子曰：人能弘道 Confucius Said: Human Beings Extend Order in the World

华人思想家通过艺术性地处置事物来理解秩序的含义，所以就叫做‘审美秩序’。他们的秩序观念专注于具体个体，是显现的，并在成员内部成长与演变。就是说，审美式的秩序是指秩序主要是由内部之间的联系形成，每个成员相互依赖。

在审美秩序里，自然事物可以有无数秩序，因为自然肯定是动态的、自我造化的、自我组织的与有活力的。所有存在的事物都在和谐状态中、被相反的力所平衡。两种基本的与互相对抗的阴阳原理组成了所有行动后面的驱动力，负责事物的审美秩序的自然的演变。阳一直是负责改革的积极与创造元素，而阴则是消极与反应性原理。他们互相补助并杂乱地联系在一起；就是它们共同合作与互相排斥而产生了我们生命中逐渐得到的经验的所有事物，并在宇宙中显现。

和谐的概念在华人思维中十分重要；指导性的原理是不要其干涉生命的和谐。可以说，华人文化向来是要维持人与自然的平衡，在生活的每一方面都与自然配合，而不是违背自然。

宇宙的秩序也被称为‘道’；如果每个人能依着道的价值与德行来行动，一个和平与和谐的社会就会长久存在。

孔子把道德概念转化为道德实践原理，指导人与人之间的行为与应该如何建设一个和谐社会。在儒家传统里，真善美都不是‘给定’的，也没有所谓的原本与决定性的起源，或者终极的、目的论的终止。基于这个理由，孔子说：‘人能弘道，非道弘人。’

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The Chinese thinkers understand the meaning of order through the artful disposition of things and thus it is known as Aesthetic Order. Their view of order focuses on the concrete individuals and is emergent, and growing and transforming within things themselves. That means that something aesthetic is ordered primarily in terms of internal relations, the basic elements being dependent on one another.

In the Aesthetic Order, the things of nature may be ordered in any number of ways as it is resolutely dynamic, auto-generative, self-organising and alive. All things that exist are in harmony, balanced by opposing forces. The two fundamental and antagonistic principles of Yin and Yang constitute the driving force behind all movements and accountable for the natural evolution of Aesthetic Order of things. Yang is always the proactive and creative element accountable for change, whereas Yin is the passive and reactive principle. They complement each other and are intricately interconnected; and it is their working together and against each other that produce everything that we experience progressively in life and manifests in the cosmos.

The concept of harmony is very important to the Chinese thoughts and the guiding principle is not to disturb the harmony of life. It may therefore be said that Chinese culture has always maintained a balance with and attempt to work with Nature in all aspects of the living, rather than against it.

The order in the universe is also referred to as Dao and a peaceful and harmonious society can exist for a long period of time if the values and virtues are exercised among its members in tune with the Dao. Dao is what the world is and how it is.

It was Confucius that translated the concepts of Dao into practical ethical guidelines as to how one should behave towards each other and to create a harmonious society. In the Confucian tradition, truth, beauty, and goodness as standards of order are not ‘given’ and there is no initial, determinative beginning or ultimate, teleological end. It is for this reason that Confucius declared: ‘It is human beings who extend order in the world (dao), not order that extends human beings.’

子曰：君子和而不同 Confucius Said: The Exemplary Person pursues Harmony, Not Sameness

华人的一个世界的世界观意味着人与自然世界有着直接与紧接关联。人生经验的目的就是要在构成世界的各种不同元素这取得和谐。

和谐与耕耘和谐在古代中国哲学中占了重要的地位。和谐从最具体与眼前开始；就是说，从个人来透视。强调的是有个人之修身为出发点，达到家庭、社会、政治与世界的秩序。

和谐的本质可以烹饪艺术来解释。中国的烹饪要求好的烹饪必须把所有的原料调和，同时要保留每一种原料的颜色、质地与味道。要成为一个好厨师，一定要是个好的安排者。每一种原料的味道都要调和（和谐）。没有调和就没有味道。菜式的颜色与质地的展示要十分重要。

《吕氏春秋》对烹饪艺术如此描述: ‘调和之事，必以甘酸苦辛咸，先後多少，其齐甚微，皆有自起。鼎中之变，精妙微纤，口弗能言，志弗能喻，若射御之微，阴阳之化，四时之数。’

所以，子曰：‘君子和而不同；小人同而不和。’

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The Chinese one-world world view means there is a direct and immediate affinity between the human being and the natural world and the purpose of human experience is to get the most harmony out of the various ingredients that constitute the world.

Harmony and cultivation of harmony therefore occupy a prominent position in Chinese ancient philosophy. The harmony begins from what is most concrete and immediate, i.e. from the perspective of any particular human being. The emphasis is on personal cultivation as a starting point for familial, social, political, and cosmic order.

The nature of harmony is explained by relating it to the culinary arts. The art of Chinese cooking requires that good cooking depends on the blending of various ingredients and at the same time for each ingredient, retains its own colour, texture, and flavour. In order to become a good cook one must first be a good matchmaker. The flavours of the ingredients must be blended with harmony. Without this harmony there is no taste. The use of colour and texture in the presentation of the dish was also stressed.

In Spring and Autumn Annals of Master Lu, the art of cooking described as follows:

‘In combining your ingredients to achieve a harmony, you have to use sweet, sour, bitter, acrid and the salty, and you have to mix them in an appropriate sequence and proportion. Bringing the various ingredients together is an extremely subtle art in which each of them has its own expression. The variations within the cooking pot are so delicate and subtle that they cannot be captured in words or fairly conceptualise. It is much like the fine skill of archery, transformation of yin and yang, and changes of seasons.’

Therefore Confucius said: ‘The exemplary person pursues harmony, not sameness (uniformity).’

子曰：中庸之为德也，其至矣乎！ Confucius Said: The Doctrine of the Mean is of the Highest Order

‘中庸’是新儒家所采用的概念与儒家经典书名。《中庸》这本经典据说是孔子的唯一曾孙子思（孔汲）所写的。而这个词则在《论语》只出现过一次:

子曰：‘中庸之为德也，其至矣乎！民鲜久矣。’

英语把它翻译为‘平均法则’，对英语读者可能有误导性。

‘中’至少有三个意义。

‘中’的第一个意思指‘执两用中’的‘中’。真正的意思是既不要“过”也不要“不及”。如描绘美人，‘增之一分则太长，减之一分则太短；著粉则太白，施朱则太赤’。身体与容貌都恰到好处。这就是‘中’。

第二个意思指‘适宜、合适、合乎一定的标准’，含有‘从容中道’的意思。也即表现于外部行为上的“中道”，合于礼。

引导‘中道’的深入内心世界，就是‘中’的第三个意思，所谓‘喜怒哀乐之未发谓之中’。这是说明礼是道德准则，是根源于人的含而未发的内心的。

‘庸’ 指平常，一般，‘庸’亦指‘用’。‘中庸’就是‘尚中，并为一般之用’。要了解‘中’的意思，才能比较好地掌握‘中庸’的道德意义。
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‘Zhong Yong’ is both a concept and the name of a Neo-Confucian text. The composition of the text is attributed to Zisi (or Kong Ji) the only grandson of Confucius. The term only appears once in the Analects:

Confucius said, ‘The virtue embodied in the Doctrine of the Mean is of the highest order. But it has long been rare among people.’ (Analects: 6:29)

To translate ‘Zhong Yong’ as the Doctrine of the Mean may not have conveyed its full meaning to English readers. The Chinese term ‘zhong yong’ consists of two Chinese words, zhong and yong.

