This article talks about the moral standards of "saints", sages, gentlemen and scholars. Yao is a benevolent saint; Shun is a saint; Yu Naisheng is a brave man; A saint in Zhou Wenwang; Zhou Wuwang is a sage with both wisdom and courage; In Confucius' mind, Zhou Gongdan was a perfect saint. These people are all models for the ancients to learn to be human.
8. 1 Confucius said: "Taibo is the ultimate virtue, and the third is that the world gives way and the people have nothing."
Confucius said: "Taibo's moral level can be said to have reached the highest level." He let the world go three times, but the people couldn't find anything else to praise him. "
Shi Taibo is the eldest son of Gu, the ancestor of Zhou Dynasty. According to legend, Ji Chang, the son of the third son, who was known by the ancient father, had this virtue and wanted to pass it on. After Taibo knew about it, he and his second brother took refuge in Wu. After Gu's father died, Taber didn't come back for the funeral. Later, he lost his tattoo and said he would never come back. He ceded the throne to Ji Li, who passed it on to Jichang, namely Zhou Wenwang.
Politeness is the traditional virtue of the Chinese nation. Confucius praised Taber for his supreme virtue, because Taber let the world seek its own inner peace without any utilitarian thoughts.
Confucius said, "Courtesy and rudeness are tiring, prudence and rudeness are embarrassing, courage and rudeness are chaotic, and straightness and rudeness are twisted." Gentlemen are loyal to their relatives, and benevolent people are prosperous; If you don't lose your old age, then the people won't steal. "
Confucius said: "Modesty without being bound by politeness will be a futile effort;" Being cautious but not bound by ceremony will be timid; If you are brave but can't use the etiquette system, then you have made a mistake; Being frank and impolite will appear mean and hurt others. If a gentleman can treat his loved ones sincerely, the people will be kind and kind, so the old people will not be abandoned and the people's feelings will not be weak. "
This chapter interprets the relationship between courtesy, prudence, courage and straightforwardness. There is also the relationship between intimacy and benevolence and results. The four virtues of courtesy, prudence, courage and straightforwardness will lead to four disadvantages: fatigue, embarrassment, confusion and strangulation. It can be seen that the importance of knowing etiquette, Confucius said that "I don't know etiquette, I can't stand" is probably here.
8.3 Ceng Zi was ill, so he called his younger brother Zi Yue and said, "Consciousness is enough! Yu Kaishou! " "Poetry" said:' Treading on thin ice with trepidation. From time to time, I know that I am free from my husband! Boy! "
Ceng Zi is ill. He called his disciples and said, "Look at my hands and feet. The book of songs says:' fear is like walking on thin ice.' From now on, I can avoid such fears. Kids. "
Ceng Zi is a direct descendant of Confucius. His greatest feature is introversion, caution, a little dull, and he is famous for his filial piety. The ancients believed that protecting parents' health was the greatest filial piety, so Ceng Zi showed his disciples his hands and feet before he died, which meant that his body was still healthy. He tried his best to protect his parents' health all his life. Don't worry from now on.
It turned out that there was a disease of magnitude 8.4. Meng asked: Ceng Zi said: "The bird will die, and its song will also mourn; The dying man speaks the truth. A gentleman is more valuable than Tao: move by appearance, stay away from violence, and stay away from it; Positive color, close to letters; If you say it, you will be more contemptible. Speaking of beans, there is a secretary. "
Being seriously ill, Meng went to see him. Ceng Zi said to him, "When birds die, their cries are very sad. What people say when they die is very kind. Gentlemen pay special attention to three principles of being a man: a serious appearance will keep them away from vulgarity and arrogance; Correct expression will be close to honesty and loyalty; Pay attention to your language when you speak, and you can stay away from vulgarity. There are departments responsible for offering sacrifices, such as setting up ritual vessels.
Shi Ceng Zi was also an ancient sage, and later people called him Zongsheng. He made great contributions to the spread of Confucius' thoughts. This is what Ceng Zi said before he died. Why is Ceng Zi talking about this at this time? When people communicate with each other, the first thing they see is appearance, then a person's face, and then words. Therefore, Ceng Zi emphasized appearance, color and language in communication with people, which is a person's basic quality. Talking to Meng about this probably has another meaning, that is, educating Meng to pay attention to such cultivation.
The original 8.5 Ceng Zi said: "If you can ask what you can't ask, ask what you can't ask; If there is nothing, then Xu Ruo is really guilty and didn't go to school. My friend tried to fuck Sri Lanka before. "
Ceng Zi said, "If you are talented, you should ask people who are less talented than you. If you have more knowledge, you should ask people who have less knowledge than you. Having knowledge is just like having no knowledge, just showing a lack of knowledge, and you don't care if others infringe on him. My good friend used to do the same. "
After reading this chapter, Ceng Zi talked about being shameless, modest and generous in learning. "If there is nothing, that is the real Xu Ruo". This is my view on circle theory. The more people who like reading and studying, the wider their knowledge will be, but the more things they don't know. Therefore, for the infinite unknown, it is true as nothing. From this perspective, this is by no means simple modesty, but the true feeling of a good scholar. This passage by Ceng Zi tells the story of his classmate's resurrection to San Yan Hui.
