是以吉也志有所從則是變動虞之不得其正矣【處卦之初未有所從則中無私系虞度所信得其正矣苟志有所繫則好惡成於中是非變於外所度者牽於私意安能得其正哉】

Master Yichuan said: "The first nine of Zhongfu reads: 'Careful consideration is auspicious.' The Image says: 'His aim has not yet changed.'" Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "At the beginning of trust, the will has not yet followed anything, and one weighs what to trust and so gets it right, hence auspicious. If the will has something to follow, it changes and moves, and the weighing is no longer correct. [At the beginning of the hexagram, one has nothing yet to follow, so there is no private attachment within, and one weighs what to trust and gets it right. If the will is attached to something, then likes and dislikes form within and right and wrong change outside, and what is weighed is pulled by private feelings; how could one then get it right?]"

賢者惟知義而已命在其中中人以下乃以命處義【命者窮達夭夀出於氣質有必然之數義者是非可否夲乎天理有當然之宜賢者惟知義之當然命固在其中矣中人以下於義未能眞知而安行然知命之已定則亦不敢越義以妄求故曰以命處義】如言求之有道得之有命是求無益於得知命之不可求故自處以不求【孟子所謂求之有道謂不可以苟求也得之有命謂不可以幸得也是求無益於得者謂得非可以求而遂也此言要亦為中人以下者設爾】若賢者則求之以道得之以義不必言命【遺書下同○求之必以道不枉道以求之也得之必以義不非義而受之也所求所得惟道與義而已命何足道哉○愚謂命雖定於事物之先實顯於事物之後義雖因事物而有實著於應酬之時如去就辭受之間要決於義也而後命從之以顯苟應事之時欲以命決之其可乎故君子求之道義而已命不必言也】

Master Yichuan said: "The worthy man knows only righteousness, and destiny is within it; people of middle ability and below handle righteousness by means of destiny. [Destiny is that poverty or success, short or long life, come from one's endowment of qi and follow a necessary number; righteousness is that right and wrong, permissible and impermissible, are rooted in Heavenly principle and have a fitting measure. The worthy man knows only what righteousness requires, and destiny is already within it. People of middle ability and below cannot truly know righteousness and act on it at ease, but knowing that destiny is fixed, they do not dare overstep righteousness to seek recklessly; this is what 'handling righteousness by destiny' means.] As in the saying 'there is a proper way to seek, and obtaining it depends on destiny,' it means that seeking does not help in obtaining, and knowing that destiny cannot be sought, one chooses not to seek. [When Mencius speaks of a proper way to seek, he means one must not seek improperly; obtaining depends on destiny, meaning one must not hope to get lucky. 'Seeking does not help in obtaining' means that obtaining cannot be had simply by seeking. These words too are meant for people of middle ability and below.] As for the worthy man, he seeks by the Way and obtains by righteousness, and need not speak of destiny. [From the Surviving Writings; the same applies below. Note: one must seek by the Way and not bend the Way to seek; one must obtain by righteousness and not accept what is unrighteous. What is sought and obtained is only the Way and righteousness; what need is there to speak of destiny? Ye Cai's note: although destiny is fixed before things happen, it is truly manifest only after they happen; although righteousness arises with things, it truly shows in the moment of responding to them. In matters of leaving or staying, declining or accepting, one must decide by righteousness, and then destiny follows and becomes manifest. If, in responding to a matter, one wished to decide it by destiny, would that be acceptable? So the noble man seeks only the Way and righteousness, and need not speak of destiny.]"

人之於患難只有一個處置盡人謀之後卻須泰然處之有人遇一事則心心念念不肯舍畢竟何益若不防處置了放下便是無義無命也【人遇患難但當審所以處之之道所謂義也若夫處置之後在已無闕則亦安之而已成敗利鈍亦無如之何所謂命也或遇事而不能處是無義也或處置了而不能放下是無命也】

Master Yichuan said: "In facing hardship and misfortune, a person has only one way to handle it. After doing all that human planning can do, one must then face it calmly. Some people, when they meet one matter, keep it in mind constantly and will not let it go; what good does this do in the end? If one does not settle it and put it down, then one has neither righteousness nor destiny." [When one meets hardship, one should only examine the way to handle it, which is called righteousness. Once it has been handled and one is without deficiency, one should simply be at peace; success or failure, advantage or disadvantage, nothing more can be done, and this is called destiny. If one meets a matter and cannot handle it, one lacks righteousness; if one has handled it and cannot put it down, one lacks destiny.]

門人有居太學而欲歸應鄉舉者問其故曰蔡人尠習戴記決科之利也先生曰汝之是心已不可入於堯舜之道矣【尠甚少也得失有命妄起計度之私是利心也故不可入堯舜之道】夫子貢之高識曷嘗規規於貨利哉特於豐約之間不能無留情耳且貧富有命彼乃留情於其間多見其不信道也故聖人謂之不受命有志於道者要當去此心而後可與語也【謂不能安受乎天命而有心於貧富也】

A disciple who was studying at the Imperial Academy wanted to go back home to take the provincial examination. When asked why, he said that few people in the region of Cai studied the Records of Dai, so it was easy to pass the exam. The Master said: "With this thought of yours, you can no longer enter the Way of Yao and Shun. ["Few" means very few. Gain and loss are matters of destiny; to rashly start calculating is private self-interest, which is the profit-seeking heart, and so one cannot enter the Way of Yao and Shun.] Zigong, with his lofty insight, how could he ever be narrowly fixed on wealth and profit? It was only that he could not help lingering in his feelings over riches and poverty. Moreover, wealth and poverty are matters of destiny, yet he lingered over them in his feelings, which shows all the more his lack of trust in the Way. This is why the sage said he did not accept destiny. One who has set his aim on the Way must first get rid of this heart before one can speak with him. [This means he could not calmly accept Heaven's decree and had his mind on wealth and poverty.]"

人苟有朝聞道夕死可矣之志則不肯一日安於所不安也何止一日須臾不能如曾子易簀須要如此乃安【朱子曰道者事物當然之理苟得聞之則生順死安無復遺恨矣】人不能若此者只為不見實理實理者實見得是實見得非【朱子曰實理與實見不同恐記錄漏字愚謂本以人心見處而言唯實見是非之理然後為實理蓋理無不實但見有未實耳】凡實理得之於心自別若耳聞口道者心實不見若見得必不肯安於所不安人之一身盡有所不肯為及至他事又不然若士者雖殺之使為穿窬必不為其他事未必然至如執卷者莫不知說禮義又如王公大人皆能言軒冕外物及其臨利害則不知就義理卻就富貴如此者只是說得不實見及其蹈水火則人皆避之是實見得須是有見不善如探湯之心則自然別昔曽經傷於虎者他人語虎則雖三尺之童皆知虎之可畏終不似曽經傷者神色懾懼至誠畏之是實見得也【此一節反覆推明實見之理最為親切學者要亦察理之明立志之剛知行並進豁然有悟然後所見為實見充其所見死生利害皆不足以移之矣】得之於心是謂有德不待勉強然學者則須勉強古人有捐軀隕命者若不實見得則烏能如此須是實見得生不重於義生不安於死也故有殺身成仁只是成就一個是而已【心有實見而後謂之有徳此則不待勉強學者實見有所未盡則亦勉而行之可也】孟子辨舜蹠之分只在義利之間言間者謂相去不甚逺所爭毫末耳義與利只是個公與私也才出義便以利言也只那計較便是為有利害若無利害何用計較利害者天下之常情也人皆知趨利而避害聖人則更不論利害惟看義當為不當為便是命在其中也【張南軒曰無所為而為之者義也有所為而為之者利也○愚謂義之與利始於毫釐之差實則霄壤之判有心於計較利害者即是人慾之私有所為而為者也不論利害惟義所在者卽是天理之公無所為而為者也聖人惟義之從固不論利害況義如是則命亦當如是又何趨避之有】

Master Yichuan said: "If a person truly had the aim expressed in 'if in the morning one hears the Way, one may die in the evening,' he would not be willing to be at ease with what is not at ease for even one day. Not just one day; not even for a moment. Like Zengzi changing his mat, he must do this to be at ease. [Zhu Xi said: The Way is the principle by which things are as they should be; if one hears it, one lives in accord and dies at peace, with no further regret.] People cannot be like this only because they do not see real principle. Real principle means seeing for oneself, truly, what is right and what is wrong. [Zhu Xi said: Real principle is not the same as real seeing; perhaps some words have been dropped in the record. Ye Cai's note: this passage speaks of what the human mind sees; only when one truly sees the principle of right and wrong is it real principle. There is no principle that is not real; it is only that one's seeing is not yet real.] When real principle is obtained in the heart, it is naturally different. If it is only heard with the ears and spoken with the mouth, and the heart truly does not see it, then once one has seen it, one will certainly not be willing to be at ease with what is not at ease. In a person's own conduct there are always things he will not do, but with other matters it is not the same. A scholar, for example, even if you killed him he would not agree to steal through a hole in the wall, yet in other matters this is not necessarily so. Among those who hold books in their hands, there are none who cannot speak of ritual and righteousness; likewise princes and great officials can all say that carriage and robes of rank are external things; yet when they face profit and harm, they do not know to follow righteousness and instead follow wealth and rank. People like this can only talk; they do not truly see. But when it comes to stepping into water or fire, everyone avoids it, because they truly see. One must have the heart that sees evil as touching boiling water, and only then will things be naturally different. Take someone who was once wounded by a tiger: when others talk of tigers, even a three-foot child knows that tigers are fearsome, but this is never like the look of dread on the face of one who was wounded, who fears the tiger with utmost sincerity; this is truly seeing. [This passage turns over and over the principle of real seeing and is the most intimate. Students too must examine clearly the principle and set their aim firmly, advancing in knowledge and action together, until a sudden awakening comes; only then is what they see real seeing. Extending what one sees, neither life and death nor profit and harm can move one.] To have it in the heart is called having virtue, and it needs no forcing. Yet students must force themselves. There were ancient people who gave up their bodies and lost their lives; if they had not truly seen, how could they do so? One must truly see that life is not weightier than righteousness and that there is a peace in death greater than in life, which is why there is the saying 'to sacrifice one's life to achieve benevolence,' which is only to accomplish one single 'right.' [Only when the heart has real seeing can one be said to have virtue, and this needs no forcing. If students' real seeing is not yet complete, it is also enough that they force themselves to act.] Mencius distinguished Shun from Zhi by nothing but the line between righteousness and profit. To say 'between' is to say the distance is not great and what they contend over is only a hair's breadth. Righteousness and profit are only public and private. As soon as one departs from righteousness, one speaks in terms of profit. This very calculating is because there is profit and harm; if there were no profit and harm, what need would there be to calculate? Profit and harm are the constant feelings of the world; everyone knows to pursue profit and avoid harm. The sage does not speak of profit and harm at all, but only looks at whether righteousness should or should not be done. And then destiny is within it. [Zhang Nanxuan said: What is done without any purpose is righteousness; what is done with a purpose is profit. Ye Cai's note: righteousness and profit begin in a hair's breadth of difference but are in truth as far apart as heaven and earth. One whose mind is on calculating profit and harm is acting with the private desires of men and acting for a purpose; one who does not speak of profit and harm and is concerned only with where righteousness lies is acting with the public Heavenly principle and with no purpose. The sage follows only righteousness and naturally does not consider profit and harm; moreover, if righteousness is thus, destiny must also be thus, so what is there to pursue or avoid?]"

大凡儒者未敢望深造於道且只得所存正分別善惡識廉恥如此等人多亦須漸好

Master Yichuan said: "In general, Confucian scholars do not yet dare hope to reach deeply into the Way; they need only keep their hearts correct, distinguish good from evil, and know shame. If there were many such people, things would gradually improve."

趙景平問伊川曰子罕言利所謂利者何利曰不獨財利之利凡有利心便不可如作一事須尋自家穩便處皆利心也聖人以義為利義安處便為利【聖人處義不計其利然事當乎義處之而安乃所以為利也】如釋氏之學皆本於利故便不是【釋氏惡死則欲無生惡物慾亂心則滅絶人倫推其本心惟欲利已而已是賊義之大者】

Zhao Jingping asked Yichuan: "'The Master seldom spoke of profit.' What kind of profit is meant?" Yichuan said: "Not only the profit of wealth; whenever one has a heart of profit-seeking it is not acceptable. For example, in doing something, to look for what is safe and convenient for oneself is all a profit-seeking heart. The sage takes righteousness as profit, and where righteousness is at ease is profit. [The sage handles righteousness without calculating its benefit, yet when a matter accords with righteousness and one is at ease in it, this is exactly what is meant by benefit.] The learning of the Buddhists is all rooted in profit, and so it is not right. [The Buddhists fear death and so think of non-birth; they fear that material desire disturbs the heart and so extinguish human relationships. Tracing their original intent, they think only of benefit to themselves, which is the greatest violation of righteousness.]"

問郉恕久從先生想都無知識後來極狼狽先生曰謂之全無知則不可只是義理不能勝其利慾之心便至如此【郉恕事見國史及語錄】

Someone asked: "Xing Shu followed the Master for a long time; one would think he had no understanding at all, yet in the end he came to a very sorry state." The Master said: "To say he had no understanding at all is not right; it was only that his sense of righteousness and principle could not overcome his heart of profit and desire, and that is how he came to this. [The matter of Xing Shu is recorded in the national history and the Recorded Sayings.]"

謝湜自蜀之京師過洛而見程子子曰爾將何之曰將試敎官子不答湜曰何如子曰吾嘗買婢欲試之其母怒而弗許曰吾女非可試者也今爾求為人師而試之必為此媼笑也湜遂不行

Xie Shi came from Shu to the capital, passed through Luoyang and visited Master Cheng. Master Cheng said: "Where are you going?" He said: "I am going to take the examination for a teaching post." The Master did not answer. Xie Shi said: "What do you think?" Master Cheng said: "I once bought a maid, and wanted to try her out first. Her mother was angry and refused, saying: 'My daughter is not something to be tried out.' Now you seek to be a teacher of others, yet you go to be tried; surely that old woman would laugh at you." Xie Shi thereupon did not go.

先生在講筵不曽請俸諸公遂牒戶部問不支俸錢戶部索前任厯子先生雲某起自草萊無前任厯子【先生元祐初以大臣薦除校書郎三辭不聽除崇政殿說書未幾除侍講本注云舊例初入京官時用下狀出給料錢厯先生不請其意謂朝廷起我便當廩人繼粟庖人繼肉也】遂令戶部自為出券厯又不為妻求封範純甫問其故先生曰某當時起自草萊三辭然後受命豈有今日乃為妻求封之理問今人陳乞恩例義當然否人皆以為本分不為害先生曰只為而今士大夫道得個乞字慣卻動不動又是乞也因問陳乞封父祖如何先生曰此事體又別再三請益但云其說甚長待別時說【封親與封妻事體不同顯榮其親亦人子之至情謂之不當求則不可謂之當求則先生特召與常人異故難為言也○或雲若是應舉得官便只當以常調自處雖陳乞封防可也朱子曰此自今常人言之如此可也然朝廷士卻不當如此伊川所以難言之也但云其說甚長其意謂要當從科舉法都變了乃為正耳】

When Master Yichuan lectured at the court lectures, he never claimed his salary, so the officials sent a note to the Ministry of Revenue asking why no salary had been paid. The Ministry demanded his record from his previous post. The Master said: "I rose from the grass roots; I have no record from a previous post." [In the early Yuanyou years the Master was recommended by a high minister and appointed Editor of the Imperial Library; he declined three times to no avail, and was appointed Lecturer at the Chongzheng Hall and soon afterwards Expositor-in-Waiting. The original note says: by old custom, when first entering as a capital official, one submitted a petition to be issued a record for salary. The Master did not apply; his thinking was that the court had summoned him, so it should provide grain and meat as a matter of course.] So the Ministry was ordered to issue the voucher record itself. He also did not seek a title of honor for his wife. Fan Chunfu asked why. The Master said: "I rose from the grass roots at that time and accepted the appointment only after declining three times; how could I now seek a title for my wife?" Someone asked: "Nowadays people petition for favors by precedent; is this right in terms of righteousness? Everyone regards it as one's due and does no harm." The Master said: "It is just that scholar-officials today have grown used to the word 'beg,' and are forever begging." He then asked about petitioning for honors for one's father and grandfathers. The Master said: "This case is different." Asked again and again, he would only say: "The explanation is very long; I will tell you at another time." [Honoring one's parents and honoring one's wife are not the same matter. To bring honor to one's parents is also the deepest feeling of a son: to say it should not be sought would not do, and to say it should be sought would be difficult since the Master had been specially summoned and was unlike ordinary people, so it was hard to speak of. Someone said: if one obtained office by passing the examinations, one should treat oneself as an ordinary regular official, and petitioning for honors would be permissible. Zhu Xi said: this can be said of ordinary people today, but a scholar at court should not do so, which is why Yichuan found it hard to speak. His saying only that the explanation was very long meant that only if the examination system were entirely changed would things be right.]

漢策賢良猶是人舉之如公孫者猶強起之乃就對【武帝初卽位招賢良文學之士是時公孫以賢良徴為博士使匈奴還報不合意乃移病免歸元光五年復徴賢良文學菑川國復推上謝曰前已嘗西用不能罷願更選國人固推】至如後世賢良乃自求舉爾若果有曰我心只望廷對欲直言天下事則亦可尚已若志在富貴則得志便驕縱失志則便放曠與悲愁而已

Master Yichuan said: "In the Han dynasty, the examination for the worthy and upright was still done on someone else's recommendation. Even someone like Gongsun Hong still had to be pressed to rise before he would answer. [When Emperor Wu first took the throne, he summoned worthy and literary scholars. At that time Gongsun Hong was summoned as a worthy and made an Erudite, was sent as envoy to the Xiongnu, and on his return his report displeased Emperor Wu, so he pleaded illness and was dismissed to go home. In the fifth year of Yuanguang, worthy and literary men were summoned again, and the Principality of Zichuan once more recommended Gongsun Hong. Gongsun Hong declined, saying: I was previously sent west and could not complete the task; please choose someone else. But the people of his state insisted on recommending Hong.] But the worthy and upright of later ages seek recommendation by themselves. If someone truly said: 'My heart only hopes for the court audience, thinking to speak frankly about the affairs of the realm,' that would still be admirable; but if his aim is wealth and rank, then when he succeeds he becomes proud and arrogant, and when he fails he can only be dissolute and sorrowful."

伊川先生曰人多說某不敎人習舉業某何嘗不敎人習舉業也人若不習舉業而望及第卻是責天理而不修人事但舉業既可以及第即己若更去上面盡力求必得之道是惑也

Master Yichuan said: "People often say I do not teach people to practice for the examinations. When have I ever not taught people to practice for the examinations? If a person does not practice for them and yet hopes to pass, he is blaming Heavenly principle and neglecting human effort. But once the examination work is enough to pass, one should stop; if one goes further and strives for a way to be sure of passing, that is delusion."

問家貧親老應舉求仕不免有得失之累何修可以免此伊川先生曰此只是志不勝氣若志勝自無此累家貧親老須用祿仕然得之不得為有命曰在己固可為親奈何曰為己為親也只是一事若不得其如命何孔子曰不知命無以為君子人苟不知命見患難必避遇得喪必動見利必趨其何以為君子

Someone asked: "My family is poor and my parents are old; when I take the examinations to seek office, I cannot avoid being burdened by gain and loss. How should I cultivate myself to avoid this?" Master Yichuan said: "This is only a case of the will not overcoming the qi. If the will prevails, there is naturally no such burden. When the family is poor and the parents old, one must take an official salary, but whether one gets it or not is a matter of destiny." The man asked: "For myself that may be fine, but what about for my parents?" He said: "Acting for yourself and acting for your parents is just one matter. If you do not get it, what can be done about destiny? Confucius said: 'Without knowing destiny, one cannot be a noble man.' If a person does not know destiny, he will certainly avoid hardship when he sees it, be shaken when he meets gain or loss, and rush after profit when he sees it; how then can he be a noble man?"

或謂科舉事業奪人之功是不然且一月之中十日為舉業餘日足可為學然人不志於此必志於彼故科舉之事不患妨功惟患奪志【外書○奪志則根本廢矣故妨功之患小奪志之患大朱子曰科舉亦不害為學但今人把心不定所以為害才以得失為心理防文字意思都別了又曰科舉特一事耳自家工夫到後那邊自輕】

Someone says that examination work robs people of their efforts. This is not so. In a month, ten days given to examination work still leave ample time for study. But if people do not set their aim here, they will set it there. So in the matter of examinations, one should not worry that they hinder one's efforts but only that they steal one's aim. [From the Outer Writings. If the aim is stolen, the root is abandoned; so the harm of hindering effort is small, and the harm of stealing the aim is great. Zhu Xi said: The examinations do not harm study, but people's minds today are unsettled and so they are harmed; as soon as gain and loss occupy the mind, the meaning of the text one is studying is altogether changed. He also said: The examinations are only one matter; once your own effort is advanced, the other side naturally becomes light.]

橫渠先生曰世祿之榮王者所以錄有功尊有德愛之厚之示恩遇之不窮也為人後者所宜樂職勸功以服勤事任長廉逺利以似述世風而近代公卿子孫方且下比布衣工聲病售有司不知求仕非義而反羞循理為無能不知廕襲為榮而反以虛名為善繼誠何心哉【文集○聲病詩律有四聲八病今進士詩賦之學是也求仕非義謂投牒覓舉之類循理謂服勤事任似述世風者也】

Master Hengqu said: "The glory of hereditary stipends is how kings record the meritorious and honor the virtuous, loving and favoring them and showing that their kindness has no end. Heirs ought to take pleasure in their duties and be encouraged to merit, to serve diligently in their tasks, to foster integrity and keep far from profit, and to continue and carry on the customs of their predecessors. But the sons and grandsons of nobles and ministers in recent times lower themselves to the level of commoners, laboring at rhyme and tonal rules to sell themselves to the examiners: not knowing that seeking office this way is unrighteous, they instead feel shame at following principle as if it were incompetence; not knowing that inheritance is a glory, they take an empty name as a good continuation of their ancestors. What kind of heart is this?" [From the Collected Works. 'Tonal faults' refers to the four tones and eight faults of poetic meter, which is the study of poetry and rhapsodies for today's presented-scholar examination. 'Seeking office unrighteously' refers to submitting petitions to seek recommendation. 'Following principle' refers to serving diligently and continuing the customs of the predecessors.]

不資其力而利其有則能忘人之勢【孟子說○人之歆動乎勢位者皆有待於彼也惟不借其力而利其所有則己自重而彼自輕】

"If one does not depend on another's strength but takes advantage of what he has, one can forget the other's power." [From the sayings of Mencius. The reason people are moved by power and rank is that they depend on it. Only if one does not borrow others' strength but benefits from what they possess, then oneself is weighty and the other is light.]

人多言安於貧賤其實只是計窮力屈才短不能營畫耳若稍動得恐未肯安之須是誠知義理之樂於利慾也乃能【語錄下同○朱子曰人須是讀書洞見此理知得不求富貴只是本分求著便是罪過不惟不可有求之之跡亦不可有求之之心愚謂眞知義理之可樂然後富貴不足動其心】

"People often say they are content with poverty and lowliness, but in truth it is only that their plans are exhausted, their strength is spent and their ability is short, and they cannot manage things. If they were a little more capable, I fear they would not be content. One must truly know that the joy of righteousness and principle surpasses the desire for profit before one can be so." [The following are all from the Recorded Sayings. Zhu Xi said: One must read books and see through this principle, knowing that not seeking wealth and rank is simply one's duty, and seeking them is a fault; not only should one show no sign of seeking, one should not even have the heart to seek. Ye Cai's note: only after truly knowing that righteousness and principle are joyful will wealth and rank be unable to move the heart.]

天下事大患只是畏人非笑不養車馬食麤衣惡居貧賤皆恐人非笑不知當生則生當死則死今日萬鍾明日棄之今日富貴明日飢餓亦不恤惟義所在【義之所在則死生去就有所不顧況夫懷齷齟之見畏人非笑而恥居貧賤豈有大丈夫之氣哉】

"The great worry in the world's affairs is simply fearing that people will criticize and laugh: not keeping a carriage and horses, eating coarse food and wearing poor clothes, living in poverty and lowliness, all for fear of ridicule. They do not know that one should live when it is time to live and die when it is time to die: ten thousand bushels today, discarded tomorrow; rich and noble today, starving tomorrow, one does not mind, but follows only where righteousness lies." [Where righteousness lies, one does not care about life or death, leaving or staying. As for those who harbor petty views, fear ridicule, and are ashamed of living in poverty, how could they have the spirit of a great man?]

此卷論治道蓋明乎出處之義則於治道之綱領不可不求講明之一旦得時行道則舉而措之耳

This chapter discusses the way of governing. If one understands the righteousness of taking office and withdrawing, then one cannot fail to study and clarify the guiding principles of governance. When the day comes that one gains the opportunity to practice the Way, one will simply take them up and put them into effect.

濓溪先生曰治天下有本身之謂也治天下有則家之謂也【朱子曰則謂物之可視以為法者猶俗言則例則樣是也】本必端端本誠心而已矣則必善善則和親而已矣【朱子曰心不誠則身不可正親不和則家不可齊○以上總論治天下者其本在身其則在家也】家難而天下易家親而天下疎也【朱子曰親者難處疏者易裁然不先其難亦未有能其易者也】家人離必起於婦人故睽次家人以二女同居而其志不同行也【朱子曰睽次家人易卦之序二女以下睽彖傳文二女謂睽卦兌下離上兌少女離中女也陰柔之性外和悅而內猜嫌故同居而異志】堯所以釐降二女於媯汭舜可禪乎吾茲試矣是治天下觀於家【朱子曰釐理也降下也媯水名汭水北舜所居也堯理治下嫁二女於舜將以試舜而授之天下也○以上論善則在和親之道】治家觀身而已矣身端心誠之謂也誠心復其不善之動而已矣【朱子曰不善之動息於外則善心之生於內者無不實矣】不善之動妄也妄復則無妄矣無妄則誠焉【程子曰無妄之謂誠】故無妄次復而曰先王以茂對時育萬物深哉【通書○茂篤實盛發之意對猶配也謂配天時以育物○朱子曰無妄次復亦卦之序先王以下引無妄卦大象以明對時育物惟至誠者能之而贊其旨之深也○以上論端本在誠心之道】

Master Lianxi said: "Governing the world has a root, which is the person himself; governing the world has a model, which is the family. [Zhu Xi said: A 'model' is something one can look to as a standard, like what is commonly called a regulation or a pattern.] The root must be upright, and making the root upright is nothing but sincerity of heart; the model must be good, and making it good is nothing but harmony and affection. [Zhu Xi said: If the heart is not sincere, the person cannot be rectified; if relatives are not in harmony, the family cannot be ordered. The above is a general discussion: for one who governs the world, the root lies in the person and the model in the family.] The family is hard and the world is easy; the family is close and the world is distant. [Zhu Xi said: Those who are close are hard to deal with, those who are distant are easy to regulate; yet no one has ever been able to do the easy without first doing the hard.] The breaking up of a household surely begins with women, which is why the hexagram Kui follows the hexagram Jiaren, since two women live together while their wills do not move in the same direction. [Zhu Xi said: That Kui follows Jiaren is the order of the hexagrams in the Changes. 'Two women' and what follows is from the Judgment of Kui. The two women refer to Kui, with Dui below and Li above: Dui is the youngest daughter and Li the middle daughter. The nature of yin and softness is pleasant outwardly but suspicious inwardly, so they live together but have different aims.] This is why Yao sent his two daughters down to the bend of the Gui River, saying: 'Can Shun be given the throne? I will test him here.' This is observing the governing of the world through the family. [Zhu Xi said: 'Chi' means to regulate and 'jiang' means to send down. Gui is the name of a river, and rui is the north bank, where Shun lived. Yao arranged and sent down his two daughters to Shun in order to test him and then hand over the world. The above discusses that goodness lies in the way of harmony and affection.] To govern a household one need only look to oneself. An upright person means a sincere heart. A sincere heart means only turning back from the stirring of what is not good. [Zhu Xi said: When the stirring of what is not good subsides outwardly, the good heart that arises within is fully real.] The stirring of what is not good is delusion; when delusion is turned back there is no delusion, and with no delusion there is sincerity. [Master Cheng said: 'No delusion' is what is called sincerity.] This is why Wuwang follows Fu, and it says 'the former kings, flourishing and corresponding to the seasons, nurtured all things.' How profound!" [From the Comprehensive Book. 'Flourishing' means sincere and abundant; 'corresponding' is like matching, meaning matching the seasons of Heaven to nurture things. Zhu Xi said: That Wuwang follows Fu is also the order of the hexagrams. The words from 'the former kings' onward quote the Great Image of Wuwang to show that only the utterly sincere can correspond to the seasons and nurture things, and praise the depth of its meaning. The above discusses that making the root upright lies in the way of sincerity of heart.]

明道先生嘗言於神宗曰得天理之正極人倫之至者堯舜之道也用其私心依仁義之偏者霸者之事也【寧二年先生以大臣薦召除太子中允權監察御史裡行上疏首言王霸之事有天理人慾之分綱常純駁之辨】王道如砥本乎人情出乎禮義若履大路而行無復囘曲霸者崎嶇反側於曲徑之中而卒不可與入堯舜之道【王道本乎人情之公出乎禮義之正平易正直而無囘邪委曲之行崎嶇艱險反側不安之意徑委曲小路也】故誠心而王則王矣假之而霸則霸矣二者其道不同在審其初而已易所謂差若毫釐繆以千里者其初不可不審也【王者修己愛民正中國攘夷狄無非以誠心而行乎天理霸者假尊王攘夷救災討叛之名義以號令天下而自尊大耳其道雖霄壤之不侔然其初但根於一念之公私誠偽而已朱子曰宣帝雜王霸原不識王霸只是以寛慈喚做王嚴酷喚做霸自古論王霸至明道先生此劄無餘蘊矣】惟陛下稽先聖之言察人事之理知堯舜之道備於己反身而誠之推之以及四海則萬世幸甚【文集下同】

Master Mingdao once said to Emperor Shenzong: "To obtain the correctness of Heavenly principle and reach the utmost of human relationships is the Way of Yao and Shun; to use one's private heart and rely on a partial form of benevolence and righteousness is the work of a hegemon. [In the second year of Xining the Master was recommended by a high minister and summoned to be Assistant Secretary to the Heir Apparent and acting Investigating Censor. In his memorial he first spoke of the matter of the true king versus the hegemon, distinguishing Heavenly principle from human desire and the pure from the mixed in the bonds and constants.] The Way of the true king is as even as a whetstone, rooted in human feeling and issuing from ritual and righteousness, like walking a broad road with no more twists and turns; the hegemon staggers and tilts along crooked paths and in the end cannot enter the Way of Yao and Shun. [The Way of the true king is rooted in the impartiality of human feeling and comes from the rightness of ritual and righteousness, level, easy and straight, without crooked or devious conduct. 'Staggers' means hard and dangerous, 'tilts' means uneasy. A 'path' is a crooked small road.] So if one rules with a sincere heart, one becomes a true king; if one borrows the appearance of it, one becomes a hegemon. The Ways of the two are different, and the difference lies only in examining the beginning. This is what the Changes means by 'a hair's breadth of difference leads to an error of a thousand li'; one must not fail to examine the beginning. [A true king cultivates himself, loves the people, rectifies the central states and repels the barbarians, all through a sincere heart acting on Heavenly principle. A hegemon borrows the names of honoring the king, repelling the barbarians, relieving disasters and punishing rebels to issue commands to the world and make himself grand. Though their Ways differ as heaven from earth, at the beginning they simply root in one thought of public or private, sincere or false. Zhu Xi said: Emperor Xuan mixed the true king and hegemon because he did not know the true king from the hegemon, and simply called leniency kingly and severity hegemonic. In all the ages of discussing kings and hegemons, nothing remains unsaid after this memorial of Master Mingdao.] I hope Your Majesty will examine the words of the former sages and look into the principle of human affairs, know that the Way of Yao and Shun is complete in yourself, and turn back to make it sincere in yourself and extend it to the four seas; that would be a blessing for ten thousand generations." [The following are all from the Collected Works.]

伊川先生曰當世之務所尤先者有三一曰立志二曰責任三曰求賢今雖納嘉謀陳善算非君志先立其能聽而用之乎君欲用之非責任宰輔其孰承而行之乎君相恊心非賢者任職其能施於天下乎此三者本也制於事者用也三者之中復以立志為本所謂立志者至誠一心以道自任以聖人之訓為可必信先王之治為可必行不狃滯於近規不遷惑於眾口必期致天下如三代之世也【立志篤實而逺大則不膠於淺近不惑於流俗】

Master Yichuan said: "Among the tasks of the present age there are three that come first: the first is to establish one's aim, the second is to assign responsibility, and the third is to seek worthy men. Today, even if good counsel is accepted and fine plans are presented, unless the ruler first sets his aim, how could he listen and use them? Even if the ruler wishes to use them, unless responsibility is assigned to the chief ministers, who could take it up and carry it out? Even if ruler and minister are of one heart, unless worthy men hold office, how could it be applied to the world? These three are the root, and what is regulated in affairs is the application. Among the three, establishing one's aim is again the root. By 'establishing one's aim' I mean to be wholly sincere and single-minded, taking the Way as one's own task, believing that the teachings of the sages must be trusted and that the governance of the former kings must be practiced, neither clinging to recent rules nor being swayed by the many voices, and resolving to bring the world to be like the age of the Three Dynasties." [If one's aim is firm and far-reaching, one will not be stuck in the shallow and near, nor misled by common currents.]

比之九五曰顯比王用三驅失前禽伊川易傳曰人君比天下之道當顯明其比道而已如誠意以待物恕己以及人發政施仁使天下防其惠澤是人君親比天下之道也如是天下孰不親比於上【積誠實之意以待物推愛己之心以及人發政施仁公平正大群心自然豫附人君顯比天下之道也】若乃暴其小仁違道幹譽欲以求天下之比其道亦己狹矣其能得天下之比乎【暴小惠以市私恩違正道以幹虛譽以是求比則非顯比矣】王者顯明其比道天下自然來比來者撫之固不煦煦然求比於物若田之三驅禽之去者從而不追來者則取之也此王道之大所以其民皥皥而莫知為之者也【煦煦日出微溫之貌禮夫子不合圍蓋搜田之時圍於三面前開一路來者取之去者不追亦猶王者顯明比道初不執小惠以求人之比也皥皥廣大自得之意】非惟人君比天下之道如此大率人之相比莫不然以臣於君言之竭其忠誠致其才力乃顯其比君之道也用之與否在君而已不可阿諛逢迎求其比己也在朋友亦然修身誠意以待之親己與否在人而已不可巧言令色曲從苟合以求人之比己也於鄉黨親戚於眾人莫不皆然三驅失前禽之義也【易傳下同】

The Ninth Line in Five of Bi (Closeness) says: "Manifest closeness; the king uses three-sided hunting and loses the bird in front." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "The way a ruler draws the world close is simply to make that way of closeness plain and manifest. To treat others with sincerity, to extend to others the consideration one shows oneself, to issue governance and practice benevolence so that the world receives (the base text has a variant reading here) his kindness: this is the way a ruler draws the world to himself. If he does this, who in the world would not draw close to him? [Gather sincerity and truthfulness to treat others, extend the heart that loves oneself to reach others, issue governance and practice benevolence with fairness and breadth, and the hearts of the multitude will naturally come at ease and attach themselves; this is the way a ruler manifests closeness with the world.] But if he displays his petty kindnesses, departs from the Way to seek praise, and hopes thereby to win the world's closeness, his way is already narrow; how could he gain the world's closeness? [To parade small favors in order to purchase private gratitude, or to depart from the right way to seek empty praise, is to seek closeness in this manner, and it is not 'manifest closeness'.] When a true king makes his way of closeness plain, the world comes to him naturally. Those who come he comforts; he does not warmly seek closeness from anyone. It is like the three-sided hunt: birds that go away are not pursued, while those that come are taken. This is the greatness of the kingly way, which is why his people are broad and carefree and do not know who made them so. [Warmly is the look of the sun coming out with a faint warmth. According to the Book of Rites, the Son of Heaven does not close a hunt on all sides; when he hunts, he surrounds three sides and leaves a road open in front, taking what comes and not chasing what leaves, just as a true king makes his way of closeness plain and does not cling to petty favors to seek closeness from others. Broad and carefree means vast and self-content.] Not only is this the way a ruler draws the world close; broadly, whenever people draw close to one another it is always so. Speaking of a minister toward his ruler: to exhaust his loyalty and sincerity and bring his talent and strength to bear is the way he manifests his closeness to the ruler; whether he is used or not rests with the ruler, and he must not flatter or fawn to seek closeness. It is the same among friends: cultivate oneself and treat them with sincerity, and whether they become close rests with them; one must not use smooth words and an ingratiating look, or yield and join in carelessly, to seek their closeness. It is so with villagers and kin, and with all others. This is the meaning of 'three-sided hunting and losing the bird in front.'" [What follows is all from the Commentary on the Changes.]

古之時公卿大夫而下位各稱其德終身居之得其分也位未稱德則君舉而進之士修其學學至而君求之皆非有預於己也農工商賈勤其事而所享有限故皆有定志而天下之心可一後世自庶士至於公卿日誌於尊榮農工商賈日誌於富侈億兆之心交騖於利天下紛然如之何其可一也欲其不亂難矣【履卦象曰君子以辨上下定民志上之人不度其德而制爵位則庶士以至公卿日誌於尊榮不明其分而立品節則農工商賈日誌於富侈貴賤競趨而心欲無窮此亂之所由生也】

"In ancient times, from dukes, ministers and high officers downward, each held a rank that fit his virtue and spent his whole life in it with his due portion. If a man's rank did not yet fit his virtue, the ruler raised him and advanced him; if a scholar cultivated his learning, the ruler sought him out when his learning had arrived; in none of this did he take part on his own initiative. Farmers, craftsmen and merchants worked diligently at their tasks and enjoyed limited reward, so all had settled aims and the hearts of the world could be unified. In later ages, from ordinary scholars up to dukes and ministers, all set their aim daily on honor and rank; farmers, craftsmen and merchants set their aim daily on wealth and luxury. The hearts of millions all race after profit, the world is in tumult, and how can it be unified? To hope that it not fall into disorder is hard." [The image of the hexagram Lü (Treading) says: 'The gentleman distinguishes high from low and settles the aims of the people.' If those above do not weigh a man's virtue in establishing ranks, then ordinary scholars up to dukes and ministers daily aim at honor and rank; if they do not make clear the allotted portions and set up grades and measures, then farmers, craftsmen and merchants daily aim at wealth and luxury. The noble and the lowly rush to compete and their desires are endless, and this is where disorder comes from.]

