Zidao — The Way of a Son子道篇
入孝出弟，人之小行也；上順下篤，人之中行也；從道不從君，從義不從父，人之大行也。若夫志以禮安，言以類使，則儒道畢矣，雖舜，不能加毫末於是矣。孝子所不從命有三：從命則親危，不從命則親安，孝子不從命乃衷；從命則親辱，不從命則親榮，孝子不從命乃義；從命則禽獸，不從命則脩飾，孝子不從命乃敬。故可以從命而不從，是不子也；未可以從而從，是不衷也。明於從不從之義，而能致恭敬、忠信、端愨、以慎行之，則可謂大孝矣。傳曰：「從道不從君，從義不從父。」此之謂也。故勞苦彫萃而能無失其敬，災禍患難而能無失其義，則不幸不順見惡而能無失其愛，非仁人莫能行。《詩》曰：「孝子不匱。」此之謂也。
To be filial at home and respectful abroad is a man's small conduct. To follow those above and be generous to those below is a man's middling conduct. To follow the Way and not follow the ruler, to follow rightness and not follow the father, is a man's great conduct.
Now when the will is made peaceful by ritual and speech is directed by its proper kinds, the way of the scholar is complete, and even Shun could not add so much as a hair's tip to it.
There are three things in which the filial son does not follow the command. If following the command puts the parent in danger and not following it leaves the parent safe, then the filial son's not following the command is loyalty. If following the command brings the parent shame and not following it brings the parent glory, then the filial son's not following the command is rightness. If following the command makes him a bird or a beast and not following it makes him cultivated and adorned, then the filial son's not following the command is reverence.
So to be able to follow the command and yet not follow it is to be no son. To follow when it is not yet fit to follow is to be disloyal. If a man is clear about the rightness of following and not following, and can bring reverence and loyalty, good faith, uprightness and honesty to their fullest and practice them with care, he may be called greatly filial. The tradition says, "Follow the Way and do not follow the ruler; follow rightness and do not follow the father." This is what is meant.
So a man may toil and suffer and be worn and wasted and yet not lose his reverence. He may meet disaster and grief and hardship and yet not lose his rightness. He may be unlucky and unable to please, and be hated for it, and yet not lose his love. None but a benevolent man can do this. The Shi says, "The filial son is never used up." This is what is meant.
魯哀公問於孔子曰：「子從父命，孝乎？臣從君命，貞乎？」三問，孔子不對。孔子趨出，以語子貢曰：「鄉者君問丘也，曰：『子從父命，孝乎？臣從君命，貞乎？』三問而丘不對，賜以爲何如？」子貢曰：「子從父命，孝矣；臣從君命，貞矣。夫子有奚對焉？」孔子曰：「小人哉！賜不識也。昔萬乘之國有争臣四人，則封疆不削；千乘之國有争臣三人，則社稷不危；百乘之家有争臣二人，則宗廟不毀；父有争子，不行無禮；士有争友，不爲不義。故子從父，奚子孝？臣從君，奚臣貞？審其所以從之之謂孝，之謂貞也。」
Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius, "Is it filial for a son to follow his father's command? Is it upright for a minister to follow his ruler's command?" He asked three times, and Confucius did not answer.
Confucius hurried out and said to Zigong, "A while ago the ruler asked me, 'Is it filial for a son to follow his father's command? Is it upright for a minister to follow his ruler's command?' He asked three times, and I did not answer. What does Ci make of it?"
Zigong said, "It is filial for a son to follow his father's command, and it is upright for a minister to follow his ruler's command. What would my master answer to it?"
Confucius said,
"What a petty man! Ci does not understand.
In old times, when a state of ten thousand chariots had four ministers who would contend, its borders were not pared away. When a state of a thousand chariots had three ministers who would contend, its altars of earth and grain were not endangered. When a house of a hundred chariots had two retainers who would contend, its ancestral shrine was not pulled down. When a father has a son who will contend with him, he does not do what is without ritual. When a scholar has a friend who will contend with him, he does not do what is not right.
So if a son follows his father, how is the son filial? If a minister follows his ruler, how is the minister upright? To look closely into what one follows, this is what is called filial, this is what is called upright."
子路問於孔子曰：「有人於此，夙興夜寐，耕耘樹藝，手足胼胝，以養其親，然而無孝之名，何也？」孔子曰：「意者身不敬與？辭不遜與？色不順與？古之人有言曰：『衣與，繆與，不女聊。』今夙興夜寐，耕耘樹藝，手足胼胝，以養其親，無此三者，則何以爲而無孝之名也？」孔子曰：「由志之，吾語女。雖有國士之力，不能自舉其身，非無力也，勢不可也。故入而行不脩，身之罪也；出而名不章，友之過也。故君子入則篤行，出則友賢，何爲而無孝之名也！」
Zilu asked Confucius, "Suppose there is a man here who rises at dawn and sleeps late at night, who plows and weeds and plants trees until his hands and feet are hard with callus, and so feeds his parents, and yet he has no name for filial duty. Why is this?"
Confucius said, "Perhaps his body is not reverent. Perhaps his words are not humble. Perhaps his face is not obliging. The men of old had a saying, 'Shall it be clothes? Shall it be thread? I cannot lean upon you.' Now if a man rises at dawn and sleeps late at night, plows and weeds and plants trees until his hands and feet are hard with callus, and so feeds his parents, and none of these three things is in him, how should he have no name for filial duty?"
