鐔津文集 6.18

6.18

世之曰福。專利而言之者也。吾之曰福。專道而言之者也。利道故而判福為兩端焉。利福者嘗多有也。道福者嘗寡有也。多謂眾人也。寡謂聖賢也。故曰聖賢之福聖賢之所得也。眾人之福眾人之所得也。聖賢所得而聖賢樂之。眾人所得而眾人欲之。欲之故天下競利也。樂之故天下安性也。是故世之人。無樂之者。不為樂也。有欲之者。非為安也。得聖賢之得謂之重也。得眾人之得謂之輕也。重所重所以率天下敦道也。輕所輕所以教天下薄利也。齊侯楚子其富貴天下不逮也。及其以之與侯相爭相殺也。雖曰福之其實禍之。顏回原憲其貧賤天下之至也。及其樂道全德而後世慕其美名也。雖曰極之其實福之。今世俗視君子之樂然其身不振曰。福奚為聖賢邪。視高明之家恣勢充欲曰。唯福也將跋意而圖其富貴。是安福之謂乎。使天下之相率背道而趨利。斯言者之罪也。夫聖賢之福。福之本也。眾人之福。福之末也。修本以來末者古人有之。舜其是也。以末而行本者古人有之。周公其是也。猶吾先聖人曰道為福基。可以修行也矣。故君子有道而無富貴曰時也。而君子不慊。有富貴而無道曰忝也。君子恥之。富貴而有道。君子廣之也。後世舍聖賢而從眾人。不亦輕本而重末乎。本末顛倒則天孰與厚也哉。

When the world speaks of blessings, it speaks exclusively of profit. When I speak of blessings, I speak exclusively of the Way. Profit and the Way divide blessings into two extremes. Blessings of profit are often possessed in abundance; blessings of the Way are often possessed in scarcity. "Abundance" refers to the multitude; "scarcity" refers to sages and worthies. Therefore it is said: the blessings of sages and worthies are what sages and worthies attain; the blessings of the multitude are what the multitude attains. What sages and worthies attain, sages and worthies rejoice in; what the multitude attains, the multitude desires. Because they desire it, the world competes for profit; because they rejoice in it, the world settles its nature. For this reason, among worldly people, those who do not rejoice in it do not consider it joy, and those who desire it do not consider it peace. Attaining what sages and worthies attain is regarded as weighty; attaining what the multitude attains is regarded as light. Valuing what is weighty is the means to lead the world to esteem the Way; discounting what is light is the means to teach the world to disdain profit. The wealth and nobility of the Lord of Qi and the Viscount of Chu could not be matched in the world. Yet when they used them to contend with and slaughter other lords, though called blessings, they were in truth disasters. The poverty and lowliness of Yan Hui and Yuan Xian were extreme in the world. Yet when they rejoiced in the Way, perfected virtue, and later generations admired their fine reputation, though called extremities, they were in truth blessings. Nowadays worldly people look at the noble person's joy while his condition is downcast, and say: "How are blessings found in sages and worthies?" Looking at families of high standing indulging their power and fulfilling their desires, they say: "Only this is blessing!" and willfully scheme for their wealth and nobility. Can this be called blessing? Causing the world to follow one another in turning their backs on the Way and hastening toward profit is the crime of those who say this! The blessings of sages and worthies are the root of blessings; the blessings of the multitude are the branch of blessings. Cultivating the root to attract the branch was practiced by the ancients; Shun was such a one. Using the branch to practice the root was practiced by the ancients; the Duke of Zhou was such a one. Just as our former sage said, "The Way is the foundation of blessings; it can be cultivated." Therefore, when the noble person possesses the Way without wealth and nobility, he calls it the times, and feels no discontent. When he possesses wealth and nobility without the Way, he calls it disgrace, and feels ashamed of it. When possessing wealth and nobility alongside the Way, the noble person broadens it. If later generations discard sages and worthies to follow the multitude, are they not holding the root lightly and esteeming the branch? When the root and branch are inverted, whom will Heaven enrich?