辯偽錄 2.18

2.18

第四十八化云。商太宰問夫子曰。夫子聖人歟。孔子對曰。聖則丘何敢焉。然則丘博學多識者也。太宰曰。三王聖者歟。孔子曰。三王善任智勇者。聖則丘弗知。太宰曰。五帝聖者歟。孔子曰。五帝善任仁義者。聖則丘弗知。太宰曰。三皇聖者歟。孔子曰。三皇善任因時者。聖則丘弗知。太宰大駭曰。然則孰者為聖。孔子動容有間曰。丘聞西方之人有聖者焉。不治而不亂。不言而自信。不化而自行。蕩蕩乎民無能名焉。丘疑其為聖人也。史志經云。孔子在魯。老子在周。以魯望周之洛陽。故在西方。蓋指子為西方聖人也。孔子問禮之時。先有猶龍之歎故此指老子也。

The forty-eighth transformation states: The Grand Chancellor of Song asked Master Kong, 'Is the Master a sage?' Confucius replied, 'As for being a sage, how could Qiu dare? Nevertheless, Qiu is one who is widely learned and possesses much knowledge.' The Grand Chancellor said, 'Were the Three Kings sages?' Confucius said, 'The Three Kings were good at employing wisdom and courage; as for being sages, Qiu does not know.' The Grand Chancellor said, 'Were the Five Thearchs sages?' Confucius said, 'The Five Thearchs were good at employing benevolence and righteousness; as for being sages, Qiu does not know.' The Grand Chancellor said, 'Were the Three Sovereigns sages?' Confucius said, 'The Three Sovereigns were good at employing the accord with the seasons; as for being sages, Qiu does not know.' The Grand Chancellor was greatly astonished and said, 'If so, then who is a sage?' Confucius altered his expression, paused for a moment, and said, 'Qiu has heard that among the people of the West there is a sage: he does not govern, yet there is no chaos; he does not speak, yet he is naturally trusted; he does not convert, yet things naturally proceed. Vast and boundless, the people cannot find a name for him! Qiu suspects he is a sage.' The histories and scriptural treatises say: Confucius was in Lu, and Laozi was in Zhou. Looking from Lu toward Luoyang in Zhou, it was in the west; hence it refers to Laozi as the Western Sage. When Confucius inquired about the rites, he previously had the sigh comparing him to a dragon, and therefore this refers to Laozi.