8.6 Zeng Zi said, "You can entrust an orphan with six feet, and you can send a hundred miles of life. You can't take away the big festival. Gentlemen and men? A gentleman is also a human being. "
Ceng Zi said: "I can entrust him with the upbringing of underage children, entrust him with the fate of the country, and unswervingly yield in the fight to the death. Is this a gentleman? This is a gentleman! "
After reading this chapter, Ceng Zi tells us what kind of talents are real gentlemen, and gentlemen are trustworthy people. This kind of trust is not a small letter, but a big letter, a person who can entrust the fate of his home country to him.
The original 8.7 Ceng Zi said: "A scholar cannot but strive for self-improvement. He still has a long way to go. Benevolence is not very important. Isn't it far after death? "
Ceng Zi said: "A scholar must be broad-minded and firm-willed, because he has a heavy responsibility and a long way to go. Isn't it important to regard benevolence as your life's mission? It can't be completed until the end of life, isn't it far? "
Interpreting Ceng Zi's "The Intellectuals Map" here actually tells us that reading and learning is to constantly cultivate ourselves and strive to influence and change the world and make it a better place.
8.8 Confucius said, "Prosperity lies in poetry, standing in ceremony, and success lies in joy."
Confucius said: "the cultivation of life begins with learning poetry, because learning etiquette has its place in life, and finally learning music."
Interpretation I think that the cultivation of life begins with the cultivation of emotions, and poetry is the essence of language and the expression of human emotions. All the cultivation of human humanistic spirit should start with the cultivation of beautiful emotions, and learning poetry can just do this. After emotion is cultivated, it is necessary to follow the rules of society, that is, the requirements of etiquette, in order to gain a foothold in society, and the key to ultimately achieving cultivation lies in inner happiness.
8.9 Confucius said, "People can make it, but not know it."
Confucius said, "Ordinary people can make them behave according to the ceremony, without knowing why." .
After reading this sentence, there is great ambiguity in the afterlife. There is such a sentence: "People can make it, let it be; No, let me know. " Let the people do it themselves if they know etiquette, and educate the people if they don't. You can also break the sentence like this: "The people can make it, let it be; Don't make it, know it. " It means: "If people know that etiquette is available, they should let nature take its course; if they don't know that etiquette is not available, they should let them know why". I prefer the second view.
8. 10 Confucius said: "I am brave and sick, and I am chaotic. People are ruthless, very sick and chaotic. "
Confucius said, "If you worship courage and hate poverty, you will make trouble. Too much hatred for unfriendly people can also lead to disaster. "
This chapter explains the origin of Confucius' exposition of "chaos". On the one hand, being brave and hard-working will lead to riots. On the other hand, treating those heartless people too much will also lead to disaster. Therefore, we should not go too far in dealing with any problems and follow the principle of the middle way.
The original 8. 1 1 Confucius said, "If you have the beauty of Zhou Gong's talents, you will be arrogant and stingy, and the rest will be insufficient."
Confucius said: "Even if Duke Zhou has such beautiful talent, if he is proud and selfish, then other aspects are not worth mentioning."
Reading between the lines of Confucius, even if you have great talent, pride and selfishness are nothing worth mentioning. It is said that being a man is the first problem. Without morality as the foundation, being a man will lose his foundation.
The original 8. 12 Confucius said: "Three years of study is not rare."
Confucius said, "After studying for three years, I never thought about being an official. It is difficult to find such a person. "
Interpreting Xia Zi's statement that "learning is the best way to be an official", the learning advocated by Confucianism is simply learning to be a man, but it also takes into account the problem of transforming society. I want to understand three years as the academic system of Confucius educating students at that time. After studying for three years, he doesn't want to find a job or be an official, which shows that this person has improved his determination. If we are college students today, who can take self-improvement as the first goal? Many college students consider employment before entering the university, but in essence they do not consider improving their own quality, so that they cannot find employment in time after graduation. On the other hand, it's really hard to get a job after studying for four years without a skill! Nowadays, college students should first consider the problem of becoming excellent, and employment should be a by-product of Excellence. Why should an excellent person worry about not finding a job? !
8. 13 Confucius said: "I believe in learning, and I am good at dying. Dangerous countries do not enter, and chaotic countries do not live. There is a road in the world, you will see it, and without it, you will hide it. The country has a good way, and it is extremely vicious and shameful; The country has no choice but to be rich and expensive, which is shameful. "
Confucius said: "Be firm in learning, and always adhere to the principle of beauty in life." . Don't go to dangerous places or stay in chaotic places. Do a lot in a good environment and hide yourself in a bad environment. In a good collective, poverty has no place, which is a shame; It is also a shame to be rich and be an official in a bad group. "
This chapter explains that Confucius tells us how to face environmental problems and how to choose survival. He still puts life first. In a sense, choosing the environment is choosing the truth of life, which involves the issues of survival and human dignity. The fundamental principle of his life is to uphold the principles of "seeking Tao without seeking food" and "worrying about Tao without worrying about poverty".
