颜渊第十二
『12.１』颜渊问「仁」。子曰∶「克己复礼，为仁。一日克己复礼，天下归仁焉。为
仁由己，而由仁乎哉？」颜渊曰∶「请问其目？」子曰∶「非礼勿视，非礼勿听，非
礼勿言，非礼勿动。」颜渊曰∶「回虽不敏，请事斯语矣！」
『12.２』仲弓问「仁」。子曰∶「出门如见大宾；使民如承大祭；己所不欲，勿施於
人；在邦无怨，在家无怨。」仲弓曰∶「雍虽不敏，请事斯语矣！」
『12.３』司马牛问「仁」。子曰∶「仁者，其言也U+8A12。」曰∶「斯言也U+8A12，
其谓之仁矣乎？」子曰∶「为之难，言之得无U+8A12乎？」
『12.４』司马牛问「君子」。子曰∶「君子不忧不惧。」曰∶「不忧不惧，斯谓之君
子矣乎？」子曰∶「内省不疚，夫何忧何惧？」
『12.５』司马牛忧曰∶「人皆有兄弟，我独亡！」子夏曰∶「商闻之矣∶『死生有命
，富贵在天』。君子敬而无失，与人恭而有礼；四海之内，皆兄弟也。君子何患乎无
兄弟也？」
『12.６』子张问「明」。子曰∶「浸润之谮，肤受之U+612C，不行焉，可谓明也已矣
。浸润之谮，肤受之U+612C，不行焉，可谓远也已矣。」
『12.７』子贡问「政」。子曰∶「足食，足兵，民信之矣。」子贡曰∶「必不得已而
去，於斯三者何先？」曰∶「去兵。」子贡曰∶「必不得已而去，於斯二者何先？」
曰∶「去食；自古皆有死；民无信不立。」
『12.８』棘子成曰∶「君子质而已矣，何以文为？」子贡曰∶「惜乎，夫子之说君子
也，驷不及舌！文犹质也，质犹文也；虎豹之U+979F，犹犬羊之U+979F。」
『12.９』哀公问於有若曰∶「年饥，用不足，如之何？」有若对曰∶「盍彻乎！」曰
∶「二，吾犹不足；如之何其彻也？」对曰∶「百姓足，君孰不足？百姓不足，君孰
与足？」
『12.１０』子张问「崇德，辨惑。」子曰∶「主忠信，徒义，崇德也。爱之欲其生，恶
之欲其死；既欲其生，又欲其死，是惑也！」「诚不以富，亦祗以异。」
『12.１１』齐景公问政於孔子。孔子对曰∶「君，君；臣，臣；父，父；子，子。」
公曰∶「善哉！信如君不君，臣不臣，父不父，子不子，虽有粟，吾得而食诸？」
『12.１２』子曰∶「片言可以折狱者，其由也与！」子路无宿诺。
『12.１３』子曰∶「听讼，吾犹人也。必也使无讼乎！」
『12.１４』子张问「政」。子曰∶「居之无倦；行之以忠。」
『12.１５』子曰∶「博学於文，约之以礼，亦可以弗畔矣夫。」
『12.１６』子曰∶「君子成人之美，不成人之恶；小人反是。」
『12.１７』季康子问政於孔子，孔子对曰∶「政者，正也，子帅以正，孰敢不正？」
『12.１８』季康子患盗，问於孔子。孔子对曰∶「苟子之不欲，虽赏之不窃。」
『12.１９』季康子问政於孔子曰：「如杀无道，以就有道，何如？」孔子对曰：「子为政，
焉用杀？」子欲善而民善矣。「君子之德风，小人之德草。草上之风，必偃。」
『12.２０』子张问∶「士何如斯可谓之达矣？」子曰∶「何哉？尔所谓达者！」子张
对曰∶「在邦必闻，在家必闻。」子曰∶「是闻也，非达也。夫达也者∶质直而好
义，察言而观色，虑以下人；在邦必达，在家必达。夫闻也者∶色取仁而行违，居之不
疑；在邦必闻，在家必闻。」
『12.２１』樊迟从游於舞雩之下。曰∶「敢问崇德、修慝、辨惑？」子曰∶
「善哉问！先事後得，非崇德与？攻其恶，无攻人之恶，非修慝与？一朝之忿
，忘其身，以及其亲，非惑与？」
『12.２２』樊迟问「仁」。子曰∶「爱人。」问「知」。子曰∶「知人。」樊迟未达
。子曰∶「举直错诸枉，能使枉者直。」樊迟退，见子夏曰∶「乡也，吾见於夫子
而问『知』；子曰∶『举直错诸枉，能使枉者直。』何谓也？」子夏曰∶「富哉言
乎！舜有天下，选於众，举皋陶，不仁者远矣；汤有天下，选於众，举伊尹，不仁者
远矣。」
『12.２３』子贡问「友」。子曰∶「忠告而善道之，不可则止，毋自辱焉。」
『12.２４』曾子曰∶「君子以文会友；以友辅仁。」
12:1 Yen Yüan asked about the meaning of jen. The Master said, "To completely overcome selfishness and keep to propriety is jen. If for a full day you can overcome selfishness and keep to propriety, everyone in the world will return to jen. Does jen come from oneself, or from others?"
[Comment] This passage has always provided problems for translators and commentators. All of the modern English translators either alter the grammar of this sentence or reinterpret it and in such a way as to disallow the power of the mind of a single individual to bring peace to the world. For example, Wing-tsit Chan translates:
"If a man (the ruler) can for one day master himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will return to humanity" (Source Book, p. 38)
