無物道 誠

物之自者

以成為是終道自

成已貴 故 始也。成

誠君不誠也

如先

shall certainly be foreknown by him, and the evil also. Therefore the individual possessed of the most complete sincerity is like a spirit. CHAP. XXV. 1. Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is

effected, and its way is that by which man must direct himself.

2. Sincerity is the end and beginning of things; without sincerity there would be nothing. On this account, the superior man regards the attainment of sincerity as the most excellent thing.

3. The possessor of sincerity does not merely accomplish the self-completion of himself. With this quality he completes other men and things also. The completing himself shows his perfect

of 'prodigies of plants, and of strangely dressed commentators of the Sung school say that boys singing ballads,' and the latter of ' 'prodigious animals.' The subject of the verbs

is here 天命之性,the Heaven-conferred nature,' and that 道 is 率性之道,(the

path which is in accordance with the nature.' They are probably correct, but the difficulty comes when we go on with this view of to the next paragraph. 2. I translate the expansion of this in the :-'All that fill up

and is the events, not the omens. For the milfoil and tortoise, see the Yi-ching, App. III. ii. 73. They are there called 'spiritual things.' Divination by the milfoil was called ; that by the tortoise was called. They were used from the highest antiquity. See the the space between heaven and earth are things

Shu-ching, II. ii. 18; V. iv. 20-30.). They end and they begin again; they

it. So far as

the mind of man

'four limbs,' are by K'ang-ch'ǎng interpreted begin and proceed to an end; every change of the feet of the tortoise, each foot being being accomplished by sincerity, and every peculiarly appropriate to divination in a par- phenomenon having sincerity unceasingly in ticular season. Chû Hsi interprets them of the four limbs of the human body. must be left as indefinite in the translation as it is in the text.-The whole chapter is eminently absurd, and gives a character of ridiculousness to all the magniloquent teaching about entire sincerity.' The foreknowledge attributed to the Sage, the mate of Heaven,-is only a guessing by means of augury, sorcery, and other follies. 25. HOW FROM SINCERITY COMES SELF-COMPLETION, AND THE COMPLETION OF OTHERS AND OF THINGS. I have had difficulty in translating this chapter, because it is difficult to understand it. We wish that we had the writer before us to question him; but if we had, it is not likely that he would be able to afford us much satisfaction. Persuaded that what he denominates sincerity is a figment, we may not wonder at the extravagance of its predicates. 1. All the

is concerned, if there be not sincerity, then every movement of it is vain and false. How can an unreal mind accomplish real things? Although it may do something, that is simply equivalent to nothing. Therefore the superior man searches out the source of sincerity, and examines the evil of insincerity, chooses what is good, and firmly holds it fast, so seeking to arrive at the place of truth and reality.' Mão's explanation is :-'Now, since the reason why the sincerity of spiritual beings is so incapable of being repressed, and why they foreknow, is because they enter into things, and there is nothing without them:-shall there be any thing which is without the entirely sincere man, who is as a spirit?' I have given these specimens of commentary, that the reader may, if he can, by means of them, gather some

配成所博遠久

也性

天物 以厚,則久,故故 悠也覆所博則 至

久,博物以厚徵

無厚也載博徵無

疆配悠物厚 則 息

也成已仁也成物知也

如地久也則悠不也。内物 此高所高高遠息 之知 者明以明明。悠則 道也

virtue. The completing other men and things shows his knowledge. Both these are virtues belonging to the nature, and this is the way by which a union is effected of the external and internal. Therefore, whenever he-the entirely sincere man-employs them, that is, these virtues,—their action will be right.

CHAP. XXVI. 1. Hence to entire sincerity there belongs cease

lessness.

2. Not ceasing, it continues long. itself.

Continuing long, it evidences

3. Evidencing itself, it reaches far. Reaching far, it becomes large and substantial. Large and substantial, it becomes high and brilliant. 4. Large and substantial;—this is how it contains all things. High and brilliant ;-this is how it overspreads all things. Reaching far and continuing long ;——this is how it perfects all things.

