Zhong Shuo (中說) · Volume 3

房齡問事君之道子曰無私問使人之道曰無偏曰敢問化人之道子曰正其心問禮樂子曰王道盛則禮樂從而興焉非爾所及也【仁義著則王道盛也樂者仁之聲也禮者義之容也必待明王乃可興非今爾所及】或問楊素子曰作福作威玉食不知其他也【驕且吝不足觀】房齡問郡縣之治【秦罷侯置守郡縣始於此】子曰宗周列國八百餘年【列國謂封建五等諸侯】皇漢雜建四百餘載【漢監秦亡之勢雖無五等而雜封功臣宗室子弟】魏晉已降滅亡不暇【魏晉已有封爵然虛名無實故防於權臣之手】吾不知其用也【觀周漢之永魏晉之促其用可知矣】楊素使謂子曰盍仕乎子曰防屬之南【疏屬山名山海經云枕汾水名管岑】汾水之曲有先人之弊廬在可以避風雨有田可以具饘粥彈琴著書講道勸義自樂也願君侯正身以統天下【素驕故以正規之】時和歳豐則通也受賜多矣不願仕也【終巽言以拒之】子曰古之為政者先徳而後刑故其人悅以恕【悅謂知徳及我恕謂知刑不得已而行】今之為政者任刑而棄徳故其人怨以詐【怨謂不教我而致我犯詐謂矯求苟免】子曰古之從仕者養人今之從仕者養已【嘆反古】子曰甚矣齊文宣之虐也【北齊髙洋以峻法御下】姚義曰何謂克終子曰有楊遵彥者寔國掌命【楊愔字遵彥文宣時為尚書本史稱朝章國命一人而已】視民如傷奚為不終【言有賢臣故不亡】竇威好議禮子曰威也賢乎哉我則不敢【威所好者禮之文耳文中子不敢者禮之情也夫知禮樂之情者能作識禮樂之文者能述隋室禮壤賢威有心大抵治定而後議今非其時故曰不敢】北山丈人【山海經云北山之首曰單孤文人無名氏】謂文中子曰何謂遑遑者無急歟子曰非敢急傷時怠也【怠而不修斯文喪矣】子曰吾不度不執【度徳執用】不常不遂【得常遂行】房齡曰書云霍光廢帝舉帝何謂也【續書有霍光之事言廢帝舉帝之事光字子孟先是武帝盡周公相成王圖以賜光光盡忠輔之昭帝崩立昌邑王賀賀有罪三千條光廢之而立宣帝續書云大臣之義載於業者有七其一曰命文中子曰書有命邃矣其有成敗於其間天下懸之不得已而臨之乎】子曰何必霍光古之大臣廢昏舉明所以康天下也【古若伊尹】子游河間之渚【隋河間郡連涿水渚今深州】河上丈人曰何居乎斯人也【丈人無名氏居音姬發語之端】心若醉六經目若營四海何居乎斯人也文中子去之薛收曰何人也子曰隠者也收曰盍從之乎【訝子去之】子曰吾與彼不相從久矣【吾吾道也吾道自仲尼與荷蓧丈人已來不相從也故曰久矣】至人相從乎【收問至人無名還從隠乎】子曰否也【言至人有名而難名者也今之隠者異於是獨善一身不以天下為道】子在河上曰滔滔乎昔吾願止焉而不可得也今吾得之止乎【聖人時行則行時止則止昔常欲止而心猶有為故獻防於長安今道之不行得以止矣故退居於河曲】子見牧守屢易曰堯舜三載考績仲尼三年有成今旬月而易吾不知其道【痛隋行秦苟且之政】薛收曰如何子曰三代之興邦家有社稷焉【諸侯稱邦卿大夫稱家立社稷世奉其祀】兩漢之盛牧守有子孫焉【襲爵通侯無罪國不除】不如是之亟也【亟猶遽也】無定主而責之以忠無定民而責之以化雖曰能之末由也已【末莫也】賀若弼請射於子發必中【弼字輔伯平陳有武功為總管隋主宴突厥人使命之射一發中的命弼射一發亦中的弼自矜善射故請子觀】子曰美哉乎藝也【六藝次三曰射】古君子志於道據於徳依於仁而後藝可遊也【言藝成而下君子游之而已】弼不悅而退子謂門人曰矜而愎難乎免於今之世矣【弼竟誅死】子謂荀悅史乎史乎【悅字仲豫漢獻帝時侍講禁中依編年體著前漢紀三十篇詞約事詳申明制度重言美之也】謂陸機文乎文乎【機字士衡作文賦及辨亡論蓋有述作之志復祖之風】皆思過半矣子謂文士之行可見謝靈運小人哉其文傲君子則謹【靈運之孫襲爵康樂公性奢豪曽為永嘉太守多遊山不聽民訟召為侍中稱疾不朝此傲可見也】沈休文小人哉其文冶君子則典【沈約字休文始制音韻好艶冶之辭梁朝士人宗之益務妍侈此冶可見矣】鮑昭江淹古之狷者也其文急以怨【昭字明逺為宋臨江王防軍有虛詞而官不達故多怨刺淹字文通為宋建平王從事有罪下獄上書其言急皆狷可見矣】吳筠孔珪古之狂者也其文怪以怒【南史無吳筠疑是吳均文之誤也均字叔庠文體古怪又疑是王筠字元禮為文好押強韻多而不精一官一集孔稚珪字徳章與江淹對掌文翰而不肯伏淹皆狂可見矣】謝莊王融古之纎人也其文碎【莊字希逸善詞賦歌詩傳於樂府嘗作殷妃誄使堯門故事宋帝深銜之融字元長文詞辨捷長於屬綴後坐罪誅此纎碎可見矣】徐陵庾信古之夸人也其文誕【陵字孝穆陳後主詔冊皆陵為之好裁緝新意自成文體信字子山與徐陵同為學士文體相誇時稱徐庾此誕可見矣】或問孝綽兄弟子曰鄙人也其文淫【劉綽字孝綽兄弟孝威孝儀俱以才名顯其舅王筠常稱孝綽雲天下文章若無我當歸阿士阿士孝綽小名蓋淫詞類舅此鄙可見矣】或問湘東王兄弟子曰貪人也其文繁【南齊世祖之子湘東王名子建與兄競陵王子良及隋郡王子隆皆好文章有集傳世然志貪富貴繁可見矣】謝朓淺人也其文防【朓字暉為齊新安王記室牋詞敏防此淺可見矣】江總詭人也其文虛【總字總持與陳後主為長夜之飲相和為詩不持政事此詭佞可見矣】皆古之不利人也【或喪身或亂國】子謂顔延之王儉任昉有君子之心焉其文約以則【詞簡約而理有法則是君子用心也延之字延年宋時為侍郎常言天下之務當與天下共之平生不拘小節不營財利儉字仲寶南齊時為尚書令好禮學文詞風流自比謝安上宴命群臣作樂儉獨念封禪文昉字彥升梁時掌文誥累為太守凡饋遺與親戚以俸米散荒民當世仕進無不厯其門者昉接引之常言憂人之憂樂人之樂此心可見矣】尚書召子仕【隋尚書署天下吏】子使姚義往辭焉曰必不得已署我於蜀【寧僻逺以藏用署常恕反】或曰僻子曰吾得從嚴楊游泳以卒世何患乎僻【嚴君平揚雄】子曰吾惡夫佞者必也愚乎愚者不妄動吾惡夫豪者必也悋乎悋者不妄散【佞惑主豪誘眾不若愚悋守其分】子曰達人哉山濤也多可而少怪【宏達】或曰王戎賢乎【戎字濬仲晉司空】子曰戎而賢天下無不賢矣【戎典選未嘗進寒素近虛名天下目為膏肓之疾及愍懐之廢又無一言以諫但苟且簡靜容身而已實非賢】子曰陳思王可謂達理者也以天下讓時人莫之知也【曹植字子建魏祖欲立為太子植不自雕礪飲酒晦跡兄文帝矯情自飾以求為嗣人不知子建署兄耳】子曰君子哉思王也其文深以典【親親表典矣出師表深矣】房齡問史子曰古之史也辯道【約理明變】今之史也耀文【空事詞語】問文子曰古之文也約以達今之文也繁以塞【不通理曰塞】薛收問續詩子曰有四名焉有五志焉何謂四名一曰化【續大雅也】天子所以風天下也【形天下之風】二曰政【續國風】蕃臣所以移其俗也【蕃臣比古諸侯移俗猶易俗也】三曰頌【續周殷魯頌】以成功告於神明也【歌之樂府享於宗廟】四曰嘆【續變風變雅】以陳誨立誡於家也【國異政家殊俗詩人哀之嘆之所以吟詠於家諷刺其上使達此變以懐舊俗也】凡此四者或美焉【嘉美之】或勉焉【無足嘉則勉之】或傷焉【勉不得則傷之】或惡焉【不足傷則惡也】或誡焉【語他事使聞之自誡】是謂五志【皆志所之】子謂叔恬曰汝為春秋元經乎春秋元經於王道是輕重之權衡曲直之繩墨也失則無所取衷矣【衷中也過則抑之不及則勸之皆約歸中道】子謂續詩之有化其猶先王之有雅乎續詩之有政其猶列國之有風乎【雅合天下而言也風分郡縣而言也】子曰郡縣之政其異列國之風乎【列國變則懐其舊俗郡縣變則惟新是圖】列國之風深以固其人篤【世修政教故俗亦深厚】曰我君不卒求我也其上下相安乎【曰者假列國之人為言也我君謂天子也言天子封建列國本求冶也上安其下則下亦安其上故云相安】及其變也【變風】勞而散其人蓋傷君恩之薄也而不敢怨【薄謂不安其下】郡縣之政悅以幸其人慕【苟悅其民幸於成功故民亦擇善而慕之】曰我君不卒撫我也其臣主屢遷乎【此假郡縣之人為言也言我君不終撫吾民使善政不久居而屢易之乎】及其變也【變政】苛而迫其人蓋怨吏心之酷也而無所傷焉【史苟一時急功則政酷民怨】雖有善政未及行也魏徵曰敢問列國之風變傷而不怨郡縣之政變怨而不傷何謂也子曰傷而不怨則不曰猶吾君也【民君本國諸侯亦猶諸侯君天子】吾得逃乎何敢怨【可逃避不敢怨】怨而不傷則不曰彼下矣【彼謂郡縣長下猶去也言終替去】吾將賊之又何傷【賊害之】故曰三代之末尚有仁義存焉【邦家有社稷故】六代之季仁義盡矣【牧守無子孫故】何則導人者非其路也【不以王路使人由之】子曰變風變雅作而王澤竭矣【周先王之澤】變化變政作而帝制衰矣【漢諸帝之制】子曰言取而行違溫彥博惡之【彥博大雅弟貞觀中為御史大夫有才辨官終僕射】面譽而背毀魏徵惡之【二子正直同】子曰愛生而敗仁者其下愚之行歟【觸情亡性】殺身而成仁者其中人之行歟【強仁非安行】遊仲尼之門未有不治中者也【殺身若子路結纓葢其中賢也】陳叔達為絳郡守下捕賊之令曰無急也請自新者原之以觀其後【容其改過刑之未遲】子聞之曰陳守可與言政矣上失其道民散久矣【隋季如周衰】苟非君子焉能固窮【小民窮則盜】導之以徳懸之以信且觀其後不亦善乎【容在徳刑在信】薛收問恩不害義儉不傷禮何如子曰此文景尚病其難行也夫廢肉刑害於義【義象秋也天不為人惡寒而變肅殺之今】損之可也【刑不濫則損】衣弋綈傷乎禮【禮象夏也君不以小善卑當陽之義】中焉可也【不偪下則中】雖然以文景之心為之可也不可格於後【本心在愛民節用不意其害義傷禮后王必稽中道】子曰古之事君也以道不可則止【直道】今之事君也以佞【枉道】無所不至【所至皆佞】子曰吾於讃易也述而不敢論【述謂修之論謂別立理】吾於禮樂也論而不敢辯【論沿革而已不敢辯興衰之極】吾於詩書也辯而不敢議【辯治亂之事不敢議其得失之由】或問其故子曰有可有不可【聖人立言或徴而顯或蓋而彰或曲而中或肆而隠各有奧義不可防窺是故有可以述則述可以論則論其於辯議皆然】曰夫子有可有不可乎子曰可不可天下之所存也我則存之者也【夫經天下之公言也故我續而存之者耳非我自可否也】子閒居儼然其動也徐若有所慮【貌敦】其行也方【短步也】若有所畏【禮恭】其接長者恭恭然如不足接防者溫溫然如有就【敬愛得中】子之服儉以防無長物焉【長剰也】綺羅錦繡不入於室曰君子非黃白不御【黃白取自然絲色】婦人則有青碧【染之易者】子宴賔無貳饌【不重味】食必去生味必適【適中】果菜非其時不食曰非天道也非其土不食曰非地道也【皆保真性者也】鄉人有窮而索者【索求】曰爾於我乎取無擾爾鄰里鄉黨為也【周禮五家為鄰五鄰為裡五州為鄉五族為黨】我則不厭鄉人有喪子必先往【匍匐救之】反必後【木忘哀】子之言應而不唱【問則應不唱始】唱必有大端【人言所不及則唱之】子之鄉無爭者【近易化】或問人善子知其善則稱之不善則曰未嘗與久也子濟大川有風則止不登髙不履危不乗悍【悍馬】不奔馭鄉人有水土之役則具畚鍤以往曰吾非從大夫也【畚草器鍤鍬也非大夫則從行畚布忖反鍤楚洽反】銅川府君之喪【父喪】勺飲不入口者三日營具曰必儉也吾家有制焉棺槨無飾衣衾而舉帷車而載【飾謂漆飾也衾帷亡者生所御物】塗車蒭靈則不從五世矣【禮曰塗車蒭靈自古有之孔子謂蒭靈者善謂俑者不仁不殆於用人乎】既之曰自仲尼已來未嘗無志也於是立墳髙四尺不樹焉【孔子曰我東西南北之人不可弗識也封之崇四尺】子之他鄉舍人之家【舍於主人】出入必告既而曰奚適而無稟【言人動有所稟】萬春鄉社【所居鄉名社祀句龍】子必與執事翼如也【執爼豆之事翼如恭貌】芮城府君起家【除服被起】為御史將行謂文中子曰何以贈我子曰清而無介【清極則介】直而無執【直甚則執】曰何以加乎子曰太和為之表【清而外和】至心為之內【直而內至】行之以恭守之以道【恭外道內】退而謂董常曰大廈將顛非一木所支也【言隋將顛非御史可救】子曰婚娶而論財夷虜之道也君子不入其鄉古者男女之族各擇徳焉不以財為禮【引古正今】子之族婚嫁必具六禮【納采問名納吉納徵請期親迎】曰斯道也今亡矣三綱之首不可廢吾從古【夫為婦之綱】子曰惡衣薄食少思寡慾今人以為詐我則好詐焉不為誇若愚似鄙今人以為恥我則不恥也子曰古之仕也以行其道【道行於人】今之仕也以逞其欲【厚已所欲】難矣乎【雞致太平】子曰吏而登仕勞而進官非古也其秦之餘酷乎【周禮胥吏執事而已非委之以政教也春秋有功賞邑而已非假之以名器也秦政酷故用吏才而官不授徳】古者士登乎仕【士謂俊造也從王命為仕】吏執乎役【力役】祿以報勞官以授徳【祿及勞者一身而已官則為天下設也】子曰美哉公旦之為周也外不屑天下之謗而私其跡曰必使我子孫相承而宗祀不絶也【不屑不介意也跡謂攝位也曰者假周公為言也】內實達天下之道而公其心曰必使我君臣相安而禍亂不作【達道制禮作樂也公謂終復子明辟也】深乎深乎安家者所以寧天下也存我者所以厚蒼生也【奉文武業必存我身所以寧國厚民】故遷都之義曰洛邑之地四達而平使有徳易以興無徳易以衰【曰者周公雲也卜洛相宅義不恃險而在修徳】無功作五斗先生傳【王績字無功子之弟也不遇時則縱酒一飲五斗自作五斗先生傳以見志】子曰汝忘天下乎【言未能忘天下】縱心敗矩吾不與也【貴其敗人倫之法】

Fang Xuanling (the original character was lost in transcription; it is Xuan, and so below) asked about the way of serving a ruler. The Master said: Have no selfishness. He asked about the way of employing people. He said: Have no partiality. He said: May I ask about the way of teaching and transforming people. The Master said: Set their hearts right. He asked about ritual and music. The Master said: When the kingly way flourishes, ritual and music will rise along with it; this is beyond what you can reach [When benevolence and righteousness are manifest, the kingly way flourishes. Music is the sound of benevolence, ritual is the face of righteousness. They can rise only when an enlightened king appears, which is beyond what you can reach today]. Someone asked about Yang Su. The Master said: He makes fortune and makes awe, and has fine food and drink; I know nothing else [He is arrogant and miserly, not worth looking at]. Fang Xuanling asked about governing by commanderies and counties [Qin abolished the feudal lords and set up commandery governors; commanderies and counties began there]. The Master said: Zhou's ancestral line and its enfeoffed states lasted over eight hundred years [the enfeoffed states means the five ranks of feudal lords]; the great Han mixed the two for over four hundred years [Han, having seen the situation in which Qin perished, though it did not have the five ranks, still enfeoffed meritorious ministers and imperial kinsmen in a mixed way]; Wei and Jin and after were destroyed almost before they could do anything [Wei and Jin already had titles of nobility, but they were empty names without substance, so power fell into the hands of powerful ministers (the original has "fang" here, a corruption of "luo", meaning "fell")]. I do not know what use it was [Seeing the longevity of Zhou and Han and the brevity of Wei and Jin, its use can be known]. Yang Su sent someone to ask the Master: Why do you not take office? The Master said: South of Shushu [Shushu is the name of a mountain; the Classic of Mountains and Seas says it rests on the Fen River, and is called Guancen (the original has Guancen with a variant character)], at a bend of the Fen River, there is my ancestors' ruined house, where I can shelter from wind and rain; there are fields where I can prepare thick gruel. I play the zither, write books, lecture on the Way and encourage righteousness, and take my own pleasure. I wish the Marquis would set himself right in order to guide the world [Yang Su was arrogant, so he was admonished with "setting right"]. If the seasons are harmonious and the harvests abundant, then I, Wang Tong, will have received much, and I do not wish to take office [In the end he refused him with modest words]. The Master said: Those who governed in antiquity put virtue first and punishment after, so the people there were glad and forgiving [Glad means they knew virtue had been brought to bear on them; forgiving means they knew punishment was applied only when unavoidable]; those who govern now rely on punishment and abandon virtue, so the people there resent and cheat [Resent means they were not taught but were made to offend; cheat means they feign sincerity to escape]. The Master said: Those who held office in antiquity nurtured the people; those who hold office now nurture themselves [A lament over departure from antiquity]. The Master said: How excessive was the cruelty of Wenxuan of Qi [Gao Yang of Northern Qi governed his subordinates with harsh laws]. Yao Yi said: Why then was he able to die a natural death? The Master said: There was a Yang Zunyan who really held the fate of the state [Yang Yin, style name Zunyan, was Director of Affairs under Wenxuan. The standard history says the court regulations and the state's fate rested on one man], and he looked on the people as if they were wounded; how could he fail to die a natural death [This means that having a worthy minister prevented ruin]. Dou Wei liked to discuss ritual. The Master said: Wei may be called worthy, but I would not dare [What Wei liked was the outward form of ritual; what Wenzhongzi did not dare to touch was its inner feeling. One who knows the inner feeling of ritual and music can create them; one who discerns their outward form can record them. Ritual in the Sui house was in ruins, and a man as worthy as Dou Wei having this concern is probably because discussion comes only after order is settled; now was not the time, so he said he would not dare]. The Old Man of Beishan [the Classic of Mountains and Seas says the first of the northern mountains is called Danhu; the Old Man was nameless] said to Wenzhongzi: Why are you so restless and anxious? Is it not too hurried? The Master said: I dare not be unhurried; I grieve that the people of this age are slack [Slack and not cultivating, so this culture is being lost]. The Master said: I do not take up what I have not measured [measuring virtue and holding on to its use], and I do not proceed without finding the constant [one proceeds only after obtaining the constant Way]. Fang Xuanling said: The Book says Huo Guang deposed one emperor and raised another; what does this mean [The continuation of the Book includes the affair of Huo Guang, discussing