鐔津文集 4.9

4.9

或問。洪範曰。皇建其有極。說者云。大立其有中者也。斯則與子所謂中庸之道。異乎同邪。曰與夫皇極大同而小異也。同者以其同趨乎治體也。異者以其異。乎教道也。皇極教也。中庸道也。道也者。出萬物也入萬物也。故以道為中也。其中庸曰。喜怒哀樂之未發謂之中。發而皆中節謂之和。中也者。天下之大本也。和也者。天下之達道也。致中和天地位焉。此不亦出。入萬物乎。教也者。正萬物直萬物也。故以教為中也。其洪範曰。無偏無陂遵王之義。無有作好遵王之道。無有作惡遵王之路。無偏無黨王道蕩蕩。無黨無偏王道平平。無反無側王道正直。會其有極歸其有極。此不亦正直萬物乎。夫中庸之於洪範。其相為表裏也。猶人之有乎心焉。人而無心則曷以形生哉。心而無人亦曷以施其思慮之為哉。問曰。鄭氏其解天命之謂性。云天命謂天所命生人者也。是謂性命。木神則仁。金神則義。火神則禮。水神則智。土神則信。考夫鄭氏之義疑。若天命生人。其性則從所感而有之也。感乎木神則仁性也。感乎金水火土之神則義禮智信之性也。似非習而得之也。與子所謂仁義禮智信其於性也必教而成之不亦異乎。幸聞其所以然。叟曰。快哉子之問。吾嘗病鄭氏之說不詳。而未暇議之。然鄭氏者。豈能究乎性命之說耶。夫所謂天命之謂性者。天命則天地之數也。性則性靈也。蓋謂人以天地之數而生合之性靈者也。性乃素有之理也。情感而有之也。聖人以人之性皆有乎恩愛感激知別思慮狥從之情也。故以其教因而充之。恩愛可以成人也。感激可以成義也。知別可以成禮也。思慮可以成智也。狥從可以成信也。孰有因感而得其性耶。夫物之未形也。則性之與生俱無有也。孰為能感乎。人之既生也。何待感神物而有其性乎。彼金木水火土。其為物也無知。孰能諄諄而命其然乎。怪哉鄭子之言也。亦不思之甚矣。如其說。則聖人者何用教為。而或者默爾然之。

Someone asked: "The 'Great Plan' (Hongfan) says: 'The sovereign establishes the Ultimate.' Commentators say this means 'greatly establishing that which is centered.' Is this then different from or the same as what you call the Way of the Mean?" [The old man] replied: "It shares great similarities with the Sovereign Ultimate (Huangji) but has minor differences. They are the same in that they both tend toward the substance of good governance; they differ in that they differ regarding teaching and the Way. The Sovereign Ultimate is teaching; the Mean is the Way. The Way issues forth all things and enters into all things; therefore, the Way is taken as the center. The Doctrine of the Mean says: 'Before joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure arise, it is called equilibrium (the center). When they arise and all hit the proper measure, it is called harmony. Equilibrium is the great root of all under Heaven; harmony is the universal Way of all under Heaven. Reaching equilibrium and harmony, heaven and earth find their proper positions.' Does this not issue forth and enter into all things? Teaching is what rectifies all things and aligns all things; therefore, teaching is taken as the center. The 'Great Plan' says: 'Without partiality, without lopsidedness, follow the King's righteousness; have no self-willed desires, follow the King's Way; do no evil deeds, follow the King's path. Without partiality, without partisanship, the King's Way is vast and boundless; without partisanship, without partiality, the King's Way is level and smooth; without perversity, without deviation, the King's Way is straight and upright. Converge upon this Ultimate; return to this Ultimate.' Does this not align and straighten all things? The relation of the Doctrine of the Mean to the 'Great Plan' is like the outer and the inner, or like a person having a mind. If a person had no mind, how could bodily life exist? If the mind had no person, how could it exert its functions of thought and deliberation?" The interlocutor asked: "Master Zheng [Xuan], in his commentary on 'What Heaven ordains is called human nature,' says: 'Heaven's ordinance means that which Heaven ordains in generating humans. This is called nature and destiny. The spirit of wood is benevolence; the spirit of metal is righteousness; the spirit of fire is ritual; the spirit of water is wisdom; the spirit of earth is trustworthiness.' Examining Master Zheng's meaning, it seems as if when Heaven ordains the generation of humans, their nature comes into being according to what is resonated with: resonating with the spirit of wood produces a nature of benevolence; resonating with the spirits of metal, water, fire, or earth produces natures of righteousness, ritual, wisdom, or trustworthiness. This seems not to be acquired through practice. Does this not differ from your statement that benevolence, righteousness, ritual, wisdom, and trustworthiness must be completed through teaching with respect to nature? I would be glad to hear the reason for this." The old man said: "Delightful is your question! I have long been troubled that Master Zheng's explanation is inadequate, but have not had leisure to critique it. Yet how could Master Zheng have plumbed the discourse on nature and destiny? As for 'what Heaven ordains is called nature,' Heaven's ordinance refers to the numbers of Heaven and Earth, while nature refers to spiritual nature. It means that humans are born through the numbers of Heaven and Earth combined with spiritual nature. Nature is an inherent principle; emotions arise when stimulated. Because the sage knew that human nature inherently possesses emotions of affection and love, gratitude and stirring, discernment and distinction, thought and deliberation, and compliant following, he utilized his teachings to accordingly fulfill them: affection and love can complete benevolence; gratitude and stirring can complete righteousness; discernment and distinction can complete ritual; thought and deliberation can complete wisdom; compliant following can complete trustworthiness. Who ever attained their nature based upon resonance with external spirits? When things have not yet taken form, nature and birth both do not exist. What could there be to resonate? Once a person is born, why would they wait to resonate with spiritual objects in order to have their nature? Those elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—are objects without consciousness. Who among them could earnestly mandate such a thing? How bizarre is Master Zheng's statement! He indeed failed to reflect on it deeply. If it were as he said, what need would the sages have for teaching? Yet some people silently agree with him."