original text
Confucius said, "The week of gentlemen is incomparable, and the week of villains is incomparable."
Confucius said, "The week of gentlemen (1) is not as good as (2), and the week of villains (3) is not good either."
To annotate ...
(1) Week: gregarious.
(2) ratio: sound b √, collusion.
(3) villain: a mortal without moral cultivation.
Interpretative translation
Confucius said, "A gentleman keeps company with others, while a villain keeps company with others and is not harmonious."
This chapter is about the difference between a gentleman and a villain. As far as morality is concerned, a gentleman has virtue, but a villain has no virtue. In the Analects of Confucius, there are many chapters that compare gentlemen and villains. What we are talking about here is "the week of gentlemen is incomparable, and the week of villains is not comprehensive", and we are talking about the words "week and ratio". What is Zhou and what is Bi? There are different versions in ancient notes, all of which are good. We can put them together and experience the virtue of a gentleman in this way.
First of all, Zhou and Bi are clearly distinguished between public and private, which means that Zhou is the first way to distinguish between public and private. Others talk about justice, "a gentleman is righteous, a villain is profitable", and when it comes to justice and profit. Then some people say that it is omnipotent and biased towards the party, and Zhou is omnipotent and biased towards the party. The old man, on the other hand, advocates both public and private interests, that is, paying attention to the public and neglecting private interests. A gentleman is selfless, which is "no comparison in a week", so a villain is just the opposite. Therefore, a gentleman is public, selfless and selfless. Self-cultivation at ordinary times, but also committed to selfless, public welfare undertakings, which is the meaning of "no comparison."
Therefore, when a villain does things, he first considers his own interests and whether it is good for himself. He is not the first person to think of the public. In the conflict between public and private, he chose private and abandoned public. So when nothing happens, the villain thinks and thinks selfishly. He has not considered these plans for the public and the whole world. This is called "comparison without consideration". Why do little people do this? He is too narrow-minded. Why do you call him a villain? Be careful, only think of yourself. At most, I think of my family. No matter how old he is, he can't imagine. He doesn't want to think about it. A gentleman has a big heart and cares about the world. He is not for one person, one family, one country, he is for the whole world. Then the sage, empty-hearted, traveled all over the dharma world. He thought of more than one world, and there was only one earth this day, or it was very small. Other planets, what about other worlds? So this heart is not big enough. The heart of the sage covers the whole universe, and the pericardium is too weak to measure the surrounding sand world. This is a week without comparison, which is considerate to the extreme.
Gong Xue quoted an ancient note by Kong Anguo, the scholar of the Western Han Dynasty and the 11th grandson of Confucius, saying: "Loyalty is the week, and Albania is the comparison". A gentleman is faithful, and the Lord is faithful, that is, he is upright in his heart and keeps his word. This is what Zhou means. The Arab Party of the Arab Party is a coquettish, flattering, crawling and fawning party. The party is a small group, which is the behavior of a villain.
Quoting the Yellow Book again, Huang Kan's Bamboo Book says that "Zhou is a method of learning from others, so it is called loyalty." Comparison is a method of intimacy, so it is called "Arab Party", which explains the meaning of Kong Anguo. Why can there be loyalty? Because he has a broad mind and a great heart. He is loyal to the public, not to the private. It's wrong to be eccentric in your mind. No, it is impossible to be loyal. You see, there is a Chinese character on the heart, which means that the heart is in the right place, and that is called loyalty. Why are you unfaithful? Because the heart is private. If you are unfaithful, you won't believe what you say. This Arab party is about the law of loyalty. When we see that the villain likes to curry favor with others, please others and meet dignitaries, we immediately flatter and get close to him. This close relationship is also close. There is no solemnity in closeness, no solemnity in appearance and no loyalty in heart. It is all about attaching to these powerful people and gaining their own interests, which is nothing more than fame and fortune. Confucius called such people mean and disdainful.
Huang Kan also quoted an ancient note saying: "It is called Zhou because it is well prepared but selfless, so there is no comparability." All the above are the explanations of Zhou Hebi's significance. Let's take a look at all kinds of notes to understand the meaning. To be prepared is to get justice. If you can get justice, you will be right. What is justice? You know, the world and I are one. Broadly speaking, everything in the universe is integrated with me, and it is meaningless to talk about this privacy. No privacy at all. We talk about selflessness, "forgetting me is different", and selflessness is selflessness and an organic whole. How can there be privacy? Only with you can I be private, and only with others can I be private. Originally, the universe is an organic whole, which cannot be separated from him, you and me. So it was originally selfless, but now we are lost, and after being lost, we have a delusion to split this integrated realm in two. This is me and that is him. When you make this difference and then cling to yourself, a selfish heart arises, which is called self-obsession If you insist on me, there must be someone who insists. Without me, who can? I'm not human. So if you really understand this truth, you will naturally be selfless, not that you are forced. As long as you are conscious, you can immediately put aside your selfishness, you will immediately become a gentleman, and you will not compare with others.
