鐔津文集 6.16

6.16

教人者正其所存。能教也。存心者省其所感。能存也。存心乎善則善類應之。存心乎惡則惡類應之。心其非定象也。在其所存者也。應之非定名也。在其所感者也。其所感苟存而應之。豈不速乎而感應之數未始跌也。吾嘗驗之。其人聞其為心始善而人鮮不愛之也。聞其為心始惡而人鮮不惡之也。雖喜怒未出其己而彼之愛惡已來。故存心者必慎其所以感之者也。而辯人者必觀其所以應之者也。是以聖人感人心而天下和平。故曰。觀其所感。而天地萬物之情可見矣。有人于此曰。人莫之知以惡心而欺人。迨惡積而禍至。孰曰心不可知乎。有人于此曰。心不可欺。以善心而待人。迨善積而福至。孰曰人可欺乎。故曰。禍福與善惡相交也。嗚呼人無全信久矣哉。信其所心而不信其所感也。夫天地至遠而誠感之通。性理至神而物感之滅。堯舜不家勸而天下厚。厚之感也。桀紂不人誘而天下偽。偽感之也。感應之謂其可忽乎。休徵者所以應。其善政之所感也。咎徵者所以應。其惡政之所感也。五福者善人所存。吉之驗也。六極者惡人所存。凶之驗也。天人相與未嘗睽也。吁豈天為之。人實召之。夫政者示天下之同之者也。萬民之所由也。政之善惡民所以而從之者也。故驗之雨暘燠寒風。五者示天下之同之者也。人者一身之自也。人之善惡。身所以而振之者也。驗之福極者。示一身之自之者也。方諸感月而水焉。陽燧感日而火焉。雲從龍也。風從虎也。南人發歌而（此脫地名二字）草舞。銅山始崩而景陽鐘響。此物之相感然也。人道以情感。故生生不窮。聖人以神感。故幽明一通。是故存心于賢而賢至。存心于不肖而不肖來。存心于親則其子孝。存心于學則其徒勸。所謂出乎爾反乎爾者。斯言近之。

One who instructs others rectifies what they preserve; thus they are able to instruct. One who preserves the mind examines what it resonates with; thus they are able to preserve it. If one preserves benevolence in the mind, the category of benevolence responds to it; if one preserves evil in the mind, the category of evil responds to it. The mind has no fixed form; it resides in what is preserved. The response has no fixed designation; it resides in what is resonated with. If what is resonated with is preserved, the response is swift indeed, and the recurrence of resonance and response has never faltered. I have tested this: when people hear that someone's mind is initially benevolent, few do not love him; when they hear that someone's mind is initially evil, few do not hate him. Even before joy and anger are expressed by oneself, the love and hatred of others have already arrived. Therefore, one who preserves the mind must be cautious about how it resonates, and one who assesses people must observe how they respond. Thus, the sage resonates with the human mind and the world is harmonious and peaceful. Therefore it is said: "Observe what it resonates with, and the disposition of heaven, earth, and the myriad things can be seen." Suppose someone here says: "No one knows it," and deceives others with an evil mind; when evil accumulates and disaster arrives, who can say the mind cannot be known? Suppose someone here says: "The mind cannot be deceived," and treats others with a benevolent mind; when benevolence accumulates and blessing arrives, who can say people can be deceived? Therefore it is said: "Disaster and blessing intersect with good and evil." Alas, it has been long since people have had complete faith: they believe in their own thoughts, but do not believe in their resonances! Heaven and earth are supremely distant, yet sincere resonance penetrates them; the nature and principle are supremely spiritual, yet the resonance with external things can extinguish them. Yao and Shun did not go from door to door urging people, yet the world became genuine; this was the resonance of genuineness. Jie and Zhou did not induce people one by one, yet the world became deceitful; this was the resonance of deceit. Can what is called resonance and response be neglected? Auspicious portents respond to the resonance of benevolent governance; inauspicious portents respond to the resonance of evil governance. The five blessings are what good people preserve, the verification of good fortune; the six extremities are what evil people preserve, the verification of misfortune. Heaven and humanity interact, never separated. Ah, does Heaven cause it? Humans themselves invite it! Governance demonstrates what the world shares in common; it is what the myriad people follow. Whether governance is good or bad is what the people follow. Thus, verifying it through rain, sunshine, heat, cold, and wind—these five demonstrate what the world shares in common. A person is the master of their own body; whether a person is good or bad is how the body stirs. Verifying it through blessings and extremities demonstrates what proceeds from one's own body. The square mirror resonates with the moon and draws water; the burning-glass resonates with the sun and draws fire. Clouds follow the dragon; winds follow the tiger. When southerners sing, the [...] grass dances; when the bronze mountain collapses, the Jingyang bell rings. This is how physical things resonate with one another. The human way resonates through emotion; thus generation and regeneration are inexhaustible. The sage resonates through spirit; thus the unseen and the seen are unified. Therefore, preserve the mind in worthiness and the worthy will arrive; preserve the mind in unworthiness and the unworthy will come. Preserve the mind in parents and their children will be filial; preserve the mind in learning and their disciples will be encouraged. As the saying goes: "What proceeds from you returns to you"—this saying is close to it.