《论语》Confucian Analects (16) 季氏第十六
The head of the chi family was going to attack Chwan-Yu.
Zan Yu and chi-lu had an interview with confucius, and said, "Our chief,chil is going to commence operations against Chwan-Yu."
Confucius said, "Ch'iu, is it not you who are in fault here?
"Now, in regard to Chwan-Yu, long ago, a former king appointed its ruler to preside over the sacrifices to the eastern Mang; moreover, it is in the midst of the territory of our state; and its ruler is a minister in direct connection with the sovereign: What has your chief to do with attacking it?"
Zan Yu said, "Our master wishes the thing; neither of us two ministers wishes it."
Confucius said, "Ch'iu, there are the words of Chau zan, -'when he can put forth his ability, he takes his place in the ranks of office; when he finds himself unable to do so, he retires from it. How can he be used as a guide to a blind man, who does not support him when tottering, nor raise him up when fallen?'
"And further, you speak wrongly. When a tiger or rhinoceros escapes from his cage; when a tortoise or piece of jade is injured in its repository:-whose is the fault?" Zan Yu said, "But at present, Chwan-Yu is strong and near to pi; if our chief do Not now take it, it will hereafter be a sorrow to his descendants."
Confucius said. "Ch'iu, the superior man hates those declining to say-'i want such and such a thing,' and framing explanations for their conduct.
"I have heard that rulers of states and chiefs of families are not troubled lest their people should be few, but are troubled lest they should not keep their several places; that they are not troubled with fears of poverty, but are troubled with fears of a want of contented repose among the people in their several places. For when the people keep their several places, there will be no poverty; when harmony prevails, there will be no scarcity of people; and when there is such a contented repose, there will be no rebellious upsetting.
"So it is.-therefore, if remoter people are not submissive, all the influences of civil culture and virtue are to be cultivated to attract them to be so; and when they have been so attracted, they must be made contented and tranquil.
"Now, here are you, Yu and Ch'iu, assisting your chief. Remoter people are not submissive, and, with your help, he cannot attract them to him. In his own territory there are divisions and downfalls, leavings and separations, and, with your help, he cannot preserve it.
季氏将要讨伐颛臾。冉有、子路去见孔子说:“季氏快要攻打颛臾了。”孔子说:“冉求,这不就是你的过错吗?颛臾从前是周天子让它主持东蒙的祭祀的,而且已经在鲁国的疆域之内,是国家的臣属啊,为什么要讨伐它呢?”冉有说:“季孙大夫想去攻打,我们两个人都不愿意。”孔子说:“冉求,周任有句话说:‘尽自己的力量去负担你的职务,实在做不好就辞职。’有了危险不去扶助,跌倒了不去搀扶,那还用辅助的人干什么呢?而且你说的话错了。老虎、犀牛从笼子里跑出来,龟甲、玉器在匣子里毁坏了,这是谁的过错呢?”冉有说:“现在颛臾城墙坚固,而且离费邑很近。现在不把它夺取过来,将来一定会成为子孙的忧患。”
孔子说:“冉求,君子痛恨那种不肯实说自己想要那样做而又一定要找出理由来为之辩解的作法。我听说,对于诸侯和大夫,不怕贫穷,而怕财富不均;不怕人口少,而怕不安定。由于财富均了,也就没有所谓贫穷;大家和睦,就不会感到人少;安定了,也就没有倾覆的危险了。因为这样,所以如果远方的人还不归服,就用仁、义、礼、乐招徕他们;已经来了,就让他们安心住下去。现在,仲由和冉求你们两个人辅助季氏,远方的人不归服,而不能招徕他们;国内民心离散,你们不能保全,反而策划在国内使用武力。我只怕季孙的忧患不在颛臾,而是在自己的内部呢!”
【解读】这一章又反映出孔子的反战思想。他不主张通过军事手段解决国际、国内的问题,而希望采用礼、义、仁、乐的方式解决问题,这是孔子的一贯思想。此外,这一章里孔子还提出了“不患贫而患不均,不患寡而患不安”。朱熹对此句的解释是:“均,谓各得其分;安,谓上下相安。”这种思想对后代人的影响很大,甚至成为人们的社会心理。就今天而言,这种思想有消极的一面,基本不适宜现代社会,这是应该指出的。
Confucius said, "When good government prevails in the empire, ceremonies, music, and punitive military expeditions proceed from the son of heaven. When bad government prevails in the empire, ceremonies, music, and punitive military expeditions proceed from the princes. When these things proceed from the princes, as a rule, the cases will be few in which they do not lose their power in ten generations. When they proceed from the great officers of the princes, as a rule, the case will be few in which they do not lose their power in five generations. When the subsidiary ministers of the great officers hold in their grasp the orders of the state, as a rule the cases will be few in which they do not lose their power in three generations.
"When right principles prevail in the kingdom, government will not be in the hands of the great officers.