泰之九二曰包荒用馮河伊川易傳曰人情安肆則政舒緩而法度廢弛庶事無節治之之道必有包含荒穢之量則其施為寛裕詳密革事理而人安之若無含之度有忿疾之心則無深逺之慮有暴擾之患深弊未去而近患己生矣故在包荒也【當泰之盛上下安肆政令舒緩而不振法度廢弛而不立庶事泛溢而無節未可以亟正驟起之也必有包含荒穢之量而後見於施為者寛裕而不迫詳密而不疎不迫不疎則弊可革事可理而人且安之矣或者見其百度慢弛不能含忍而遽懷忿疾之心則不暇詳密何有深逺之慮不能寛裕寧免暴擾之憂無深逺之慮則深弊未易革有暴擾之憂則近患己生矣】自古泰治之世必漸至於衰替蓋由狃習安逸因循而然自非剛斷之君英烈之輔不能挺特奮發以革其弊也故曰用馮河【治泰之道雖不容峻迫然人情玩肆因循苟且漸已陵夷苟非一人剛斷宰輔英烈則亦未能挺持自立奮發有為而作新積弊也無舟渡河曰馮謂必用馮河之勇也】或疑上雲包荒則是包含寛容此雲用馮河則是奮發改革似相反也不知以含容之量施剛果之用乃聖賢之為也【有含容之量則剛果不至於疎廹有剛果之用則含容不至於委靡二者相資而後治泰之道可成也】觀盥而不薦有孚顒若伊川易傳曰君子居上為天下之表儀必極其莊敬如始盥之初勿使誠意少散如旣薦之後則天下莫不盡其孚誠顒然瞻仰之矣【盥者祭祀之始盥洗之時也薦者獻腥獻熟之時也方盥之初人心精純嚴肅既薦之後則禮儀繁縟人心漸散故為人上者必外莊內敬常如始盥之時則天下之人莫不誠信其上顒顒然仰望之矣】

The Second Line in Nine of Tai (Peace) says: "Embrace the wild, and use fording the river on foot." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "When people's feelings are at ease and indulgent, governance grows slack, laws and measures fall into disuse, and the myriad affairs lose their restraint. The way to manage it must be to have the capacity to embrace what is wild and foul; then what is done will be generous and thorough, abuses will be reformed and affairs set in order, and people will be at peace with it. If one lacks the breadth of containing and enlarging (the base text has a rare character here that was lost in transcription), and has a mind of anger and hatred, then one has no deep or far-reaching planning and brings about the harm of violent disturbance, and before deep-rooted abuses are removed, nearby troubles have already arisen. So the text says 'embrace the wild.' [When Peace is at its height, high and low are at ease and indulgent, government orders are slack and without vigor, laws and measures are neglected and not established, and the many affairs overflow without restraint; one cannot hastily rise up and correct them. One must have the capacity to embrace what is wild and foul, and only then will what appears in one's actions be generous and unhurried, thorough and not careless; unhurried and not careless, abuses can be reformed, affairs set in order, and people will be at peace. If someone sees all the regulations slack and cannot bear it but suddenly harbors a mind of anger and hatred, he has no leisure for thoroughness, so how could he have deep and far planning; unable to be generous, how could he escape the worry of violent disturbance? Without deep planning, deep abuses are not easily reformed; with the worry of violent disturbance, near troubles have already arisen.] Since antiquity, an age of peace and order must gradually decline, simply because people grow used to ease and follow old routine. Unless there is a ruler of firm decision and heroic ministers, none can stand out and rouse themselves to reform its abuses. So the text says 'use fording the river on foot.' [Though the way to govern a time of peace does not permit harshness and haste, people's feelings are playful and loose, and following routine and carelessness have already led to gradual decay; unless one man is firm in decision and the chief ministers heroic, they cannot stand firm on their own and rouse themselves to act and renew the accumulated abuses. To cross a river without a boat is called fording on foot, meaning that the courage to ford must be used.] Some doubt that above it speaks of 'embracing the wild,' which means holding and tolerating, while here it speaks of 'using fording on foot,' which means rousing oneself to reform, and it seems contradictory. They do not know that to apply firm resolve with the capacity to contain is the very conduct of sages and worthies. [With the capacity to contain, firm resolve does not become hasty and pressing; with the use of firm resolve, tolerance does not become limp and feeble; the two help each other, and only then can the way of governing a time of peace be accomplished.]" 'He washes his hands but does not make the offering; there is sincerity and awe.' Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "The gentleman who sits above is a model for the world and must be utterly solemn and reverent, as at the first moment of washing his hands, and must not let his sincere intention scatter even slightly as it does after the offering; then all the world will give its full sincerity and look up to him in awe." [Washing is the washing of hands at the beginning of a sacrifice, and the offering is the time of presenting raw and cooked meats. At the first moment of washing, people's minds are pure and solemn; after the offering is made, the ritual becomes elaborate and minds gradually scatter. So one who is above others must be solemn outside and reverent within, always as at the first washing, and then everyone in the world will trust and be sincere to him and look up at him with awe.]

凡天下至於一國一家至於萬事所以不和合者皆由有間也無間則合矣以至天地之生萬物之成皆合而後能遂凡未合者皆為有間也若君臣父子親戚朋友之間有離貳怨隙者蓋讒邪間於其間也去其間隔而合之則無不和且治矣噬嗑者治天下之大用也【噬嗑卦傳天地有間則氣不通而生化莫遂人倫有間則情不通而恩義日睽頤中有物曰噬嗑噬而合之所以去間也有治天下之大用焉】

"Whatever in the world, from a state or a family down to the myriad affairs, fails to come together does so because of a gap. Where there is no gap, they join. Even the birth of Heaven and Earth and the completion of all things all must join before they can be fulfilled. Whatever has not joined has a gap in it. If among ruler and minister, father and son, kin and friends there are separation, doubt and grudges, it is because slander and wickedness have come between them. Remove the gap and join them, and there will be none that is not harmonious and orderly. Shi He (Biting Through) is a great instrument for governing the world." [From the Commentary on the hexagram Shi He. When Heaven and Earth have a gap, qi does not circulate and generation and transformation cannot be fulfilled; when human relations have a gap, feelings do not circulate and kindness and righteousness grow daily more estranged. When there is something in the jaw it is called 'biting through'; one bites and joins it, thereby removing the gap, and this has great use for governing the world.]

大畜之六五曰豶豕之牙吉伊川易傳曰物有總攝事有機防聖人操得其要則視億兆之心猶一心道之斯行止之則戢故不勞而治其用若豶豕之牙也【得其要防則視繁猶簡令行而禁止矣】豕剛躁之物若強制其牙則用力勞而不能止若豶去其勢則牙雖存而剛躁自止君子法豶豕之義知天下之惡不可以力制也則察其機持其要塞絶其本原故不假刑法嚴峻而惡自止也且如止盜民有欲心見利則動苟不知敎而廹於飢寒雖刑殺日施其能勝億兆利慾之心乎聖人則知所以止之之道不尚威刑而修政敎使之有農桑之業知廉恥之道雖賞之不竊矣【聖人所以制強暴者蓋亦察其機要而治其本原則人自服矣如所謂止盜之法是也非若後世權謀之術執其要害以御人之謂也】

The Sixth Line in Five of Da Xu (Great Accumulating) says: "The tusk of a gelded boar: auspicious." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "Things have a general governing point and affairs have a critical juncture (the base text has a variant reading here). When the sage grasps the essential, he sees the hearts of millions as one heart: guided, they go; stopped, they hold back; so he governs without toil. His use of this is like the tusk of the gelded boar. [Once one has the essential point and juncture (the base text has a variant reading here), one sees the complex as simple, and orders are carried out and prohibitions are kept.] A boar is a fierce and impetuous creature; if one forcibly restrains its tusks, one exerts great effort and cannot stop it; if one gelds it, then though the tusks remain, its fierceness stops of itself. The gentleman models himself on the meaning of the gelded boar: he knows that the evils of the world cannot be restrained by force, so he examines their springs, holds their essentials, and blocks their original source, so that he need not rely on severe punishment and yet evil stops of itself. Take for example stopping theft: people have desires and move at the sight of gain; if one does not teach them and presses them with hunger and cold, then even if punishment and executions are carried out every day, how could they overcome the desire for profit in millions? The sage knows the way to stop it: he does not value awesome punishments but cultivates governance and instruction, giving people the work of farming and weaving and teaching them the way of integrity and shame, so that even if they were rewarded for it they would not steal." [The way sages restrain the violent is also to examine the critical springs and treat the original source, and then people submit of themselves. The method for stopping theft is just this. It is not the sort of scheming art of later ages that seizes the vital points to rein in people.]

解利西南無所徃其來復吉有攸往夙吉伊川易傳曰西南坤方坤之體廣大平易當天下之難方解人始離艱苦不可復以煩苛嚴急治之當濟以寛大簡易乃其宜也【文王八卦方位坤居西南維故西南為坤大難初解與民休息之意】既解其難而安平無事矣是無所往也則當修復治道正紀綱明法度進復先代明王之治是來復也謂反正理也自古聖王救難定亂其始未暇遽為也既安定則為可久可繼之治自漢以下亂既除則不復有為姑隨時維持而已故不能成善治蓋不知來復之義也【大難既解雖已安平而無所事然興廢舉墜修復治道以為久安長治之計者不容苟且而遂已也】有攸往夙吉謂尚有當解之事則早為之乃吉也當解而未盡者不早去則將復盛事之復生者不早為則將漸大故夙則吉也【張柬之等不殺武三思及其勢復成乃欲除之則亦晩矣】

"Jie (Release): favorable in the southwest. If there is nowhere to go, return brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, being early is auspicious." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "The southwest is the quarter of Kun, and the substance of Kun is broad and gentle. When the world's troubles have just been released and people have only just left hardship, one must not again govern them with vexation and severity, but should help them with breadth and simplicity; that is what is fitting. [In King Wen's arrangement of the trigrams, Kun is placed in the southwest corner, so the southwest is Kun. The sense is that when great troubles are first released, one lets the people rest.] Once the troubles are released and peace and calm reign with nothing to do, this is 'nowhere to go,' and one should then restore the way of governance, set right the guiding threads and clarify laws and measures, and advance to restore the governance of earlier enlightened kings; this is 'return,' meaning to return to the right principle. Since ancient times, when sage kings saved the world from trouble and settled disorder, at the start they had no leisure to rush ahead; once things were settled, they set up governance that could last and be continued. From the Han on, once disorder was removed they did nothing more and merely kept things going from time to time, and so they could not achieve good government, because they did not know the meaning of 'return.' [Once great troubles have been released and there is peace and calm with nothing to do, one must still revive what was abandoned, restore what has fallen, and repair the way of governance as a plan for long peace and order; one cannot be careless and simply stop.] 'If there is somewhere to go, being early is auspicious' means that if there are still things that need releasing, doing them early is auspicious. What should be released but has not been fully removed will flourish again if not removed early; what has arisen again in affairs will gradually grow large if not dealt with early; so being early is auspicious." [Zhang Jianzhi and his fellows did not kill Wu Sansi, and by the time his power had grown again and they wanted to remove him, it was too late.]

夫有物必有則父止於慈子止於孝君止於仁臣止於敬萬物庶事莫不各有其所得其所則安失其所則悖聖人所以能使天下順治非能為物作則也唯止之各於其所而已【艮卦彖傳事物各有天然之則聖人非能為物作則但處之各當其則而已】兌說而能貞是以上順天理下應人心說道之至正至善者也【兌卦彖曰說以利貞是以順乎天而應乎人】若夫違道以幹百姓之譽者苟說之道違道不順天干譽非應人苟取一時之說耳非君子之正道君子之道其說於民如天地之施感之於心而說服無斁【道出於天違道則非順天矣譽出於人幹譽則非應人矣】天下之事不進則退無一定之理濟之終不進而止矣無常止也衰亂至矣蓋其道已窮極也聖人至此奈何曰惟聖人為能通其變於未窮不使至於極堯舜是也故有終而無亂【旣濟彖曰終止則亂其道窮也盛止必衰者天下之常勢有盛無衰者聖人之常道常人苟安於既濟乃衰亂之所由生聖人通變於未窮故有終而無亂易大傳曰堯舜氏作通其變使民不倦是也】

"Everything that exists has its norm: a father rests in kindness, a son in filial piety, a ruler in benevolence, a minister in reverence. The myriad things and many affairs each have their place; when each is in its place there is peace, and when each loses its place there is disorder. The reason the sage can make the world smooth and orderly is not that he can make norms for things, but only that he lets each rest in its proper place." [From the Commentary on the Judgment of the hexagram Gen (Keeping Still). Things each have their natural norm; the sage cannot make norms for them but only puts each where it fits its norm.] "Dui (Joy), taking joy yet remaining firm: thus above it accords with Heaven's principle and below it answers the human heart; this speaks of the Way at its utmost correctness and goodness." [The Commentary on the Judgment of Dui says: 'Joy is favorable and steadfast; thus it accords with Heaven and answers to people.'] "But to depart from the Way in order to seek the praise of the common people is the method of careless joy: departing from the Way is not accordance with Heaven, and seeking praise is not answering to people; it merely takes a moment's pleasure and is not the gentleman's proper way. The gentleman's way gives joy to the people like the bestowals of Heaven and Earth; it moves them in their hearts and they are pleased without tiring." [The Way comes from Heaven, and to depart from it is not to accord with Heaven; praise comes from people, and to seek praise is not to answer them.] "In the affairs of the world, if one does not advance one falls back; there is no principle of standing fixed. If one is satisfied with Ji Ji (Already Crossed) and stops there without advancing, there is no constant stopping; decline and disorder arrive, because its way has reached its limit. What can the sage do at this point? It is said: only the sage can open up the change before it is exhausted and not let things reach the extreme, as Yao and Shun did. So there is an end without disorder." [The Commentary on the Judgment of Ji Ji says: 'To stop at the end brings disorder, because its way is exhausted.' That what is flourishing must decline when it stops is the world's constant tendency; to have flourishing without decline is the sages' constant way. Ordinary people settle carelessly in Ji Ji, and this is where decline and disorder come from; the sage opens up change before it is exhausted, and so has an end without disorder. The Great Commentary on the Changes says: 'When the Yao and Shun clans arose, they opened up their changes so that the people did not tire,' which means this.]

為民立君所以養之也養民之道在愛其力民力足則生養遂生養遂則敎化行而風俗美故為政以民力為重也春秋凡用民力必書其所興作不時害義固為罪也雖時且義必書見勞民為重事也後之人君知此義則知愼重於民力矣【春秋書不時者如隱公七年夏城中丘之類書時者如桓十六年冬城向之類書不義者如莊二十三年丹桓宮楹之類書義者如莊元年築王姬之館之類】然有用民力之大而不書者為敎之意深矣僖公修泮宮復閟宮非不用民力也然而不書二者復古興廢之大事為國之先務如是而用民力乃所當用也人君知此義知為政之先後輕重矣【經說下同○泮半也諸侯之學鄉射之宮其東西南方有水形如半璧以其半於天子之辟雍故曰泮宮也閟閉也幽陰之義宮廟也毛氏曰先妣姜嫄之廟孟仲子曰是禖宮也泮宮者所以敎育賢材閟宮者所以尊事祖先二者皆為國之先務以是而用民力故無議焉】

"Rulers are set up for the people in order to nourish them. The way to nourish the people lies in caring for their strength. When the people's strength is sufficient, their livelihood and nourishment are fulfilled; when their livelihood is fulfilled, instruction and transformation proceed and customs are fine. So in governing, the people's strength is the weightiest matter. In the Spring and Autumn Annals, whenever the people's labor was used, the project undertaken was always recorded: doing so out of season and against righteousness is of course a fault, but even in season and in accordance with righteousness it is also recorded, showing that burdening the people is a grave matter. When later rulers understand this meaning, they will know to be cautious about the people's strength." [Examples in the Annals of what was recorded as untimely: in the seventh year of Duke Yin, in summer, the walling of Zhongqiu; of what was recorded as timely: in the sixteenth year of Duke Huan, in winter, the walling of Xiang; of what was recorded as unrighteous: in the twenty-third year of Duke Zhuang, the painting of the pillars of the Huan temple; of what was recorded as righteous: in the first year of Duke Zhuang, building the lodge for the Royal Lady.] "Yet there are cases where the people's strength was used on a large scale and it was not recorded, for the meaning of the teaching is deep. Duke Xi repaired the Pan palace-school and restored the Bi temple; it was not that he did not use the people's labor, yet it was not recorded. These two were great matters of restoring antiquity and reviving what had been abandoned, and the first business of a state; to use the people's strength for such things is proper. A ruler who understands this knows the order and weight of what comes first and later in governing." [What follows is all from the Explanations of the Classics. Pan means half. It was the school of a feudal lord and the hall for the village archery rite, with water on its east, west and south sides in the shape of half a jade ring; because it was half of the Son of Heaven's Biyong, it was called the Pan palace. Bi means closed, with the sense of dim and secluded; it refers to the ancestral temple. Mr. Mao said: it was the temple of the late mother Jiang Yuan. Meng Zhongzi said: it was the shrine of Gaomei. The Pan palace is for training worthy talents, and the Bi temple is for honoring and serving ancestors; both were the first business of the state, and since the people's labor was used for these, no criticism was made.]

治身齊家以至平天下者治之道也建立治綱分正百職順天時以制事至於創制立度盡天下之事者治之法也聖人治天下之道唯此二端而已【道者治之本法者治之具不可偏廢然亦必本之立而後其具可舉也】

"To cultivate oneself, to regulate one's family and on to bringing peace to the world is the Way of governing; to establish the main threads of government, to assign and correct the many offices, to follow the seasons of Heaven in regulating affairs, and on to creating institutions and setting up measures, exhausting all the affairs of the world, is the method of governing. The sage's way of governing the world has only these two aspects." [The Way is the root of governing, and method is its instrument; neither can be neglected, but it must be that the root is established first and only then can the instruments be carried out.]

明道先生曰先王之世以道治天下後世只是以法把持天下【遺書下同○先王治天下以仁義為主法固在其中後世把持法令以控制天下而法亦非先王之法矣】

Master Mingdao said: "In the age of the former kings the world was governed by the Way; in later ages the world is only held in hand by laws." [What follows is all from the Surviving Writings. The former kings governed the world with benevolence and righteousness as the main thing, and law was naturally within that; later ages hold on to laws and decrees to control the world, and the laws are no longer the laws of the former kings.]

為政須要有紀綱文章先有司鄉官讀法平價謹權量皆不可闕也【大曰綱小曰紀文章謂文法章程也有司眾職也必先正有司而後考其成防其要鄉官如黨正族師閭胥比長之屬讀法如州長於正月之吉及歲時祭祀各屬其州之民而讀法以考其德行道藝而勸之以糾其過惡而戒之是也平價如賈師各掌其次之貨賄之治辨其物而均平之展其成而奠其價之類是也權五銖兩斤鈞石也量五龠合升斗斛也】人各親其親然後能不獨親其親【使人各親其親則親親之道公於天下】仲弓曰焉知賢才而舉之子曰舉爾所知爾所不知人其舍諸便見仲弓與聖人用心之大小推此義則一心可以喪邦一心可以興邦只在公私之間耳【仲弓欲以一人之知舉天下之賢故疑其不足夫子則因天下之賢舉天下之賢惟見其有餘用心之公私小大如此推其極致則一可以喪邦一可以興邦】

"In governing one must have guiding threads and ordered institutions: first the officials, then the village officers reading out the laws, fixing prices, and being careful about weights and measures; none of these can be missing." [The large threads are called gang and the small ones ji. 'Ordered institutions' means regulations and procedures. 'Officials' are the many offices, and one must first set the officials right and only then examine their results and gather their essentials (the base text has a variant reading here). Village officers are such as the district heads, clan masters, ward overseers and neighborhood chiefs. Reading out the laws is like the prefecture heads who, on the auspicious day of the first month and at the seasonal sacrifices, each assembled the people of their prefecture and read out the laws, examining their virtuous conduct, Way and skills in order to encourage them, and rebuking their faults and evils in order to warn them. Fixing prices is like the market masters who each managed the goods in his section, distinguished the goods and made them even, and examined the completed sales to fix their prices. Weights are the units from zhu and liang up to jin, jun and shi; measures are the units from yue and ge up to sheng, dou and hu.] "Only when each person holds his own parents dear can he come to hold dear not only his own parents." [If people each hold their own parents dear, the way of loving one's parents becomes public to the whole world.] "Zhonggong said: 'How shall I know the worthy to recommend them?' Confucius said: 'Recommend those you know; as for those you do not know, will others pass them over?' Here one sees the difference in breadth of mind between Zhonggong and the sage. Extending this principle, one mind can ruin a state and another mind can make a state flourish, and it lies only between the public and the private." [Zhonggong wished to recommend the worthy of the whole world with the knowledge of one man, and so doubted he would be enough; the Master recommended the worthy of the world through the worthy of the world, and saw only that there was more than enough. The public and private, small and great in their intentions are thus; carried to the limit, one can ruin a state and the other can make a state flourish.]

治道亦有從本而言亦有從事而言從本而言惟是格君心之非正心以正朝廷正朝廷以正百官若從事而言不救則已若須救之必須變大變則大益小變則小益【論治本則正君而國定矣就事而言則必有大更革然後能救積然要以格君心為本】

"The way of governing may be spoken of from the root or from affairs. From the root, it is only to correct what is wrong in the ruler's mind: rectify the mind to rectify the court, rectify the court to rectify the hundred officials. From affairs, if one does not rescue them, so be it; but if one must rescue them, one must make changes: a great change brings great benefit, a small change brings small benefit." [In discussing the root of governing, once the ruler is rectified the state is settled; speaking in terms of affairs, there must be great reform before accumulated abuses (the base text has a rare character here that was lost in transcription) can be remedied. Yet the main thing is to correct the ruler's mind as the root.]

唐有天下雖號治平然亦非盡善之道三綱不正無君臣父子夫婦其原始於太宗也故其後世子弟皆不可使君不君臣不臣故藩鎭不賓權臣跋扈陵夷有五代之亂【太宗以智力劫持取天下其於君臣父子之義有虧閨門之間又有慙德三綱皆已不正是以後世子孫氣習相傳綱常陵夷而不可止宗使肅宗至靈武則自立稱帝使永王璘使江南則反君臣之道不正遂使藩鎭割據於外閹豎擅專於內馴致五季之極亂也】漢之治過於唐漢大綱正唐萬目舉本朝大綱正萬目亦未盡舉【大綱謂綱常唐之治目若世業若府兵若租庸調若省府其區畫法制略仿先王之遺意故亦足以維持天下】

"The Tang held the world and is called a time of order and peace, yet it was by no means the Way in its full goodness. The three bonds were not set right; there was no proper order of ruler and minister, father and son, husband and wife, and its origin began with Taizong. So his later sons and grandsons could none of them be made to serve: rulers were not rulers and ministers were not ministers, so the military governors did not submit and powerful ministers ran wild, until by gradual decline came the chaos of the Five Dynasties." [Taizong seized the world by intelligence and force, and he fell short in the principles of ruler and minister and father and son, and there was also shame in his inner chambers; the three bonds were all already not set right, so the habits were passed on to the later descendants, and the bonds and norms declined without being halted. When Xuanzong sent Suzong to Lingwu, he set himself up as emperor; when he sent Prince Yong, Lin, to Jiangnan, he rebelled. Because the way of ruler and minister was not correct, military governors carved up the outer regions and eunuchs seized power within, which gradually brought about the extreme chaos of the Five Dynasties.] "The Han's governance was better than the Tang's: the Han had its main threads right, whereas the Tang had all its details carried out. Our dynasty has its main threads right, but not all its details are yet carried out." [The main threads refer to the three bonds and constant norms. The Tang's details of governance, such as hereditary landholding, the militia system, the land tax and labor system, and the central secretariat, had their plans and regulations roughly modeled on the surviving intent of the former kings, and so were sufficient to hold the world together.]

敎人者養其善心而惡自消治民者導之敬讓而爭自息【外書下同○道之以德齊之以禮】

"Those who teach others nourish their good hearts and evil vanishes by itself; those who govern the people lead them to reverence and yielding and quarrels cease of themselves." [What follows is all from the Outer Writings. Guide them by virtue and keep them in order with ritual.]

明道先生曰必有闗睢麟趾之意然後可以行周官之法度【闗雎詠文王妃姒氏有幽閒貞靜之德麟趾詠文王子孫宗族有仁愛忠厚之性○朱子曰自閨門衽席之微積累至薫蒸洋溢天下無一民一物不被其化然後可以行周官之法度不然則為王莽矣】君仁莫不仁君義莫不義天下之治亂系乎人君仁不仁耳離是而非則生於其心必害於其政豈待乎作之於外哉【一國以一人為本一人以一心為本使人君有一念私邪必將害於其政奚待作於外而後可知】昔者孟子三見齊王而不言事門人疑之孟子曰我先攻其邪心心既正然後天下之事可從而理也夫政事之失用人之非知者能更之直者能諫之然非心存焉則一事之失救而正之後之失者將不勝救矣格其非心使無不正非大人其孰能之【孟子見齊王首言仁術曰是心足以王至將求其所大欲則曰緣木求魚後必有災王欲行之盍反其本凡皆以格其非心而興其善意至於一政事之得失固未暇論】

Master Mingdao said: "There must be the spirit of the Guan Ju and the Lin Zhi before one can carry out the laws and measures of the Rites of Zhou." [The Guan Ju praises the virtue of King Wen's consort Lady Si, her quiet, gentle and steadfast character; the Lin Zhi praises the benevolent, loving and sincere nature of King Wen's descendants and clan. Note by Zhu Xi: Starting from the smallest matters of the inner chambers, accumulating until it steams and overflows, so that in the whole world there is not one person or thing not touched by its influence, one can then carry out the laws and measures of the Rites of Zhou; otherwise one becomes Wang Mang.] "If the ruler is benevolent, none will fail to be benevolent; if the ruler is righteous, none will fail to be righteous. The order or disorder of the world depends only on whether the ruler is benevolent or not. If wrong departs from this, it arises in his mind and is bound to harm his governance; why wait for it to be done outwardly?" [A state takes one man as its root, and one man takes his mind as his root. If a ruler has a single thought of selfishness or wickedness, it will surely harm his governance; why wait for it to be carried out before it can be known?] "Formerly Mencius had three audiences with the king of Qi and did not speak of affairs; his disciples doubted it. Mencius said: I first attack his wicked mind. Once the mind is correct, the affairs of the world can follow and be put in order. As for faults in government and wrongs in employing men, the wise can change them and the upright can remonstrate; yet if the mind's wrong remains, even if one corrects a fault in one matter, later faults will be too many to correct. To rectify his wrong mind so that nothing is not correct, who but a great man could do it?" [When Mencius saw the king of Qi, he first spoke of the art of benevolence, saying 'this mind suffices to be a king'; when it came to the king's great desires, he said it was like climbing a tree to catch fish and that disaster would follow, and that if the king wished to act, he should turn back to the root. All of this was to rectify his wrong mind and arouse his good intentions; as for the gains and losses of any single policy, he of course had no leisure to discuss them.]

橫渠先生曰道千乗之國不及禮樂刑政而云節用而愛人使民以時言能如是則法行不能如是則法不徒行禮樂刑政亦制數而已耳【正下同說見論語○道治也千乗諸侯之國其賦可出兵車千乘者治國以人心為本必節己裕民德意孚洽民安其生然後禮樂刑政有所措】

Master Hengqu said: "When 'guiding a state of a thousand chariots' does not mention ritual, music, punishment and government but says to be thrifty in use and love people, and to employ the people according to the seasons, it means that if one can do this, the laws will be carried out, and if one cannot, the laws will not carry themselves out, and ritual, music, punishment and government are merely numbers and regulations." [What follows is all from the Zhengmeng (the base text has a rare character here that was lost in transcription). Explained in the Analects. 'Guide' means govern. A state of a thousand chariots is a feudal state whose levy can produce a thousand war chariots. To govern a state takes the human heart as its root; one must be thrifty oneself and enrich the people, with virtuous intent reaching everyone, the people at ease in their livelihood, and only then can ritual, music, punishment and government be put into place.]

法立而能守則德可久業可大鄭聲佞人能使為邦者喪其所守故放逺之【鄭聲者鄭國之俗淫邪其作之詩著於樂者聲皆淫靡佞人者口給面諛之人也夫子既告顔子以四代之禮樂而必欲放鄭聲逺佞人蓋二者蕩心之原敗法亂紀之要也】橫渠先生荅範巽之書曰朝廷以道學政術為二事此正自古之可憂者巽之謂孔孟可作將推其所得而施諸天下邪將以其所不為而強施之於天下歟【道學政術分為兩途則學與政皆非矣使孔孟復生必將推其所得之道措之天下必不以政術非吾所事而姑以是強施之天下也】大都君相以父母天下為王道不能推父母之心於百姓謂之王道可乎所謂父母之心非徒見於言必須視四海之民如己之子設使四海之內皆為己之子則講治之術必不為秦漢之少恩必不為五霸之假名【視民猶子則所以撫摩涵育敎誨輔翼之者何所不盡秦漢慘刻少恩五霸假義圖利皆無誠愛之心者也】巽之為朝廷言人不足與適政不足與間能使吾君愛天下之人如赤子則治德必日新人之進者必良士帝王之道不必改途而成學與政不殊心而得矣【文集適過也間非也用人之非不足過謫行政之失不足非間唯能愛民如赤子懇惻切至則治德將日新何憂為政之失所任皆良士何憂用人之非帝王之道即今日之政事非有兩途今日之政術即平日之學問非有二心也】

"If laws are established and can be kept, then virtue can last and enterprise can grow great. The sounds of Zheng and glib flatterers can make one who governs a state lose what he keeps, so one should banish the former and keep the latter at a distance." [The sounds of Zheng are the lewd and wicked customs of the state of Zheng; the poems composed there and set to music all had licentious, decadent tones. Glib flatterers are people quick with their mouths and flattering to one's face. The Master had told Yan Hui about the rites and music of four dynasties, and yet insisted on banishing the sounds of Zheng and keeping flatterers at a distance, since these two are the source of a dissolute mind and the key to ruined laws and disordered norms.] Master Hengqu wrote in reply to Fan Xunzhi: "The court treats the study of the Way and the art of government as two separate things, and this is what has been a cause for concern since antiquity. Xunzhi asked: if Confucius and Mencius could rise again, would they extend what they had attained and apply it to the world, or would they force on the world what they themselves would not do?" [If the study of the Way and the art of government are divided into two paths, then neither study nor government is right. If Confucius and Mencius lived again, they would certainly extend the Way they had attained and set it down in the world, and certainly would not, on the ground that the art of government was not their business, force it on the world for the time being.] "In general, rulers and chief ministers take being a parent to the world as the kingly way. If they cannot extend a parent's heart to the common people, can it be called the kingly way? The so-called parent's heart is not merely shown in words; one must regard the people within the four seas as one's own children. Suppose all within the four seas were one's own children; then in discussing the arts of governing one would surely not be as stingy in kindness as Qin and Han, nor as false in name as the Five Hegemons." [If one regards the people as one's children, then in comforting, nurturing, teaching and assisting them, what would one fail to do? Qin and Han were harsh and meager in kindness; the Five Hegemons borrowed righteousness for profit; none had a heart of sincere love.] "Xunzhi told the court: it is not worth faulting individual men, nor worth criticizing individual policies; if only one can make our ruler love the people of the world as infants, then the virtue of governing will be renewed day by day, those who are promoted will certainly be good men, the way of the emperors and kings will be achieved without changing course, and learning and government will be attained with no divide of heart." [From the Collected Writings. 'Fault' means to blame, and 'criticize' means to censure. Wrong in employing men is not worth blaming, and failure in carrying out policy is not worth censuring. Only if one can love the people like infants, earnestly and sincerely, will the virtue of governing be renewed daily; why worry about the failures of policy? If those appointed are all good men, why worry about wrong in employing men? The way of emperors and kings is today's government and has no separate path; today's art of government is the daily learning and has no separate heart.]

此卷論治法蓋治本雖立而治具不容缺禮樂刑政有一之未備未足以成極治之功也

This fascicle discusses methods of governing. Though the root of governing is established, the instruments of governing cannot be lacking; if any of ritual, music, punishment or government is incomplete, one cannot yet achieve the merit of the highest order.

濓溪先生曰古聖王制禮法修敎化三綱正九疇敘百姓太和萬物鹹若【朱子曰綱網上大綱也三綱者夫為妻綱父為子綱君為臣綱也疇類也九疇見洪範若順也此所謂理而後和也】乃作樂以宣八風之氣以平天下之情【朱子曰八音以宣八方之風見國語宣所以達其理之分平所以節其和之流】故樂聲淡而不傷和而不淫入其耳感其心莫不淡且和焉淡則欲心平和則躁心釋【朱子曰淡者禮之發和者樂之為先淡後和亦主靜之意也然古聖賢之論樂曰和而已此所謂淡蓋以今樂形之而後見其本於莊敬齊肅之意耳】優柔平中德之盛也天下化中治之至也是謂道配天地古之極也【朱子曰欲心平故平中躁心釋故優柔言聖人作樂功化之盛如此或雲化中當作化成】後世禮法不修政刑苛紊縱慾敗度下民困苦謂古樂不足聽也代變新聲妖淫愁怨導欲増悲不能自止故有賊君棄父輕生敗倫不可禁者矣【朱子曰縱慾敗度故其聲不淡而妖淫政苛民困故其聲不和而愁怨妖淫故導欲而至於輕生敗倫愁怨故増悲而至於賊君棄父】嗚呼樂者古以平心今以助欲古以宣化今以長怨【朱子曰古今之異淡與不淡和與不和而已】不復古禮不變今樂而欲至治者逺哉【通書朱子曰復古禮然後可以變今樂】

Master Lianxi said: "The ancient sage kings made rites and laws and cultivated instruction and transformation; the three bonds were set right and the nine categories put in order, the common people were in great harmony, and all things were in accord. [Note by Zhu Xi: The bond is the main rope of a net. The three bonds: the husband is the bond of the wife, the father is the bond of the son, and the ruler is the bond of the minister. Category means kind; the nine categories appear in the Great Plan. 'In accord' means smooth. This is what is meant by 'principle, and then harmony.'] Then they made music to spread the qi of the eight winds and to level the feelings of the world. [Note by Zhu Xi: The eight kinds of instruments spread the winds of the eight directions, as in the Discourses of the States. Spreading is what makes the division of principle reach through; leveling is what regulates the flow of harmony.] Therefore the sound of the music was mild yet not injurious, harmonious yet not licentious; entering the ear and moving the heart, none failed to be mild and harmonious. Mildness calms the desiring mind, and harmony releases the restless mind. [Note by Zhu Xi: Mildness comes from ritual, and harmony is the work of music. Mildness first and harmony afterward is also the idea of making stillness the master. Yet when the ancient sages and worthies discussed music they spoke only of harmony; here the text speaks of mildness, which is to show by contrast with today's music that its root lies in solemn reverence and gravity.] Gentle, easy and balanced is the fullness of virtue; the world transformed to the mean is the utmost of order. This is called a Way matching Heaven and Earth, the supreme standard of antiquity. [Note by Zhu Xi: The desiring mind being calmed is what makes it balanced; the restless mind being released is what makes it gentle and easy. This says that the achievement of the sages in making music and transforming people was so great. Some say 'transformed to the mean' should read 'transformed to completion.'] In later ages ritual and law were not cultivated, government and punishment became harsh and disordered, people indulged desire and ruined measure, and the common people were distressed. They said the ancient music was not worth hearing, and changed it for new sounds, seductive, resentful and sorrowful, leading desire on and adding to grief until they could not stop, and so there came those who killed their rulers and abandoned their fathers, made light of life and destroyed human relations, beyond any prohibition. [Note by Zhu Xi: Because they indulged desire and ruined measure, their music was not mild but seductive; because government was harsh and the people distressed, their music was not harmonious but resentful. Seductiveness leads desire on until people make light of life and destroy human relations; resentment adds to grief until people kill their rulers and abandon their fathers.] Alas! Music was in ancient times used to level the heart, and now is used to aid desire; in ancient times it was used to spread transformation, and now it is used to increase resentment. [Note by Zhu Xi: The difference between ancient and present lies only in whether it is mild or not, and whether it is harmonious or not.] To hope for supreme order without restoring ancient ritual or changing present music is far from the mark." [From the Penetrating the Book of Changes. Note by Zhu Xi: Only by restoring ancient ritual can one then change present music.]

明道先生言於朝曰治天下以正風俗得賢才為本宜先禮命近侍賢儒及百執事悉心推訪有德業充備足為師表者其次有篤志好學材良行修者延聘敦遣萃於京師俾朝夕相與講明正學其道必本於人倫明乎物理【大而人倫微而物理皆道之體也】其教自小學灑掃應對以往修其孝弟忠信周旋禮樂其所以誘掖激勵漸摩成就之道皆有節序【誘掖引而進之激勵作而興之漸摩則有漸成就則周足】其要在於擇善修身至於化成天下自鄉人而可至於聖人之道【擇善者致知格物也修身者誠意正心修身也化成天下者齊家治國平天下也鄉人鄉里之常人孟子曰我猶未免為鄉人是也】其學行皆中於是者為成德取材識明達可進於善者使日受其業【所學所行中乎是者謂擇善修身足以化成天下蓋成德之士也則又取夫材識明達可與適道者使受學於成德之人】擇其學明德尊者為太學之師次以分敎天下之學【敎成使為學官推敎法於天下】擇士入學縣升之州州賓興於太學聚而敎之歲論其賢者能者於朝【此仿周禮鄉大夫賓興司馬論士之制】凡選士之法皆以性行端潔居家孝弟有亷恥禮遜通明學業曉達治道者【文集下同以此選士則通於理而適於用本於身而及於天下其與後世以文詞記誦取士者有間矣】

Master Mingdao spoke at court, saying: "Governing the world takes correcting customs and obtaining worthy talents as its root. One should first, with ritual and commission, have the close attendants, worthy Confucians and the many officials search and inquire with all their hearts: those whose virtue and achievement are complete enough to be teachers and models, and next those who are firm in purpose and love learning, of good talent and cultivated conduct, should be invited and sent for and gathered in the capital, so that they may morning and evening discuss and clarify correct learning together. Its Way must be rooted in human relations and clear about the principles of things. [The great is human relations and the subtle is the principles of things; both are the substance of the Way.] Its teaching begins from the Lesser Learning of sweeping, answering and replying, and goes on to cultivating filial piety, fraternal duty, loyalty and trustworthiness and practicing ritual and music in their rounds. The ways of leading, encouraging, gradually refining and bringing to completion all have their order and sequence. [To lead is to guide forward, to encourage is to rouse and raise up, to refine gradually is to proceed step by step, and to bring to completion is to be thorough and sufficient.] The essential is in choosing the good and cultivating oneself, up to transforming the world; from the common villager one can arrive at the Way of the sage. [Choosing the good is extending knowledge and investigating things; cultivating oneself is making intentions sincere, rectifying the mind and cultivating the person; transforming the world is regulating the family, governing the state and bringing peace to the world. A 'villager' is an ordinary person of the village. Mencius's words 'I am still not free from being a villager' mean this.] Those whose learning and conduct all accord with this are men of completed virtue; those who are clear and intelligent in talent and understanding and can advance in the good are taken in and made to receive their instruction daily. [Those whose learning and conduct accord with this are those who, by choosing the good and cultivating themselves, are enough to transform the world, men of completed virtue; one then takes those clear in talent and understanding who can proceed with them toward the Way and has them study under the men of completed virtue.] Choose those whose learning is clear and virtue honored as teachers of the Imperial Academy, and next have them divide up to teach the schools of the world. [Once their teaching is accomplished, make them school officials and spread their teaching method throughout the world.] Select gentlemen to enter the schools: from the county they are advanced to the prefecture, and from the prefecture they are honored and sent up to the Imperial Academy, gathered and taught there, and each year the worthy and able among them are discussed at court. [This follows the system of the Rites of Zhou in which the district officers honored and sent up the worthy, and the minister of war discussed the gentlemen.] In every method of selecting gentlemen, all choose those whose nature and conduct are upright and pure, who at home show filial and fraternal duty, who have integrity, shame, ritual and yielding, who thoroughly understand their studies and are versed in the way of governance." [What follows is all from the Collected Writings. Selecting gentlemen in this way, they will understand principle and be fit for use, be rooted in their own persons and reach the whole world, unlike later ages that select gentlemen by literary style and rote memory.]