his deposing one emperor and raising another. Huo Guang, style name Zimeng. Earlier, Emperor Wu had given Huo Guang a picture of the Duke of Zhou assisting King Cheng, and Huo Guang assisted loyally with all his strength. When Emperor Zhao died, the Prince of Changyi, He, was installed, but He had three thousand offenses; Huo Guang deposed him and installed Emperor Xuan. The continuation of the Book says that among the principles for great ministers, seven are recorded under "Deeds," and the first is called Command. Wenzhongzi said: The Book has the "Command," and it is profound. In it there is success and failure; the world hung above it, and he acted only because he had no choice]. The Master said: Why must it be Huo Guang? A great minister of antiquity deposed the benighted and raised the enlightened, in order to give peace to the world [as Yi Yin did in antiquity]. The Master traveled on a small islet in Hejian [the islet in Hejian Commandery of Sui adjoining the Zhuo River, now belonging to Shenzhou]. The Old Man by the River said: What is this, this person [the Old Man was nameless; the word "ji" is a sentence-opening particle]? His heart seems drunk in the Six Classics, his eyes seem to be managing the four seas; what is this, this person? Wenzhongzi left him. Xue Shou said: Who was he? The Master said: A recluse. Xue Shou said: Why did you not follow him [surprised that the Master left him]? The Master said: I and he have not followed one another for a long time ["I" is my Way. My Way has not followed along with that of the Old Man with the carrying basket since Zhongni, so he said "long"]. Do perfect men follow one another [Xue Shou asks whether the perfect man, though unnamed, would still follow the recluse]? The Master said: No [meaning that the perfect man has a name that is hard to describe. The recluses of today are different from this; they perfect themselves alone and do not take the world as their Way]. The Master said by the river: How it flows on. Formerly I wished to stop but could not; now I have obtained it, so let me stop [A sage moves when it is time to move and stops when it is time to stop. Formerly he often wanted to stop, but his heart still had things to do, so he presented his plan at Chang'an (the original has "fang" as a corruption of "ce", meaning "plan"); now the Way cannot be carried out and he is able to stop, so he withdrew to the bend of the river]. The Master saw provincial governors being replaced repeatedly and said: Yao and Shun evaluated performance after three years, and Zhongni said that in three years something would be accomplished. Now they are replaced within ten days or half a month, and I do not know the reason [He grieved that the Sui dynasty practiced Qin's makeshift government]. Xue Shou said: How so? The Master said: When the Three Dynasties arose, states and houses had altars of soil and grain [lords were called states, and ministers and grand masters were called houses; they set up altars of soil and grain and sacrificed generation after generation]; when the two Han flourished, governors had descendants [they inherited titles of marquis with full authority, and were not dismissed unless they committed crimes against the state]. It was not hurried like this ["qi" is like "ju", hurried]. If one has no fixed lord and yet demands his loyalty, if one has no fixed people and yet demands their transformation, though one says it can be done, there is no way to begin ["mo" means none]. He Ruobi invited the Master to watch him shoot, and every arrow hit [Bi, style name Fubo, had military merit in conquering Chen and served as governor-general. The Sui emperor feasted the Turkic envoys and ordered him to shoot, and with one arrow he hit the target; he ordered Bi to shoot, and with one arrow he also hit. Bi boasted of his skill at archery, so he invited the Master to watch]. The Master said: Splendid, this skill [archery is the third of the six arts]! The gentleman of antiquity set his will on the Way, relied on virtue, depended on benevolence, and only then could he roam in the arts [meaning that the arts come last, and the gentleman merely roams in them]. He Ruobi withdrew displeased. The Master said to his disciples: Boastful and also stubborn, he will find it hard to escape in the present age [He Ruobi was later executed]. The Master said of Xun Yue: Historian, oh historian [Yue, style name Zhongyu, served in the palace as a lecturer to Emperor Xian of Han and, following the annalistic form, wrote the Han Annals in thirty chapters, concise in words and detailed in events, making institutions clear. He praised him with repetition]; he said of Lu Ji: Literature, oh literature [Ji, style name Shiheng, wrote the Rhapsody on Literature and the Essay on Discerning the Fall, probably with the ambition to compose and revive the manner of his ancestors]. Both have already thought through more than half of it. The Master said: The conduct of literary men can be seen from their writings. Was Xie Lingyun a petty man? His writing is haughty, while the gentleman's is careful [Lingyun was a grandson of Xie Xuan and inherited the title Duke of Kangle; he was extravagant and bold by nature, once served as governor of Yongjia, often roamed the mountains and ignored the people's lawsuits, and when summoned as palace attendant he claimed illness and did not attend court; this haughtiness can be seen]. Was Shen Xiuwen a petty man? His writing is seductive, while the gentleman's is classical [Shen Yue, style name Xiuwen, first set the rules of rhyme and was fond of seductive diction; the scholars of the Liang court revered him and strove even more for beauty and extravagance; this seductiveness can be seen]. Bao Zhao and Jiang Yan were the zealous of old. Their writing is urgent and resentful [Zhao, style name Mingyuan, served as an adviser (the original has "fang", a corruption of "can", meaning "adviser") to the Prince of Linjiang of Song; he had fine rhetoric but his career did not go well, so he often voiced resentment and satire. Yan, style name Wentong, served as an official under the Prince of Jianping of Song, was imprisoned for an offense and wrote a memorial in urgent words. Both show their zeal]. Wu Jun and Kong Gui were the wild of old. Their writing is strange and angry [The History of the Southern Dynasties has no Wu Yun, so it is probably a mistake for Wu Jun. Jun, style name Shuxiang, had an odd literary style. It may also be Wang Yun, style name Yuanli, who liked to use forced rhymes, wrote much but not finely, one office and one collection. Kong Zhigui, style name Dezhang, shared the literary posts with Jiang Yan but would not yield to Yan. Both show their wildness]. Xie Zhuang and Wang Rong were the petty of old. Their writing is fragmentary [Zhuang, style name Xiyi, was good at rhapsodies and poems, which passed to the Music Bureau; he once wrote an elegy for Consort Yin using the story of the Yao gate, and the emperor of Song resented it deeply. Rong, style name Yuanchang, was quick in rhetoric and skilled at stringing things together, and later was executed for a crime. This pettiness can be seen]. Xu Ling and Yu Xin were the boastful of old. Their writing is extravagant [Ling, style name Xiaomu, wrote all the edicts and decrees of the last ruler of Chen, and liked to cut and stitch new ideas into a style of his own. Xin, style name Zishan, was a scholar with Xu Ling, and the two boasted of each other's style, so that the age called them Xu-Yu. This extravagance can be seen]. Someone asked about Liu Xiaochuo and his brothers. The Master said: Vulgar men. Their writing is licentious [Liu Xiaochuo, style name Xiaochuo, had brothers Xiaowei and Xiaoyi, all renowned for talent. His maternal uncle Wang Yun often praised Xiaochuo, saying that if I were absent from the world's literature, it would belong to Ashi. Ashi was Xiaochuo's childhood name. Probably his licentious diction resembled his uncle's, and this vulgarity can be seen]. Someone asked about the Prince of Xiangdong and his brothers. The Master said: Greedy men. Their writing is profuse [The son of Emperor Shizu of Southern Qi, the Prince of Xiangdong, named Zijian, along with his elder brother the Prince of Jingling, Ziliang, and the Prince of Suijun, Zilong, all loved literature and left collections to posterity, but their ambition was for greed and wealth, so the profusion can be seen]. Xie Tiao was a shallow man, and his writing is swift (the original has "fang" for "jie", meaning "swift") [Tiao, style name Xuanhui, served as secretary to the Prince of Xin'an of Qi, and his letters were nimble (the original has "fang" for "jie"); his shallowness can be seen]. Jiang Zong was a deceitful man, and his writing is hollow [Zong, style name Zongchi, held all-night drinking parties with the last ruler of Chen, composed verses in turn with him, and did not manage government affairs, so his deceit and flattery can be seen]. All were men whom things did not favor in antiquity [some lost their lives, some brought disorder to the state]. The Master said that Yan Yanzhi, Wang Jian and Ren Fang had the heart of a gentleman, and their writing is concise and has rules [Their words are brief and their reasoning has rules, which is a gentleman's care. Yanzhi, style name Yannian, served as palace attendant in Song and often said that the affairs of the world should be shared with the people of the world; in life he did not bind himself to small matters and did not manage wealth or profit. Jian, style name Zhongbao, served as Director of the Secretariat in Southern Qi, loved ritual studies and had an elegant style, compared himself to Xie An; when the emperor held a banquet and ordered the ministers to compose music, Jian alone remembered the text of the sacrifice on Mount Tai. Fang, style name Yansheng, was in charge of edicts in Liang and repeatedly served as governor; when he gave gifts to relatives he distributed his salary rice to disaster victims, and in his time every man seeking advancement passed through his door and Fang received them, often saying that he grieved over others' griefs and rejoiced in others' joys. This heart can be seen]. The Ministry summoned the Master to take office [the Sui Secretariat assigned officials