This rendering makes the assumption that the only way to make the people "humane" is through the enforcement of political power. There is no doubt that Confucius himself sought the employment of a king to help bring peace to the world. But there is also no indication that he is speaking to a king here, nor does the word wang appear in the sentence. James Legge says:
"If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe virtue to him." (Legge 250)
This rendering damages the force of the passage even further by interpreting the word kuei ( ; which clearly means "return" in Chinese) as "ascribe to him," a thoroughly unnatural reading of the word. D.C. Lau stays fairly close to Legge when he translates:
"If for a single day a man could return to the observance of rites through overcoming himself, then the whole Empire would consider benevolence to be his." (Lau 112) I.e., we are expected to acknowledge that a single person obviously does not have the power to influence the whole world, and only one in a position of political power can do so. For this reason, I hesitate to rewrite the text in this case, and try to think further of what Confucius meant.
For instance, do we really know what it is like to "completely overcome our selfishness" for a full day, and be perfectly guided by proper action? I would like to suggest that perhaps we do not know the level of spiritual influence that may be brought about by the actualization of one's inner perfection. Also, in the case of a ruler: can political power in itself make the people become good? It is doubtful.
This is an important passage in that it shows very clearly a world-view that is common to all the philosophers whose works are contained in this volume: a world not of isolated monads, but a world that is much more transparent, unified and connected than we of modernity perceive.
Yen Yüan asked: "May I ask in further detail how this is to be brought about?" Confucius said, "Do not watch what is improper; do not listen to what is improper; do not speak improperly and do not act improperly." Yen Yüan said, "Although I am not so perspicacious, I will apply myself to this teaching."
12:2 Chung Kung asked about the meaning of jen. The Master said: "Go out of your home as if you were receiving an important guest. Employ the people as if you were assisting at a great ceremony. What you don't want done to yourself, don't do to others. Live in your town without stirring up resentments, and live in your household without stirring up resentments." Chung Kung said, "Although I am not so smart, I will apply myself to this teaching."
亀俁亁巌攏媿栤乽恗乿丅巕濰丗乽恗幰丆懘尵栫丅濰丗乽巣尵栫丆懘堗擵恗後屃 乿巕濰丗乽啜擵擄丆尵擵摼柍屃 乿
12:3 Ssu Ma Niu asked about the meaning of jen.