The word Zhong has at least three meanings.

The first meaning refers to the situation where one needs to listen to both sides and choose the middle course, i.e. to be impartial and just right. The real meaning is neither too much nor too little, that is, just right. In the case of a beautiful lady, she can be described as, ‘If she were one inch taller, she would be too tall. If she were one inch shorter, she would be too short. If she used powder, her face would be too white. If she used rouge, her face would be too red.’ The description means that her figure and complexion were just right. This is zhong.

The second meaning is used to describe customary norms that must be suitable, appropriate, and that should be conformed to, as expressed in the Chinese saying, ‘calmly follow the suitable Way’. The word ‘Way’ with capital letter W refers to Dao, or in Confucian term li, the external rituals.

It is the inner mind and the concept of equilibrium that lead us to follow the ‘suitable Way’. This is how the third meaning of equilibrium is derived. It is said that ‘before the feelings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy are established, there is equilibrium’. In other words, understanding of rituals refers to moral standards which originated from the need to have equilibrium before various feelings are established.

The word ‘yong’ means common, ordinary, or utilise. Combine ‘zhong’ with ‘yong’, it means ‘the common and ordinary use of the principle of zhong’. It is therefore important to understand the meaning of zhong before we can fully appreciate the virtue embodied in the principles of Zhong Yong.

儒家宇宙起源学：易有太极，是生两仪 The Confucian Cosmogony: Supreme Ultimate Produces Two Forms

宇宙起源学是指有关宇宙如何形成或来源，或现实的形成的学说。当代的看法趋向于认为宇宙有个开始，而这个开始是宇宙演化的一个阶段。在中国，两千年前道家与儒家对宇宙的看法都与当代的观点相似。

可是，从古典经书中，我们却没法看到孔子对这个课题的明确观点。孔子死后，不少儒学者从《易经》的学习而发展出一套儒家的宇宙起源学说。《易经》一直被认为是儒家经典之一。周敦颐（1017-1073）就是其中的一个儒家学者。

《易经》里说，‘易有太极，是生二仪。’周敦颐由此而画出《太极图》并阐述他的宇宙起源《太极图说》：

无极而太极。太极动而生阳，动极而静，静而生阴，静极复动。一动一静，互为其根；分阴分阳，两仪立焉。

阳变阴合，而生水、火、木、金、土，五行顺布，四时行焉。

五行一阴阳也，阴阳一太极也，太极本无极也。五行之生也，各一其性。

无极之真，二五之精，妙合而凝。乾道成男，坤道成女。二气交感，化生万物，万物生生而变化无穷焉。’

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Cosmogony refers to theory concerning the coming into existence or origin of the universe, or about how reality came to be. Contemporary opinion tends to consider that the universe had a beginning, and that this beginning was a stage in the evolution of the universe. Both Daoism and Confucianism in China seem to propose a similar view of the universe for the past two thousand years.

However, the Confucius position on this matter has never been not clearly articulated in any of the classical texts. It was only after the dearth of Confucius that a number of Confucian scholars studied and developed their cosmogonies based on the Book of Changes (Yijing), which is considered to be one of the classical texts of Confucianism. One of them was Zhou Dunyi (1017 – 1073).

In Yijing, it says, ‘In the Yi there is the Supreme Ultimate, which produces the Two Forms.’ Based on this, Zhou came out with a diagram called ‘Taiji Tu’, or the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate and then he developed the Confucian theory of cosmogony (Taiji Tushuo):

‘The Ultimateless! And yet the Supreme Ultimate! The Supreme Ultimate through Movement produces the Yang. This Movement, having reached its limit, is followed by Quiescence, and by this Quiescence, it produces the Yin. When Quiescence has reached its limit, there is a return to Movement. Thus Movement and Quiescence, in alteration, become each the source of the other. The distinction between the Yin and Yang is determined and the Two Forms (ie Yin and Yang) stand revealed.

By the transformations of the Yang and the union therewith of the Yin, Water, Fire, Wood and Metal and Earth are produced. These Five Elements (wuxing) become diffused in harmonious order, and the four sessions produced in their course.

The Five Elements and the one Yin and Yang, the Yin and Yang are the one Supreme Ultimate, and the Supreme Ultimate is fundamentally the Ultuimateless. The Five Elements came into being each having its own particular nature.

The true substance of the Ultimateless and the essence of the Two (Forms) and Five (Elements), unite in mysterious union, so that that consolidation ensures. The principle of Qian (the trigram symbolising Yang) becomes the male element, and the principle of Kun (the trigram symbolising Yin) becomes female elements. The Two Forms (ethers, the Yin and Yang) by their interaction operate to produce all things, and these in their turn produce and reproduce, so that transformation and change continue without end.’

子曰：八佾舞於庭 Confucius Said: Having Eight Rows of Dancers to Perform in Courtyard

孔子的礼乐理论强调在扮演教育任务上，礼与乐是不能分开的，音乐与舞蹈对净化人心十分重要。礼节列明不同社会阶层，音乐则是社会不同阶层间的调节者。这种调节可以维持社会安定与达到统治者治好社会的政治目标。

在体现礼节时，我们应该以正确的态度来执行。例如，在祭拜时，我们应该诚心敬畏神灵；服丧时，我们应该真心为死者致哀。相同的，服务诸侯时，士大夫应该谦恭；管理人民时，统治者应该仁慈。如果没有了情感成分在内，礼节就变成了空洞的形式。遵守法规的行为需要以内心为依据。不然，礼节只是管制人们行为的机制而已。

礼节对于产生社会习俗的任务重大，因为它告诉人们他们对他人应有的责任以及合理的期望。形式化的行为渐渐的内化、欲望有所寄托、个人修养就成了正确的社会标志。

由于礼仪是重要的社会法规，人们以它们为准而行事。所以当孔子听到季孙氏违背礼节而以六十四个人在他的庭院中奏乐舞蹈，孔子自然不高兴。在周朝，不同阶级的人在举行祭拜市在庭中舞蹈所能用的舞蹈人数是不同的：天子有八行，每行八人、诸侯六行、大夫四行、一般官员两行。季孙氏为鲁国大夫，用六十四人，可说是粗暴地采用了专属于周王的礼节。

孔子谓季氏，「八佾舞於庭，是可忍也，孰不可忍也？」

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The Confucian theories on music and dance stressed that music and rites were indispensable in performing their education role, and that music and dance were vital in purifying people's mind. Rites set down social class differences, while music was a mediator in the society of all classes. This mediation could maintain the social stability and reach the rulers' political goal to well run the world.

