Chapter 9 Analects of Confucius Mencius

The two books of "Mencius" are often called "books" by modern people, but they were not the same in ancient times.Han Confucianism classified ancient books, with "Poetry", "Li", "Yue", "Yi" and "Spring and Autumn" as the "Six Arts", also known as the "Six Classics", which are actually the most precious among ancient books.The second is called "Ji" or "Zhuan", which is to explain or subsidize the scriptures, which belongs to this category.The second is the philosophers, who form a family outside of the Six Classics, and "Mencius" belongs to this category.Therefore, the two books "Lun" and "Meng" were only second- and third-class books in the Han Dynasty.However, during Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty, these two books were set up as doctors (for those who "set up a doctor", a special course is set up in a university with a doctorate as a professor), which was once particularly respected, but it will not be too long. (Those who stop their doctorates will abolish this specialty.) Since the Six Dynasties, Sui, and Tang Dynasties, research has been prosperous, and "Mencius" is also among the best among scholars.Since Song Confucianism extracted two articles, "University" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" from "Book of Rites", and combined them with "Lun" and "Meng", they are called "Four Books". , so the recitation of the "Four Books" is more prosperous than the "Six Classics".For six to seven hundred years, children of several years old who entered the Sanjia village school all took the "Four Books" as their main reading books, and their books formed the basis of general common sense and were the general key to national psychology.

editor and age "Hanshu·Yiwenzhi" says: "Yes, when Confucius responded to his disciples, people and disciples talked with each other and heard the words of the master. At that time, the disciples had their own records. After the master died, the disciples discussed and compiled it with each other, so Call it." According to this, it is said that it was directly formed in the hands of Confucius' disciples.Although, the book records such as Duke Ai of Lu, Ji Kangzi, Zifu, and Jingbo all cited their posthumous posthumous titles, and all of them died after Confucius died.The book also records Zeng Zi's last words, Zeng Zi had the youngest teeth in front of Confucius, and his death year was probably much later than Confucius.However, at least part of this book should have been recorded by the disciples of the Seventy Sons in the decades after Confucius' death.Yu Youzi and Zengzi are both called "Zi" in the book.The first chapter of the whole book records the words of Confucius, the second chapter records the words of You Zi, the third chapter records the words of Confucius, and the fourth chapter records the words of Zeng Zi. Confucius' words and deeds are half inherited from the notes or dictation of Zeng Erzi.

authenticity There are so many fakes of pre-Qin books, it is best for scholars to choose carefully.It is a treasured book handed down by Confucius, which is generally credible.Although, some of them have been disturbed by later generations; probably at the end of each chapter, there are sometimes one or two chapters that are not original.It is not easy to pass on and store banknotes in Gaigu's simple books, so the blank space at the end of the chapter is often filled with inscriptions from outside the book. I am just for the sake of saving trouble and memorizing, and I don't have to intentionally falsify.Later, when the banknotes were passed on, they were used to confuse the text.There are quite a few people like this in the ancient books of the Zhou and Qin Dynasties, and there are also examples in it.For example, the chapter "Zi Jiannanzi" at the end of "Yong Ye Pian", the chapter "Sesi Juyi" at the end of "Xiangdang Pian", the chapter "Qi Jinggong" at the end of "Ji Shi Pian", and the chapter "Zhou Gong calls Lu Gong" at the end of "Wei Zi Pian" "The chapter "Eight Scholars in Zhou Dynasty" either has nothing to do with Confucianism, or the meaning of the text is different, and it is doubtful that it is not the original text.

