1. The Supreme Way is invisible.
For "benevolence", Confucius gave several different answers when answering his disciples' questions. He said to Yan Yuan, "Self-denial is benevolence." He said to Zhong Gong, "Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you." He said to Sima Niu, "Different people have different opinions." Say "love" to Fan Chi, say "live respectfully, respect deacons and be loyal to others." Regarding Lu Aigong's question, he said, "Everyone is benevolent." Scholars often scrutinize it from the perspectives of exegetics and semantics. For example, Two People interprets benevolence as kissing. Interpretation of Shuo Wen Jie Zi: "Benevolence, kindness and obedience to others." But now some people read "master" from the unearthed ancient characters (with the word above and the word below), which means benevolence refers to the love of a gentleman. And so on, there is no consensus. This leaves a lot of room for future generations to guess (or learn). Some scholars believe that Confucius' concept of "benevolence" is vague.
It is generally believed that "the benevolent loves others" is the most appropriate expression of "benevolence". But later Mencius went on to talk about the difference between "being close to the people" and "loving the people", which became the conclusion of Neo-Confucianism. Even later generations extended to the debate on public morality, private morality, family and legal system, and some even came to the conclusion that social corruption was caused by Confucius.
In fact, the above is just to prove the meaning of "benevolence" from the text. Including from the perspective of exegetics, archaeology and the comparison between Chinese and western cultural systems, but also from the text for textual research and inference. There are a vast number of Confucian documents. Is it possible for us to directly inherit Confucius' own realm of "benevolence"? This is what this article will discuss.
Significantly, in the Analects of Confucius, we see that Confucius has stated the category of "benevolence" many times, and then said to his disciples, "I have no secrets, and I have no behavior without my second or third son." He also said to Zigong, "I have nothing to say." "Day what words zai? When you are at four o'clock, everything is born. What is the sky? " What does this mean? Yan Yuan, the most proud disciple of Confucius, lamented that the way of Confucius was inexhaustible. "The higher you lift, the harder you drill. The more you look forward, the more you suddenly fall behind." Why?
It's subtle. Confucius' grandson Zisi wrote The Doctrine of the Mean, which impressed Confucianism and Taoism deeply, saying, "The way of a gentleman is hidden." "Can't see, always change, do nothing. The way of heaven and earth can be summed up in one word; If it is a thing, it is unpredictable. " Great changes have taken place in the operation of this avenue. The way of heaven and earth is born from one to two, from two to three, and even an infinite phenomenon world, so the way of heaven and earth begins with invisibility. "The gentleman's way, by the words of the couple; What's more, look at heaven and earth. " As small as a cup of tea and a meal, as big as the truth between heaven and earth, it is the manifestation of Tao.
Use a popular metaphor. For example, when we see a wave, we know it is water. However, if we think that only waves are water, then we lose our prejudice. Because through solid ice and gas vapor, different forms of water can be expressed.
We are looking for the meaning of "benevolence", which is the same. Every answer to Confucius' statement of "benevolence" expresses the meaning of "benevolence" in specific circumstances; But if you insist, every answer is incomplete. Because the supreme Tao is invisible, just like everything is born in the four seasons, Confucius' words and deeds show benevolence anytime and anywhere; This supreme Tao is essentially invisible and shows everything, which cannot be completely defined and expressed by concrete words or concrete material forms.
Therefore, in this sense, Confucius' benevolence is a problem of grasping the whole people with heart, not a textual research problem of the logic of arts and sciences. Without this basic point, "the benevolent loves others" will become passive water. It can be seen that it is wrong to seek the scholastic (or philosophical) answer to "what is benevolence" from the beginning.
2. Combine body and function
So, isn't Confucius' benevolence impossible to be understood? Maybe many people have had the same experience as me: I have studied the Analects of Confucius for many years, and what I read is other people's business. Last March, I reread the Analects of Confucius, and I came to "Is benevolence far away?" ? I
Be kind if you want to be kind. "I feel that I have a great wish, and I can't stop it. This means that, as the ancients said, "I met my grandfather on the cross street", I can't help stretching my arms, clenching my fists and dancing. Everything I read from now on is about myself.
