Jin Si Lu (近思錄) · Volume 7

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.]