However, this is still a small one.According to Cui Dongbi's textual research, the last five of the twenty chapters in the book—"Ji Shi", "Yang Huo", "Wei Zi", "Zi Zhang" and "Yao Yue"—all have suspicious points.Because of the division of "Lu Lun", "Qi Lun" and "Ancient Lun" in the early Han Dynasty, the number of articles and the titles of the last few articles are different, and the sentences are also different from each other. One of them is the present edition. (See "Hanshu Yiwenzhi", "Zhang Yuzhuan" and He Yan's "The Analects of Confucius".) Among the last five chapters, at least some of them should be messed up by people in the late Warring States period.The evidence: 1. As a general rule, Confucius is called "Zi", but he is called "Confucius" when he remembers his questions and answers with the king and the doctor.In these five articles, there are those who are called "Confucius" or "Zhongni" frequently.Second, it is recorded that the disciples and Confucius replied face to face, and they all called him "Zi".Calling "Master" on the opposite side is a human language in the Warring States Period, but not in the Spring and Autumn Period, but it is repeatedly called "Master" in these five articles.Third, "Ji Shi Pian" "Ji Shi will attack Zhuanyu, Ran You and Ji Lu met Confucius", so there is no such thing as Kao Ranyou and Ji Lu serving as Ji Shi at the same time.Fourth, "Yanghuo Pian" records "Gongshan Fu disturbs the bank of Fei, calls, and the son wants to go" and so on, and also records "Buddha's visit to the middle of the river, calling, the son wants to go" and so on. When Kao Fu disturbed the rebellion, Confucius was For Lu Sikou, he led his teachers to fall into the fee, and Fu Chao was causing chaos because of his rebellion against Confucius' policies, and the chaos was also quelled by Confucius. How can you dare to call a rebellious county magistrate to be in power?The governor of the ruling party wanted to answer the call, and he said that "it is the Eastern Zhou Dynasty", so it is reasonable!For the current affairs of Zhao Xiangzi, Zhongmou rebelled against Zhao, see Han Shi Wai Zhuan.The establishment of Zhao Xiangzi was five years after Confucius' death. How could Confucius negotiate with Xi?All these meanings are all evidenced by Cui Shi, and they are roughly examined carefully. (Visit "Zhu Si Kao Xin Lu" in "Cui Dongbi Suicide Notes", which is also included in "Jifu Series".)

From this point of view, although most of them are credible, there are still one or two of them that come from the support of later generations, and scholars should view them separately. content and value In this book, except for the ten suspicious chapters mentioned above, the rest of the words are exquisite and beautiful, and it is truly a precious book that human beings will never wear through the ages.The greatness of Confucian personality should be recognized by knowledgeable couples, and it is the only good book that shows Confucian personality.There is no regulation on the order and style of the book; the order of the chapters seems to be meaningless; the classification of the content is also rare and accurate.A brief outline can be divided into the following categories.

1. Lessons about personal cultivation. Second, the lessons about social ethics. Three, talk about politics. Fourth, talk about philosophy. 5. Questions and answers about disciples teaching in a timely manner (focusing on individuality). Sixth, criticize the disciples and the ancients and the people. Seven, readme. Eighth, Confucius' daily actions and disciples recite Confucius' words. (Reflecting the personality of Confucius in the eyes of disciples.) The first and second items listed above account for about two-thirds of the book, and the remaining six items account for about one-third.The first lesson of character cultivation is almost all of lasting value.The fourth item of philosophical talk, although there are not many words, (because Confucius' teachings are focused on practice, and rarely talk about nature and the way of heaven.), they are all profound and subtle.The social ethics in the second item, and the political talk in the third item, part of which made statements about the class-organized society at that time, may not be suitable for today's use, but their fundamental spirit is certainly there for hundreds of generations.The fifth item is the words of teaching according to the person, so that scholars can learn from each other when they examine their personalities.The sixth item is the criticism of people, which can be seen from the reading of Confucius' ideal personality.The seventh item of Confucius' self-report and the eighth item of observation and criticism of Confucius by others can reveal the whole personality of Confucius from all aspects.That's roughly what the book is worth.To put it simply, as much value as Confucius is, this book also has some value.

Law For such a valuable book, what method should we use to read it well?I personally think that the simpler and kinder method is as follows: First, first pay attention to picking out the messy parts of later generations, and look at them from a different perspective, so as not to obscure the truth. Second, according to the classification of the previous article, the compilation of the whole book is a partial study. Third, or make other classifications, using the main points of teachings—such as on "benevolence", on "learning", and on "gentleman" as the standard, to issue notes one by one for comparative research.