5. So large and substantial, the individual possessing it is the co-equal of Earth. So high and brilliant, it makes him the co-equal of Heaven. So far-reaching and long-continuing, it makes him infinite. apprehensible meaning from the text. 3. I | 26. A PARALLEL BETWEEN THE SAGE POSSESSED have translated 成物 by 'complete other OF ENTIRE SINCERITY, AND HEAVEN AND EARTH,

men and things also,' with a reference to the account of the achievements of sincerity, in

chap. xxii. On 性之德也合外内 之道也,the日講 paraphrases: Now

both this perfect virtue and knowledge are virtues certainly and originally belonging to our nature, to be referred for their bestowment to Heaven;-what distinction is there in them of external and internal?”——All this, so far as I can see, is but veiling ignorance by words without knowledge.

SHOWING THAT THE SAME QUALITIES BELONG TO THEM. The first six paragraphs show the way of the Sage; the next three show the way of

Haven and Earth; and the last brings the two passage from the Shih-ching. The doctrine of

ways together, in their essential nature, in a

the chapter is liable to the criticisms which have been made on the 22nd chapter. And, moreover, there is in it a sad confusion of the visible heavens and earth with the immaterial power and reason which govern them; in a word, with God. I. Because of the 故, hence,' or 'there. fore,' Chû Hsî is condemned by recent writers

今星 多也也測物可

撮萬

今

高天 天不
也地貳

天明 之則而

斯也道其盡天不 也日 悠博生也地動 之覆日 昭也也物其之而 多焉月之久厚不為道變

6. Such being its nature, without any display, it becomes manifested; without any movement, it produces changes; and without any effort, it accomplishes its ends.

7. The way of Heaven and Earth may be completely declared in one sentence. They are without any doubleness, and so they produce things in a manner that is unfathomable.

8. The way of Heaven and Earth is large and substantial, high and brilliant, far-reaching and long-enduring.

9. The heaven now before us is only this bright shining spot; but when viewed in its inexhaustible extent, the sun, moon, stars, and constellations of the zodiac, are suspended in it, and all things are overspread by it. The earth before us is but a handful of soil; but when regarded in its breadth and thickness, it sustains for making a new chapter to commence here. | sented as by their entire sincerity producing Yet the matter is sufficiently distinct from that all things. 9. This paragraph is said to illusof the preceding one. Where the takes hold of the text above, however, it is not easy to discover. The gloss in the says that it indicates a conclusion from all the preceding predicates about sincerity. 至誠 is to be

trate the unfathomableness of Heaven and Earth in producing things, showing how it springs from their sincerity, or freedom from doubleness. I have already observed how it is only the material heavens and earth which are presented to us. And not only so ;-we have mountains, seas, and rivers, set forth as acting

with the same unfathomableness as those entire bodies and powers. The says on this:The hills and waters are what Heaven and Earth produce, and that they should yet be able themselves to produce other things, shows still more how Heaven and Earth, in the producing

understood, now in the abstract, and now in the concrete. But the 5th paragraph seems to be the place to bring out the personal idea, as I have done. I, 'without bounds,' = our infinite. Surely it is strange to apply that term in the description of any created being. 7. What I said was the prime idea in of things, are unfathomable.' The use of in

誠, viz. (simplicity,’(singleness of soul,' is the several clauses here perplexes the student. very conspicuous here. 其為物不貳-0斯昭昭之多, Chû Hsi says—此指 爲 is the substantive verb. It surprises us, 其一處而言之This is speaking of

however, to find Heaven and Earth called it-heaven-'as it appears in one point.' In the

‘things,' at the same time that they are repre- 中庸說 in loc., there is an attempt to make

不蓋焉黿今木山河及

之顯日詩

日詩

夫生

所文天 5.蛟水之 之

王之所以爲文也純亦不已

多之

洩載

萬華

及其廣厚載華嶽而不重

一卷石之多及其廣大草

於焉及寶其

亦蓋也穆
穆貨其

日於 於不財不

已文乎已

今

振 測焉草夫

mountains like the Hwâ and the Yo, without feeling their weight, and contains the rivers and seas, without their leaking away. The mountain now before us appears only a stone; but when contemplated in all the vastness of its size, we see how the grass and trees are produced on it, and birds and beasts dwell on it, and precious things which men treasure up are found on it. The water now before us appears but a ladleful; yet extending our view to its unfathomable depths, the largest tortoises, iguanas, iguanodons, dragons, fishes, and turtles, are produced in them, articles of value and sources of wealth abound in them.

