University · Moderate

Chapter eleven
[Original text]

The so-called governing a country must first organize its family, and there is no one who can teach others without teaching his family.Therefore, a gentleman does not leave home to teach① in the country: a filial person, so he serves the emperor; a younger brother②, so he serves as a leader;

"Kang Gao" said: "It's like protecting a child ⑤." If you sincerely seek it, even if you don't get it, ⑥ is not far away.There are also those who have not learned to adopt children and then marry.

【Note】

①Adult education: successful education.Teach, instruct, that is, spiritually influence.

②Brother: One of the morals of feudal society, which means that the younger brother should absolutely respect and love the elder brother.Brother, same as "ti (tì)".

③Long (zhǎng): elder brother.Extended to the boss, sir.

④ Compassion: One of the morals of feudal society, it refers to the love between superiors and inferiors, mainly refers to parents to their children, and also refers to the king's so-called love for common people.

⑤ Ruobao Chizi: According to "Shangshu Zhoushu Kanggao" "Ruobao Chizi".It was Zhou Chengwang who warned Uncle Kang, meaning that he should protect civilians just like a mother raises and protects babies.Chizi, a newborn baby.Kong Ying Dashu: "The child is born red, so it is said that the child is red."

⑥Although not in the middle: Zhong (zhòng), means "conforming".

【Translation】

It is said that to govern the country well, the key is to govern the family well first.What's the point?If you can't govern your own family well, but you can govern your own country well, there will never be people.Therefore, a gentleman with moral cultivation, even if he does not leave his family, can still receive the effect of governing the state and educating people.Because the morality of filial piety at home is the morality of serving the monarch; the morality of respecting elders at home is the morality of serving the magistrate; the morality of loving children at home is the morality of parents and officials loving the common people.

The ancient book "Kang Gao" said: "Protecting the common people is like protecting a newborn baby." This requires sincere efforts to protect, although it cannot be completely consistent, but the difference will not be too far.No one in life has seen a woman who first learns to raise children and then gets married.

[Original text]

One family is benevolent, one country prospers ① benevolence; one family gives ②, one country prospers; one person is greedy and brutal, and one country creates chaos; the reason ③ is like this.This is called one word, one thing, one person decides the country.

Yao and Shun commanded the world with benevolence⑤, and the people obeyed it; Jie and Zhou⑥ commanded the world with violence, and the people obeyed it;That's why a gentleman has his own ⑧ and then asks for others. If he doesn't have himself, he doesn't know others. He hides what he doesn't forgive ⑨, but he can describe ⑩ all people.

Therefore, governing the country is in the Qi family.

【Note】

① Xing: Prosperity, rise.

②Let: Humility, humility.

③ Machine: Refers to the engine gate on the ancient crossbow, which means the key by extension.

④偾事: Still saying nothing.偾 (fèn), defeated.

⑤Yao and Shun: Legend has it that the two leaders of the tribal alliance in the late patriarchal society.One is Tao Tang, named Fangxun, known as Tang Yao in history.The other Shun was Yao's successor. His surname was Yao, he had the Yu family name, and his first name was Chonghua. He was known as Yu Shun in history.Yao and Shun are the wise and benevolent leaders in ancient legends, and they have been revered as sage kings throughout the dynasties.Shuai: Same as "rate", leading, commander in chief.

[-] Jie, Zhou: Jie (jié), the last monarch of the Xia Dynasty, named Lu Gui.He was cruel, tyrannical and licentious, and was defeated by Shang Tang.Zhou (zhòu), the last monarch of the Shang Dynasty, was cruel by nature and was later destroyed by King Wu of Zhou.Jie and Zhou have always been regarded as two tyrants.

[-] Order: orders, orders, government orders.

⑧You have all yourself: what you have for yourself, here it means that you have virtue.Zhu, and the usage of words, is the homophonic sound of "zhiyu", which means "to".

⑨What is hidden is unforgiving: Tibetan, accumulated.Forgive me.Confucianism believes that what one does not want to do, one should not do to others.This kind of morality of pushing oneself and others is forgiveness.For example, "Forgive me! Do not do to others what you do not want yourself to do to yourself" ("The Analects of Confucius").

[-] Yu: Make others understand.

【Translation】

If a family loves each other, the whole country will be benevolent; if a family practices humility, the whole country will have a sense of humility; if a king is greedy and tyrannical, the whole country will riot; the key lies in the close relationship between the two. Contact is so important.This is called: one word can ruin the whole thing, one person can stabilize the whole country.

Yao and Shun ruled the world with benevolence, and the people followed it with benevolence; Jie and Zhou ruled the world with tyranny, and the people followed it with violence.If you order the people to practice benevolence while you prefer violence, the people will not obey.Therefore, a gentleman with moral cultivation should ask himself first, and then ask others.You should get rid of your own bad habits first, and then you can criticize others so that they can change from bad to good.It is completely impossible to enlighten others to understand the principles of good and evil if you have an unforgivable character in yourself.

Therefore, in order to govern a state well, one must first govern a family well.

[Original text]

"Poetry" says: "Peach's yaoyao is Ye Zhenzhen. When the son returns home, he should be his family①." He should be his family, and then he can teach the people of the country.

"Poetry" says: "Brothers are better than younger brothers." If you are better than a brother, you can teach the people of the country.

"Poetry" says: "Its rituals are not insincere, it is exactly the four countries ③." It is the footwork of father and son brothers, and then the civil law.

This is called governing the country in the Qi family.

【Note】

① Tao Zhiyaoyao: These four poems are quoted from the last paragraph of "Book of Songs Zhou Nan Taoyao". The poem "Taoyao" is a song sung to celebrate a woman's marriage.Yaoyao (yāoyāo), fresh and beautiful vegetation.The poem uses peach trees as a metaphor for girls.Zhenzhen (zhēnzhēn), the leaves are moist and lush.Of, here.son, woman.This woman, here refers to the married girl.In return, the girl gets married.

② Yixiong Yidi: This poem is quoted from "The Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Liao Xiao". The poem "Liao Xiao" is a poem of thanking for blessings.Yixiong Yidi means that brothers in the family should love and unite with each other.

③Its appearance is not intuited: These two poems are quoted from "The Book of Songs Cao Feng Ludove".Yi refers to etiquette.Intuit (tè), error.It is, also known as "is positive", positive, righteous.Extended to the meaning of example.

【Translation】

"The Book of Songs" wrote: "The peach blossoms are as enchanting as a smile, and the branches and leaves are green and green. This girl is married, and the whole family is full of joy."

The "Book of Songs" says: "The affection in the family is harmonious, and the brothers are united and friendly." Only when brothers in a family live in harmony and love each other can they educate the general public.

"The Book of Songs" writes: "Only if there is no mistake in the etiquette of the monarch, can he become a model for all countries in the Quartet." The respectful ones, only if their words and deeds are in line with the moral code, then the people of the whole country will follow suit.

These all illustrate the reason why a monarch must first manage his family well if he wants to govern the country well.

[Zhu Xi Tips]

The nine chapters of the right biography explain "the Qi family governs the country".

【Translation】

Zhu Xi said that the above paragraph is Chapter 9 of the Chuanwen, which explains "the Qi family governs the country".

(End of this chapter)