So when you want to sanctify everything, there is always a difference between consciousness and mystery. What's the difference between three transgressions? Saints and ordinary people live the same life, eat and sleep the same, but the difference is that saints feel lost and ordinary people are lost. What do you feel? I realized justice and truth. It turns out that the universe is unique to me, so it is natural to have no comparison for a week. This is the revelation of sexual virtue. The villain is fascinated, thinking that there is me and him, and then holding me for exclusive, which is not good, so it is bitter. After he was fascinated, he set up his own business. After he started his business, the result was miserable. Be frank as a sentence, a petty man is anxious and worried.. The Analects of Confucius says that long sorrow is a kind of bitterness. Gentleman is calm and open-minded, carefree, wise man is not confused, benevolent man is not worried, brave man is not afraid. Really not confused, not worried, not afraid, open-minded, the benefit of a gentleman. A petty man is anxious and worried. s heart is full of troubles and worries, so he always has doubts, worries and fears. This is called "a gentleman is willing to be a gentleman, and a villain is wronged as a villain." If we look at perception and mystery, we can separate the saint from the norm. His benefits are far from the same, so the villain is pitiful. Be sure to understand the truth. If you don't learn the holy religion and don't understand these truths, forget it. After forgetting, the benefits of a gentleman will soon be gone, and he will soon become a villain.
Liu and Liu Baonan are quoted as saying: "One party violates loyalty, and a gentleman and a villain have different temperaments." . This Arab Party and Zhong Xin are talking about his different intentions. The heart of a villain is to flatter, please and be loyal to the party. This is called loyalty to the party. Loyalty is the meaning of a gentleman. Different intentions, different temperament The temperament of a gentleman is magnanimous, gentle, respectful and thrifty. Be gentle, kind, thrifty, respectful, polite, polite and thrifty. The villain is violent, moody, impatient, impulsive, unfriendly and selfish. Because of selfishness and eagerness for success, I am impatient, disrespectful and impolite to people. He forgot this courtesy. Why did he forget? He forgot the ceremony because he had selfish thoughts in his heart. Spending money without thrift will be extravagant and wasteful. Getting along with others, striving for profit, being impolite, not modest and not patient are all the qualities of a gentleman and a villain. The key is not to look at people, not to measure others with these words in the Analects of Confucius, which is not the original intention of saints. A saint told us to go back and ask ourselves if we were villains. what do you think? From these places, you can see your intentions, your temperament and your behavior. Then if there is a problem, change it quickly, put these things down, and you will be a gentleman.
Zhu's explanation is that in this passage, "Zhou, so-so." Than, folk prescription also ". This is the evaluation of Zhou and Bi. In the third aspect, Zhou is universal and Bi is partial to the Party. Generally speaking, it's about his mind, his grand duke, no selfishness and no ego. To be partial to one side is to be selfish. If he is selfish, he will definitely form a party. Whoever can please him will form a party with him. This is called competition. "Everyone is intimate, but the duke of zhou is more private. Gentlemen and villains do their own things, such as yin and yang day and night, often the opposite. However, when it comes to division, it is a small difference between public and private. "Zhou and Bi are talking about their thoughts when they are in contact with people. When dealing with people, if you look at the superficial behavior, it may be that the behavior of gentlemen and villains is similar. When you are close to others, you can be kind to others, but the opposite is true. The gentleman is Zhou, Zhou is public interest, and fairness. He is so kind and respectful to everyone. The villain is selfish. He is different and unequal. If you are a powerful person, he will treat you well and with great respect. If you are poor and have no status, he will look down on you or even look at you. So what a gentleman and a villain do is to talk about his different intentions, such as the opposition between Yin and Yang day and night. This opposite watershed lies in the difference between public and private. As the saying goes, "a difference of one millionth is a difference of a thousand miles", which is what gentlemen and villains only mean.
Therefore, the sages, belonging to Zhou Bi, He Contract, and Arrogant Taitai, often talk about what they have done, and want scholars to observe their leisure and judge their choices. A saint, especially Confucius. In The Analects of Confucius, Confucius often compares gentlemen with villains. Here are three examples, "Zhou Bi", "A gentleman is Zhou Bi, and a villain is Zhou Bi"; "Harmony without difference", "Gentleman with difference, villain with difference"; "Arrogant Thai", "A gentleman is not arrogant for Thai, and a villain is arrogant but not Thai". You see, from here we can understand the difference between a gentleman and a villain.
When we say "Zhou Bi", we mean public interest and selfishness. Although there are three different versions of the ancient annotations of Zhoubi, they are all connected, and they all talk about public and private, each with its own differences. Harmony is different, this harmony, that harmony; The same is the same. As long as a gentleman is harmonious, he doesn't have to ask everyone to be the same. For example, people in a family, the husband is outside and the man is outside; The wife is in charge, and the woman is in charge. Outside the subject, inside the subject is different, but it can also be reconciled. He can tolerate different types of people. If it has to be the same, it is definitely not harmonious, and the villain is not harmonious.
