(7) Ji Jia made Min Ziqian a fat boy, and Min Ziqian said, "Be nice to me! If someone answers me, then I am in Brunei! "
Translation:
Ji sent someone to ask Min Ziqian to be the leader. Min Zikai (to the person who invited him) said, "Please refuse for me! If you call me again, I will definitely run to Wenshui. " ?
Explanation:
Min Zikai is a student of Confucius, who is 15 years younger than Confucius. Because Ji was not loyal to the king of Lu, Min Zikai refused to be an official there. One of the purposes of Confucius' education is to go into politics, support parents and be filial. But between morality and wealth, Confucius still pays attention to morality first. Min Ziqian will also experience a painful struggle in his heart, and finally choose morality, taking the ideal of benevolence advocated by his teacher Confucius as his lifelong pursuit goal and practicing it. Life will face many choices and temptations, but one cannot do several things at the same time in a period of time. You can't have it both ways, but you must give it up. How to choose is a proposition that we have been doing all our lives. How to achieve the wisdom of taking and giving up, advancing and retreating? If you ignore benevolence and righteousness, take it improperly, and advance it improperly, it is likely to bring you a wrong direction in your life, or you will become an eternal hatred because of your careless slip, or you will not be able to turn back because of your misguided way, or you will be destroyed by evil people. For us ordinary people, if we are selfish, forget the righteousness and fail to see the trap next to interests, we will easily fall into a quagmire, drift with the flow, and finally lose ourselves and cause endless harm. You can't have it both ways, but if you give up, you can have it. How to choose is always a proposition that we need to do all our lives.
(8) When Bo Niu was ill, his son asked him, and he (you) took his hand and said, "If you die, you will kill (Fu)! So are people, but there are diseases! There are people, but there are also diseases! "
Translation:
Confucius' disciple Bo Niu, named Ran Geng, was seriously ill, probably terminal. Confucius went to offer condolences. "The son asked," sympathize with him. Because Bo Niu is infected with this malignant disease, it may be contagious, so Bo Niu's family is unwilling to let Confucius visit the patient's room, so they have to meet each other through the wall and the window. This "mystery" is the window, so "holding hands by yourself" means holding Bo Niu's hand from this window. Then Confucius said, "If you die, you die. There are also people, but there are also diseases. " There are two versions of this "death". According to Kong Anguo's notes, this is about mourning and how Bernie will die. "Life is a husband", that is, is this a destiny? This is mourning for death. There is also a saying that death means thinking nothing, that is, thinking nothing, and thinking nothing means thinking nothing. What is this? This is a fact, but there is no such fact. How did such a good person, this "Sri Lankan", such a good person get such a severe illness? Is this fate? "Life is husband", which is life and life. Both statements can be said in the past, but in fact the meanings will not contradict each other.
Explanation:
Why did that cow get this bad disease? It's not his life, it's not his fruit, it's the fruit of his previous life, and there must be evil in his previous life. People who don't conform to the teachings of sages are often confused, do some bad karma, and feel that there will be retribution in this life. In this life, Bo Niu can learn from Confucius and will not reproduce his bad karma, so his current illness is to eliminate his bad karma, and his next life will be fine. Therefore, the education Confucius gave us was to be persuasive and seize every opportunity to enlighten us. Grasping Bo Niu's hand and saying that "life is a husband" tells us that everything has a cause and effect, and no one can escape. Even a saint like Berniu has a cause and effect. Sages also have cause and effect. Confucius lost his son in his later years. Isn't this also a cause and effect? But it's all karma. It's just that the sage can't understand cause and effect, or he's not confused. He knows cause and effect clearly. Therefore, when suffering such consequences, his heart is very calm, he will not complain, he can be happy in knowing life, this is a gentleman, this is a saint. Therefore, the word "destiny" mentioned by Confucius here, good is rewarded with good, evil with evil, and cause and effect are very important.
(9) Confucius said, "You are a good man! A mouthful of food, a spoonful of drink, in a humble alley. If you can't bear it, you will be worried. If you go back, you won't change your fun. Xian zai hui ye!
