The Analects: There is love and righteousness and there is life 15-7

Zi Yue: "Naoya Shiyu! The state has a way like a arrow, and the state has no way like a arrow. Gentleman, Gentleman! The state has a way, and the state has no way to roll it up. ”

"Ya" is a hieroglyph, and its original meaning is arrow. Bamboo as an arrow, wood as a target. The explanation given in the "Interpretation of the Name" is: "The arrow is also called the arrow." The explanation given by the Shuowen is: "Ya, bow and crossbow Yaya." The explanation given by Guangya is: "Arrow, arrow also." ”

The Master said, "Shi Yu is upright! When the country's politics are clear, his words and deeds are as straight as arrows; when the country's politics is dark, his words and deeds are as straight as arrows. Yu Boyu is a gentleman! When the country's politics are clear, they come out to become officials; when the country's politics is dark, they do not collude with each other, but collect their own skills. ”

In the process of teaching, Confucius used "Poetry", "Book", "Ritual", "Music", "Yi", and "Spring and Autumn". Among them, many historical figures in the Spring and Autumn Period are also examples of Confucius's teaching, such as Qi Huangong, Jin Wengong, Guan Zhong, Yan Pingzhong, Zang Wuzhong, Ling Yin Ziwen and so on.

The evaluation of these historical figures reflects Confucius's view of historical figures. Confucius promoted morality and benevolence, so when evaluating historical figures, he started from the big picture and comprehensively evaluated them by taking into account the two criteria of personal moral cultivation and historical achievements, which is generally more objective and fair.

Confucius believed that even if he had the talent of Zhou Gong, "if there is the beauty of Zhou Gong's talent", if he "makes him proud and stingy", then "the rest is not enough to see." ("Analects of Taibo") We look at this sentence, Zhou Gong is the person that Confucius dreamed of, a person can have as beautiful as Zhou Gong's talent, as long as he has both pride and miserliness, then the rest is not enough.

"Righteousness" is also an important part of personal moral cultivation. According to the Analects of the Constitution, Zi Yue: "Zang Wuzhong took precautions, and asked for the future Yu Lu, although he did not want it, I did not believe it." Zang Wuzhong was blackmailing the king, and Confucius believed that this was an act of unrighteousness.

In Confucius's view, a cultivated person should abide by "fame" and "must also be righteous!" Because observing "honor" is to maintain "etiquette", and "etiquette" is an important means of maintaining social order.

What kind of evaluation would Confucius give to the two mentioned in the Analects of This chapter, Shi Yu and Shu Boyu? Let's see.

Zi Yue: "Naoya Shiyu! The state has a way like a arrow, and the state has no way like a arrow. ”

Confucius said, "Shi Yu is upright! When the country's politics are clear, his words and deeds are as straight as arrows; when the country's politics is dark, his words and deeds are as straight as arrows. ”

"Straight" is an ideographic word, and the original meaning is not bent. The explanation given in the Commentary on the Interpretation of Texts is: "Correct view also." "Zuo Biao" said: "Integrity is righteousness." The right curve is straight. ”

In the Analects, "straightness" is a moral concept of Confucian culture and a basic principle for dealing with people. "Straight" means integrity and fairness. The Analects of Yan Yuan records that Confucius said, "If you straighten out the wrongdoers, you can make the wrongdoers straight." (Promote the righteous and selfless, and set aside the wicked, and the people will obey.) The word "straight" here means corrective.

Confucius also used the concept of "straight" many times when evaluating historical figures. Such as; "what is said to be slightly born tall and straight" and so on.

Shi Yu appears three times in the Analects.

Once, the Analects of Yongye recorded that "there is no blessing of the Yu." (If there is no eloquence like Zhu Yun.) ）

According to the Analects of the Constitution, Confucius said: "Uncle Zhongzhi ruled the guests, Zhu Yuzhi Zongmiao, Wang Sun Jiazhi military brigade, Fu Ru, Xi Qi's funeral? (Confucius said, "The Duke of Weiling had Uncle Zhong to manage the guests for him, Zhu Yun to manage the Zongmiao temple for him, and Wang Sun Jia to manage the military for him, so how could he lose his position?" ”）

Add this chapter sentence "The Analects".

