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"The Analects" Detailed Explanation: For All Those Who Misinterpret Confucius (71)

2007/12/18 21:02:26

The Master said: The gentleman, regarding all under heaven, gravitates toward nothing, yearns for nothing, and takes on the countenance of marching in lockstep.

Yang Bojun: Confucius said: "The gentleman, regarding affairs of the world, has no predetermined way things must be done, nor any predetermined way things must not be done — he simply does whatever is reasonable and appropriate."

Qian Mu: The Master said: "The gentleman, in dealing with worldly affairs, has nothing he exclusively advocates for, and nothing he categorically opposes — he simply follows whatever accords with righteousness."

Li Zehou: Confucius said: "The gentleman, in dealing with all matters under heaven, neither harbors hostility nor envious admiration — he merely uses what is proper and reasonable as his standard of measurement."

Detailed Explanation: First of all, all three interpretations above have logical problems. In Yang's interpretation, "doing whatever is reasonable and appropriate" is itself a rule — so how can he say there are no rules? As for the gentleman in Qian's interpretation, he clearly, according to this translation, exclusively advocates for "what accords with righteousness" and opposes "what does not accord with righteousness" — so how can one say "there is nothing he exclusively advocates for, and nothing he categorically opposes"? Li's interpretation has the same problem: since there exists "what is proper and reasonable as a standard of measurement," then there is indeed "hostility" and "admiration" — the mind in question is precisely one that takes "what is proper and reasonable as its standard of measurement."

"适" (shì): the original meaning is "to go to, to proceed toward," extended to mean "to gravitate toward."

"莫" (mò): a phonetic loan for "慕" (mù), meaning "to yearn for, to aspire toward."

"义" (yì): a noun used as a verb, meaning "to take on the appearance/bearing of." But this is not the "取义" in "舍生取义" (sacrificing one's life for righteousness) — where "义" has been turned into a tedious moral standard of the God-like variety. Here, "义" is the ancient form of "仪" (yí), meaning "appearance, bearing, countenance."

"比" (bǐ): this is the same "比" as in "小人比而不周" (the petty man marches in lockstep but is not comprehensive).

"Gravitating toward" manifests as action; "yearning" exists only as something within thought — therefore "莫" is lighter in degree than "适." The gentleman, regarding all things under heaven, will not establish an absolute standard, a God-like model, or any such contrivance to "gravitate toward" in behavior, nor will he even have the "yearning" in thought. Yet throughout history, countless people have insisted on conjuring up some contrivance from among the things of the world, making people "gravitate toward" it and "yearn for" it, and then their disciples and followers become cannon fodder and missionaries endlessly churning about. None of this is the conduct of the gentleman. The gentleman not only refrains from "gravitating toward" or "yearning for" those swindles of idols, Gods, and Dao — he also refuses to manufacture such things. In this world, not a single dharma can be obtained, not a single dharma can be lost — there is nothing worth "gravitating toward" or "yearning for."

But merely having no "gravitating toward" and no "yearning" is still not the conduct of the gentleman. The gentleman neither "gravitates toward" nor "yearns for" any single thing in the world, but he also does not look down upon any single thing in the world. Those who claim to have no "gravitating toward" and no "yearning" for the world, and then pose as so-called lofty figures and hermits — they are merely "gravitating toward" and "yearning for" the tedious posture of being a lofty figure or hermit. In the eyes of the gentleman, there is neither purity nor pollution. Heaven and hell — one traverses them freely. The gentleman can mingle among petty men and "take on the appearance" of "marching in lockstep," presenting the countenance of "比," acting as a petty man acts yet without the petty man's "gravitating toward" and "yearning."

Ordinary people imagine that bodhisattvas "gravitate toward" and "yearn for" some sacred things of their own imagination. But can there not be a bodhisattva's conduct among beggars, prostitutes, kept companions, and murderers? The bodhisattva's conduct is without limit — in hells and heavens, among humans, gods, ghosts, and beasts, in the sublime and the base — it is everywhere. The bodhisattva acts without abiding, without abiding yet with nothing left unacted upon. Even displaying the appearance of "gravitating toward" and "yearning" is part of the bodhisattva's conduct — and the principle of the gentleman's conduct is exactly the same.

Bodhisattvas naturally recognize bodhisattvas; gentlemen naturally recognize gentlemen. Some petty men also pretend, claiming their petty-man appearance is merely "taking on the countenance of marching in lockstep," that they themselves have no "gravitating toward" and no "yearning." This can naturally deceive ordinary people. Ordinary people who are deceived deserve to be deceived. Such things have happened far too many times in history. Especially those who love to use grand slogans, grand propaganda, and grand theories to fool others — swindling the entire world until it's reeling — isn't that perfectly normal? Isn't this the most common occurrence in the world of "people not knowing"? Don't assume that Hitler was so evil, Japanese militarism so cruel, as if those who were deceived were so tragic and deserving of sympathy. But without those so-called deceived people, without those who submitted to tyrannical power, where would Hitler have come from? Where would Japanese militarism have come from?

The most poisonous flowers cannot grow without their soil. And the world of "people not knowing" is the best soil for all poisonous flowers. What is most poisonous is the human heart itself. All evil deeds are the result of collective karma — don't treat yourself as an innocent babe. Laozi claimed that infants are the purest and that we should return to that state — that's having water on the brain. An infant's cruelty is no less than an adult's; it simply lacks the capacity to manifest.

But the human heart is also the most virtuous — all good deeds are likewise the result of collective karma. Good and evil are both born from your own heart. The one who becomes a gentleman is you; the one who becomes a petty man is also you. No one can take your place.

Some might ask: even knowing clearly that one should have "no gravitating toward" and "no yearning," why does one still "gravitate toward" and "yearn"? This is because one's own heart-force is pulled along by the force of karma — one's own strength has not yet reached that level. The wind of karma can only blow away those who can be blown away by it. True freedom is freedom from this web of karma — "no gravitating toward" and "no yearning," free across all states of being.

Birth and death constitute great karmic force. Merely shouting "no gravitating toward, no yearning," proclaiming how much one loathes "death" and "reincarnation" — yet "death" and "reincarnation" persist all the same and offer no relief. The true gentleman must not only have "no gravitating toward" and "no yearning" regarding the world, but must also have "no gravitating toward" and "no yearning" regarding birth and death. Therefore, the following sentence is equally essential for the gentleman: "The gentleman, regarding birth and death, has no gravitating toward, no yearning, and takes on the countenance of death."

Chán Zhōng Shuō Chán's Vernacular Translation

The Master said: The gentleman, regarding all under heaven, gravitates toward nothing, yearns for nothing, and takes on the countenance of marching in lockstep.

Confucius said: The gentleman, regarding everything under heaven, has no behavioral gravitation, no mental yearning, and can even let his countenance take on the petty man's appearance of "marching in lockstep."