鐔津文集 4.7

4.7

或問曰。所謂禮樂刑政天下之大節也。仁義智信天下之大教也。情之作不踰其節。行之修不失其教。則中庸之道庶幾乎。僕也冥然未達其意。子復為我言之。叟曰。孺子有志哉。可聞道也。夫教也者。所以推於人也。節也者。所以制於情也。仁義智信舉。則人倫有其紀也。禮樂刑政修。則人情得其所也。人不暴其生。人之生理得也。情不亂其性。人之性理正也。則中庸之道存焉。故喜怒哀樂愛惡嗜欲。其牽人以喪中庸者也。仁義智信禮樂刑政。其導人以返中庸者也。故曰仁義智信禮樂刑政其八者一於中庸者也。夫中庸也者。不為也。不器也。明於日月而不可睹也。幽於鬼神而不可測也（測或作無）唯君子也。故能以中庸全。唯小人也。故能以中庸變。全之者為善。則無所不至也。變之者為不善。則亦無所不至也。書曰。人皆曰。予知擇乎中庸而不能期月守也。是聖人豈不欲人之終始於中庸而慎其變也。舜以之為人君。而後世稱其聖。顏回以之為人臣。而後世稱其賢。武王周公以之為人子。而後世稱其孝。中庸者豈妄乎哉。噫後世之為人君者。為人臣者。為人之子孫者。而後世不稱非他也。中庸之不修故也。

Someone asked, saying: "It was said that ritual, music, punishments, and governance are the great regulations of the world; benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, and trustworthiness are the great teachings of the world; if the arising of emotions does not exceed their regulation, and the cultivation of conduct does not lose its teaching, then the Way of the Mean will be nearly attained. I am in the dark and have not grasped its meaning. Would you explain it for me again?" The old man said: "Young man, you are indeed resolute! You can be told of the Way. Teaching is that which is extended to others; regulation is that which restrains emotions. When benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, and trustworthiness are promoted, human relationships have their order. When ritual, music, punishments, and governance are cultivated, human emotions find their proper place. When people do not violently disrupt their life, human life's principle is attained; when emotions do not disturb their nature, human natural principle is upright. Then the Way of the Mean is present therein. Therefore, joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, love, hate, desires, and appetites are what drag people down into losing the Mean. Benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, trustworthiness, ritual, music, punishments, and governance are what guide people to return to the Mean. Hence it is said: 'Benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, trustworthiness, ritual, music, punishments, and governance—these eight are united in the Doctrine of the Mean.' Now, the Mean is non-action; it is not a vessel. It is brighter than the sun and moon yet cannot be seen; it is more subtle than ghosts and spirits yet cannot be measured (some texts have 'nothing' for 'measured'). Only the noble person can preserve wholeness through the Mean; only the petty person can effect corruption away from the Mean. When one who preserves its wholeness does good, there is nowhere he does not reach; when one who corrupts it does evil, there is also nowhere he does not reach. The text says: 'All people say, "I know," but choosing the Mean, they cannot maintain it for a single month.' How could the sage not desire that people abide in the Mean from beginning to end and be cautious regarding its corruption? Shun used it to be a ruler, and later generations praised his sagacity; Yan Hui used it to be a minister, and later generations praised his worthiness; King Wu and the Duke of Zhou used it to be filial sons, and later generations praised their filial piety. How could the Mean be false? Alas, among the rulers, ministers, and descendants of later generations, if later generations do not praise them, there is no other reason: it is because they did not cultivate the Mean."