In performing rites, what must be emphasised is that one has to perform them with the correct attitude. For example, when performing a sacrifice, one has to feel reverence for the spirits; when carrying out the rites of mourning, one has to feel grief for the decreased. Similarly, in serving his lord, a minister was to be respectful; in governing his people, a ruler was to be benevolent. Without this emotional component, ritual becomes a hollow performance. Acting in conformity with the rules of proper conduct requires an inner dimension for its foundation. Otherwise, ritual will only be the mechanism of regulating people’s behaviour.

Rites therefore have prominent role in the creation of social mores, as they inform people about their duties to others and also of their reasonable expectations of them. Formalized behavior becomes progressively internalized, desires are channeled and personal cultivation becomes the mark of social correctness.

Since rites are paramount social law, people have to act according to them. He was therefore very upset when he heard of Jisun family’s violation of rites by getting eight rows of dancers to perform in his courtyard. During Zhou dynasty, different ranks in society were allowed different number of dancers to perform outside the ancestral hall during memorial ceremony: the King could have eight rows of eight dancers, feudal lords six rows, minister four rows, and official two rows. The head of Jisun family officially held only the position of minister, and his use of eight rows of eight dancers thus shown an outrageous usurpation of ritual prerogatives of the Zhou king.

Confucius said of the head of the Ji family, ‘He is having eight rows of dancers to perform in his courtyard. If he can bear to do this, what may he not bear to do?’

子曰：一阴一阳之谓道 Confucius Said: The Successive Movement of the Inactive Yin and Active Yang….

我们可以很肯定地说阴阳概念是中国伟大哲理流派之一儒学的意识基础。

阴阳家虽然可能是最先讲述阴阳关心，而《道德经》是最先明确地说明道与阴阳协调的哲学阐述。

可是在中国历史里，并没有有关孔子明确阐述阴阳学说的记录，就算是《论语》里也没有提到阴阳。

最早采用道家意识形态的儒家学者可能是荀子（公元前312–230），因为他以天地与阴阳的合一为宇宙之开始。荀子以道家的最高与永恒的道之理来融入儒家所关心的政治行动与伦理教化。

同时期的其他学者亦通过《易经•十翼》来解释阴阳思想。就如庄子所说，‘《易》以道阴阳’，《易经》基本上是以阴阳为基础的二元系统。

虽然我们并不知道《易经•十翼》的作者是谁，《易经》还是被认为是儒学的代表作。事实上，它一直被看作是五经之首。历来，《易经》都被用来理解儒家伦理与哲学学说的途径。

所以，在《易经》中，孔子还是被引用来子曰：‘一阴一阳之谓道。’

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One may confidently say that the concept of yinyang forms the metaphysical foundation for Confucianism, one of the great philosophical schools of China.

While the philosophers of the Yinyang School may be the ones who first started to elaborate on the yinyang relationships, the first philosophical work which spoke explicitly about Dao and the harmony between yin and yang was the Daode Jing.

However, there is no written record in Chinese history to show that Confucius had elaborated in certain terms on yinyang, and even in the Analects of Confucius there is no mention of yinyang.

Probably the first known Confucian to adopt Daoist metaphysics was Xunzi (312–230 BC), as he made the unity of nature (tiandi) and yinyang the origin of the universe. Xunzi amalgamated the Daoist metaphysics of a supreme and constant rule of Dao with his Confucian concern for political action and ethical education.

Other intellectuals of this period such as the authors of the Ten Appendixes to the Yijing did much the same thing. As observed by Zhuangzi, ‘The aim of Yijing is to explain yin and yang’, at the root of the Yijing is the binary system known as yin and yang.

While the actual authors of the Ten Appendixes of Yijing were not known, Yijing has been regarded as the representative work of Confucianism. In fact, the Yijing is considered to be the best of the five classics of Confucianism. Historically, the Yijing has been viewed through the lens of Confucian ethical and philosophical commentary.

Therefore one can always quote Confucius to have said in Yijing, ‘The successive movement of the inactive yin and active yang operations constitutes what is called the Dao.’

子曰：乐节礼乐 Confucius Said: Find Enjoyment in Ceremonies and Music

孔子最终的目的是要达到一个以周朝社会为模范的和谐社会。所以孔子把自己看作是衰退中的周朝礼乐文化的保存者与恢复者，那时不令人惊奇的。所有其它的一切都是为了要达到这个目标的手段。

之前，礼乐是用来服务神鬼，而神鬼又被认为是服务社会的重要手段。孔子把礼节并入世俗关系来制造一个理想的和谐社会。

周礼应受尊敬因为它为安稳与文雅社会提供了基础。它们界定了各类职责的任务与为行动提供了准则。依次，它们又为自我约束提供了社会框架。

乐被认为是关键的手段，因为它是礼节中重要的部分。所以，乐需要来实现和谐社会中的两个互相关联的目标：自我修养与社会和谐。

所以，早期儒学者认为道德与艺术是交错于中的，因为实践它们可以自我修身并最成为完美的人。这个过程对形成与维持一个和谐社会很重要。

《论语》里说：‘礼之用，和为贵。先王之道，斯为美。小大由之，有所不行，知和而和，不以礼节之，亦不可行也。’

孔子的劝告是：乐节礼乐。
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The ultimate goal of Confucius was to achieve a harmonious society which was exemplified by the Zhou dynasty. It is therefore not surprising that Confucius saw himself as the preserver and restorer of the declining Zhou culture. All others things were to be considered as means to achieve this goal.

The rituals and arts that previously had been used to serve the spiritual things were seen as instrumental in serving mankind. Confucius incorporated the rites into secular relationships in order to make the ideal of social harmony.

The Zhou Ritual (li) was to be respected as it provided the foundation for a stable and culturally refined society. They defined various roles and provided normative guidelines for action. In turn, they also provide social framework necessary for self-mastery.

Arts were considered as instrumental as they were seen as an important component of ritual. Therefore, arts were needed in actualising two interrelated goals of a harmonious society: self-cultivation and social harmony.

Hence, the early Confucians viewed moral and good arts as intertwined, for practising them allowed one to cultivate the self and to ultimately become a good person. This process was essential for establishing and maintaining a harmonious society.