明道先生論十事一曰師傅【古者自天子達於庶人必須師友以成就其德業今師傅之職不修友臣之義未著所以尊德樂善之風未成】二曰六官【天地四時之官歴二帝三王未之或改今官秩淆亂職業廢弛太平之治所以未至】三曰經界【制民常產使之厚生則經界不可不正井地不可不均今富者跨州縣而莫之止貧者流離餓殍而莫之恤幸民雖多而衣食不足者蓋無紀極生齒日益繁而不為之制則衣食日蹙轉死日多】四曰鄉黨【古者政敎始乎鄉里其法起於比閭族黨州鄉酇遂以相聨屬統治故民相安而親睦刑法鮮犯亷恥易格】五曰貢士【庠序所以明人倫化成天下今師學廢而道德不一鄉射亡而禮義不興貢士不本於鄉里而行實不修秀民不養於學校而人材多廢】六曰兵役【古者府史胥徒受祿公上而兵農未始判也今驕兵耗匱國力禁衛之外不漸歸之農則將貽深慮府史胥徒之役毒遍天下不更其制則未免大患】七曰民食【古者民必有九年之食今天下耕之者少食之者眾地力不盡人功不勤固宜漸從古制均田務農公私交為儲粟之法以為凶歲之備】八曰四民【古者四民各有常職而農者十居八九故衣食易給今京師浮民數逾百萬此在酌古變今均多恤寡漸為之業以救之耳】九曰山澤【聖人理物山虞澤衡各有常禁故萬物阜豐而財用不乏今五官不修六府不治用之無節取之不時惟修虞衡之職使長養之則有變通長久之勢】十曰分數【古者冠昏喪祭車服器用等差分別莫敢逾僭故財用易給而民有常心今禮制不足以檢飭人情名數不足以旌別貴賤奸詐攘奪人人求厭其欲此爭亂之道也○以上十條並節錄本文】其言曰無古今無治亂如生民之理有窮則聖王之法可改後世能盡其道則大治或用其偏則小康此歴代彰灼著明之效也苟或徒知泥古而不能施之於今姑欲徇名而遂廢其實此則陋儒之見何足以論治道哉然儻謂今人之情皆已異於古先王之跡不可復於今趣便目前不務高逺則亦恐非大有為之論而未足以濟當今之極弊也【泥古而不度今之冝徇復古之名而失其實此固陋儒之見然遂謂先王治法不可用於今苟且卑陋此又世俗之淺識豈足以大有為而拯極弊哉】

Master Mingdao discussed ten matters. First, Teachers and Tutors. [In ancient times, from the Son of Heaven down to commoners, all needed teachers and friends to complete their virtue and work. Now the office of teachers and tutors is not cultivated, and the principle of friend-ministers has not been made plain, so the custom of honoring virtue and delighting in goodness has not formed.] Second, the Six Offices. [The offices of Heaven and Earth and the four seasons passed through the Two Emperors and Three Kings without being changed. Now official ranks are confused and duties neglected, and so the order of great peace has not arrived.] Third, Land Boundaries. [To establish a constant livelihood for the people and let them live well, the land boundaries must be correct and the well-field allotments equal. Now the rich stretch across prefectures and counties without restraint, while the poor wander about starving and none pities them. Though there are many fortunate people, those without enough food and clothing are beyond count. With the population increasing daily and no regulation, food and clothing shrink daily and more people die in ditches.] Fourth, Village Organization. [In ancient times government and instruction began in the villages, and the system of linking and governing through the bi, lü, zu, dang, zhou, xiang, zan and sui units made the people live in peace and harmony, rarely violate the law, and easily reach integrity and shame.] Fifth, Recommending Gentlemen. [Schools exist to make clear human relations and transform the world. Now teaching and study are abandoned and the Way and virtue are not united, the village archery rite has vanished and ritual and righteousness are not raised, recommended gentlemen are not rooted in their villages and their conduct is not cultivated, and the best of the people are not nurtured in schools so that talents are mostly wasted.] Sixth, Military Service. [In ancient times the clerks, assistants and attendants received salaries from the state, and soldiers and farmers were never separated. Now arrogant soldiers drain the state's strength, and unless apart from the palace guards they are gradually returned to farming there will be deep trouble; the harm of clerks, assistants and attendants spreads through the world, and unless the system is changed there will be great calamity.] Seventh, People's Food. [In ancient times the people had to have nine years of grain. Now in the world those who farm are few and those who eat are many, the strength of the land is not fully used and human effort is not diligent; one should gradually follow the ancient system, equalize land, devote effort to farming, and set up a method for public and private grain storage to prepare for years of famine.] Eighth, Four Classes of People. [In ancient times the four classes each had constant occupations and farmers made up eight or nine in ten, so food and clothing were easily supplied. Now idle people in the capital number over a million; the remedy lies in weighing the ancient against the present, equalizing the many and pitying the few, and gradually providing them with occupations to save them.] Ninth, Mountains and Marshes. [In managing things the sages had foresters for the mountains and wardens for the marshes, each with constant prohibitions, so the myriad things were abundant and resources never lacking. Now the five offices are not cultivated and the six treasuries are not managed, use has no restraint and gathering is out of season; only by restoring the offices of foresters and wardens so as to let things grow can one have a lasting and adaptable situation.] Tenth, Grades and Numbers. [In ancient times, in capping, marriage, mourning and sacrifice, and in carriages, dress and utensils, there were distinctions of grade and none dared exceed their rank, so resources were easily supplied and the people had constant hearts. Now ritual regulations are not enough to check people's feelings, and names and numbers are not enough to mark off the noble from the lowly; with fraud and seizure, everyone seeks to satisfy his desires, and this is the road to strife and disorder. The above ten items are abridged from the original text.] He said: "Neither ancient nor modern, neither order nor disorder: if the principle of the living people were exhausted, then the sage kings' laws could be changed. Later ages that fully realized their Way achieved great order, and those who used only part of it achieved modest prosperity; this is the clear and evident effect through the dynasties. If someone merely knows to cling to antiquity and cannot apply it to the present, or wishes to follow the name and thereby abandons the substance, that is the view of a narrow-minded Confucian, and what is worth discussing about governing in it? But if one says that people's feelings today are all different from those of old, that the traces of the former kings cannot be restored in the present, and pursues what is convenient before one's eyes without striving for the lofty and far, I fear this too is not the argument of great accomplishment and is not enough to rescue the extreme abuses of the present." [To cling to antiquity without weighing what is fitting now, or to chase the name of restoring antiquity and lose its substance, is indeed the view of a narrow-minded Confucian; but to say that the former kings' methods of governing cannot be used now, and to be careless and mean, is the shallow view of common custom, which is not enough to do great things and rescue extreme abuses.]

伊川先生上疏【先生除崇正殿說書首上此疏】曰三代之時人君必有師傅保之官師道之敎訓【道開誘也】傅傅之德義【傅附益也】保保其身體【保安全也】後世作事無本知求治而不知正君知規過而不知養徳【君正則治可舉德盛則過自消正君養德者本也求治規過者末也】傅德義之道固已疎矣保身體之法復無聞焉【後世徒存保傅之名而無其職不言師者今日經筵之官則道之教訓之事】臣以為傅德義者在乎防見聞之非節嗜好之過【非禮之事不接於耳目嗜好之私不溺乎心術則德義進矣】保身體者在乎適起居之宜存畏愼之心【外適起居之宜內存畏謹之念則心神莊肅氣體和平矣】今旣不設保傅之官則此責皆在經筵欲乞皇帝在宮中言動服食皆使經筵官知之【官中言動服食之間經筵官皆得與聞之則深宮燕私之時無異於經筵講誦之際對宦官宮妾之頃猶若師保之臨乎前也】有翦桐之戲則隨事箴規違持養之方則應時諫止【文集○史記成王與叔虞戲削桐葉為珪曰以此封若史佚曰天子無戲言遂請封叔虞於唐本注遺書又云某嘗進言欲令上於一日之中親賢士大夫之時多親宦官宮人之時少所以涵養氣質薫陶德性】

Master Yichuan submitted a memorial. [When the Master was appointed Lecturer at the Chongzheng Hall (the base text has a variant reading here), this was his first memorial.] He said: "In the Three Dynasties a ruler always had the offices of teacher, tutor and protector: the teacher instructs him in the Way [the Way means opening and guiding]; the tutor supports him in virtue and righteousness [to support is to add to]; the protector guards his body [to protect is to keep safe]. In later ages things were done without a root: they knew to seek order but did not know to correct the ruler, knew to remonstrate against faults but did not know to nurture virtue. [If the ruler is rectified then order can be raised up; if virtue is full then faults vanish of themselves. Correcting the ruler and nurturing virtue is the root; seeking order and remonstrating against faults is the branch.] The way of supporting him in virtue and righteousness has long been neglected, and the method of guarding his body is no longer heard of. [Later ages preserved only the names of tutor and protector without their duties. The office of teacher is not mentioned because today's lecture officers of the classics banquet are the ones who do the work of instructing in the Way.] I submit that supporting virtue and righteousness lies in guarding against wrongs in what is seen and heard and restraining excesses of liking and fondness; [If improper things do not reach the ear and eye, and private fondnesses do not sink into the mind, virtue and righteousness advance.] guarding the body lies in adapting daily living to what is fitting and keeping a mind of caution and care. [Outwardly adapting living to what is fitting, inwardly keeping a thought of caution and care, the mind and spirit will be solemn and the qi and body at peace.] Now that offices of tutor and protector are not established, this responsibility falls wholly on the lecturers of the classics banquet. I beg that the Emperor's speech, actions, dress and food within the palace all be made known to the classics lecturers. [If the classics lecturers are to know of the Emperor's speech, action, dress and food in the palace, then even in the deep palace at leisure there is no difference from the time of the classics lectures, and even in the moments facing eunuchs and palace women he will feel as if teachers and protectors stand before him.] If he plays at cutting paulownia leaves, they will admonish him as the case arises; if he departs from the method of maintaining himself, they will remonstrate and stop him at the time." [From the Collected Writings. The Records of the Grand Historian say: King Cheng was playing with Shu Yu and cut a paulownia leaf into a jade tablet, saying 'I will enfeoff you with this.' Shi Yi said 'The Son of Heaven has no idle words,' and so asked that Shu Yu be enfeoffed at Tang. The original note in the Surviving Writings also says: I once offered advice, wishing that the sovereign would, within a day, spend more time near worthy gentlemen and officials and less near eunuchs and palace women, so as to nurture his temperament and refine his virtue.]

伊川先生看詳三學條制雲舊制公私試補蓋無虛月學校禮義相先之地而月使之爭殊非敎養之道請改試為課有所未至則學官召而敎之更不考定高下【設敎之道禮遜為先】制尊賢堂以延天下道德之士及置待賓吏師齋立檢察士人行檢等法【尊賢謂道德可矜式者待賓謂行能可賓敬者吏師通於治道可為吏之師法也三者皆才德過人首延禮之使士人知所向慕次乃立檢察士行之法】又云自元豐後設利誘之法増國學解額至五百人來者奔湊舍父母之養忘骨肉之愛往來道路旅寓他土人心日偷士風日薄【偷苟得也薄謂薄於人倫】今欲量留一百人餘四百人分在州郡解額窄處自然士人各安鄉土養其孝愛之心息其奔趨流浪之志風俗亦當稍厚又云三舍升補之法皆案文責跡有司之事非庠序育材掄秀之道【舊制以不犯罰為行試在高等為藝按其文而不考其實責其跡而不察其心敎之者非育才之道取之者非掄秀之法】蓋朝廷授法必達乎下長官守法而不得有為是以事成於下而下得以制其上此後世所以不治也【朝廷之法直達於下中間更不任人故長吏拘於法而不得自任在下者反得執法以取必於上後世不治皆此之由非獨庠序而已】或曰長貳得人則善矣或非其人不若防閒詳密可循守也殊不知先王制法待人而行未聞立不得人之法也苟長貳非人不知敎育之道徒守虛文密法果足以成人材乎【或者謂任人則人不能保其皆善任法則法猶可守也殊不知法待人而後行苟不得人則雖有密法而無益於成才苟得其人則無待於密法而法之密反害其成才之道故不若略文法而專責任也】

Master Yichuan, examining in detail the regulations of the Three Schools, said: "Under the old system, public and private examinations for promotion were held in practically every month. The schools are a place where ritual and righteousness take precedence, and to make them compete every month is quite contrary to the way of teaching and nurture. I request that examinations be changed into assignments, so that if there is anything that students have not reached, the school officials call them and teach them, and no longer grade them high or low." [In establishing teaching, ritual and yielding come first.] "Set up a Hall for Honoring the Worthy to invite men of the Way and virtue from across the world, and establish halls for Receiving Guests and Teachers of Officials, and set up methods for inspecting the conduct of scholars." ['Honoring the worthy' refers to those whose virtue and Way can be taken as a model; 'receiving guests' refers to those whose conduct and ability make them fit to be received with respect; 'teachers of officials' are those who are versed in the way of governing and can be models for officials. All three have talent and virtue beyond others; first invite and honor them with ritual so that scholars know whom to look up to, and only after that set up methods for inspecting scholars' conduct.] He also said: "Since the Yuanfeng period, a method of luring by profit was set up and the quota for the Imperial Academy was raised to five hundred; those who came rushed in, abandoned the care of their parents and forgot the love of their kin, traveling the roads and lodging in other lands, so people's hearts grow daily more careless and the manners of scholars daily thinner." ['Careless' means getting things carelessly; 'thinner' means thin in human relations.] "Now I would keep a hundred places and distribute the other four hundred to prefectures and commanderies where the quotas are narrow, so that scholars will naturally settle in their native lands, nurture hearts of filial love, put an end to their will to rush and wander, and customs too will become somewhat thicker." He also said: "The method of promoting from the Three Halls according to documents and checking records is the work of officials, not the way of schools in nurturing talent and selecting the outstanding." [Under the old system, going without penalty counted as conduct, and standing in a high class in examinations counted as skill; it went by writing and did not examine reality, held people to traces and did not examine the heart. Those who teach in this way are not nurturing talent, and those who select in this way are not selecting the outstanding.] "The court gives laws that must reach down to the lower levels, and the senior officials keep the laws and cannot act on their own initiative, so affairs are completed below and those below can then control those above. This is why later ages are not well governed." [The court's laws go straight down, with no room for individual judgment in between, so senior officials are bound by the law and cannot act on their own, while those below can instead hold to the law and force their will on those above. Later ages' failure of governance all comes from this, not only in the schools.] "Some say: when the head and deputy are the right men, it is good; if they are not, it is better to have strict, detailed precautions that can be followed. They do not know that the former kings made laws that relied on men to be carried out, and I have never heard of setting up laws for the case where there are no right men. If the head and deputy are not the right men and do not know the way of teaching, merely keeping empty forms and dense laws, can that truly bring people to completion?" [Some say that to rely on men means that one cannot guarantee that all are good, while to rely on law means that law can still be kept. They do not know that law is carried out only through men: if one does not get the right men, even with dense laws there is no benefit to forming talent; if one gets the right men, there is no need for dense laws, and the density of the law instead harms the way of forming talent. So it is better to simplify rules and concentrate on responsibility.]

明道先生行狀雲先生為澤州晉城令民以事至邑者必告之以孝弟忠信入所以事父兄出所以事長上【敎民孝弟為政先務】度鄉村逺近為伍保使之力役相助患難相恤而奸偽無所容【五家為伍五伍為保伍謂相參比也保謂相保任也】凡孤防殘廢者責之親戚鄉黨使無失所行旅出於其塗者疾病皆有所養【孤窮而無依殘廢而不全羇旅而疾病者皆窮民無告使之各得所養】諸鄉皆有校暇時親至召父老與之語兒童所讀書親為正句讀敎者不善則為易置擇子弟之秀者聚而敎之鄉民為社防為立科條旌別善惡使有勸有恥【觀此則養民善俗平易忠厚之政可知矣】

The Account of Master Mingdao's Conduct says: When the Master was magistrate of Jincheng in Zezhou, whenever people came to the town on business he always taught them filial piety, fraternal duty, loyalty and trustworthiness: at home to serve fathers and elder brothers, abroad to serve elders and superiors. [Teaching the people filial and fraternal duty is the first business of government.] He divided the villages into groups of five and guarantee units according to distance, so that they would help each other with labor and relieve each other in trouble, and deceit and falsehood had no place to hide. [Five households make a group, and five groups make a guarantee unit. A group is for mutual reference, and a guarantee unit is for mutual guarantee.] For orphans, the solitary, the maimed and the disabled, he held their relatives and neighbors responsible so that none would lose their place; travelers passing along the roads were all cared for when ill. [The orphaned and destitute with no one to rely on, the maimed and incomplete, and travelers who were sick, are all destitute people with no one to appeal to, and he saw that each had care.] Every village had a school; in his spare time he went in person, called the elders and talked with them; for books the children read, he personally corrected the punctuation; if a teacher was poor he replaced him; he picked out the outstanding sons and brothers and gathered them to teach. For the village societies of the people he set up regulations, praised the good and marked off the bad, so that there was encouragement and shame. [From this one can see his government of nurturing the people and improving customs, gentle, plain and sincere.]

萃王假有廟伊川易傳曰群生至眾也而可一其歸仰人心莫知其鄉也而能致其誠敬鬼神之不可度也而能致其來格天下萃合人心總攝眾志之道非一其至大莫過於宗廟故王者萃天下之道至於有廟則萃道之至也【假至也王者至於有廟則萃道之盛也蓋群生向背不齊惟於鬼神則歸仰如一人心出入無時惟奉鬼神則誠敬自盡言人心之渙散每萃於祭享也鬼神視之而弗見聽之而弗聞然齊明盛服以承祭祀則洋洋如在可致來格言鬼神之遊散亦每萃於宗廟也】祭祀之報本於人心聖人制禮以成其德耳故豺獺能祭其性然也【易傳】古者戍役再期而還今年春暮行明年夏代者至復留備秋至過十一月而歸又明年仲春遣次戍者每秋與冬初兩番戍者皆在疆圉乃今之防秋也【經說○論采薇遣戍役北人畏暑耐寒又秋氣折膠則弓弩可用故秋冬易為侵暴每留戍以防之】

"Cui (Gathering): the king comes to the temple." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "The multitude of living beings is very great, yet they can be made to look up to one center; people's minds do not know where to turn, yet they can be brought to sincerity and reverence; the spirits cannot be fathomed, yet they can be made to come. The ways of gathering the hearts of the world and drawing together the many wills are not one, but the greatest of them is none other than the ancestral temple. So when a true king's way of gathering the world reaches the point of having a temple, that is the utmost of the way of gathering." [To come means to arrive. When a true king comes to the point of having a temple, then the way of gathering is at its fullest. The many living beings turn toward and away from things unequally, but toward the spirits they look up as one; people's minds go in and out without fixed time, but in serving the spirits their sincerity and reverence are fully exercised: this says that people's scattered hearts are gathered at sacrifice. The spirits are looked at and not seen, listened to and not heard, yet when one fasts and dresses in splendor to receive the sacrifice, they seem to be present and can be made to come: this says that the wandering spirits too are gathered at the ancestral temple.] "Sacrifice's repaying of the root is in the human heart; the sage makes rites merely to complete this virtue. So even jackals and otters can sacrifice; it is their nature." [From the Commentary on the Changes.] "In ancient times garrison service lasted two years and then they returned: one set left at the end of this spring, and the next year's replacements arrived in summer, and the garrison still remained to guard against autumn, going home after the eleventh month; the next year in mid-spring the next set was sent. Each autumn and early winter, two sets of garrison troops were both on the frontier; this is what is now called guarding against autumn raids." [From the Explanations of the Classics. It discusses the poem Cai Wei and the sending of garrison troops. Northerners fear the heat and endure cold, and in autumn the air hardens the glue so bows and crossbows can be used, so it is easy for them to raid in autumn and winter; so troops were kept garrisoned to guard against them.]

聖人無一事不順天時故至日閉闗【遺書下同○復卦彖傳說見第四卷】韓信多多益辦只是分數明【分者管轄階級之分數者行伍多寡之數分數明則上下相臨統紀不紊所御者愈眾而所操者常寡】

"The sages never did a single thing that did not follow the seasons of Heaven, so at the solstice they closed the gates." [What follows is all from the Surviving Writings. The Commentary on the Judgment of Fu (Return) is explained in the fourth fascicle.] "Han Xin's 'the more the better' was only because his divisions and numbers were clear." [Division is the division of ranks of command, and number is the number of men in the ranks. When divisions and numbers are clear, high and low stand in order, the lines of command are not confused, and the more one controls, the less one has to hold.]

伊川先生曰管轄人亦須有法徒嚴不濟事今帥千人能使千人依時及節得飯吃只如此者亦能有幾人【管轄統軍之官法謂區畫分數之法】嘗謂軍中夜驚亞夫堅臥不起不起善矣然猶夜驚何也亦是未盡善【漢景帝時七國反遣周亞夫將兵擊之軍中夜驚擾至帳下亞夫堅臥帳中不起有頃遂定】

Master Yichuan said: "To command men one must also have a method; mere severity does not work. Now a man leads a thousand men; how many such can make a thousand men have their meals on time and at the proper hour?" [The commander is the officer who leads the army, and the method refers to the method of dividing and numbering.] "Once it was said that the army was alarmed at night and Zhou Yafu lay firmly and did not rise. Not rising is good, but even so, why was the army still alarmed at night? That too is not fully good." [In the time of Emperor Jing of the Han, when the seven states rebelled, Zhou Yafu was sent to lead troops against them. In the army there was an alarm at night that reached his tent; Yafu lay firmly in his tent and did not rise, and after a while it settled.]

管攝天下人心收宗族厚風俗使人不忘本須是明譜系收世族立宗子法【譜籍錄也系聨屬也明之者辨著其宗派古者諸侯之適子適孫繼世為君其餘庶子不得禰其先君因各自立為本派之始祖其子孫百世皆宗之所謂大宗也族人雖五世外皆為之齊衰三月大宗之庶子又別為小宗而小宗有四其繼高祖之適長子則與三從兄弟為宗繼曽祖之適長子則與再從兄弟為宗繼祖之適長子則與同堂兄弟為宗繼禰之適長子則與親兄弟為宗蓋一身凡事四宗與大宗為五宗也】又曰一年有一年工夫【行之以漸持之以久】

"To govern the hearts of all the world, to gather clans, to thicken custom and keep people from forgetting their roots, one must make clear genealogies, gather the great lineages and establish the law of the clan heir." [Genealogy is a register and a record, and lineage is a linking together. To make it clear is to distinguish the clan branches. In ancient times the legitimate son and grandson of a feudal lord succeeded in turn as ruler, while the other sons could not honor the former ruler as their direct father, and so each set himself up as founding ancestor of his own branch, whom his descendants for a hundred generations treated as their head: this is the so-called great line. Even clan members beyond five generations wore the coarse hemp mourning for him for three months. The secondary sons of a great line in turn formed small lines, and there are four small lines: the one that continues the eldest legitimate son of the great-great-grandfather is the head for the third cousins, the one that continues the eldest legitimate son of the great-grandfather is the head for second cousins, the one that continues the eldest legitimate son of the grandfather is the head for first cousins, and the one that continues the eldest legitimate son of the father is the head for one's own brothers. So a person serves four lines in all, and with the great line, five.] He also said: "Each year has its own year's work." [Proceed gradually and keep at it for a long time.]

宗子法壞則人不自知來處以至流轉四方往往親未絶不相識今且試以一二鉅公之家行之其術要得拘守得須是且如唐時立廟院仍不得分割了祖業使一人主之【立廟院則人知所自出而不散不分祖業則人重其宗而不遷】

"When the system of the lineage heir is ruined, people no longer know where they come from, and drift off in all directions, so that kin whose relationship has not yet ended often do not even know one another. Now let us try putting it into practice in the households of one or two great lords. The essential method must be kept firmly: one must set up an ancestral temple compound as the Tang did, and must not divide up the ancestral property, letting one man preside over it." [By setting up the temple compound, people know where they came from and do not scatter; by not dividing the ancestral property, people value their lineage and do not move away.]

凡人家法須月為一防以合族古人有花樹韋家宗防法可取也每有族人逺來亦一為之吉凶嫁娶之類更須相與為禮使骨肉之意常相通骨肉日疎者只為不相見情不相接爾

"In every family's household rules, there must be a gathering once a month (the base text has a corrupt reading here) to bring the clan together. The ancients had the method of the clan assembly of the Wei family of Huashu (the base text has a corrupt reading here), which is worth adopting. Whenever a clan member comes from afar, hold one for him too; for matters of good or ill fortune, weddings and the like, they should further join one another in observing ritual, so that the feeling of kinship is always in communication. Flesh-and-blood relations grow more distant day by day simply because they do not see each other and their affections do not meet."

冠婚喪祭禮之大者今人都不理防豺獺皆知報本今士大夫家多忽此厚於奉養而薄於先祖甚不可也某嘗修六禮大略家必有廟【庶人立影堂○自庶人以下皆本注】廟必有主【高祖以上卽當祧也主式見文集又云今人以影祭或一髭髪不相似則所祭己是別人大不便】月朔必薦新【薦後方食】時祭用仲月【止於高祖旁親無後者祭之別位】冬至祭始祖【冬至陽之始也始祖厥初生民之祖也無主於廟中正位設一位合考妣享之】立春祭先祖【立春生物之始也先祖始祖而下高祖而上非一人也亦無主設兩位分享考妣】季秋祭禰【季秋成物之時也】忌日遷主祭於正寢凡事死之禮當厚於奉生者人家能存得此等事數件雖幼者可使漸知禮義卜其宅兆【宅墓次也兆塋域也】卜其地之美惡也地美則神靈安其子孫盛然則曷謂地之美者土色之光潤草木之茂盛乃其驗也而拘忌者惑以擇地之方位決日之吉凶甚者不以奉先為計而專以利後為慮尤非孝子安厝之用心也惟五患者不得不愼須使後日不為道路不為城郭不為溝池不為貴勢所奪不為耕犁所及【本注云一本所謂五患者溝渠道路避村落逺井窯】

"Capping, marriage, mourning and sacrifice are the greatest of the rites, yet people today pay them no attention (the base text has a corrupt reading here). Even jackals and otters know how to repay their origins, but many scholar-official families today neglect this, being generous in feeding the living and stingy toward their ancestors, which is quite wrong. I once drafted an outline of the six rites: every family must have a temple [commoners set up a portrait hall; everything from 'commoners' onward is the original note], every temple must have a spirit tablet [those beyond the high-grandfather should be moved to the remote shrine; the form of the tablet is in the Collected Works. He also says: People today sacrifice before portraits, but if a single whisker or hair is unlike, the one being sacrificed to is already someone else, which is greatly inconvenient], on the first day of each month fresh foods must be offered [one eats only after the offering], the seasonal sacrifices are held in the middle month of each season [only up to the high-grandfather; collateral relatives who left no heirs are sacrificed to at a separate place], at the winter solstice one sacrifices to the first ancestor [the winter solstice is the beginning of yang, and the first ancestor is the ancestor of the first people born. There is no tablet; in the principal place in the temple one sets up a single seat and offers to him together with his deceased wife], at the beginning of spring one sacrifices to the earlier ancestors [the beginning of spring is the start of the birth of things. The earlier ancestors are those below the first ancestor and above the high-grandfather, not just one person. They too have no tablet, and two seats are set up for them to share the offerings with their wives], in the last month of autumn one sacrifices to the father [the last month of autumn is the season when things are completed], and on the anniversary of a death the tablet is moved and the sacrifice is made in the main chamber. In all matters of serving the dead, the rites should be more generous than those of serving the living. If a family can preserve a few such matters, even the young will gradually learn ritual propriety and righteousness. To divine the grave site [the 'house' is the burial place and the 'omen' is the tomb precinct] is to divine whether the land is good or bad. If the land is good, the spirits are at peace and the descendants flourish. Then what is good land? A bright and moist color of the soil and luxuriant growth of grass and trees are its proof. But those given to taboos are misled into choosing the direction of the site and settling lucky or unlucky days, and the worse among them give no thought to honoring their ancestors and think only of profit for their descendants, which is especially contrary to the mind of a filial son burying his parent in peace. There are only five troubles that one cannot but be careful about: one must make sure that in later days the site will not become a road, not become part of a city wall, not become a ditch or pond, not be seized by the powerful, and not be reached by the plough." [The original note says: In one version, the so-called five troubles are ditches and canals, roads, and one should avoid villages and stay far from wells and kilns.]

正叔雲某家治喪不用浮圖在洛亦有一二人家化之【司馬公曰世俗信浮圖誑誘飯僧設道場舍經造像建塔廟曰為此者減除大罪惡必生天堂不為者必入地獄受無邊波吒之苦殊不知人生含血氣知痛癢或剪爪剃髪從而燒研之巳不知苦況於死者形神相離形則入於黃壤朽腐消滅與木石等神則飄若風火不知何之借使剉燒舂磨豈復知之安得有天堂地獄之理】今無宗子故朝廷無世臣若立宗子法則人知尊祖重本人旣重本則朝廷之勢自尊【古者宗子襲其世祿故有世臣人知尊祖而重本上下相維自然固結而不渙散故朝廷之勢自尊】古者子弟從父兄今父兄從子弟由不知本也且如漢高祖欲下沛時只是以帛書與沛父老其父兄便能率子弟從之又如相如使蜀亦移書責父老然後子弟皆聽其命而從之只有一個尊卑上下之分然後順從而不亂也若無法以聨屬之安可【漢初去古未逺猶有先王之遺俗尊卑之分素定所以上下順承而無違悖也】且立宗子法亦是天理譬如木必有從根直上一干亦必有旁枝又如水雖逺必有正源亦必有分派處自然之勢也【直幹正源猶大宗也旁枝分派猶小宗也】然而又有旁枝達而為幹者故曰古者天子建國諸侯奪宗雲【天子為天下主故得封建侯國賜之土而命之胙諸侯為一國之主雖非宗子亦得移宗於已建宗廟為祭主】

Zhengshu said: "In my family we conduct funerals without using Buddhist rites, and in Luoyang one or two households have been influenced by this." [Sima Guang says: Common custom believes the deceptions of the Buddhists: feeding monks, setting up ritual halls, giving away sutras and making images, building pagodas and temples, saying that those who do so will have their great sins removed and surely be born in Heaven, while those who do not will surely enter hell and suffer endless torment. They do not realize that a living person has blood and qi and knows pain and itch, and if one trims the nails or shaves the hair and burns or chops them, he does not feel pain; how much less the dead, whose body and spirit have separated. The body enters the yellow earth, rotting and decaying like wood and stone; the spirit drifts like wind and fire, and no one knows where it goes. Even if the body were ground and burned, how would it know? How could there be any principle of Heaven and hell?] "Today there is no lineage heir, and so the court has no hereditary ministers. If the system of the lineage heir were established, people would know to honor their ancestors and value their roots; once people value their roots, the standing of the court would naturally be exalted." [In ancient times the lineage heir inherited his family's hereditary stipend, which is why there were hereditary ministers. When people know to honor their ancestors and value their roots, high and low support each other and naturally bind firmly without scattering, so the standing of the court is naturally exalted.] "In ancient times the sons and younger brothers followed their fathers and elder brothers; today fathers and elder brothers follow their sons and younger brothers, because they do not know the root. For example, when Gaozu of Han was about to take Pei, he simply sent a letter on silk to the elders of Pei, and their fathers and elder brothers were able to lead their sons and younger brothers to follow him. Again, when Sima Xiangru was sent to Shu, he also sent a letter rebuking the elders, and then the young men all heeded his command and followed. It was only that there was a distinction of honored and humble, high and low, and so they obeyed without disorder. Without a system to link them together, how could this be done?" [In the early Han, which was not far from antiquity, there still remained the surviving customs of the former kings, and the distinction of honored and humble was long settled, so high and low followed one another without defiance.] "Moreover, establishing the system of the lineage heir is also heavenly principle. For example, a tree must have a single trunk rising straight from the root, and must also have side branches; likewise, however far a river runs, it must have a main source and also points where it divides into tributaries. It is a natural tendency." [The straight trunk and main source are like the major lineage; the side branches and tributaries are like the minor lineages.] "Yet there are also side branches that grow up to become trunks, which is why it is said that in ancient times, when the Son of Heaven founded states, the feudal lords took over the lineage." [The Son of Heaven is lord of the world, and so he can enfeoff vassal states, granting them land and conferring the sacrificial meat. A feudal lord is lord of one state, and although he is not the lineage heir, he may also move the lineage to himself and build an ancestral temple to be the master of sacrifice.]

郉和叔敘明道先生事雲堯舜三代帝王之治所以博大悠逺上下與天地同流者先生固已黙而識之【所謂識其大者】至於興造禮樂制度文為下至行師用兵戰陣之法無所不講皆造其極外之邊圉情狀山川道路之險易邊鄙防戍城寨斥候控帶之要靡不究知【壘土居民曰城木柵處兵曰寨斥逺也候伺也謂逺伺敵人控制御也帶圍護也】其吏事操決文法簿書又皆精密詳練若先生可謂通儒全才矣【附錄○操決謂操持斷決也】介甫言律是八分書是他見得【外書○朱子曰律是刑統歴代相傳至周世宗命竇儀注解名曰刑統與古法相近故曰八分書又曰律所以明法禁非亦有助於教化但於根本上少有欠缺耳是他見得蓋許之之詞】

Xing Heshu, narrating the life of Master Mingdao, said: "The reasons the rule of Yao, Shun and the emperors of the Three Dynasties was so vast and far-reaching, flowing together with Heaven and Earth above and below, the Master had indeed silently understood." [This is what is called recognizing the great things.] "As for the founding of rites and music, the institutions and regulations, and down to the conduct of armies, the use of troops and the methods of battle formations, there was nothing he did not discuss, and he reached the utmost in all. Outside, the conditions at the frontier, the difficulty or ease of mountains, rivers and roads, the essentials of border garrisons, walled fortresses, scouts and controls, there was nothing he did not investigate and know." [A settlement built of packed earth for people to live in is called a cheng, and a stockade of wooden palisades for housing troops is called a zhai. Chi means distant and hou means to watch, that is, to watch for the enemy from afar. Kong means to control and dai means to surround and protect.] "His handling of official affairs, his decisions, his legal texts and records were all exact and practiced. A man like the Master may truly be called a universal scholar of complete talent." [From the Appendix. 'Handling and deciding' means taking up matters and judging them.] "Jiefu said that the law codes are a script in the eight-fen style; this is his insight." [From the Outer Book. Zhu Xi says: The law codes are the Xing Tong (Penal Code), handed down through the dynasties, until Emperor Shizong of Zhou ordered Dou Yi to annotate it and called it the Xing Tong; it is close to the ancient method, so it was called a script in the eight-fen style. He also says: The law codes clarify the rules and prohibit wrongdoing, and they also help with moral teaching, but they are somewhat lacking in the root. 'This is his insight' is a phrase of approval.]

橫渠先生曰兵謀師律聖人不得已而用之其術見三王方策歴代簡書惟志士仁人為能識其逺者大者素求預備而不敢忽忘【文集下同○好謀而成師出以律雖聖人用師無謀則必敗無律則必亂特非若後世譎詐以為謀酷暴以為律斯其為逺者大者惟志士仁人為能識之】

Master Hengqu said: "Military strategy and army discipline are things the sage uses only when he has no alternative. The methods appear in the records of the Three Kings and the bamboo documents of successive dynasties. Only men of resolve and humane persons can recognize what is far-reaching and great in them, and prepare for them in advance without daring to neglect or forget them." [The following are all from the Collected Works. 'Be fond of planning and succeed; send out the army by discipline.' Even when a sage uses the army, without planning he will certainly be defeated, and without discipline there will certainly be disorder; but this is not like later ages, when deceit is taken as planning and cruelty as discipline. This is what is called far-reaching and great, which only men of resolve and humane persons can recognize.]

肉闢於今世死刑中取之亦足寛民之死過此當念其散之之久【肉刑有五刻顙曰墨闢截鼻曰劓闢刖足曰剕辟淫刑曰宮闢死刑曰大辟至漢文帝始罷墨劓剕宮之刑或曰宮刑不廢今欲取死刑情輕者用肉刑以代之外此當念民心渙散之久必明禮義敎化以維持之不但省刑以緩死】

"Corporal punishments could be taken from the death penalties of the present age, which would also be enough to spare the people from death. Beyond that, one should consider how long the people have been scattered." [There are five corporal punishments: tattooing the forehead is called the mo penalty, cutting off the nose is the yi penalty, cutting off the feet is the fei penalty, castration is the gong penalty, and execution is the great penalty. Only with Emperor Wen of Han were the mo, yi, fei and gong punishments abolished. Some say castration was not abolished. Now one wishes to take those cases among capital offenses that are lighter and substitute corporal punishment for them; beyond this, one should consider that the people's hearts have been scattered for a long time, and one must make clear ritual propriety and moral teaching to hold them together, not merely reduce punishments to ease death.]

呂與叔撰橫渠先生行狀曰先生慨然有意三代之治論治人先務未始不以經界為急嘗曰仁政必自經界始貧富不均敎養無法雖欲言治皆苟而已【孟子曰仁政必自經界始蓋經界不正則富者有所恃而易於為惡貧者失所養而不暇為善敎養之法俱廢其治苟且而已】世之病難行者未始不以亟奪富人之田為辭然茲法之行悅之者眾苟處之有術期以數年不刑一人而可復所病者特上之人未行耳乃言曰縱不能行之天下猶可驗之一鄉方與學者議古之法共買田一方畫為數井上不失公家之賦役退以其私正經界分宅裡立斂法廣儲蓄興學校成禮俗救菑恤患敦本抑末足以推先王之遺法明當今之可行此皆有志未就

Lu Yushu, in writing the Account of Master Hengqu's Conduct, said: The Master earnestly aspired to the government of the Three Dynasties, and in discussing the first task of governing people he never failed to take the demarcation of land boundaries as urgent. He once said: "Humane government must begin with the demarcation of land boundaries. When wealth and poverty are unequal and there is no method of teaching and nurturing, though one may speak of governing, it is all merely makeshift." [Mencius says: Humane government must begin with the demarcation of land boundaries. If the boundaries are not rectified, the rich have something to rely on and easily do evil, while the poor lose their means of support and have no leisure to do good; the methods of teaching and nurturing are all abandoned, and the government is merely makeshift.] The world's objection that it is hard to carry out has always taken as its pretext the hastily seizing of the fields of the rich. Yet if this method were carried out, those who welcome it would be many; if handled with skill, within a few years it could be restored without punishing a single man. The only problem is that those above have not yet done it. Therefore he said: "Even if it cannot be carried out in the whole realm, it can still be tested in a single village." He was then discussing the ancient method with scholars, intending to buy a plot of land together and divide it into several wells: above, not failing to pay the public levies and labor service; below, using his own means to rectify the boundaries, apportion the residences and hamlets, set up methods of collection, increase stores, found schools, form ritual customs, relieve disasters and aid in distress, and strengthen the root while restraining the branch, enough to push forward the surviving methods of the former kings and show what is feasible today. All of this was an aspiration not fulfilled.

