Benevolence is a supernatural and ubiquitous spirit. Confucius said: Is benevolence far away? I want to be kind. I am so kind. Is Jane far away? I missed him, so he came. What kind of spirit is it?
Two: Benevolence is the Holy Spirit. Confucius said: What is benevolence? It must be sacred. He who can be kind will be holy. Benevolence is the essence of holiness, and holiness is the name of benevolence. It is a fact that holiness and benevolence are the names and qualities of a supernatural spirit. The essence of this spirit is benevolence, and the name can be holy, that is, the holy spirit.
Three: benevolence as an individual, a saint. Confucius said: If you are in the middle, there is no one in the world. Benevolence, that is, the holy spirit, is placed in the heart. There is only one person in the world who has such a heart and can be called a saint.
Four: Benevolence is the way of saints. The benevolence of saints is different from that of mortals, so it is different from the world. What he does is to love others. His way of thinking, speech and behavior is called Tao for short.
Five: Benevolence is reason. The principle that the benevolent loves others. Kindness is the right thing in the world. The benevolent is reasonable.
Six: Benevolence is destiny. Confucius said: a benevolent man has tried to stand up and become a human being, and he has tried to achieve it. The benevolent who has completed the transformation from benevolence to benevolence has achieved himself and let people do it, so that people can reach the place where they arrive. He imposed his own reason and way on those who understood it, and made people follow it, because he represented heaven and his command was fate.
Benevolence is a supernatural spirit, we can't see it, so who is this person who embodies it? Confucius said: Saint, I can't see. Confucius said that he would never see a saint again. If you listen, you will die in the evening. Listen in the morning and die at night. Who is the sage mentioned by Confucius? Interpretation of the four books: saints, unexpected numbers. God-an unpredictable name. The way of a saint is great, and people can't see it at a glance. The sacred way is so profound that people can't fully understand it. Confucius told a sage that China didn't know, and told some truths that China people couldn't fully understand.
"righteousness" in Confucius' eyes
Renhe
Let's compare benevolence and righteousness first. Righteousness is equivalent to form and benevolence is equivalent to content, so benevolence is content and righteousness is form, and they are the relationship between content and form. Benevolence is the highest moral concept of Confucius. Benevolence, love and benevolence are feelings of love and the highest morality. But this supreme morality must be expressed in some form. If you want to realize your beautiful ideal, then you must take a certain form. If you don't realize this morality by doing things, not by a certain form or way, you are unjust. Therefore, righteousness is a realization form of benevolence and a realization form of the moral concept of beauty.
"Book of Rites" also said: the righteousness is divided, and the festival of benevolence is also. "Righteousness" means what I just said about morality, benevolence and propriety. The art of "art" is the art of art, the art of literature and art, and this art means different standards. "Righteousness is divided into art, and benevolence is also." It requires us to realize benevolence according to different standards, different situations and different degrees when implementing it. Meaning depends on the specific situation. It is also possible that in this case, righteousness is expressed in this way, and in that case, righteousness is expressed in that way. Different situations, different standards, its performance is not the same, then in real life, what are the special manifestations of righteousness? It shows benevolence, and it should show benevolence according to different situations, so what are its different performances according to different situations? Here are two situations: first, according to people's identity, the expression of meaning is different; Second, according to different things, the expression of righteousness is also different. First of all, people have different identities according to their identities, so some people have this identity, some people have that identity, and of course there are different occupations. Now our occupations are different, so you are a teacher and he is a worker, so people with different identities and occupations. You can embody benevolence's morality and kind spirit, so your performance is different. You must be different and cannot be confused. For example, I am a doctor, and the embodiment of my kind spirit is to warm patients and save lives. It would be unjust for me not to do so. I am a doctor, and as a result, I didn't do my job well to save lives. I have to say, it's unfair that I go to the streets to maintain traffic order and I will direct traffic. Because your identity determines your kind spirit, you have to cure diseases and save lives. This is righteousness. It's unjust that you did something else and did something you shouldn't have done.