Shi Yu (史鱼), also known as Shi Loach (史鳅), was a Weiguo doctor in the Spring and Autumn Period. Wei Linggong was then Zhu Shi and was responsible for the praise in the sacrifice, so he was called Zhu Tuo. The word "鮀" is "佗", and Shi Yu is also Zhu Yu. He repeatedly recommended Yu Boyu to Wei Linggong. Before dying, he said to his son, "Yu Boyu is a wise man, and I have recommended him to the monarch many times, but the monarch still does not use him." Yakoto is a villain, and I have repeatedly advised the monarch to alienate him, but the monarch still does not listen. As a minister of state, I can't enter when I see xian, and I can't retreat when I see it. After death, I am not qualified to put the spiritual hall in the main hall, and if you put my body by the window, it is considered a ceremony. After Shi Yu's death, Wei Linggong went to his house to mourn, learned of his last words, was deeply moved, and immediately reused Yu Boyu, dismissed and alienated Mikoto. This matter is called "corpse advice" in history.

Let's look at it again: "The state has a way like a arrow, and the state has no way like a arrow." ”

"Bang" is a conjugational word that originally meant the establishment of an earth boundary. Later, it means country, town, etc. The explanation given in the Shuowen is: "State, country also." ”

The meaning of this sentence is that the social, political, and economic aspects of the princely states are all on the "Tao", and this person is very upright and fair; the princely states are not on the "Tao", he is still upright and fair. As soon as we look at it, we know that Confucius is praising Shi Yu.

Now that I think about it carefully, I think this Shiyu is a bit like the Zilu in the Analects, Cheng Yaojin in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the black whirlwind Li Kui in the Water Margin, and the Niu Gao in the Biography of Yue Quan... Don't care how the world is, don't care how strong the enemy soldiers and horses are, I will kill for a while myself. It's not straight, it's reckless, in today's parlance, a bit of a ball of faith.

In fact, the fate of Shi Yu is better, while the historical Bi Gan is not so lucky. Bigan, courtesy name Bigan, was the uncle of King Shang. The king of Shang was tyrannical and absurd, and he was violent and violent, and Bi Gan sighed: "The Lord is not loyal, he is afraid of death, he is not brave, and if he is not used, he dies, and he is loyal to him." "So I went to the Star Picking Building and insisted that I would not go for three days." He asked why he was self-righteous, and bigan said, "Be proud of yourself for doing good deeds and benevolence." "I heard that the heart of a saint has seven tricks of faith?" "Just kill Bigan and peel off his heart to see if there are seven tricks, which is absurd." Bigan's spirit of fighting to the death is admirable, but when everything becomes incomprehensible, he lacks the necessary wisdom and tenacity.

Let's move on to "Gentleman! 蘧伯玉" this sentence.

What needs to be noted here is the word "gentleman". In the Analects, "gentleman" appears a total of 108 times, "jun" refers to the son of heaven, "gentleman" originally refers to rulers and ordinary aristocratic men, and in Confucianism, "gentleman" refers to people with good personal cultivation. "Gentleman" is the ideal personality criterion in Confucius's mind. A student, Sima Niu, asked Confucius: Teacher, what is a gentleman? Confucius said lightly: A gentleman is not worried or afraid, has no worry, and is a gentleman without fear... Sima Niu then asked, Is it so simple to be a gentleman? Teacher Confucius said: "Introspection is not guilty, why should the husband worry or be afraid?" In Confucius's view, a person "introspects without guilt, why should a husband worry or be afraid?" (The Analects of Yan Yuan) This can be called a gentleman.

According to the Analects of the Constitution, Zi Yue: "The third gentleman of the Tao, I am powerless: the benevolent do not worry, the knower is not confused, and the brave are not afraid." Zi Gong Yue: "The master said to himself." (Confucius said, "I have not achieved the three principles that a gentleman follows: the benevolent man is not worried, the wise man is not confused, and the warrior is not afraid.") Zigong said, "What the Master is talking about is himself. Confucius said that he himself had not yet achieved the point of being a gentleman. In this chapter, the Analects, Confucius says, "Gentleman, Gentleman! This shows that Yu Boyu is a powerful character. Let's first get to know this great celebrity who was called a gentleman by Confucius.

He appears twice in the Analects. The Analects of the Constitution records that "Yu Boyu made people to Confucius." (Yu Boyu sent emissaries to visit Confucius.) Another is the analects of this chapter.

蘧瑗 ( c. 585 BC – after 484 BC ) , ji ( 姬 ) , courtesy name , courtesy name Boyu ( 嬴瑗 ) , was the son of Dafu Wuwu ( ) , and was the Grand Master of Weiguo during the Spring and Autumn Period. He is humble, calm, able to reflect on himself often, and achieve "knowing what is wrong today and what was yesterday", so he is praised and respected by many people.