橫渠先生為雲巖令政事大抵以敦本善俗為先【去浮華而務質抑末作而尚本皆敦本之事也勉其孝弟興於禮遜皆善俗之事也】每以月吉具酒食召鄉人高年防縣庭親為勸酬使人知養老事長之義因問民疾苦及告所以訓戒子弟之意【行狀○月吉月朔也】橫渠先生曰古者有東宮有西宮有南宮有北宮異宮而同財此禮亦可行古人慮逺目下雖似相疎其實如此乃能久相親蓋數十百口之家自是飲食衣服難為得一【族大人眾則服食器用固有不能齊者同宮合處則怨爭之風或作矣】又異宮乃容子得伸其私所以避子之私也子不私其父則不成為子古之人曲盡人情必也同宮有叔父伯父則為子者何以獨厚於其父為父者又烏得而當之【雖同宗祖然親疎有分異宮者亦使人子各得盡情於其親也不然則交相病矣】父子異宮為命士以上愈貴則愈嚴【一命為士則父子亦異宮愈貴則分制愈密】故異宮猶今世有逐位非如異居也【樂說】

When Master Hengqu was magistrate of Yunyan, his government chiefly took strengthening the root and improving customs as its first concern. [Removing showiness and devoting oneself to substance, and suppressing the branches of trade to value the root, are all matters of strengthening the root; encouraging filial piety and brotherly respect and promoting ritual and deference are all matters of improving customs.] On the first day of each month he would prepare wine and food and invite the elderly of the district to assemble in the county hall (the base text has a corrupt reading here), personally urging them to drink, so that people would know the meaning of nourishing the aged and serving elders, and he would then ask about the people's sufferings and tell them what he intended in instructing and admonishing the young. [From the Account of Conduct. 'The first day of the month' means the first of the month.] Master Hengqu said: "In ancient times there were an eastern palace, a western palace, a southern palace and a northern palace, different dwellings but common property. This rite can also be practiced. The ancients thought far ahead; though it seems to separate people for the moment, in fact only in this way can they stay close for long. For in a household of dozens or hundreds of people, food and clothing naturally cannot be made uniform." [When a clan is large and the people many, food, clothing and utensils certainly cannot be the same; if they live together in one dwelling, the habit of resentment and quarrel may arise.] "Furthermore, separate dwellings allow a son to express his private feelings, and this is how the sons' private feelings are accommodated. If a son did not have private feelings toward his father, he would not be a son. The ancients thoroughly accommodated human feeling: if uncles and father's elder brothers lived in the same dwelling, how could a son show special warmth to his own father alone? And how could the father accept it?" [Though of the same ancestors, there are distinctions of closeness and distance. Separate dwellings also let each son fully express his feeling toward his own parent; otherwise they would trouble one another.] "Father and son having separate dwellings applies to those of the rank of commissioned scholar and above, and the higher the rank, the stricter it is." [A man with a single commission is a scholar, and father and son live apart; the higher the rank, the more careful the division.] "Having separate dwellings is like the system of separate apartments in the world today, and is not like living in separate households." [From the Discussion of Music.]

治天下不由井地終無由得平周道止是均平【語錄下同○周道如砥言其平也】

"If one governs the world without the well-field system, it will never be possible to attain peace. The way of Zhou was nothing but equalization." [The following are all from the Recorded Sayings. 'The way of Zhou is like a whetstone' speaks of its evenness.]

井田卒歸於封建乃定【國有定君官有定守故民有定業後世長吏更易不常相仍苟且縱復井田不歸於封建則其欺蔽紛爭之患庸可定乎】

"The well-field system, in the end, returns to enfeoffment, and only then is it settled." [When a state has a fixed ruler and offices have fixed holders, the people have fixed occupations. In later ages, senior officials were changed without regularity and followed one another carelessly; even if the well-field system were restored without returning to enfeoffment, how could the troubles of deception and conflict be settled?]

此卷論臨政處事葢明乎治道而通乎治法則施於有政矣凡居官任職事上撫下待同列選賢才處世之道具焉

This fascicle discusses facing government and handling affairs. If one is clear about the way of governing and understands the methods of governing, one can apply them in government. Everything about holding office and performing duties, serving superiors and caring for subordinates, treating colleagues, selecting the worthy and talented, and conducting oneself in the world is contained here.

伊川先生上疏曰夫鍾怒而擊之則武悲而擊之則哀誠意之感而入也告於人亦如是古人所以齋戒而告君也【心誠則氣専氣専則聲應不誠而能感乎】臣前後兩得進講未嘗敢不宿齋預戒潛思存誠覬感動於上心若使營營於職事紛紛其思慮待至上前然後善其辭說徒以頰舌感人不亦淺乎【文集下同或問伊川未進講以前還有間防否朱子曰尋常未嘗不誠臨見君時又加意爾如孔子沐浴而告哀公是也】

Master Yichuan said in a memorial: "With a bell, if one strikes it in anger it sounds martial, and if one strikes it in sorrow it sounds mournful; this is the sincere intention touching it and entering it. It is the same when speaking to people. This is why the ancients fasted and purified themselves before addressing their ruler." [When the mind is sincere, the qi is concentrated, and when the qi is concentrated, the sound responds. Can one move others without sincerity?] "On the two occasions before and after when I lectured to the throne, I never dared fail to fast the night before and prepare myself, thinking quietly and preserving sincerity, hoping to move the ruler's heart. If I had bustled about with official duties and been distracted by many thoughts, and only after coming before the throne had polished my words, merely trying to move people with cheeks and tongue, would that not be shallow?" [The following are all from the Collected Works. Someone asked Yichuan: Before the lecture is there any interruption (the base text has a corrupt reading here)? Zhu Xi said: He was ordinarily never insincere; on approaching the ruler he simply added extra care. It is like Confucius bathing before reporting to Duke Ai.]

伊川答人示奏稿書云觀公之意専以畏亂為主頤欲公以愛民為先力言百姓飢且死丐朝廷哀憐因懼將為寇亂可也不惟告君之體當如是事勢亦宜爾【徒言民飢將亂為可慮而不言民飢將死為可傷則人主徒有憂懼忿疾之心而無哀矜惻怛之意矣告君之體必詞順而理直可也】公方求財以活人祈之以仁愛則當輕財而重民懼之以利害則將恃財以自保【哀矜之心生則能輕財以救民之死憂懼之心作反將吝財以防民之變】古之時得丘民則得天下後世以兵制民以財聚眾聚財者能守保民者為迂惟當以誠意感動覬其有不忍之心而已【四井為甸四甸為丘得乎一丘之民則可以得天下說見孟子後世以兵制民謂民有所不足畏以財聚眾謂財有所不可闕於是以聚財為守國之道以愛民為迂緩之事苟徒懼之以禍亂則無惻隠愛民之心愈増其聚財自守之慮矣】

Yichuan, in reply to a letter in which someone showed him a draft memorial, said: "Judging from your intention, you take fear of disorder as the chief point. I think that you should put love for the people first, and argue strongly that the people are starving and about to die, pleading for the court's pity, and from this show fear that they may turn to banditry and rebellion; that would be acceptable. Not only is this how one should address a ruler, but it also fits the situation." [If one speaks only of the worry that the starving people will rebel and not of the sorrow that they will die of hunger, then the ruler has only anxiety, fear, anger and hatred in his heart, without compassion and sympathy. The proper way of addressing a ruler must be that the words are smooth and the reasoning upright.] "You are now seeking wealth in order to save lives: if you entreat with humane love, he will make light of wealth and value the people; if you frighten him with benefit and harm, he will rely on wealth to protect himself." [When compassion arises, one can make light of wealth to save the people from death; when anxious fear stirs, one will instead grudge wealth to guard against the people's rebellion.] "In ancient times, one who won the hill-people won the world. In later ages the people are controlled by soldiers and gathered by wealth: those who hoard wealth can defend themselves, while those who protect the people are thought impractical. One should only move him with sincerity and hope that he will have a heart that cannot bear it." [Four wells make a dian and four dian make a qiu. If one wins the people of a single qiu one can win the world, as explained in Mencius. In later ages the people are controlled by soldiers, which means the people are not considered to be feared; they are gathered by wealth, which means wealth is considered indispensable. Thus they take hoarding wealth as the way to defend the state, and love of the people as something impractical and slow. If one merely frightens him with disaster and disorder, he will have no heart of compassion and love for the people, and will only increase his concern to hoard wealth and protect himself.]

明道為邑及民之事多眾人所謂法所拘者然為之未嘗大戾於法眾亦不甚駭謂之得伸其志則不可求小補則過今之為政者逺矣人雖異之不至指為狂也至謂之狂則大駭矣【法令有未便於民者眾人為之未免拘礙惟先生道徳之盛從容裁處故不大戾當時之法而有補於民人雖異之而不至於駭者亦其存心寛平而區處有方也】盡誠為之不容而後去又何嫌乎【此又可以見先生忠厚懇惻之心豈若悻悻然小丈夫之為哉】明道先生曰一命之士苟存心於愛物於人必有所濟【苟存愛物之心必有及物之效】

When Mingdao was a county magistrate, in his dealings with the people he did many things that the common run of men considered bound by the law, yet in doing them he never greatly offended the law, and the people were not much alarmed. To say that he was able to fulfill his purpose would be wrong, but to ask for small improvements, he far surpassed those who govern today. Though people thought him strange, they did not go so far as to call him mad; had they called him mad, they would have been greatly shocked. [Where laws and orders are inconvenient for the people, others who act under them cannot avoid being hindered. Only the Master, with his flourishing virtue, handled things calmly and appropriately, and so did not greatly offend the law of the time yet benefited the people. People thought him strange but not alarming, which was also because his mind was generous and level and he had a proper way of handling matters.] He did it with all sincerity, and if he was not tolerated he would leave, so what was there to be wary of? [This shows again the Master's loyal, generous and earnest heart; how could it resemble the behavior of an angry petty man?] Master Mingdao said: "If a scholar with a single commission keeps in mind the love of things, he will surely bring benefit to others." [If one truly keeps in mind love of things, there will certainly be an effect on things.]

伊川先生曰君子觀天水違行之象知人情有爭訟之道故凡所作事必謀其始絶訟端於事之始則訟無由生矣謀始之義廣矣若慎交結明契劵之類是也【易傳下同○訟卦象傳坎下幹上為訟天西運水東流故曰違行交結朋逰親戚也契劵文書要約也此皆生訟之端慮其始必謹必明】

Master Yichuan said: "The noble man, observing the image of Heaven and Water moving in opposite directions, knows that human feelings have a way of leading to lawsuits. Therefore in everything he does he must plan the beginning; if he cuts off the roots of lawsuits at the beginning of a matter, lawsuits have no way to arise. The meaning of planning the beginning is broad; being careful about associations and being clear about contracts are examples." [The following are all from the Commentary on the Changes. In the Image Commentary of the hexagram Song (Contention): Kan below and Qian above make Song. Heaven turns toward the west and water flows to the east, so it is called moving in opposite directions. 'Associations' refers to friends, companions and relatives, and 'contracts' refers to documents and agreements. These are all the origins of lawsuits, and one must be careful and clear about them from the start.]

師之九二為師之主恃専則失為下之道不専則無成功之理故得中為吉【恃専則失為下之道如衛青不敢専誅而具歸天子使自裁之是也不専則不能成功所謂將在外君令有所不受是也二居中故有得中之象】凡師之道威和並至則吉也【成而不和則人心懼而離和而少威則人心玩而弛九二剛中故有威和相濟之象】世儒有論魯祀周公以天子禮樂以為周公能為人臣不能為之功則可用人臣不得用之禮樂是不知人臣之道也夫居周公之位則為周公之事由其位而能為者皆所當為也周公乃盡其職爾【師卦九二傳成王幼周公攝政周公沒成王思其勲徳錫魯以天子之禮樂使祀周公焉孔子曰成王之賜伯禽之受皆非也或者謂周公能為人臣不能為之功故可用人臣不得用之禮樂夫聖人之於事君也有盡其道而已非有加於職分之外也若職分之外是乃過為矣】

"The Nine in the Second place of Shi (the Army) is the master of the army: if he relies on sole authority, he loses the way of one who is below; if he lacks sole authority, there is no principle by which he can achieve success; so obtaining the middle is auspicious." [To rely on sole authority loses the way of one who is below, as when Wei Qing did not dare to execute on his own authority and reported everything to the Son of Heaven to let him decide; to lack sole authority prevents success, as in the saying that a general in the field may not accept some of the ruler's commands. The Second place is in the middle, so it has the image of obtaining the middle.] "In the way of the army in general, when majesty and harmony both arrive it is auspicious." [If there is majesty without harmony, people's hearts fear and drift away; if there is harmony with little majesty, people's hearts become lax and slack. The Nine in the Second place is firm and central, so it has the image of majesty and harmony complementing each other.] "Some scholars of the world, discussing Lu's sacrifice to the Duke of Zhou with the rites and music of the Son of Heaven, argue that since the Duke of Zhou was able to achieve what a minister could not, it was acceptable to use the rites and music that a minister may not use. This is ignorance of the way of a minister. One who occupies the position of the Duke of Zhou does the work of the Duke of Zhou; whatever one can do by virtue of one's position is all that one ought to do. The Duke of Zhou simply fulfilled his duty." [From the commentary on the Nine in the Second place of Shi. King Cheng was young and the Duke of Zhou acted as regent. After the Duke of Zhou died, King Cheng, thinking of his merit and virtue, granted Lu the rites and music of the Son of Heaven so as to sacrifice to the Duke of Zhou. Confucius said: King Cheng's granting and Boqin's accepting were both wrong. Some say that since the Duke of Zhou could achieve what a minister could not, he could use rites and music that a minister may not use. But a sage in serving his ruler only exhausts the way, and does not add anything beyond his duty. What goes beyond one's duty is excess.]

大有之九三曰公用亨於天子小人弗克伊川易傳曰三當大有之時居諸侯之位有其富盛必用亨通於天子謂以其有為天子之有也乃人臣之常義也【當大有之時公侯擅所有之富故戒之以用亨通於天子如朝覲供貢之儀凡所以奉上之道皆不敢自有其有乃為盡人臣之義也】若小人處之則専其富有以為私不知公以奉上之道故曰小人弗克也

On the Nine in the Third place of Da You (Great Possession) it says: "The duke makes offerings to the Son of Heaven; a petty man cannot do so." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "The Third place, in a time of Great Possession, occupies the position of a feudal lord and has wealth and abundance; he must therefore use it to make offerings to the Son of Heaven, which means that he treats what he possesses as the possession of the Son of Heaven, the constant duty of a minister. [In a time of Great Possession, dukes and marquises monopolize their wealth, so they are warned to use it for offerings to the Son of Heaven. Such as the rites of court audience and the tribute offerings, all the ways of serving one's superior, in which one dares not regard what one has as one's own; only this fulfills the duty of a minister.] If a petty man were in this position, he would monopolize his wealth and treat it as private, not knowing the way of serving his superior with public spirit, so it says that a petty man cannot do so."

人心所從多所親愛者也常人之情愛之則見其是惡之則見其非故妻孥之言雖失而多從所憎之言雖善為惡也苟以親愛而隨之則是私情所與豈合正理故隨之初九出門而交則有功也【人心之從違多蔽於好惡之私而失其是非之正卦主於隨苟惟親暱之隨則違正理矣故必出門而交則無所繫累而所從者有功也】

"What people's hearts follow is mostly those they are close to and love. The feeling of ordinary people is that if they love someone they see what is right in him, and if they dislike someone they see what is wrong. Thus the words of a wife and children are often followed even when mistaken, and the words of one who is hated are thought bad even when good. If one follows others because of closeness and love, then it is given to private feeling, and how could it accord with correct principle? Therefore the Nine at the beginning of Sui (Following) says: Going out the gate to associate with others brings achievement." [People's following or defying is mostly obscured by private likes and dislikes and loses the correctness of right and wrong. The hexagram is about following; if one follows only those who are close and intimate, one goes against correct principle. So one must go out of the gate to associate, and then one has no entanglements, and what one follows brings achievement.]

隨九五之象曰孚於嘉吉位正中也伊川易傳曰隨以得中為善隨之所防者過也葢心所恱隨則不知其過矣【震下兊上為隨震動也兊恱也以恱而動易過於隨而不自知故必得中為善】

The Image of the Nine in the Fifth place of Sui says: "Sincerity toward what is excellent brings good fortune; the position is correct and central." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "In following, obtaining the middle is good. What one should guard against in following is excess. For when the mind is delighted and following, one does not know one's own error." [Zhen below and Dui above make Sui. Zhen is movement and Dui is delight. To move out of delight easily leads to excess in following without one knowing it, so obtaining the middle is good.]

坎之六四曰樽酒簋貳用缶納約自牖終無咎伊川易傳曰此言人臣以忠信善道結於君心必自其所明處乃能入也【一樽之酒二簋之食復以瓦缶為器質之至也所謂忠信善道也牖者室中所以通明也葢忠信者納約之本雖懐樸素之誠苟不因其明而納焉則亦不能入矣】人心有所蔽有所通通者明處也當就其明處而告之求信則易也故云納約自牖能如是則雖艱險之時終得無咎也【人心各有所蔽各有所通攻其蔽則未免扞格因其明而導之則易於聴信】且如君心蔽於荒樂唯其蔽也故爾雖力詆其荒樂之非如其不省何必於所不蔽之事推而及之則能悟其心矣自古能諫其君者未有不因其所明者也故訐直強勁者率多取忤而溫厚明辨者其說多行【訐者發人之隂惡也計直則無委曲強勁則乏和順故矯拂之過每至牴牾溫厚者其氣和明辨者其理著故感悟之易每多聴從納約自牖惟溫厚明辨者能之】非惟告於君者如此為教者亦然夫教必就人之所長所長者心之所明也從其心之所明而入然後推及其餘孟子所謂成徳達財是也【成徳者因其有徳而成就之達財者因其有才而遂達之皆謂就其所長開導之也】

The Six in the Fourth place of Kan (the Abyss) says: "A jug of wine, two bowls of food, in earthen vessels, offered through the window as a covenant; in the end there is no fault." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "This says that a minister, binding the ruler's heart through loyalty, trustworthiness and the good way, must enter from the place where the ruler is clear-minded." [One jug of wine and two bowls of food, in earthen vessels, are the utmost of simplicity, which is what is meant by loyalty, trustworthiness and the good way. The window is how light comes into a room. Loyalty and trustworthiness are the root of offering a covenant, but though one holds a plain and simple sincerity, if one does not offer it through the point of clarity, it cannot enter.] "A person's mind has places that are blocked and places that are open, and the open place is where it is clear. One should speak to him from the point where he is clear, and then it is easy to gain his trust. So it says 'offered through the window.' If one can do this, then even in times of danger and hardship one is in the end without fault." [Every person's mind has its blocked places and open places. To attack the blocked place leads inevitably to resistance, while to guide him through his clear place makes it easy for him to listen and believe.] "For instance, if a ruler's mind is clouded by dissipation and pleasure, it is just because of that clouding that he is as he is. Even if one strongly denounces the wrongness of his dissipation, what can one do if he does not heed? One must extend from matters where he is not clouded and reach the point, and then one can awaken his mind. From antiquity, those who have succeeded in remonstrating with their rulers have always done so through what the ruler already understood. Therefore those who are accusatory, direct and forceful mostly give offense, while those who are gentle, generous and clear in distinguishing find their words more often followed." [To accuse is to expose another's hidden evil. Being accusatory and direct leaves no room for tact, and being forceful lacks gentleness and compliance, so the fault of correcting by force often ends in conflict. The gentle and generous have harmonious qi, and the clear in distinguishing have manifest principle, so those they move are easily awakened and often listen. 'Offering a covenant through the window' is possible only for the gentle, generous and clear in distinguishing.] "This is true not only of speaking to a ruler but also of teaching. Teaching must proceed from a person's strengths, and a strength is where his mind is clear. One enters from where his mind is clear, and then extends to the rest. This is what Mencius means by perfecting virtue and developing talent." [To perfect virtue is to accomplish it on the basis of the virtue a person has, and to develop talent is to bring it to its fulfillment on the basis of the talent he has; both mean guiding him from his strengths.]

恆之初六曰浚恆貞兇象曰浚恆之兇始求深也伊川易傳曰初六居下而四為正應四以剛居高又為二三所隔應初之誌異乎常矣而初乃求望之深是知常而不知變也【初與四為位應九與六為爻應此理之常也然為九二九三所隔則已改其常矣初六當常之時知常而不知變求之過深是以至於兇悔也】世之責望故素而至悔咎者皆浚恆者也【素舊也】

The Six at the beginning of Heng (Constancy) says: "Deep constancy; perseverance brings misfortune." The Image says: "The misfortune of deep constancy is that it seeks too deeply at the start." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "The first Six lies at the bottom, and the fourth is its proper correspondent. The fourth, being firm and in a high place, is also separated from it by the second and third, so its intention in answering the first differs from the usual, while the first seeks and hopes for it too deeply; this is knowing the constant without knowing change." [The first and the fourth correspond in position, and a nine and a six correspond in line; this is the constant in principle. But being separated by the Nine in the Second place and the Nine in the Third place, they have already departed from the constant. The first Six, in a time of constancy, knows the constant and not change, and seeks too deeply, so it ends in misfortune and regret.] "Those in the world who place demands and hopes on old friends and so come to regret and fault are all examples of deep constancy." [Su means old.]

遯之九三曰系遯有疾厲畜臣妾吉伊川易傳曰繫戀之私恩懐小人女子之道也故以畜養臣妾則吉【九三下乘六二有繫戀之心則失宜遯之時矣故有災危然君子用是道以畜其臣妾則可以固結其欲遯之心是以吉也】然君子之待小人亦不如是也【御下之道苟所當去亦不可以繫戀而姑息也】

The Nine in the Third place of Dun (Retreat) says: "A retreat that is tied down has illness and danger. To keep servants and maids is auspicious." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "Clinging to private affection is cherishing the way of petty men and women, so it is auspicious to use it to keep servants and maids." [The Nine in the Third place stands on the Six in the Second place below; if it has a heart of clinging, it loses the time suited for retreat, so there is calamity and danger. But if a noble man uses this way to keep his servants and maids, he can bind firmly the hearts of those who wish to leave, so it is auspicious.] "But the noble man's treatment of petty men is not like this." [In the way of governing those below, if there are those who ought to be dismissed, one must not cling to them and indulge them.]

睽之象曰君子以同而異伊川易傳曰聖賢之處世在人理之常莫不大同於世俗所同者則有時而獨異【聖賢之所為惟順乎理而已豈顧夫世俗之同異哉故循乎天理之常者聖賢安得不與人同出於流俗之變者聖賢安得不與人異】不能大同者亂常拂理之人也不能獨異者隨俗習非之人也要在同而能異耳【同而能異則不拂於人理之常而亦不徇乎習俗之化惟理之從耳然其所以為異者乃所以成其大同也是亦一事而已】

The Image of Kui (Opposition) says: "The noble man is the same yet different." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "In the way sages and worthies conduct themselves in the world, they are largely the same as everyone in the constant principles of human relations; but in what the world holds in common, they are at times uniquely different." [The conduct of sages and worthies simply follows principle; how could they care about whether it is the same as or different from common custom? So in following the constancy of heavenly principle, how could sages and worthies fail to be the same as others; and in what arises from the changes of vulgar custom, how could sages and worthies fail to be different from others.] "Those who cannot be largely the same are people who disturb the constant and go against principle; those who cannot be uniquely different are people who follow custom and practice wrong. The essential is to be the same while able to be different." [To be the same yet able to be different is not to violate the constant principles of human relations and also not to follow the shaping influence of common custom, but only to follow principle. Yet what makes one different is what completes one's great sameness; it is one and the same matter.]

睽之初九當睽之時雖同徳者相與然小人乖異者至眾若棄絶之不幾盡天下以仇君子乎如此則失含之義致兇咎之道也又安能化不善而使之合乎故必見惡人則無咎也【初與四位相應而爻皆陽為同徳相與不至睽孤然當睽之時乖異者眾故必恢含之義而無棄絶之意則不善者可化乖異者可合乃元咎也】古之聖王所以能化姦凶為善良革仇敵為臣民者由弗絶也【弗絶之則開其自新之路而啟其從善之機也】

"The Nine at the beginning of Kui: In a time of opposition, though those of the same virtue join with one another, the petty men who are estranged and at odds are very numerous. If one abandons and cuts them all off, would that not make the entire world an enemy of the noble man? In that case one would lose the meaning of embracing and tolerating (the base text lost this character in transcription, as it is a rare character), which is a road to misfortune and fault, and how could one transform what is not good and bring them into accord? So one must see evil people, and then there is no fault." [The first and the fourth correspond in position and both lines are yang, so they are of the same virtue and join each other, and will not be left isolated by opposition. But in a time of opposition, those estranged are many, so one must widen the meaning of embracing and tolerating without any intention of abandoning or cutting off, so that those who are not good can be transformed and those who are estranged can be brought into accord; only then is there no fault.] "The reason the sage kings of old could transform the treacherous and violent into good and upright people and change enemies into subjects was that they did not cut them off." [By not cutting them off, one opens their road to renewing themselves and stirs their impulse to follow the good.]

睽之九二當睽之時君心未合賢臣在下竭力盡誠期使之信合而已【二五相應然時方睽違上下乖戾故二必外竭其力內盡其誠期使疑者信睽者合耳】至誠以感動之盡力以扶持之明義理以致其知杜蔽惑以誠其意如是宛轉以求其合也【內竭其誠以感動君心外盡其力以扶持國政此盡其在我者也推明義理使君之知無不至杜塞蔽惑使君之意無不誠此啟其君者也如是宛轉求之睽者庶其可合所謂遇主於巷也巷者委曲之途也】遇非枉道逢迎也巷非邪僻由徑也故象曰遇主於巷未失道也【上言遇主於巷亦正理之當然苟遇不以直而至於枉道逢迎巷不以正而至於邪僻由徑苟求其合而防於邪枉則又非遇主於巷之道也】

"The Nine in the Second place of Kui: In a time of opposition, the ruler's heart is not yet in accord, and the worthy minister is below, exerting all his strength and exhausting his sincerity, only hoping to bring about a trusting accord." [The second and the fifth correspond, but the time is one of opposition and discord, with high and low at odds, so the second must outwardly exert all its strength and inwardly exhaust its sincerity, hoping to make the doubtful trust and the opposed accord.] "With utmost sincerity he moves him, with all his strength he supports him, he makes clear what is right and principled so as to bring about his knowledge, and he blocks off what clouds and confuses so as to make his intention sincere; in this way, by turns and indirectly, he seeks their accord." [Inwardly exhausting his sincerity to move the ruler's heart and outwardly using all his strength to support the government is doing all that lies in oneself; making clear righteousness and principle so that the ruler's knowledge reaches everywhere and shutting out what clouds so that the ruler's intention is wholly sincere is enlightening one's ruler. Seeking in this indirect way, the opposed may perhaps be brought into accord. This is what is called 'meeting the lord in a lane': the lane is a winding path.] "Meeting does not mean bending the way to flatter, and the lane does not mean taking a crooked shortcut. So the Image says: 'Meeting the lord in a lane does not lose the way.'" [What is said above, 'meeting the lord in a lane,' is also what correct principle requires. If the meeting is not through uprightness and leads to bending the way to flatter, and if the lane is not proper and leads to taking a crooked shortcut, then to seek accord carelessly and fall into crookedness (the base text has a corrupt reading here) is again not the way of meeting the lord in a lane.]

損之九二曰弗損益之伊川易傳曰不自損其剛貞則能益其上乃益之也若失其剛貞而用柔說適足以損之而已【剛正不撓乃能有益於君葢柔邪之人阿意順防惟務容恱善而遇柔恱善亦不進惡而遇柔恱必長其惡矣故國有險佞之臣士有善柔之友皆有損無益】世之愚者有雖無邪心而惟知竭力順上為忠者葢不知弗損益之之義也【九二剛中非有邪心者但當損下益上之時惟知損己以奉上而不知臣道之少貶未有能致益其君者故有弗損益之之戒】

The Nine in the Second place of Sun (Decrease) says: "Without decreasing oneself, one increases others." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "If one does not decrease one's own firmness and constancy, one can benefit one's superior, and this is increasing him. If one loses firmness and constancy and uses soft flattery, that is only decreasing him." [Being firm and upright without bending is what can benefit the ruler. For soft and crooked people bend their will and comply with his wishes (the base text has a corrupt reading here), concerned only with being tolerated and pleasing: if he is good and meets soft flattery, his goodness does not advance, and if he is evil and meets soft flattery, his evil will surely grow. So a state that has a treacherous and flattering minister, or a scholar who has a friend good at softness, suffers loss and no gain.] "Some foolish people in the world, though without crooked intentions, only know to exert all their strength to follow their superior and call it loyalty; they do not know the meaning of 'without decreasing oneself, one increases others.'" [The Nine in the Second place is firm and central and has no crooked intentions at all. But in a time of decreasing those below to benefit those above, they know only to decrease themselves to serve their superior, and do not know that a minister who bends his way a little never succeeds in benefiting his ruler, so there is the warning 'without decreasing oneself, one increases others.']

益之初九曰利用為大作元吉無咎象曰元吉無咎下不厚事也伊川易傳曰在下者本不當處厚事厚事重大之事也以為在上所任所以當大事必能濟大事而致元吉乃為無咎能致元吉則在上者任之為知人己當之為勝任不然則上下皆有咎也【大作即厚事之謂也卦當損上益下初居最下受上之益是當大任者必尭濟其事而大善上下乃可無咎】

The Nine at the beginning of Yi (Increase) says: "It is advantageous to undertake a great work; supreme good fortune, no fault." The Image says: "Supreme good fortune and no fault means that those below should not be given weighty matters." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "Those below ought not to be given weighty matters. A weighty matter is a great and important one. Since one is entrusted by those above, one is given a great matter, and must bring it to completion with supreme good fortune, and only then is there no fault. If one can bring about supreme good fortune, then those above are wise in appointing him and he himself is equal to the task; otherwise both high and low are at fault." [A great work means a weighty matter. The hexagram is one of decreasing the upper to benefit the lower; the first place is at the very bottom and receives benefit from above, so it is one entrusted with a great responsibility, and he must succeed in completing the matter with great good (the base text has a variant character here), and only then can high and low be without fault.]

革而無甚益猶可悔也況反害乎古人所以重改作也【革卦彖傳事之變更則於大體不能無傷苟非有大益無後患君子不輕於改作】

"If a change brings no great benefit, it may still be regretted, how much more if it does harm? This is why the ancients took reforms seriously." [From the Judgment Commentary of the hexagram Ge (Revolution). When matters are changed, the great structure cannot but be hurt. Unless there is great benefit and no later trouble, the noble man does not lightly alter and remake.]

漸之九三曰利禦寇伊川易傳曰君子之與小人比也自守以正豈惟君子自完其己而已乎亦使小人得不陷於非義是以順道相保御止其惡也【九三上下皆隂是君子與小人同列相比也君子以守正而不失其身小人亦以近正而不敢為惡以順道而相保御是能止其惡也】旅之初六曰旅瑣瑣斯其所取災伊川易傳曰志卑之人既處旅困鄙猥瑣細無所不至乃其所以致悔辱取災咎也【初居旅之下故為志卑之人此教人處旅困之道當略細故存大體斯免悔咎也】在旅而過剛自高致困災之道也【旅卦九三象傳過剛則暴戾而乏和順自高則矯亢而人不親附處旅如是必致困災】

The Nine in the Third place of Jian (Gradual Progress) says: "It is advantageous to resist bandits." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "When a noble man is side by side with petty men, he keeps himself upright. How could the noble man merely keep himself whole? He also makes it possible for petty men not to fall into unrighteousness. Therefore by mutual protection in the compliant way he restrains their evil." [The Nine in the Third place has yin both above and below, which means the noble man stands in rank beside petty men. The noble man, by keeping to what is upright, does not lose himself, and the petty men, by being close to the upright, do not dare to do evil; protecting and resisting one another by the compliant way is able to stop their evil.] The Six at the beginning of Lu (the Wanderer) says: "The wanderer is petty and trivial; this is how he draws disaster upon himself." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "A person of low ambition, once placed in the hardship of a wanderer, goes to every length of meanness and pettiness, and that is why he brings regret and disgrace and draws calamity." [The first place lies at the bottom of Lu, so it is a person of low ambition. This teaches the way of being in the hardship of wandering: one should overlook small matters and keep to the greater structure, and only then avoid regret and fault.] "Being a wanderer while excessively firm and arrogant is the road to hardship and disaster." [From the Image Commentary of the Nine in the Third place of Lu. Excessive firmness is violent and lacking in gentleness, and arrogance is stiff and haughty so that others do not draw near. To act thus as a wanderer will surely bring hardship and disaster.]

兊之上六曰引兊象曰未光也伊川易傳曰說既極矣又引而長之雖說之之心不已而事理已過實無所說事之盛則有光輝既極而強引之長其無意味甚矣豈有光也【兌之上六恱之極也恱極而復引之事既過而強為恱何輝光之有】

The Six at the top of Dui (Joy) says: "Drawing out joy." The Image says: "It is not yet glorious." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "Joy has already reached its extreme, and yet it is drawn out and prolonged. Although the mind's delight does not cease, the matter has already passed its proper measure and there is truly nothing to delight in. When something is at its height it has brilliance; when it has already reached its extreme and one forcibly draws it out longer, its lack of meaning is plain, so how could there be glory?" [The Six at the top of Dui is joy at its extreme. Joy is at its extreme and is drawn out again; the matter has already gone too far and one forces delight, so what brilliance could there be?]

中孚之象曰君子以議獄緩死伊川易傳曰君子之於議獄盡其忠而已於決死極於惻而已天下之事無所不盡其忠而議獄緩死最其大者也【議獄而無不盡之心致其審也決死而存不忍之心致其愛也君子雖無往不盡其中心之誠而於議獄緩死則尤其所謹重者也】

The Image of Zhong Fu (Inner Truth) says: "The noble man deliberates on lawsuits and delays executions." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "In deliberating on lawsuits the noble man simply exhausts his loyalty; in deciding on executions he simply reaches the limit of compassion. In all the affairs of the world he exhausts his loyalty, and deliberating on lawsuits and delaying executions are the greatest of these." [In deliberating on lawsuits, to leave no part of one's heart unspent is to bring about careful examination; in deciding on executions, to keep a heart that cannot bear it is to bring about love. Although the noble man goes nowhere without exhausting the sincerity of his inner heart, he is especially careful and weighty in deliberating on lawsuits and delaying executions.]

事有時而當過所以從宜然豈可甚過也如過恭過哀過儉大過則不可所以小過為順乎宜也能順乎宜所以大吉【小過卦彖傳禮過乎恭喪過乎哀用過乎儉皆小過之以順乎事之宜若過之甚則恭為足恭哀為毀瘠儉為鄙恡又失其宜矣】

"There are times when matters should go beyond the usual, and so one follows what is suitable; yet how can one go too far? Excess in respect, excess in grief, excess in thrift: great excess is not acceptable, so Xiao Guo (Small Excess) is in accord with what is suitable. Being able to accord with what is suitable, it is greatly auspicious." [From the Judgment Commentary of the hexagram Xiao Guo. In ritual, going beyond in respect; in mourning, going beyond in grief; in expenditure, going beyond in thrift: these are all small excesses in accord with what suits the matter. If the excess is great, respect becomes excessive servility, grief becomes wasting away from mourning, and thrift becomes meanness and stinginess, and again one loses what is suitable.]

防小人之道正己為先【小過卦九三傳待小人之道先當正己己一於正則彼雖奸詐將無間之可乘矣其他防患之道皆當以正己為先】

"In the way of guarding against petty men, rectifying oneself comes first." [From the commentary on the Nine in the Third place of Xiao Guo. In the way of treating petty men, one should first rectify oneself. If oneself is wholly upright, then however treacherous and deceitful they are, they will find no gap to exploit. In all other ways of guarding against trouble, rectifying oneself should likewise come first.]

周公至公不私進退以道無利慾之蔽【周公之心在於天下國家而不在其身是以至公無私而進退合道葢無一毫利慾之蔽】其處己也夔夔然存恭畏之心其存誠也蕩蕩然無顧慮之意所以雖在危疑之地而不失其聖也【夔夔戒謹卑順之貌存誠者自信之篤也蕩蕩明白坦平之義聖人雖當危疑之地既不忿戾而改常亦不疑懼而失守是為不失其聖也】詩曰公孫碩膚赤舄几几【經說下同○詩狼跋篇碩大也膚美也遜避讓也謂有大美而謙遜不居也赤舄赤服之舄也几几進退安重貌葢其恭順安舒之意如此】

"The Duke of Zhou was utterly impartial and without private interest, advancing and withdrawing according to the Way, free of the cloud of profit and desire." [The Duke of Zhou's heart was set on the world and the state and not on himself, so he was utterly impartial and without selfishness, and his advancing and withdrawing accorded with the Way; there was not the slightest cloud of profit and desire.] "In how he conducted himself, he was reverent and cautious, keeping a heart of respect and awe; in how he preserved sincerity, he was open and broad, with no thought of hesitation; therefore even in a place of danger and suspicion he did not lose his sagehood." [Kuikui is the appearance of being guarded, careful and humble. Preserving sincerity is the firmness of self-trust. Open and broad means clear, candid and level. Though the sage stands in a place of danger and suspicion, he neither alters his constancy through anger and perversity nor loses his post through doubt and fear, and this is what it means not to lose his sagehood.] "The Poem says: 'The duke's grandson is large and fair, in red shoes, calm and steady.'" [The following are all from the Commentary on the Classics. This is from the Lang Ba ode in the Book of Poetry. Shuo means great and fu means beautiful. Xun means to yield, meaning that he had great beauty and was modest and did not dwell on it. Red shoes are the shoes of the red court dress. Jiji is the appearance of being steady and calm in advancing and retreating. Such was the state of his respectful, compliant and calm and easy mind.]

採察求訪使臣之大務【採察民隠求訪賢才二事使職之大者也】

"Gathering information and making inquiries is the great task of an envoy." [Gathering knowledge of the people's hidden hardships and seeking out worthy talent are the two great matters of an envoy's duty.]

明道先生與吳師禮談介甫之學錯處謂師禮曰為我盡達諸介甫我亦未敢自以為是如有說願往復此天下公理無彼我果能明辨不有益於介甫則必有益於我【遺書下同○先生忠誠懇至詞氣和平如此豈若悻悻好勝自是者之為哉】

Master Mingdao was discussing the errors in Jiefu's learning with Wu Shili, and said to Shili: "Convey all of this to Jiefu for me. I too do not dare consider myself right. If he has anything to say, I would like to exchange views back and forth. This is the common principle of the world, with no distinction of him and me. If we can truly distinguish clearly, then if it does not benefit Jiefu it will surely benefit me." [The following are all from the Surviving Writings. The Master's loyalty and earnestness and his gentle tone were like this; how could this resemble the behavior of one who is angry, competitive and self-righteous?]

天祺在司竹常愛用一卒長及將代自見其人盜筍皮遂治之無少貸罪己正待之復如初略不介意其徳量如此【徳量大則不為喜怒所遷】

When Tianqi was at Sizhu, he was fond of employing one soldier-captain. When he was about to be replaced, he saw with his own eyes this man stealing bamboo shoot husks, and so punished him without the slightest leniency. After the offense was dealt with, he treated him again as before, without the slightest resentment. His virtue and breadth of mind were like this. [When one's virtue and breadth are great, one is not shifted by joy or anger.]