The Analects says, ‘In the application of the rituals, harmony is most valuable. In the ways of the former Kings, the achievement of harmony made them elegant. While harmony is a guiding standard in all things large and small, if you keep pursuing it just because you know it, and do not use the rituals to regulate it, it will not work.’

And Confucius’ advice is ‘to find enjoyment in the discriminating study of ceremonies and music’.

子曰：政者正也 Confucius: To Govern Means to Rectify

马英九有一次问到访的新加坡退休贪污调查局局长，什么原因使新加坡成为世界上贪污最少的国家之一。对方说，是领导人的政治意志。
这句话给他留下深刻印象，认为是一语中的。他想到了孔子的话：‘其身正，不令而行，其身不正，虽令不行。’孔子也说：‘政者正也，子率以正，孰敢不正？’
孔子推行政府或领导以身作则，因为这样可获得人民的信心。‘政’与‘正’音义几乎相同，显示两者之间关系。孔子相信行动定下基调，人民的素质反映在领导者的身上。
这是基于所有人都有基本共同点与人可以修身与礼仪来加以教化的理念。相信人性本善与可教化性，对中国的政治组织有很大的影响。
在孔子的国度里，统治者的功能就是教育与改变人民。要达到这个目的，法律与强制并非上策，而是应由个人的自我约制，以身作则，争论则有统治者与他的官员来调解。为了达到和谐社会的目的，孔子的政治学说强调以调停而不是以抽象的法律来解决纠纷。
希望这种和谐社会也是无贪污社会，不会因领导人的消失而消失。
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Ma Ying-jeou (Ma Yingjiu) once asked a visiting retired Director of Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau the main reason that made Singapore one of the cleanest, corruption free countries in the world. He was told that political will of leadership is most important in fighting corruption.
He was impressed and thought that this really hit the nail on the head. That also reminded him that Confucius had said before, ‘If a ruler sets himself right, he will be followed without his command. If he does not set himself right, even his commands will not be obeyed.’ Confucius also said, ‘To govern means to rectify. Who will dare not to be correct, if the ruler leads the people with correctness?’
Confucius promoted a government or leadership by example as it would secure the confidence of the people. The words 'govern' and 'rectify' are nearly the exact same Chinese symbol, exposing the relationship between the roots of the words. Confucius believed action sets the tone, people therefore reflect the leader himself.
This is based on a belief in the fundamental similarity of all persons and that human beings can be educated through self-cultivation and the practice of ritual. The belief in the innate goodness and educatibility of man has had strong implications for the development of the Chinese political system.
The ruler's main function in the Confucian state was to educate and transform the people. This was ideally accomplished not by legal regulation and coercion, but by personal rule, moral example, and mediation in disputes by the ruler and his officials. Confucian political theory emphasized conflict resolution through mediation, rather than through the application of abstract rules to establish right and wrong in order to achieve social harmony.
Hopefully, such harmonious society is also corruption free, and will continue to function that way even when the good ruler is not around.

子曰：齐之以礼 Confucius Said: Regulate People by Rules of Li

子曰：‘道之以政，齐之以刑，民免而无耻。道之以德，齐之以礼，有耻且格。’
当孔子在两千五百多年前谈到上面的话时，好像他已经看到我们目前所面对的问题，并以仪式化的‘礼’来作为答案。礼是孔子思想里最重要的概念。
礼的最早用法应指中国早期仪式中的神圣的献祭仪式。孔子把这个祭神的特别活动扩展到所有被认为是神圣的日常活动。但是，我们应该注意的是，这里主要的目的是对渗透生活事务的祭拜仪式采取适当的态度，而不是太过相信神灵之类的东西。孔子本身就说过：‘务民之义，敬鬼神而远之，可谓知矣。’
孔子的看法已经假设影响的方向应该是由上而下。就是说，由政府首长到平民百姓。如果领袖可以改变，人民自然也会改变。正所谓：上梁不正下梁歪。
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Confucius said, 'Lead the people with legal measures and regulate them by punishment, and they will avoid wrongdoing but will have no sense of honour and shame. Lead them with the power of virtuous example and regulate them by rules of li, and they will have a sense shame and will thus rectify themselves.'
When Confucius said the above more than two thousand five hundred years ago, it is as though he had already seen the problems we faced today and found the answer in the ritualisation of li. Li is the most important term in Confucius’ thought.
The word li encompassed a number of ideas convey in English by separate words, such as ritual, custom, propriety, and manners.
The oldest meaning of li referred to the scared rites of sacrifice, the heart of early Chinese ceremonial practices. Confucius took this idea of activity specifically pertaining to sacred things and enlarged it so that all daily activities could be viewed as sacred. However, one should note that the main goal here is to make the attitudes appropriate to sacrificial rites pervade all the affairs of life rather than to get close to the spiritual things. As Confucius himself put it: 'To give one's self earnestly to the duties due to men, and, while respecting spiritual beings, to keep aloof from them, may be called wisdom.'
The assumed direction of influence in the Confucian view was from the top down – that is, from the head of government down to the common people. If the leaders can be changed, then the people would be changed also. As the saying goes, fish begins to stink at the head.

子曰：学而时习之 Confucius Said: To Learn with a Constant Perseverance and Practice

子曰：学而时习之，不亦悦乎？有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？人不知而不愠，不亦君子乎？
第一句里的‘习’，并不是指温习，而是指习惯。这个‘习’与他所说的‘性相近也，习相远也’的习是一样的。以动词来读，就是多多实践以成为习惯。就是说，我们学习了新的东西，能够时常应用，那不是件愉快的事吗？
第二句的‘朋’，固然可指朋友，亦可说是知我者。‘远’是远方，指空间之远，亦指时间之长。人生能有一知己，实在是不易，在远方或久久能得到一个知己，自是一大乐事也。
第三句，不愠就是不感到烦恼。有大学问而不为世所知，并不觉得有所烦恼，那才算是君子。
这三句话都是有关作学问的态度。学了就要有所应用，就要有知音人，但不要显耀。
In the Analects, Confucius started by telling the correct attitude of learning. He said that with three sentences.
In the first sentence, the word xi习means practice. This is the same word when he said ‘Men are close in human nature but far apart in practice’. It is used here as a verb, to mean one must always practice or apply on what one has learned.
In the second sentence, the word ‘peng 朋’ means friends, or those who understand and appreciate you. The word ‘yuan远’ refers to far away place in terms of distance or once in a while, a long time. If there is someone who lives far away or once in a while someone understands you, is it not delightful?
The third sentence says that as a true gentleman, one should not be troubled if his wisdom is not noticed by anyone.
So Confucius said: ‘Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and practice? Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters? Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?’
These three sentences summarise the way of learning. A person must always apply what he learns, will be delighted that some ones appreciate him and will not be troubled if nobody takes note of him.