Confucius said, "The jen man is hesitant to speak."
Niu replied, "Are you saying that jen is mere hesitancy in speaking?"
Confucius said, "Actualizing it is so difficult, how can you not be hesitant to speak about it?"
12:4 Ssu Ma Niu asked about the qualities of the Superior Man.
Confucius said, "The Superior Man is free from anxiety and fear."
Niu said, "Free from anxiety and fear? Is this all it takes to be a Superior Man?"
Confucius said, "If you reflect within yourself and find nothing to be ashamed of, how could you have anxiety or fear?"
12:5 Ssu Ma Niu, upset, said: "Everyone has brothers, I alone have none."
Tzu Hsia said, "I have heard this proverb:
Life and death are up to Fate.
Wealth and honor are held by Heaven.
If the Superior Man is reverent without lapse, and courteous to everyone within the frame of propriety, everything within the four seas will be his brother. Why should a Superior Man be concerned about not having brothers?"
12:6 Tzu Jang asked about the meaning of "enlightenment."
Confucius said, "One who does not experience the permeation of slander and who is not agitated by accusations can certainly be called 'enlightened.' Indeed, such a person may be called 'transcendent.'"
12:7 Tzu Kung asked about government.
The Master said, "Enough food, enough weapons and the confidence of the people."
Tzu Kung said, "Suppose you had no alternative but to give up one of these three, which one would be let go of first?"
The Master said, 'Weapons.'
Tzu Kung said "What if you had to give up one of the remaining two which one would it be?"
The Master said, "Food. From ancient times, death has come to all men, but a people without confidence in its rulers will not stand."
12:8 Chi Tzu Chang said: "All the Superior Man needs is to have his substance. Why should he need external refinement?"
Tzu Kung said, "Amazing! You speak about the Superior Man, but a team of horses couldn't keep up with your tongue. Refinement is substance; substance is refinement! When the hair is taken off the hide of a tiger or leopard, it looks the same as the hide of a dog or sheep."
[Comment] This is probably the clearest statement of the unity of essence and function that we can see in the Analects, but with an interesting twist. Most essence-function teachings, here as well as in the other texts of this volume, while emphasizing unity of essence and function, will stress the need for one to place his/her priorities on the more essential. Here, on the other hand, the message is that no matter how bright, clear or sincere you are, it cannot show through properly if you don't cultivate your manners and the various arts of expression. This emphasis on polishing the outside is something that we find in the Analects more than in other texts.
12:9 Duke Ai asked Yu Zo: "It has been a year of famine and there are not enough revenues to run the state. What should I do?"
Zo said, "Why can't you use a 10% tax?"
The Duke answered: "I can't even get by on a 20% tax, how am I going to do it on 10%?"
Zo said, "If the people have enough, what prince can be in want? If the people are in want, how can the prince be satisfied?"
12:10 Tzu Chung asked how to increase virtue and dispel confusion. Confucius said, "Base yourself in loyalty and trust and permeate yourself with Righteousness, and your virtue will be paramount. We want life for the things we love, and death for the things we hate. But if we have already desired life for something and now we want it to die, we are confused."
Really, it was not for wealth.
Righteous for a change Waley (166) indicates that this line comes from the Book of Odes #105, from a tale of a man who leaves his wife for another woman: an example of "confusion."
12:11 Duke Ching of Ch'i asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied: "Let the ruler be a ruler, minister be a minister, father be a father, son be a son." The Duke said, "Excellent! Indeed, if the ruler is not a ruler, the ministers not ministers, fathers not fathers and sons not sons, even if I have food, how can I eat it?"
12:12 Confucius said: "Yu is the kind of man who could settle a dispute with a single sentence. He never delayed in giving his answer." Other translations, following Chu-hsi, render this last line as "he never slept on a promise." I based my interpretation on a more literal reading of the text, and on the fact that Tzu-lu, throughout the Analects, is shown to be a person who speaks his mind immediately and directly.