Fourth, when reading this book, I intend to write a biography of Confucius or a study case of Confucius. While reading, I think about the organization and sort out the materials. By the end of the reading, I will naturally understand Confucius thoroughly and accurately. Fifth, when reading this book, you must first know a little about the background of Confucius' era. "Zuo Zhuan" and "Guoyu" are the main reference books. Sixth, the meaning of this book is not difficult. It is best to read the white text and deduce its meaning by yourself.When you have any doubts, read the notes in the next article.

The above-mentioned scholars are the research methods of intellectual aspects in books.In fact, the main purpose of my reading is not here.The greatest value is to teach people the cultivation of personality.Cultivation of personality is by no means memorizing or textual research, the most important thing is to practice, so that what the ancients taught becomes what I am proud of.That being the case, you don’t need to be greedy for too many things. If you can actually hold one or two words, you can use them for life.As far as a certain two languages ​​are most suitable for my use, it is all up to each person to comprehend on his own, without the participation of others.It is already unsatisfactory for others to participate.In other words, if a scholar can read it several times, he will be able to see the whole personality of Confucius, and use it as a target for his own prayers; and there must be some sentences in the middle, which are exactly in line with his own personality. Knowing the difference can be used for lifelong support.The text is not complicated, and it is not difficult to read it well. I deeply hope that young people will not despise this family treasure.

Notes and Relationships Annotations include Zheng Kangcheng's "Notes" of the Han Dynasty, which has been lost, and recent people have compiled them; there are Wei Heyan's "Jijie", Song Xingbing's "Yishu", and the current "Thirteen Classics Annotations" are the ones contained.However, most of the key words in it are collected by later generations' new books, and you can get them without reading them.For the convenience of scholars, the following commentaries and related books are listed: One, Song Zhuxi's "Analects of Confucius Collection" and "The Analects of Confucius or Questions".

