Original Cui Yunfei
First, sacredness is the ultimate in Confucianism.
Saint is a very small minority. It is the ultimate in Confucian cultivation. The author believes that the "sage" is the person who controls the flow of information, and becomes the controller of information when it comes to oral hearing. Holiness is speech. "Holy" is even "victorious", and a saint is superior to ordinary people, that is, transcendent, beyond universal humanity. Just as a Buddha is a Buddha.
Zigong said: "If there is generosity to the people and can help the people, how can it be described as benevolent?" Zi said: "What is in benevolence! It can be said that the prescription for benevolence has been taken. ”
Zigong's "giving to the people and being able to help the people" is equivalent to "the cause of foreign kings". This is the "holy" and "benevolence" that Yao Shundu feels he has failed to achieve. Confucius believed that "benevolence" means "to establish a person who wants to establish it, and to reach a person who wants to reach it".
Zi said: "If it is holy and benevolent, then how dare I? Or never get tired of it, and never tire of teaching people, then it can be said that Yun'er is already in the clouds." Gong Xihua said: "Only disciples can't learn." ”
Confucius did not admit that he had attained "holiness and benevolence". Confucius did not allow people to be benevolent easily. Nor can it be directly recognized as "sacred". But the disciples all regarded Confucius as a saint. He even created the Five Holy Systems (the Most Holy, the Sub-Holy, the Restored, the Sectarian, and the Shusan). Later generations of Confucians were no longer considered saints. In the Confucian temple system, some great Confucians were named "Confucians" and "sages" in all dynasties.
Dazai asked Yu Zigong and said, "How versatile is the master and the sage?" Zigong said: "The general who solidifies the sky and is so versatile." When he heard this, he said: "Dazai knows that I care! I am young and cheap, so I can do a lot of contemptible." How many gentlemen? ”
Dazai considered Confucius to be a sage and a "capable man". Zigong also acknowledges these two points. Confucius didn't talk about "sacred", just "can". Acquiescing to Dazai's statement, he called it "knowing me". Considering that the Analects was edited by a disciple, this is tantamount to considering Confucius to be a sage.
Confucius said: "A gentleman has three fears: fear of the mandate of heaven, fear of adults, and fear of the words of sages." The villain does not know the destiny of heaven and is not afraid, and the lord insults the words of the saint. ”
Confucius put forward the "fear of the words of the saints". In ancient times, philosophers and thinkers were called sages. According to the ancient tradition of learning, the "princes" were saints. The so-called saint is a person who has a deep insight into human civilization and even has an ideological influence. According to this criterion, "great man" in the modern sense of the word means saint. But the great man has the quality of a "king". Marx and Engels are considered classic writers.
In "Mencius", Mencius has a kind of self-sacrificing spirit, saying: "That time, this time." In 500 years, there will be kings, and there will be famous people in the meantime. From Zhou, more than 700 years old. If it is a number, it will be excessive, and if it is tested at the right time, it will be carried out. If we want to rule the world peacefully, in today's world, who can do without me?
Second, virtuous is a Confucian quality second only to a sage.
Xian is a universal adjective.
The "Analects" mentions that "the virtuous and the virtuous are easy to color", "see the virtuous and think together, see the unvirtuous and introspect introspectively", "the virtuous, the virtuous", "the ancient sages", "the teacher and the businessman are also virtuous", "the virtuous and talented", "the sage opens the world, the second is the land, the second is the color, and the second is the words", "the sage of the doctor", "the sage of the willow Hui", "the music and etiquette, the goodness of the people, the joy of many virtuous friends, and the benefit." ”
Zigong Fangren. Zi said: "Gift, virtuous, husband and I are not timely." ”
Zi said: "Those who don't cheat, don't believe in billions, or those who are prophetic, are virtuous!"
Zixia's gate asked to hand it over to Zizhang. Zi Zhang said: "Zi Xia Yun?" said to him: "Zi Xia said: 'Those who can do it will be with it, and those who can't refuse it.'" Zi Zhang said: "It's different from what I have heard: the gentleman respects the virtuous and tolerates the public, and the good is not able." What is not tolerated by others? If I am not virtuous, people will reject me, so how can they reject others?"
