釋鑑稽古略續集 1.189

1.189

許謙　字益之。東陽人。學於金履祥。告之曰。吾儒之學理一而分殊。理不患其不一。所難者分殊耳。謙由是致其辨於分之殊。而要其歸於理之一。又曰。聖人之道中而已矣。謙由是事事求夫中者而用之。自謂吾非有大過人。惟為學之功無間斷耳。其教以五性人倫為本。以開明心術變化氣質為先。以為已為立心之要。以分辨義利為處事之制。甞曰。已或有知使人亦知之。豈不快哉。是年卒。年六十八。門人號之白雲先生。所著有四書叢說詩名物鈔讀書傳觀史等書。後諡曰文懿。

Xu Qian: His style name was Yizhi, and he was a native of Dongyang. He studied under Jin Luxiang, who told him: 'The learning of our Confucian school is that the principle is one while its manifestations are manifold. As for the principle, one does not worry that it is not one; what is difficult is the manifold manifestations.' Thereupon, Qian dedicated his discernment to the manifold manifestations and synthesized them back to the oneness of principle. He also said: 'The way of the Sage is the Golden Mean and nothing more.' Thereupon, in all matters Qian sought that which was the Mean and applied it. He said of himself: 'I do not possess anything greatly exceeding others; it is only that my effort in learning is without interruption.' His teaching took the five virtues and human relations as the foundation, prioritising the illumination of the mind and the transformation of the temperament; he took self-cultivation as the essential foundation of establishing one's mind, and distinguishing righteousness from profit as the rule for conducting affairs. He once said: 'If I happen to know something and cause others to know it as well, is that not delightful?' In this year he died, aged sixty-eight. His disciples called him Master Baiyun. Among the books he wrote are Sishu congshuo, Shi mingwu chao, Dushu zhuan, and Guanshi. He was later granted the posthumous title Wenyi.