across the empire]. The Master had Yao Yi decline for him, saying: If it cannot be avoided, assign me to Shu [better a remote place in which to hide one's use. Pronunciation note: "shu" is read as "chang shu fan"]. Someone said: It is remote. The Master said: I could wander with Yan Junping and Yang Xiong and finish this life; what is there to fear in remoteness [Yan Junping and Yang Xiong]? The Master said: I hate flatterers; they must be stupid, mustn't they? The stupid do not act rashly. I hate the overbearing; they must be stingy, mustn't they? The stingy do not scatter rashly [Flatterers confuse the ruler and the overbearing lure the crowd, which is worse than the stupid and the stingy keeping to their station]. The Master said: A man of breadth, Shan Tao! He approved of much and was surprised by little [broad-minded]. Someone said: Was Wang Rong worthy [Rong, style name Junchong, was Minister of Works of Jin]? The Master said: If Rong was worthy, then no one in the world is unworthy [When Rong was in charge of selection he never promoted the humble and plain, and drew close to empty reputations, so the world regarded it as an incurable illness; when the Crown Prince Huai was deposed he did not have a single word of remonstrance, and merely drifted along, calm and concise, protecting himself, which truly is not worthy]. The Master said: The Prince Si of Chen may be called a man who understood principle; he gave up the world, and no one at the time knew [Cao Zhi, style name Zijian. Emperor Wu of Wei wanted to make him crown prince, but Zhi did not polish himself and hid his traces in wine; his elder brother Emperor Wen put on a show of feeling to seek the succession, and people did not know that Zijian was yielding to his elder brother]. The Master said: A gentleman indeed, Prince Si! His writing is deep and classical [the Memorial on Loving Kin is classical, the Memorial on the Expedition is deep]. Fang Xuanling asked about history. The Master said: The history of antiquity made the Way clear [concise in principle and clear about change]; the history of today shows off style [work done in vain on words]. He asked about literature. The Master said: The literature of antiquity was concise and could communicate; the literature of today is profuse and blocked [not communicating principle is called blocked]. Xue Shou asked about the continuation of the Songs. The Master said: It has four names and five aims. What are the four names? The first is called Transformation [continuing the Greater Odes], by which the Son of Heaven stirs the world [displaying the wind of the world]; the second is called Government [continuing the Airs of the States], by which a vassal minister changes the customs [a vassal minister is like the lords of old; changing customs is like altering practices]; the third is called Hymn [continuing the Hymns of Zhou, Shang and Lu], by which success is reported to the spirits [sung in the music bureau and offered in the ancestral temple]; the fourth is called Lament [continuing the Changed Airs and Changed Odes], by which instruction and warning are set out for the household [when states have different governments and houses different customs, the poets lament them, so they chant at home to satirize those above and make those above understand the change and long for the old customs]. In all these four, there is either praise [approving it], or encouragement [where it is not worth praising, encourage], or grief [where encouragement fails, grieve], or hatred [where grief is not enough, hate], or warning [speaking of other matters so that he hears them and warns himself]; this is called the five aims [all are where the will goes]. The Master said to Shuhuo: Are you making the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Yuan Classic? For the kingly way, the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Yuan Classic are the scales of weight, and the ink line of straight and crooked; when lost, there is no way to take the mean ["zhong" means the middle. What exceeds is restrained, what falls short is encouraged, all brought back to the middle way]. The Master said: The continuation of the Songs has Transformation, probably as the former kings had the Odes; the continuation has Government, probably as the states had the Airs [the Odes speak of the whole world together, the Airs speak of commanderies and counties separately]. The Master said: Is the government of commanderies and counties different from the Airs of the enfeoffed states [when the enfeoffed states change they long for the old customs, when commanderies and counties change they only seek renewal]? The Airs of the enfeoffed states are deep and firm, and the people there are sincere and generous [they cultivated government and teaching for generations, so the customs too are deep and generous], saying: My lord does not in the end seek something from me, does he; do not those above and below live in peace with each other ["said" borrows the voice of the people of the states. "My lord" refers to the Son of Heaven. It means that when the Son of Heaven enfeoffed states, it was originally to seek good order (the original has a variant character for "order"). Those above are at ease with those below, and those below are at ease with those above, so they live in peace]. When it changed [the changed airs], it was toilsome and scattered; the people there probably grieved at the thinness of their lord's grace yet did not dare to resent it [thin means not at ease with those below]. The government of commanderies and counties is pleasing and fortunate, and the people there admire it [carelessly pleasing their people and fortunate in success, so the people also choose the good and admire it], saying: My lord will not in the end comfort me, will he; will not the ministers and rulers be replaced again and again [this borrows the voice of people of commanderies and counties. It means that my lord will not in the end comfort my people, so that good government cannot stay long and is replaced repeatedly]. When it changed [the changed government], it was harsh and pressing; the people there probably resented the cruelty of the officials' hearts yet had nowhere to grieve [officials are careless for the moment and eager for merit (the original has a variant character for "officials"), so government is cruel and the people resent]. Even if there was good government, there was no time to carry it out. Wei Zheng said: May I ask what it means that when the Airs of the enfeoffed states change they grieve without resenting, and when the government of commanderies and counties changes they resent without grieving? The Master said: Grieving without resenting means they do not say "still our lord" [the people took the lord of their own state as their ruler, just as the lords took the Son of Heaven as theirs]; I can escape it, how would I dare resent [one can flee, but not resent]. Resenting without grieving means they do not say that man will go down ["that man" refers to the commandery or county head, and "go down" is like going away, meaning he will in the end be replaced and leave]; I will harm him, what is there to grieve ["harm" means to injure]. Therefore it is said that at the end of the Three Dynasties benevolence and righteousness still remained [because states and houses had altars of soil and grain], and at the end of the Six Dynasties benevolence and righteousness were exhausted [because governors had no descendants]. Why? What leads people is not that road [the kingly road is not used for people to walk]. The Master said: When the changed airs and changed odes arose, the kingly grace dried up [the grace of the former kings of Zhou]; when changed transformation and changed government arose, the imperial institutions declined [the institutions of the Han emperors]. The Master said: Taking with the mouth and going against it in action, Wen Yanbo hated this [Yanbo was the younger brother of Daya; in the Zhenguan era he served as Censor-in-Chief, had talent in argument and rose to Minister]; praising to the face and slandering behind the back, Wei Zheng hated this [the two men were alike in uprightness]. The Master said: Loving life and ruining benevolence is probably the conduct of the lowest fools [giving in to feeling and losing one's nature]; sacrificing life to achieve benevolence is probably the conduct of middling people [forcing oneself to practice benevolence, not resting easy in it]. Among those who roamed at Zhongni's gate, none were without moderation [sacrificing one's life like Zilu tying his cap strings, probably the middle sort of worthy]. Chen Shuda was governor of Jiangjun and issued an order to arrest bandits, saying: Do not be hasty; those who ask to renew themselves, forgive them, and then see what they do [allowing him to correct his faults, it is not too late to use punishment]. The Master heard this and said: Governor Chen can be talked with about government. When those above lose their Way, the people have long been scattered [the end of Sui is like the decline of Zhou]. If they are not gentlemen, how can they hold firm in poverty [common people, when poor, become bandits]. To guide them by virtue, to hang good faith there, and to watch what they do afterward, is that not good [leniency lies in virtue, punishment in good faith]? Xue Shou asked: Kindness that does not harm righteousness, frugality that does not damage ritual, how is that? The Master said: Even Wen and Jing of Han found this hard to do. Abolishing corporal punishment harms righteousness [righteousness is like autumn. Heaven does not change the order of killing frost because people dislike the cold]; reducing it is acceptable [if punishment is not excessive, reduce it]; wearing thick black silk damages ritual [ritual is like summer. A ruler does not lower the righteousness of standing in the yang for the sake of a small kindness]; moderating it is acceptable [if it does not press the people below, it is moderate]. Even so, to act with the heart of Wen and Jing is fine, but it cannot be used as a standard for later generations [their original heart lay in loving the people and being frugal, and did not expect it to harm righteousness or damage ritual; later kings must