明道因論口將言而囁嚅雲若合開口時要他頭也須開口【本注云如荊軻於樊於期】須是聴其言也厲【囁嚅欲言而不敢發之貌厲剛決之意理明義直內無不足則出於口者自然剛決不可回撓安有囁嚅之態○朱子曰合開口者亦曰理之所當言樊於期事非理所得言特取其事之難言而猶言之耳】

Mingdao, in discussing the saying 'when about to speak, one stammers and hesitates,' said: "If it is time to open one's mouth, one must open it even if it costs one's head." [The original note says: Like Jing Ke toward Fan Yuqi.] "One must make one's words stern when they are heard." [Stammering and hesitating is the appearance of wanting to speak and not daring to utter. Stern is the sense of being firm and decisive. When principle is clear and right is straight and there is no lack within, then what comes out of the mouth is naturally firm and decisive and cannot be bent, so how could there be a stammering and hesitating manner? Zhu Xi says: 'It is time to open one's mouth' also means what principle requires to be said. The affair of Fan Yuqi was not something principle allows one to say, and the example is taken only because it was hard to say and yet he said it.]

須是就事上學蠱振民育徳然有所知後方能如此何必讀書然後為學【振民育徳修己治人之事也然必知之至而後行之至無非學也豈但讀書而謂之學哉子路亦嘗有是言而夫子斥之何也葢為學之道固不専於讀書必以讀書為窮理之本子羔既未及為學而遽使之以仕為學則非持失知行之序而且廢窮理之大端臨事錯繆安能各當其則哉程子之教固以讀書窮理為先務然不就事而學則舍簡策之外凡應事接物之際不知所以用力其學之間防多矣二者之言各有在也】

"One must learn through affairs. Gu (Decay) says: 'Rouse the people and nurture virtue.' But only after one has knowledge can one do this. Why must one read books and only then call it learning?" [Rousing the people and nurturing virtue are matters of cultivating oneself and governing others. But one must reach the utmost of knowledge before reaching the utmost of action, and none of this is outside learning; how could only reading books be called learning? Zilu once said something like this and the Master rebuked him; why? The way of learning is indeed not solely in reading books, but one must take reading as the root of exhausting principle. Zigao had not yet studied, and to make him take office as a means of study lost not only the order of knowing and acting but also abandoned the main part of exhausting principle, and when facing affairs he would err and could hardly meet the standard in each case. Master Cheng's teaching did take reading books and exhausting principle as the first task; but if one does not learn through affairs, then outside the bamboo slips one does not know how to apply effort in responding to affairs and dealing with things, and one's learning would have many gaps (the base text has a corrupt reading here). The two sayings each have their place.]

先生見一學者忙迫問其故曰欲了幾處人事曰某非不欲周旋人事者曷常似賢急迫【事雖多為之必有序事雖急應之必有節未聞可以急遽苟且而處之者】

The Master saw a scholar in a rush and asked why. He said: I want to settle matters with several people. The Master said: "It is not that I do not want to attend to social matters, but when have I been as hurried as you?" [However many the affairs, there must be an order in doing them; however urgent the affairs, there must be moderation in responding. I have never heard that one can handle them with haste and carelessness.]

安定之門人往往知稽古愛民矣則於為政也何有【胡安定教學者以通經術治時務明體適用故其門人皆知以稽古愛民為事稽古則為政之法愛民則為政之本】門人有曰吾與人居視其有過而不告則於心有所不安告之而人不受則奈何明道曰與之處而不告其過非忠也要使誠意之交通在於未言之前則言出而人信矣【誠意素孚則信在言前】又曰責善之道要使誠有餘而言不足則於人有益而在我者無自辱矣【誠意多於言語則在彼有感悟之益在我無煩瀆之辱】

"The disciples of Anding all came to know how to study antiquity and love the people, so what difficulty would there be in their governing?" [Hu Anding taught students to master the classics and handle practical affairs, clarifying the substance and applying it in use, so his disciples all took studying antiquity and loving the people as their business. Studying antiquity is the method of government, and loving the people is its root.] A disciple said: "When I live with others and see their faults and do not tell them, my heart is uneasy; if I tell them and they do not accept it, what should I do?" Mingdao said: "To live with someone and not tell him of his faults is not loyalty. You should make the communication of sincere intention reach him before you speak, and then when you speak he will believe." [If sincerity has long been trusted, the trust comes before the words.] He also said: "In the way of urging others to the good, let sincerity be more than enough and words be less than enough; then it benefits others and you yourself are not humiliated." [If sincere intention exceeds words, the other gains the benefit of being moved and awakened, and you are spared the disgrace of being tiresome and importunate.]

職事不可以巧免【職所當為而巧圗規避是自私用智之人也】

"One must not use cleverness to escape one's official duties." [To cleverly scheme to avoid what is one's duty is the act of a selfish person who relies on calculation.]

居是邦不非其大夫此理最好【朱子曰下訕上則無忠敬之心】

"Living in a state and not criticizing its high officials: this principle is very good." [Zhu Xi says: When inferiors slander their superiors, they have no loyalty and respect in their hearts.]

克勤小物最難【不忽於小謹之至也】

"To be diligent in small things is the hardest." [Not neglecting small things is the utmost of care.]

欲當大任須是篤實【篤實則力量深厚而謀慮審固斯可以任大事】

"To bear a great responsibility one must be steady and genuine." [With steadiness and genuineness, one's strength is deep and substantial and one's plans are careful and firm, and only then can one take on great affairs.]

凡為人言者理勝則事明氣忿則招怫【理勝而氣平則人易曉而聴亦順或者理雖明而挾忿氣以勝之則反致扞格矣】

"In speaking to others, if principle prevails the matter is clear, and if qi is angry it invites rebellion." [If principle prevails and qi is calm, people understand easily and listen compliantly. But if the principle is clear and one tries to win with angry qi, it instead brings about resistance.]

居今之時不安今之法令非義也若論為治不為則己如復為之須於今之法度內處得其當方為合義若須更改而後為則何義之有【中庸曰非天子不議禮不制度不考文居下位而守上之法令義也由今之法而處得其宜斯為善矣若率意改作則已失為下之義】

"Living in the present age, to be uneasy with the laws and orders of the present is not righteous. If one speaks of governing, then either do not do it, or if one does it, one must handle matters properly within the present system, and only then is it in accord with righteousness. If one must first change things and only then act, what righteousness is there in that?" [The Doctrine of the Mean says: Only the Son of Heaven discusses ritual, establishes institutions and examines writing. To hold a lower position and keep the laws and orders of one's superiors is righteousness. To handle things appropriately by the present laws is good. If one arbitrarily alters and remakes, one has already lost the righteousness of a subordinate.]

今之監司多不與州縣一體監司専欲伺察州縣州縣専欲掩蔽不若推誠心與之共治有所不逮可教者教之可督者督之至於不聴擇其甚者去一二使足以警眾可也

"The circuit inspectors of today are mostly not of one body with the prefectures and counties. The inspectors wish only to spy on the prefectures and counties, and the prefectures and counties wish only to conceal things. It would be better to extend sincerity and govern together with them: where they fall short, teach those who can be taught and supervise those who can be supervised; and for those who will not listen, choose the worst one or two and remove them, enough to warn the rest, and that will do."

伊川先生曰人惡多事吾甚憫之世事雖多盡是人事人事不教人做更責誰做【人事雖多皆人所當為者苟有厭事之意則應之必不盡其理矣】

Master Yichuan said: "People dislike having many things to do, and I pity them greatly. Though the affairs of the world are many, they are all human affairs. If one does not have people do human affairs, whom else is one to hold responsible?" [Though human affairs are many, they are all things that people should do. If one has an attitude of disliking affairs, one will certainly not respond to them with full principle.]

感慨殺身者易從容就義者難【一時感慨至於殺身而不顧此匹夫匹婦猶或能之若夫從容就義死得其所自非義精仁熟者莫之能也中庸曰白刃可蹈中庸不可能是也○張南軒曰君子不避難亦不入於難惟當夫理而已於所不當避而避固私也於所不當預而預乃勇於就難是亦私而已如曾子子思之避寇或不避三仁之或死或不死皆從容乎義之所當然而已】

"To give one's life out of stirred emotion is easy; to go calmly to righteousness is hard." [To be moved by feeling for a moment and give up one's life without a second thought is something even ordinary men and women can sometimes do. But to go calmly to righteousness and die in the right place cannot be done except by one whose righteousness is refined and humaneness ripe. The Doctrine of the Mean says: Naked blades can be trampled, but the mean cannot be attained; this is what it means. Zhang Nanxuan said: The noble man does not avoid hardship, but neither does he enter into it; he simply meets what principle requires. To avoid what should not be avoided is certainly selfish; to intervene where one should not is to be bold in seeking hardship, and that too is only selfish. Take Master Zeng and Zisi, who either avoided bandits or did not, or the three humane men, some of whom died and some did not; all were simply calm in what righteousness required.]

人或勸先生以加禮近貴先生曰何不見責以盡禮而責之以加禮禮盡則已豈有加也【此與孟子不與右師言同意】或問簿佐令者也簿所欲為令或不從奈何曰當以誠意動之今令與簿不和只是爭私意令是邑之長若能以事父兄之道事之過則歸己善則惟恐不歸於令積此誠意豈有不動得人【過則歸之己善則歸之令非曰姑為此以恱人葢事長之道當如是也】

Someone urged the Master to show extra ceremony toward a noble person of high rank. The Master said: "Why not blame me for failing to be fully courteous, instead of blaming me for failing to add courtesy? When courtesy is complete it is enough; how could one add to it?" [This is the same meaning as Mencius not speaking with the Right Minister.] Someone asked: The registrar assists the magistrate; if the registrar wants to do something and the magistrate does not go along, what should he do? He said: "He should move him with sincerity. Now when the magistrate and registrar are at odds, they are only contending for private ends. The magistrate is the head of the county; if the registrar could serve him as he would serve his father or elder brother, taking the blame himself for faults and fearing only that credit for good deeds might not go to the magistrate, then by accumulating such sincerity, how could he fail to move people?" [To attribute faults to oneself and good deeds to the magistrate does not mean doing this provisionally to please others; it is simply how one should serve a superior.]

問人於議論多欲直己無含容之氣是氣不平否曰固是氣不平亦是量狹【量狹故常欲己勝而無含容之氣】人量隨識長亦有人識高而量不長者是識實未至也【見識陋則人己得失之間皆為之動是即量之狹也故識之長則量亦長】大凡別事人都強得惟識量不可強【惟識與量則隨人天資學力所至而不可強也】今人有斗筲之量有釜斛之量有鐘鼎之量【十升為斗筲竹器容鬥二升釡容六鬥四升十鬥為斛十斛為鍾】有江河之量江河之量亦大矣然有涯有涯亦有時而滿惟天地之量則無滿故聖人者天地之量也聖人之量道也常人之有量者天資也【聖人之心純乎道道本無外故其量亦無涯天資者氣稟也氣稟則有涯常人而能學以通乎道極其至則亦聖人之無涯也】天資有量須有限大抵六尺之軀力量只如此雖欲不滿不可得也如鄧艾位三公年七十處得甚好及因下蜀有功便動了謝安聞謝破苻堅對客圍棋報至不喜及歸折屐齒強終不得也【事見魏晉史】更如人大醉後益恭謹者只益恭謹便是動了雖與放肆者不同其為酒所動一也又如貴公子位益高益卑謙只卑謙便是動了雖與驕傲者不同其為位所動一也【居之如常而不為異者量足以勝之也一有意於其間雖驕肆謙恭之不同要皆為彼所動也】然惟知道者量自然宏大不勉強而成今人有所見卑下者無他亦是識量不足也【知道者雖窮居陋巷而不加損雖祿之以天下而不加益舉世譽之而不加勸舉世非之而不加慍何者道固不為之而有増損也】人才有意於為公便是私心【公者天理之自然有意為之則計較安排即是私意】昔有人典選其子弟系磨勘皆不為理此乃是私意【選舉朝廷之選舉也進退之權實非己之所得而有子弟該磨勘而不為理葢避私嫌而不知如此是以選舉為己之私恩乃是私意也於此可以識大公之道矣】人多言古時用直不避嫌得後世用此不得自是無人豈是無時【本注云因言少師典舉明道薦才事○苟能以至公之心行至公之道何嫌之避何時而不可行】

Someone asked: "In debate people mostly want to vindicate themselves and lack a tolerant spirit; is this because their temperament is not even?" The Master said: "Of course the temperament is uneven, but also their capacity is narrow. [Because capacity is narrow, one always wants to win and lacks a tolerant spirit.] A person's capacity grows with his insight. There are also people whose insight is high but whose capacity does not grow; that is because their insight has not truly arrived. [With shallow insight, one is moved by every gain and loss between oneself and others, and that is narrowness of capacity. So when insight grows, capacity grows too.] In most other matters people can force themselves, but insight and capacity cannot be forced. [Insight and capacity depend on each person's natural endowment and the reach of his study, and cannot be forced.] People today have the capacity of a dou measure, or a shao measure, or a fu or hu measure, or a zhong or ding measure, [Ten sheng make a dou. A shao is a bamboo vessel holding one dou and two sheng. A fu holds six dou and four sheng. Ten dou make a hu, and ten hu make a zhong.] or the capacity of the great rivers. The capacity of the rivers is large, but it has a shore, and what has a shore will at times be full. Only the capacity of Heaven and Earth is never full. Therefore the sage has the capacity of Heaven and Earth. The sage's capacity is the Way; ordinary people who have capacity have it from natural endowment. [The sage's mind is purely the Way, and the Way by nature has nothing outside it, so his capacity too is without shore. Natural endowment is the allotment of qi, and the allotment of qi has limits. If an ordinary person can learn and so penetrate to the Way and reach its utmost, he too will have the sage's boundlessness.] A capacity that comes from natural endowment must have limits. After all, with a body six chi tall the strength is only so much, and one cannot avoid being filled. Take Deng Ai: he held the rank of Three Dukes at seventy and conducted himself very well, but once he had won merit by taking Shu he was shaken. When Xie An heard that Xie Xuan (the received text lost a rare character here) had defeated Fu Jian, he was playing weiqi with a guest and showed no joy at the report; but on returning home he broke the teeth of his clogs, and in the end he could not force himself. [The stories are in the histories of Wei and Jin.] Or take a man who becomes more courteous after getting very drunk: that he becomes more courteous is already being moved. Though he differs from the one who behaves wildly, in being moved by wine they are the same. Or a young nobleman who grows more humble the higher his rank: that he becomes humble is already being moved; though he differs from the arrogant one, in being moved by rank they are the same. [To dwell in a position as usual and not treat it as special is to have capacity enough to overcome it. As soon as there is any intention in the matter, though arrogance and humility differ, both are moved by it.] But only one who knows the Way has capacity that is naturally vast, achieved without effort. People today whose views are petty are so for no other reason than that their insight and capacity are insufficient. [One who knows the Way loses nothing though he lives poor in a narrow lane, gains nothing though the whole world is granted him as his stipend, is not encouraged though the whole world praises him, and not angered though the whole world condemns him. Why? Because the Way does not wax or wane for such things.] As soon as one has the intention to act impartially, that is already selfishness. [Impartiality is the naturalness of heavenly principle; to do it deliberately is to calculate and arrange, and that is private intent.] Once a man in charge of appointments took no action on the review of his own sons and nephews, which is private intent. [Selection is the court's selection, and the power of promotion and demotion is truly not something he owns. When his sons and nephews were due for review he did nothing to help, avoiding the suspicion of favoritism, not knowing that this treats selection as his own private favor, which is private intent. From this one can recognize the Way of great impartiality.] People often say that the ancients could use relatives openly without avoiding suspicion, and later ages cannot. It is simply that there are no such people, not that there is no such time. [The original note says: this arose from a discussion of the Junior Preceptor's handling of recommendations and Mingdao's recommending of talent. If one can practice the Way of utmost impartiality with a mind of utmost impartiality, what suspicion need be avoided, and when could it not be done?]"

君實嘗問先生雲欲除一人給事中誰可為者先生曰初若泛論人材卻可今既如此頤雖有其人何可言君實曰出於公口入於光耳又何害先生終不言【泛論人材則無不可若擇人任職乃宰相之事非在下位者所可與矣此制義之方也】

Junshi once asked the Master: "I want to name someone to be Secretary of the Imperial Chancery; who could do it?" The Master said: "At first, if you had spoken in general terms about talent, that would have been fine; but now that you have put it this way, even if I had such a person, how could I name him?" Junshi said: "It leaves your mouth and enters only my ear; what harm is there?" The Master never spoke. [To discuss talent in general is not objectionable; but to select a man for an office is the business of the chief minister, in which someone in a lower position may not take part. This is the way of regulating what is proper.]

先生雲韓持國服義最不可得一日頤與持國範夷叟泛舟於潁昌西湖須臾客將去有一官員上書謁見大資頤將為有甚急切公事乃是求知己頤雲大資居位卻不求人乃使人倒來求己是甚道理【韓維字持國範純禮字夷叟在上位者當勤於求賢豈當待人反求知求知者失己使之求知者失士】夷叟雲只為正叔太執求薦章常事也頤雲不然只為曾有不求者不與來求者與之遂致人如此持國便服

The Master said: "Han Chiguo was the hardest man to win over to rightness. One day I went boating with Chiguo and Fan Yisou on West Lake at Yingchang. Soon the guests were about to leave, when an official presented a letter asking to see the Grand Academician. I thought it must be urgent public business, but it was a request to be recognized. I said: you hold high office and do not seek out people, yet you make people come the other way to seek you; what principle is that? [Han Wei was styled Chiguo and Fan Chunli was styled Yisou. Those in high position should be diligent in seeking worthy men; how can they wait for people to seek recognition instead? Those who seek recognition lose themselves, and making them seek it loses the state its scholars.] Yisou said: it is only because Zhengshu is too rigid; seeking a recommendation is common. I said: no, it is only because of the practice that those who did not seek were not given and those who came seeking were, and it has led people to this. Chiguo then submitted."

先生因言今日供職只第一件便做他底不得吏人押申轉運司狀頤不曾籤國子監自系臺省臺省系朝廷官外司有事合行申狀豈有臺省倒申外司之理只為從前人只計較利害不計較事體直得恁地【春秋書法王人雖微序於諸侯之上尊王也】須看聖人慾正名處見得道名不正時便至禮樂不興是自然住不得【說見論語○名分不正則施之於事者顛倒而無序乖戾而不和禮樂何以興此自然必至之勢】

The Master went on to say: "In my present post, I could not do even the first thing. A clerk sent up a memorandum to the Transport Commission for my signature, and I did not sign. The Directorate of Education belongs to the central offices, and the central offices are court officials. If an outside office has business that needs a memorial, how could a central office submit a memorial to an outside office? It has come to this only because people before have weighed advantage and harm and not the proper order of things. [In the Spring and Autumn Annals's way of writing, a king's envoy, however lowly, is placed above the feudal lords, in honor of the king.] One must look at where the sage wished to rectify names, and see that when names are not rectified, rites and music do not flourish, which naturally cannot be stopped. [The discussion is in the Analects. If names and ranks are not rectified, then what is applied to affairs is upside down and disordered, perverse and discordant; how could rites and music flourish? This is a situation that follows naturally and necessarily.]"

學者不可不通世務天下事譬如一家非我為則彼為非甲為則乙為【君子存心正大如此其所以講明世道者葢亦非分外之事也】

"Students must not fail to understand worldly affairs. The affairs of the world are like those of one household: if I do not do it, then he does it; if A does not, then B does. [The gentleman keeps his mind right and great in this way. When he studies and clarifies the ways of the world, it is not a matter outside his own duty.]"

人無逺慮必有近憂思慮當在事外【外書下同○蘓氏曰慮不在千里之外則患在几席之下此以地之逺近言也一說先事而圗之則事至而無患此以時之逺近言也然其理則一也】

"If a person has no far-sighted planning, he will surely have trouble close at hand. Plan beyond the matter itself. [From here on all from the Outer Writings. Mr. Su said: if one's planning does not reach a thousand li away, trouble will be right under one's mat. This speaks in terms of distance in space. Another view: if one plans before things happen, then when they arrive there is no trouble. This speaks in terms of distance in time. But the principle is one.]"

聖人之責人也常緩便見只欲事正無顯人過惡之意伊川先生雲今之守令惟制民之產一事不得為其他在法度中甚有可為者患人不為耳【制民之產謂井田貢助之法】明道先生作縣凡坐處皆書視民如傷四字嘗曰顥常愧此四字

"The sage in blaming others is always lenient; this shows he only wants things to be right and has no wish to expose people's faults and evils." Master Yichuan said: "Of the magistrates and prefects today, the only thing they cannot do is regulate the people's livelihood; in other matters there is much they could do within the law, and the trouble is that people do not do it. [Regulating the people's livelihood refers to the well-field system and its tribute and assistance methods.]" When Master Mingdao served as county magistrate, he wrote the four characters 'regard the people as if they were wounded' wherever he sat, and said: "I am always ashamed before these four characters."

伊川先生每見人論前輩之短則曰汝輩且取他長處【人之短本為薄徳況前輩乎】

Whenever Master Yichuan heard people discuss the faults of earlier worthies, he would say: "You should take their strengths. [To publicize another's faults is already lack of virtue, how much more when it concerns earlier worthies? (the received text lost a rare character here)]"

劉安禮雲王荊公執政議法改令言者攻之甚力明道先生嘗被防赴中堂議事荊公方怒言者厲色待之先生徐曰天下之事非一傢俬議願公平氣以聴荊公為之媿屈【附録下同○劉立之字安禮程子門人也熙寧初王荊公安石參知政事創制新法中外皆言其不便荊公獨憤然不顧明道先生權監察御史裡行被防赴中堂議事從容一言之間荊公乃為之媿屈葢有以破其私己之見而消其忿厲之氣也】

Liu Anli said: when Wang Jinggong was in power and discussing changes in laws and orders, critics attacked him vigorously. Master Mingdao was once commanded (the received text has a corrupted character here) to go to the central hall to discuss affairs. Jinggong was just then angry at the critics and received him with a stern face. The Master said slowly: "The affairs of the world are not for one family's private discussion; I hope you will calm your temper and listen." Jinggong was shamed and yielded. [From here on all from the Appendix. Liu Lizhi, styled Anli, was a disciple of Master Cheng. In the early Xining years, Wang Anshi, Jinggong, as Participant in Governing Affairs created the New Laws, and everyone inside and outside the court said they were inconvenient, but Jinggong alone was indignant and paid no heed. Master Mingdao, acting as Investigating Censor, was commanded (the received text has a corrupted character here) to go to the central hall to discuss affairs. In a single calm remark, Jinggong was shamed and yielded, for he broke through Wang's self-centered view and dispelled his angry fierceness.]

劉安禮問臨民明道曰使民各得輸其情【民情皆得以上聞則自無不得其所之患然非平易聰達者能之乎】問御吏曰正己以格物【居上既正則下有所感而正矣非徒事乎刑罰之嚴也】

Liu Anli asked about dealing with the people. Mingdao said: "Let the people each be able to express their feelings. [If the people's feelings can all reach the ruler, there will naturally be no worry that anyone fails to find his place. But can anyone but a person who is gentle and clear-sighted do this?]" He asked about managing officials. He said: "Rectify yourself so as to rectify things. [When those above are upright, those below are moved and become upright; it is not merely a matter of severe punishments.]"

橫渠先生曰凡人為上則易為下則難然不能為下亦未能使下不盡其情偽也大抵使人常在其前已嘗為之則能使人【文集○樂於使人而憚於事人此人常情也然知事人之道然後知使人之道已未嘗事人則使人之際必不能盡其情】

Master Hengqu said: "For people, being above is easy and being below is hard. But if one cannot be below, one also cannot keep those below from giving full play to their feelings, true or false. In general, to direct people, one must have done oneself beforehand what one directs, and then one can direct others. [From the Collected Writings. To enjoy directing people and dread serving them is ordinary human feeling. But only when one knows the way of serving others does one know the way of directing others. One who has never served others cannot fully understand their feelings when directing them.]"

坎維心亨故行有尚外雖積險苟處之心亨不疑則雖難必濟而往有功也【坎為重險故曰積險二五以剛居中故外雖有積險其中心自亨通而無所疑懼也心亨而無疑則可以出險矣】今水臨萬仞之山要下即下無復凝滯之在前惟知有義理而已則復何迴避所以心通【易說下同此以坎象而言人於義理苟能信之篤行之決如水之就下則沛然而莫御何往而不心亨哉】

"Kan: 'only the mind is penetrating, therefore action has worth.' Though there is accumulated danger without, if one meets it with a mind that is penetrating and free of doubt, then however hard it is, one will surely cross and meet with success in going forward. [Kan is double danger, hence called accumulated danger. The second and fifth lines are firm and in the center, so though there is accumulated danger outside, the mind within is naturally open and free of fear or doubt. With a mind that is open and without doubt, one can get out of danger.] Now when water meets a mountain ten thousand fathoms high, it goes down wherever it wants, with no further hindrance ahead. Knowing only principle, what then is there to evade? Hence the mind is open. [From here on all from the Discourse on the Changes. This speaks by the image of Kan: if a person can believe in principle firmly and act on it resolutely, like water going down, he will be irresistible, and where will he go that his mind is not open?]"

人所以不能行己者於其所難者則惰其異俗者雖易而羞縮惟心則不顧人之非笑所趨義理耳視天下莫能移其道【志不立氣不充故有怠惰與羞縮惟心則立志逺大義理勝則氣充】然為之人亦未必怪正以在己者義理不勝惰與羞縮之病消則有長不消則病常在意思齷齪無由作事【滕文公行三年之喪始也父兄百官皆不欲文公以義理所當為發哀慼之誠心人亦莫不恱服所患在我義理不勝則不能自強故有惰與羞縮之患】在古氣節之士冒死以有為於義未必中然非有志槩者莫能況吾於義理已明何為不為【志氣感慨雖未必中於義而死且不顧況吾義理既明尚何怠惰羞縮之為舉重明輕所以激昂兼懦之士】姤初六羸豕孚蹢躅豕方羸時力未能動然至誠在於蹢躅得伸則伸矣【羸弱也蹢躅跳躍也豕性隂躁雖當羸弱之時其誠心未嘗不在於動也得肆則肆矣猶小人雖困志在求逞君子所當察也】如李徳裕處置閹宦徒知其帖息威伏而忽於志不忘逞照察少不至則失其幾也【唐武宗時徳裕為相君臣契合莫能間之宦寺之徒帖息畏伏誠若無能為者而不知其志在求逞也繼嗣重事卒定於宦者之手而徳裕逐矣葢幾微之間所當深察】

"The reason people cannot act as they should: in what is difficult they are lazy, and in what is unusual among custom, though easy, they shrink in shame. Only when the mind is broad (the received text lost a rare character here) does one disregard the mockery of others and head only for principle, seeing that no one in the world can move his Way. [When will is not established and qi is not full, there is laziness and shrinking in shame. Only a broad mind sets a far-reaching will, and when principle prevails, qi is full.] Yet people who do it may not even find it strange. The real problem is that in oneself principle has not prevailed; if the faults of laziness and shrinking shame are removed, one grows, and if not, the fault remains, one is petty-minded, and there is no way to get anything done. [When Duke Wen of Teng carried out the three-year mourning, at first his elders and officials all opposed it. Duke Wen, because it was what principle required, expressed a sincere grief, and no one failed to be pleased and convinced. The worry is that in me principle does not prevail, so I cannot strengthen myself, hence the faults of laziness and shame.] In antiquity, men of principle and spirit risked death to accomplish something; their actions were not necessarily right in meaning, but without resolve and bearing no one could have done it. How much more should I, whose understanding of principle is already clear, not act? [Resolve and spirit, though not necessarily right in meaning, make a man disregard even death; how much more should I, with principle already clear, be lazy and shrinking? Raising the heavy to illustrate the light is a way of stirring weak and timid scholars.] In Gou, the first yin line: 'A lean pig is sure to leap about.' When the pig is lean, it has no strength to move, but its sincere intent lies in leaping, and when it can stretch, it stretches. [Lean means weak; leaping means jumping about. The pig by nature is yin and restless, so even in a time of weakness its sincere intent is to move, and given the chance it runs wild. It is like a petty man who, though in difficulty, intends to get his way, which the gentleman should watch for.] Like Li Deyu's handling of the eunuchs: he only knew that they were submissive and cowed, and overlooked that their will never forgot to run wild. A slight lack of careful observation and one loses the critical moment. [In the reign of Emperor Wuzong of Tang, Deyu was chancellor and ruler and minister were in accord so that none could drive a wedge between them; the eunuchs were submissive and fearful, seemingly able to do nothing, but he did not know their will was to run wild. In the end the weighty matter of the succession was decided by the eunuchs and Deyu was driven out. In the slightest signs one must observe deeply.]"

人教小童亦可取益絆已不出入一益也【取益謂有益於己絆牽繫也】授人數數已亦了此文義二益也【數數猶頻數也了曉徹也】對之必正衣冠尊瞻視三益也常以因己而壊人之才為憂則不敢墮四益也【語録○此段當在十一卷之末】

"A person who teaches small children also gains: being tied down so that one does not go in and out, that is the first gain; [To gain means to benefit oneself. 'Tied' means bound.] teaching again and again, one comes to understand the text oneself, the second gain; [Again and again means frequently. To understand means to see through.] facing the child one must straighten one's clothes and cap and carry oneself with dignity, the third gain; and always fearing that one may ruin the child's talent through one's own fault, one dares not be lazy, the fourth gain. [From the Recorded Sayings. This passage should properly be at the end of Volume Eleven.]"

此卷論教人之道葢君子進則推斯道以覺天下退則明斯道以淑其徒所謂得英才而教育之即新民之事也

This volume discusses the way of teaching people. When the gentleman advances, he extends this Way to awaken the world; when he withdraws, he makes this Way clear to improve his students. What is called 'getting gifted people and educating them' is the work of renewing the people.

濂溪先生曰剛善為義為直為斷為嚴毅為幹固惡為猛為隘為強梁柔善為慈為順為防惡為懦弱為無防為邪佞【朱子曰氣稟剛柔固隂陽之大分而其中又各有善惡之分焉惡者固為非正而善者亦未必皆得乎中也】惟中也者和也中節也天下之達道也聖人之事也【朱子曰此以得性之正而言也然其以和為中與中庸不合葢就已發無過不及者而言之如書所謂允執厥中者也】故聖人立教俾人自易其惡自至其中而止矣【通書○朱子曰易其惡則剛柔皆善有嚴毅慈順之徳而無強梁懦弱之病矣至其中則其或為嚴毅或為慈順也又皆中節而無太過不及之偏矣】

Master Lianxi said: "The good of firmness is righteousness, uprightness, decisiveness, severity and resolve, and steadfastness; its evil is fierceness, narrowness, and violence. The good of softness is kindness, compliance, and humility (the received text has a corrupted character here); its evil is timidity, indecision (the received text has a corrupted character here), and crooked flattery. [Zhu Xi said: firmness and softness in one's allotment of qi are indeed the great division of yin and yang, and within each there is also a division into good and evil. The evil is certainly not right, but the good is also not necessarily at the mean.] Only the mean is harmony, is hitting the proper measure, is the universal Way of the world, and is the business of the sage. [Zhu Xi said: this speaks from the standpoint of having obtained the right nature. But its treating harmony as the mean does not agree with the Doctrine of the Mean; it speaks of what has been expressed without excess or deficiency, as in the Documents' 'sincerely hold fast to the mean'.] Hence the sages established teaching so that people might of themselves change their evil and reach the mean and stop there. [From the Penetrating the Book of Changes. Zhu Xi said: when evil is changed, firmness and softness are both good, there is the virtue of severity and resolve, kindness and compliance, and none of the faults of violence and timidity. When one reaches the mean, then whether one is severe and resolute or kind and compliant, all is in measure with no one-sidedness of excess or deficiency.]"

伊川先生曰古人生子能食能言而教之【古者子生能食則教之以右手能言則教之唯諾】大學之法以豫為先人之幼也知思未有所主便當以格言至論日陳於前雖未曉知且當薰聒使盈耳充腹久自安習若固有之雖以他言惑之不能入也【學記曰禁於未發之謂豫此所謂少成若天性習慣如自然者也】若為之不豫及乎稍長私意偏好生於內眾口辯言鑠於外慾其純完不可得也【文集教之不早及其稍長內為物慾所防溺外為流俗所銷靡欲其心徳之無偏駁難矣】

Master Yichuan said: "When the ancients had a son, they taught him as soon as he could eat and speak. [In antiquity, when a child could eat he was taught to use the right hand, and when he could speak he was taught to answer 'yes' and 'no'.] The method of the Great Learning puts prevention first. In a person's childhood, when knowledge and thought have no fixed center yet, one should set before him each day maxims and sound teachings. Even if he does not yet understand, let them be drummed in so that his ears and belly are full, and in time he will be at ease with them as though innate; even if other words try to confuse him, they cannot enter. [The Record of Learning says: to forbid before it arises is called prevention. This is what is meant by 'what is formed in youth is as if it were nature, and habit is like the natural.'] If this is not done in advance, then as he grows a little older, private intent and one-sided preference arise within and the eloquent talk of the crowd melts him from without, and one cannot hope to keep him pure and whole. [From the Collected Writings. If teaching is not early, then as he grows a little older he is sunk within in material desires (the received text has a corrupted character here) and eroded without by vulgar custom, and one can hardly hope his mind and virtue will be free of one-sidedness and mixture.]"

觀之上九曰觀其生君子無咎象曰觀其生志未平也伊川易傳曰君子雖不在位然以人觀其徳用為儀法故當自慎省觀其所生常不失於君子則人不失所望而化之矣【上為無位之地故曰不在位然當觀之時高而在上固眾人所觀瞻而用為法則者要當謹畏反觀內省己之所為常不違乎君子之道而後人心慰滿得所矜式也】不可以不在於位故安然放意無所事也【易傳○釋志未平也言高尚之士亦不可以輕意肆志也】聖人之道如天然與眾人之識甚殊邈也門人弟子既親炙而後益知其高逺既若不可及則趨望之心怠矣故聖人之教常俯而就之【聖人教人循循善誘常俯而就之葢亦因其資以設教不使之徒見高逺而自沮也】事上臨喪不敢不勉君子之常行不困於酒尤其近也而以己處之者不獨使夫資之下者勉思企及而才之髙者亦不敢易乎近矣【經說說見論語○道固不外日用常行之間在聖人無事乎思勉耳夫子設教固常人之所可勉而賢者之所不可忽也】

The top yang line of Guan says: "Observing his own life, the gentleman is without blame." The Image commentary says: "Observing his own life: his will is not yet at rest." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "Though the gentleman is not in office, other people observe his virtue and use it as a model, so he should be careful and reflective, observe what he produces, and always not fall short of being a gentleman, and then people will not lose their hopes and will be transformed. [The top is a place without office, hence 'not in office'. But in the time of Guan, being high and above, he is naturally what the multitude look to and take as a standard; he must be careful and reverent and examine himself within, so that what he does never departs from the gentleman's Way, and only then are people's minds satisfied and they have a model.] One may not, because one is not in office, be at ease and unrestrained with nothing to do. [From the Commentary on the Changes. The explanation of 'his will is not at rest' means that even a lofty scholar must not be careless or indulge his will.] The Way of the sages is like Heaven, far removed from the understanding of the multitude. The disciples, having been personally taught, came to know how high and distant it was; since it seemed unattainable, the urge to strive for it slackened. Therefore the sage's teaching always stoops to meet them. [The sage teaches people step by step, always stooping to meet them, adapting his teaching to their endowments so that they will not merely see its height and distance and become discouraged.] That in serving superiors and facing mourning one dares not be lax is the gentleman's ordinary conduct, and 'not being troubled by wine' is even closer to home. By taking such things as his own practice, he not only makes those of lesser endowment think to strive to reach him but also makes the highly gifted not dare to take the near lightly. [From the Discourse on the Classics. The discussion is in the Analects. The Way is not outside the ordinary conduct of daily life, and for the sage it takes no effort of thought. The Master's teaching is surely what ordinary people can strive for and what worthy people must not neglect.]"

明道先生曰憂子弟之輕俊者只教以經學唸書不得令作文字【志輕才俊者憚於檢束而樂於馳逞使之習經唸書則心平氣定使作文字則得以用其才而長其輕俊矣】子弟凡百玩好皆奪志至於書札於儒者事最近然一向好著亦自喪志如王虞顔栁輩誠為好人則有之曾見有善書者知道否平生精力一用於此非惟徒廢時日於道便有妨處足知喪志也【遺書下同王右軍羲之虞永興世南顔魯公真卿栁河東公權皆工書札亦各有風節表見當世然終不足以知道葢専工一藝豈特徒廢時日妨於學問而志局於此已失其操存之本矣】

Master Mingdao said: "Worried about frivolous and clever sons and younger brothers, I only teach them the classics and reading, and do not allow them to write essays. [Those of light mind and quick talent dislike restraint and enjoy racing about. Having them study the classics and read quiets the mind and steadies the qi; having them write essays lets them use their talent and increases their frivolity.] All kinds of pastimes steal the will from sons and younger brothers. Even calligraphy, which is closest to Confucian pursuits, if one is always fond of it, also saps the will. Men like Wang, Yu, Yan, and Liu may well have been good men, but have you ever seen a good calligrapher who knew the Way? To spend one's whole energy on this not only wastes time but also hinders the Way, which shows how it saps the will. [From here on all from the Surviving Writings. Wang Youjun, Xizhi, Yu Yongxing, Shinan, Yan Lugong, Zhenqing, and Liu Hedong, Gongquan, were all skilled in calligraphy, and each also showed integrity in his time, but in the end none of them was enough to know the Way. To devote oneself to one art wastes time and hinders learning, and when one's will is confined to it, one has already lost the root of holding fast.]"

胡安定在湖州置治道齋學者有欲明治道者講之於中如治民治兵水利算數之類嘗言劉彛善治水利後累為政皆興水利有功【治民如政教施設之方治兵如戰陣部伍之法水利如江河渠堰之利算數如律厯九章之】

When Hu Anding established a Hall for the Study of Governance at Huzhou, students who wished to understand the Way of governing studied it there, such as governing people, governing troops, water conservancy, and mathematics. He once said that Liu Yi was good at water conservancy, and in his later successive terms in government he promoted water works with achievement. [Governing people is such as the methods of establishing government and teaching; governing troops is such as the arts of battle formations and ranks; water conservancy is such as the benefits of rivers, canals, and weirs; mathematics is such as the techniques of the pitch pipes, the calendar, and the Nine Chapters (the received text lost a rare character here).]

凡立言欲涵蓄意思不使知徳者厭無徳者惑【知徳者玩其意而不厭無徳者守其說而不惑○朱子曰近看尹先生論語說句句有意味不可以為常談而忽之也】教人未見意趣必不樂學欲且教之歌舞如古詩三百篇皆古人作之如闗雎之類正家之始故用之鄉人用之邦國日使人聞之此等詩其言簡奧今人未易曉欲別作詩略言教童子灑掃應對事長之節令朝夕歌之似當有助

"In setting down words, one should keep the meaning contained, so that those who know virtue do not tire of it and those without virtue are not misled. [Those who know virtue savor its meaning without tiring; those without virtue hold to its words and are not misled. Zhu Xi said: I recently read Master Yin's explanations of the Analects, and every sentence has flavor; they must not be neglected as commonplace.] If people are taught without seeing the interest in it, they will surely not enjoy learning. I think one should first teach them song and dance. The three hundred Odes of antiquity were all made by the ancients; works like Guanju are the beginning of ordering the household, so they were used among village people and in the states and heard every day. The language of such poems is terse and profound and not easy for people today to understand. I think one should make other poems, briefly describing for children the proprieties of sweeping and answering and serving elders, and have them sing them morning and evening, which would seem to be helpful."

