29.Zai I asked, "The benevolent one, although he told him, 'The well is benevolent.'" 'Where does it follow?'Zi said: "Why is it also?".A gentleman can pass away, but he cannot be trapped;You can be bullied, but you can't be reckless. ”
[Paraphrase].
I asked Confucius, "Suppose there is a virtuous person, even though someone tells him that there is benevolence in the well." Did he just jump into the well and seek benevolence?Confucius said, "Why do you want to do this?"A learned and virtuous gentleman can go forward courageously to seek benevolence, but he cannot fall into a dangerous well to bring about his own death;You can deceive him with reasonable words, but you can't deceive him with unconscionable things. ”
[Addendum].
Zai I am known for his eloquence, so I ask interesting questions in a humorous and hypothetical tone to test the teacher. However, due to the fact that in ancient times, the word benevolence of "well has benevolence" was interpreted as a human character, but the general meaning of the whole chapter was not clear, and Dr. Wang Xiyuan directly interpreted the word "benevolence" as benevolence, so that the context can be more coherent. Of course, what Confucius said. It is the benevolence that is truly worth seeking and fulfilling, and it is worth giving your precious life in exchangeOtherwise, it would not be worth taking the liberty of taking the liberty of taking such a heavy price.
I wondered in my heart whether the benevolent should seek it desperately wherever there is benevolence, so I asked Confucius if there was such a question that was impossible in fact and theoretically speaking, and asked Confucius whether there was benevolence in the well, and the benevolent person should follow the benevolence with his body, or even die for benevolence. Judging from Confucius's answer, it can be seen that he is quite disapproving, although the benevolent should have the courage to go to the soup and fight the fire, but they must take into account whether it is right and wrong, and it is not that they can die or they are benevolent, "the violent tiger Feng He." Die without regrets". It's just a kind of foolishness, which Confucius didn't take, and it is also what the real benevolent person should not do, so he said: "A gentleman can die, but he can't be trapped." This is a matter of things, and he said, "A gentleman can be deceived, but he must not be reckless." This is the reasoning. Confucius always taught people to make appropriate choices and proper treatments;As Mencius said, "A gentleman can deceive his way, but it is difficult to do his own way."
For a gentleman is honest by nature, and if he is reasonable, he may be deceived for a moment and believe it to be trueAs Zai I assumed: "There is benevolence in the well", such an unreasonable thing, a gentleman can know right from wrong, and it is impossible to be deceived and easily believe and act. Confucius once said: "Good benevolence is not easy to learn, and its concealment is also foolish." A truly benevolent person and a true gentleman must have considerable knowledge to discern the right and wrong of the benevolent way sought, so that he will not fall into foolish faith and foolish deeds, and will not be unreasonable and harmful, and will not make senseless sacrifices.
Death is heavier than Mount Tai and lighter than a feather, so you can't die rashly and recklessly, otherwise you will mislead others and yourself. Regarding the traditional interpretation of "well has benevolence", Wang Yangming explained that this is a natural manifestation of human compassion. In this essay he asked, he proposed that human beings have the foundation of goodnessCompassion is true not only for human beings, who are spirits of all things, but also for animals, plants, and even inanimate beings, to the effect that:
The purpose of saving is not to please the child's parents, nor is it because of the fear of hearing the cry of the child falling into the well, but out of a kind of "save is right, if you don't save it will regret it for life", which is the "compassion" for human beings.
There is a story mentioned in the book of Mencius: one day, King Qi Xuan was working in the hall, and saw someone leading a cow walking by, the cow kept shaking, and King Qi Xuan asked, "Where is the cow going to be led?"The man replied, "Take it and slaughter the blood, and use it to stir the bell." When the king heard this, he said to the man, "Let him go."I couldn't bear to look at him trembling with fear. It is as if the innocent were punished. In this matter, Mencius explained that human nature has the inherent ability to "see its life, but cannot bear to see its death."Hearing its voice, it can't bear to eat its flesh", which is the "compassion" for animals.
When a hundred flowers bloom, thousands of flowers compete for beauty, or the earth is a green grassland, people have a sense of relaxation, comfort and beauty, on the contrary, when you see the autumn and winter when everything withers, everywhere a scene of slaughter, you can't help but feel sentimental. (Human beings love plants with strong vitality and green spirit!)And when a few flowers in the garden are destroyed by a typhoon or for no reason, not only the owner of the garden, but also passers-by will grieve, which is the expression of human "compassion" for plants.