8. 14 Confucius said, "If you are not in your position, you will not seek political affairs."
Confucius said, "If you are not in that position, don't worry about that position."
Interpreting this sentence of Confucius has become the criterion for future officials to govern the country. Today, if you don't handle things in that position, it is offside. But from the perspective of sustainable development, it can be understood from another angle, that is, "where you are, you can seek government there." There is nothing wrong with this concept, which is based on sustainable development and long-term development. The leaders of any dynasty need to consider and plan their own development when they are in power, that is, to consider the problem of cultivating successors, which involves the long-term development of the regime. Just like Louis XVI, it is rare to find a way to seek government after my death.
The original 8. 15 Confucius said: "At the beginning of the loyalty of the teacher, the chaos of the official gathering echoed!"
Confucius said, "The overture is from Taishi Zhi. By the end of Guan Yu, wonderful music has been echoing in my ears! "
Interpretation When each of us concentrates on practicing life, we will find that life is actually a wonderful music!
8. 16 Confucius said: "Crazy but not straight, Dong (tóng) but unwilling, K (not ng) but not believing, I don't know."
Confucius said: "I really can't help such people who are extreme but not straightforward, naive but not simple, ignorant and untrustworthy!"
In this chapter, Confucius lists three kinds of people: crazy but not straight, unwilling and embarrassed, which shows that in real life, people are duplicitous, that is, they lack sincere cultivation. Such people are often greedy people.
8. 17 Confucius said, "If you learn less, you will hesitate to lose."
Confucius said, "Learning always seems to lag behind, even if you are afraid of losing what you have learned."
This is Confucius' psychological experience and feeling of learning state. People who really love learning, especially those who keep learning and practicing, will feel as if they can't catch up with those learning models. Moral cultivation is a lifelong matter, which has reached a high level in time, and we need to continue to work hard to avoid losing it because of a little slack.
8. 18 Confucius said, "awesome! There is a world in the world, not awkward. "
Confucius said, "How noble! Shun and Yu won the world, not asking for it. "
Interpretation Confucius highly praised the greatness of Shun and Yu. On the one hand, it is said that Shun and Yu are not fighting for themselves; On the other hand, it is because the world of Shun and Yu is the result of the will of the people. Shun and Yu have no selfishness, only considering the peace of the world.
8. 19 Confucius said, "Great! Yao is the king. Awesome! Only the sky is great and only Yao is great. Swing! People can't name names. Awesome! It has success; Huan! There are articles on it. "
Confucius said, "If you are the greatest, you are as good as Yao. Lofty, only a genius can be so high, and only Yao can imitate the height of the sky. So vast that ordinary people can't praise him in words. How noble his achievements are, and how brilliant his ceremonies and music are! "
Interpretation of Confucius lamenting Yao's greatness. Yao's greatness lies in his greatness, greatness, virtue, merit and courtesy. This chapter not only praises Yao, but also praises heaven. Only by respecting heaven can we have great virtue, great achievements and great gifts. Confucius praised Yao, saying that he took heaven as his principle and Yao was like heaven. The greatness of his virtue cannot be enumerated one by one, and he can be praised by words. As for his achievements and articles, he is known to people.
The original 8.20 Shun had five ministers who ruled the world. King Wu said, "There are ten rebels." Confucius said, "Is it difficult? At the time of Tang Yu, there were only nine women. There are two things in the world that serve Yin. Zhou Zhide can be described as the ultimate virtue. "
Shun lived in harmony with five wise ministers. Zhou Wuwang said: "I have ten ministers who are good at governing the country." Confucius said, "Talent is rare, isn't it?" From Tang Yao, Yu Shun to Zhou Wuwang, there are the most talented people at this time, including one woman, but there are actually only nine people. Zhou Wenwang owns two-thirds of the world and can still serve the Yin Dynasty. The virtue of the Zhou dynasty can be said to be the acme. "
This chapter explains that Confucius highly praised the prosperity of the Zhou Dynasty because of the scarcity of talents, and the prosperity of the Zhou Dynasty was also due to Zhou Wang's virtue. The fundamental reason is that Zhou Wang can be himself first, which is the basic premise of inaction.
The original 8.2 1 Confucius said: "Yu, I am so happy. Filipinos should be filial to ghosts and gods when eating and drinking, be crowned when their clothes are ugly and beautiful, and try their best to be miserable when they are humble to the palace. Hey, I'm fine. "
Confucius said, "I have nothing to criticize Dayu. He was poor in diet and devoted himself to offering sacrifices to ghosts and gods, but he tried his best to make the sacrificial clothes ragged and gorgeous. His palace is very humble, but he tries his best to repair farmland and water conservancy. I really have nothing to say to Dayu. "
Interpret the story that later generations all know that Dayu managed water and refused to enter the house for three times. Confucius' selfless devotion to Dayu is also a kind of high praise. If Yao is a benevolent saint and Shun is a wise saint, then Dayu is a brave saint. Yao ruled the world with heaven, shun imitated benevolence and inaction, and Dayu devoted himself to ditches and set an example. From this, we can also understand the differences between the three saints in public education.