子曰：必也正名乎 Confucius: Rectification of Names

孔子认为要有一个秩序良好的社会，重要的是执行它所谓的正名。就是说，每一样东西都要有正当的名字。
子路曰：‘卫君待子而为政，子将奚先？’
子曰：‘必也正名乎？…….. 名不正，则言不顺，言不顺，则事不成，事不成，则礼乐不兴，礼乐不兴，则刑罚不中，则民无所错手足。故君子名之必可言也。言之必可行也。君子于其言，无所苟而已也。’
正名亦表示事物要符合它所取的名字。在社会关系上，每个名字都意含其责任与职责。统治者、臣子、父亲、儿子都是社会关系中的名字，每一个人在各自名分下都应该适当的履行他们的责任与职责。
所以孔子说：‘君君臣臣父父子子。’
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Confucius held that in order to have a well-ordered society, the most important thing is to carry out what he called the rectification of names. That is to say all things should be called by their proper name.
Zilu said, ‘The ruler of Wei awaits your taking on administration. What will you consider the first thing to be done?’
Confucius replied, ‘What is necessary is to rectify names . . . . If names are not rectified then language will not flow. If language does not flow, then affairs cannot be carried on to success. If affairs cannot be carried on to success, ritual and arts will deteriorate; if the rites and arts deteriorate, justice goes astray; and if justice goes astray, the people will stand about in helpless confusion. Therefore a superior man considers it necessary that the names he uses may be spoken appropriately and also that what he speaks may be carried out appropriately. What the superior man requires, is just that in his words there may be nothing incorrect.'
The rectification of names also means that things should conform to the name they already have. Every name in the social relationships implies certain responsibilities and duties. Ruler, minister, father, and son are all the names of such social relationships, and the individuals bearing these names must fulfil their responsibilities and duties accordingly.
Therefore, Confucius said: ‘Let the ruler be ruler, the minister be the minister, the father be the father, and the son be the son.’

子曰：人之生也直Confucius said: Man is Born for Uprightness

孔子详细的谈到他人生精神的发展。我们的印象是他是个有决心和思想独立的人。也可以说他相信人性本同，只是习惯的不同才使到人有不同。
什么是共同的人性呢？子贡曾经说：‘夫子之言性与天道，不可得而闻也。’《论语·公冶长》 意思是老师谈到人性与天道，不是听了就能理解的。
从论语记载看来，孔子谈到人性时说法并不一致。
a. ‘人之生也直’《论语·雍也》
b. ‘我未见好仁者、恶不仁者’《论语·里仁》
c. ‘唯上知与下愚不移’《论语·阳货》
对人性的看法变成重要是因为它决定了人会追求怎样的理想和他如何尽力而为。
儒家后来对人性有了两种重要的看法。
孟子(372-289 BC)所持的一种看法是所有人类都有一个善良的内心，可以教育与自修来助长。
另一方面，荀子(453-221 BC) 持着相反的看法，礼仪是用来改正这种恶本性最重要方法。
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Confucius talked in great detail on the life journey of his own spiritual development. One gets the impression of a man of conviction and independence of mind. One can also say that he believed that human nature is common but practice make it different one from another.
But what is this common nature? Zogong once said: The master’s “discourses about man’s nature, and the way of Heaven, cannot be understood easily by just listening to him.”
In the Analects, it would appear that inconsistent views were expressed by the Master on human nature.
a. ‘Man is born for uprightness’ (6.19)
b. ‘I have not seen a person who loved virtue, or one who hated what was not virtuous.’ (4.6)
c. ‘There are only the wise of the highest class, and the stupid of the lowest class, who cannot be changed.’ (17.3)
The position on human nature becomes important as it shapes our ideas on what ideals men can aspire to and how they are best encouraged to do so.
Two significant positions on human nature were developed later among the Confucians.
Mencius (372-289 BC) holds one position that all human beings share an innate goodness that can be cultivated through education and self-discipline.

On the other hand, Xunzi (453-221 BC) holds the opposite view and that ritual is crucial for reforming humanity’s original bad nature.

子曰：天何言哉？ Confucius Said: Does Heaven Speak?

子曰：‘予欲无言。”子贡曰：“子如不言，则小子何述焉？”子曰：‘天何言哉？四时行焉，百物生焉，天何言哉？’
孔子说：“我不想讲话了。”子贡说：“老师如果不讲话，那么弟子们又传述什么呢？”孔子说：“天讲了什么呢？春夏秋冬照样运行，天下百物照样生长，天讲了什么呢？”
我们可以从孔子“予欲无言”这四个字里看到孔子内心的一种无奈。孔子为什么不想讲话呢？除了因为言易行难，更重要的是言不尽意呵。
关于第一点，孔子说了不少：‘巧言令色，鲜矣仁’、‘古者言之不出，恥躬之不逮也’、‘君子欲訥於言，而敏於行’ 。
关于第二点，孔子在易经中就指出：‘书不尽言，言不尽意。’所以，‘圣人立象以尽意，设卦以尽情伪，系辞焉以尽其言。’
就这样，重象轻言的说法后来就成了中国美学里最重要的审美概念。比较起来，西方则重‘文字’（罗各斯）而轻‘影像’。
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Confucius said, 'I would prefer not speaking.' Zi-gong said, 'If you, the Master, do not speak, what shall we, your disciples, have to record and pass on?' Confucius said, 'Does Heaven speak? The four seasons pursue their courses, and all things are continually being produced, but does Heaven say anything?'
One can sense the Master’s inner feeling of lack of choices when he said he would prefer not speaking. Why didn’t he prefer speaking? This is due to the difficulty in applying his teachings in our daily lives and more importantly, the difficulty in using words to transmit completely his teachings.
On the first point, Confucius has a lot to say about it:
- Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with virtue.
- The ancients were hesitant to speak, fearing that their actions would not do justice to their words.
- The Superior Man desires to be hesitant in speech, but sharp in action.
On the second point, Confucius said in Yijing: “Writing cannot fully express spoken words, and spoken words cannot fully express ideas.” As such, he continued: “A Sage establishes images/symbols to fully express his ideas, and he designs the hexagrams to plumb true and false feelings. He appends text to them to express his words.”
Now, his preference of ‘images/symbols’ over ‘words’ was later evolved into the most important aesthetic concept in the traditional Chinese aesthetics, as compared to the Western preference of ‘words’ (logos) over appearances.

