University · Moderate

Chapter 33 Governance (1)
[Original text]

Duke Ai asked about politics.The Master said: "Government of civil and military affairs is based on the policy ②. If the person survives ③, the government will act; if the person dies, the government will stop ④. ⑦ also.

"Therefore, government depends on the people. Take others to be the body, cultivate the body with the Tao, and cultivate the Tao with benevolence. The benevolent is the person 11, and the relatives are the greatest [-]. The righteous is the right, and the virtuous is the greatest. The killing of relatives [-], respect the virtuous Etc., Li Suosheng is also B[-]."

【Note】

① Duke Ai: That is Duke Ai of Lu, surnamed Ji and given name Jiang.In the Spring and Autumn Period, he was the king of the Lu Kingdom. He reigned for 27 years and was posthumously named Duke Ai.

② Cloth in Fangce: cloth, statement, display.Fang Ce refers to classics.Square, square plate, a wooden board used for writing in ancient times.Policy, same as "book", bamboo slips for writing.

③ Its people exist: such people exist.People refer to sages.

④ interest: extinguish, disappear.

⑤Humanism and Minzheng: Humanity is a concept in ancient Chinese philosophy that is opposite to "the Way of Heaven".This refers to the principle of governing by people.Min, quickly.

⑥Authentic Minshu: It means the principle of planting with fertile soil.Tree, verb usage, refers to the cultivation of trees.

⑦Plu: that is, Lupu, "Lu" is the same as "Lu".Because reeds are easy to grow, it is a metaphor that if a gentleman can get a good minister in politics, he will succeed quickly.

⑧The benevolent person is also a person: It means that the so-called "benevolence" means that people love each other.The "benevolence" mentioned by Confucius includes a very wide range of content, such as respect, tolerance, trust, sensitivity, benefit, wisdom, courage, loyalty, forgiveness, filial piety, brother and other aspects are included.And take "loyalty and forgiveness" as the method of implementation. "Mencius: Devotion to Heart": "He who is benevolent is also a human being. Taken together, it is the way."

⑨ Kiss is the greatest: This sentence means that although people love each other, they all love their relatives as the main aspect.Kiss, the previous word "qin" is a verb, meaning "love".The last word "qin" means relatives and relatives. "Mencius Dedicated to the Heart": "Kissing one's family is benevolent to the people." "Kissing one's family is benevolent; respecting elders is righteousness."

[-] kill (shài): downgrade. "Book of Rites·Wen Wangshizi": "The family is inferior to the world, and the relatives are killed." This refers to the relatives who are close to each other according to the distance.

Rituals are also born: This sentence means that "killing relatives, respecting virtuous people, etc." are all born from etiquette.Ritual generally refers to the social norms and moral norms of the slave society or the aristocratic hierarchy of the feudal society. "The Analects of Confucius Weizheng": "Etiquette is the rule of law." Zhu Xi's note: "Li refers to the integrity of the system."

【Translation】

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius how to manage government affairs well.Confucius said: "The decrees of King Wen of Zhou and King Wu of Zhou are written on wooden bamboo slips. If there are virtuous ministers like them, the decrees will be implemented. If there are no virtuous ministers, the decrees will be invalid. The principle of governing with virtuous men is to make politics Prosper quickly; the principle of planting trees with fertile soil is to make trees grow quickly. The administration of wise men is the easiest to achieve results, just like planting reeds, it is easy to grow.

"Therefore, the governing of the state depends on virtuous ministers, the acquisition of virtuous ministers depends on the cultivation of virtue, the cultivation of moral character depends on following the Dao of the world, and the following the Dao of the world depends on the heart of benevolence.

"The so-called benevolence means that people love each other, and the most important thing is to love relatives. The so-called righteousness means that people should get along with each other properly, and the most important thing is to respect sages. When loving relatives, there is a distinction between closeness and estrangement, and when respecting sages, there is a distinction between levels. These It all comes out of ritual.”

[Original text]

"If the lower position is not obtained, the people cannot be ruled. Therefore, a gentleman must not cultivate his body; if he thinks of self-cultivation, he must not ignore his relatives;

"There are five ways in the world, so there are three people who practice them. Said: Monarchs and ministers; The Dade of the world ② also. Therefore, those who do it are also ③.