Wei Gongsun Chao asked Yu Zigong and said: "Zhong Niyan learning?" Zigong said: "The way of literature and martial arts has not fallen to the ground, but in people." The sage knows the great, and the unsage knows the small. There is no way of civil and military. The master doesn't learn, and how can he always have a teacher?"
Uncle Wu said to the court, "Zigong is virtuous in Zhongni." "Zifu Jingbo to sue Zigong. Zigong said: "For example, the palace wall, the wall of the gift is also shoulder-length, and you can see the goodness of the room." The wall of the master is counted, and he is not allowed to enter the door, and he does not see the beauty of the temple and the wealth of hundreds of officials. Those who have the door may be few. Master's clouds, not too suitable!"
Uncle Wu ruined Zhongni. Zigong said: "There is nothing to do! Zhongni cannot be destroyed." The sages of others, the hills, can still be surpassed, and the sun and the moon are also surpassed. Although people want to kill themselves, how can they hurt the sun and the moon? ”
Chen Ziyu said to Zigong: "Zi is Gongye, how can Zhong Ni be virtuous in Zihu?" Zigong said: "A gentleman thinks he knows what he says, he thinks he doesn't know what he says, and he can't be careless when he says it." The Master is unreachable, and the heavens cannot ascend. The master and the son of the state are the so-called establishment of the state, the way of the way, the coming of the Sui, and the movement of the harmony. His life is also glorious, and his death is also mournful. How attainable is that?"
The original character of the so-called "virtuous" is a person who firmly grasps wealth and others with his hands. Therefore, "virtuous" through "title", that is, grasping external things. In this regard, "xian" means "to control the subordinates", which is the meaning of management and rule. Therefore, Confucianism, as a "virtuous", is a figure who controls the outside. A virtuous person is a person who can deal with the world, solve problems, make a difference, and understand things. A virtuous person is a talent.
The word sage controls information and people respectively. To control information is to control one's own mind. Thus the sages are the ones who control the inner and the outer. The holy is the controlling mind, and the virtuous is the controlling thing.
Third, learn to be a sage.
As the patriarch of Taoism, Zhou Dunyi had clear guidance on the teleology of benevolence in Confucianism in the Song and Ming dynasties. Zhou Dunyi thought that saints could be learned, and said: "Saint Xi Tian, Xian Xi Sheng, Shi Xi Xian." Yi Yin, Yan Yuan, Daehyunya. Yi Yin is ashamed that his monarch is not Yao and Shun, and he can't do what he wants, if he is in the city. Yan Yuan 'does not get angry, does not overcome' March does not violate benevolence'. What Zhi Yiyin will do, learn what Yanzi has learned. If you are too holy, you will be virtuous, and if you don't do it, you will not lose your name. "Zhou Dunyi was Ercheng's early teacher. Zhou Dunyi's main works were transmitted from Cheng Men. Regarding Kong Yanledao, Cheng Hao was indeed influenced by Zhou Dunyi. Cheng Hao said: "In the past, I learned from Uncle Zhou Mao, and every time I was looking for Yanzi and Zhongni, I was happy. Cheng Hao's own demeanor reflects this direction of aspiration.
In addition to becoming a sage, Confucianism's pursuit of an ideal personality also includes a gentleman. The gentleman also constitutes the purpose of cultivation. Just as we want to be a good person.
Cheng Hao also said: "The virtues of saints cannot be obtained. If Yan Zi has a weather, I Cao also knows it, if I want to learn from the saint, I must learn from Yan Zi. Later, Zeng Zi and Zi Xia learned to get the above. Cheng Hao piggybacks on "wanting to learn from a sage" here, while Cheng Yi's "What Yan Zi Likes to Learn" completely follows Zhou Dunyi's idea of "Xi Shengxi Tian", clearly stating that he will learn to be a sage. Ercheng advocates learning from typical figures like Yan Hui, and then reaching the realm of sages. It can be seen that learning to be a sage is the proper meaning of Cheng Haoren's learning.