折疑論 5.86

5.86

理欹器（孔子觀於魯桓公之廟。有欹器焉。問於守廟者曰此謂何器。對曰。此蓋為宥坐之器也。子曰。吾聞宥坐之器。虛則欹。中則正。滿則覆。聖人以為至誠。故常置之於坐測。顧謂弟子曰。試注水焉。乃注之。果然中則正。滿則覆。夫子喟然歎曰。嗚呼夫物焉有滿而不覆也哉。子路進曰。敢問持滿有道乎。子曰聰明聖智。守之以愚。功被天下。守之以讓。勇力振世。守之以怯。富有四海。守之以謹。此所謂損之又損之之道也）。

He straightened the tilting vessel. (Confucius visited the ancestral temple of Duke Huan of Lu, where there was a tilting vessel. He asked the temple keeper, "What is this vessel called?" He replied, "This is a vessel placed beside the seat." The Master said, "I have heard that the vessel placed beside the seat tilts when empty, stands upright when moderately full, and overturns when completely full. The sages took it as utmost sincerity, and therefore always placed it beside their seats." Turning to his disciples, he said, "Try pouring water into it." They poured it, and indeed it stood upright when moderately full and overturned when completely full. The Master sighed and said, "Alas, how could anything be completely full and not overturn?" Zilu stepped forward and said, "May I venture to ask if there is a way to maintain fullness?" The Master said: "One who possesses intelligence and sage wisdom preserves it with foolishness; one whose merits cover the realm preserves them with deference; one whose courage and strength shake the age preserves them with timidity; one whose wealth encompasses the four seas preserves it with caution. This is what is meant by the way of diminishing and yet diminishing it.")