子日：述而不作 Confucius Said: A Transmitter and Not a Maker

孔子（551BC – 479 BC）出生与生活于周代春秋时期中国东北的鲁国。周代(1122 BC to 256 BC) 是中国历史上历时最久的一个朝代，建国初期和后期，人们生活条件和社会状况相差很大。
周朝在政治文化、教育系统、社会结构高度成熟，成就很大，礼乐文化闻名。周朝书籍著作和保留很多，包括诗经、尚书、易经、周礼。
孔子沮丧于周礼乐文化之衰微与没落。礼乐文化在他于公元前551年出世之前的几个世纪就已经发展和兴盛成熟。
道家的反应是逃避人类文明，在自然中寻找宁静与自由。而孔子的反应是全面的、长远的解决方案，就是以周文化来教化百姓。
所以当孔子说‘述而不作，信而好古’时，倒不是他的谦虚之言，而是现成的选择。
他还说：‘我非生而知之，好古，敏以求之者也。’
无可避免地，在传述古典思想时，他以自己的伦理观念加以阐述。而这些阐述最后发展成为一家之说，那就是儒家。
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Confucius (551BC - 479 BC) was born and raised in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period of Zhou dynasty in Shandong province in northeast China. The Zhou dynasty (1122 BC to 256 BC) is by far the longest in Chinese history, and the conditions of life and the state of society at the beginning and end of it are vastly different.
The Zhou dynasty achieved a highly sophisticated political culture, educational system and social structure. It was famous for its culture of rites and music (礼乐文化) and lots of writing were produced and preserved from Zhou dynasty, including Book of Odes (Shi Jing), Book of History (Shang Shu), Book of Changes (Yi Jing), and the Rites of Zhou (Zhou Li).
Confucius was disheartened on seeing the decline and falls of the Zhou culture of rites and music, which was developed and flourished for a number of centuries prior to his birth in 551 BC.
While the Daoists responded by moving away from human civilization and finding tranquility and liberation in nature, Confucius responded with a holistic, long term solution by teaching his fellow people the Zhou culture.
Thus, when Confucius said he is ‘a transmitter and not a maker, believing in and loving the ancients’, he is not being modest. Rather he was making an existential choice.
He continued: ‘I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there. ’
It is inevitable that while transmitting the ideas from the classics, he gave them interpretations derived from his own moral concepts, which ultimately evolved into a school of thought known as Confucianism.

子曰：七十而从心所欲，不逾矩Confucius Said: At Seventy, I could Follow the Desires of my Mind…..

孔子的晚年心境应该是相当痛苦的。56岁后，孔子离开鲁国周游列国，希望再次找到伸展政治抱负的机会。但是，他碰到的是冷漠对待，有时还陷入困境和遇到危险。
孔子69岁回到了鲁国。回来不久，他最亲近的人连续死亡。首先，他的儿子去世，接着是得意弟子颜回。公元前481年，司马牛悲惨死去，子路亦于公元前480年死于卫国的内乱。
但孔子对自己的死亡似乎平静以待。有一次，他病得很严重，子路问可不可以为他祈祷。孔子回答：‘我自己已经祈祷很久了。’意思是说不必祈祷了，他平时的所作所为就是对天的一种祷告了。
孔子晚年主要的工作就是教书，把他的思想和智慧传授给与日俱增的学生，并通过五经（包括易经）来传递他的思想。孔子和这些述作的联系，使到这些经书成为‘儒学经典’，而孔子本身也被敬为教师、历史学者、伦理哲学家、文学学者，和其他无数在中国文化史上著名人物的精神导师。
孔子应该最清楚什么是‘不逾矩’，因为他就是道德标准的述作者。难怪他会说：‘七十而从心所欲，不逾矩’。
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The last couple of years of Confucius' life must have been bitter ones for him. At the age of 56, he left the state of Lu to travel to other states in order to see if he could advise other rulers to put his principles into practice. However, he met instead with indifference and, occasionally, severe hardship and danger.
He returned to Lu at the age of 69. Shortly after his return, he met with a number of deaths among his close associates. First his son died, and then his favourite disciple Yen Hui. Sima Niu, had a tragic death in 481 BC, and Zilu was killed in the civil war of Wei in 480 BC.
However, Confucius seemed to face his own death calmly. Once when he was very ill, Zilu asked if he could pray for him. The master responded, "My praying has been for a long time." What he meant was that the deeds of his life had been his prayer to Heaven, there was no need to pray for him.
Confucius spent the last years of his life teaching, spreading his thoughts and wisdom to his growing number of disciples and transmitting his words through a set of books called Five Classics, which include Yijing, the Book of Changes. Confucius' traditional association with these works led them and related texts to be revered as the “Confucian Classics” and made Confucius himself the spiritual ancestor of later teachers, historians, moral philosophers, literary scholars, and countless others whose lives and works figure prominently in Chinese intellectual history.
Confucius must have known clearly the boundaries of what is right since the moral standards were interpreted and set by him. No wonder he said, ‘At seventy I could follow the desires of my mind without overstepping the boundaries of what is right.’

子曰：六十而耳顺 Confucius Said：At Sixty I was Able to Listen to Everything Without Feeling Unhappy

子曰：六十而耳顺。
耳顺是指知天命后，个人的修行成熟，没有不顺耳之事。南怀瑾说，耳顺就是心里平静，明确是非善恶。
于丹解释说：人到了六十岁，能理解任何一件事情存在的道理，能虚心倾听各种声音。一个人要想做到耳顺，就要使自己无比辽阔，可以遇合不同高度，并以自己恒定的标准坚守在某一个高度。
另一个说法，‘耳’乃‘尔’也。顺就是“顺天命”，因先有“五十而知天命”，才能有“顺天命”。“知天命”的对于事物的处理一般是“接受结果”，还不是主动地按事物的规律性的谋取。“顺天命”当是有主动谋取的行为，但不意味着不犯错误，因为后有“七十从心所欲不逾矩”，才是不犯错误的年龄段。犯了错误而随时改正错误才可以说是“化”了，能“化解错误”，也就是“顺天命”了。
所以这句话，还是不好解。
我向往达到南怀瑾大师的心里平静境界。
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Confucius Said：At Sixty I was Able to Listen to Everything Without Feeling Unhappy
The original Chinese words used are ‘Er Shun’. Er means Ear, and Shun means Follow, Obey or Smooth, etc. So, literally, the phrase may mean follow your ear, obey your ear, etc.
I have found at least 6 ways of translating this phrase:
1. (James Legge)： At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth.
2. (Arthur Waley)： At sixty, I heard them with docile ear.
3. At sixty, the heavenly principles were not offensive to my ears.
4. Since 60, I have been able to distinguish right and wrong on other people's words.
5. At sixty I was already obedient to the decree of heaven.
6. At sixty I listened to everything without feeling unhappy.

I prefer Master Nan Huai Jin(Nan Huai-Chin)’s view that when one is able to know clearly the difference between good and bad, one’s mind becomes calm, thus one is able to listen to everything without feeling unhappy.