子厚以禮教學者最善使學者先有所據守【禮以恭敬辭遜為本而有節文度數之詳學者從事乎此則日用言動之間皆有依據持守之地】

"Zihou was best at teaching students through ritual, so that they first had something to hold to. [Ritual takes reverence, respect, and deference as its root, and has detailed forms and measures. When students work at this, every word and movement in daily life has a basis to hold to.]"

語學者以所見未到之理不惟所聞不深徹反將理低看了【學者所見未到而驟以語之則彼不惟無深造自得之功而亦且輕視之矣】

"To tell students about principles they have not yet reached by their own insight not only keeps what they hear from sinking in but makes them take the principle lightly. [If a student has not yet reached it by his own sight and is suddenly told, he not only lacks the benefit of deep attainment through his own effort but also holds it cheap.]"

舞射便見人誠古之教人莫非使之成已【舞者所以導其和射者所以正其志要必以誠心為之誠者所以成己也】自灑掃應對上便可到聖人事【灑掃應對即是教之以誠誠之至即是聖人事】

"Dance and archery reveal a person's sincerity. In antiquity all teaching of people was meant to help them complete themselves. [Dance leads one's harmony and archery rectifies one's will; both must be done with a sincere mind. Sincerity is how one completes oneself.] From sweeping and answering one can reach the affairs of a sage. [Sweeping and answering are teaching sincerity, and the utmost of sincerity is the affair of a sage.]"

自幼子常視母誑以上便是教人以聖人事【說見曲禮視同示誑欺妄也小未有知常示以正事此聖人無妄之道】

"From 'never deceive a young child, always show him what is right' on up, this is teaching people the sage's affairs. [The discussion is in the Record of Rites, 'Summary of Rules'. 'Show' is like 'display', and 'deceive' means to cheat or lie. A small child knows nothing yet, so always showing him what is right is the Way of the sage in being without falsehood.]"

先傳後倦君子教人有序先傳以小者近者而後教以大者逺者非是先傳以近小而後不教以逺大也【子游譏子夏之門人於灑掃應對進退末事則可矣於道之本原則無如之何子夏聞而非之曰君子之道孰先傳焉孰後倦焉葢君子教人先後有序不容躐等而驟進非謂傳以近小者於先而不教以逺大者於後也○朱子曰灑掃應對精義入神事有大小禮無大小事有大小故其教有序而不可躐理無大小故隨其所處而皆不可不盡愚謂子夏正謂教人小大有別前段程子之說卻就灑掃應對上發明理無大小自是一義】伊川先生曰說書必非古意轉使人薄學者須是潛心積慮優遊涵養使之自得今一日說盡只是教得薄至如漢時說下帷講誦猶未必說書【理貴玩索至於口耳之傳末矣下帷講誦如董仲舒之徒說見漢史】

"Teach the near first and tire of it later: the gentleman teaches people in order, first transmitting the small and near, and afterward teaching the great and distant. It is not that he transmits the near and small first and afterward does not teach the far and great. [Ziyou mocked Zixia's disciples: in the minor matters of sweeping, answering, advancing, and withdrawing they are fine, but in the root and source of the Way, what can they do? Zixia heard this and objected: of the gentleman's Way, which part is to be transmitted first, and which part left aside as tiresome later? The gentleman teaches in an order of before and after, not allowing people to skip ranks and leap ahead; it does not mean he transmits the near and small first and later does not teach the far and great. Zhu Xi said: sweeping and answering, and refining meaning until entering the spirit, differ in the size of the matter but not in the size of the principle. Because matters differ in size, the teaching has an order that cannot be skipped; because principle does not differ in size, wherever one stands it must be fully carried out. Ye Cai comments: Zixia was indeed saying that in teaching people the small and great are distinguished; the earlier passage of Master Cheng, speaking of sweeping and answering, brings out that principle has no large or small, which is a different point.] Master Yichuan said: "Lecturing on books is surely not the ancient way, and it only makes people shallow. Students must concentrate their minds, accumulate thought, linger and cultivate, and let it come by themselves. If one says it all in one day, one only teaches shallowly. Even the Han practice of 'lowering the curtain and lecturing' was not necessarily lecturing on books. [Principle is valued for being pondered; passing it on from mouth to ear is the lowest. 'Lowering the curtain and lecturing' refers to men like Dong Zhongshu, as in the Han histories.]"

古者八嵗入小學十五入大學擇其才可教者聚之不肖者復之農畝葢士農不易業既入學則不治農然後士農判【古者自國之貴胄子弟及士庶人之子八嵗則皆入小學十五則入大學然後擇其才之可教者聚之於學其不可教者復歸之農畝】在學之養若士大夫之子則不慮無養雖庶人之子既入學則亦必有養古之士者自十五入學至四十方仕中間自有二十五年學又無利可趨則所志可知須去趨善便自此成徳後之人自童稚間已有汲汲趨利之意何由得向善故古人必使四十而仕然後志定只營衣食卻無害惟利祿之誘最害人【本注云人有養便方定志於學○先王設教養之周而行之久士有定志專於修己而緩於干祿故能一意趨善卒於成徳後世反是隻營衣食者求於力分之內未足以奪志故無害若誘於利祿則所學皆非為己而根本己撥矣故害最甚】

"In antiquity they entered the lesser school at eight and the greater school at fifteen; those whose talent could be taught were gathered, and the unworthy were sent back to the fields. For scholars and farmers did not change occupations: once one entered school he did not farm, and thus scholar and farmer were distinguished. [In antiquity, from the sons of the nobility in the capital to the sons of scholars and commoners, all entered the lesser school at eight and the greater school at fifteen; those whose talent could be taught were gathered in school, and those who could not were sent back to the fields.] As for support during study: the sons of officials had no worry about support; even the sons of commoners, once they entered school, were also supported. The ancient scholar entered school at fifteen and took office only at forty, so there were twenty-five years of study in between, and with no profit to chase one can know what their aims were: they were bound to turn to goodness, and from this virtue was formed. People of later ages from childhood are already eager to chase profit; how can they turn toward goodness? Therefore the ancients required scholars to take office at forty, and only then was the will settled. Merely working for clothing and food does no harm; only the lure of salary and profit does great harm. [The original note says: only when people are supported do they fix their will on learning. The former kings established teaching with thorough support and long practice, so scholars had a fixed will, devoted to cultivating themselves and slow to seek salary, and so could turn wholeheartedly toward goodness and in the end form virtue. Later ages are the reverse. Working only for clothing and food, seeking within the limit of one's strength, is not enough to rob one of will, so it does no harm; but if one is lured by salary and profit, then all one studies is no longer for oneself and the root is already pulled up, so that harm is greatest.]"

天下有多少才只為道不明於天下故不得有所成就且古者興於詩立於禮成於樂如今人怎生會得古人於詩如今人歌曲一般雖閭巷童稚皆習聞其說而曉其義故能興起於詩後世老師宿儒尚不能曉其義怎生責得學者是不得興於詩也【古人歌詩習熟其說而通達其義故吟諷之間足以感發其善心而懲創其逸志】古禮既廢人倫不明以至治家皆無法度是不得立於禮也【禮所以敘人倫而施之家國者皆有法度以為據依故能有立也】古人有歌詠以養其性情聲音以養其耳目舞蹈以養其血脈今皆無之是不得成於樂也【歌詠聲詩溫柔篤厚有以養其性情也五聲成文八音相比鴻殺防數節奏和平有以養其耳目也至於手之舞足之蹈執其羽籥干鏚之器習其屈伸俯仰綴兆舒疾之文是以容貌得莊行列得正進退得齊心志條暢而血氣和平是有以養其血脈也】古之成材也易今之成材也難

"How much talent there is in the world! It is only because the Way is not clear in the world that it cannot be brought to accomplishment. In antiquity one was 'stirred by the Odes, established by ritual, completed by music'; how can people today understand this? The ancients treated the Odes like people today treat songs: even village children had heard their words and understood their meaning, and so they could be stirred by the Odes. In later ages, even old teachers and veteran scholars cannot understand their meaning, so how can students be blamed? Thus one cannot be stirred by the Odes. [When the ancients sang the Odes, they were familiar with the explanations and understood the meaning, so in chanting them they could rouse the good heart and curb a wayward will.] The ancient rites have been abandoned and human relationships are unclear, so much so that even the ordering of households has no standards; thus one cannot be established by ritual. [Ritual orders human relationships and what is applied to family and state all has standards to rely on, so one can be established.] The ancients had singing and chanting to nourish their natures and feelings, sounds to nourish ears and eyes, and dance to nourish the blood and pulse; now none of these exist, so one cannot be completed by music. [Songs and chants of poems, gentle and sincere, nourished their natures and feelings. The five notes formed patterns, the eight kinds of instruments were set in comparison, and the measures and rhythms of loud and soft were balanced and peaceful, nourishing ears and eyes. As for the hands dancing and the feet stepping, holding feather, flute, shield, and axe, practicing the patterns of bending and stretching, bowing and lifting, the linked rows and the slow and quick, one's bearing was made dignified, one's ranks correct, and one's advance and retreat even, the mind and will were made free-flowing and the blood and qi harmonious, which is how the blood and pulse were nourished.] In antiquity it was easy to become a person of talent; now it is hard."

孔子教人不憤不啟不悱不發葢不待憤悱而發則知之不固待憤悱而後發則沛然矣學者須是深思之思而不得然後為他說便好【朱子曰憤者心求通而未得之意悱者口欲言而未能之貌啟謂開其意發謂達其辭愚謂不待憤悱而遽啟發之則未嘗深思其受之也必淺既無所得其聴之也若亡啟發於憤悱之餘則思深力窮而倐然有得必沛然而通達矣】初學者須是且為他說不然非獨他不曉亦止人好問之心也【此又誘進初學之道】橫渠先生曰恭敬撙節退讓以明禮仁之至也愛道之極也【曲禮曰君子恭敬撙節退讓以明禮鄭氏曰撙猶趨也謂趨就乎節約也恭敬者禮之本撙節退讓禮之文君子從事乎此則視聴言動之間天理流行人慾消盡而心徳全矣是仁之至也恭敬則無慢忽撙節則無驕溢退讓則無怨爭是皆所以盡仁愛之道者也】己不勉明則人無從倡道無從教無從成矣【正防○明謂明禮也人必以禮而倡率道必以禮而宏大教必以禮而成就】

"Confucius taught people: he did not enlighten one who was not eager, nor prompt one who was not struggling to express himself. If one prompts without waiting for eagerness and struggle, the knowledge is not firm; if one waits for eagerness and struggle and then prompts, the mind opens up like a flood. Students must think it over deeply, and only when they think and cannot get it should one explain for them. [Zhu Xi said: 'eager' is the mind seeking to understand but not yet getting it; 'struggling' is the look of the mouth wanting to speak but not yet able. To enlighten is to open up the meaning, to prompt is to bring out the wording. Ye Cai comments: if one hastily enlightens before the student is eager and struggling, he has not thought deeply, so his reception is shallow and he gains nothing and hears as if not hearing; if one enlightens after the eagerness and struggle, thought is deep and strength exhausted, and he suddenly gains something and then must open up and understand like a flood.] For beginners one must first explain for them, or else not only will they fail to understand but it will stop their desire to ask. [This is again the way of leading beginners forward.] Master Hengqu said: "To be respectful, restrained, and deferential so as to make ritual clear is the utmost of benevolence and the extreme of loving the Way. [The Record of Rites says: the gentleman is respectful, restrained, and deferential, so as to make ritual clear. Master Zheng says: 'restrained' is like 'moving toward', meaning moving toward moderation. Respect is the root of ritual, and restraint and deference are its forms. When the gentleman works at this, in seeing, hearing, speaking, and moving, heavenly principle flows and human desires are exhausted, so that the virtue of the mind is whole, which is the utmost of benevolence. Respect means no negligence, restraint means no arrogance or overflow, deference means no resentment or contention; all of these are ways to exhaust the Way of benevolence and love.] If one does not strive to make it clear oneself, then there is no way for others to be led, the Way to be broadened (the received text lost a rare character here), or teaching to be completed. [From the Correcting Youthful Ignorance (the received text has a corrupted character here). 'Clear' means to make ritual clear. People must be led by ritual, the Way must be broadened by ritual, and teaching must be completed by ritual.]"

學記曰進而不顧其安使人不由其誠教人不盡其材【其安其成其材皆謂受教者】人未安之又進之未喻之又告之徒使人生此節目不盡材不顧安不由誠皆是施之妄也【此言進而不顧其安徒使人生此節目葢三患實相因而然皆陵節躐等不當其可而施之也】教人至難必盡人之材乃不誤人觀可及處然後告之聖人之明直若庖丁之解牛皆知其隙刃投餘地無全牛矣【此言教人必盡其材聖人隨材施教各當其可如庖丁解牛洞見間隙無全牛矣事見莊子】人之才足以有為但以其不由於誠則不盡其材若曰勉率而為之則豈有由誠哉【橫渠禮記說下同此言使人不由其誠勉強為之而無誠意雖材所可為者亦不能盡之矣○朱子曰嘗見橫渠簡與人謂其子日來誦書不熟宜教他熟誦盡其誠與材】

"The Record of Learning says: 'Advancing without regard for the student's ease, making them not act from sincerity, teaching without exhausting their talent.' [His ease, his sincerity (the received text has a corrupted character here), his talent: all refer to the learner.] To push a person further when he is not yet at ease, to tell him more when he has not yet understood, only makes him develop this sort of formality. Not exhausting talent, not regarding ease, and not following sincerity are all errors in application. [This explains 'advancing without regard for ease merely makes people develop this sort of formality'. The three faults in fact come from one another, and all arise from skipping stages and ranks and applying teaching at the wrong time.] To teach people is most difficult; one must exhaust a person's talent so as not to mislead him. Observe what he can reach and then tell him. The sage's clear sight is like Cook Ding carving an ox: he knew every gap, put the blade where there was room, and saw no whole ox. [This says that in teaching one must exhaust the person's talent. The sage teaches according to talent, each fitting, like Cook Ding carving an ox, seeing through the gaps so that no whole ox remains. The story is in Zhuangzi.] A person's talent may suffice for achievement, but if he does not act from sincerity then his talent is not fully used. If he is merely urged to do it, how could it be from sincerity? [From here on all from Hengqu's Discourse on the Record of Rites. This explains 'making them not act from sincerity': doing it by force with no sincere intent, one cannot fully use even the talent one has. Zhu Xi said: I once saw a note Hengqu sent to someone saying that his son had not recited his books well each day and should be taught to recite them thoroughly, to exhaust his sincerity and talent.]"

古之小兒便能敬事長者與之提攜則兩手奉長者之手問之掩口而對【說見曲禮○捧手習扶持尊者掩口而對習其鄉尊者屏氣也】葢稍不敬事便不忠信故教小兒且先安詳恭敬【安詳則不躁率恭敬則不誕慢此忠信之本也】

"In antiquity small children could already respect and serve their elders: when led by the hand they held the elder's hand with both hands, and when asked something they covered the mouth in answering. [The discussion is in the Record of Rites, 'Summary of Rules'. Holding the hand with both hands is practice in supporting a senior, and covering the mouth to answer is practice in holding the breath toward a senior.] If one is the least disrespectful in serving, one is not loyal and trustworthy, so small children are first taught to be composed and respectful. [Composure means no rashness, and respect means no arrogance or negligence; these are the root of loyalty and trustworthiness.]"

孟子曰人不足與適也政不足與間也唯大人為能格君心之非非唯君心至於朋遊學者之際彼雖議論異同未欲深較惟整理其心使歸之正豈小補哉【橫渠孟子說】近思録卷十一

"Mencius said: 'Such people are not worth blaming, nor are their policies worth criticizing; only the great man can set right what is wrong in the ruler's heart.' Not only the ruler's heart, but also among friends and fellow students, though they may differ in discussion, one does not wish to dispute at length but only sets their mind in order and returns it to what is right; is that a small help? [From Hengqu's Discourse on the Mencius.]" Jinsilu, Volume Eleven.

警戒

Warnings and Cautions

此卷論戒謹之道修己治人常存警省之意不然則私慾易萌善日消而惡日積矣

This volume discusses the way of caution and vigilance. In cultivating oneself and governing others one must always keep a mind of alertness; otherwise private desire easily sprouts, and good declines by the day while evil accumulates.

濓溪先生曰仲由喜聞過令名無窮焉今人有過不喜人規如防疾而忌醫寧滅其身而無悟也噫【通書子路有改過遷善之實故令名無窮焉】

Master Lianxi said: "Zhong You delighted in hearing of his faults, and his good name is endless. People today who have faults do not like being admonished, like those who conceal an illness (the received text has a corrupted character here) and shun doctors, who would rather ruin themselves than awaken. Alas! [From the Penetrating the Book of Changes. Zilu had the substance of correcting faults and turning to goodness, so his good name is endless.]"

伊川先生曰徳善日積則福祿日臻徳逾於祿則雖盛而非滿自古隆盛未有不失道而喪敗者也【易傳下同○泰卦九三傳徳勝於祿則所享者雖厚而不為過祿過其徳則所享者雖薄且不能勝況於隆盛乎隆盛之敗喪必自無徳者致之也】

Master Yichuan said: "When virtue and goodness accumulate daily, blessings and salary come daily. When virtue exceeds salary, then even in great prosperity one is not overfull. Since antiquity, none who flourished greatly and lost the Way avoided ruin. [From here on all from the Commentary on the Changes. This is the commentary on the third yang line of Tai. When virtue surpasses salary, then though one enjoys much it is not excessive; when salary exceeds virtue, then even a meager enjoyment cannot be borne, let alone great prosperity. The ruin of the greatly prosperous must come from those without virtue.]"

人之於豫樂心說之故遲遲遂至於耽戀不能已也豫之六二以中正自守其介如石其去之速不俟終日故貞正而吉也【人處豫樂易至耽戀六二中正上又無應特立自守其節之堅介然如石無所轉移也其去之速不俟終日無所耽戀也】處豫不可安且久也久則溺矣如二可謂見幾而作者也蓋中正故其守堅而能辨之早去之速也【惟其自守之堅故能見幾而作】

"A person finds delight in ease and pleasure; his heart is glad, so he lingers, and ends up so absorbed that he cannot stop. The second yin line of Yu keeps to what is central and correct, firm as a rock, and leaves it quickly without waiting till day's end, so it is correct and auspicious. [A person in ease and pleasure easily becomes absorbed. The second yin line is central and correct with no response above; it stands apart and holds itself, its integrity firm as a rock and immovable, and it leaves so quickly it does not wait a day, with no absorption.] In a state of ease one must not be at rest for long, for if long one drowns. As for the second line, it may be called one who acts upon seeing the subtle sign. For being central and correct, its hold is firm, and so it discerns early and leaves quickly. [Because its self-possession is firm, it can see the subtle sign and act.]"

人君致危亡之道非一而以豫為多【豫卦六五傳衰世之君大率以逸豫致危亡可不深戒哉】

"The ways by which a ruler brings danger and ruin are not one, but ease and pleasure account for most. [The commentary on the fifth yin line of Yu. Rulers of declining ages mostly came to danger and ruin through ease and pleasure; how can one not be deeply warned?]"

聖人為戒必於方盛之時方其盛而不知戒故狃安富則驕侈生樂舒肆則紀綱壊忘禍亂則釁孽萌是以浸淫不知亂之至也【臨卦彖傳驕侈每生於安富之餘綱紀每廢於舒肆之日釁端禍孽每兆於無虞之中故方盛之時實將衰之漸聖人為戒於早則可保其長盛】

"The sage gives warning precisely when things are at their height. If one does not know to take warning in prosperity, one becomes used to peace and wealth and arrogance and extravagance arise; one delights in ease and license and discipline decays; one forgets calamity and disorder and the seeds of trouble sprout; so gradually one soaks in it and does not know disorder has come. [The Judgment commentary of Lin. Arrogance and extravagance are always born after peace and wealth, discipline always decays in days of ease and license, and the seeds of calamity always appear in times of no worry. So the time of height is really the gradual beginning of decline. If the sage warns early, one can preserve long prosperity.]"

復之六三以隂躁處動之極復之頻數而不能固者也【震下坤上為復三既隂躁又處震動之終其於復善也躁動而不能固守者也】復貴安固頻複頻失不安於復也復善而屢失危之道也【有失而後有復屢復而屢失不當其徳危之道也】聖人開其遷善之道與其復而危其屢失故云厲無咎不可以頻失而戒其復也頻失則為危屢復何咎過在失而不在復也【屢失故危厲屢復故無咎無咎者補過之稱也】劉質夫曰頻復不已遂至迷復【劉絢字質夫程子門人也頻複頻失而不止久則玩溺而不能復必至上九之迷復矣】

"The third yin line of Fu, being yin and restless, is at the extreme of movement, so it returns again and again and cannot hold firm. [Zhen below and Kun above make Fu. The third line is both yin and restless and located at the end of Zhen's stirring, so it is restless and cannot hold fast to the good of returning.] Return values steadiness and firmness. Returning again and again and losing again and again is being unsettled in return. To return to goodness yet lose it repeatedly is the way of danger. [Only after losing is there return; to return repeatedly and lose repeatedly fails to fit the virtue and is the way of danger.] The sage opens the way of turning toward goodness, and approves the return while seeing danger in the repeated loss, hence he says 'danger, but no blame': one must not warn against returning because of frequent loss. Frequent loss is dangerous, but what blame is there in repeated return? The fault lies in the losing, not the returning. [Repeated loss is why there is danger, repeated return is why there is no blame. 'No blame' is the word for making amends.] Liu Zhifu said: 'Return again and again without end, and one ends in a confused return.' [Liu Xuan, styled Zhifu, was a disciple of Master Cheng. To return and lose again and again without stopping, in time one becomes absorbed and drowned and cannot return, and ends in the confused return of the top yang line.]"

伊川先生曰睽極則咈戾而難合剛極則躁暴而不詳明極則過察而多疑聧之上九有六三之正應實不孤而其才性如此自睽孤也【兊下離上為睽上居睽之終是睽之極也以九居上是剛之極也居離之終是明之極也有是一者何往而不睽孤哉雖有正應亦不合矣】如人雖有親黨而多自疑猜妄生乖離雖處骨肉親黨之間而常孤獨也【多自疑猜過明之患也妄生乖離遇剛好睽之致也】

Master Yichuan said: "When estrangement reaches its extreme, there is conflict and difficulty in uniting; when firmness reaches its extreme, there is violence and ill omen; when clarity reaches its extreme, there is over-scrutiny and much suspicion. The top yang line of Kui has the proper correspondent in the third yin line and truly is not alone, but with such a temperament it is estranged and solitary of itself. [Dui below and Li above make Kui. The top line is at the end of Kui, the extreme of estrangement; as a yang line at the top it is the extreme of firmness; at the end of Li it is the extreme of clarity. With these three, wherever it goes it will be estranged and alone. Even with a proper correspondent it does not unite.] It is like a person who, though having kin and friends, is often suspicious and distrustful and needlessly creates estrangement, so that even among flesh and blood he is always alone. [Much self-suspicion is the fault of excessive clarity, and needlessly creating estrangement is the result of meeting one's own firmness and being fond of estrangement.]"

解之六三曰負且乘致寇至貞吝伊川易傳曰小人而竊盛位雖勉為正事而氣質卑下本非在上之物終可吝也【負者小人之事也乘者君子之器也故為小人竊盛位之象勉為正事者貞也然而隂柔卑下之質冒居內卦之上非其所安是以吝也】若能大正則如何曰大正非隂柔所能也若能之則是化為君子矣

On the third yin line of Jie: "Carrying a load while riding, he invites robbers; though correct, there is shame." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "A petty person who usurps a prominent position, though he strives to do what is right, is of low quality and by nature does not belong above, and in the end there is shame. [Carrying is the work of petty people and riding is the vehicle of gentlemen, hence the image of a petty person usurping a high position. Striving to do what is right is 'correct'; but a soft, low-grade nature that occupies the top of the inner trigram is not where it is at ease, and hence 'shame'.] If he could be greatly correct, what then? I say: great correctness is not within the power of the yin and soft. If he could achieve it, he would have been transformed into a gentleman."

益之上九曰莫益之或擊之伊川易傳曰理者天下之至公利者眾人所同欲苟公其心不失其正理則與眾同利無侵於人人亦欲與之若切於好利蔽於自私求自益以損於人則人亦與之力爭故莫肯益之而有擊奪之者矣【在上者推至公之理而與眾同其利則眾亦與之同其利苟懐自私之心而惟利己則人亦各欲利其己而奪其所利矣益之上九人莫益之而或擊之者以其求益之過也】

On the top yang line of Yi: "No one benefits him, and someone strikes him." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "Principle is the utmost impartiality of the world, and profit is what the multitude all desire. If one is impartial in his mind and does not lose right principle, he shares profit with the multitude, encroaches on none, and others are willing to share with him. If one is keen on profit and blinded by self-interest, seeking to benefit himself at others' expense, then others contend with him strongly, so no one is willing to benefit him and some strike him and seize from him. [One in high position who extends the principle of utmost impartiality and shares benefit with the multitude will find the multitude sharing benefit with him; if he harbors a selfish mind and cares only for his own profit, each person will want to profit himself and take away what he profits. In the top yang line of Yi, no one benefits him and someone strikes him, because his seeking benefit is excessive.]"

艮之九三曰艮其限列其夤厲薰心伊川易傳曰夫止道貴乎得宜行止不能以時而定於一其堅強如此則處世乖戾與物睽絶其危甚矣【限界分也列絶也夤膂肉也亦一身上下之限也三居內卦之上實內外之分故取象皆為限止之義所貴於止者謂各得所宜止而無過與不及也不度時中而一於限止焉堅執強忍如此則違世絶物危厲甚矣】人之固止一隅而舉世莫與宜者則艱蹇忿畏焚撓其中豈有安裕之理厲薰心謂不安之勢薰爍其中也

On the third yang line of Gen: "Stopping at the waist, splitting the flesh along the spine; danger sears the heart." Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "The Way of stopping values what is fitting. If one's going and stopping cannot be settled according to the time but are fixed to one course, being so rigid, one will be perverse in the world and cut off from things, and the danger is great. [A limit is a boundary, 'split' means cut off, and the spinal flesh is the dividing line between the upper and lower body. The third line sits at the top of the inner trigram and really is the division between inner and outer, so all the images are of limit and stopping. What is valued in stopping is that each thing finds what is fitting, and stops without excess or deficiency. If one does not measure the timely mean and is fixed on stopping at a limit, holding on stubbornly and enduring so, one will run against the world and cut off from things, and the danger is great.] A person who sticks to one corner while the whole world cannot suit him will have hardship, frustration, anger, and fear burning and troubling him within; how could there be any ease and room? 'Danger sears the heart' means the force of unease scorches him within."

大率以說而動安有不失正者【歸妹彖傳兊下震上為歸妹兊說也震動也心有所好樂則不得其正況從欲而忘返者耶】

"In general, when one moves from delight, how could one not lose what is correct? [The Judgment commentary of Gui Mei. Dui below and Zhen above make Gui Mei. Dui is delight and Zhen is movement. If the mind has what it likes and enjoys, it does not obtain what is correct; how much more when one follows desire and forgets to return?]"

男女有尊卑之序夫婦有倡隨之理此常理也若徇情肆欲惟說是動男牽欲而失其剛婦狃說而忘其順則兇而無所利矣【同上震長男兊少女以說而動則徇情肆欲必且失其常理而致兇矣】雖舜之聖且畏巧言令色說之惑人易入而可懼也如此【兊卦六五傳巧言者工佞之言令色者善柔之色皆務以恱人也人心喜順惡逆故巧言令色易以惑人凡說之道皆然不可不戒也】

"Men and women have an order of high and low, and husband and wife have the principle of leading and following; this is constant principle. If one indulges feeling and gives rein to desire and moves only from delight, the man being pulled by desire loses his firmness and the woman, accustomed to delight, forgets her compliance, and the result is misfortune with nothing gained. [Same as above. Zhen is the eldest son and Dui the youngest daughter. To move by delight is to indulge feeling and give rein to desire, and one will surely lose constant principle and meet misfortune.] Even the sage Shun feared glib words and a flattering countenance: how easily delight enters and deludes people, and how fearful this is. [The commentary on the fifth yin line of Dui. Glib words are the speech of skilled flatterers, a flattering countenance is a soft and ingratiating look, and both aim to please. People's hearts like compliance and dislike opposition, so glib words and flattering looks easily delude. All ways of delight are like this and one must be on guard against them.]"

治水天下之大任也非其至公之心能捨己從人盡天下之議則不能成其功豈方命圯族者所能乎【方不順也命天理也圯族敗類也夫任天下之大事者非一人之私智所能集要必合天下之謀而後可也苟上不順乎天理下不依乎群情恃其才智任己而行烏能有濟】鯀雖九年而功弗成然其所治固非他人所及也惟其功有敘故其自任益強咈戾圯類益甚公議隔而人心離矣是其惡益顯而其功卒不可成也【經說下同公議隔而得失莫聞人心離而事業莫與共之者矣】

"Controlling the flood was the great task of the world. Without a mind of utmost impartiality able to give up one's own view and follow others and exhaust the opinions of the world, one could not accomplish this; how could one who disobeys orders and harms his kin do it? [To 'disobey' is not to comply; 'orders' means heavenly principle; harming kin means destroying one's own kind. One entrusted with a great matter of the world cannot gather it by one man's private cleverness and must unite the plans of the world before it can be done. If above one does not comply with heavenly principle and below one does not rely on the feelings of the multitude, relying on one's talent and acting on one's own, how can anything be accomplished?] Though Gun labored nine years and did not succeed, his handling of the flood was certainly beyond what others could do. Because his work had some order, he trusted himself the more, grew ever more perverse and destructive of his own kind, and public opinion was cut off and people's hearts were estranged. Thus his evil grew more evident and his work could never be completed. [From here on all from the Discourse on the Classics. When public opinion is cut off, no one hears of gains and losses; when people's hearts are estranged, there is no one to share the work.]"

君子敬以直內微生高所枉雖小而害直則大【子曰孰謂微生高直或乞醯焉乞諸其隣而與之微生姓高名君子敬以直內不容有一毫之邪枉所謂直也微生高以無為有曲意徇人蓋邪枉之態不能掩者事雖微所以害於直者甚大故聖人因以立教】

"The gentleman is upright within through reverence. What Weisheng Gao bent was small, but the harm to uprightness was great. [Confucius said: who says Weisheng Gao is upright? When someone begged vinegar from him, he begged it from a neighbor and gave it. Weisheng is the surname and Gao the name. The gentleman is upright within through reverence and allows not a hair's breadth of crookedness, which is what is called uprightness. Weisheng Gao pretended to have what he did not and bent his intention to please others, a crooked posture that cannot be concealed. Though the matter was small, the harm to uprightness was great, and so the sage took it to establish teaching.]"

人有欲則無剛剛則不屈於欲【謝上蔡曰剛與欲正相反能勝物之謂剛故常伸於萬物之上為物掩之謂欲故常屈於萬物之下】

"A person with desires has no firmness; one who is firm does not bend to desires. [Xie Shangcai said: firmness and desire are exact opposites. One who can overcome things is called firm and so always stands above the myriad things; one who is covered by things is called desiring and so always bends beneath the myriad things.]"

人之過也各於其類君子常失於厚小人常失於薄君子過於愛小人傷於忍【君子小人之分在於仁與不仁而已故仁者之過常在於厚與愛不仁者之過常在於薄與忍】

"People's faults each belong to their kind: the gentleman often errs on the side of generosity, the petty person often errs on the side of meanness; the gentleman's excess is in love, the petty person's harm is in cruelty. [The distinction between gentleman and petty person lies in benevolence and its lack. So the faults of the benevolent are always in generosity and love, and the faults of the unbenevolent always in meanness and cruelty.]"

明道先生曰富貴驕人固不善學問驕人害亦不細【遺書下同○君子之學為己而已以學問驕人非特其學為務外而傲惰敗徳學亦不進矣】

Master Mingdao said: "That wealth and rank make people arrogant is certainly bad, but that learning makes people arrogant does no small harm either. [From here on all from the Surviving Writings. The gentleman's learning is for himself alone. To be arrogant with learning means not only that his learning is aimed outward, but also that pride and laziness ruin virtue and the learning does not advance.]"

人以料事為明便駸駸入逆詐億不信去也【子曰不逆詐不億不信朱子曰逆未至而迎之也億未見而意之也愚謂事而無情曰詐言而無實曰不信詐者巧而不信者誕也揚子云謂匿行曰詐易言曰誕是也若事未顯而逆料臆度之則自流於巧而惑於疑未必得事之情實矣人以料事為明者必至於是周子曰謂能疑為明何啻千里】

"If a person takes anticipating events to be intelligence, he gradually slides into presuming deceit and suspecting bad faith. [Confucius said: do not presume deceit or suspect bad faith. Zhu Xi said: to presume is to meet what has not yet come, and to suspect is to guess at what has not yet been seen. Ye Cai comments: acting without sincerity is called deceit, and speaking without substance is called bad faith. The deceitful are crafty and those of bad faith are bombastic. Yang Ziyun said that hiding one's conduct is deceit and taking speech lightly is bombast. If events have not yet appeared and one presumes and guesses at them, one flows into craftiness and is deluded by suspicion, and does not necessarily get the real facts. A person who takes anticipating events as intelligence will certainly come to this. Master Zhou said: to call the ability to suspect intelligence is off by more than a thousand li.]"

人於外物奉身者事事要好只有自家一個身與心卻不要好苟得外面物好時卻不知道自家身與心卻巳先不好了也【所謂以小害大賤害貴者也】

"People want everything good in the outside things that serve their bodies, but only their own body and mind they do not want to be good. If they get the outer things good, they do not know that their own body and mind have already become bad. [This is what is called harming the great by the small and the noble by the base.]"

人於天理昏者是隻為嗜慾亂著他莊子言其嗜慾深者其天機淺此言卻最是【嗜慾多則志亂氣昏而天理微矣二者常相為消長】伊川先生曰閱機事之久機心必生葢方其閱時心必喜既喜則如種下種子【荘子曰有機械者必有機事有機事者必有機心】疑病者未有事至時先有疑端在心周羅事者先有周事之端在心皆病也【周羅俚語猶兜攬也事未至而有好疑喜事之端則事至之時有不當疑而疑不當攬而攬者矣故治心者必去其端】

"People who are dim about heavenly principle are only confused by appetites and desires. Zhuangzi said that those whose appetites and desires are deep have shallow heavenly springs, and this saying is most true. [Many appetites and desires confuse the will and darken qi, and heavenly principle becomes faint; the two always rise and fall against each other.] Master Yichuan said: "If one watches clever schemes for long, a scheming mind is sure to arise. For when one watches, the mind must be pleased, and once pleased it is like planting a seed. [Zhuangzi said: those who have machines will have machine affairs, and those with machine affairs will have a machine mind.] A suspicious person, before anything has come, has a seed of suspicion already in his mind; one who is a busybody has the seed of meddling already in his mind; both are illnesses. [A 'busybody' is colloquial, meaning someone who gathers things up. Before things come, to have a seed of being fond of suspicion or fond of affairs means that when things come one suspects what should not be suspected and takes on what should not be taken on. So one who governs the mind must remove the seed.]"

較事大小其弊為枉尺直尋之病【事無大小惟理是視或者有苟成急就之意謂道雖少屈而所伸者大義雖微害而所利者博則有冒而為之者原其初心止於權大小遂至枉尺直尋其末流之弊乃有不可勝言矣】

"To weigh the size of a matter is to fall into the fault of bending a foot to straighten eight. [In matters, large or small, look only to principle. Someone may have a mind to get things done quickly and say that though the Way is bent a little, what is gained is great, and though righteousness is slightly harmed, what is benefited is broad, and so dares to proceed. If one traces the original intent, it was only to weigh large against small, and that leads to bending a foot to straighten eight, and the evils at the end of the stream are beyond telling.]"

小人小丈夫不合小了他本不是惡【性無不善而局於氣質汩於利慾者自小之耳】

"The petty person, the small man: one should not belittle him, for he is not originally evil." [Nature is never not good; those who are confined by their physical endowment and drowned in desire for profit have only made themselves small.]

雖公天下事若用私意為之便是私【事出於公而以私意為之即是私也故學者以正心為本論人者必察其心不徒考其事】

"Even in handling the public affairs of the world, if one does it with private intent, it is private." [When a matter comes from the public good but is done with private intent, it is private. So the learner takes rectifying the heart as the root, and one who judges others must examine their hearts and not merely examine their deeds.]

做官奪人志【仕而志於富貴者固不必言或馳騖乎是非予奪之境而此志動於喜怒愛惡之私或經營於建功立業之間而此志防於計度區畫之巧徳未成而從政者未有不奪其志學者所當深省也】驕是氣盈吝是氣歉人若吝時於財上亦不足於事上亦不足凡百事皆不足必有歉歉之色【驕矜誇吝鄙嗇也驕氣盈者常覺其有餘吝氣歉者常覺其不足惟君子所志者道故無時而盈亦無所不足】

"Holding office robs a person of his resolve." [It goes without saying for those who take office with their will set on wealth and rank. Some race about in the realm of right and wrong, granting and taking away, so that the will is stirred by private joy, anger, love and hatred; others busy themselves in achieving merit and establishing careers, so that the will is trapped (the original has "fang" here) in clever calculation and planning. Those who enter government before their virtue is complete never fail to have their resolve robbed. Learners should reflect deeply on this.] "Arrogance is a surplus of qi; stinginess is a deficit of qi. When a person is stingy, he feels short in wealth, short in affairs, short in everything, and must wear a look of constant lack." [Arrogance is boasting; stinginess is meanness and miserliness. The one whose qi is in surplus always feels he has more than enough, and the one whose qi is in deficit always feels he lacks. Only the gentleman sets his will on the Way, and so he is never full yet never lacking in anything.]

未知道者如醉人方其醉時無所不至及其醒也莫不愧恥人之未知學者自視以為無缺及既知學反思前日所為則駭且懼矣

"One who does not yet know the Way is like a drunk: while drunk he goes to any length, and when he sobers he is ashamed. People who have not yet learned regard themselves as without flaw; once they know learning and look back on what they did before, they are alarmed and afraid."

邢恕雲一日三防檢明道曰可哀也哉其餘時理會甚事葢仿三省之說錯了可見不曾用功又多逐人面上說一般話明道責之邢曰無可說明道曰無可說便不得不說【曾子三省謂日以三事自省邢仿其言乃雲一日三次防檢】

Xing Shu said: "Each day I guard and check myself three times." Mingdao said: "How pitiful! What do you attend to the rest of the time?" He had imitated the Master Zeng's three daily self-examinations wrongly, which shows he had never applied effort. He also tended to say the same kind of words to each person's face. Mingdao rebuked him. Xing said: "There is nothing to say." Mingdao said: "If there is nothing to say, then you must say something." [Master Zeng's three examinations meant examining himself daily on three matters. Xing imitated his words and said he guarded and checked himself three times a day.]