"Ji Zhu" is concise and clear, which is the most convenient for readers, but there are some logical obstacles in it. "Or Wen" was invented outside the "Ji Zhu". Second, Qing Daiwang's "Annotations to the Analects". This book is also concise, and the exegesis regards Zhu's annotations as an intensive review, but most of them use Gongyang's family words as explanations, and it is inevitable to add details. Three, Qing Liu Baonan's "The Analects of Confucius and Justice". The most concise, but too complicated, non-expert researchers do not need to read. Fourth, Qing Yanyuan's "Four Books Correct and Wrong · The Analects of Confucius". This article corrects Zhu Zhu's mistakes, which can be seen from the theory of Xi Zhai's family. Fifth, Qing Jiao follows the Analects of Confucius. This book classifies and studies the main points of doctrine, and its method is the most learnable. Sixth, "The Analects of Confucius and the Interpretation of Benevolence" in Ruan Yuan's "Jing Jingtang Ji" in the Qing Dynasty. This book is a short article, which is specially selected from one chapter of "benevolence", and it is studied through and through, and the method can be learned. Seventh, Qing Cui Shu's "Zhu Si Kao Xin Lu" attached to "Yu Lu". This book is the most rigorous biography of Confucius, and ninety-nine of its materials are taken from.To distinguish the parts that are in disorder, the suspects in this book should be used as the standard. After all, the above said. "Historical Records Biography of Mencius and Xunqing" says: "Mencius described the virtues of the three dynasties of Tang and Yu. Because of the inconsistency of what he said, he retreated to the preface of "Poems" with Wan Zhang's disciples, describing the meaning of Zhongni, and wrote "Mencius" seven chapter." Zhao Qi's "Mencius Inscription" says: "Returning to the collection of essays, it is difficult to answer questions with Gaodi's disciple Gongsun Chou and Wan Zhang's disciples, and he wrote his own words on the law, writing seven chapters and two hundred and six Eleven chapters have 34,685 characters." According to Han Confucian legends, it is said that this book was written by Mencius himself, but the emperors in the book all cited their posthumous posthumous titles, such as King Hui of Liang, King Xiang, King Xuan of Qi, Duke Ping of Lu, Duke Mu of Zou were all like this, and even Duke Wen of Teng was also like this when he was young. Not all of them died before Mencius, so why are they all called posthumous titles?In addition, in the book, Mencius’ disciples are mostly referred to as “Zi”, such as Lezhengzi, Gongduzi, Wuluzi, Xuzi, and Chenzi. There are very few people who don’t call them Zi. If Mencius wrote it himself, he might not necessarily call himself his disciple. They all say sons.Playing through this book carefully, it is traced by Mencius disciples Wan Zhang, Gongsun Chou, etc., so the two sons' questions and answers are recorded the most, and the two sons are not called sons in the book.Although it is uncertain when the book was written, it was always after the death of King Liangxiang in the 19th year of King Nan of Zhou Dynasty (296 BC). More than ten years also. The current version of "Mencius" has seven chapters, while "Hanshu Yiwenzhi Confucianism" says: "Mencius eleven."Zhao Qi's inscription said: "There are four foreign books-"Xing Shan", "Bian Wen", "Shuo Xiao Jing" and "Wei Zheng". People rely on letting go and entrusting themselves." According to this, there are still four foreign books that were handed down in the Han Dynasty, which are mixed with the current seven.Zhao Binqing (Qi) identified it as a fake, so only seven chapters of Mencius Zhangju were written.Afterwards, Zhao's annotations were made alone, and the outer chapters were abolished.Later generations may think it is a pity, but we quite believe that Binqing's discerning ability is not wrong, and that he rejects the outer chapters and does not mess up the jade, so he can almost be called a hero of Mencius.The lost articles of Jinwaipian can be found in "Fayan", "Yantielun", "Yan's Family Instructions", Li Shan's "Wenxuanzhu"... etc. There are several articles, which were compiled by others. , not similar to the inner chapters" also.In the Ming Dynasty, the four chapters of Mencius Waishu handed down by Yao Shizhen were all false, and they were not old in the Han Dynasty, let alone worth mentioning. Mencius and Xunqing are the two masters of Confucianism.In terms of the system of schools, at that time Confucianism, Mohism, Taoism, and Legalism stood together, and Mencius was only a branch of Confucianism, and his status could not be compared with Lao Dan and Mo Di. However, Mencius had two special contributors in cultural history: 1. Praise the doctrine of good nature and teach people to automatically expand their personality, which has become a theory of permanent value in philosophy and pedagogy. Second, the rejection of utilitarianism, although its intention is to rectify the disadvantages of the time, it also represents at least one side of truth in political sociology. The main points of the book are as follows: One, philosophical talk.Exhaustively study the physical appearance of the mind and nature, and prove the purpose of good nature. The first and second chapters of "Gaozi" and the first chapter of "Jinxin" mostly belong to this category. Second, politics.Give full play to the people-oriented principle and reject the utilitarianism of the state; propose the construction of various ideals in the economy. The second and second chapters