"You can know it by birth, or you can know it by learning, or you can know it when you are stuck, and you know it. You can do it safely, or you can do it, or you can do it reluctantly, and you can succeed."

The Master said: "Learning is close to knowledge, practicing hard is close to benevolence, knowing shame is close to courage."

If you know these three, you will know how to cultivate yourself; if you know how to cultivate yourself, you will know how to govern people; if you know how to govern people, you will know how to govern the world.

【Note】

① Brother Kun: brother and brother.Kun, brother.Both near and distant brothers are included.

②Knowledge, benevolence, and courage: These three are Confucian ethics, known as the virtues that prevail in the world. "The Analects of Confucius Xianwen": "The benevolent must have courage, the brave need not be benevolent." Also: "The gentleman is three, I am incompetent: the benevolent will not worry, the knowledge will not be confused, and the brave will not be afraid." Knowing is the same as "wisdom" .Dade: a virtue that is universal in the world.Zhu Xi's note: "Those who call Dade are the same principles that the world has learned in ancient and modern times."

③The person who does it is one: one, single-minded, honest.

④Know it from birth: Know it from birth. "Zhi" refers to the above "Dayao of the world".For the three sentences here, please refer to the chapter "The Analects of Confucius Ji Shi": "Those who are born to know are the top;

⑤ So: how.

【Translation】

"If a minister in the lower position does not first gain the trust of the monarch, he will not be able to win the hearts of the people, and he will not be able to govern the people. Therefore, a gentleman must cultivate moral character. If he wants to cultivate moral character, he must serve his relatives. If he wants to serve his relatives, he must Respect the virtuous and love others. If you want to respect the virtuous and love others, you must understand the principles of heaven.

"There are five great ways that are common in the world, and there are three virtues to practice the great way. Monarchs and ministers, father and son, husband and wife, brothers, and friends, these five are the great ways of the world. Wisdom, benevolence, and courage are the three virtues of the world. Practice The key to these avenues and virtues is honesty.

"Some people know these truths from birth, some people know these truths through study, and some people only know these truths after being confused. Although people know that there are first and then there are others, but in the end they master these truths, but they are all the same. Yes. Some people practice the Dao with peace of mind, some people practice the Dao out of greed for profit, and some people practice the Dao with reluctance. In the end, when they succeed, they are all the same."

Confucius said: "Those who like to learn are close to wisdom, those who try their best to do good are close to benevolence, and those who know shame are close to courage." Those who know these three points know how to cultivate morality.If you know how to cultivate your character, you will know how to govern others.Knowing how to govern others, you know how to govern the world.

[Original text]

There are nine classics for every country in the world, which say: self-cultivation; respect for the virtuous; love relatives; respect ministers; Princes ⑥ also.

Cultivate one's morality and establish morality; respect the virtuous and virtuous, and one will not be confused; be close to one another, and one's fathers and brothers will not complain; respect one's ministers, one will not be dazzled; If you come to a hundred workers, you will have enough money;

Qi Ming Shengfu ⑩, impoliteness does not move, so self-cultivation; go to slander Yuanse B11, cheap goods and virtue, so persuade the virtuous; respect his position, value his salary, share his likes and dislikes, so he persuades his relatives; Envoy B12, so persuade the ministers; loyal and trustworthy, so persuade the scholars; time envoys B13, so persuade the common people; day, province and month examination B14, since you have reported things B15, so persuade all workers; send to usher , Jiashan but reserved B16 can’t, so the people are soft and far away; follow the peerless B17, abolish the country B18, control chaos and hold B19 dangers, and hire B20 for the time, thick exchanges and thin returns, so cherish the princes.There are nine classics for every country in the world, so those who practice them are one.

【Note】

① Nine Classics: Nine principles.Classics, routines, guidelines. "Mencius: Put Your Heart Down": "It's enough for a gentleman to turn (return) to the scriptures; if the scriptures are upright, the common people will prosper."

② Body: considerate, considerate, considerate.

③ Zi Shumin: It means treating common people like parents love their children.Son, a verb, that is, "love...as a son", the common people, all the people, ordinary people. "The Book of Songs Daya Lingtai": "The common people attack it, and it will be accomplished in a short time."

(End of this chapter)