12:13 Confucius said: "In hearing lawsuits, I am no better than anyone else. What we need is to have no lawsuits."
12:14 Confucius said: "Studying liberal arts broadly, and disciplining yourself with propriety, it is easy to stay on the narrow path."
12:16 Confucius said: "The Superior Man develops people's good points, not their bad points. The inferior man does the opposite."
12:17 Chi K'ang Tzu asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied saying: "To 'govern' means to 'rectify.' Here Confucius is punning on the fact that in Chinese, the words "government" and "rectify" are pronounced the same. If you were to lead the people with correctness, who would not be rectified?"
12:18 Being robbed, Chi K'ang Tzu was upset, and questioned Confucius about what to do. Confucius said, "If you were desireless, they wouldn't steal from you, even if you were to offer them a reward to do so."
12:19 Chi K'ang Tzu asked Confucius about government saying: "Suppose I were to kill the unjust, in order to advance the just. Would that be all right?"
Confucius replied: "In doing government, what is the need of killing? If you desire good, the people will be good. The nature of the Superior Man is like the wind, the nature of the inferior man is like the grass. When the wind blows over the grass, it always bends."
12:20 Tzu Chang asked what a shih should be like, that he may be called "excellent."
Confucius said, "What do you mean by "excellent?"
Tzu Chang replied: "It means to be famous in your town, and famous in your clan."
Confucius said, "This is fame, not excellence. One who is excellent has an upright character and loves justice. If you listen carefully to what people say, observe their facial expressions and are careful to be humble to them, you will be excellent in your town, and excellent in your clan. As far as 'fame' is concerned, if you put on a show of goodness and do otherwise, and are not the least bit bothered in doing so, you will indeed be 'famous' in your town and 'famous' in your clan."
[Comment] In this passage, "excellence" is a translation of the Chinese word ta which has such a dearth of meaning in Classical East Asian languages. Its most basic meaning is to penetrate, permeate, pierce or pass through. It is used in religious and philosophical works to describe a consciousness that is able to penetrate all things and apprehend them. In its usage in the description of the operation of cause and effect in the external world, we can see the inherent understanding of the ancients of an interpermeated world, where things have a profound, (even if invisible) effect on each other through their interrelatedness. It is no accident that the word ta and its synonym t'ung become central in the Hua-yen description of the universe a millennium later.
12:21 Fan Chih, while strolling with the Master among the Rain Dance altars, said, "May I ask how to heighten virtue, overcome wickedness and resolve delusion?"
The Master said, "An excellent question! If you take care of your responsibilities before you seek your own gain, won't this heighten your virtue? If you attack your own evil rather than the evil of others, won't you overcome wickedness? If, because of a moment's anger, you endanger your own life, as well as that of your parents, is this not delusion?"
12:22 Fan Chih asked about the meaning of jen.
Confucius said "love others." He asked about the meaning of "knowledge."
The Master said, "Know others." Fan Chih couldn't get it.
The Master said, "If you put the honest in positions of power and discard the dishonest, you will force the dishonest to become honest."
Fan Chih left and seeing Tzu Hsia said, "A little while ago I saw the Master and asked him about 'knowledge,' and he told me, "Put the honest in positions of power and discard the dishonest, and you will force the dishonest to be honest." What did he mean?"
Tzu Hsia said, "How rich our Master's words are! When Shun was emperor, he selected Kao Yao from among the people, put him in charge, and the evil people stayed far away. When T'ang was emperor, he selected I Yin, put him in charge and the evil again stayed far away."
12:23 Tzu Kung asked about the way of friendship. Confucius said, "Speak to your friends honestly, and skillfully show them the right path. If you cannot, then stop. Don't humiliate yourself."
12:24 Tseng Tzu said: "The Superior Man uses his refinement to meet his friends, and through his friends develops his jen."