鐔津文集 7.41

7.41

孟子曰。伯夷隘。柳下惠不恭。隘與不恭。君子不由也。又曰。伯夷聖之清者也。柳下惠聖之之和者也。又曰。聖人百世之師。伯夷柳下惠是也。故聞伯夷之風者。頑夫廉。懦夫有立志。聞柳下惠之風者。鄙夫寬。薄夫敦。始曰君子不由也者。孟子拒之之詞也。次曰清與和也者。稱之之詞也。又次曰聖人百世之師也者。慕之之詞也既拒而文稱慕之。學者多惑。有以其言為不詳。吾故不然謂孟子之說。厥旨遠乎。夫君子與人適義而已矣。故其去就無固無必。如其人始惡而一日翻然以道求我。君子必接之。接之得其誠則就之。如其人始不惡而一日翻然以無道從我。君子必直之。直之不得已則去之。君子就之非苟從也。義可從也。君子去之非苟去也。義可去也。故君子之去就非苟也。專在其義也。彼伯夷者恥立惡人之朝。恥與惡人言。推惡惡之心。思與鄉人立。其衣冠不正。望望然去之若將浼焉。以諸侯為不潔。雖有善其辭命而不受也。以其終為不潔。果不就已。彼柳下惠者爾為爾我為我。雖袒裼裸裎於我側爾焉能浼我哉。但其自治不顧治人。混然苟與之處。果不去已。柳下惠與不修之人處而不能正之。既不能正之。又不能去之。是侮人者也。伯夷得人善辭命以至誠相求而不肯酌其誠。既不能恤其誠。又不能就之。是棄人者也。棄人也者。是不與人為善也。侮人也者。是與人無禮也。與人無禮孰為恭乎。不與人為善孰為容乎。以君子之道校之。則二子之去就不亦非義而宜乎。孟子曰。君子不由也。若伯夷目不視惡色耳不聽惡聲。橫政之所之不忍居也。清廉其身更治亂而不渝。非得聖人之清者。孰能守之。如柳下惠進不隱賢必以其道遺佚而不怨阨窮而不憫。非得聖人之和者。孰能忍乎。孟子當戰國時無道也。而姦臣賊子眦睚恣作。頑懦鄙薄爭勢冐利。雖死不顧其有節義。孟子以羞堯舜之道不行。思以清廉寬和之風矯激其時。故必尊伯夷柳下惠為百世之師者也。其始曰隘與不恭者。辨其不以義而為人也。蓋欲使人慎去就。故有拒之之詞也。又曰清與和者。是明其各有聖人之一德也。欲人知賢其人。故有稱之之辭也。又曰。聖人百世之師者。有以警於世也。欲人聞其風而自化。故有慕之之辭也。伯夷柳下惠特立自任者也。不顧教人。故其所為亦不顧世之是非也。孟子行道者也。其務教人故指其所為。是者取之非者正之。所以夷惠之事雖得失而兩存於其書。

Mencius said: 'Bo Yi was narrow-minded, and Liuxia Hui was lacking in respect. Narrow-mindedness and lack of respect are things a noble person does not follow.' He also said: 'Bo Yi was the pure one among the sages; Liuxia Hui was the harmonious one among the sages.' He also said: 'Sages are the teachers of a hundred generations; Bo Yi and Liuxia Hui were such men. Therefore, when people hear the style of Bo Yi, corrupt men become incorruptible, and weak-willed men gain resolve. When they hear the style of Liuxia Hui, base men become generous, and fickle men become solid.' At first saying that 'a noble person does not follow them' was Mencius's word of rejection. Next, saying that they were 'pure' and 'harmonious' were his words of praise. Further next, saying that they were 'the teachers of a hundred generations' were his words of admiration. Having both rejected them and praised and admired them in text, scholars have been much perplexed, and some have considered his words inconsistent. I do not think so, but hold that Mencius's explanation has a profound purpose! A noble person interacts with others solely according to what is righteous. Therefore, his departure and taking of office have no stubborn fixation or necessity. If a person was evil at first, but one day turns around completely to seek me through the Way, the noble person must receive him; having received him, if he finds him sincere, he joins him. If a person was not evil at first, but one day turns around completely to follow me without the Way, the noble person must correct him; having corrected him, if nothing can be done, he leaves him. When the noble person joins him, it is not careless compliance; it is because righteousness allows compliance. When the noble person leaves him, it is not careless departure; it is because righteousness allows departure. Therefore, the noble person's leaving and taking of office are never careless; they depend entirely on righteousness. As for Bo Yi, he was ashamed to stand in the court of an evil person and ashamed to speak with an evil person. Extending his heart of hating evil, he thought that standing with a villager whose cap and gown were not straight was so disgraceful that he would walk away in disgust as if about to be defiled. Considering the feudal lords impure, even when they offered refined words and invitations, he would not accept them; because he considered them ultimately impure, he ended up never joining them. As for Liuxia Hui, he thought: 'You are you, and I am I; even if you bare your chest and uncover your limbs beside me, how could you defile me?' He merely governed himself and paid no heed to governing others, mixing indiscriminately and dwelling with them carelessly, and indeed ended up never leaving them. Liuxia Hui lived with uncultivated people and could not rectify them; unable to rectify them and yet unable to leave them, this was treating others with contempt. Bo Yi was sought out by people with refined words and utmost sincerity, but was unwilling to consider their sincerity; unable to sympathize with their sincerity and yet unable to join them, this was abandoning others. Abandoning others is not helping others to do good. Treating others with contempt is having no propriety toward others. If one has no propriety toward others, how can that be considered respect? If one does not help others to do good, how can that be considered broad tolerance? Examining them by the Way of the noble person, were not the leaving and taking of office of these two men unrighteous and inappropriate? Mencius said: 'A noble person does not follow them.' If it were Bo Yi, his eyes would not look at an evil sight, his ears would not listen to an evil sound, and he could not bear to dwell where perverse governance extended. Keeping his person pure and uncorrupted, he went through order and chaos without changing; who could uphold this if not one who attained the purity of a sage? As for Liuxia Hui, when he advanced he did not conceal his worth and always acted according to his way; when dismissed he harbored no resentment, and in poverty and distress he felt no grief; who could endure this if not one who attained the harmony of a sage? Mencius lived during the Warring States period, an age devoid of the Way, when treacherous ministers and rebellious sons glared fiercely and acted willfully, and the corrupt, weak, base, and fickle struggled for power and pursued profit, disregarding integrity and righteousness even unto death. Mencius felt ashamed that the Way of Yao and Shun was not practiced, and thought of using the style of purity, incorruptibility, generosity, and harmony to reform and stimulate his era; hence he necessarily venerated Bo Yi and Liuxia Hui as the teachers of a hundred generations. When he first said they were 'narrow-minded and lacking in respect', he was distinguishing that they did not act toward others based on righteousness. Wishing to make people cautious about departing and taking office, he uttered words of rejection. When he said they were 'pure and harmonious', he was making clear that each possessed one virtue of a sage; wishing people to recognize and respect these men, he uttered words of praise. When he said they were 'the teachers of a hundred generations', he wished to warn the world; wishing people to hear their style and be transformed of themselves, he uttered words of admiration. Bo Yi and Liuxia Hui were men who stood independently on their own responsibilities; they did not concern themselves with teaching others, so what they did paid no regard to the world's right and wrong. Mencius was one who practiced the Way; his duty was to teach others, so he pointed out what they did, accepting what was right and correcting what was wrong. Therefore, the deeds of Yi and Hui, with both their merits and shortcomings, are preserved together in his book.