He was supposed to be a generation older than Confucius, who is said to have lived in his home when he "went to Lu Shiwei" (497-493 BC). The Chronicle of Confucius's Disciples also confirms this: "Confucius's strict affairs were done by Zhou Ze Laozi; Yu Wei, Yu Boyu; Yu Qi, Yan Pingzhong; Yu Chu, Lao Laizhi; Yu Zheng, Zi Chan; Yu Lu, Meng Gongqiu." Several are called Zang Wenzhong, Liu Xiahui, Tong Yan Bohua, Jieshan Ziran, Confucius are all descendants, not the same. (The people whom Confucius honored were Lao Tzu in the Zhou Dynasty; Xuan Boyu in the Wei Kingdom; Yan Zhongping in the State of Qi; Lao Laizi in the State of Chu; Zi in the State of Zheng; and Meng Gongqiu in the State of Lu.) He also often praised Zang Wenzhong, Liu Xiahui, Tong Yan Bohua, and Jieshan Ziran, confucius was born later than them, not people of the same era. ）

The reason why Confucius said that the practice of Gong Boyu has reached the realm of a gentleman is that He Boyu can achieve "the state has the Tao, and the State has no Tao, and the State has no Dao." ”

The "Shi" of "Bang You Dao Ze Shi" is a meaning word, and the original meaning is to be an official. The Analects of the Zizhang Records that "learning and excellence are good." (After studying, if you still have spare energy or leisure, you will become an official and further promote benevolence and righteousness.) This is a positive Confucian outlook on life, after a person "cultivates himself and his family", he needs to "govern the country and the world" and do the service to the people of the world.

"Rolling up and carrying it" means that when the politics of the princely states are dark, they do not merge with each other, but collect their skills. This seems to be a bit of the way of the seven sesame officials Tang Xicheng for the official - "When the official is not the master of the people, it is better to go home and sell sweet potatoes." "No, I'm just like Tao Yuanming, the county grand master's big lead hung up, rolled up the cover and left immediately, resolutely "do not bend the waist for five buckets of rice." ”

Some people say, is this person a bit slippery? It is worthy of respect that He should come out to be an official and serve the people wholeheartedly; what should he do when he "has no way out of the state"? First, it is to adopt the practice of "rolling up and cherishing it" like Shu Boyu; second, it adopts the form of revolution to overthrow the society of "state without way" and establish a society of "state and road". Here, Confucius praised the practice of Yu Boyu, and said that Yu Boyu was a gentleman, which was a moderate practice in the social background at that time, and retreated to avoid it, so as not to eat "immediate losses", although it seemed negative, but it might have better results by retreating to advance.

Some people say that this is the biggest drawback of Confucianism, that is, it is not brave enough! Don't dare to be a hero! Confucius said: "Gentlemen are poor, and villains are poor and indiscriminate." "How hard are Wen Tianxiang's bones!" Confucius's philosophy of dealing with the world is to adhere to the principle, and life cannot be lost. The "ming" of "ming zhe to protect oneself" is to know things, and "zhe" is to be philosophical and reasonable. The simplest understanding is that the atmosphere of a unit is not good, you have to mess up, I do not participate, the world is generally black, but you also have to ensure that you can not be black, people mix days, you do not follow the mix!

In daily life, we also encounter such a situation. The atmosphere of a unit is very bad, at this time, what can you do? The first is to turn a blind eye and get by; second, to resolutely struggle against unhealthy tendencies and evil tendencies. Even if people say you are a saint's egg, you can keep your own wind bones; third, be a pug, and go along with the flow. Judging from these three methods, The method of Wu Boyu is still good, I think.

Shi Yu and Yu Boyu were praised by Confucius because of their good virtues—one was "straight" and the other was able to judge the hour and size up the situation to deal with the world, which contained the philosophical spirit of tao flexibility and accessibility.

For these two Guardian Doctors, we must distinguish between the advantages and disadvantages? I don't think it's necessary. Shi Yu is "to profit from the life and death of a country, and it is better to avoid it because of misfortune and happiness." As long as it is conducive to the development of the princely states, even if it is to take the "corpse advice", there is nothing to fear. Yu Boyu is Mingzhe's self-preservation, and the way to benefit the people that he has mastered cannot lose his life in order to compete for strength and victory. When the time is ripe, Yu Boyu will come out again to promote the way of benefiting the people and bring well-being to the people of the world.

In this chapter and sentence of the Analects, what we need to learn is: "straight" is not reckless, it needs to wait for opportunities; a gentleman is a person who is "worried about the country, the people, and the world", and he does not value temporary gains and losses, even if he is temporarily frustrated, but he still does not change his original intention and forges ahead. In this way, communists are Confucian gentlemen.