For example, now we want religious harmony. Generally speaking, the five major religions in China are Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Christianity and Islam. These five religions are different. They use different classics, doctrines and religious ceremonies in all aspects, but can they be harmonious? It can be harmonious. As long as we can tolerate each other and work together, it will contribute to the harmonious development of society. Common goals, common direction, mutual cooperation, mutual support, mutual respect and mutual care, can be harmonious, not necessarily the same. Then every religion should respect other religions, and every religion has good things. And if you look at its teachings carefully, in fact, in terms of righteousness, they are all the same, just different. We can imagine that this religion has different cultures in different regions. People there have different customs and historical reasons, so their religions are different. But they are all education, social education, and they are all teaching people to break evil and cultivate good.
So once, our teacher shared it with you in a religious forum. He said that different religions are like five fingers in one hand. If these five fingers represent five religions, everyone looks different on this finger. Thumb is thumb and forefinger is forefinger. They are different in length, size and function. No, on the surface, it is different, but you explore from the doctrine, all the way to the palm, and find that it is the same palm. We can't just stay in this different part, but go deep into this root, which is the same. What is a root? Confucianism says this is sex, Taoism calls it nature, and Buddhism calls it truth. Christianity talks about God and God, while Islam talks about Allah and God. The statement is different, and the meaning and meaning are the same. So we want a gentleman to be harmonious but different, not unified. You must believe in my religion, and that religion is a cult. Now that it's mentioned, it must be mixed, which will lead to social chaos. Like five fingers, they stick out in different lengths. You have to say, I want to cut everything neatly, like anything.
Arrogance and Thailand, "a gentleman is not arrogant for Thailand", what is Thailand? He looks comfortable. Usually, a gentleman has his moments of caution and his moments of relaxation. When he relaxes, he will not be arrogant, slow, give up and look down on others. When he relaxes, he is still very happy and modest. The villains, on the other hand, are arrogant and slow, look down on people, and are nervous when they encounter situations. They can't relax, arrogant but not Thai. What are all these? Give a pair of comparisons. Let's think about the virtue of a gentleman and a villain, and then we have a choice. When you realize the difference between the two, you will know how to choose and learn from a gentleman. This is learning Confucianism. First of all, we should turn ourselves into gentlemen from childhood, and not be willing to be villains. After becoming a gentleman, how can you turn yourself into a saint?
In the annotation, Master Hu Yi quoted the principle of Buddhism and explained: "Life predestination, Buddhism predestination, nothingness and three goodness are all weeks. Love kindness is comparison. " This source has been mentioned in many classics, and it is about three kinds of compassion. As mentioned in The Great Wisdom, there are three kinds of compassion, namely, life, dharma and nothing. What is the goodness of all beings? Kindness is compassion. This is compassion from all sentient beings, and compassion is love. In Buddhism, you don't need love, you need compassion and avoid affection. There is only wisdom in compassion. He doesn't need feelings, but there are feelings in love. Because all sentient beings have a phase, for example, treating all sentient beings as their own children and having a phase, you have this compassion. Disciples Rules says that "all fathers should be fathers and brothers should be brothers", and everyone should be regarded as their parents or children. "The old man is old, the young man is young, and the young man is young". This is the kindness of all beings, which is very rare. With this kind of mind, it also belongs to the sages of the world. They love the public. If he is a villain, he will not love others. He only loves people close to him and people he likes.
That law is merciful, and this law is truth. Know the truth, know that everything is empty. All beings are the phenomenon of the false combination of five yin, and all the phenomena that are born of the combination of fate are empty. It's just that all beings don't realize, which leads to false separation, obsession, confusion and karma. His karma has been rewarded, and the saints have pity on him, so that he can enjoy as he pleases and get happiness from suffering. This is based on the mercy of the law, the mercy of the law.
So no mercy, no mercy. There is no opportunity, fate is a condition, and there is no unconditional compassion. A saint has no home. He doesn't care about people, me, all beings and immortality. He doesn't care about the past, present and future. He doesn't care about anything. He doesn't care about delusion. He doesn't care about anything. There is no chance, there is compassion for all beings, and the so-called no life is unintentional. Because all living beings don't know the reality of all laws, and don't know that "all laws are nothing, after all, they are empty and can't be obtained", it is very pitiful to create an industry in vain. Therefore, the saints are merciful to all beings, and they should come to save all beings, let them understand the reality of various laws, give birth to Bodhi wisdom, and let all beings get rid of pain and get happiness from it. This so-called three kinds of compassion, this is called Zhou. So this week, I not only have a broad mind, but also have wisdom to know the truth of life in the universe.
Then there is "the goodness of love", the knowledge of love. This so-called compassion, love compassion, just like parents love their children, is compassion produced by love and has conditions. Because he is your child and you love him. If he is not your child, you don't love him. This is compassion in love, which is very small and called comparison. Therefore, learn from sages, learn from sages, and broaden our minds. There can be no love and hate, no separation. We can love all sentient beings, at least be kind to them. There is no more prajnaparamita wisdom. If you regard all dharma as empty, you will have dharma compassion. If there is no place to live, it is merciful. If you have no compassion, then you will truly become a great saint.
Comment and analysis
Confucius pointed out in this chapter that one of the differences between a gentleman and a villain is that the villain colludes with others and cannot get along with most people; A gentleman, on the other hand, is broad-minded, gets along well with others and never colludes with others. This idea still has its positive significance today.