Wang Yangming, a scholar in the Ming Dynasty, pointed out: "If you want to see this truth, you must understand it yourself and ask for it from outside." What is a "true opinion"? Not from the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body, but from the wisdom of the mind, you can see everything and nothing. Only by not clinging to one thing can we see the whole truth. What is "seeking outside without being empty"? I don't lie, I don't speak without proof, I seek enlightenment from the heart. Once I break the bottom of the bucket, I can get a real solution.
(1) Confucius himself rarely talked directly about the enlightenment of benevolence. In The Analects of Confucius, it is recorded that "Zi Han talks about profit and gives birth to benevolence". However, we can still get a glimpse of a thing or two from Confucius' self-report: "You can know your destiny at fifty, be obedient at sixty, and not exceed your desires at seventy."
I realize that people who "do what they want from the heart" are calm and calm, but they are not led by material desires. Those who "don't overstep the moment" surpass themselves and see clearly the good and evil between people and me, and even everything in the world, which comes from and goes out. This indifferent great wisdom is the performance of benevolence. This state, according to Mencius, is "to understand wholeheartedly", that is, Yang Ming's "to conscience" sounds a bit mysterious. In fact, there is no difference between a saint and a layman. We can't see the truth of the road because we have selfish obstacles, but we can't understand it even if we see it.
"Ill-gotten wealth is as expensive as floating clouds to me." "A dish, a gourd ladle of wine, in this base lane. If people can't bear it, they will be worried. If they return, they will not change their fun. " Later generations imitate the virtue of saints, but only stay in form, which has not yet entered the door. Although I have no desire, I still have one in my heart. Until I lost and lost, even I didn't. All of a sudden, all my thoughts are gone, and everything is silent, a little lonely and bright, but not ignorant. Just like a cloud breaking the moon, you can see (not with your eyes) this innocent and sincere heart. If you don't come or go, if you don't move. At this point, justice is free and does not exist, and people's desires cannot be extinguished; At present, I feel at ease, and I can face all situations calmly and quietly. Only then can we see the original purpose of the sage's "love".
Looking back at what Confucius said: "Is benevolence far away? I want benevolence, and I am benevolent. " It can be understood that if the heart is benevolent, the heart must be benevolent, and people will be benevolent. "Honest people are open-minded and calm." "(Heart) safety is for it." No matter how high you live in the temple, no matter how far you are from the rivers and lakes, no matter whether you are filial or loving the people, the hearts of saints and lovers are the same and selfless. If we use a metaphor, this heart is like a mirror, silent and motionless. The nature of the mirror that can be reflected at this time is invisible, colorless, invisible and invisible. When foreign objects live and die together, or spring flowers and autumn moon, or rain and snow, or birds and swallows, all color images are reflected in the mirror. Confucius said, "I am wise. Ignorance is also. " Reach the realm of ignorance, and then you can know everything. Like a mirror, it is plain, which is the heart of a saint and the body of Tao.
In the same way, as the Analects of Confucius said, "A benevolent person wants to stand, and his ambition is also." Does this mean selfish interests (some people say that the essence of morality is selfishness)? Or put yourself before others? According to the general view, you will think that putting others before yourself is a virtue. However, if you have people and me in your heart and "I", you still need to think about what you should do in everything, which is still selfish and impure. There seems to be dust on the mirror, which can't fully reflect the true colors of things. Therefore, at this moment of establishing a person and reaching a person, the lover's heart of the saint is also selfless and selfless. The realm of "benevolence" is "clean and boundless", which is bottomless and plain, so it can be said to be "towering"
(2) We often talk about the relationship between style and use. The sun shines naturally, so you don't need to think "I want to shine" first. When this kind of goodwill is revealed in thoughts and actions, it is called sincerity. "Honest people don't care, they get it without thinking. It's easy." (The Doctrine of the Mean) Here, "I want benevolence", only one benevolence can start, and "being good to me" means doing benevolence at the same time. Be sensible and reasonable. This kind of neutralization is a natural expression from the heart and cannot be forced at all. We usually say "let me think", which is not the case now; If you put forward any moral principle, it is far from perfect. Therefore, Confucius said: "The golden mean is also a virtue, and it is extremely good!" "Only a saint can do it." Yangming said, "The truth is endless."
