Chapter 26 Has friend, true to its word

Zixia said: "A virtuous person is easy to look at; when you serve your parents, you can do your best; when you serve your ruler, you can do your best; when you make friends, you can keep your word. Even if you say you haven't learned it, I must say you have learned it." —— "The Analects of Confucius Xueer" (excerpt) From April 10 to 13, 2007, Premier Wen Jiabao was invited to pay official visits to South Korea and Japan.Premier Wen's visit is the first visit by a Chinese premier to two neighboring countries of South Korea and Japan in seven years, and has been warmly welcomed and warmly received by the governments and peoples of the two countries. On April 12, Premier Wen delivered a speech entitled "For Friendship and Cooperation" in the Japanese Diet.In his speech, Premier Wen said: "The ancient Chinese sages said: 'When you make friends with people, you must keep your word' and 'When you make friends, you must keep your word. The exchanges between the two countries should be based on honesty. The three political documents including the "Sino-Japanese Joint Statement" summarize the past of the relationship between the two countries politically, legally and in fact, and plan the future of the relationship between the two countries. The cornerstone of Japan-Japan relations. No matter what the situation is, as long as both sides strictly abide by the principles set out in these three political documents, the relations between the two countries can move forward smoothly.”

The quote above "make friends, keep your word" comes from "The Analects of Confucius Xueer", which is the speech of Confucius disciple Zixia.Regarding Zixia, "The Analects of Confucius Advanced" contains ten philosophers of Confucianism, "Literature: Ziyou, Zixia." Among Confucius' disciples, Zixia is a leader in the four disciplines of Confucian literature. His surname is Bu. , a famous merchant, named Zixia, "Historical Records: Biography of Zhongni's Disciples" records that Zixia was 44 years old when he was younger than Confucius. It can be said that he was one of the most proud disciples of Confucius in his later years.It records many conversations between Zixia and Confucius' teachers and students, from which we can see Zixia's excellence and Confucius' praise and appreciation of him.The meaning of this passage from Zixia in "The Analects of Confucius·Xueer" selected in this article is: Respect the sages with high inner morality, and despise the vulgar beauty in the outside; Don't worry about your own life for the country; socialize with friends and speak honestly and trustworthily.Such a person, even if he has no education, I must say that he has the best education.

The motto "to make friends, keep your word", expounds the principle of honesty in interpersonal communication. "Faith" is one of the "five constants" of Confucianism.Dong Zhongshu of the Han Dynasty believed in "Xianliang Policies": "The way of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trust in the five constants, the king should cultivate order." In filial piety; as a father, stop at kindness; with people in the country, stop at trust." Integrity is the foundation for people to settle down and live. Confucius said in "The Analects of Confucius: Politics": "People don't have trust, and they don't know what to do. Great There is no car, no small car, how can it be done?" Zhu Xi explained in "Zhu Zi Yu Lei" that "people do not have faith, and they don't know what to do." That is to say, once a person breaks his promise, all his words and deeds will lose the trust of others.And if all communication between people lacks integrity, then the whole society will be intrigued and the social order will be in chaos.

"The Analects of Confucius Yan Yuan" once recorded that Zigong asked Confucius about politics, and Confucius replied: "Enough food, enough soldiers, and people's trust." Faith", because in the view of Confucius, "Everyone has died since ancient times, and the people cannot stand without faith." In traditional Chinese culture, honesty has always been one of the most basic principles in social interactions.If you want to gain the trust of others, you have to be honest with others first.Integrity is the basic content of personal moral cultivation.Zeng Zi said in "The Analects of Confucius Xueer": "I examine myself three times a day: am I not loyal to others? Is it true that I am not trusting my friends? I am not accustomed to passing it on?" That is to say, Zeng Zi regards loyalty as his own criterion of conduct, Introspect and check every day, and urge yourself not to be honest for a day.It is the hard work of the ancients in moral practice and conscious theoretical advocacy that formed the fine tradition of honesty and trustworthiness in which the Chinese nation keeps promises and promises, and what is said is hard to follow.Today, we advocate honesty and trustworthiness. This is not only the inheritance and promotion of the traditional spirit of the Chinese nation, but also an urgent practical need. It is hard to imagine what kind of society would be like in a society that does not value honesty and trustworthiness?

Premier Wen Jiabao quoted Confucian views on honesty in order to hope that the Japanese side would keep its promises. He especially reminded the Japanese side to pay attention to three political documents including the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, because these are the cornerstones of Sino-Japanese relations. Promises made in black and white can be broken. "People don't have faith, and they don't know what to do."