examine the middle way]. The Master said: In antiquity one served the ruler by the Way, and if it could not be done, one stopped [the straight way]; now one serves the ruler by flattery [the crooked way], and there is nowhere it does not reach [wherever it reaches is flattery]. The Master said: In regard to praising the Changes, I transmit and do not dare to discuss [transmitting is to put it in order, discussing is to set up a new principle]; in regard to ritual and music, I discuss and do not dare to dispute [only discussing their continuity and change, not daring to dispute the extremes of rise and decline]; in regard to the Songs and Documents, I dispute and do not dare to deliberate [disputing the affairs of order and disorder, not daring to deliberate the causes of gain and loss]. Someone asked the reason. The Master said: There are things permissible and things not permissible [In the words a sage sets up, some are subtle yet clear, some contained yet bright, some indirect yet apt, some free yet hidden, each with deep meaning that cannot be recklessly peered into (the original has "fang", probably an error for "wang", meaning "recklessly"). So what can be transmitted I transmit, what can be discussed I discuss, and as for disputing and deliberating, it is all like this]. He said: Does the Master have things permissible and not permissible? The Master said: Permissible and not permissible are what the world preserves, and I am simply one who preserves them [the classics are the public words of the world, so I merely continue and preserve them, and it is not that I myself permit or forbid]. When the Master was at leisure, his bearing was solemn. When he moved he was slow, as if deep in thought [his appearance honest and generous]; when he walked he was square [with small steps], as if in awe of something [ritually respectful]. When he received elders, he was reverent as if not sufficient; when he received the young (the original has "fang" for "you", meaning "young"), he was gentle as if drawing toward them [respect and love in due measure]. The Master's clothes were frugal and clean (the original has "fang" for "jie", meaning "clean"), with nothing superfluous ["chang" means surplus]. Patterned silk and brocade did not enter his room. He said: A gentleman wears nothing but yellow or white [yellow and white take the natural color of silk], while women may have blue and green [easy to dye]. When the Master entertained guests he never served two dishes [flavor was not emphasized]; in eating he always removed what was raw, and the flavor was always moderate [moderate]. He did not eat fruit and vegetables out of season, saying: it is not the way of Heaven; he did not eat what was not produced in that soil, saying: it is not the way of earth [all to preserve the true nature]. When someone in the village was poor and came to ask ["suo" is to ask], he said: Take from me, and do not trouble your neighbors and fellow villagers [the Rites of Zhou: five families make a neighborhood, five neighborhoods a hamlet, five districts a township, five clans a party]. I am not weary of it. When someone in the village had a funeral, the Master always went first [rushing to help], and returned last [still not forgetting the grief (the original has a variant character for "not")]. The Master's words responded and did not lead [he answered when asked and did not begin], and when he led it was always about something major [he led only what others' words had not reached]. In the Master's village no one quarreled [close and easy to transform]. Someone asked about a person's goodness. The Master praised him if he knew him to be good; if not, he said: I have not been with him long. When the Master crossed a great river, he stopped if there was wind; he did not climb high, did not tread on danger, did not ride a fierce horse [fierce horse], and did not gallop or drive recklessly. When the villagers had labor for water and soil, he prepared baskets and spades and went, saying: I am not following the grand master [the ben is a straw implement and the cha is a shovel. If not a grand master, he joined the labor. Pronunciation note: "ben" is read "bu cun fan", "cha" is "chu qia fan"]. At the funeral of the Lord of Tongchuan [his father's funeral], not a spoonful of soup passed his mouth for three days. In arranging the burial (the original character was lost in transcription; it is "zang", burial) goods, he said: they must be frugal, and my family has its rules. The coffin and outer coffin were not lacquered; the body was carried in clothes and quilt, and carried on a curtained cart ["shi" means lacquered decoration. The quilt and curtain were things the deceased had used in life]. As for clay carts and straw spirits, we had not followed them for five generations [the Rites say clay carts and straw spirits have existed since antiquity. Confucius said the straw spirits were good and said that those who made figurines were unbenevolent, since it is close to using people]. After the burial (the original character was lost in transcription; it is "zang"), he said: Since Zhongni there has never been no marker. So he raised a mound four feet high and did not plant trees [Confucius said: I am a man of east, west, south and north, and cannot be without something to identify me; he raised the earth four feet]. When the Master went to another village and lodged with someone [staying at the host's house], he always told them when he went out or came in. Afterward he said: How can one go anywhere without reporting [meaning that when a person moves, there is always something to report]? At the village altar of Wanchun [the name of the village where he lived; the altar sacrificed to Gou Long], the Master always took part in the duties, in a manner of respectful bearing [handling the sacrificial vessels. "Yiru" means a respectful manner]. The Lord of Ruicheng, called back to office after mourning, served as censor, and when about to leave said to Wenzhongzi: What do you give me? The Master said: Be pure but not aloof [when purity is at its extreme it becomes aloofness], be upright but not obstinate [uprightness taken too far becomes obstinacy]. He said: What more? The Master said: Take great harmony as your outside [pure yet outwardly harmonious], and utmost sincerity as your inside [upright yet inwardly utmost], act with reverence and keep with the Way [reverence outside, the Way inside]. He withdrew and said to Dong Chang: When a great mansion is about to fall, one piece of timber cannot hold it up [meaning Sui is about to collapse, and a censor cannot save it]. The Master said: To marry and discuss money is the way of barbarians, and a gentleman does not enter such a village. In antiquity the families of man and woman each chose virtue and did not use wealth as the rite [citing antiquity to correct the present]. When the Master's clan members married, they always had the six rites [accepting the proposal, asking the name, divination, betrothal gifts, setting the date, and meeting the bride]. He said: This way is now lost. The first of the three bonds must not be abandoned, and I follow antiquity [the husband is the bond of the wife]. The Master said: Coarse clothes and thin food, few thoughts and few desires, people today think of as deceit, and I like this deceit; not making a display (the original character was lost in transcription; it is "xuan", display), seeming stupid and rustic, people today think of as shame, and I do not think of it as shame. The Master said: In antiquity one held office to practice the Way [the Way carried out among people]; now one holds office to indulge desire [to enrich one's own wants]. It is hard [hard to bring about great peace (the original has a variant character for "hard")]. The Master said: Clerks rising to office and laborers advancing in rank were not the ancient way, and are probably the remaining cruelty of Qin [In the Rites of Zhou, clerks merely carried out tasks, and government and teaching were not entrusted to them. In the Spring and Autumn Annals, merit was rewarded only with a fief, and titles and vessels were not lent. Qin's government was cruel, so it used the talents of clerks and did not grant office to virtue]. In antiquity scholars rose to office ["scholars" means the outstanding, who followed the king's command as officials], and clerks held to service [labor service]; salary was used to repay labor and office was used to confer virtue [salary only reaches the laborer's own person, while office is established for the world]. The Master said: How splendid was what the Duke of Zhou did for Zhou! Outwardly he did not mind the world's slander and attributed his traces to selfishness, saying: Let my descendants succeed one another and the ancestral sacrifices not be cut off ["not caring" means not minding. "Traces" refers to acting as regent. "Said" borrows the voice of the Duke of Zhou]; inwardly he truly penetrated the Way of the world and attributed his heart to the public, saying: Let my ruler and ministers be at ease with each other and let calamity and disorder not arise [the penetrated Way is making ritual and music. "Public" means in the end he returned power to King Cheng]. How deep, how deep! Giving his house peace was to bring peace to the world, preserving himself was to enrich the common people [to carry on the work of Wen and Wu he had to preserve himself, so he gave peace to the state and enriched the people]. Hence the meaning of moving the capital says: The land of Luoyi is open in all four directions and level, so that the virtuous rise easily and the unvirtuous decline easily ["said" is the Duke of Zhou speaking. Divining at Luo and surveying the site, the principle is not to rely on strong terrain but to cultivate virtue]. Wugong wrote the Biography of Master Five Pecks [Wang Ji, style name Wugong, was the Master's younger brother. When he did not meet his time he gave himself to wine, drank five pecks at a time, and wrote the Biography of Master Five Pecks himself to show his will]. The Master said: Have you forgotten the world [meaning he had not yet been able to forget the world]? To let the heart go and ruin the rules, I do not approve [rebuking him for ruining the rules of human relations].

