本集課程重點包括：

一、祭祀要看身分才不諂媚

      「鬼」指的是家裡面過世的人，或者是父母親，或者是祖父母等，也可以引申到外面的天地山川神明。「非其鬼而祭之」，意思是不屬於你身分該祭拜的對象，你卻去祭拜，那就是諂媚邀福；屬於自己家裡面的鬼，或是外面合乎自己身分地位可以祭拜的神，這種祭祀是報功邀福，把功勞報告出去，表示有所作為，希望得到庇佑，鬼神也願意加被懂得感恩、願意盡本份的人。

二、辦事要合於義才是勇敢

      義就是合宜，合於義的「要為」，不合於義的則「不為」。《大學》說君子要「以義為利」，合於義的地方才是利之所在，利他一定是自己的出路的。見到義而為叫做勇；見到不義而為，只是匹夫之勇。所以判斷某人是真正的勇還是不勇？要從義去判斷。

為政篇第二十四章白話翻譯

【經文】

子曰：非其鬼而祭之，諂也。見義不為，無勇也。

【白話解釋】

      孔子說：不是自己的祖先，不應當祭祀而祭祀，是諂媚之舉。祭自己的祖先，是報答恩德。誠心祭之，如此孝心，自可獲福。而他人祖先有他自己的子孫，不需外人祭祀，若不合理地去獻諂媚，想求得不當的好處，是不會被福蔭的。見到應該做的事情而不去做，就是沒有道德勇氣。

【章旨】

      此章祭非其鬼，是為求福利而祭，見義不為，是因為無利可圖。此章言聖人推求社會弊病（祭非其鬼、見義不為）之根源，在於人心之迷倒（有求媚要福之心、無勇敢直前之志）。

《論語講要》原文

      「非其鬼而祭之，諂也。」禮記祭法說：「人死曰鬼。」非其鬼，是指非自己祖先，不當祭而祭之，是諂媚之舉。鄭注：「諂以求福。」祭自己的祖先，是為報答祖先的恩德。誠心祭之，自可獲福。如禮記禮器篇記孔子曰：「祭則受福。」但祭非其鬼，則是違禮諂求，何能求得。因為他人祖先有其自己的子孫，不需外人祭祀，亦不會福蔭外人。邢疏引春秋僖公十年左氏傳：「神不歆非類，民不祀非族。」所以祭非其鬼，是諂媚求福。

      「見義不為，無勇也。」孔安國注：「義者所宜為也，而不能為，是無勇也。」義作宜字講，也可作應當解。遇見義所當為之事而不為，即是無勇。

      或謂此章前後節所論之事不同，應分為兩章。此說不可從。禮記曲禮：「臨財毋苟得，臨難毋苟免。」亦是不同之兩事，而在一章。此章祭非其鬼，是為求福利而祭；見義不為，是因為無利可圖。兩事並非不相關聯，與曲禮章法相同。

English

Teacher Tang Yuling will accompany you to read The Analects

41.Book 2 Wei Zheng (Of Governance), Chapter 24

The Master said, “For a man to sacrifice to a spirit which does not belong to him is flattery. To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.”

Highlights of this lecture include:

1. To perform worshiping rituals according to one’s proper status is not sycophancy

  “Spirit” refers to the deceased ancestors--parents’ or grand parents’ spirits. Gods that associated with the Mother Nature are also considered spirits in different forms. “Offering sacrifices and worshiping spirits or ghosts of men not akin to us is fawning, is a beggar asking for favors. Ancestry worshiping and offering sacrifices to gods and spirits befitting one’s status is a form of reporting his earthly achievements to honor ancestors and gods while inviting blessings and their supports in the future. The supernatural beings would be willing to bless those who are grateful and willing to make efforts on their parts.

2.  Righteousness makes bravery

  Righteousness is in the sense of being proper in doing things. What one perceives to be right to do should be done and vice versa. The Great Learning stated that a junzi or a leader knew “prosperity will be gained in righteousness.” Prosperity is where righteousness to be found. A junzi understands his prosperity is relied on a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others. To do things one perceives to be right to do is righteous. It is moral cowardice to leave undone what one perceives to be right to do. It is rash courage for one to do improper deeds, not bravery. So judging whether someone is really brave or not brave? To judge from righteousness.