鐔津文集 13.39

13.39

聖人之善以人為善。其人也必好善。沮人之善以自善。其人也必嫉善。好善者其道必廣。嫉善者其名必辱。好善則天下善人樂以其善告。聚天下之善以為行。其道不亦廣乎。嫉善則天下善人唯恐其聞所善。掩天下之善以為言。其名不亦辱乎。舜古之好善人也。顏子亦古之好善人也。彼舜者古之聖人也。當堯之世。克諧以孝。烝烝又不格姦。天下不歸乎朱而歸乎舜。而天下豈有善於舜者也。及其聞一善言見一善行。若決江河沛然莫之能禦也。顏子古之賢人也。當孔子之時。抱聖人之道窮處陋巷。人不堪其憂。而顏子不改其樂。庶幾乎。聖人所以稱之。而天下豈有善於顏子也。及其聞人一善則拳拳服膺。若今所謂善人者。吾未見有如顏舜之聖賢也。其善未必善於天下之人。及其聞人之善。孰肯沛然以行之。亦孰肯拳拳而服膺。從而掩之者有之。辯者必形乎言。訥者必形乎色。脫少而稱之其人也。非情與黨則不為也。嗚呼欲其名不辱。其可得乎。其道之廣也。其可得乎。今之人不如古之人遠矣。故謂好善者非聖賢之人不能好善也。窮天地亘萬世。唯舜顏子而已矣。宜乎其道與名。傳之於無窮焉。

The good of the sage takes others' good as goodness; such a person must love the good. Obstructing others' good so as to make oneself good; such a person must envy the good. The way of one who loves the good will surely be broad; the name of one who envies the good will surely be disgraced. If one loves the good, the good people of all under Heaven will delight in telling of their goodness; gathering the good of all under Heaven to form one's conduct, will one's way not be broad? If one envies the good, the good people of all under Heaven will only fear that their goodness might be heard [by him]; concealing the good of all under Heaven in one's words, will one's name not be disgraced? Shun was a lover of the good in antiquity; Yanzi was also a lover of the good in antiquity. That Shun was an ancient sage: in the time of Yao, he was able to harmonize through filial piety; progressing steadily, he did not reach wickedness. All under Heaven did not turn to Danzhu but turned to Shun; yet could anyone under Heaven have been better than Shun? When he heard a single good word or saw a single good deed, it was like the breaching of the Yangzi and Yellow Rivers: overflowing, none could hold it back. Yanzi was a worthy man of antiquity: in the time of Confucius, embracing the way of the sage, he dwelt in poverty in a narrow alley; others could not bear its sorrow, yet Yanzi did not alter his joy. He was almost there! This was why the sage praised him; yet could anyone under Heaven have been better than Yanzi? When he heard a single good thing from another, he held it reverently close to his heart. As for those called good men today, I have never seen any sage or worthy like Yan and Shun; their good is not necessarily superior to that of the people under Heaven, yet when they hear of others' good, who among them is willing to put it into practice like an overflowing flood? And who among them is willing to hold it reverently close to their heart? There are rather those who follow along to conceal it: the eloquent will surely express it in words, the inarticulate will surely express it in their expressions; and should they rarely praise such a person, unless it is out of personal feeling or faction, they will not do it. Alas! If they wish their names not to be disgraced, can they attain it? As for the broadness of their way, can they attain it? People today fall far short of the ancients. Therefore, I say that as for loving the good, none but sages and worthies are capable of loving the good. Exhausting Heaven and Earth and spanning ten thousand generations, there were only Shun and Yanzi! It is proper that their way and their name are transmitted to unending time.