子謂周公之道曲而當私而恕【攝政誅管蔡曲而當也代武王笞伯禽私而恕也】其窮理盡性以至於命乎【曲而當於理窮矣私而恕於性盡矣理則性性則天天則命此所以為聖也】子曰聖人之道其昌也潛其弊也寢【潛寢省漸也】亹亹焉若寒暑進退物莫不從之而不知其由也【亹亹循環不絶貌顯諸仁則民從之藏諸用則民不知】溫彥博問嵇康阮籍何人也【嵇康字叔夜山濤舉之自代康絶交其介局如此阮籍字嗣宗居喪用琴酒且曰禮豈為我輩設其放曠如此】子曰古之名理者而不能窮也【談名理不窮其變或失於介或失於放】曰何謂也子曰道不足而器有餘【道不通則介故不足器不執則放故曰有餘】曰敢問道器子曰通變之謂道【可以變則變】執方之謂器【可以方則方】曰劉伶何人也【劉伶字伯倫性淡黙不交遊以酒自樂常攜壺使人荷鍤隨行曰死則埋之】子曰古之閉關人也【閉闗喻藏身也此世人所不能窺其閫閾】曰可乎曰兼忘天下不亦可乎【一身可忘也天下不可兼忘】曰道足乎曰足則吾不知也【伶亦放而已非中道】陳守謂薛生曰吾行令於郡縣而盜不止夫子居於鄉里而爭者息何也【陳守叔達也薛生收也夫子謂文中子】薛生曰此以言化【行令示法】彼以心化【行道感人】陳守曰吾過矣退而靜居【思行其道】三月盜賊出境子聞之曰收善言叔達善徳【二子同志】房齡問田疇何人也子曰古之義人也【田疇字子泰幽州牧劉虞使疇奉使於天子及廻虞為公孫瓉所害疇哭虞墓而去魏相欲封疇疇不受此節義人也】子謂武徳之舞勞而決其發謀動慮經天下乎【漢髙祖廟奏武徳舞狀干戈勤勞決取以經營天下也】謂昭徳之舞閒而泰其和神定氣綏天下乎【漢文帝廟奏昭徳舞狀修文物以綏安天下也】太原府君曰何如子曰或決而成之或泰而守之吾不知其變也【凡帝道有成之者有守之者樂武象焉其變在文武相須】噫武徳則功存焉不如昭徳之善也【功立一時而已徳必常守於萬世】且武之未盡善久矣其時乎其時乎【湯武革命一時之功周行典禮萬世之道】子謂史談善述九流【司馬談為太史故曰史談九流一儒家二道家三隂陽家四法家五名家六墨家七縱橫家八雜家九農家】知其不可廢而知其各有弊也安得長者之言哉【逸謂九流異道猶五方殊俗在致治者因而利之器而使之故不廢而同歸於儒矣長者言殊道無不容無不通也不廢則容之有則排之非真儒通變不能極此】子曰通其變天下無弊法【何常之有法弊則革】執其方天下無善教【偏執一隅有時作尼】故曰存乎其人【人謂真儒】子曰安得圓機之士與之共言九流哉【圓無執張機發必中】安得皇極之主與之共敘九疇哉【九疇一五行二五事三八政四五紀五皇極六三徳七稽疑八庶徵九五福皇極居九數之中當主位也】杜淹問崔浩何人也子曰迫人也執小道亂大經【崔浩字伯淵好星厯及真君長生之術蓋迫小不知通儒之道】程元曰敢問豳風何也子曰變風也【豳今為邠周始興之地也變風自鄶至王泰離】元曰周公之際亦有變風乎子曰君臣相誚其能正乎【成王聴流言之誚非正風也】成王終疑則風遂變矣【儻金縢未開則終疑周公】非周公至誠孰能卒之哉【發乎情是至誠也止乎禮義是卒正之也】元曰豳居變風之末何也【剛詩何以豳在列國之後】子曰夷王已下變風不復正矣【夷王下堂而見諸侯周始衰微國風遂變不復雅正矣】夫子蓋傷之者也【傷周】故終之以豳風言變之可正也唯周公能之故繋之以正【周已變而以豳正之者周公也】歌豳曰周之本也【七月陳王業后稷公劉之本】嗚呼非周公孰知其艱哉【王業艱難】變而克正危而克扶始終不失於本其惟周公乎繋之豳逺矣哉【周公之詩不繫周而系豳者正其本存乎逺也】子曰齊桓尊王室而諸侯服惟管仲知之【管仲字夷吾齊桓公伯諸侯仲之力也故曰知之】苻秦舉大號而中原靜惟王猛知之【前秦苻堅得天下三分之二故曰中原靜也亦其相王猛之力】或曰苻秦逆【東晉在而堅僭號是逆】子曰晉制命者之罪也【晉不能命方伯使徵不庭】苻秦何逆【上順下違曰逆上亂下抗非逆也義在下文】昔周制至公之命【若策命曰五侯九伯汝實徵之是至公也】故齊桓管仲不得而背也【上順故】晉制至私之命【惠帝已後賄賂大行天下謂之互市】故苻秦王猛不得而事也【晉東遷中國無主秦乃抗號】其應天順命安國濟民乎是以武王不敢逆天命揹人而事紂齊桓不敢逆天命揹人而黜周故曰晉之罪也苻秦何逆三十餘年中國士民東西南北自逺而至猛之力也子曰苻秦之有臣其王猛之所為乎【見王猛功業知秦有臣】元魏之有主其孝文之所為乎【觀孝文治具知魏有主】中國之道不墜孝文之力也【都洛邑興文物】太原府君曰溫子升何人也子曰險人也智小謀大永安之事同州府君常切齒焉則有由也【溫子升字鵬舉掌魏國文翰性似靜而實深險其後與元瑾謀逆坐誅永安莊帝年號也時魏國大亂切齒未詳】子讀三祖上事【讀魏書也】曰勤哉而不補也【見同州府君勤三事蹟也】無謂魏周無人吾家適不用爾【魏帝寳炬入闗依宇文泰泰子覺建號稱周】子之家廟座必東南向自穆公始也曰未忘先人之國【穆公虯自宋奔魏自是廟座向東南】遼東之役子聞之曰禍自此始矣【煬帝大業八年徵遼二百萬眾並陷九年又徵之山東始亂十年又徵天下遂喪】天子不見伯益讃禹之詞【益讃於禹曰惟徳動天無逺弗屆禹乃班師振旅七旬苖格】公卿不用魏相諷宣帝之事【漢宣帝使趙充國擊匈奴魏相諫曰臣聞恃大威者為驕兵兵驕者滅非但人事乃天道也】王孝逸謂子曰天下皆爭利棄義吾獨若之何【利已曰利利物曰義】子曰舍其所爭取其所棄不亦君子乎子謂賈瓊王孝逸凌敬曰諸生何樂賈瓊曰樂閒居【退靜】子曰靜以思道可矣王孝逸曰樂聞過【思益】子曰過而屢聞益矣凌敬曰樂逢善人【好賢】子曰多賢不亦樂乎薛收遊於館陶【魏有館陶縣】適與魏徵歸告子曰徵顔冉之器也徵宿子之家言六經逾月不出及去謂薛收曰明王不出而夫子生是三才九疇屬布衣也【道兼天地理通皇極】劉見子談六經唱其端終日不竭【炫字伯光開皇中表乞興學校然好自矜伐為執政所抑著五經正名十二卷行於世】子曰何其多也曰先儒異同不可不述也【注傳異同】子曰一以貫之可矣爾以尼父為多學而識之耶【天下何思何慮殊途而同歸百慮而一致此尼父之學也】退子謂門人曰榮華其言小成其道難矣哉【難入尼父之門矣】凌敬問禮樂之本子曰無邪【禮樂本乎情情無邪則貌恭而氣和恭禮也和樂也】凌敬退子曰賢哉儒也以禮樂為問【賢其學正道】子曰大風安不忘危其霸心之存乎【漢髙祖歇雲安得猛士兮守四方此不忘武備而心在雜霸也】秋風樂極哀來其悔志之萌乎【漢武歌雲歡樂極兮哀情多此悔悟前過志形哀痛之語也】子曰詩書盛而秦世滅非仲尼之罪也【秦不用詩書致滅】虛長而晉室亂非老莊之罪也【老莊存太古之教非適時之典晉賢蕩焉故亂】齋戒修而梁國亡非釋迦之罪也【釋氏本空寂之法非化俗之原梁主惑焉故亡】易不云乎苟非其人道不虛行【聖人非不知太古之樸空寂之性然而應物致理必有制焉晉賢蕩梁主惑非立人之制也故虛行者爾】或問佛子曰聖人也【聖人之寂滅者】曰其教何如曰西方之教也【西方化外可行非中國禮義之俗可習】中國則泥【泥猶溺也】軒車不可以適越冠冕不可以之胡古之道也【越舟而不車胡髪而不冠古者夷不亂華】或問宇文儉子曰君子儒也防通知逺其書之所深乎【儉事蹟未見】銅川府君重之豈徒然哉【父之友】子游太樂【樂署】聞龍舟五更之曲【煬帝將遊江都宮作此曲】瞿然而歸曰靡靡樂也【紂作靡靡之樂亡國之音也】作之邦國焉不可以遊矣子謂姚義盍官乎【官仕】義曰舍道干祿義則未暇【言隋仕人皆舍道】子曰誠哉【信有此】或問荀彧荀攸子曰皆賢者也曰生死何如【或死攸生】子曰生以救時死以明道荀氏有二仁焉【彧字文若佐魏祖有大功或謂魏祖宜加九錫彧曰本起義兵所以正朝安國也君子愛人以徳不宜如此魏祖聞之不悅彧飲藥而死彧從子攸字公達魏國初建防謀帷幄舉事慎宻雖子弟不能知魏祖常稱曰荀令君之仁荀軍師之智又曰令君舉善不進不休軍師去惡不去不止然彧初仕漢漢亡則死攸獨仕魏魏存則生明道救時皆謂仁矣】子曰言而信未若不言而信行而謹未若不行而謹賈瓊曰如何子曰推之以誠則不言而信【心至誠雖未言人已知其必信矣】鎮之以靜則不行而謹【性復靜雖未行人知必謹】惟有道者能之【有儒道者能如此】楊素謂子曰甚矣古之為衣冠裳履何樸而非便也【撲虛裝貌】子曰先王法服不其深乎【有深旨】為冠所以莊其首也為履所以重其足也衣裳襜如【衣下曰裳襜如盛貌】劒佩鏘如【帶劒示威垂佩合節鏘如響聲】皆所以防其躁也【威重有節則躁無自入焉】故曰儼然人望而畏之以此防民猶有疾驅於道者今舍之曰不便是投魚於淵寘猿於木也【為禮使人別禽獸】天下庸得不馳騁而狂乎引之者非其道也【責素不以禮引人】董常歌鄁栢舟【言仁不遇也衛頃公之時仁人不遇小人在側卒章雲憂心悄悄慍於群小】子聞之曰天實為之謂之何哉【此北門篇也刺士不得志煬帝任群小仁人憂之言董常不遇者天也】邳公好古物【蘇威封邳國公】鐘鼎什物珪璽錢具必具子聞之曰古之好古者聚道【聚淳樸之性】今之好古者聚財【聚珍異之器】子謂仲長子光曰山林可居乎【子光注見上】曰防逢其適也焉知其可【防當其意有所適則居之耳不知其可不可也】子曰達人哉隠居放言也【任意所適達也適在山林隠也不知其可放也】子光退謂董薛曰子之師其至人乎死生一矣不得與之變【極乎道為至人死生不變其道者一貫天下者也】薛收問隠子曰至人天隠【藏其天真髙莫窺測】其次地隠【闢地山林髙身全節】其次名隠【名混朝市心在世外】子謂姚義能交【結交】或曰簡【簡靜】子曰所以為能也【淡故簡】或曰廣【廣泛交也】子曰廣而不濫又所以為能也【泛愛中有擇】子謂晁厝率井田之序有心乎復古矣【晁厝說文帝曰五口之家服作者不過三人能耕者不過百畆古者一夫一婦受田百畆此井田之制也文帝不能行故漢致治不及三代文中子惜其有復古之心焉】賈瓊問續書之義子曰天子之義列乎範者有四曰制【制命也秦改命為制漢因之】曰詔【詔令也秦改令為詔漢因之】曰志【志謂帝王有志於治道而未形乎制詔者也】曰策【求直言而防慮之】大臣之義載於業者有七曰命【爵命】曰訓【師訓】曰對【奏對】曰讃【襄讃】曰議【評議】曰誡【監誡】曰諫【箴諫】文中子曰帝者之制恢恢乎其無所不容【恢恢如天容物】其有大制制天下而不割乎【子曰大制不割割分判者也】其上湛然其下恬然【湛恬皆靜】天下之危與天下安之天下之失與天下正之【凡舉一事必以犬下同之】千變萬化吾常守中焉【吾常假帝制自謂也】其卓然不可動乎其感而無不通乎此之謂帝制矣【言二帝之典三王之誥兩漢之記皆同制矣】文中子曰易之憂患業業焉孜孜焉其畏天憫人思及時而動乎【業業畏天孜孜憫人易者天人以時而動也】繁師曰逺矣吾視易之道何其難乎【難知】子笑曰有是夫終日干幹可也【乾乾勤學不難】視之不臧我思不逺【又舉詩勉之使勤學易比載馳篇雲也言汝不思善道則已在我思之不為逺】越公聘子子謂其使者曰存而行之可也【姑存此聘禮即可非得聘賢之實也】歌幹髦而遣之【幹髦衛詩美臣子多好善】既而曰玉帛云乎哉【果求賢不在虛飾】子謂房齡曰好成者敗之本也願廣者狹之道也【欲速不達】齡問立功立言何如子曰必也量力乎【量力相時】子謂姚義可與友久要不忘賈瓊可與行事臨難不變【相友貴久臨事貴斷】薛收可與事君仁而不佞董常可與出處介如也【事君貴正出處貴潔】子曰賤物貴我君子不為也【賈誼曰小智自私賤彼貴我】好竒尚怪蕩而不止必有不肖之心應之【理使之然】薛宏請見六經【薛宏未見經續經也】子不出門人惑子笑曰有好古博雅君子則所不隠【言宏非好古者】子有內弟之喪【內表弟】不飲酒食肉郡人非之【非其過禮】子曰吾不忍也賦載馳卒章而去【國詩卒章雲大夫君子無我有尤百爾所思不如我所之此言我自不忍而然】鄭和【未見】譖子于越公曰彼實慢公【彼謂文中子】公何重焉越公使問子子曰公可慢則僕得矣不可慢則僕失矣得失在僕公何預焉越公待之如舊【理遣也】子曰我未見勇者或曰賀若弼子曰弼也戾焉得勇【勇於義曰勇勇於力曰戾】李密問英雄子曰自知者英【自知故能知人】自勝者雄【自勝故能勝人】問勇子曰必也義乎【凡勇不得其宜皆悖戾爾】賈瓊曰甚矣天下之不知子也子曰爾願知乎哉姑修焉天將知之況人乎【孟子曰盡心者知其性也知性則知天言聖人知天則天亦知聖人】賈瓊請六經之本曰吾恐夫子之道或墜也子曰爾將為名乎有美玉姑待價焉【待明王出當自求行之】楊感問孝子曰始於事親終於立身【言爾父不陷不義則爾身可立矣】問忠子曰孝立則忠遂矣【楊素賢則隋不亂】

The Master discussed the Way of the Duke of Zhou: he was accommodating yet fitting, partial yet forgiving [acting as regent and executing Guan and Cai was being accommodating yet fitting; striking Bo Qin in place of King Wu was being partial yet forgiving]. Surely he exhausted principle and fulfilled his nature so as to reach the Mandate [being accommodating yet fitting exhausts principle; being partial yet forgiving fulfills nature. Principle is nature, nature is Heaven, and Heaven is the Mandate; this is why he was a sage]. The Master said: The Way of the sage lies hidden when it flourishes and rests when it decays [hidden and resting mean receding gradually]. Tirelessly it turns like the advance and retreat of cold and heat; nothing fails to follow it, yet no one knows why ["tirelessly" means turning without end. When it is shown through benevolence the people follow; when it is stored in function the people do not know]. Wen Yanbo asked: What sort of men were Ji Kang and Ruan Ji [Ji Kang, courtesy name Shuye, was recommended by Shan Tao to succeed him in office, and Kang broke off with him; such was his uncompromising bearing. Ruan Ji, courtesy name Sizong, used the zither and wine during mourning and said that ritual was surely not made for the likes of them; such was his unrestraint]? The Master said: They were men of ancient times who talked of names and principles, yet could not exhaust them [to talk of names and principles without probing their transformations, one may fall into rigidity or into license]. He asked: What do you mean? The Master said: Their Way was insufficient while their vessel was in excess [where the Way does not penetrate there is rigidity, hence insufficiency; where the vessel is not held to there is license, hence excess]. He asked: May I ask about the Way and the vessel? The Master said: To penetrate change is called the Way [change when change is possible], and to hold to a fixed form is called the vessel [be square when squareness is possible]. He asked: What sort of man was Liu Ling [Liu Ling, courtesy name Bolun, was reserved by nature and did not socialize; he took pleasure in wine, and would always bring a jug and have a servant follow with a spade, saying that if he died he should be buried on the spot]? The Master said: A man of ancient times who shut his gate [shutting the gate is a metaphor for hiding oneself; he is one whose threshold the world could not glimpse]. He asked: Is that acceptable? The Master said: Forgetting the whole world together, would that not be acceptable [one may forget oneself, but cannot forget the whole world together]? He asked: Was his Way sufficient? The Master said: Whether it was sufficient I do not know [Ling too was merely unrestrained, which is not the Middle Way]. The Governor of Chen said to Scholar Xue: In the commanderies and counties I issue orders and yet bandits do not cease, while the Master lives in the village and those who quarrel stop; why [the Governor of Chen was Shuda; Scholar Xue was Shou; "the Master" refers to Wenzhongzi]? Scholar Xue said: You transform people with words [issuing orders and displaying laws], while he transforms them with the heart [practicing the Way and moving people]. The Governor said: I was wrong. He withdrew and lived in quiet [wishing to practice that Way], and after three months the bandits left his territory. The Master heard of it and said: Shou is good at words, and Shuda is good at virtue [the two shared the same aim]. Fang Xuanling asked what sort of man Tian Chou was. The Master said: A man of righteousness of ancient times [Tian Chou, courtesy name Zitai. Liu Yu, Governor of You Province, sent Chou as envoy to the Son of Heaven; when Chou returned, Yu had been killed by Gongsun Zan, and Chou wept at Yu's grave and left. The Chancellor of Wei wished to enfeoff Chou, but Chou refused. He was a man of integrity and righteousness]. The Master said: The Wu De dance is laborious and decisive, so surely its conceiving of plans and moving of thought is about running the world [in the temple of Emperor Gaozu of Han the Wu De dance was performed, depicting how shield and spear toil and decisively seize in order to run the world]; the Zhao De dance is leisurely and at ease, so surely its harmonizing of spirit and calming of qi is about pacifying the world [in the temple of Emperor Wen of Han the Zhao De dance was performed, depicting how cultivating civil institutions pacifies the world]. The Lord of Taiyuan said: How so? The Master said: Some complete it by decision, some preserve it by ease, and I do not know the transformation between them [in the Way of emperors, some build and some preserve; music and dance symbolize these, and the transformation lies in the civil and the martial needing each other]. Alas, in the Wu De, achievement is what remains, and it is not as good as the Zhao De [achievement