Translation:
Confucius said, "How virtuous, Yan Hui! A basket of rice, a ladle of water, living in a humble alley, others can't stand poverty and sorrow, but Yan Hui still enjoys himself. How virtuous, Yan Hui! " Interpretation: What does Yan Hui enjoy? It should not be a bamboo basket full of rice and a ladle full of water, nor an alley in a slum, but something else. As for what are you happy about? But Confucius said, "Eating coarse grains, drinking cold water and bending your arms as a pillow are also fun. Unjust wealth and dignity, to me, are like floating clouds floating in the sky. " This passage of Confucius is actually very similar to his description of Yan Hui, but it clearly points out the theme, which is "righteousness". Without righteousness, there is no point in having money. On the contrary, as long as you have "righteousness" in your heart, eat humble meals and can't sleep on pillows, you will be happy. Like father, like son, like teacher, like disciple. As the first disciple of Confucius, Yan Hui, like a teacher, enjoyed "righteousness". This "righteousness" is benevolence, righteousness and virtue. Therefore, whether Confucius or Yan Hui is good, it is because of benevolence and morality that they can be content with poverty. In the final analysis, it is to live and work in peace and contentment, pursue the spirit and not care about the embarrassment of material life. Of course, Confucius and Yan Hui are sages with various customs, so they can live and work in peace and contentment. For most of us, it's really hard to achieve that level of cultivation, so we have to "endure it". Confucius praised the idea of being poor and happy. Yan Hui did not pursue extravagance and luxury, but devoted himself to learning and enjoyment, which was in line with Confucius' thought. So Confucius boasted: Virtue is good! A gentleman likes virtue, a villain likes soil, and a person who pays attention to his own enjoyment all day, compares food and clothing with others, and compares cars with houses. It is hard to imagine that he will achieve a great cause and ask the university.
(10) Ran Qiu said, "If you don't say what you say, you can't do it." Confucius said, "Those who lack strength will abandon themselves in the middle. You paint today. "
Translation:
As mentioned in The Analects of Confucius, Ji Kangzi hoped that Confucius' younger brother would be an official, but others disagreed, but Ran Qiu became a retainer of Ji's family. Confucius should disagree, and then put forward three Gao Ren disciples to persuade Ran Qiumin to leave his hometown rather than be an official. Ran Boniu was seriously ill and did not change his ambition, but Cao Yan was happy to return to the mean lane. So what did Ran Qiu say? Ran Qiu said, teacher! Don't always criticize me. It's not that I don't want to do what you say. It's just that the heart is willing, but the strength is weak. Confucius hit the nail on the head and pointed out Ran Qiu's cunning. Confucius said, don't say that you are powerless. The lack of strength means that you have done what Rende asked, and the strength is not enough to give up halfway. Now you haven't done it at all. You have drawn a line for yourself and think that you are not strong enough to do it. No matter whether you do it or not, whether you succeed or not, you must work hard and persevere. Just doing it is not enough. Isn't it narcissistic to say that you are not strong enough before you start? So far, this is Confucius' most severe criticism of students.
Explanation:
Is it a question of ability or thought? Judging from the conversation between Confucius and Ran Qiu, Ran Qiu was afraid to learn what Confucius taught, and attributed the academic gap to objectivity. Of course, the process of learning is boring and arduous, and the process of gradual accumulation is daunting. Only those who persevere can achieve final success, and those who are afraid of difficulties can only make people shrink back. Confucius believes that as long as you are committed to benevolence, there is no problem of lack of ability. Kindness is human nature, so it depends entirely on your own efforts and cannot rely on external forces. The basis of this understanding is still moral consciousness, and it is possible to achieve benevolence through unremitting efforts. Here, Confucius emphasizes the subjective initiative of people in moral cultivation, which is of great significance.
(1 1) Zi said, "You are a gentleman and a Confucian. Those who don't do things right are also villains. "
Translation:
Confucius hoped that Xia Zi could become a gentleman's Confucianism, not a villain's Confucianism. What is gentleman Confucianism and what is villain Confucianism. A gentleman's Confucianism should be proficient in ancient and modern times, versatile and familiar with the world. The villain Confucianism is an armchair strategist, and it's a mess to do.
Interpretation:?