子曰：五十而知天命 Confucius said: At fifty, I knew the Decree of Heaven

英文把天命翻译为Decree of Heaven，再译为中文是天堂的意旨。这天堂一字，显然是有误导性。这里的天并不是指上帝居住的地方，而是命运，就是那些我们完全无法控制的东西。孟子所说‘若夫成功，则天也’中的天，就是这个意思吧。
什么是命呢？子曰：‘道之将行也与，命也；道之将废也与，命也。’对孔子而言，这就是天命，或者说是一种宇宙中果断的力量。
我们需要天命的协助，才能办好事。可是，这种协助完全不是我们所能左右的。我们所能做的，就是尽力而为，不计成败。行为的价值在过程，而不是成果。所以孔子说：‘不怨天，不尤人，下学而上达，知我者其天乎。’
这样的行为就是知命。对孔子来说，知命对君子很重要，所谓‘不知命，无以为君子也。不知礼，无以立也。不知言，无以知人也。’
于丹教授的解说：知命，知礼，知言三个境界，其实与人生的成长是相反的。我们是最先知言，在与人语言和读书中，了解这个社会，进而做到知人。知道他人如何，但知人后并不担保你不尤人，你也会抱怨别人。这是因为每个人都是尺有所短，寸有所长，长短之间，就会出现磕磕碰碰。下一个层次是知礼节，能够充分尊重别人。知礼以后，人就能做到立了。也就是说，人自我建立以后，这种抱怨就会少得多。更高的一个层次是知天命。这个知天命就是建立一个自循环的系统。他内心会有一种淡定的力量去对抗外界。
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Confucius said: At fifty, I knew the Decree of Heaven.
The Chinese term for Decree of Heaven is Tian Ming, or just Ming. Western readers should be careful not to interpret the word Heaven as a place or state of existence of the blessed after the mortal life. The Chinese word Tian can also be used to mean Fate, a term applied to all those events in human life over which man himself has no control. This is the Tian Mencius referred to when he said: "As to the accomplishment of a great deed, that is with Tian".
What is Ming? Confucius said: ‘If my principles are to prevail in the world, it is Ming. If they are to fall to the ground, it is also Ming.” To Confucius, Ming meant the Decree of Heaven, or a purposeful force of the universe.
For the success of our activity, we need the cooperation of Ming, or the decree of heaven. However, this cooperation is totally beyond our control. The best thing for us to do is therefore simply to try to carry out what we know we ought to carry out, without caring whether in the process we succeed or fail. The value of doing what we need to do lies in the doing itself, and not in the result. That’s why Confucius also said: 'I do not murmur against Heaven. I do not grumble against men. My studies lie low, and my penetration rises high. But there is Heaven that knows me!'
To act in this way is to know Ming. To know Ming is important requirement for being a superior man in the Confucian sense of the term, so that Confucius said: “He who does not know Ming cannot be a superior man.”

子曰: 四十而不惑 Confucius: At Forty I had No Doubts

孔子说：人到了四十岁，对什么事都明白了，所以就不会困扰了。

孔子也说：“知者不惑。”所以冯友兰说孔子回顾自己，到四十岁时，懂得了人生的智慧。
南怀瑾说人到了三十岁，做人做事处世的道理不变了，确定了，可是这时候还有怀疑，还有摇摆的现象，‘四十而不惑。’，到了四十岁，才不怀疑。
不惑，就是对世态人生不再有迷惑的地方，世事洞明、人情练达，波澜不惊，荣辱泰然。不惑是人生四十的标杆，四十又是秋天成熟果实的象征。人到四十，明白了一个重要的道理，这就是世界是残缺的，完美是没有的。
有人说，四十岁以前，你的行为举止，由父母负责。四十岁以后，如果你还面目可恶，那你就要自己负责了。我看这是言之有理的。
于丹教授对孔子“三十而立，四十不惑”的一种阐释：

其实人在三十岁以前是用加法生活的，就是不断地从这个世界上收集他的资格，他的学习经验、财富、情感、名誉这一切都是在用加法的，其实物质的东西越多，人是越容易迷惑的。
怎么样能到四十不惑呢？

这就是三十岁以后就开始要用减法生活了，就是不是你心灵真正需要的东西学会舍弃。其实我们内心就像一栋新房子，人刚刚搬进去的时候，都想要把所有的家具和装饰摆在里面，当最后这个家摆的像胡同一样时，发现没有地方放自己了，这就被东西奴役了，而且学会减法，就是把那些不想交的朋友舍掉了，不想做的事情可以拒绝了，甚至不想挣的钱你可以不受那个委屈了，当敢于舍弃的时候，人才真正接近不惑的状态。
什么叫做不惑？就是人面对很多世界给你的不公正啊、打击啊、缺憾啊、不再孜孜以求追问为什么不公平，而是在这样一个坐标上迅速建立自己应有的位置。现代的哲学家冯友兰先生有这样一句话：“阐旧邦以辅新命,极高明而道中庸”中庸之道其实是极尽高明之后，也就是中国古人所说的绚烂之极而归于平淡，真正有过极尽璀璨，在你二十的时候，三十岁的时候，曾经风发扬厉过，那么走过“不惑”的时候才表现为这样一种淡定而从容。
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Conficius said: At forty, I had no doubts.

According to Fung Yu-Lan, the statement that he had no doubts means that he had then become a wise man. For Confucius also said: "The wise are free from doubts."

And a wise man would understand the purpose of his enquiries into the moral world and the wellsprings of purposive social action.

子曰：三十而立 Confucius said: At thirty, I could stand.

在中学读到孔子这句话时，自然而然的就把它解释为：人到了三十岁，就应该成家立业了。‘立’就是‘立业’的意思。这种说法对吗？
“三十而立。”三十岁孔丘就可以“立”了。
孔丘说：“不学礼，无以立。”《论语·季氏》。又说：“立于礼，成于乐。”《论语·泰伯》
冯友兰认为‘立’就是懂得了行事为人的准则。所谓“非礼勿视，非礼勿听，非礼勿言，非礼勿动”《论语·颜渊》，立就是学礼已经达到一定的程度，那么视、听、言、动，都可以循规蹈矩，不至于违反周礼，可以站得住。
李泽厚《论语今读》说：“‘三十而立’，有人强调与‘立于礼’有关，是指人从六岁‘习礼’到三十岁才算完全掌握熟练，但后世注疏多不拘泥于学礼，而泛指人格的成熟，更佳。”
南怀瑾《论语中的名句》说：“立就是不动，做人做事处世的道理不变了，确定了，这个人生非走这个路子不可。”
杨伯峻《〈论语〉译注》的译文：三十岁，懂礼仪，说话做事都有把握。
蔡尚思《孔子思想体系》也说：“‘三十而立’，也就是学有所成。”这个学有所成，不单纯指知识和学问，还包括一个人的人生观、世界观、价值观，包括一个人的人格。
举了这么多学者的注解，大家明白了吗？
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Confucius said: "三十而立 San Shi Er Li" .