is established only for a moment, but virtue must be preserved for ten thousand generations]. Moreover the Wu dance has long been unable to be perfectly good. Is this the course of the times? Is this the course of the times [the revolutions of Tang and Wu were the achievement of a moment, but the Zhou's carrying out of rites and institutions is the Way of ten thousand generations]? The Master said that Shi Tan was good at recording the Nine Schools [Sima Tan was Grand Historian, hence called Shi Tan. The Nine Schools: first the Confucians, second the Daoists, third the Yin-Yang school, fourth the Legalists, fifth the School of Names, sixth the Mohists, seventh the Diplomats, eighth the Eclectics, ninth the Agriculturalists]. He knew they could not be discarded, and also knew that each has its flaws. Where can one find words like those of an elder [Ruan Yi notes: the Nine Schools differ in their ways, as the five regions differ in customs; one who brings about order uses them to his benefit and employs them as tools, so they are not discarded and all return to Confucianism. The words of an elder: where ways differ, there is nothing he does not accommodate or penetrate. What is not to be discarded he accommodates; what has flaws he removes. Without a true Confucian who can penetrate change, none could exhaust this]? The Master said: If one penetrates their changes, there is no flawed method under Heaven [what is there that is constant and does not change? When a method becomes flawed, reform it]; if one holds to their fixed forms, there is no good teaching under Heaven [clinging to one corner, one will at times become sticky and stuck]. Hence it is said that it depends on the man ["the man" means a true Confucian]. The Master said: Where can I find a man of the round mechanism, to discuss the Nine Schools with him ["round" means holding to nothing; when the mechanism is released it always hits the mark]? Where can I find a ruler of the Supreme Ridgepole, to set out the Nine Categories with him [the Nine Categories: first the Five Phases, second the Five Affairs, third the Eight Policies, fourth the Five Records of Time, fifth the Supreme Ridgepole, sixth the Three Virtues, seventh the examination of doubts, eighth the manifold verifications, ninth the Five Blessings. The Supreme Ridgepole stands at the middle of the nine numbers, exactly in the position of the ruler]? Du Yan asked what sort of man Cui Hao was. The Master said: A narrow and cramped man. He held to a petty way and threw the great constants into disorder [Cui Hao, courtesy name Boyuan, was fond of astrology and the calendar and of the arts of long life of the Zhenjun; he was likely hemmed in by small things and did not know the Way of the universally learned Confucian]. Cheng Yuan said: May I ask what the Bin Feng is? The Master said: It is among the airs of change [Bin is now called Bin county; it is where the Zhou first rose. The airs of change run from the Kuai songs to "Millet Ripening" in the Wang section]. Cheng Yuan said: Were there airs of change even in the time of the Duke of Zhou? The Master said: When ruler and minister mock each other, can it still be called correct [King Cheng listened to the mockery of slander, which is not a correct air]? King Cheng in the end doubted him, so the airs changed [had the golden casket not been opened, he would have doubted the Duke of Zhou to the end]. Had it not been for the Duke of Zhou's utmost sincerity, who could have gathered it back to correctness [arising from feeling is utmost sincerity, stopping at ritual and righteousness is ending in correctness]? Cheng Yuan said: The Bin comes at the end of the airs of change; why [why is Bin placed after the airs of the various states]? The Master said: From King Yi onward, the airs of change were no longer corrected [King Yi came down from the hall to meet the feudal lords, and the Zhou began to decline; the airs of the states then changed and were no longer elegant and correct]. Surely Confucius grieved over this [grieved over the Zhou], and so concluded with the Bin Feng, saying that change can still be corrected, and only the Duke of Zhou could do it, so he attached it to correctness [the Zhou had already changed, and it was the Duke of Zhou who corrected it by means of Bin]. In singing of Bin, he said it is the root of the Zhou [the "Seventh Month" sets out the work of kingship, the root laid by Hou Ji and Gong Liu]. Alas, who but the Duke of Zhou knew its hardship [the hardship of the kingly enterprise]? To change and yet correct, to be in danger and yet support, from beginning to end never losing the root: is this not only the Duke of Zhou? To attach his poems to Bin is profound and far-reaching [the Duke of Zhou's poems were attached not to Zhou but to Bin, which corrects the root and preserves it in the distance]. The Master said: Duke Huan of Qi honored the royal house and the feudal lords submitted; only Guan Zhong understood this [Guan Zhong, courtesy name Yiwu. That Duke Huan of Qi became hegemon over the lords was through Zhong's power, hence it is said he understood]; the Fu Qin raised a great title and the Central Plain was quiet; only Wang Meng understood this [Fu Jian of Former Qin held two thirds of the realm, hence the Central Plain was quiet, also through the power of his chancellor Wang Meng]. Someone said that the Fu Qin was rebellious [the Eastern Jin still existed, and Fu Jian usurped the title, which is rebellion]. The Master said: That is the fault of the men who held the power to issue mandates in the Jin court [the Jin could not appoint regional governors to punish those who did not come to court]; how can the Fu Qin be called rebellious [to comply above and defy below is called rebellion; where there is disorder above and resistance below, it is not rebellion. The principle is in what follows]? Formerly the Zhou issued mandates of utmost public spirit [as in the investiture proclamation saying "you, lord of the five ranks and the nine earls, are to punish in earnest"; this is utmost public spirit], so Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong could not defy them [because they complied from above]; the Jin issued mandates of utmost selfishness [after Emperor Hui, bribery was rampant, and the world called it a marketplace], so the Fu Qin and Wang Meng could not serve them [with the Jin moving east, the Central Land had no ruler, and the Qin only then raised its title in opposition]. Surely this was answering Heaven and following the mandate, bringing security to the state and relief to the people? Thus King Wu did not dare defy Heaven's mandate and turn his back on the people to serve Zhou, and Duke Huan of Qi did not dare defy Heaven's mandate and turn his back on the people to depose the Zhou. Hence it is said to be the Jin's fault; how can the Fu Qin be called rebellious? For more than thirty years the scholars and people of the Central Land came from the east, west, south, and north from far away; this was the power of Wang Meng. The Master said: That the Fu Qin had good ministers was surely Wang Meng's doing [seeing Wang Meng's achievements, one knows that Qin had ministers]; that the Yuan Wei had a lord was surely Emperor Xiaowen's doing [seeing Xiaowen's governing instruments, one knows that Wei had a lord]. That the Way of the Central Land did not fall was the power of Xiaowen [he made Luoyang his capital and promoted civil institutions]. The Lord of Taiyuan said: What sort of man was Wen Zisheng? The Master said: A dangerous man. His wit was small and his schemes were great. The affair of Yong'an is something the Lord of Tongzhou always ground his teeth over, and there is a reason [Wen Zisheng, courtesy name Pengju, managed the literary documents of Wei; he seemed quiet in temperament but was in fact deeply treacherous, and was later executed for plotting rebellion with Yuan Jin. Yong'an was the reign title of Emperor Zhuang, when Wei fell into great disorder. The reason for grinding teeth is unclear]. The Master read of the affairs of his three ancestors [reading the Book of Wei], and said: How diligent, yet it could not be made good [seeing the Lord of Tongzhou's diligence in the affairs of the three ancestors]! Do not say that Wei and Zhou had no men; it was simply that my family happened not to be employed [Emperor Baoju of Wei entered the Pass and relied on Yuwen Tai, and Tai's son Jue established the title of Zhou]. In the Master's family temple, the seats always faced southeast, beginning with Duke Mu. He said: This is not forgetting the state of our forebears [Duke Mu, Qiu, fled from Song to Wei, and from then on the temple seats faced southeast]. At the Liaodong campaign, the Master heard of it and said: Disaster begins here [in the eighth year of Daye, Emperor Yang attacked Liao and two million men were lost together; in the ninth year he attacked again and Shandong began to be in turmoil; in the tenth year he attacked again and the world was then lost]. The Son of Heaven did not see the words of Yi assisting Yu [Yi advised Yu, saying: "Only virtue moves Heaven; none is too far to be reached." Yu then withdrew his troops, and in seventy days the Miao came to submit], and the Ministers did not use what Wei Xiang remonstrated to Emperor Xuan [Emperor Xuan of Han sent Zhao Chongguo to attack the Xiongnu, and Wei Xiang remonstrated: "I have heard that relying on great might is the arrogant army, and the arrogant army perishes, not only through human affairs but also by the Way of Heaven"]. Wang Xiaoyi said to the Master: The whole world is contending for profit and abandoning