橫渠先生曰學者舍禮義則飽食終日無所猷為與下民一致所事不逾衣食之間燕逰之樂耳【正防】

Master Hengqu said: "If a learner abandons ritual and rightness, he eats his fill all day with nothing to undertake, and is the same as the common people, his concerns going no further than clothing and food and the pleasures of banquets and outings." [From the Zhengmeng (the original has "fang" here for "zheng").]

鄭衛之音悲哀令人意思留連又生怠惰之意從而致驕淫之心雖珍玩竒貨其始惑人也亦不如是切從而生無限嗜好故孔子曰必放之亦是聖人經歴過但聖人能不為物所移耳【橫渠禮樂說】

"The music of Zheng and Wey is mournful, makes people's thoughts linger, and also breeds a spirit of laziness, which then leads to a heart of arrogance and licentiousness. Even precious curios and rare goods at first do not entice people so keenly, and from them arise endless cravings. That is why Confucius said it must be banished; he too, as a sage, had been through this, only a sage can avoid being swayed by things." [From Hengqu's Liyue shuo (Explanation of Ritual and Music).]

孟子言反經特於鄉原之後者以鄉原大者不先立心中初無主惟是左右看順人情不欲違一生如此【橫渠孟子說經常也古今不易之常道也是是非非必有定理而好善惡惡必有定見今鄉原浮沈俯仰無所可否葢其義理不立中無所主惟務恱人以是終身乃亂常之尤者君子反經復其常道則是非昭然而鄉原偽言偽行不得以惑之矣】

"When Mencius speaks of returning to the constant norm, he places it specifically after the village worthy, because the village worthy has not first established what is great; at the start his mind has no master, and he only looks left and right, goes along with human feelings, and does not want to offend anyone, living his whole life this way." [From Hengqu's Mengzi shuo. The constant norm is the constant Way that has not changed from ancient times to the present. Right and wrong must have fixed principle, and loving good and hating evil must have settled view. The village worthy now drifts and bobs, bows and bends, saying neither yes nor no; his rightness and principle are not established and his mind has no master, and he only works to please others, doing so all his life, which is the worst kind of disordering of the constant. The gentleman returns to the constant norm and restores its constant Way, so that right and wrong are clear, and the village worthy's false words and deeds cannot confuse him.]

此卷辨異端葢君子之學雖已至然異端之辨尤不可以不明苟於此有毫釐之未辨則貽害於人心者甚矣

This volume distinguishes heterodoxies. Even when the gentleman's learning has reached its goal, the distinction of heterodoxies must be made all the more clear. If on this point even a hair's breadth is left undistinguished, the harm done to the human heart is great.

明道先生曰楊墨之害甚於申韓佛老之害甚於楊墨【楊朱墨翟詳見孟子申不害者鄭人以刑名幹韓昭侯昭侯用以為相韓非韓之諸公子善刑名法術之學佛者本西域之人為寂滅之學自漢以來其說始入中國老者周柱下史老耼也其書論清浄無為之道】楊氏為我疑於仁墨氏兼愛疑於義申韓則淺陋易見故孟子只闢楊墨為其惑世之甚也【楊氏為我可謂自私而不仁矣然而猶疑似於無慾之仁墨氏兼愛可謂氾濫而無義矣然猶疑似於無私之義故足以惑人也若申韓之刑名功利淺陋而易見故孟子但闢楊墨恐其為人心之害而申韓不足闢也】佛老其言近理又非楊墨之比此所以為害尤甚楊墨之害亦經孟子闢之所以廓如也【遺書下同佛氏言心性老氏談道徳皆近於理又非楊墨之比故其為人心之害尤甚揚子云曰古者楊墨塞路孟子辭而闢之廓如也朱子曰楊朱即老耼弟子孟子闢楊墨則老莊在其中矣】

Master Mingdao said: "The harm of Yang and Mo is greater than that of Shen and Han, and the harm of Buddhism and Daoism is greater than that of Yang and Mo." [Yang Zhu and Mo Di are described in the Mencius. Shen Buhai was a man of Zheng who approached Marquis Zhao of Han with the doctrine of forms and names, and the Marquis employed him as chancellor. Han Fei was one of the princes of Han and was skilled in the learning of forms and names, law and technique. The Buddha was originally a man of the Western Regions who taught the learning of quiescent extinction, and his teaching began to enter China from the Han onward. Lao was Lao Dan, archivist of Zhou, whose book discusses the Way of purity and non-action.] "Yang's 'for oneself' might be mistaken for humaneness, Mo's 'universal love' might be mistaken for rightness, while Shen and Han are shallow and crude and easily seen through, so Mencius only refuted Yang and Mo, because they deluded the world most." [Yang's 'for oneself' may be called selfish and not humane, yet it resembles the humaneness of having no desires; Mo's universal love may be called overflowing and without rightness, yet it resembles the rightness of having no selfishness, and so they were able to mislead people. As for Shen and Han's forms and names and pursuit of profit, they are shallow and easily seen, so Mencius refuted only Yang and Mo, fearing that they would harm the human heart, while Shen and Han were not worth refuting.] "The words of Buddhism and Daoism come close to principle, and they are unlike Yang and Mo, which is why their harm is even greater. The harm of Yang and Mo was also refuted by Mencius, so the way was cleared." [The following passages are all from the Yishu. The Buddhists speak of the heart and nature and the Daoists discuss the Way and virtue, both close to principle and unlike Yang and Mo, so their harm to the human heart is all the greater. Yang Ziyun (Yang Xiong) said: In ancient times Yang and Mo blocked the road, and Mencius rejected and refuted them, clearing it. Zhu Xi said: Yang Zhu was a disciple of Lao Dan; when Mencius refuted Yang and Mo, Lao and Zhuang were included.]

伊川先生曰儒者潛心正道不容有差其始甚微其終則不可救如師也過商也不及於聖人中道師只是過於厚些商只是不及些然而厚則漸至於兼愛不及則便至於為我其過不及同出於儒者其末遂至楊墨至於楊墨亦未至於無父無君孟子推之便至於此葢其差必至於是也【師子張名商子夏名子張才高意廣泛愛兼容故常過乎中子夏篤信自守規模謹宻故常不及乎中二子於道亦未逺也然師之過其流必至於墨氏之兼愛子夏之不及其後傳田子方子方之後為莊周是楊氏為我之學也孟氏推楊墨之極致則兼愛者至於無父葢愛其父亦同於路人是無父也為我者至於無君葢自私其身而不知有上下是無君也】

Master Yichuan said: "Confucians who devote their minds to the correct Way cannot tolerate any error. Its beginning is very slight but its end cannot be repaired. Take Shi (Zizhang), who overshot, and Shang (Zixia), who fell short, in relation to the sage's mean: Shi merely overshot by being a bit too generous, and Shang merely fell short a bit. Yet generosity gradually leads to universal love, and falling short leads at once to 'for oneself.' Their overshooting and falling short both came from Confucians, and at the end of the line they led to Yang and Mo. As for Yang and Mo, they too had not reached the point of having no father and no ruler; it was Mencius who extended their doctrines to that point, since their error must end there." [Shi is Zizhang's personal name and Shang is Zixia's. Zizhang was of high talent and broad intent, loved widely and embraced all, so he often overshot the mean; Zixia was firmly trusting and kept to himself, his scale careful and close, so he often fell short of the mean. The two were not far from the Way. Yet Shi's overshooting must, in its stream, end in Mo's universal love; Zixia's falling short was passed on to Tian Zifang, and after Zifang came Zhuang Zhou, which is Yang's learning of 'for oneself.' Mencius pushed Yang and Mo to their extreme: universal love ends in having no father, because loving one's father the same as a passerby is having no father; 'for oneself' ends in having no ruler, because being selfish about one's own person and not knowing above and below is having no ruler.]

明道先生曰道之外無物物之外無道是天地之間無適而非道也即父子而父子在所親即君臣而君臣在所嚴以至為夫婦為長幼為朋友無所為而非道此道所以不可須臾離也然則毀人倫去四大者其外於道也逺矣【物由道而形故道外無物道以物而具故物外無道人於天地間不能違物而獨立故無適而非道也今釋氏乃毀棄人倫滅絶四大其戾於道逺矣釋氏以地水火風為四大謂四大幻假而成人身寂滅幻根防除一切】故君子之於天下也無適也無莫也義之與比若有適有莫則於道為有間非天地之全也【適可也莫不可也比從也君子之於天下無可無不可惟義之從也今釋氏可以寂滅無為而不可以察理應事必欲防除外相始見法性非天地本然全體之性矣】彼釋氏之學於敬以直內則有之矣義以方外則未之有也【釋氏習定欲得此心收斂虛靜亦若所謂敬以直內然有體而無用絶滅倫理何有於義】故滯固者入於枯槁疏通者歸於恣肆此佛之教所以為隘也吾道則不然率性而已斯理也聖人於易備言之【釋氏離器以為道故於日用事物之間或拘或肆皆為之病名為大自在而實則隘陋而一毫不容也若吾儒率性之道動靜各正既不病於拘亦不至於肆聖人贊易所謂知至至之可與幾也知終終之可與存義也敬以直內義以方外時止則止時行則行動靜不失其時體用本末備言之矣】又曰佛有一個覺之理可以敬以直內矣然無義以方外其直內者要之其本亦不是【佛學禪者覺也覺者心無倚著靈覺不昧所謂常惺惺法若可敬以直內矣然而無制事之義則其所謂覺者猶無寸之尺無心之兩其直內之本亦非矣】釋氏本怖死生為利豈是公道【釋氏謂有生必有滅故有輪廻今求不生不滅之理可免輪廻之苦此本出於利己之私意也】惟務上達而無下學然則其上達處豈有是也元不相連屬但有間防非道也【絶學而求頓悟故無下學工夫道器本不相離合舍物以明理泯跡以求心豈知道者哉】孟子曰盡其心者知其性也彼所謂識心見性是也若存心養性一段事則無矣【朱子曰釋氏恍惚之間略見得心性影子都不見裡面許多道理就使有存養之功亦只存養得他所見影子終不分明】彼固曰出家獨善便於道體自不足【道本人倫今曰出家則於道體虧欠大矣】或曰釋氏地獄之類皆是為下根之人設此怖令為善先生曰至誠貫天地人尚有不化豈有立偽教而人可化乎

Master Mingdao said: "Outside the Way there is no thing, and outside things there is no Way; between Heaven and Earth there is nowhere that is not the Way. Take father and son, and the father and son are what is to be loved; take ruler and minister, and the ruler and minister are what is to be revered; and so it is with husband and wife, elder and younger, friends: there is nothing that is not the Way. This is why the Way cannot be left for even a moment. Those who destroy human relations and discard the Four Elements are far outside the Way." [Things take form through the Way, so outside the Way there is no thing; the Way is complete through things, so outside things there is no Way. Humans cannot stand alone apart from things between Heaven and Earth, so there is nowhere that is not the Way. Now the Buddhists destroy and abandon human relations and extinguish the Four Elements, and they depart far from the Way. The Buddhists take earth, water, fire and wind as the Four Elements, saying that the Four Elements are illusory and temporary and form the human body, and that one should extinguish the illusory roots by quiescence and eliminate (the original reads "fang chu") everything.] "So the gentleman toward the world has no predisposition for and none against; he sides with what is right. If there is a 'for' and an 'against,' then there is a gap in the Way, and it is not the wholeness of Heaven and Earth." ["Predisposition for" means allowing, "against" means disallowing, and "sides with" means follows. The gentleman toward the world has nothing he insists on and nothing he rejects, and follows only rightness. Now the Buddhists may be quiescent and non-acting but cannot examine principle and respond to affairs, and they insist on eliminating (the original reads "fang chu") all outward appearances before seeing the nature of dharma, which is not the nature of the original wholeness of Heaven and Earth.] "The Buddhists' learning has 'reverence to straighten the inner,' but has nothing of 'rightness to square the outer.'" [Buddhists practice meditation, wanting the heart to be gathered in, empty and still, which resembles so-called 'reverence to straighten the inner'; but they have substance without function and cut off human relations, so how could they have rightness?] "So those who are stagnant and rigid fall into withered desolation, and those who are open and free return to unrestrained license. This is why the Buddha's teaching is narrow. Our Way is not so; it simply follows nature. This principle the sages set out in full in the Changes." [The Buddhists separate from concrete things to make the Way, so in daily affairs they are either constrained or licentious, and both are faults; they are called great freedom but are in fact narrow and petty, tolerating not a hair. As for our Confucian way of following nature, movement and stillness are each correct, and one is neither ill with constraint nor given to license. What the sages praised in the Changes, 'knowing the arrival and so reaching it, one can discern the incipient' and 'knowing the end and so ending it, one can preserve rightness,' 'reverence to straighten the inner, rightness to square the outer,' stopping when it is time to stop and moving when it is time to move, with movement and stillness never missing their time, sets out substance and function, root and branch in full.] He also said: "The Buddha has a principle of awakening, which can be taken as 'reverence to straighten the inner'; but it lacks rightness to square the outer. As for its straightening of the inner, in the end its root is not right either." [In Buddhist learning, Chan is awakening. Awakening is the heart leaning on nothing, spiritually aware and unclouded, what they call the 'always alert' method, which may seem like reverence to straighten the inner; but with no rightness to regulate affairs, this awakening is like a ruler without inches or a scale without marks, and the root of its straightening of the inner is also not right.] "The Buddhists are fundamentally terrified of birth and death and take advantage of that; how can this be the public Way?" [The Buddhists say whatever has birth must have extinction, hence reincarnation; now seeking the principle of no birth and no extinction one may escape the suffering of reincarnation. This originates in selfish intent to benefit oneself.] "They strive only for the higher and have no lower learning, so how can their higher have any truth? The two are originally unconnected, only broken (the original reads "jian fang"), and that is not the Way." [Abandoning study and seeking sudden enlightenment, they have no work of lower learning. The Way and concrete things were never separate; now abandoning things to clarify principle and erasing traces to seek the heart, how could they know the Way?] "Mencius said: 'He who fully realizes his heart knows his nature.' What they call recognizing the heart and seeing nature is this. But the matter of preserving the heart and nourishing the nature is not there at all." [Zhu Xi said: The Buddhists catch in a trance a vague shadow of the heart and nature, and do not see all the principles inside. Even if they do the work of preserving and nourishing, they only preserve and nourish the shadow they have seen, and it is never clear.] "They indeed speak of leaving the family to perfect oneself alone, which makes them lacking in the substance of the Way." [The Way is rooted in human relations. Now to speak of leaving the family is a great deficiency in the substance of the Way.] Someone said: The hells and the like of the Buddhists are all set up to terrify people of lesser capacity into doing good. The Master said: "Utmost sincerity penetrates Heaven and Earth, yet some people are still not transformed; how could they be transformed by setting up a false teaching?"

學者於釋氏之說直須如淫聲美色以逺之不爾則駸駸然入於其中矣顔淵問為邦孔子旣告之以二帝三王之事而復戒以放鄭聲逺佞人曰鄭聲淫佞人殆彼佞人者是他一邉佞耳然而於已則危只是能使人移故危也至於禹之言曰何畏乎巧言令色直消言畏只是須著如此戒慎猶恐不免釋氏之學更不消言常戒到自家自信後便不能亂得【初學立心未定必屏逺異端之說信道旣篤乃可考辨其失】

"Learners should treat the Buddhists' doctrines just like lewd music and beautiful women and keep far from them. Otherwise one will gradually slip into them. When Yan Yuan asked about governing a state, Confucius told him the affairs of the two emperors and three kings, and also warned him to banish the sounds of Zheng and keep glib people at a distance, saying that the sounds of Zheng are lewd and glib people are dangerous. Glib people are only glib in one respect, yet they are dangerous to oneself, simply because they can sway people, and that is why they are dangerous. As Yu said, 'Why fear clever words and a flattering look?' That he needed only to say 'fear' shows that one must be this cautious and yet may still not escape. With Buddhism there is no need to speak of constant caution; once one believes in oneself, one cannot be confused." [When a beginner's resolve is not yet set, he must keep far from heterodox teachings; once his faith in the Way is firm, he may examine and distinguish their errors.]

所以謂萬物一體者皆有此理只為從那裡來生生之謂易生則一時生皆完此理人則能推物則氣昏推不得不可道他物不與有也【天地之理流行化生人之與物均有是生則亦均具是理所謂萬物一體也然人所稟之氣通故能推物所稟之氣塞故不能推】人只為自私將自家軀殻上頭起意故看得道理小了他底放這身來都在萬物中一例看大小大快活【人知萬物一體之理不為私己之見自然與物各得其所】釋氏以不知此去他身上起意思奈何那身不得故卻厭惡要得去盡根塵為心源不定故要得如枯木死灰然沒此理要有此理除是死也【釋氏惟不知萬物一體順理而行本無障礙顧乃自生私見為吾身不能不交於物也遂欲盡去根塵空諸所有佛書以耳舌口鼻身意為六根以色聲香味觸法為六塵其說為幻塵滅故幻根亦滅幻根滅故幻心亦滅然心本生道有體則有用豈容絶滅哉】釋氏其實是愛身放不得故說許多譬如蝜蝂之蟲已載不起猶自更取物在身又如抱石投河以其重愈沈終不道放下石頭惟嫌重也【原釋氏之初本是愛己妄生計較欲世離生死而不知去私己之念本無事也】

"What is called the oneness of the myriad things is that all have this principle, just because they all come from there. 'Generating and regenerating is called Change'; when generated, they are generated at once, and all complete this principle. Humans can extend it, but things, because their qi is dull, cannot; it cannot be said that other things do not partake in it." [The principle of Heaven and Earth flows and generates; humans and things alike have this generation, and so alike have this principle; this is the so-called oneness of the myriad things. But the qi that humans receive is penetrating, so they can extend it; the qi that things receive is blocked, so they cannot extend it.] "People are merely selfish and start their thinking from their own bodily shell, so they see principle as small. If one places this body among the myriad things and views it as one among them, how great and delightful that is!" [If a person knows the principle of the oneness of the myriad things and does not hold the view of the private self, he will naturally let things each find their place.] "The Buddhists, not knowing this, start their thinking from their own bodies, and being unable to do anything with the body, they come to hate it and wish to get rid of all the sense roots and dust; because the source of the heart is unsettled, they want to be like withered wood and dead ashes. But there is no such principle. If there were, it would only be when one is dead." [The Buddhists only fail to know that the oneness of the myriad things and following principle are by nature unobstructed, and instead produce private views of their own: because my body cannot avoid interacting with things, they want to remove all sense roots and dust and empty out everything that exists. The Buddhist books take ear, tongue, mouth, nose, body and mind as the six roots, and form, sound, smell, taste, touch and dharma as the six dusts. Their theory is that since the illusory dust is extinguished the illusory roots are extinguished too, and since the illusory roots are extinguished the illusory heart is extinguished too. But the heart is originally the way of generating, and where there is substance there is function; how could it be extinguished?] "The Buddhists in truth love the body and cannot let go of it, which is why they say so much. It is like an insect carrying a load that already cannot be borne and still takes more onto its body; or like someone who embraces a stone and jumps into a river, the heavier it is the deeper he sinks, and he never says 'let go of the stone' but only complains that it is heavy." [Tracing the origin of the Buddhists, it was at first a love of self; they falsely calculate and want to escape birth and death, not knowing that if one removes the thought of the private self there is really nothing to do.]

人有語導氣者問先生曰君亦有術乎明道曰吾嘗夏葛而冬裘飢食而渴飲節嗜慾定心氣如斯而已矣【聖賢養生順理窒慾而已豈若偏曲之士為長生久視之術哉】

Someone spoke of guiding qi (breath cultivation) and asked the Master: "Do you have a technique too?" Mingdao said: "I wear linen in summer and fur in winter, eat when hungry and drink when thirsty, moderate my appetites and steady my heart and qi, and that is all." [The sages and worthies nourish life only by following principle and stopping desire; how could they be like one-sided people who pursue techniques for long life and lasting vision?]

佛氏不識隂陽書夜死生古今安得謂形而上者與聖人同乎【以上竝明道語伊川先生曰形而上者性命也隂陽書夜死生古今乃天命之流行二氣之屈伸釋氏指為輪迴為幻妄則其所談性命亦異乎聖人矣】

"The Buddhists do not know yin and yang, day and night, death and life, past and present; how can they claim that what is above form is the same as the sages'?" [All of the above are Mingdao's words. Master Yichuan said: What is above form is nature and destiny. Yin and yang, day and night, death and life, past and present are the flow of Heaven's mandate and the contraction and expansion of the two qi. The Buddhists point to them as reincarnation and illusory falsehood, so what they say about nature and destiny differs from the sages'.]

釋氏之說若欲窮其說而去取之則其說未能窮固已化而為佛矣只且於跡上考之其設教如是則其心果如何固難為取其心不取其跡有是心則有是跡王通言心跡之判便是亂說故不若且於跡上斷定不與聖人合其言有合處則吾道固己有有不合者固所不取如是立定卻省易【此言雖為初學立心未定者設然孟子闢楊墨亦不過考其跡而推其心極之於無父無君此實辨異端之要領也】

"If one wanted to exhaust the Buddhists' theories and then keep or discard from them, one would not have finished exhausting them before one had already been transformed into a Buddhist. So just examine them by their traces: if their teaching is like this, what must their heart be like? It is hard to take their heart and not their traces. Where there is this heart there are these traces. Wang Tong's separation of heart and traces is simply confused talk. So it is better to decide from the traces that they do not accord with the sages: where their words agree, our Way already has it, and where they do not agree, we naturally do not take them. Settling it this way is simpler and easier." [Although this was set out for beginners whose resolve is not yet fixed, Mencius's refutation of Yang and Mo likewise only examined their traces and inferred their hearts, pushing them to the extreme of having no father and no ruler. This is truly the essential method of distinguishing heterodoxies.]

問神仙之說有諸明道曰若說白日飛昇之類則無若言居山林間保形煉氣以延年益夀則有之譬如一爐火置之風中則易過置之密室則難過有此理也又問子言聖人不師仙厥術異也聖人能為此等事否曰此是天地間一賊若非竊造化之機安能延年使聖人肯為周孔為之矣【人之精氣聚則生散則死彼有見於造化之機竊而用之使精氣固結而不散故能獨夀理之所有也顧其自私小技聖賢弗為耳】

Someone asked: Is there anything to the doctrine of immortals? Mingdao said: "If you mean ascending to heaven in broad daylight and the like, there is not; if you mean staying in mountain forests, preserving the body and refining qi to prolong life, then there is. It is like a fire in a stove: put it in the wind and it burns out quickly, put it in a closed room and it burns out slowly. This principle exists." He asked again: Yang Zi (the original has a rare character here that was lost in transcription) said the sage does not take immortals as teachers because their techniques differ. Could the sage do such things? He said: "This is a thief between Heaven and Earth. If they did not steal the pivot of creation and transformation, how could they prolong life? If the sages had been willing to do it, the Duke of Zhou and Confucius would have done it." [When a person's essence and qi gather, he lives; when they disperse, he dies. Those people had seen the pivot of creation and transformation, stole it and used it to make essence and qi congeal and not disperse, and so could alone enjoy long life; this is a principle that exists. Yet it is a petty selfish skill, which the sages and worthies simply did not practice.]

謝顯道歴舉佛說與吾儒同處問伊川先生先生曰恁地同處雖多隻是本領不是一齊差卻【外書大本既差則其說似同而實異】

Xie Xiandao listed in turn the points where Buddhist teachings agree with the Confucians and asked Master Yichuan. The Master said: "Although there are many points of agreement like these, the fundamental ground is not right, and they all go wrong together." [From the Waishu. Once the great root is wrong, the doctrine seems the same but is actually different.]

橫渠先生曰釋氏妄意天性而不知範圍之用反以六根之微因縁天地明不能盡則誣天地日月為幻妄【範圍猶裁成也聖儘性故能裁成天地之道釋氏乃欲識性而不知範圍之用則是未嘗知性也謂六根悉本天地六根起滅無有實相天地日月等為幻妄】蔽其用於一身之小溺其志於虛空之大此所以語大語小流遁失中【厭此身之小則蔽其用而不能推樂虛空之大則溺其志而不能反故其語大語小輾轉流遁皆失其中】其過於大也塵芥六合其蔽於小也夢幻人世謂之窮理可乎不知窮理而謂之儘性可乎謂之無不知可乎【上下四方為六合謂六合在虛空中特一微塵芥子耳所以言虛空之大一切有為法如夢幻泡影所以言人世之微此皆不能窮理盡性之過】塵芥六合謂天地為有窮也夢幻人世明不能究其所從也【正防下同○佛說謂虛空無窮天地有窮人世起滅皆為幻妄莫知所從來也】

Master Hengqu said: "The Buddhists rashly speculate about heavenly nature but do not know the function of encompassing and regulating, and instead use the tininess of the six sense roots to explain Heaven and Earth by dependent causes, and since their clarity cannot exhaust things, they slander Heaven, Earth, sun and moon as illusory and false." ["Encompass" is like "cut and complete." The sage fully realizes nature and so can cut and complete the Way of Heaven and Earth. The Buddhists want to recognize nature yet do not know the function of encompassing and regulating, which means they have never known nature. They say the six roots are all rooted in Heaven and Earth, that the arising and ceasing of the six roots has no real form, and that Heaven, Earth, sun and moon are illusory and false.] "They shut their functioning up in the smallness of one body and sink their will in the vastness of empty space, so that whether they speak of the large or the small they drift off and lose the mean." [Disliking the smallness of this body, they shut up its functioning and cannot extend it; delighting in the vastness of empty space, they sink their will and cannot return; so their talk of the large and the small drifts on and loses the mean.] "In going too far toward the large, they treat the six directions as dust motes; in being blind to the small, they treat the human world as a dream and an illusion. Can that be called investigating principle? Not knowing how to investigate principle, can it be called fully realizing nature? Can it be called knowing everything?" [Up, down and the four directions are the six directions. They say the six directions in empty space are just a speck of dust or a mustard seed, hence they speak of the vastness of empty space; all conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles and shadows, hence they speak of the pettiness of the human world. These are all faults of being unable to investigate principle and fully realize nature.] "To treat the six directions as dust motes is to say that Heaven and Earth are finite; to treat the human world as a dream and illusion shows they cannot trace where it comes from." [The following is also from the Zhengmeng (the original has "fang" for "zheng"). The Buddhists say empty space is limitless and Heaven and Earth finite, and that the arising and ceasing of the human world are all illusory and false, with no knowledge of where they come from.]

大易不言有無言有無諸子之陋也【易曰一隂一陽之謂道葢隂陽之運其所以然者即道也體用相因精麤罔間不可以有無分後世異端見道不明始則以道為無以器為有有者為幻妄為土苴無者為妙為真空析有無而二之皆諸子之陋見也】

"The Great Changes does not speak of being and non-being. Speaking of being and non-being is the shallowness of the various schools." [The Changes says: One yin and one yang is called the Way. The movement of yin and yang, and that by which it is so, is the Way. Substance and function depend on each other, and the refined and coarse have no gap, so one cannot divide them into being and non-being. Later heterodoxies, whose view of the Way was unclear, at first took the Way as non-being and concrete things as being, treating what exists as illusory and as dregs, and what does not exist as profound and as true emptiness, splitting being and non-being into two; all this is the shallow view of the various schools.]

浮圗明謂有識之死受生循環遂厭苦求免可謂知鬼乎【精氣聚則為人散則為鬼散則澌滅就盡而已釋氏謂神識不散復寓形而受生是不明鬼之理也】以人生為妄見可謂知人乎【人生日用無非天理之當然釋氏指為浮生幻化豈為知人乎】天人一物輒生取舎可謂知天乎【天人一理今乃棄人事而求天性豈為知天乎】孔孟所謂天彼所謂道惑者指逰魂為變為輪迴未之思也大學當先知天徳知天徳則知聖人知神今浮圗劇論要歸必謂死生流轉非得道不免謂之悟道可乎【本注云悟則有義有命均死生一天人推知晝夜通隂陽體之無二○當生而生當死而死是則有義有命生死均安何所厭苦天人一致何所取舎知晝夜通隂陽則知生死之說何所謂輪】自其說熾傳中國儒者未容窺聖學門牆已為引取淪胥其間指為大道乃其俗達之天下致善惡知愚男女臧獲人人著信使英才間氣生則溺耳目恬習之事長則師世儒崇尚之言遂防然被驅因謂聖人可不修而至大道可不學而知故未識聖人心已謂不必求其跡未見君子志已謂不必事其文此人倫所以不察庶物所以不明治所以忽徳所以亂【世儒於聖門未有所見而耳目習熟固已防溺於異端乃謂不假修為立地成佛不立文字教外別傳不修而至故謂不必求其跡不學而知故謂不必事其文】異言入耳上無禮以防其偽下無學以稽其弊自古詖淫邪遁之辭翕然竝興一齣於佛氏之門者千五百年向非獨立不懼精一自信有大過人之才何以正立其間與之較是非計得失哉【詭服異行非修先王之禮何以防其偽邪說異教非通聖人之學何以稽其弊】

"The Buddhists explain ghosts by saying that the conscious being, on dying, receives a new birth in a cycle, and so, loathing suffering, they seek release; can this be called knowing ghosts?" [When essence and qi gather one becomes a person, and when they disperse one becomes a ghost, and once dispersed they dwindle and are simply exhausted. The Buddhists say the spirit-consciousness does not disperse and again lodges in a form to receive birth; this is not understanding the principle of ghosts.] "Taking human life as a false view: can that be called knowing humans?" [Human life and daily affairs are nothing but what Heavenly principle makes proper. The Buddhists point to them as floating life and illusory transformation; how is that knowing humans?] "Heaven and humans are one thing, yet they start choosing between them: can that be called knowing Heaven?" [Heaven and humans share one principle; now they abandon human affairs to seek Heaven's nature, so how is that knowing Heaven?] "What Confucius and Mencius call Heaven, they call the Way. The deluded point to the wandering soul becoming change as reincarnation, without having thought it through. In learning, one must first know the virtue of Heaven; knowing the virtue of Heaven, one knows the sage and knows ghosts and spirits. Now the Buddhists, in their intense discussions and final conclusions, insist that the flowing of death and life cannot be escaped without attaining the Way; can that be called awakening to the Way?" [The original note says: To awaken is to have rightness and destiny, to equalize death and life, to unite Heaven and humans, to know day and night, to penetrate yin and yang, and to embody them without two. Ye Cai notes: To live when one should live and to die when one should die is to have rightness and destiny, and with life and death equally accepted, what is there to loathe and suffer? With Heaven and humans as one, what is there to choose between? Knowing day and night and penetrating yin and yang, one knows the doctrine of life and death, so what is there to call reincarnation?] "Since their teaching spread blazingly through China, Confucians who had not yet been allowed to glimpse the gate and wall of the sages' learning were already drawn in and sunk into it together, calling it the great Way. Its customs have reached the whole world, so that good and evil, wise and foolish, men and women, servants and slaves, each person holds it in faith. Talented people of exceptional spirit, when young are drowned in things they hear and see and grow used to, and when grown take as teachers the words that worldly Confucians esteem, and so are swept away (the original has "fang" for "mi"), saying that the sage can be reached without cultivation and the great Way known without study. So before they have recognized the sage's heart, they say there is no need to seek his traces; before they have seen the gentleman's will, they say there is no need to practice his writings. This is why human relations are not examined, why the many things are not clarified, why government is neglected and virtue thrown into disorder." [Worldly Confucians have seen nothing of the sages' gate, and because their eyes and ears are accustomed, they are already sunk (the original has "fang" for "xian") in heterodoxy, claiming that no cultivation or effort is needed, that one becomes a Buddha on the spot, that there is a separate transmission outside the teachings without setting up words; 'reaching without cultivation' is why they say there is no need to seek the traces, and 'knowing without study' is why they say there is no need to practice the writings.] "When strange words enter the ear, above there is no ritual to guard against their falsehood, and below there is no learning to examine their abuses. From ancient times, biased, licentious, perverse and evasive words have risen together in concert, and for fifteen hundred years all of them have come out of the Buddhist gate. If not for one who stands alone without fear, who is refined, single-minded and self-confident, and who has talent far above others, how could one stand upright amid them and weigh right and wrong, gains and losses, against them?" [For strange dress and strange conduct, without cultivating the rites of the former kings, how can one guard against their falsehood? For perverse doctrines and heterodox teachings, without mastering the sages' learning, how can one examine their abuses?]

此卷論聖賢相傳之統而諸子附焉斷自唐虞堯舜禹湯文武周公道統相傳至於孔子孔子傳之顔曽曽子傳之子思子思傳之孟子遂無傳焉於是楚有荀卿漢有毛萇董仲舒揚雄諸葛亮隋有王通唐有韓愈雖未能傳斯道之統然其立言立事有補於世教皆所當攷也迨於宋朝人文再闢則周子唱之二程子張子推廣之而聖學復明道統復續故備著之

This volume discusses the lineage by which the sages and worthies transmitted the Way, with the various masters appended. It is cut off from Tang and Yu: Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu and the Duke of Zhou transmitted the lineage of the Way down to Confucius; Confucius transmitted it to Yan and Zeng; Master Zeng transmitted it to Zisi; Zisi transmitted it to Mencius, after whom it was not transmitted. Then there were Xun Qing in Chu; Mao Chang, Dong Zhongshu, Yang Xiong and Zhuge Liang in Han; Wang Tong in Sui; and Han Yu in Tang, who, though unable to transmit the lineage of this Way, still established words and deeds that benefited the teaching of the age, and all deserve to be studied. When the Song dynasty came, culture and learning were opened up again; Master Zhou initiated it, and Masters Cheng, Cheng and Zhang extended it, so that the sages' learning was clear again and the lineage of the Way was resumed, which is why they are recorded in full.

明道先生曰堯與舜更無優劣及至湯武便別孟子言性之反之自古無人如此說只孟子分別出來便知得堯舜是生而知之湯武是學而能之文王之德則似堯舜禹之德則似湯武要之皆是聖人【遺書下同○性之者生而知之安而行之天性渾全不待修習者也反之者學而知之利而行之修身體道以復其性者也文王不識不知順帝之則蓋亦生知之性也禹克勤克儉不矜不伐蓋亦學能之事也】

Master Mingdao said: "Between Yao and Shun there is no difference of superior and inferior, but once we come to Tang and Wu there is a distinction. Mencius spoke of 'being so by nature' and 'returning to it'; no one had said this since ancient times, and only because Mencius made the distinction do we know that Yao and Shun were born knowing and Tang and Wu were capable through learning. King Wen's virtue resembles that of Yao and Shun, and Yu's virtue resembles that of Tang and Wu. In sum, all were sages." [The following are all from the Yishu. 'Being so by nature' means knowing by birth and acting with ease, with a heavenly nature whole and complete, not awaiting cultivation and practice; 'returning to it' means knowing through learning and acting with benefit in view, cultivating the self and embodying the Way to restore one's nature. King Wen, 'without knowing and without thinking, followed the pattern of the Lord,' which was also a nature of knowing by birth; Yu, who was diligent and frugal, not boastful and not self-praising, was also a matter of capacity through learning.]

仲尼元氣也顔子春生也孟子並秋殺盡見【夫子大聖之資猶元氣周流渾淪溥博無有涯涘罔見間隙顔子亞聖之才如春陽盎然發生萬物四時之首眾善之長也孟子亦亞聖之才剛烈明辨整齊嚴肅故並秋殺盡見】仲尼無所不包顔子示不違如愚之學於後世有自然之和氣不言而化者也孟子則露其材蓋亦時然而已【夫子道全德備故無所不包顔子不違如愚與聖人合德後世可想其自然和氣黙而成之不言而信者也孟子英才發越蓋亦戰國之時世道益衰異端益熾又無天子主盟於其上故其衛道之嚴辨論之明不得不然也】仲尼天地也顔子和風慶雲也孟子泰山岩巖之氣象也觀其言皆可見之矣【天地者高明而博厚也和風慶雲者協氣祥光也泰山岩巖者峻極不可逾越也】仲尼無跡顔子微有跡孟子其跡著【夫子渾然天成故無跡顔子不違如愚本亦無跡然為仁之問喟然之嘆猶可窺測其防至於孟子則發明底蘊故其跡彰彰】孔子盡是明快人顔子盡豈弟孟子盡雄辯【夫子清明在躬猶青天白日故極其明快顔子有若無實若虛犯而不校故極其豈弟孟子息邪說詎詖行放滛辭故極其雄辯○此段反覆形容大聖大賢氣象各臻其妙古今之言聖賢未有若斯者也學者其濳心焉】

"Zhongni was original qi, Master Yan was spring's generation, and Mencius showed both autumn's killing." [The Master had the endowment of a great sage, like original qi flowing around, undifferentiated and broad, without shore or limit and with no visible gap. Master Yan had the talent of a second sage, like the warmth of spring sun spreading, generating the myriad things, the head of the four seasons and the chief of all good. Mencius also had the talent of a second sage, was firm and fiery, clear in discrimination, orderly and stern, and so showed both autumn's killing.] "Zhongni embraced everything; Master Yan showed later ages the learning of 'never contradicting, like a fool,' having a natural harmonious qi that transformed without words. Mencius displayed his talent openly, which was also simply what the times required." [The Master's Way was whole and his virtue complete, so he embraced everything. Master Yan 'never contradicted, like a fool,' joining his virtue to the sage's, and later ages may imagine his natural harmonious qi, accomplishing in silence and trusted without words. Mencius's outstanding talent burst forth because it was the Warring States, when the age's Way was ever more in decline and heterodoxies ever more blazing, with no Son of Heaven above to preside over the covenant, so the strictness of his defense of the Way and clarity of his argument could not have been otherwise.] "Zhongni was Heaven and Earth, Master Yan was a gentle breeze and an auspicious cloud, and Mencius had the bearing of Mount Tai, towering and steep. One can see all this by looking at their words." [Heaven and Earth are lofty, bright, broad and thick; a gentle breeze and an auspicious cloud are harmonious qi and fortunate light; Mount Tai towering is lofty to the utmost and insurmountable.] "Zhongni left no traces, Master Yan left slight traces, and Mencius's traces are conspicuous." [The Master was whole and heavenly in his completion, so he left no traces. Master Yan 'never contradicted, like a fool,' and so originally also had no traces, yet in his question about humaneness and his sigh of admiration one can still glimpse a start (the original has "fang" here). Mencius brought out the hidden depths of the teaching, so his traces are plain.] "Confucius was entirely a clear and quick person, Master Yan entirely gentle and kindly, and Mencius entirely a mighty debater." [The Master had clarity in his person, like a blue sky and bright sun, and so was clear and quick to the utmost. Master Yan 'having seemed to have nothing, full seemed empty, and when offended did not retaliate,' and so was gentle and kindly to the utmost. Mencius quelled perverse doctrines, repelled biased conduct and banished licentious words, and so was a mighty debater to the utmost. Ye Cai notes: This passage repeatedly describes the bearing of the great sages and worthies, each reaching its marvel. Among all that has been said of the sages and worthies from ancient times to now, nothing is like this. Learners should devote their minds to it.]