of "King Hui of Liang" and the first chapter of "Teng Wengong" all belong to this category, and the rest of the chapters are also scattered. Three, talk about general self-cultivation.Use more vigorous words, advocate the spirit of independence and self-esteem, and reject personal utilitarianism. "Teng Wengong", "Gaozi" and "Jinxin" have the most three articles, and there are often more articles. Fourth, criticism of historical figures.Use the words of the ancients to act and justify your own doctrine. "Wanzhang" has the most articles. Fifth, the debate on other factions.The main ones are what later Confucianists called Biyang and Mohism. In addition, there are difficulties in arguing Gao Zi's theory of nature, reprimanding Xu Xing and Chen Zhongzi, and refuting the policies of the Legalists. Sixth, remember the source of Mencius, speech, acceptance and daily activities, etc. Among the above items, only the fourth item has the lowest historical value.Because the legends at that time were unreliable, and Mencius was not a historian, and the purpose of his books was not to comprehensively review ancient events, so any records and criticisms on this matter should be regarded as Mencius's use of facts to clarify the meaning, and should not be read as history.As for the fifth point of debate, both sides hold that there are reasons to say, and there is no need to be paranoid about one or the other.The political talk in the second item, due to different times, its specific system is often not applicable, but its fundamental spirit has inherent permanent value.The remaining three items are of extremely high value. Reading books like Mencius should be divided into two purposes: one is for self-cultivation and benefit, and the other is for academic research.For the sake of self-cultivation and benefit, it is like rice, which is most suitable for nourishment; "Mencius" is like medicine, which is most suitable for exorcism and excitement.Reading "Mencius", first of all, it is advisable to observe its forging and integrity, advocating fame and integrity, and establishing a defense between advance and retreat, resignation, acceptance and acquisition, so that you can defend yourself without falling.Second, it is advisable to observe its majestic grandeur, going alone and coming alone, bright and majestic, and absolutely nothing hidden.If you can often recite and experience, your personality will naturally expand.Third, it is advisable to observe that his will is strong and he will never turn back.Memorizing the language in the book can increase resistance to environmental oppression.Fourth, it is advisable to observe that his self-cultivation is simple and straightforward, without the two diseases of fragmentation and mystery that later Confucians said.In short, "Mencius" is the most suitable book for self-cultivation, especially suitable for young people today.Scholars should pick out the essential words and recite them by heart, or write them out and read them frequently, so that their spirit can penetrate into their "subconsciousness", then the foundation of life can be solid, and they will make progress day by day until they are old. There are many aspects of academic research, and it is advisable to note each according to one's interest and refine each item.However, for each research item, you must thoroughly understand what this book says, and you must search and review information related to other books.Just a few examples: First, if you want to study the philosophy of Mencius, you must first carefully study the so-called nature, so-called heart, so-called emotion, so-called talent, so-called righteousness, and so-called reason in the book, and find out the correct meaning.It is also necessary to go through the whole book to find certain points that are the mastermind of its purpose, and then to find out the derivation of its organization.It is also necessary to compare the theories of other schools with it, such as "Xunzi", "Chunqiu Fanlu" and other books, to see how it stands on its own and criticize "Mencius". Second, to study Mencius's political theory, it is advisable to propose several outlines—for example, people-oriented doctrine, unification doctrine, non-utilitarianism, etc., to see the consistency of his propositions.It is also necessary to familiarize yourself with the background of the times, look at the theories of the opposition, and then make a fair criticism. Three, Mencius advocated heresy, we don't have to follow suit, but we can find many "heresy" theories in the book, such as Yang Zhu, Xu Xing, Song Yu, Chen Zhongzi, Zimo, Bai Gui, Gaozi, Chunyu Kun, etc. , whose books are not circulated, and those whose names are not found in other books.Studying his theories from the book "Mencius" is an excellent material for ancient academic history. Fourth, compare and compare the people Mencius saw, the places he experienced, and his actions and words in this book, and you can make a very detailed biography of Mencius. The above are just a few examples. If scholars are interested in research, there are still many aspects, and it is up to each person to choose. The oldest commentary on "Mencius" is "Mencius Zhangju" written by Zhao Qi in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and each chapter is affixed with a chapter finger, and its book is extant.The full text can be found in Jiao Xun's "Mencius Zhengyi", which is not listed here. One, Song Zhuxi's "Mencius Annotations". The nature and value are the same as "The Analects of Confucius". Second, Qing Jiao follows "Mencius Justice". The textual research is the most precise, and it can create great meanings, which is unmatched among the existing commentaries. Third, Dai Zhen of the Qing Dynasty's "Mencius Characters and Meanings Scattered". This book is Dai's work expressing his own philosophical opinions, not just to explain "Mencius".However, when studying Mencius' philosophy, it should be taken as an extremely important reference. Fourth, the volume of "Mencius" in "Dongshu Reading Secretary" by Chen Li in the Qing Dynasty. This volume disassembles the whole book of "Mencius" and compares it. There are many inventions, and its method of study is the most learnable. Fifth, Qing Cui Shu's "Mencius Facts Record". This book is an extremely rigorous biography of Mencius. The above said "Mencius" actually. Two articles in "The Great Learning" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" in the "Xiao Dai Li Ji". "Book of Rites" was recorded by scholars after the Seventies, and its writing time ranged from the end of the Warring States period to the Western Han Dynasty, and its value was far lower than that of "Lun" and "Meng".Since Uncle Cheng Zheng of the Song Dynasty took out these two articles and especially advocated them, Zhu Hui'an created them as the name of the Four Sons Books, and their sequence: 1. "University", 2., 3. "Mencius", and 4. "The Doctrine of the Mean".Therefore, in the past seven or eight hundred years, the status of these two chapters has risen sharply, and they have been surpassed by a group of classics.Strange! I don't know who wrote the mere "University", but Zhu Hui'an divided it into two parts: classics and biography.His words said: "One chapter of the classics covers the words of Confucius and Zengzi narrates them. Ten chapters are passed on, and Zengzi's meaning is recorded by the disciples."Because some of Hui'an's books do not fully match his own ideals, he refers to the faulty slips and reverses the order with his intentions;This is not appropriate for a scholar's attitude.In the Ming and Qing dynasties, not only the "University" was used as a companion to all classics, but Zhu's "Supplementary Biography" and Confucius' words were almost regarded as the same.In the middle, Wang Yangming advocated the "ancient version of the university" and raised objections to Zhu's revisions and supplements. However, the concept of attaching importance to the "University" has not changed slightly.However, in the early Qing Dynasty, there was Chen Qianchu (true), who wrote an article "Bian Daxue", urging that this book was not written by Confucius or Zeng Zi, and that he "specialized in words, knowing what he said and not deeds, and was in conflict with the teachings of Confucianism."As soon as this theory came out, there were many attacks, all of which were accused of being unholy and lawless, and no one cared about it afterwards.Since then, the book has been listed at the top of the "Four Books". The four characters "Zhizhi Gewu" in its chapters have caused countless different opinions. Can't say enough.From my point of view, this article is nothing more than the words of a Confucian scholar in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and it does not deserve such respect and stick to it. In "The Doctrine of the Mean", Zhu Huian said that "Zisi wrote it to teach Mencius", and there is no basis for his statement.There is a chapter in the article that is slightly modified from Mencius's language.According to Cui Dongbi's textual research, his book is definitely the empress of Mencius.This article discusses the nature of the mind and has a lot of fine words, which is extremely valuable in the history of philosophy. To sum it up, "The Great Learning" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" are two famous works of Confucianism. Reading them is very beneficial to self-cultivation. Since everyone has recited them for thousands of years and formed part of the common sense of the people, today's scholars can't be different. read.But you don't have to respect too much, but you will lose its proper position. Since the Han Dynasty, the "Book of Filial Piety" has been regarded as the same, and now it is listed as one of the thirteen classics. It is said that "Confucius's ambitions are in the "Spring and Autumn" and his actions are in the "Book of Filial Piety".In fact, this second language comes from Weishu, which is purely attached to the Han people. The name of "Classic" did not exist in Confucius' time, and the theory of nomenclature is enough to show his absurdity.The origin of the book says: "Zhongni lives, Zeng Zi attends." Is there a Confucius who wrote a book and called it this?The meaning in the book is extremely superficial, and it is considered inferior among the forty-nine chapters of "Dai Ji", even if you don't read it. The books that record Confucius' words and deeds are the most credible. The records of other pre-Qin philosophers should be viewed with a very strict and cautious attitude.Gai Fan is a great figure, there must be countless myths gathered in him, and it must be observed.The two books "Confucius' Family Language" and "Kong Congzi" handed down today are all fake works of Jin people, and they must not be read.There is a book "Confucius Jiyu", which is a collection of books written by people in the Song Dynasty to say things about Confucius, and most of them are just slandering Confucius.If a scholar sincerely recites Confucius, one book will be inexhaustible for a lifetime. "Why do you buy vegetables, but ask for more?" The above is attached.