本集課程重點包括:
一、辦任何事業都要鑑往知來
做事業的時候,都要看看過去的演變、現代的發展、以後的方向。治國也是如此,必須了解過去如何延續至今,時代走向未來又會如何進展。周朝的開國,考察了夏商兩代的興衰,承襲過去禮制的精神,並依據時代的需求作出增減調整,成為非常廣泛又有文采的禮樂制度,使孔子大為稱讚。
二、本章對於人生的啟示
周朝以良好的本質作為開國基礎,進而去發展它的文采,才有八百年的天下。人生的經營也是如此,不只要有本質(品德),還要有文采。本質勝過文采,就如野人;文采勝過本質,則顯得虛偽;以好的本質為基礎去發展文采,那才能利益廣大的人群,文質彬彬才是君子的形象。
八佾篇第十四章白話翻譯
【經文】
子曰:周監於二代,郁郁乎文哉。吾從周。
【字詞解釋】
監:ㄐㄧㄢˋ,視也,考察。
郁郁:ㄩˋㄩˋ,文質彬彬。
【白話解釋】
孔子說:周公制定禮時,是考察夏商二代之禮,加以增加、刪除,而制為文章完備的周禮,亦即本質與條文兩者兼備,而相平衡。不會超過,也不會不及,是恰到好處的中庸之道。所以辦政治,要從周禮,依之而行。
【章旨】
此章言周禮的禮文考察夏商兩代而制定,極其完備。
《論語講要》原文
孔安國注:「監,視也。言周文章備於二代,當從之。」
邢疏:「郁郁,文章貌。言以今周代之禮法文章,迴視夏商二代,則周代郁郁乎有文章哉。周之文章備於二代,故從而行之也。」
劉氏正義引漢書禮樂志:「王者必因前王之禮,順時施宜,有所損益。周監於二代,禮文尤具,事為之制,曲為之防。故稱禮經三百,威儀三千。孔子美之曰,郁郁乎文哉,吾從周。」
由漢書禮樂志的解說,則知周公制禮時,是以夏商二代之禮,加以損益,而制為郁郁乎有文章的周禮。古注雖依說文以「有文章」解釋郁郁,但三代禮文既以周禮最為完備,則郁郁二字自然包含禮的本質與條文,兩者兼備,而相平衡。也就是文質彬彬之意。文與質平衡,無過,亦無不及,就是恰到好處的中庸之道。所以孔子讚美周禮之後,即說:「吾從周。」禮記中庸亦記孔子的話說:「吾學周禮,今用之,吾從周。」孔子的意思,就是說:「我辦政治,即從周禮,依中道而行。」
English
Teacher Tang Yuling will accompany you to read The Analects
55. Book 3 Ba Yi (The Eight-row Dance), Chapter 14
The Master said, “Zhou had the advantage of viewing the two past dynasties. How complete and elegant are its regulations! I follow Zhou.”
Highlights of this lecture include:
1. To learn from the past can serve as a guide for future commitment.
When one wished to commit to a cause, one have to know the past to understand the present and further secure the future. The same is true for the governing power in a state. Try to know the past then one can understand why is the world the way it is today; then we will know how far can we anticipate the future. The Zhou Dynasty, opened a new era after the Shang’s fall, the Zhou learnt from the rises and falls of the previous two dynasties–the Xia and Shang, examined their ritual systems and Zhou inherited the spirit behind it. The new dynasty of Zhou observed the changing needs of the times, altered the previous systems into a systematic and complete literary frame of modus operandi, which Confucius said deserved to be lauded and praised.
2. As an inspiration to human life
The Zhou dynasty kicked off at a right point, its good nature founded the new dynasty and then allowed the literary tradition to flower and bloomed for 800 years. Most of the time, a literatus choose to live a life by good nature (to be virtuous品德) and be refined in literary ex