ro. It is said in the Book of Poetry, The ordinances of Heaven, how profound are they and unceasing!' The meaning is, that it is thus that Heaven is Heaven. And again, 'How illustrious was it, the singleness of the virtue of king Wăn!' indicating that it was thus that king Wan was what he was. Singleness likewise is unceasing. this out by a definition of 多:一多餘也,parts. 華-there are five peaks, or 嶽, 言少許耳多 is overplus, meaning a celebrated in China, the western one of which small overplus' 日月星辰,一compare the| is called 華 (lower 3rd tone). Here, howShû-ching, I. 3. In that passage, as well as here, ever, we are to understand by each term a 集證 中 many take as meaning the planets, but we particular mountain. See the and need not depart from the meaning of 'stars' 庸說, in loc In the 集證, the Yellow generally. is applied variously, but used river, and that only, is understood by J, but along with the other terms, it denotes the con- both it and must be taken generally. junctions of the sun and moon, which divide

the circumference of the heavens into twelve read ch'üan, the 2nd tone, is in the dictionary,

道君至故待三優萬道 問子道 其 百優物洋 學會不苟 人 威大峻洋哉 致德凝 儀哉極乎聖 廣性焉 後三禮于發人 大而故德 行 千儀天育之

CHAP. XXVII. I. How great is the path proper to the Sage! 2. Like overflowing water, it sends forth and nourishes all things, and rises up to the height of heaven.

3. All-complete is its greatness! It embraces the three hundred rules of ceremony, and the three thousand rules of demeanour.

4. It waits for the proper man, and then it is trodden.

5. Hence it is said, : Only by perfect virtue can the perfect path, in all its courses, be made a fact.'

6. Therefore, the superior man honours his virtuous nature, and maintains constant inquiry and study, seeking to carry it out to its breadth and greatness, so as to omit none of the more exquisite and with reference to this passage, defined by 區,a everywhere else in the Work (see the 翼注 place,'‘a small plot.'Inthe 中庸說黿 is in loc.), the path which is in accordance with the

nature.' The student tries to believe so, and

defined as the first-produced goes on to par. 2, when the predicate about the

of the chelonia; 龍 as麟蟲之長, the

chief of scaly animals; 鼈 as being 'a kind

of

黿蛟 as being a kind of, while the

nourishing of all things puzzles and confounds 極 is not here the adverb, but =至,

him. 2.

‘reaching to.’3. By禮儀

we are to under

stand the greater and more general principles

(has scales like a fish, feet like a dragon, of propriety, ‘such,' says the 備言,‘as • By 14 By貨。 are intended capping, marriage, mourning, and sacrifice;'

and is related to the 黿By

pearls and valuable shells; by 財, fish, salt, and by威儀 are intended all the minuter

&c. ro. See the Shih-ching, IV. i. Bk. I. Ode observances of those. The former are also II. st. 1. The attributes of the ordinances of

Heaven, and the virtue of king Wan, are here 禮禮經 and 正經; the latter, 曲禮 set forth, as substantially the same. 纯=fine and 動禮 See the 集證, in loc. 300

and pure,' 'unmixed.' The dictionary gives it and 3000 are round numbers. Reference is the distinct meaning of 'ceaselessness,' quoting made to these rules and their minutiæ, to show

the last clause here,一纯亦不已, as if it how, in every one of them, as proceeding from

were definition, and not description.

the Sage, there is a principle, to be referred to the 27. THE GLORIOUS PATH OF THE SAGE; AND HOW In Confucius Sinarum Philosophus,' it is suggested Heaven-given nature. 4. Compare chap. xx. 2. THE SUPERIOR MAN ENDEAVOURS TO ATTAIN TO IT. that there may be here a prophecy of the Saviour, The chapter thus divides itself into two parts, and that the writer may have been 'under the inone containing five paragraphs, descriptive of the SAGE, and the other two descriptive of fluence of that spirit, by whose moving the Sibyls the superior man, which two appellations are formerly prophesied of Christ.' There is nothing to be here distinguished. I. ‘This para- in the text to justify such a thought. 5.凝

graph,' says Chû Hsî, embraces the two that

follow.' They are, indeed, to be taken as 'to congeal;' then=成,(to complete,' and exegetical of it.道, it is said, is here, as 定(to fix.' The whole paragraph is merely