鐔津文集 5.12

5.12

禮義者。教之所存也。習尚者化之所效也。非所存則其教不至也。非所效則其化不正也。是故善教者必持厥禮義也。慎化者必防其習尚也。天下不可無教也。百姓不可不化也。為天下百姓上者教化其可亡乎。教化風也。民飛物也。風其高下則物從之浮沈也。聖人慮人之流惡而不返。故謹於教化者也。夫教者生於官政也。化者成於民俗也。禮義者示於朝廷國家而見於天下也。詩曰。周道如砥。其直如矢。君子所履。小人所視。其所生猶氣脈也。所成猶四體也。人欲豫其四體而不理其氣脈者未之有也。所生者正則所成者端也。所視者修則所見者治也。是故古之在官政者。必先修禮義以正其己。而後推諸其人焉。人未之從也。必自揣其教之未造邪。則加修以勸之。又未之從也。此其淫風邪俗者也。始可以舉法以懲其犯禮違義者也。湯誥曰。其爾萬方有罪在予一人。故誅一罪而人明。舉一令而人從此。所謂教修於上而人化於下也。後世則不爾也。不治所教而欲其所化也可乎。政不正而責人違義。教不中而責人犯禮。是亦惑矣。禮也者中也。義也者正也。上不中正而下必欺邪焉。教化之感蓋其勢之自然也。猶影響之從形聲也。諺曰形端影直響順聲和（上二句似文倒）及其不直也不順也。責形聲邪責影響邪。是故君子入國觀其俗尚。而後議其政治也。

Rites and righteousness are where instruction resides; habits and customs are what transformation emulates. If it is not where it resides, instruction will not reach its culmination; if it is not what is emulated, transformation will not be correct. For this reason, those skilled in instruction must uphold rites and righteousness; those prudent in transformation must guard against harmful habits and customs. All under Heaven cannot do without instruction; the common people cannot do without transformation. For those who stand above the common people of the realm, can instruction and transformation be neglected? Instruction and transformation are like the wind; the people are like flying dust. When the wind moves high or low, things follow it, floating or sinking. The sage worries that people will drift into evil and not return, and therefore he is cautious regarding instruction and transformation. Instruction arises from government offices and administrative affairs; transformation is accomplished in the customs of the people. Rites and righteousness are demonstrated at court and within the state, and are manifested to all under Heaven. The *Classic of Poetry* says: 'The way of Zhou is like a grindstone, straight as an arrow; walked upon by the noble person, beheld by the petty person.' That which gives birth to it is like the breath and pulse; that which accomplishes it is like the four limbs. There has never been a person who wished to keep their four limbs at ease without regulating their breath and pulse. When that which gives birth is correct, that which is accomplished is upright; when that which is beheld is cultivated, that which is seen is well ordered. For this reason, those in antiquity who held government offices and administrative affairs inevitably first cultivated rites and righteousness to correct themselves, and only then extended them to others. If people did not follow them, they inevitably reflected on whether their own instruction had not yet reached perfection; then they redoubled their cultivation to encourage them. If they still did not follow, these were cases of licentious winds and depraved customs, and only then could laws be applied to punish those who violated rites and transgressed righteousness. The 'Announcement of Tang' says: 'If among the myriad regions there are transgressions, let them fall upon my person alone.' Therefore, when a single transgression was punished, the people understood; when a single command was issued, the people complied. This is what is meant by instruction being cultivated above and the people being transformed below. In later generations, it was not so. Can one neglect what is taught and yet expect proper transformation? To have an unrighteous government and blame people for transgressing righteousness, or to have improper instruction and blame people for violating rites—this too is delusion. Rites are the mean; righteousness is correctness. When those above are not centered and correct, those below will inevitably be deceitful and depraved. The response to instruction and transformation is natural in its momentum, like shadows following forms and echoes following sounds. The proverb says: 'When the form is upright, the shadow is straight; when the sound is harmonious, the echo accords.' When they are not straight and not in accord, should one blame the form and the sound, or blame the shadow and the echo? For this reason, when the noble person enters a state, he observes its customs and tastes, and only then discusses its governance.