北山錄 10.12

10.12

聖宋熙寧元年戊申二百六十三歲。而昔之大儒蔑一句稱謂以褒賁乎神清何也。蓋專其所守不敢以徑隧生疵詬非嫉其才能。而然𤀹生　　太平世。老尚廢棄。乏智略以佐天子。無利惠以濟生人。但修鍊以固其身。禪定以同其塵。故魯論云。我則異於是無可無不可在乎今日也。是以嘉賢師行業勤整。能拔古人湮欝於異代。罔剽取以飾已。後之衣縫掖輩。孰不靦顏於鄒魯之門哉。

the wushen year, the first year of Xining (1068) of our Sage Song dynasty, is two hundred and sixty-three years. Yet why did the great Ruists of the past not offer even a single sentence of praise to commend Shenqing? It is because, being exclusive in what they defended, they dared not incur blame through minor deviations; it was not that they envied his talent. As for me, I was born in an era of great peace; now old, I am dismissed and cast aside, lacking the wisdom and strategy to assist the Son of Heaven, and without benefits or favors to relieve living beings. I only cultivate myself to strengthen my body, and practice dhyāna to blend with worldly dust. Thus, as the Analects of Lu says, 'I am different from these: I have no predetermined "can" or "cannot"'—which applies to me today. For this reason, I praise Master Xian's diligent and orderly conduct, able to rescue an ancient from obscurity across different ages without plagiarizing to adorn himself. Among later generations of those who wear broad-sleeved garments, who would not feel shame before the gates of Zou and Lu?