The Doctrine of the Mean says: "Destiny is the nature, truth is the way." Confucius' model shows that only by grasping the essence of benevolence can it be true. Therefore, the joys and sorrows of saints are not expressed in the middle, but in the sum. If you don't hit the target, it means that selflessness is reasonable. This is "zhong" (pronounced "heavy", archery hits the target), but it has not been shown to us so far. This is the truth that has not yet appeared. Harmony refers to the natural outflow of saints' behaviors and feelings, and its effect can be reasonable and promote the perfect harmony of society. This is a clear proof of the truth.
"Today's knowledge is divided into two parts because of knowing and doing. What I am talking about today is the unity of knowledge and action, and I am about to let people know the starting point. " Here, Yang Ming said, just think about the starting point, but even the starting point is ok. Body and use, knowledge and action, action and effect, cause and effect, man and heaven are all consistent in words and deeds.
(3) People argue: What thoughts of Confucius still apply to today's society? But I don't understand that the body of Confucius' Avenue has never come or gone, and there is no past or present. The use of avenue is relative and concrete. To put it bluntly, are we learning "people" or "things" today? Is it to inherit the "consistent" wisdom of Confucius, or is it just to imitate the specific practices or statements of Confucius?
Confucius was in an era of ritual collapse and bad music. In order to overcome the disorder of social order and the loss of ethics, he put forward the ethics of husband and wife. These should be in order to meet the needs of society, rather than the unchangeable dogma of "more knowledge without desire, more work with less work" advocated by post-Confucianism. * So Confucius said, "A gentleman is at a loss in the world, and there is no Mo Ye, but a comparison of righteousness." That's what Mencius said: "My Lord, you don't have to believe what you say, and what you do doesn't have to bear fruit, but what you mean is righteousness." (Mencius).
Confucius' principles and propositions in politics, history, education and ethics actually come from the value judgment of benevolence. "I'm from here, who ruined who's reputation? If you are famous, you have to try. Simin also, the reason why the three generations went straight. " Going straight is to follow the principle of "benevolence" and not be forced. Although great changes have taken place in today's era, some things remain unchanged after all: only with sincere and selfless kindness can we talk about using various professional knowledge and social systems to achieve a neutral social effect. "Only the benevolent can be good and evil." Family affairs, state affairs, academics and politics are all exceptions. This is what we urgently need to inherit, and it is also the basis for implementing Confucius' theory, which still conforms to the national conditions today.
We can see that in real life, Confucius does have differences, including good and evil, joys and sorrows. This is also the embodiment of the avenue. For example, "I have never seen the good virtue of a lecherous person." "What is my failure! For a long time, I stopped dreaming about Duke Zhou. " "It is not enough to eat on undertaker's side." Such a clear-cut stand seems to contradict our indiscriminate kindness and sincerity. For example, we read Tang's poem "The moon is now at sea, and the horizon is * * * at this time." We see the moon is round and round. Is it the same moon? In fact, the moon itself is not full of rain or shine, but has produced various differences in the hearts of people we see. Today, it is not surprising that people have different interpretations of Confucius from their own standpoint.
It is precisely because the realm of Confucius is beyond the reach of future generations that later generations of Confucian scholars can only imitate some of his specific words and deeds, thinking that it is not easy for future generations. * * In modern times, people can only speculate that there is even a question of whether "Confucianism" is established. To be honest, studying Confucianism in this way is to seek its use without understanding its rationale. It's like guessing things by hearing, but it's just external kung fu and literal kung fu. Another example is the spring water, the source is impassable, and it is difficult to ask it to pour thousands of miles.