Meaning: The appearance of the ruler is consistent with his heart, and the ministers will know his heart when they see his appearance; the ministers serve the king wholeheartedly, and their character can be seen from his words and appearance. Once this auspiciousness comes, the king will not doubt his ministers, and the ministers will not understand their king.
Source: From "Book of Rites? Zhenyi" written by Confucius during the Spring and Autumn Period.
Excerpts from the original text:
Confucius said: "If there is a country, the rules of justice and evil are to show that the people are kind, and then the people will not be harmed." "Poetry" says: 'Jing***er A good position means integrity. '" Confucius said: "If the superior is doubtful, the people will be confused, and if the inferior is difficult to understand, the ruler will be troubled. Therefore, if you rule the people well, you should keep good rules to show the people's customs, and be cautious to prevent the people from being promiscuous, so that the people will not be confused. .
If the minister behaves in a polite manner, does not pay attention to what is beyond his reach, and does not worry about what he does not know, then the king will not work hard. Ya said: 'The banditry will stop, but the king's Qiong'"
Translation:
Confucius said: "A person who is the ruler of the people should wear fixed clothes. If you behave in a certain way and set an example for the people, then the people's morals will be uniform. The Book of Songs says: "The gentleman from Haojing, the western capital, wore a fox-skin robe and a yellow shirt, and his appearance did not change from the standard." , His speech was clear. He was about to return to the Western Capital, and he was deeply looked up to by all the people." Confucius said: "The appearance of the ruler is the same as his heart, and the ministers will know his heart when they see his appearance. He is devoted to the king, and his character can be seen from his words and appearance. Once this happens, the king will not doubt his ministers, and the ministers will not understand him. Yi Yin warned Taishen that I am the only one who can diagnose him. He and Tang both have pure virtues. The Book of Songs says: "There is no fault in the appearance of a good man and a gentleman."
Extended information:
"The Book of Rites". "Introduction
"Book of Rites", also known as "Book of Rites of Xiaodai" and "Book of Rites of Xiaodai", was written in the Han Dynasty and compiled by Dai Shengsuo, a ritual scholar in the Western Han Dynasty. "Book of Rites" is an important anthology of laws and regulations in ancient China, consisting of twenty volumes and forty-nine chapters.
The content of the book mainly writes about the etiquette system of the Pre-Qin Dynasty, which embodies the philosophical thoughts of the Pre-Qin Confucians (such as the view of heaven, the universe, and the view of life) and educational thoughts (such as personal self-cultivation, education system, teaching methods, and school management). :
It is an important material for the study of pre-Qin society and a collection of materials on Confucianism.
The "Book of Rites" is rigorous in composition, vivid in reflections, tactful in diction, echoing back and forth, and the language is neat and changeable. It is one of the "Three Rites", one of the "Five Classics", and the "Thirteen Classics" one. Since Zheng Xuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty made the "annotation", the status of "Book of Rites" has been rising day by day. By the Tang Dynasty, it was regarded as a "Classic". After the Song Dynasty, it ranked first among the "Three Rites".
The ancient cultural history knowledge and ideological doctrines recorded in the "Book of Rites" have an important impact on the inheritance of Confucian culture, contemporary cultural education and moral cultivation, and the construction of a harmonious socialist society.
The influence of "Book of Rites"
1. Many chapters in "Book of Rites" are shining examples in the history of Chinese culture.
2. Many chapters of "Book of Rites" promote progressive ideas such as benevolence, justice, patriotism, and opposition to unjust government, which have far-reaching influence.
3. The book contains a large amount of ancient cultural and historical knowledge including titles, vocabulary, clothing, tutoring, respect for the elderly, funerals, education, etiquette, etc., covering almost all aspects of social life. It is a rare cultural treasure house for reading ancient books and inheriting Chinese civilization. ?[7]?
4. "Book of Rites" occupies an important position in the Confucian classic system. "Book of Rites" was upgraded to "Jing" in the Cao Wei Dynasty, and was further upgraded to "Five Classics" in the Tang Dynasty One, replacing the status of "Book of Rites"; "Book of Rites", "Great Learning" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" are juxtaposed with "The Analects" and "Mencius" and are respected as one of the "Four Books".
5. Among the "Thirteen Classics" of Confucianism, "Book of Rites" describes and explains the core content of Confucian thought in the most concentrated, comprehensive and systematic way.
6. In "Book of Rites·Liyun", Confucius and his disciple Ziyou put forward the famous social ideal of "Great Harmony" in the form of questions and answers, and further explained that "the world is for the common good" is the basis of the Great Harmony society. Characteristics, and etiquette is the discipline of a "well-off" society, which has influenced the social and political construction of modern China.
7. Many chapters in "Book of Rites" explain the spirit of "harmony" in Confucian ritual and music culture and its important significance from different angles. "Book of Rites·Confucianism" clearly states: "Harmony is the most precious thing in etiquette." This value orientation of "valuing harmony" is conducive to the construction of a harmonious society.
8. Many universities in contemporary China have borrowed some famous aphorisms from the "Book of Rites" as their school mottos. For example, the motto of Henan University is "Ming De Xin Min, striving for perfection", the motto of Xiamen University is "Continuous self-improvement, striving for perfection", the motto of Southeast University is "Striving for perfection", and the motto of Fudan University is "Erududite and Determined to Ask Questions" These school mottos, such as "Thinking of Modern Thoughts", influence the university's educational philosophy and value orientation, as well as contemporary cultural education and moral cultivation.
9. "Book of Rites" relatively completely reflects the social, political and cultural background and family structure conditions from the Pre-Qin to the Han Dynasties, and provides a detailed interpretation of the relationships and behavioral norms among family members, forming a The unique family ethics guides contemporary ethics.
10. The aesthetic thought of "neutralization" in "Book of Rites and Music" affects people's aesthetic orientation. It mainly uses the essence and function of music to make people's psychology and spirit peaceful, so that people can live in harmony and between people and nature.
Baidu Encyclopedia - Book of Rites