A few days ago, when I was reading "The Analects of Confucius", I talked about Confucius's attitude towards others - gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality and concession. A friend left a message saying that this was a sign of excessive cowardice in Confucianism. In fact, The "acting bravely when seeing justice" that we advocate and call for comes exactly from the chapter on Wei Zheng - failure to act when seeing justice means there is no courage. It is our cultural tradition to be eager for justice and to stand up.
"The Analects of Confucius·Wei Zheng Chapter (Part 2)"
Zigong asked the gentleman. Confucius said: "First do what he says and then follow it."
Modern translation: How can Zigong become a gentleman. Confucius said: "If you want to say something, put it into action first, and then say it out."
A wise person is one who can control his mouth. If you talk too loudly, you will definitely break the trust of others. If you live a low-key life, do things in a down-to-earth manner, be slow in words and quick in deeds, you are a gentleman.
Confucius said: "A gentleman is not close to each other, but a villain is not close to each other." Self-interest and not loyalty lead to intimacy."
Confucius said: "Learning without thinking is in vain; thinking without learning is peril."
Confucius said: "Study blindly. Without thinking, people will be confused and confused; just thinking without learning, people will be confused.
Confucius said: "It is only harmful to attack heretics. ”
Today’s translation: Confucius said: “It is harmful to devote oneself to heresy. "
Confucius believed that all kinds of miscellaneous studies and skills were heretical, which is obviously not in line with the current thinking and the development of the times.
Confucius said: "Yu! Tu Nu knows this! Knowing is knowing, not knowing is not knowing, this is knowing. ”
Today’s translation: Confucius said: “You (disciple of Confucius, surnamed Zhong, given name You, courtesy name Zilu)! Knowing means knowing, not knowing means not knowing. This is the real knowledge.
Zhang Xueqianlu. Que is dangerous, do the rest with caution, and you will have few regrets. There are few words and few regrets, and therein lies the fortune. ”
Today’s translation: Zizhang (a disciple of Confucius, whose surname was Zhuan Sun, the famous teacher’s given name was Zizhang) asked for advice on how to obtain official salary. Confucius said: “Listen more to what others say, and keep your doubts to yourself. If you express what is certain with caution, you can reduce mistakes; if you pay more attention to how others do it, don't do anything you have doubts about, and do other things that are certain with caution, you can reduce regrets. There are few mistakes in words and few regrets in actions, and official and salary will naturally be among them. ”
Duke Ai asked: “What can be done to make the people obey?” Confucius said to him: "If you raise the straight and ignore the false, the people will obey; if you raise the straight and false, the people will not obey." ”
Today’s translation: Duke Ai of Lu asked: “What can we do to convince the people?” Confucius replied: "If you promote upright people and put them above the crooked people, then the people will be convinced; if you promote crooked people and put them above the upright people, then the people will definitely not be convinced." . "
Ji Kangzi asked: "How to make the people respect and be loyal and persuade them? Confucius said: "If you approach someone with dignity, you will be respectful; if you are filial and kind, you will be loyal; if you do good deeds but cannot be taught, then you will encourage them." ”
Today’s translation: Ji Kangzi, a doctor in the state of Lu, asked: “What needs to be done to make the people respect, be loyal and work hard? Confucius said: "If you treat them solemnly, they will respect you; if you are filial to the elderly and love the young, they will be loyal to you; if you teach the weak with kindness, they will work hard." ”
It might be said that Confucius said: “Zi Xi is not interested in politics?” Confucius said: "The Book of Records says: 'Filial piety is nothing but filial piety, being a friend to your brothers, and giving to those who are in charge of government." ’ This is also for politics, and you are ridiculing it for doing politics? "
Modern translation: Someone said to Confucius: "Why don't you become an official and participate in politics? Confucius said: "The Book of Documents says: 'Filial piety means being filial to your parents, being friendly to your brothers, and implementing this in political affairs. ’ So, this is also participation in politics. Why do you have to be an official? ”
Confucius said: “People who have no faith do not know what is possible.” How can a large cart move without a hook and a small cart without a shaft? "
Today's translation: Confucius said: "If a person has no credit, he doesn't know what else he can do. The ox-cart has no hooks, which are the hinges that connect the shafts to the crossbars. Likewise, the horse-drawn carriage has no hooks, so how can it move forward? "
Zizhang asked: "Can we know the tenth life? Confucius said: "Yin's gains and losses due to Xia's rites can be known; Zhou's gains and losses due to Yin's rites can be known." It may have succeeded the Zhou Dynasty, even if it lasts for hundreds of generations, we can know it.
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Today's translation: Zizhang asked: "Can the etiquette system after ten generations be predicted? Confucius said: "The Yin and Shang Dynasty inherited the ritual system of the Xia Dynasty, and what was added and abolished can be known; the Zhou Dynasty inherited the ritual system of the Yin and Shang Dynasty, and what was added and abolished can also be known." . Then the dynasties that will succeed the Zhou Dynasty in the future can be predicted even if there are a hundred generations. ”
Confucius said: “Sacrificing something other than its ghost is flattering.” Not doing what is right is a lack of courage. ”
Today’s translation: Confucius said: “If you sacrifice ancestors, ghosts and gods who should not be sacrificed to you, but you want to sacrifice them, you are flattering.” If you do nothing when something is morally right, you just don't have the courage. ”