There is a story in Zuo Zhuan: "Zheng Boke is in Yan", Zheng Bo is, Duan is his brother's uncle. Because Duan Shu refused to accept his brother and had the support of his mother, he always wanted to usurp the throne. Because he wanted to usurp the throne, his brother did something out of proportion to his status. So you are both a brother and a minister. By blood, you are Zheng Bo's younger brother. Politically, your brother is a monarch and you are a minister, so the identity of a minister should be adapted to that of a minister. But my brother did something out of proportion to his status. He did a series of things. For example, according to the rules of etiquette, you can build cities for yourself in your own territory, but you can't build too big cities. According to the regulations, the largest city you build is one-third of the national capital, the middle-sized city cannot exceed one-fifth of the national capital, and the small city you build cannot exceed one-ninth of the national capital. It's all a ceremony. This is the scale set by the system for you. If you follow this system and this minister's way, then you are just. But uncle * * * does not obey, which is injustice. So at that time, a minister asked about Duan Shu's problem and thought that it should be stopped earlier. Zheng Bo should come out to stop it. Then Zheng Bo, that is, Zheng Zhuanggong, said this sentence: If you do more injustice, you will hang yourself. Later, Uncle * * * was further unjust, and further made things that were not commensurate with his status. Another minister came to persuade Zheng Bo that Duan Shu could not do this again. So what did Zheng Zhuanggong say? Unjust, not intimate, thick will collapse. Unjust, he is dishonest and not intimate, that is, he will not be close to people. Why? He has done things that are not commensurate with his status. He is unfair and people will not approach him. No matter how strong he is, he will collapse faster. Later, * * * Uncle Duan's ambition grew and he launched a rebellion. Finally, Zheng Zhuanggong suppressed him and put down the rebellion.
In this story, righteousness is mentioned twice. One is "many lines of injustice will kill you" and the other is "injustice is not intimate". Then this means what we said earlier, you should be commensurate with your status, and you can't perform your duties within your status. This is unacceptable. Beyond your position, then what you do is unjust. Then this is what we are talking about. When we practice this virtue, we should do it according to your identity and status.
Confucius believes that righteousness embodies the spirit of benevolence, and we should not do anything inhuman. Under normal circumstances, lying is unjust, but in the case of Tezhu, if lying is to save people, is it righteous or unjust? That is to say, if faced with different things, will the expression of righteousness remain the same?
I said don't lie, don't lie, this is a kind, honest, so ordinary, not in an emergency, so generally speaking, don't lie, be honest, honest, this is a manifestation of kindness, honesty is righteousness. But sometimes the situation is urgent and special, and sometimes lying is necessary. Lying is in line with the spirit of benevolence, and lying is righteousness. Therefore, the spirit of benevolence requires you to lie in this emergency. Lying is justice, and not lying is injustice. For example, some patients are terminally ill and their mental self-control ability may be weak. At this time, if you suddenly tell him the truth when you should tell him the truth, then this time is unfair. At this time, for his peace of mind, for his better treatment and for his better mental state, sometimes it is not necessary to tell him the truth. For example, if an old mother is in poor health and her son died in the line of duty, then at this time, you may not tell her the truth at once, so (otherwise) the old mother may not be able to support herself mentally, and she may have a problem all at once, so at this time, it may be appropriate not to tell her the truth, and it is reasonable to lie. Therefore, benevolence and righteousness should be based on the situation, not only on our identity, but also on the specific situation.
Therefore, righteousness is a form to realize benevolence according to different identities and different things. The relationship between benevolence and righteousness mentioned by Confucius sounds very abstract, but it is not complicated. Benevolence is the core of Confucius' thought. Generally speaking, benevolence means loving others. How to love is to show it through righteousness, that is, to promote benevolence according to different identities and situations of people.
Yiheli
What is the relationship between righteousness and propriety? Righteousness is content and ceremony is form. Therefore, Confucius said: a gentleman "takes righteousness as the quality and courtesy as the behavior". Then righteousness is the content, righteousness is the connotation, and ceremony is to carry forward and realize righteousness.
