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夫婦之愚 可以與知焉 及其至也 雖聖人亦有所不知焉 夫婦之不肖 可以能行焉 及其至也 雖聖人亦有所不能焉 天地之大也 人猶有所憾 故君子語大 天下莫能載焉 語小 天下莫能破焉
12. The Tao of the Superior Man functions everywhere, yet is inconspicuous. Average men and women, even if ignorant, know something of it; yet even the sage cannot know it completely. Average men and women, even though lacking in ability are able to
practice to some extent; yet even the sage cannot practice it perfectly.
As vast as the universe is, people still have dissatisfaction. When the Superior Man calls it "vast," he means it is too large to be grasped. When he speaks of its smallness, he means that it is something that cannot be further broken down.
詩云 鳶飛戾天 魚躍于淵 言其上下察也
The Book of Odes says: "The hawk flies high in the sky; the fish dances in the deep." This means that its height and its depth are both observable.
君子之道 造端乎夫婦 及其至也 察乎天地
The Tao of the Superior Man starts with the common people, but in its absoluteness, it is observed throughout the universe.
子曰 道不遠人 人之爲道而遠人 不可以爲道
13. Confucius said: "The Tao is not something separate from man. If you practice a Tao that is apart from man, this cannot the Tao. The Book of Odes says:
詩云 伐柯伐柯 其則不遠 執柯以伐柯 睨而視之 猶以爲遠
Carving axe handles One after another They differ little from the original sample
Taking one to carve another. When you compare them, There are still differences.
故君子以人治人 改而止 忠恕違道不遠
Therefore the Superior Man treats people as human beings, and once they have corrected themselves, he lets them be. Being sincere and fair to all, though this is different from the Tao, it are not far from it.
施諸己而不願 亦勿施於人
This means "not doing to others what you don't want done to yourself."
君子之道四 丘未能一焉 所求乎子 以事父 未能也 所求乎臣 以事君 未能也 所求乎弟 以事兄 未能也 所求乎朋友 先施之 未能也 庸德之行 庸言之謹 有所不足 不敢不勉 有餘不敢盡 言顧行 行顧言 君子胡不慥慥爾
There are four general ways that this can be characterized, one of which I[1] have been able to fully practice:
(1) Treating my father as I expect my son to treat me.
(2) Treating my ruler as I expect my ministers to treat me.
(3) Treating my older brothers as I expect my younger brothers to treat me.
(4) Treating my friends as I expect my friends to treat me.
In the putting into practice of virtue or the taking care of speech, if there is somewhere where I am deficient, I certainly endeavor further. If there is excess, I do not dare to merely expend it. His words reflecting his actions, his actions reflecting his words--how can this Superior Man not be sincere through and through?
君子素其位而行 不願乎其外
14. The Superior Man acts accepting his own situation. He does not hope to be somewhere else.
素富貴行乎富貴 素貧賤行乎貧賤 素夷狄行乎夷狄 素患難行乎患難 君子無入而不自得焉
When he is in a position of fame and fortune, he acts within fame and fortune. When in a position of poverty and low status, he acts within poverty and low status. When dwelling with uncultured tribes, he acts as if he is with uncultured tribes. When he is in stress and difficulty, he acts from within stress and difficulty. There is no place where the Superior Man is not completely himself.
在上位不陵下 在下位不援上 正己而不求於人則無怨 上不怨天 下不尤人
When in a high position, he does not step on those below him. When in a low position, he does not drag down those above him. Correcting yourself and not expecting things from others, you will not create resentments. You will not resent Heaven above, nor blame men below.
故君子居易以俟命 小人行險以徼幸
The Superior Man abides in change and awaits his destiny. The inferior man practices manipulation and prays for luck.
子曰 射有似乎君子 失諸正鵠 反求諸其身
The Master said: "Practicing archery is like practicing to be a Superior Man. When you miss the bulls-eye, you look for the error in yourself."
君子之道 辟如行遠必自邇 辟如登高必自卑
15. The Tao of the Superior Man can be compared to traveling: To go far, you must start from close by. It can be compared to climbing: To go high, you must start from down low.
詩曰 妻子好合 如鼓瑟琴 兄弟旣翕 和樂且耽 宜爾室家 樂爾妻帑
The Book of Odes says: The Happy union with wife and children Is like the music of lutes and harps When siblings all get along The harmony is entrancing. So make your household good And enjoy your wife and children.
子曰 父母其順矣乎
The Master said: "Husband and wife should follow each other."
子曰 鬼神之爲德 其盛矣乎
16. Confucius said: "The overabundance of the power of spiritual beings is truly amazing! Looking for them, they cannot be seen.
視之而弗見 聽之而弗聞 體物而不可遺
Listening for them, they cannot be heard. There is nothing that they do not embody. They cause the people of the world to fast for purification, and wear beautiful clothes in order to participate at the sacrifices.