曽子傳聖人學其德後來不可測安知其不至聖人如言吾得正而斃且休理防文字只看他氣象極好被他所見處大後人雖有好言語只被氣象卑終不類道【曽子悟一貫之旨已傳聖人之學矣至其易簀之言吾何求哉吾得正而斃焉斯可矣自非樂善不倦安行天理一息尚存必歸於正夫豈一時之所能勉強哉○遺書又曰曽子疾病只要以正不慮死與武王殺一不辜行一不義得天下不為同心】

"Master Zeng transmitted the sage's learning, and his virtue in later years was unfathomable; how can we know he did not reach sagehood? Take his saying 'I have obtained what is right and now die,' and leave aside reading (the original reads "li fang") his texts; just look at how excellent his bearing was and how great was what he saw. Later people may have fine words, but because their bearing is mean they in the end do not resemble the Way." [Master Zeng awakened to the point of the single thread and had already transmitted the sage's learning. As for his words about changing the mat: 'What more do I seek? I have obtained what is right and now die, and that is enough.' Unless one delights in the good without tiring and acts at ease with Heavenly principle, so that as long as one breath remains one returns to what is right, how could this be forced for a moment? Ye Cai notes: The Yishu also says: Master Zeng, when ill, wanted only to be correct and did not worry about dying, and was of one mind with King Wu, who would not kill one innocent person or do one unrighteous act to gain the world.]

傳經為難如聖人之後才百年傳之已差聖人之學若非子思孟子則幾乎息矣道何嘗息只是人不由之道非亡也幽厲不由也【群經定於夫子之手至孟子時才百年間微言絶而大義乖矣猶賴曽子之門有傳子思孟子之徒相繼纘述提綱挈領辟邪輔正以埀萬世如論語大學中庸孟子之書可見矣】荀卿才高其過多雄才短其過少【苟卿名況字卿為楚蘭陵令揚雄字子云為漢光祿卿荀卿才高敢為異論如以人性為惡以子思孟子為非其過多揚雄才短如作太以擬易法言以擬論語皆模仿前聖之遺言其過少】

"Transmitting the classics is difficult. For example, only a hundred years after the sage, the transmission had already gone astray. If not for Zisi and Mencius, the sage's learning would almost have ceased. But how did the Way ever cease? It is just that people did not follow it. The Way was not lost; Kings You and Li did not follow it." [The classics were fixed by the Master's own hand, and by Mencius's time, only about a hundred years later, the subtle words were cut off and the great meanings had gone awry. Still, there was transmission in Master Zeng's school, and Zisi, Mencius and their followers took up and continued it one after another, grasping the main threads, refuting the perverse and supporting the correct, to hand it down for ten thousand generations, as the books such as the Analects, the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean and the Mencius show.] "Xun Qing had high talent but many faults; Yang Xiong had meager talent but few faults." [Xun Qing's personal name was Kuang and his style Qing; he was magistrate of Lanling in Chu. Yang Xiong's style was Ziyun and he was Grand Master of the Palace in Han. Xun Qing, of high talent, dared to put forward heterodox arguments, such as taking human nature as evil and condemning Zisi and Mencius, so his faults were many. Yang Xiong, of meager talent, wrote the Taixuan in imitation of the Changes and the Fayan in imitation of the Analects, in both cases imitating the surviving words of earlier sages, so his faults were few.]

荀子極偏駁只一句性惡大本已失揚子雖少過然已自不識性更說甚道【率性之謂道荀子性惡揚子善惡混均之不識本然之性何以語道】董仲舒曰正其誼不謀其利明其道不計其功此董子所以度越諸子【自春秋以來舉世皆趨功利仲舒此言最為純正○朱子曰仲舒所立甚高後世所以不如吉人者以道義功利闗不透耳】

"Xunzi is extremely one-sided and impure; with the single phrase 'nature is evil' he has lost the great root. Master Yang had few faults, but he did not himself recognize nature, so what can he say about the Way?" [Following nature is called the Way. Xunzi says nature is evil and Master Yang says it is a mixture of good and evil; both fail to recognize the original nature, so how can they speak of the Way?] "Dong Zhongshu said: 'Rectify its rightness without scheming for its profit; clarify its Way without calculating its merit.' This is why Master Dong surpassed the various masters." [Since the Spring and Autumn period the whole age had rushed toward merit and profit, and Zhongshu's words are the purest and most correct. Ye Cai notes: Zhu Xi said: What Zhongshu set up was very lofty. The reason later ages fall short of the ancients is only that they cannot see through the gate between Way and rightness and merit and profit.]

漢儒如毛萇董仲舒最得聖賢之意然見道不甚分明下此卽至揚雄規模又窄狹矣【毛萇治詩為漢時獻王博士仲舒舉賢良對策為膠西相二子論治皆以修身齊家為本先德敎而後功利最為得聖賢意揚雄以清淨寂寞為道無儒者規模○或問伊川謂仲舒見道不分明朱子曰如雲性者生之質性非敎化不成似不識本然之性又問何所主而取毛公曰考之詩傳緊要有數處如闗雎所謂夫婦有別則父子親父子親則君臣敬君臣敬剛朝廷正朝廷正則王化鹹要之亦不多見只是氣象大槩好】

"Han Confucians such as Mao Chang and Dong Zhongshu most grasped the sages' and worthies' ideas, but their vision of the Way was not very clear. Below them comes Yang Xiong, whose scale was narrower still." [Mao Chang studied the Poetry and was an erudite under Prince Xian of Han. Zhongshu, recommended as worthy, gave his reply to the throne and became chancellor of Jiaoxi. Both took cultivating the self and regulating the family as the root of governing, putting moral teaching first and merit and profit after, which most accords with the sages' and worthies' ideas. Yang Xiong took pure quiet and solitude as the Way and had no Confucian scale. Someone asked why Yichuan said Zhongshu's vision of the Way was not clear. Zhu Xi said: For example, saying that nature is the raw material of life and that nature cannot be completed without education looks like not recognizing the original nature. Asked again why Master Mao was favored, he said: Looking at the Shi zhuan (Commentary on the Poetry), there are several key places, such as in the Guanju: if husband and wife are distinct, father and son are close; if father and son are close, ruler and minister are reverent; if ruler and minister are reverent, the court is correct; if the court is correct, the royal transformation is accomplished. In sum, such passages are not many, but his bearing is generally good.]

林希謂揚雄為祿隱揚雄後人只為見他著書便須要做他是怎生做得是【祿隱謂浮沉下位依祿而隱即祿仕之意也雄失身事莽以是祿隱何辭而可】

"Lin Xi said Yang Xiong was a 'salary recluse.' Later people, just because they see that he wrote books, insist on counting him right; how can he be counted right?" [A salary recluse is one who drifts in a low post and hides behind salary, which is the meaning of serving for pay. Xiong lost himself serving Wang Mang; by calling it being a salary recluse, what excuse could be given?]

孔明有王佐之心道則未盡王者如天地之無私心焉行一不義而得天下不為孔明必求有成而取劉璋聖人寧無成耳此不可為也【諸葛亮字孔明東漢末曾操據漢將簒孔明輔先主志欲攘除奸兇興復漢室而其規模宏逺操心公平有王佐之心然於王道則有所未盡蓋聖人之道如天地發育無有私意行一不義雖可以得天下而不為先主以詐取劉璋孔明不得以無責蓋其志於有成行不義而不暇顧若聖人則寧漢無興不忍為此】若劉表子琮將為曹公所並取而興劉氏可也【先主依劉表曹操南侵防表卒子琮迎降孔明說先主取荊州先主不忍琮降則地歸曹氏矣取以興漢何負於表較之取劉璋則曲直有間矣或謂先主雖得荊州未必能御曹操然此又特以利鈍言者也】

"Kongming had the heart to assist a king, but his Way was not complete. A true king, like Heaven and Earth, has no selfish heart, and would not do one unrighteous act even to gain the world. Kongming insisted on succeeding and took Liu Zhang's land, whereas the sage would rather not succeed. This should not be done." [Zhuge Liang's style was Kongming. At the end of the Eastern Han, Cao Cao held the Han general's power and was about to usurp; Kongming assisted the First Ruler, aiming to eliminate the wicked and restore the Han house, and his scale was grand and distant and his mind was fair, so he had the heart to assist a king, but in the Way of kings he was not complete. For the sage's Way is like Heaven and Earth giving growth, without private intent, and would not do one unrighteous act even to gain the world. The First Ruler took Liu Zhang by deceit, and Kongming cannot be free of blame, since he set his will on succeeding and in committing an unrighteous act had no time to look back. A sage would rather have the Han not revive than bear to do this.] "If it had been Liu Biao's son Cong, about to be annexed by Lord Cao, taking it from him to revive the house of Liu would have been acceptable." [The First Ruler relied on Liu Biao. Cao Cao invaded southward, and just then Biao died and his son Cong went out to surrender. Kongming urged the First Ruler to take Jingzhou, but the First Ruler could not bear to. Once Cong surrendered, the land would go to the Cao house, so taking it to revive the Han would wrong Biao in what way? Compared with taking Liu Zhang's land, there is a difference of right and wrong. Some say that even if the First Ruler had got Jingzhou he could not necessarily have resisted Cao Cao, but that speaks only of advantage and disadvantage.]

諸葛武侯有儒者氣象【孔明輔漢討賊以信義為主以節制行師以公誠待人至於親賢臣逺小人諮諏善道察納雅言有大臣格君之業朱子曰孔明雖嘗學申韓然資質好卻有正大氣象】孔明庶幾禮樂【文中子曰使孔明而無死禮樂其有興乎亮之治國政刑修舉而人心豫附名正言順禮樂其庶幾乎】

"Marquis Wu of Zhuge had the bearing of a Confucian." [Kongming assisted the Han in suppressing rebels, took good faith and rightness as chief, moderation and restraint in commanding armies, and fairness and sincerity in treating people. As for befriending worthy ministers and keeping petty men at a distance, consulting good ways and examining and accepting honest words, he had the accomplishment of a great minister correcting his ruler. Zhu Xi said: Although Kongming studied Shen and Han, his natural quality was good and he had an upright and grand bearing.] "Kongming almost achieved ritual and music." [Wenzhongzi said: If Kongming had not died, might ritual and music have flourished? In Liang's governing of the state, government and punishment were well conducted and people's hearts were pleased and attached, names were correct and words in order; ritual and music were within near reach.]

文中子本是一隱君子世人往往得其議論附防成書其間極有至言荀揚道不到處【文中子王氏名通隋末不仕敎授於河汾其弟王凝子福畤等收其議論増益為書名曰中說○朱子曰其書多為人添入眞偽難見然好處甚多就中論世變因革處說得極好又曰文中子論治體處高似仲舒而本領不及爽似仲舒而純不及】

"Wenzhongzi was originally a recluse gentleman. People of the age often took his discussions and, by forced association (the original reads "fu fang"), compiled them into a book, in which there are extremely fine words, to which Xun and Yang's Way did not reach." [Wenzhongzi, Wang Tong by name, did not take office in late Sui and taught between the Yellow and Fen rivers. His younger brother Wang Ning and his son Wang Fuzhi and others gathered his discussions and expanded them into a book, called the Zhongshuo (Discourses of the Mean). Ye Cai notes: Zhu Xi said: Much of the book was added by others, so true and false are hard to see, but there is much good in it, and its discussion of historical change and continuity is especially fine. He also said: Wenzhongzi's discussion of the substance of government is as lofty as Zhongshu's but his foundation is not equal, and as lively as Zhongshu's but not equal in purity.]

韓愈亦近世豪傑之士如原道中言語雖有病然自孟子而後能將許大見識尋求者才見此人至如斷曰孟氏醇乎醇又曰荀與揚擇焉而不精語焉而不詳若不是他見得豈千餘年後便能斷得如此分明【韓愈字退之仕唐為吏部侍郎嘗著原道其間如博愛之謂仁則明其用而未盡其體如道德為虛位則辨其名而不究其實如言正心誠意之學而遺格物致知之功凡此類皆有疵病然其扶正學闢異端秦漢以來未有及之者至於論孟氏之與荀揚尤其卓然之見也】

"Han Yu was also a heroic man of recent times. Although there are flaws in the words of the Yuan dao (Origin of the Way), since Mencius only this man has been seen who took such large insight and sought it. As for his judgment that 'Mencius was pure among the pure,' and saying that Xun and Yang 'chose but were not refined, spoke but were not detailed,' if he had not seen it himself, how could one a thousand years later judge so clearly?" [Han Yu's style was Tuizhi; he served Tang as Vice Minister of Personnel and wrote the Yuan dao. In it, for example, 'universal love is called humaneness' states the function but does not exhaust the substance; 'the Way and virtue are empty positions' distinguishes the names but does not investigate the substance; and speaking of rectifying the heart and making intentions sincere while omitting the work of investigating things and extending knowledge: all of these are flaws. Yet in upholding correct learning and refuting heterodoxy no one since Qin and Han has equaled him. His comparison of Mencius with Xun and Yang is especially outstanding insight.]

學本是修德有德然後有言退之卻倒學了因學文日求所未至遂有所得【古之學者務修德而已德之既盛則發於言辭有自然之文退之反因學文而有所見】如曰軻之死不得其傳似此言語非是蹈襲前人又非鑿空撰得出必有所見若無所見不知言所傳者何事【朱子曰韓文公見得大意已分明只是不曽向裡面省察不能就身上細密做工夫】周茂叔胸中灑落如光風霽月【見黃庭堅所作詩序李延平每誦此言以為善形容有道者氣象】其為政精密嚴恕務盡道理【通書附錄○見潘延之所撰墓誌又孔經父祭文雲公年壯盛玉色金聲從容和毅一府皆傾】

"Learning is originally cultivating virtue; having virtue, one then has words. Tuizhi, though, did it backwards, because from studying prose he daily sought what he had not reached, and thus came to gain something." [The learners of old only worked at cultivating virtue. When virtue is full, what comes out in speech has natural elegance. Tuizhi, in turn, gained insight through studying prose.] "When he says that after Ke's death the transmission was not obtained, such words are not borrowed from predecessors and also could not be made up out of nothing; he must have seen something. If he had seen nothing, one would not know what he meant by the transmission." [Zhu Xi said: Han Wengong saw the main idea clearly but never turned inward to examine, and could not work finely on his own person.] "Zhou Maoshu's breast was open and free, like a bright breeze and a clearing moon." [See Huang Tingjian's preface to his poem. Li Yanping would recite this line each time, taking it as a fine description of the bearing of one who has the Way.] "In governing he was precise, strict and forgiving, striving to exhaust principle." [From the appendix to the Tongshu. See the epitaph composed by Pan Yanzhi. Also Kong Jingfu's funeral address says: In his prime, with jade complexion and metallic voice, composed, gentle and resolute, he won the admiration of a whole prefecture.]

伊川先生撰明道先生行狀曰先生資稟既異而充養有道【資稟得於天充養存於己】純粹如精金【純粹而不雜】溫潤如良玉【溫良而潤澤】寛而有制【寛大而有規矩】和而不流【和易而有撙節】忠誠貫於金石【忠誠之至可貫於金石】孝弟通於神明【孝弟之至可通於鬼神】視其色其接物也如春陽之溫【春陽發逹盎然其和】聽其言其入人也如時雨之潤【優遊而不廹霑洽而有餘】胸懷洞然徹視無間測其蘊則浩乎若滄溟之無際【胸次洞逹無少隱匿然測其學識所蘊則又深博而無涯】極其德美言蓋不足以形容【以上一節言資稟之粹充養之厚也】先生行已內主於敬而行之以恕【敬主於身而恕及於物敬則其本正而一恕則其用公而溥】見善若出諸己【與人為善也】不欲勿施於人【視人猶己也】居廣居而行大道【居天下之廣居不安於狹陋行天下之大道不由於邪僻】言有物而行有常【言必有實故曰物行必有度故曰常○以上一節言行己之本末也】先生為學自十五六時聞汝南周茂叔論道遂厭科舉之業慨然有求道之志未知其要氾濫於諸家出入於老釋者幾十年返求諸六經而後得之【按濓溪先生為南安軍司理參軍時程公珦攝通守事視其氣貌非常人與語知其為學知道也因與為友且使其二子受學焉而程氏遺書有言再見周茂叔後吟風弄月以歸有吾與防也之意明道學於濓溪者雖得其大意然其博求精察益充所聞以抵於成者尤多自得之功】明於庶物察於人倫【明則有以識理察則加詳於明】知儘性至命必本於孝弟窮神知化由通於禮樂【孝弟說見四卷樂記曰天高地下萬物散殊而禮制行矣流而不息合同而化而樂興焉通乎禮則知萬化散殊之跡通乎樂則窮萬化同流之妙此言明乎天實本乎人也】辨異端似是之非開百代未明之惑秦漢而下未有臻斯理也謂孟子沒而聖學不傳以興起斯文為己任其言曰道之不明異端害之也昔之害近而易知今之害深而難辨昔之惑人也乗其迷暗今之入人也因其高明【昔之害楊墨申韓是也今之害佛老是也淺近故迷暗者為所惑深逺故高明者反陷其中】自謂窮神知化而不足以開物成務【自謂通逹妙實則不可以有為於天下】言為無不周徧實則外於倫理【自謂性周法界然實則外乎人倫物理】窮深極微而不可以入堯舜之道【堯舜之道大中至正窮深極微是過之也】天下之學非淺陋固滯則必入於此自道之不明也邪誕妖異之說競起塗生民之耳目溺天下於汙濁雖高才明智膠於見聞醉生夢死不自覺也是皆正路之蓁蕪聖門之蔽塞闢之而後可以入道【淺陋固滯者乃刑名功利之習訓詁詞章之士是也學者不入於淺陋固滯則必入於佛老之空無】先生進將覺斯人退將明之書不幸早世皆未及也其辨析精微稍見於世者學者之所傳耳【以上一節言學道之本末與其闢異端正人心之大略也】先生之門學者多矣先生之言平易易知賢愚皆獲其益如群飲於河各充其量先生敎人自致知至於知止誠意至於平天下灑掃應對至於窮理盡性循循有序病世之學者舎近而趨逺處下而闚高所以輕自大而卒無得也【此一節言敎人之道本末備具而循序漸進惟恐學者厭卑近而務高逺輕自肆而無實得也】先生接物辨而不間【是非雖明而亦不絶之】感而能通【感而必應】敎人而人易從【敎人各因其資而平易明白故易從】怒人而人不怨【怒所當怒而心平氣和故不怨】賢愚善惡鹹得其心【愛而公故鹹得其歡心】狡偽者獻其誠【待人盡其誠而人不忍欺之】暴慢者致其恭【待人盡其禮而人不忍以非禮加之】聞風者誠服【誠服者眞實而非勉強聞風而服則無逺不格矣】覿德者心醉【盛德所形見者燻乎至和如飲醇酎】雖小人以趨向之異顧於利害時見排斥退而省其私未有不以先生為君子也【先生以議新法不合遂遭排斥然當時用事者亦曰伯淳忠信人也則其言行之懿有不可誣者以上一節言接物之道】先生為政治惡以寛【開其自新之路改而正】處煩而裕【得其要領且順乎理】當法令繁密之際未嘗從眾為應文逃責之事人皆病於拘礙而先生處之綽然眾人憂以為甚難而先生為之沛然【法令峻密而先生未嘗為苟且應命之事然而處之有道故不見其礙為之有要故不見其難】雖當倉卒不動聲色【理素明而志素定】方監司競為嚴急之時其待先生率皆寛厚設施之際有所頼焉【忠信懇惻足以感人故能不徇時好而得遂其所為】先生所為綱條法度人可效而為也至其道之而從動之而和不求物而物應未施信而民信則人不可及也【文集○政令設施可仿而行道化孚感不可力而致○以上一節言為政之道】

Master Yichuan, in his Account of Conduct of Master Mingdao, wrote: The Master's natural endowment was already extraordinary, and he nourished and filled it by the proper way [endowment comes from Heaven, nourishing and filling lies in oneself]. He was pure like refined gold [pure and unmixed], gentle and lustrous like fine jade [mild, kind, and moist], generous yet with restraint [broad yet with rules], harmonious yet not drifting [easygoing yet with moderation]; his loyalty and sincerity could pierce metal and stone [utmost loyalty can pierce metal and stone], and his filial piety and fraternal respect reached the spirits [utmost filial and fraternal devotion can reach ghosts and spirits]. Looking at his countenance, his dealing with others was as warm as the spring sun [the spring sun brings growth, brimming with harmony]; hearing his words, they entered people like timely rain moistening [leisurely and unhurried, soaking with room to spare]. His breast was open and transparent, seen through without obstruction; fathoming his depths, they were vast like the boundless deep sea [his mind was open and clear with nothing hidden, yet in measuring what his learning and knowledge contained, it was again deep, broad, and without limit]. Even when his virtue and excellence were exhausted in praise, words could hardly describe them [this section speaks of the purity of his endowment and the richness of his nourishing]. In conducting himself, the Master was inwardly ruled by reverence and acted with reciprocity [reverence governs the self while reciprocity extends to others; with reverence the root is upright and unified, with reciprocity the function is impartial and broad]; he saw good in others as if it came from himself [helping others do good]; what he did not want he did not do to others [regarding others as himself]; he dwelt in the wide dwelling and walked the great Way [dwelling in the wide dwelling of the world, not content with narrowness; walking the great Way of the world, not following crooked byways]; his words had substance and his conduct was constant [his words were always real, hence 'having substance'; his conduct always had measure, hence 'constant.' Note by Ye Cai: this section speaks of the root and branches of his self-conduct]. In his studies, from the age of fifteen or sixteen, when he heard Zhou Maoshu of Runan discuss the Way, he came to loathe the pursuit of the civil service examinations and resolved with feeling to seek the Way. Not knowing its essentials, he roamed over the various schools and went in and out of Daoism and Buddhism for nearly ten years, then returned to seek it in the Six Classics and so attained it [Note: when Master Lianxi was judicial investigator in Nan'an Prefecture, Cheng Xiang, acting as deputy prefect, saw that his air and appearance were not those of an ordinary man, spoke with him, learned that he studied and knew the Way, and so befriended him and had his two sons study with him. The Surviving Writings of the Chengs say: after meeting Zhou Maoshu again, he came home chanting in the breeze and playing with the moon, with the feeling of 'I side with Dian.' Although Mingdao received the main idea from Lianxi, his broad seeking, close examination, and further filling out of what he heard until he reached completion owed much more to his own self-attainment]. He was clear about the many things and discerning about human relations [clarity allows one to know principle, discernment adds detail to clarity], and knew that fully realizing one's nature and reaching destiny must be rooted in filial piety and fraternal respect, and that exhausting the spirit and knowing transformation come through penetrating ritual and music [filial piety and fraternal respect are explained in Volume Four. The Record of Music says: Heaven is high and Earth is low, the myriad things are scattered and distinct, and the ritual system operates; flowing without rest, uniting and transforming, music arises. Penetrating ritual, one knows the traces of the scattered and distinct transformations; penetrating music, one exhausts the wonder of the transformations flowing together. This shows that illuminating Heaven is really rooted in the human]. He distinguished the wrongness of heterodox teachings that seem right, and cleared the confusion of a hundred generations that had gone unresolved; since the Qin and Han there had been none who reached such principle. He held that after Mencius died, the sages' learning was not transmitted, and took it as his own task to revive this culture. He said: The Way is unclear because heterodoxies harm it. The harm of old was near at hand and easy to know; the harm today is deep and hard to discern. In the past they deluded people by exploiting their ignorance; now they enter people by way of their loftiness and brilliance [the harm of old was Yang Zhu, Mo Di, Shen Buhai, and Han Fei; the harm today is Buddhism and Daoism. The shallow and near are deluded by those who are ignorant, while the deep and far, who are lofty and bright, fall into them instead]. They claim to exhaust the spirit and know transformation, yet are not enough to open things and accomplish tasks [they claim to have penetrated the mysterious and wondrous, but in truth cannot do anything for the world]; their words are said to be all-encompassing, but in truth they lie outside human relations and principle [they claim their nature fills the whole realm of the Dharma, but in truth they are outside human relations and the principles of things]; they probe the deep and the subtle to the extreme, yet cannot enter the Way of Yao and Shun [the Way of Yao and Shun is the great mean and utmost correctness; probing the deep and subtle goes beyond it]. The learning of the world, if not shallow and stagnant, must enter into this. Since the Way has been unclear, depraved, absurd, and strange doctrines have vied to arise, daubing the ears and eyes of the people and sinking the world in filth, so that even those of high talent and clear intelligence are stuck in what they see and hear, living as if drunk and dreaming without knowing it. All of this is the overgrowth on the proper road and the blockage of the sages' gate; only by refuting it can one enter the Way [the shallow and stagnant are the habits of legalists and profit-seekers and scholars of glosses and ornate composition. Scholars who do not enter the shallow and stagnant must enter the emptiness and nothingness of Buddhism and Daoism]. The Master, advancing, meant to awaken these people, and retiring, meant to clarify it in writing; unfortunately he died early and did neither. The refined analyses of his that have appeared a little in the world are what students have transmitted [this section speaks of the root and branches of studying the Way and the outline of his refuting heterodoxies and rectifying people's hearts]. Many scholars came to the Master's gate. The Master's words were plain and easy to understand, and both the worthy and the foolish gained benefit, like a crowd drinking from a river, each filling to his capacity. In teaching people, from extending knowledge to knowing where to stop, from sincerity of intention to bringing peace to the world, from sprinkling and sweeping and answering questions to exhausting principle and fully realizing nature, he proceeded step by step in order. He lamented that scholars of the age abandon the near to chase the far and, standing below, peer at the high, and so lightly grow arrogant and in the end gain nothing [this section says that the Master's way of teaching had both root and branches complete and advanced step by step, only fearing that students would disdain the humble and near and strive for the high and far, lightly indulge themselves and have nothing real to gain]. In dealing with people, the Master was discriminating without creating division [though right and wrong were clear, he also did not cut people off], moved people and could communicate [responding certainly to what moved him], taught people so that they easily followed [teaching each according to his endowment, plain and clear, so they easily followed], and when angry at people they did not resent it [angry only where one should be, with a calm heart and even temper, so they did not resent it]; the worthy and foolish, good and bad all won his heart [loving and impartial, so he won everyone's goodwill]; the cunning and false offered their sincerity [he treated people with full sincerity so that others could not bear to deceive him], the violent and arrogant brought their respect [he treated people with full propriety so that others could not bear to treat him improperly]; those who heard of his reputation submitted sincerely [sincere submission is real and not forced; submitting on hearing his fame, none were too distant to reach him], and those who beheld his virtue were intoxicated at heart [where his abundant virtue was visible, it suffused with utmost harmony, like drinking rich wine]. Even petty people, whose goals differed and who were at times rejected over matters of advantage and harm, on retiring and reflecting in private never failed to regard the Master as a gentleman [the Master was rejected for criticizing the New Policies, but even the officials of the time said that Bochun was a loyal and trustworthy man, so the excellence of his words and conduct could not be denied. This section speaks of the way of dealing with people]. In governing, the Master dealt with evil by leniency [opening a path for them to renew themselves, to correct and amend], and dealt with complexity with composure [grasping the key and following principle]. At a time when laws and ordinances were dense, he never followed the crowd in going through the motions to escape blame. Everyone was troubled by constraints and obstacles, while the Master handled them with ease; the crowd worried and found it very difficult, while the Master did it with abundant flow [though laws were stern and strict, the Master never did anything perfunctory just to comply, yet because he handled it with the right way he showed no obstruction, and because he acted with the essentials he showed no difficulty]. Even in sudden emergencies, he did not change his voice or countenance [his principle was long clear and his will long settled]. When the supervising officials were competing in severity and haste, they were generally lenient and generous toward the Master, and in his measures he relied on them [his loyalty, trustworthiness, and earnest compassion were enough to move people, so he could avoid going along with the fashion of the time and carry out his work]. The regulations and rules the Master made could be copied by others; but as for his leading and being followed, his moving and being harmonized with, not seeking things yet things responding, not yet bestowing trust yet the people trusting him, that no one could match [from the Collected Works. Government decrees and measures can be imitated, but the trust inspired by the Way and transformation cannot be reached by force. Note by Ye Cai: this section speaks of the way of governing].

明道先生曰周茂叔牕前草不除問之雲與自家意思一般【遺書下同○本注云子厚觀驢鳴亦謂如此○天地生意流行發育惟仁者生生之意充滿胸中故觀之有防於其心者】

Master Mingdao said: "Zhou Maoshu did not remove the grass in front of his window; when asked, he said it felt the same as his own mind." [Likewise from the Surviving Writings below. Original note: Zihou (Zhang Zai) too said this when he watched a donkey bray. Note by Ye Cai: The life-giving intent of Heaven and Earth flows and grows; only the humane person has this intent of giving life filling his breast, so his observing it resonates in his heart.]

張子厚聞生皇子喜甚見餓莩者食便不美【此即西銘之意亦其養德之厚故隨所感遇蹶然動於中而不可遏初非擬議作意而為之也】

Zhang Zihou was greatly delighted to hear a prince had been born; on seeing the starving, food no longer tasted good to him. [This is the very meaning of the Western Inscription, and also shows the richness of his nourished virtue, so that whatever he met moved him within with a start that could not be stopped, and it was not at all something done by calculation or contrivance.]

伯淳嘗與子厚在興國寺講論終日而曰不知舊日曾有甚人於此處講此事【呂源明曰此處氣象自有合得如此等人說此等話道理】謝顯道曰明道先生坐如泥塑人接人則渾是一團和氣【外書下同○所謂望之儼然即之也溫】

Bochun once spent a whole day in discussion with Zihou at Xingguo Temple, and said: "I wonder who in the past discussed such matters in this place." [Lu Yuanming said: The atmosphere of this place is naturally suited to such people saying such things.] Xie Xiandao said: "Master Mingdao sat like a clay statue, but when dealing with people he was entirely a mass of harmony." [Likewise from the Waishu below. This is what is called: stern when seen from afar, warm when approached.]

侯師聖雲朱公掞見明道於汝歸謂人曰光庭在春風中坐了一個月遊楊初見伊川伊川瞑目而坐二子侍立既覺顧謂曰賢輩尚在此乎日旣晚且休矣及出門門外之雪深一尺【侯仲良字師聖朱光庭字公掞皆程子門人也明道接人和粹伊川師道尊嚴皆盛德所形但其氣質成就有不同耳明道似顔子伊川似孟子】

Hou Shisheng said: Zhu Gongyan met Mingdao in Ru, and on returning told people: "Guangting sat in the spring breeze for a month." When You and Yang first saw Yichuan, Yichuan sat with his eyes closed, and the two attended standing. When he awoke, he turned and said: "Are you gentlemen still here? The day is late, you should rest." When they went out the gate, snow outside lay a foot deep. [Hou Zhongliang, courtesy name Shisheng, and Zhu Guangting, courtesy name Gongyan, were both disciples of Master Cheng. Mingdao's dealing with people was harmonious and pure, while Yichuan's way as teacher was dignified and stern; both were the manifestation of abundant virtue, only their temperament and completion differed. Mingdao resembled Yan Hui; Yichuan resembled Mencius.]

劉安禮雲明道先生德性充完粹和之氣盎於面背樂易多恕終日怡悅立之從先生三十年未嘗見其忿厲之容【附錄○明道先生質之美養之厚德之全故其粹然發見從容豈弟如此百世之下聞之者鄙夫寛薄夫敦而況於親炙之者乎】

Liu Anli said: Master Mingdao's virtuous nature was full and complete, and a pure, harmonious air brimmed on his face and back; he was cheerful, easygoing, and forgiving, pleasant all day. Lizhi followed the Master for thirty years and never saw an angry or stern look on his face. [From the Appendix. Master Mingdao's native quality was excellent, his nourishment rich, and his virtue complete, so that his purity shone forth in such leisurely and gentle ease. A hundred generations later those who hear of it, the mean become generous and the shallow become sincere; how much more those who directly received his teaching?]

呂與叔撰明道哀詞雲先生負特立之才知大學之要博文強識躬行力究察倫明物極其所止渙然心釋洞見道體【識記也博文強識博學也躬行力究力行也察倫明物以下物格而知至也】其造於約也雖事變之感不一知應以是心而不窮雖天下之理至眾知反之吾身而自足【應感無窮而實本乎吾心物理散殊而皆備乎吾身言其學雖博而有要也】其致於一也異端竝立而不能移聖人復起而不與易【致一者見之明而守之定故邪說不能移百世以俟聖人而不惑也】其養之成也和氣充浹見於聲容然望之崇深不可慢也遇事優為從容不廹然誠心懇惻弗之措也【和易而有含蓄寛裕而懇至也】其自任之重也寧學聖人而未至不欲以一善成名寧以一物不被澤為己病不欲以一時之利為己功【自任之重所至者逺不安於小成不急於近功】其自信之篤也吾志可行不苟潔其去就吾義所安雖小官有所不屑【志若可行不潔其去以為高義擇所安亦不屑於就以自卑】

Lu Yushu, in his elegy for Master Mingdao, wrote: The Master bore a uniquely independent talent and knew the essentials of great learning; he studied broadly and remembered firmly, practiced personally and researched vigorously, discerned human relations and illuminated things, reached their limit, and the heart dissolved and was released, seeing through the substance of the Way [to remember means to retain. Studying broadly and remembering firmly is wide learning; practicing personally and researching vigorously is strenuous practice; from discerning human relations and illuminating things onward, things are investigated and knowledge arrives]. In reaching concision, though the stimuli of events were many, he knew to respond with this heart and was not at a loss; though the principles under Heaven are most numerous, he knew to turn back to himself and find it sufficient [responding to endless stimuli yet truly rooted in my own heart; the principles of things are scattered and distinct yet all provided in my own person. This says that his learning, though broad, had its essentials]. In reaching unity, heterodoxies stood side by side and could not move him, and had a sage arisen again he would not have changed his view [reaching unity is seeing clearly and holding firmly, so that depraved doctrines could not move him, and he awaited a sage a hundred generations later without doubt]. In the completion of his nourishing, a harmonious air filled and permeated him and showed in his voice and bearing, yet looking at him he was lofty and profound and could not be treated lightly; meeting affairs he handled them easily, unhurried and at leisure, yet sincere and earnest in heart he never put them aside [easygoing yet reserved, generous yet earnest]. In the weight of his self-assumed charge, he would rather study to be a sage and not arrive than become famous for a single good; he would rather count it his own illness that one thing did not receive benefit than take the profit of a single moment as his own merit [with such weight of responsibility, what he reached was far, not content with small attainment, not hasty for near results]. In the firmness of his self-confidence, if his aims could be carried out, he would not take care to look clean in coming and going; where his righteousness found ease, he would disdain even a small office [if his aims could be carried out he did not make a show of cleanness by leaving in order to appear lofty; choosing where righteousness found ease, he also disdained taking a post in order to humble himself].

呂與叔撰橫渠先生行狀雲康定用兵之時先生年十八慨然以功名自許上書謁范文正公公知其逺器欲成就之乃責之曰儒者自有名教何事於兵因勸讀中庸先生讀其書雖愛之猶以為未足於是又訪諸釋老之書累年盡究其說知無所得反而求之六經嘉祐初見程伯淳正叔於京師共語道學之要先生渙然自信曰吾道自足何事旁求於是盡棄異學淳如也【本注尹彥明雲橫渠昔在京師坐虎皮說周易聽從甚眾一夕二程先生至論易次日橫渠撤去虎皮曰吾平日為諸公說者皆亂道有二程近到深明易道吾所不及汝輩可師之○愚謂此可以見橫渠先生勇於從善無一毫系吝之意非大公至明孰能如是】晩自崇文移疾西歸橫渠終日危坐一室左右簡編俯而讀仰而思有得則識之或中夜起坐取燭以書其志道精思未始須臾息亦未嘗須臾忘也學者有問多告以知禮成性變化氣質之道學必如聖人而後已聞者莫不動心有進【說竝見前】嘗謂門人曰吾學旣得於心則修其辭命辭無差然後斷事斷事無失吾乃沛然精義入神者豫而已矣【人於義理其初得於心者雖瞭然無疑及宣之於口筆之於牘則或有差故命辭無差則所見己審以是應酬事物知明理精妙用無方矣是皆窮理致知之功素立而非勉強擬議於應事之時也】先生氣質剛毅徳盛貌嚴然與人居久而日親其治家接物大要正己以感人人未之信反躬自治不以語人雖有未喻安行而無悔故識與不識聞風而畏非其義也不敢以一毫及之【德貌嚴毅而中誠懇惻故與人久而益親躬自厚而薄責於人故人心服而不敢加以非義】

Lu Yushu, in his Account of Conduct of Master Hengqu, wrote: At the time of military operations in the Kangding era, the Master was eighteen and, moved with feeling, promised himself glory and fame; he submitted a letter and called on Lord Fan Wenzheng. The Duke recognized his great capacity and wished to help him succeed, and rebuked him, saying: "A Confucian has his own teaching of names and proprieties; what business has he with military affairs?" and urged him to read the Zhongyong. The Master, though he loved that book, still thought it insufficient, and so sought out the writings of Buddhism and Daoism, exhausting their teachings over several years, and, knowing he gained nothing, returned to seek it in the Six Classics. In the early Jiayou years, he met Cheng Bochun and Zhengshu in the capital and discussed with them the essentials of the learning of the Way. The Master suddenly became self-assured and said: "Our Way is sufficient in itself; why seek elsewhere?" Thereupon he abandoned all other teachings entirely, becoming simple and pure [original note: Yin Yanming said that Hengqu once sat on a tiger skin in the capital lecturing on the Book of Changes, and very many came to hear him. One evening the two Master Chengs arrived and discussed the Changes. The next day Hengqu removed the tiger skin and said: What I have been saying to you all along was confused talk. The two Chengs have just arrived and deeply understand the Way of the Changes, which I cannot match; you should take them as teachers. Note by Ye Cai: This shows that Master Hengqu was bold in following the good, without a trace of attachment or stinginess. Who but one of utmost impartiality and clarity could do so?]. Late in life he left the Court of Imperial Sacrifices on grounds of illness and returned west to Hengqu, sitting upright all day in one room, books and records to left and right, bending to read and looking up to think; when he gained something he recorded it, and sometimes rose at midnight and took up a candle to write. His devotion to the Way and refined thinking never rested for a moment and was never forgotten for a moment. When scholars asked him, he mostly told them the way of knowing ritual and completing nature, and of transforming temperament; that learning must be like the sage and only then stop; all who heard were moved and advanced [explained earlier]. He once said to his disciples: "When my learning is gained in the heart, I then refine my wording; when the wording is without error, I then judge affairs; when judging affairs is without fault, I am at ease. To refine meaning until it enters the spirit is only a matter of preparing beforehand." [In meaning and principle, what a person first gains in the heart may be clear without doubt, but when spoken aloud or written down may contain error. So when the wording is without error, what one sees is already examined, and responding to affairs with it, knowing is clear and principle refined, and its wondrous use has no fixed direction. All this is because the effort of exhausting principle and extending knowledge was established long before, not forced or planned at the time of responding to affairs.] The Master's temperament was firm and resolute; his virtue was abundant and his appearance stern, yet the longer one lived with him, the closer one grew. In managing his household and dealing with others, he mainly corrected himself to move people; when people did not yet believe him, he turned back and governed himself and did not tell people; though some did not understand, he went on at ease without regret. So those who knew him and those who did not, hearing his reputation, held him in awe, and no one dared bring to him anything improper even by a hair [his virtue and appearance were stern and firm while inside he was sincere and earnest, so the longer people were with him the closer they grew; he was generous with himself and light in blaming others, so people submitted at heart and dared not do him what was improper].

橫渠曰二程從十四五時便銳然欲學聖人【語錄】

Hengqu said: "The two Chengs, from the age of fourteen or fifteen, keenly wished to learn to be sages." [From the Recorded Sayings.]