For example, once Qi attacked Lu. Qi is a big country and a powerful country. Sometimes it bullies some weak countries and small countries. Among them, Lu is the weak. It bullies Lu and attacks Lu. Lu asked Wei for help, and Wei sent troops to fight Qi. Wei was also weak, but he was still willing to support Lu. This is the death of his lips and the cold teeth. So who is the commander of the Patriotic Army? Sun Huanzi went to fight Qi, but Wei was not strong, so Wei's army was quickly defeated by Qi. After the defeat, Wei Jun retreated and the Qi army pursued him. I'm afraid Sun, the commander-in-chief of Wei, also found it difficult to escape, because the Qi army marched fast, Wei Jun retreated slowly, and his army was not slow. Sun can't escape. At this time, there was a nobleman named Wei. After this incident, Wang Wei asked this Zhong Shuyu, what kind of reward do you think you want for making such a great contribution? I can give you land and fief. This means, I don't want your land, I don't want to fief it. So what does he want? He said, I want a three-stringed musical instrument for the governor. These three musical instruments are for people at the governor level. Zhong Shuyu Xi is also an aristocrat, but his aristocratic status is relatively low. He is also a doctor of the Qing Dynasty, so he is the monarch who defends the country. He is a vassal, which means what does this Zhong Shuyu Xi want? He wants this kind of musical instrument that can only be used by nobles who defend their country and defend their country. What else does he want? He also wants the medal of the horse he rode when the princes appeared before the emperor. These things belong to "objects" and all embody "ceremony" and rank. Your musical instrument can only be used by princes by grades, and these decorations of your horse can also be used by princes by grades, so this clock book wants these things in Xi. Actually, what Zhong Shuyu did was that I don't want to be polite, land or feudalism. I want to go beyond the present etiquette. I want to enjoy the treatment that only princes can enjoy, such as musical instruments, such as horse decoration, so the monarch who defended the country at that time actually promised him because he made great contributions.
Confucius criticized this matter. Confucius thought: "There are only names and instruments, but no dummies". Titles and objects all reflect ceremonies and grades, and can't be given to others casually, let alone promised casually. Confucius meant that he could be given more land and other things, such as more land, but the hierarchy, system and norms could not be violated. It is unjust and inviolable to violate this thing. Therefore, if you violate the ceremony, you will destroy the ceremony, destroy the ceremony, and you will destroy the content behind the ceremony-righteousness, righteousness will be destroyed by you.
Concept of righteousness and benefit
Confucius believes that courtesy can embody benevolence and righteousness, but if giving lectures involves conflicts of interest, on the one hand, it is against one's conscience to make money, on the other hand, it is against one's conscience to talk about benevolence and righteousness. In this case, interests and morality conflict. What should we do?
The relationship between righteousness and benefit. Confucius said very clearly: "Seeing right is right, seeing right is wrong, wealth is like a cloud to me, a gentleman is righteous, and a villain is beneficial." This Confucius is very clear. You can't give up benevolence and morality for some benefits. It is out of the question.
There is a story in Zuo Zhuan that Song Mu's loyalty is not passed on to his son. Guo Song and Song Muhong were seriously ill. Song Mugong was the monarch at that time. It should be said that he has the power to designate heirs and determine heirs. Besides, he has a certain prestige and his ministers support him. Then he had two choices at that time: one choice, he let his son inherit; Another option is that he should not let his son inherit it. Why? Because Duke Mu of Song did not inherit the throne of Song from his father, from whom? He inherited the throne from his brother Song. Before Song Gongxuan died, his son was too young to be a monarch. In this case, of course, he can have his own son or someone else. At that time, Song had no son of his own. Who does he have? He set up a younger brother and Song Mugong, so Song Mugong thought that morally speaking, since he was going to die, he should not give the throne to his son, but to his younger brother's son, that is, his nephew. This is morality. But at that time, if he had his own son, there was nothing wrong. Many ministers at the bottom agreed, and agreed. He also had this right at that time, because he was the king. Now the official has the final say, his brother is no longer alive, and he can have his own son. Then there is a question of benefit and righteousness. At this time, Song Mugong thought of morality, so what did he propose to those ministers? Or my brother's son, Song's son. He thinks it's just. If I don't do this, I will be unjust. I won't be just. How can I see my dead brother? Therefore, there is a dispute between justice and benefit, so on this issue, it should be said that Song Mugong chose justice rather than benefit. He can also choose his own interests, but he didn't choose his interests. He chose righteousness, so this is the relationship between righteousness and benefit. When the two conflict, of course, they should be unified as much as possible, while Confucianism pays attention to unity as much as possible. Confucius once said: "wealth is available, even if I am a scapegoat, I will do it." . That is, I want to get rich, I want to get affordable, I want to get rich, I will drive for others, and I will do it. Of course I want to be rich, and gentlemen love money, but Confucius said, "If you can't have it, just do what I want." That is, if wealth is desirable, I will do it and let me be the leader. I would have done the same. If it's not desirable, what does that mean? It doesn't conform to justice and morality, so it's immoral for me to ask for money. Then I won't do it, and I won't take it. "A gentleman loves money and takes it properly."