孔子说:“天下有道的时候,制作礼乐和出兵打仗都由天子作主决定;天下无道的时候,制作礼乐和出兵打仗,由诸侯作主决定。由诸侯作主决定,大概经过十代很少有不垮台的;由大夫决定,经过五代很少有不垮台的。天下有道,国家政权就不会落在大夫手中。天下有道,老百姓也就不会议论国家政治了。”
【解读】“天下无道”指什么?孔子这里讲,一是周天子的大权落入诸侯手中,二是诸侯国家的大权落入大夫和家臣手中,三是老百姓议论政事。对于这种情况,孔子极感不满,认为这种政权很快就会垮台。他希望回到“天下有道”的那种时代去,政权就会稳定,百姓也相安无事。
孔子说:“鲁国失去国家政权已经有五代了,政权落在大夫之手已经四代了,所以三桓的子孙也衰微了。”
【解读】三桓掌握了国家政权,这是春秋末期的一种政治变革,对此,孔子表示不满。本章里孔子对当时社会政治形势提出了自己的认识和态度。孔子的观点是,社会政治变革就是“天下无道”,这还是基于他的“礼治”的思想,希望变为“天下有道”的政治局面。
孔子说:“有益的交友有三种,有害的交友有三种。同正直的人交友,同诚信的人交友,同见闻广博的人交友,这是有益的。同惯于走邪道的人交朋友,同善于阿谀奉承的人交朋友,同惯于花言巧语的人交朋友,这是有害的。”
孔子说:“有益的喜好有三种,有害的喜好有三种。以礼乐调节自己为喜好,以称道别人的好处为喜好,以有许多贤德之友为喜好,这是有益的。喜好骄傲,喜欢闲游,喜欢大吃大喝,这就是有害的。”
孔子说:“侍奉在君子旁边陪他说话,要注意避免犯三种过失:还没有问到你的时候就说话,这是急躁;已经问到你的时候你却不说,这叫隐瞒;不看君子的脸色而贸然说话;这是瞎子。”
【解读】以上这几章,主要讲的是社会交往过程中应当注意的问题。交朋友要结交那些正直、诚信、见闻广博的人,而不要结交那些逢迎谄媚、花言巧语的人,要用礼乐调节自己,多多地称道别人的好处,与君子交往要注意不急躁、不隐瞒等等,这些对我们都有一定的参考价值。
孔子说:“君子有三种事情应引以为戒:年少的时候,血气还不成熟,要戒除对女色的迷恋;等到身体成熟了,血气方刚,要戒除与人争斗;等到老年,血气已经衰弱了,要戒除贪得无厌。”
【解读】这是孔子对人从少年到老年这一生中需要注意的问题作出的忠告。这对今天的人们还是很有必要注意的。
Confucius said, "There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of sages.
孔子说:“君子有三件敬畏的事情:敬畏天命,敬畏地位高贵的人,敬畏圣人的话,小人不懂得天命,因而也不敬畏,不尊重地位高贵的人,轻侮圣人之言。”
孔子说:“生来就知道的人,是上等人;经过学习以后才知道的,是次一等的人;遇到困难再去学习的,是又次一等的人;遇到困难还不学习的人,这种人就是下等的人了。”
【解读】孔子虽说有“生而知之者”,但他不承认自己是这种人,也没有见到这种。他说自己是经过学习之后才知道的。他希望人们勤奋好学,不要等遇到困难再去学习。俗话说:书到用时方恨少,就是讲的这个道理。至于遇到困难还不去学习,就不足为训了。
孔子说:“君子有九种要思考的事:看的时候,要思考看清与否;听的时候,要思考是否听清楚;自己的脸色,要思考是否温和,容貌要思考是否谦恭;言谈的时候,要思考是否忠诚;办事要思考是否谨慎严肃;遇到疑问,要思考是否应该向别人询问;忿怒时,要思考是否有后患,获取财利时,要思考是否合乎义的准则。”
【解读】本章通过孔子所谈的“君子有九思”,把人的言行举止的各个方面都考虑到了,他要求自己和学生们一言一行都要认真思考和自我反省,这里包括个人道德修养的各种规范,如温、良、恭、俭、让、忠、孝、仁、义、礼、智等等,所有这些,是孔子关于道德修养学说的组成部分。
Confucius said, "Contemplating well, and pursuing it, as if they could not reach it; contemplating evil! And shrinking from it, as they would from thrusting the hand into boiling water:-i have seen such men, as i have heard such words.
孔子说:“看到善良的行为,就担心达不到,看到不善良的行动,就好像把手伸到开水中一样赶快避开。我见到过这样的人,也听到过这样的话。以隐居避世来保全自己的志向,依照义而贯彻自己的主张。我听到过这种话,却没有见到过这样的人。”
齐景公有马四千匹,死的时候,百姓们觉得他没有什么德行可以称颂。伯夷、叔齐饿死在首阳山下,百姓们到现在还在称颂他们。说的就是这个意思吧。
陈亢问伯鱼:“你在老师那里听到过什么特别的教诲吗?”伯鱼回答说:“没有呀。有一次他独自站在堂上,我快步从庭里走过,他说:‘学《诗》了吗?’我回答说:‘没有。’他说:‘不学诗,就不懂得怎么说话。’我回去就学《诗》。又有一天,他又独自站在堂上,我快步从庭里走过,他说:‘学礼了吗?’我回答说:‘没有。’他说:‘不学礼就不懂得怎样立身。’我回去就学礼。我就听到过这两件事。”陈亢回去高兴地说:“我提一个问题,得到三方面的收获,听了关于《诗》的道理,听了关于礼的道理,又听了君子不偏爱自己儿子的道理。”
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