Commentary: Ceng Zi is wearing shabby clothes and farming in the fields. King Lu sent someone to him to seal him a city. Say, "please decorate your clothes with the income of this town." Ceng Zi didn't accept it. His special envoy came back and came again soon, but Ceng Zi still didn't accept it.
The person sent said, "Sir, I didn't ask for anything from the monarch, but the monarch gave it to you himself. Why don't you accept it? " Ceng Zi said: "I heard that if I accept something from others, I am afraid of offending others;" People who give things to others will inevitably become arrogant.
Even if Lu Jun gave me a fief and didn't bully me, can I not be afraid of him? "In the end, I still didn't accept it. Knowing this, Confucius said, "Zeng Shen's words are enough to preserve his integrity." "
From: Liu Xiang? "From the City".
Extended data:
The meaning of the article
Nothing is taken for granted for nothing. Ceng Zi made no contribution to Lu, and the monarch of Lu wanted to give him a town to decorate his appearance. Although this is the kindness of the monarch, it is his respect for Ceng Zi. However, it makes sense. Ceng Zi refused to accept such a generous gift and dared not accept it.
What he said in reply to the person sent by Lu Jun was not aimed at anyone, but reflected the psychology and thinking that honest people will inevitably feel guilty because of an unusual gift.
Mutual gifts between relatives and friends are based on friendship, and there is no need to refuse them too much, because there is nothing to return to each other. However, it would be no small matter if Lu Jun gave it as a fief. It is necessary to consider Ceng Zi's words and whether to accept them.
(505 BC-435 BC) Lu (now Jiaxiang County, Shandong Province) was a native of Nanwucheng. A thinker in the late Spring and Autumn Period, one of Confucius' disciples in his later years, an important representative of Confucianism, and a descendant of Yu Xia.
Advocating Confucianism with filial piety and faithfulness as its core, its political view of "cultivating one's morality, governing the country and leveling the world", self-examination and cautious independence, and filial piety-oriented still have extremely valuable social significance and practical value. Ceng Zi participated in the compilation of The Analects of Confucius, the writing of Daxue, The Book of Filial Piety, Ten Articles of Ceng Zi and other works.
In the sixth year of King Gaozhou (435 BC), he died at the age of 7 1 year. Ceng Zi occupies an important position in the development history of Confucianism. Later generations honored him as "Zongsheng" and became one of the four well-deserved partners of Confucius Temple, second only to Yan Yuan, who was "restored to sainthood".
Died of illness in Lu.
In 436 BC (thirty-one years in Lu Daogong), Zeng Shen was seventy years old. That year, Zeng Shen was sick and bedridden, so he called his apprentice to his side and said, lift the quilt and look at my feet and hands. Are they well preserved? My life is just like the book of songs: "I am afraid, like walking on an abyss, walking on thin ice."
Be careful to protect yourself. From now on, I know my body can be protected from harm. Remember, children! Moreover, he told himself that there are three ways to be a gentleman: "It is far from violent to move by appearance, slow to move, positive color is close to faith, and words are far from despicable." Can I do these three things? Never forget to practice kung fu. ("The Analects of Confucius Taber")
In 435 BC (thirty-two years in Lu Daogong), Zeng Shen was seventy-one. One night, dying, I suddenly remembered that there was a mat under Zhang Huali, which was given to him by the doctor Lu. He thought that he had never been a doctor in his life and should not make a doctor's mat, so he asked his sons to change it. He died before the mat was laid, at the age of 7 1.