How to translate this into English? Here are some translations that I found on the Internet:
"Be successful by thirty"
"At thirty, I could stand."
"At thirty, I stood firm."
"At 30 I firmly took my stand."
"At thirty I had a place to stand."
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Let's talk about 立 first. Here li (立) means to establish, that is to say, our knowledge and learning, including our life philosophy, world view, sense of worth and personality have become mature and established when we are 30.

It also means to stand, to make a stand.

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Now the question is: What actually do you want to establish? What 'stand' do you want to take? There are many possible interpretations here. This is because Confucius did not elaborate on the What. Many scholars interpret What to mean li (礼) by quoting Confucius' own words: "Take your stand ie li(立) in the li (礼)." (立于礼 li yu li). Confused?

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Now, let's talk about 礼. According to Confucius, li (礼) is defined as proprietary rites or good manners. The concept of li determines how you act in a given relationship. In other words, li can be viewed as a person's morality. A person's morality is responsible for how they act or react to certain situations as well as how they view the world. Confucius advocates the necessity of li as a stepping stone to social harmony. li is interpreted quite differently throughout Confucian philosophy.
Fung Yu-Lan: "Confucius also said: 'Take your stand in the li (rituals, ceremonies, proper conduct).' (Analetcs VIII, 8) Again he said: 'Not to know li is to have no means of standing.' (XX, 3) Thus when he said at thirty he could 'stand', he means that he then understood the li and so could practice proper conduct.

子曰：唯女子与小人为难养也 Is Confucius the Enemy of Feminism?

《论语·阳货》说“唯女子与小人为难养也，近之则不逊，远之则怨。”
中学读书时，对孔子这句“唯女子与小人为难养也”话留下最深刻的印象。当时并没有注意到这句话后面的‘近之则不逊，远之则怨’。一般入对孔子批评最多的也是则句话，认为是孔子鄙视妇女和体力劳动者的论据。。
现在再读和尝试重新了解孔子所要表达的意思。可是现在人对古文注解不易。
女子是指女性，应该是没错。。可是还有一种说法认为孔子这里所说的“女子”不是指一般的妇女，而是指那些上层贵族家庭的姬妾。
一般认为“小人”是指“儿童”、“孩子”。李泽厚引《朱注》：此小人，亦谓仆隶下人也。南怀瑾认为小人就是普通人。也有说“小人”也是指贵族家庭中的奴仆，但也不是最低贱的干粗活的奴隶，而是“有头脸”甚至是受宠的上等奴仆。
古代“养”字除“养育、奉养”外，还有“调教、教育”义：《周礼·保氏》：“养国子以道，乃教之六艺”。《礼记·文王世子》：“立太傅、少傅以养之。”郑玄注：“养者，教也。”
由于对词句的注解不同，就有不同的译文：
1。“只有女子和小人是难得同他们共处的，亲近了，他会无礼；疏远了，他会怨恨。”
2。“只有妇女和小人难以对付：亲近了，不谦逊；疏远了，又埋怨。”
3。“女孩子和厮仆辈调教起来特有难处，对他们太亲近了，会不听从调教，疏远了则心生怨恨。”
4。“只有家里的妾侍和仆人最难养。你若和他们近了，他将不知有逊让。你若和他们远了，他便会怨恨你。”
5。“只有女子与小人是难以共处的；与他们亲近，他们就无礼，对他们疏远，他们就抱怨。”
6。“只有女子和小孩子们不好培养，过分接近，他们就与你没正形，过分疏远，他们就对你有意见。”
谁是谁非，不是我们这些普通人能辨别的。
有人问于丹：“‘唯女子与小人为难养也’作何解释？这句话是否表明孔老夫子歧视女性呢？”于丹答曰：“‘女子与小人难养’这句话一直为学界所争论，目前比较普遍的诠释有三种。第一种最直观，就说女子和小人一样难以理喻，因为女子长期待在家里以致和社会脱节，又不读书从而见识颇短，就跟小人一般；第二种将女子拆分解释为女儿和儿子（即‘女’和‘子’），小人指小孩子，故解为‘小孩子很难养’，意思是说小孩子不容易带；第三种把小人也解释为小孩子，说女人就跟小孩子一样，‘唯女子与小人为难养也’后面还有一句‘近之则骄，远则怨’，说的就是女人和小孩子一样，过于宠溺她会侍宠而骄，不理她又会心生怨气。”于丹是倾向于第三种解释的，她不认为这是孔老夫子在歧视女性，至多只能说孔夫子对女性的娇嗔不太解风情罢了。
南怀瑾《论语别裁》里说得最好： 孔子说女子与小人最难办了，对她太爱护了，她就恃宠而骄，搞得你啼笑皆非，动辄得咎。对她不好，她又恨死你，至死方休，这的确是事实，是无可否认的天下难事。但问题是，世界上的男人，够得上资格免于“小人”罪名的，实在少之又少。孔子这一句话，虽然表面上骂尽了天下女人，但是又有集体男人不在被骂之列呢？

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It has always been not easy to translate accurately the Chinese classics into English. This is because the origin Chinese words and phrases are subjected to many possible interpretations. If inaccurate and inappropriate translation are widely read and accepted, it may result in wrong interpretation by the English readers of the real spirit of Chinese culture and philosophy.

One of the most controversial sayings of Confucius appeared in Chapter XXV of Book 17 of the Analects. It was translated by James Legge (理雅各; December 20, 1815 – November 29, 1897):

The Master said, 'Of all people, girls and servants are the most difficult to behave to. If you are familiar with them, they lose their humility. If you maintain a reserve towards them, they are discontented.'

The Chinese scholars are still debating hotly on the possible meanings of '女子' and '小人' without any conclusion so far. I believe the English readers have very little choice but accepted the meaning of '女子' as 'girls' since James Legge is renowned Chinese expert in the western world and his translation of Chinese classics are widely read.

This may explain why there are many people in west have described Confucianism as “the enemy of feminism”. They often argue that Confucianism is the source of the patriarchal society and may have produced significant works about Confucianism's role in preserving the idea of women's subordination to men; they argue that the idea of men's superiority to women is embedded in Confucian philosophy.

While I am not so sure whether this is the correct interpretation of Confucius' view on women, I do believe that the underlying beliefs and assumption in many cultures are that, beyond biology, women and men possess essentially different capacities and functions. Understanding this assumption helps make sense of the perpetuation and even institutionalization of male/female difference with regard to behavior expectations, position within the family, legal rights, public status, education, and types of work. While this most often results in the subordination of women’s position in society vis-a-vis men, it sometimes can be a source of women’s special strength.

In China, the concept of gender difference appears visually in the male/female aspects of the yin/yang Taoist symbol. The dark swirl within the symbol’s circle is the passive, yielding, feminine yin; the light swirl the active, aggressive, male yang. Neither principle is considered subordinate to the other; each complements the other and is capable of expressing both female and male characteristics.