Confucius mentioned "gentleman Confucianism" and "villain Confucianism". "Confucianism is the name of a scholar." The so-called scholar is a person with a little knowledge, or a smart person. A wise man is a "Confucian gentleman" if he uses his wisdom in a proper place; If he uses wisdom in improper places, he is a "Confucian villain." Gentleman and Confucianism are the teachings of Confucius to Xia Zi and the principles we should follow in our life and work. In the eyes of the ancients, what did you learn from reading sage books? Isn't it necessary to have a heart of benevolence and righteousness, use your wisdom and wisdom where it is most needed, feel guilty when facing mistakes, and have the courage to correct them? Qin Gui in Song Dynasty was very clever. He not only reads the Five Classics thoroughly, but also is proficient in calligraphy and politics. At the beginning, he still had a sense of justice, and he also used his intelligence in the right place. However, in the end, he was blinded by power and money and became insatiable. Moreover, he used his power to eliminate dissidents by any means, and murdered the famous anti-gold star Yue Fei and other cronies on charges of "unwarranted". Clever as Qin Gui is, he used it in the wrong place. He is a real villain. In the real society, it is a gentleman's behavior to use his wisdom to benefit the society or invent and innovate; If you use it in the wrong place, wisdom will become speculation, and cleverness will become "cleverness", which is a villain's move. At present, most businessmen do not use intelligence to improve product quality and ensure consumers' health in order to maximize their own interests. But adding toxic substances such as melamine and clenbuterol to food not only seriously deceives consumers, but also causes serious consequences. That is, they use their intelligence in inappropriate places, which is the behavior of villains. If merchants can apply their "intelligence" to the invention and creation of new products, they may be able to create extraordinary achievements and become great enterprises. It can be seen that intelligence can only produce unlimited benefits if it is used in the right place. If you use it in the wrong place, you may shoot yourself in the foot.
(12) Ziyou is a butcher of Wucheng. Confucius said, "What kind of person are you?" He said: "If the Dantai is extinguished, you can't take the path. Not doing business, not in the face room. "
Translation:
Yes (but). Yan: The name of Ziyou. Ziyou is the mayor of Wucheng. Confucius said, "Did you get talents there? There is a man named Tantai Yuming who has been on the right track, nothing happened, and never came to my house. " Tan Tai was killed, and his surname was Dan Tai, whose real name was Yu Zi. Confucius is 39 years younger and a native of Shandong. After learning from Confucius, Confucius saw that he was ugly and felt that he had no talent. When Ziyou was a butcher in Wucheng, Confucius asked, "Did you get any talents there?" The son lobbied: "There was a man named Tan Tai Ming who never took shortcuts or took chances. If there is no business, he never comes to my house, aboveboard. Later, Tantai destroyed the Ming Dynasty and marched to Wu (that is, Chu State, where he died of old age). More than 300 people studied with him, and his talent and morality spread all over the vassal States. He has a set of teaching management system, which has great influence. Wherever he went, governors all over the world rushed to welcome him. He was an influential Confucian school in the south at that time. Confucius once lamented that "judge a person by his appearance and lose his feathers." "
Explanation:
Never judge by appearances. At first, Confucius thought that his student Tan Taiming was ugly and that he would not have much talent. But later, Confucius lamented that "judging a person by his appearance, but losing a feather", which shows that Confucius' view of Tantai destroying Ming is wrong. In today's society, most people judge people by their appearances. They always think that having a beautiful skin will bring them many opportunities. More and more people begin to shave their faces and facial features, hoping that a good-looking skin can bring more convenience to themselves, but they don't know that their inner abilities and abilities are crucial. Tan Taiming is honest and ugly, but there are 300 students under his name, which shows that he has many advantages worth learning. Ziyou even boasted that he never took shortcuts, never went into the house and was aboveboard. What we should pay more attention to is how to enrich our inner life, study more and read more. Learning is our life's mission, and external life will always die with the passage of time. Only when we have something in our stomachs can we keep our feet on the ground.