righteousness; what should I alone do [benefiting oneself is called profit, benefiting things is called righteousness]? The Master said: Give up what they contend for and take what they abandon; would that not also be a gentleman? The Master asked Jia Qiong, Wang Xiaoyi, and Ling Jing: What do you students delight in? Jia Qiong said: I delight in living at leisure [retiring in quiet]. The Master said: Thinking of the Way in stillness will suffice. Wang Xiaoyi said: I delight in hearing of my faults [wishing to benefit]. The Master said: To hear of one's faults repeatedly is to benefit. Ling Jing said: I delight in meeting good people [loving the worthy]. The Master said: To have many worthy people, is that not also a joy? Xue Shou traveled to Guantao [there was a Guantao county in Wei], and happened to return together with Wei Zheng, and told the Master: Zheng has the capacity of Yan and Ran. Wei Zheng stayed at the Master's home, lectured on the Six Classics, and did not go out for a month. When he left, he said to Xue Shou: A bright king has not emerged, yet the Master was born; this means that the Three Powers and Nine Categories have come to belong to a commoner [the Way embraces Heaven and Earth, and principle penetrates the Supreme Ridgepole]. Liu Xuan saw the Master and discussed the Six Classics, and once he began did not run dry all day [Xuan, courtesy name Boguang, in the Kaihuang era submitted a memorial asking to promote schools, but he liked to boast of himself and was suppressed by those in power; he wrote the Wu Jing Zheng Ming in twelve volumes, which circulated in the world]. The Master said: How abundant. Xuan said: The agreements and differences of earlier scholars cannot but be recorded [the differences in annotations and commentaries]. The Master said: One thread running through it all is enough. Do you think Confucius learned much and remembered it all ["What does Heaven think or worry about? Paths differ yet lead to the same end, hundred considerations reach one conclusion"; this is Confucius's learning]? After Xuan withdrew, the Master said to his disciples: To make speech flowery and to let the Way be only slightly attained is hard [hard to enter Confucius's gate]. Ling Jing asked about the root of ritual and music. The Master said: Without depravity [ritual and music are rooted in feeling; when feeling is without depravity, the appearance is respectful and the qi harmonious. Respect is ritual, and harmony is music]. After Ling Jing withdrew, the Master said: Worthy, this Confucian! He asks about ritual and music [his worthiness lies in studying the correct Way]. The Master said: The "Great Wind" does not forget danger in safety, so surely the mind of a hegemon is still there [Emperor Gaozu of Han sang: "Where can I find brave men to guard the four quarters?" This is not forgetting martial readiness, and his mind lay in mixed hegemony]; the "Autumn Wind" has sorrow come when joy is at its height, so surely a will to regret has sprouted [Emperor Wu of Han sang: "When joy is at its height, sorrowful feelings are many." These are words of repenting earlier faults, the will taking shape in grief]. The Master said: That the Odes and Documents flourished and the Qin age perished is not Confucius's fault [Qin did not use the Odes and Documents and so perished]; that empty mystery grew and the Jin house fell into disorder is not Laozi's and Zhuangzi's fault [Laozi and Zhuangzi preserved the teaching of high antiquity, not a canon suited to the times; the Jin worthies were unrestrained and so fell into disorder]; that fasting and abstinence were practiced and the Liang state perished is not Shakyamuni's fault [the Buddhist teaching is originally a method of emptiness and stillness, not a source for transforming customs; the ruler of Liang was deluded and so perished]. Does the Changes not say: if it is not the right man, the Way will not be practiced in vain [the sage does not fail to know the simplicity of high antiquity or the nature of emptiness and stillness, but responding to things and bringing about order requires institutions. The Jin worthies' unrestraint and the ruler of Liang's delusion were not institutions for establishing people, so it was merely vain practice]? Someone asked about the Buddha. The Master said: He was a sage [a sage of extinction and stillness]. He asked: What of his teaching? The Master said: It is a teaching of the West [the West is beyond the reach of civilization and can practice it, but it is not something that the customs of ritual and righteousness of China can adopt]; when it comes to China, it becomes stuck ["stuck" is like "drowned"]. A carriage cannot go to Yue, and a cap cannot go to the Hu; this is the Way of antiquity [Yue uses boats and not carriages, the Hu wear their hair loose and do not wear caps. In ancient times the barbarians did not confuse the Chinese]. Someone asked about Yuwen Jian. The Master said: A gentleman Confucian. Broad-minded and far-seeing (the source text reads "fang tong zhi yuan", where "fang" is a mistake for "shu"), surely he is among those the Documents deeply values [no deeds of Jian are seen]. That Lord Tongchuan valued him, was it in vain [a friend of his father]? The Master visited the Music Bureau [the music office] and heard the tune "Five Watches of the Dragon Boat" [Emperor Yang, about to tour the Jiangdu palace, composed this tune], and started and returned, saying: Decadent music [King Zhou made decadent music, the sound of a lost state]. To compose this within the state, one must not go there. The Master said to Yao Yi: Why do you not take office ["office" means serving in government]? Yi said: Leaving the Way to seek a stipend, I have no leisure for it [meaning that the officials of Sui all abandoned the Way]. The Master said: Truly so [indeed such was the case]. Someone asked about Xun Yu and Xun You. The Master said: Both were worthy. He asked: What of life and death [Yu died, You lived]? The Master said: One lived to save the age, one died to make the Way clear; the Xun family had two who were benevolent [Yu, courtesy name Wenruo, greatly assisted Cao Cao of Wei. Someone said Cao Cao should be granted the Nine Bestowments, but Yu said that the righteous army was originally raised to set the court right and give peace to the state, and that a gentleman loves people through virtue, so it should not be so. Cao Cao was displeased, and Yu drank poison and died. Yu's nephew You, courtesy name Gongda, when Wei was first established, planned within the tent, and conducted affairs so carefully that even his own sons and brothers could not know. Cao Cao often said: Lord Xun's benevolence, and Military Adviser Xun's wisdom. He also said: The Lord recommends the good and does not rest until they advance; the Military Adviser removes the bad and does not stop until it is removed. Yet Yu first served Han, and when Han perished he died; You alone served Wei, and while Wei existed he lived. To make the Way clear and to save the age were both called benevolence]. The Master said: To speak and be trusted is not as good as to be trusted without speaking; to act and be careful is not as good as to be careful without acting. Jia Qiong said: How so? The Master said: To extend by sincerity, then one is trusted without speaking [when the heart is utterly sincere, though one has not yet spoken, people already know he will surely be trustworthy]; to settle by stillness, then one is careful without acting [when nature returns to stillness, though one has not yet acted, people know he will surely be careful]. Only one who has the Way can do this [one who has the Confucian Way can be so]. Yang Su said to the Master: It is excessive; in ancient times, making clothes, caps, skirts, and shoes was so plain and inconvenient ["plain" is the look of an empty display; the source text has "pu" in place of "pu", a mistake]. The Master said: Are the ritual garments of the former kings not deeply meaningful [they have a deep purpose]? They made the cap to give gravity to the head and made the shoe to give weight to the feet. The garments hang full [the lower garment is called the skirt, and "hang full" describes its fullness], the sword and pendants ring [wearing a sword shows might, and hanging pendants keep time, "ring" being the sound], all to guard against his rashness [with might and weight in measure, rashness has no way in. Here "guard" is the guard of embankment, the original character]. Therefore it is said he is dignified, and people look on him and are in awe. Even using this to guard the people (here "guard" is again the guard of embankment), there are still those who gallop on the road. Now to discard it and say it is inconvenient is like throwing fish into a deep pool or putting monkeys up a tree [to practice ritual is to let people distinguish themselves from beasts]. How can the world not gallop wildly? What leads them is not that Way [this rebukes Yang Su for not using ritual to lead people]. Dong Chang sang "Cypress Boat" from the Bei songs [meaning that the benevolent do not meet with a good time. In the time of Duke Qing of Wei, the benevolent did not meet success and petty men were at his side. The last stanza says: "My anxious heart is troubled; I am resented by the petty crowd"]. The Master heard it and said: Heaven truly makes it so; what is there to say [this is the poem "North Gate", which satirizes an officer who could not realize his aims. Emperor Yang employed petty men, and the benevolent grieved over it. It means that Dong Chang's failure to meet success was Heaven's doing]. The Duke of Pi liked