使天下之人齊明盛服 以承祭祀 洋洋乎如在其上 如在其左右
They are overflowing, seeming to be above, seeming to be on the left and on the right.
詩曰 神之格思 不可度思 矧可射思
The Book of Odes says: 'Trying to investigate the spirits, we cannot reach them. How could we possibly grasp them with our thoughts?'
夫微之顯 誠之不可揜 如此夫
The manifestation of the subtle and the inconcealability of sincerity is like this."
子曰 舜其大孝也與 德爲聖人 尊爲天子 富有四海之內 宗廟饗之 子孫保之
17. What a good son was Shun (the sage emperor)! His virtue was that of a sage, he was venerated as an emperor. His wealth included everything within the four seas. He is sacrificed to in the ancestral temple, and his sons and grandsons have preserved his name.
故大德必得其位 必得其祿 必得其名 必得其壽
Therefore we can say that the greatly virtuous always attain their appropriate position, always receive their proper reward, always get their recognition and are always long-lived.
故天之生物 必因其材而篤焉 故栽者培之 傾者覆之
We can also know that Heaven develops each thing according to its preparation. Thus, Heaven nourishes the growing sprout, and throws down the leaning tree.
詩曰 嘉樂君子 顯顯令德 宜民宜人 受祿于天 保佑命之 自天申之
The Book of Odes says: Joyful is the Prince With the power of his own correctness He harmonized those far and near He received his reward from Heaven Who protected him, helped him And gave him the mandate Which he in turn enhanced.
故大德者必受命
Thus, the greatly virtuous always receive the Mandate of Heaven.
子曰 無憂者 其惟文王乎 以王季爲父 以武王爲子 父作之 子述之
18. Confucius said: "The only one who didn't suffer from grief was King Wen, since his father was King Chi and his son was King Wu. His father set him up and his son continued his ways.
武王纘太王王季文王之緖 壹戎衣而有天下 身不失天下之顯名 尊爲天子 富有四海之內 宗廟饗之 子孫保之
King Wu merely extended what had been handed down from Kings
T'ai, Chi and Wen. Once he put on his armor, he took control of the whole realm and he never failed to live up to the great reputation the people accorded to him. He was respected as an emperor; his wealth included all within the four seas. The ancestral halls make offerings to him, and his sons and grandsons have preserved his name."
武王末受命 周公 成文武之德 追王泰王王季 上祀先公以天子之禮 斯禮也達乎諸候大夫及士庶人
King Wu received the Mandate of Heaven late in life. The Duke of Chou consummated the virtue of Wen and Wu. Following in the ways of Kings T'ai and Chi, he sacrificed to the former princes with the ceremony proper to an emperor, and spread this ceremony to all the nobles, ministers, officers and the common people.
父爲大夫 子爲士 葬以大夫 祭以士 父爲士 子爲大夫 葬以士 祭以大夫 期之喪 達乎大夫 三年之喪 達乎天子 父母之喪 無貴賤一也
If the father was a minister and the son an officer, then the funeral ceremony would be for a minister, and the sacrifices for an officer. If the father was an officer and the son was a minister, he would be buried as an officer and sacrificed to as a minister. The one year's mourning applied up to the ministers, but the three-year mourning applied up the emperor. In the mourning for parents, there was no distinction according to class.
子曰 武王周公 其達孝矣乎
19. Confucius said: "How completely King Wu and the Duke of Chou actualized their filial piety!
夫孝者 善繼人之志 善述人之事者也
Through filial piety, they correctly passed down the wills of their forefathers and correctly transmitted their works.
春秋修其祖廟 陳其宗器 設其裳衣 薦其時食
In spring and autumn, they cleaned the ancestral temple, laid out the sacrificial vessels, dressed up in the ceremonial outfit and prepared the seasonal foods."
宗廟之禮 所以序昭穆也 序爵所以辨貴賤也 序事所以辨賢也 旅酬下爲上 所以逮賤也 燕毛所以序齒也
Using the ritual of the ancestral temple, they ordered the ancestral lineages.
By rank, they distinguished high and low classes; by works, they distinguished goodness.
By having the lower classes offer the toast to the upper classes, they kept the lower classes involved.
By hair color, they distinguished seniority. Each taking their positions, they carried out the ritual, played the music, respected the venerable, loved their relatives.
踐其位 行其禮 奏其樂 敬其所尊 愛其所親 事死如事生 事亡如事存 孝之至也
They served the dead as if they were alive, and they served those not present as if they were there. Herein they brought filial piety to its highest level.
郊社之禮 所以事上帝也 宗廟之禮 所以祀乎其先也 明乎郊社之禮 禘嘗之義 治國其如示諸掌乎
They used the Winter and Summer festival to make offerings to the Lord-on-High, and used the rituals on the ancestral temple to make offerings to the ancestors. He who could completely disclose the meaning of the Winter and Summer sacrifices, and the great Imperial sacrifice, could govern the country as easily as if he were pointing to the palm of his hand."
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