(13) Confucius said: "Mencius opposes not cutting. When you rush to the temple, start planning your horse. You said,' If you dare not, you can't get in.' "
Translation:
Confucius said, "Mencius rebelled and didn't like boasting. "When he was defeated, he stayed at the end to cover the whole army. When I entered the city gate, I whipped the horse and said, it's not that I dare to stay, it's that the horse can't run fast. " Meng, a doctor of Lu, was one of the generals in charge of the army at that time. In 484 BC, Lu and Qi were at war. When the right-wing army of Lu was defeated, it finally covered the defeated army of Lu. Confucius spoke highly of this and advocated his theory of "not living alone, not shirking", which was considered as one of the virtues of human beings. Interpretation: War is unpredictable. Generally, it takes two schemes to decide the winner. In fact, failure is much more difficult than victory. Historically, Zhuge Liang was the best defeated soldier. Six times Qishan failed, and one soldier was not lost. It can be seen that Zhuge Liang is ready to withdraw his troops every time. Maybe he doesn't want to March into the Central Plains at all. Here, Meng Zhi's cultivation is very high, and he doesn't take credit. Moreover, he described credit as slow, which dispelled the jealousy of his colleagues. On the one hand, it shows that the political environment in Lu was not good at that time, on the other hand, it shows that Meng Ke's cultivation is very good. Indeed, winning or losing, trying to succeed is the skill of many people. If you win, you can fight for many enemies. If you hold a grudge at the center of the next war, you lose. There are many examples in history, just like the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Up to now, it has not defeated the Qing court and beat itself. Internal contradictions have led to complete failure, which is not worth the candle!
(14) Confucius said, "No one would rather be a monk, but the beauty of the Song Dynasty is hard to escape from this world!"
Translation:
Zhu was the official name at that time, in charge of ancestral temples and national sacrifices. Zi Ziyu, a doctor who defends our country and defends our country, is eloquent and highly valued by Wei Linggong because of his outstanding eloquence. Song Dynasty: Son of Song Dynasty. According to Zuo Zhuan, he got into trouble because of his beauty.
Explanation:
It seems that Confucius is complaining and living in troubled times. Without Zhu Ao's eloquent eloquence and the beauty of the Song Dynasty people, he would not be spared, would not succeed, would not eat, and would not get along well in society. You have to be both talented and handsome, and you need both. However, today's society does not need talent, nor appearance, but only money. Being rich is willful, which shows that the present society is chaotic.
(15) Confucius said, "Who can't leave the house? He Mo You is also a road! "
Translation:
Confucius said, "Who can go out without entering the door?" Why didn't anyone go this way (as I pointed out)? "
Explanation:
At that time, many people ignored the "rule of virtue" and "ritual system" advocated by Confucius, and he was puzzled. So, he issued such a question. Confucius lamented that troubled times were inevitable, and then said, who can go out of the house without going through the gate? Why didn't anyone go this way? This is also the metaphor of Confucius. Only when you walk out of the gate can you embark on the right path. Instead of the main entrance, you can only take the side door. In Confucius' view, that's no good. Although it may be a shortcut now, it may get rich benefits, but it will cost you. Now most people's trouble is to get quick success and instant benefit, only look at the present, and often say who cares about what will happen tomorrow, and they are happier every day. Confucius still hopes that everyone can take the front door and take the right path.
(16) Confucius said: "Quality is better than literature, and literature is better than quality. Gentleness is a gentleman. "
Translation:
Confucius said: Too straightforward is rude, too respectful is vanity. Proper temperament and manners are what a mature person should look like.
Explanation:
Confucius said that primitive simplicity is more brutal and rude than modified literary talent; On the contrary, if decoration and literary talent surpass simplicity and simplicity, they will decline and become history. In other words, if we blindly follow the natural and primitive development state, without culture and etiquette, human society will be barbaric and backward; Can blindly advocate culture, decoration, do not pay attention to the true colors of human nature, it will be hypocritical and turbulent. To pay attention to the development of * * *, in fact, it can be said that two civilizations are working together. If you cooperate properly and achieve the effect of "gentleness", you will be a gentleman. It is hard to say whether a person's nature is good, whether it becomes evil through acquired pollution, or whether natural bad habits become good through acquired study. There are good and evil in human nature, and good and evil coexist. As a person, if the quality is better than literature and lack of cultural literacy, it seems a bit rude and vulgar; If literature wins by quality, it will be hypocritical, or it will become a bookworm and seem a bit pedantic. But how can we cooperate properly? It's too difficult. In fact, this passage just shows the correct relationship between literature and quality, and the personality model of a gentleman. Literary talent and quality are the unity of opposites, interdependent and inseparable, and simplicity is as important as literary talent.