antiques [Su Wei was enfeoffed as Duke of Pi], and bells, tripods, utensils, jade tablets, seals, and coin-tools were all sure to be on hand. The Master heard of it and said: Those who loved the ancient in ancient times gathered the Way [gathering the nature of purity and simplicity]; those who love the ancient today gather wealth [gathering rare and strange objects]. The Master said to Zhongchang Ziguang: May one live in the mountains and forests [Ziguang is annotated above]? He said: It is a matter of meeting what suits one, no more; how would I know that it can be done ["meeting" (the source text has "fang" for "hui", a mistake) what suits one's will, and living where one is suited, not knowing whether it can be done or not]. The Master said: A man of attainment! He lives in seclusion and speaks freely [to follow one's own inclination is attainment, to be suited in the mountains and forests is seclusion, and not knowing whether it can be done is freedom]. Ziguang withdrew and said to Dong and Xue: Is your teacher perhaps a perfect man? Life and death are one, and cannot change him [one who reaches the extreme of the Way is a perfect man; one whose Way does not change in life or death is one who threads the whole world on a single string]. Xue Shou asked about seclusion. The Master said: The perfect man hides in Heaven [hiding his heavenly genuineness, so high that no one can fathom him]; next, hiding in earth [avoiding the world in the mountains and forests, keeping body high and integrity whole]; next, hiding in name [his name mixes in the court and market while his heart is beyond the world]. The Master said Yao Yi could make friends [forming relationships]. Someone said he was simple [simple and quiet]. The Master said: That is why he could. Someone said he was broad [broad in his acquaintances]. The Master said: Broad but not indiscriminate, that too is why he could [within wide affection there is selection]. The Master said: Chao Cuo (the source text has "Chao Cuo" with a variant character) followed the order of the well-field system and had a mind to restore antiquity [Chao Cuo urged Emperor Wen, saying that in a household of five, those who do the labor are no more than three, and those who can plow are no more than one hundred mu. In antiquity each husband and wife received one hundred mu, which was the well-field system. Emperor Wen could not carry it out, so the Han did not reach the order of the Three Dynasties. Wenzhongzi regretted that he had a mind to restore antiquity]. Jia Qiong asked the meaning of continuing the Documents. The Master said: The imperial categories, as arranged in the model, are four: called Zhi [zhi means command; Qin changed "command" to "zhi", and Han followed it], called Zhao [zhao means order; Qin changed "order" to "zhao", and Han followed it], called Zhi [here a different word, meaning will: when an emperor has a will for the Way of government that has not yet taken the form of a Zhi or Zhao], and called Ce [seeking frank words and deliberating on them (the source text has "fang" for "chou", a likely mistake)]. The categories for ministers recorded in the work are seven: called Ming [titles and appointments], called Xun [teachers' instruction], called Dui [replies to the throne], called Zan [assisting], called Yi [deliberation], called Jie [admonition], and called Jian [remonstrance]. Wenzhongzi said: The institutions of an emperor are vast and contain everything [vast like Heaven containing things]. Surely there are great institutions that govern the world without cutting it up [the Master said that a great system does not cut; cutting means dividing and judging]. Above, they are calm; below, they are at ease [calm and at ease both mean still]. When the world is in danger, he makes it safe together with the world; when the world errs, he rights it together with the world [in every undertaking, he always shares it with the world (the source text has "quan xia", a mistake for "tian xia")]. Through a thousand changes and ten thousand transformations, I constantly keep to the center ["I constantly" is the Master speaking in the imperial institution's place]. Surely he stands firm and cannot be moved? Surely he responds and nothing fails to penetrate? This is called the imperial institution [meaning that the canons of the two emperors, the proclamations of the three kings, and the records of the two Han are all the same as institution]. Wenzhongzi said: The anxiety of the Changes, diligent and earnest, is surely a reverence for Heaven and pity for people, wishing to move in due season ["diligent" is reverence for Heaven, "earnest" is pity for people. The Changes is Heaven and man moving according to the season]. Fan Xuanshi said: How far-off it is; I see how difficult the Way of the Changes is [hard to know]. The Master smiled and said: Is that so? "All day long creative" is enough ["creative" means studying diligently, and then it is not difficult. The source text writes the character for "qian" as a variant]. "If you see it as not good, my thoughts are not far" [citing the Odes again to encourage him to study the Changes diligently, following the Zai Chi poem. It means that if you do not think of the good Way, so be it; but in my thinking, it is not far]. The Duke of Yue sent a summons to the Master. The Master said to his envoy: Keep it and practice it, that will do [simply keep this summons; it did not truly amount to summoning a worthy]. He sang "Gan Mao" to see him off ["Gan Mao" is a Wei poem praising ministers who love the good]. Afterward he said: Is it only jade and silk [in truth, seeking the worthy does not lie in empty display]? The Master said to Fang Xuanling: One who likes completion is the root of failure; one who wishes to be broad is on the road to narrowness [haste does not reach the goal]. Xuanling asked about establishing merit and establishing words. The Master said: One must measure one's strength [measure strength and watch the times]. The Master said: Yao Yi can be befriended, remembering long-standing agreements; Jia Qiong can be acted with, not changing in the face of difficulty [in friendship, lasting is valued; in action, decisiveness is valued]; Xue Shou can be served with a ruler, benevolent and not flattering; Dong Chang can be gone out and stayed with, upright [in serving a ruler, correctness is valued; in going out and staying in, purity is valued]. The Master said: To belittle things and value oneself, a gentleman does not do [Jia Yi said: petty wisdom is selfish, belittling others and valuing oneself]. To love the strange and prize the odd, to be unrestrained and not stop, will surely be answered by an unworthy heart [principle makes it so]. Xue Hong asked to see the Six Classics [no deeds of Xue Hong are seen. The classics are the continued classics]. The Master did not bring them out, and his disciples were puzzled. The Master smiled and said: When there is a gentleman who loves antiquity and is broadly refined, there is nothing hidden [meaning that Hong was not one who loved antiquity]. The Master had a mourning for his maternal cousin [a cousin on the mother's side], and did not drink wine or eat meat. The men of the commandery criticized him [criticizing him for exceeding ritual]. The Master said: I cannot bear it. He recited the last stanza of "Zai Chi" and left [the last stanza of the Wei poem (the source text has a lost character; some say Yong) says: "You gentlemen and officers, do not blame me; all your thoughts are not as good as where I go." It means that he himself could not bear it and so did as he did]. Zheng He [no deeds seen] slandered the Master before the Duke of Yue, saying: He truly slights the Duke ["he" refers to Wenzhongzi]; why does the Duke value him? The Duke of Yue sent someone to ask the Master. The Master said: If the Duke can be slighted, then I have gained; if he cannot be slighted, then I have lost. Gain and loss lie with me; why should the Duke interfere? The Duke of Yue treated him as before [dispelling it by principle]. The Master said: I have never seen a brave man. Someone said Helu Bi. The Master said: Bi was perverse; how can he be called brave [to be brave in righteousness is called courage, and to be brave in force is called perversity]? Li Mi asked about heroes. The Master said: One who knows himself is outstanding [because he knows himself he can know others], and one who overcomes himself is a hero [because he overcomes himself he can overcome others]. He asked about courage. The Master said: It must be righteous [all courage that does not find its proper place is perverse]. Jia Qiong said: It is too much; the world does not know the Master. The Master said: Would you like to be known? Simply cultivate yourself, and Heaven will know you, to say nothing of people [Mencius said that by exhausting one's heart one knows one's nature, by knowing one's nature one knows Heaven. It means that if the sage knows Heaven, Heaven also knows the sage]. Jia Qiong asked for the root of the Six Classics, saying: I fear that the Master's Way may fall. The Master said: Will you act for fame? There is fine jade; simply wait for a price [when a bright king emerges, he will naturally seek it and put it into practice]. Yang Xuangan asked about filial piety. The Master said: It begins with serving one's parents and ends with establishing oneself [it means that if your father does not fall into unrighteousness, your person can be established]. He asked about loyalty. The Master said: When filial piety is established, loyalty is thereby fulfilled [if Yang Su is worthy, Sui will not fall into disorder].