Confucius said, "You, mark this. I will tell you. Though a man have the strength of the first man in the state, he cannot lift his own body. It is not that he has no strength. It is that the situation does not allow it. So when a man goes in and his conduct is not cultivated, the fault is his own. When he goes out and his name is not made known, the fault is his friends'. So the gentleman goes in and acts generously, and goes out and befriends the worthy. How should he have no name for filial duty?"
子路問於孔子曰：「魯大夫練而牀，禮邪？」孔子曰：「吾不知也。」子路出，謂子貢曰：「吾以爲夫子無所不知，夫子徒有所不知。」子貢曰：「女何問哉？」子路曰：「由問魯大夫練而牀，禮邪？夫子曰：『吾不知也。』」子貢曰：「吾將爲女問之。」子貢問曰：「練而牀，禮邪？」孔子曰：「非禮也。」子貢出，謂子路曰：「女謂夫子爲有所不知乎？夫子徒無所不知，女問非也。禮，居是邑，不非其大夫。」
Zilu asked Confucius, "When a great officer of Lu has held the first-year mourning rite (小祥) and then lies on a couch, is that ritual?"
Confucius said, "I do not know."
Zilu came out and said to Zigong, "I thought there was nothing our master did not know, but there is something he does not know after all."
Zigong said, "What did you ask him?"
Zilu said, "I asked whether it is ritual for a great officer of Lu to hold the first-year mourning rite and then lie on a couch. The master said, 'I do not know.'"
Zigong said, "I will ask him for you."
Zigong asked, "Is it ritual to hold the first-year mourning rite and then lie on a couch?"
Confucius said, "It is not ritual."
Zigong came out and said to Zilu, "You said there was something the master did not know. There is nothing the master does not know. It was your question that was wrong. By ritual, a man who lives in this town does not call its great officer wrong."
子路盛服而見孔子，孔子曰：「由，是裾裾何也？昔者江出於㟭山，其始出也，其源可以濫觴，及其至江之津也，不放舟、不避風則不可涉也，非維下流水多邪？今女衣服既盛，顏色充盈，天下且孰肯諫女矣？由！」子路趨而出，改服而入，蓋猶若也。孔子曰：「由志之，吾語汝。奮於言者華，奮於行者伐，色知而有能者，小人也。故君子知之曰知之，不知曰不知，言之要也；能之曰能之，不能曰不能，行之至也。言要則知，行至則仁。既仁且知，夫惡有不足矣哉！」
Zilu came to see Confucius dressed in fine clothes. Confucius said,
"You, what is this strutting? In old times, when the Jiang came out of Mount Min (㟭山), at its first coming out its source was such that a winecup could float on it. But when it reaches the fords of the Jiang, unless a boat is set out and the wind kept clear of, it cannot be crossed. Is it not because it flowed downward and the water grew many? Now your clothes are already fine and your face is full of itself. Who under heaven will be willing to remonstrate with you? You!"
Zilu hurried out, changed his clothes and came back in, and now he did well enough.
Confucius said, "You, mark this. I will tell you. He who makes a great show in speech is a dresser-up. He who makes a great show in conduct is a boaster. He who wears knowledge on his face and puts on ability is a petty man. So the gentleman says he knows what he knows, and says he does not know what he does not know. This is what is essential in speech. He says he can do what he can do, and says he cannot do what he cannot do. This is what is utmost in conduct. When speech holds the essential, a man is wise. When conduct reaches the utmost, a man is benevolent. Being benevolent and wise besides, what could he lack?"
子路入，子曰：「由，知者若何？仁者若何？」子路對曰：「知者使人知己，仁者使人愛己。」子曰：「可謂士矣。」子貢入，子曰：「賜，知者若何？仁者若何？」子貢對曰：「知者知人，仁者愛人。」子曰：「可謂士君子矣。」顏淵入，子曰：「囘，知者若何？仁者若何？」顏淵對曰：「知者自知，仁者自愛。」子曰：「可謂明君子矣。」
Zilu came in, and the Master said, "You, what is the wise man like? What is the benevolent man like?" Zilu answered, "The wise man makes others know him. The benevolent man makes others love him." The Master said, "He may be called a scholar."
Zigong came in, and the Master said, "Ci, what is the wise man like? What is the benevolent man like?" Zigong answered, "The wise man knows others. The benevolent man loves others." The Master said, "He may be called a scholar and a gentleman."
Yan Yuan came in, and the Master said, "Hui, what is the wise man like? What is the benevolent man like?" Yan Yuan answered, "The wise man knows himself. The benevolent man loves himself." The Master said, "He may be called an enlightened gentleman."
子路問於孔子曰：「君子亦有憂乎？」孔子曰：「君子，其未得也，則樂其意，既已得之，又樂其治。是以有終生之樂，無一日之憂。小人者，其未得也，則憂不得，既已得之，又恐失之，是以有終身之憂，無一日之樂也。」
Zilu asked Confucius, "Does the gentleman too have his griefs?"
Confucius said, "The gentleman, while he has not yet got it, takes joy in his own purpose. When he has got it, he takes joy in ordering it. So he has the joy of a whole life and not one day of grief. The petty man, while he has not yet got it, grieves that he may not get it. When he has got it, he fears to lose it. So he has the grief of a whole life and not one day of joy."