Chapter Seven ：ON DRAWING NEAR TO THE HUMANE

同是人，类不齐，流俗众，仁者希。
果仁者，人多畏，言不讳，色不媚。
能亲仁，无限好，德日进，过日少。
不亲仁，无限害，小人进，百事坏。

前面说到唐太宗有个贤德的长孙皇后，还有个直言敢谏的诤臣魏征。长孙皇后不但贤德守礼，学问也非常好，但是她却从不因自己的才学而骄矜炫耀，或越礼干政；更不曾以自己的地位，而奢侈浮华，或妒害嫔妃。

Earlier we mentioned that Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty had an honorable queen, Zhang Sun, as well as a blunt and loyal minister, Wei Zheng. Not only was Queen Zhang Sun virtuous and respectable, but she was very knowledgeable too. However, she never flaunted her talent out of arrogance or improperly interfered with politics. Furthermore, she never used her position to indulge in extravagances or covetously harm the emperor’s concubines.

长孙皇后娴静寡言，直到她死后，唐太宗才在她的遗物中，发现了长孙皇后亲笔写的《女则》，不禁感念涕下。为什么呢？因为这部作品，博征今古典型，条列贤善仪规，不唯文字简炼，更是义理分明。长孙皇后写这《女则》，生前并无人知，可见她并非写来卖弄文笔，或者希求称誉的；这纯是她一生默默修持道德和履行礼仪的经验结晶。

Queen Zhang Sun was so modest and laconic that Emperor Taizong did not discover the queen’s Guide for Womenamong her mementos until her death. The emperor couldn’t help but become emotional over this discovery. Why? This work had collected past and present female role models and compiled imperatives encouraging kindness. The handbook was succinct and lucid. During her lifetime, no one knew that Queen Zhang Sun had written this Guide for Women; therefore we know that she didn’t author this manual to parade her writing skill or to seek praise and reputation. This guide was strictly a product of the accumulated lessons of a woman’s life time of quiet cultivation and propriety in action.

在她以身作则，统领六宫的期间，宫中没有浪费浮夸之人，也无忌妒邪辟的事；长孙皇后的懿德嘉行真正是女人的典范。这本《女则》，在她身后广为流传，一直到清朝，都还是后宫女子必读的课程呢！即便在今日男女平起平坐的时代，书上叙述的某些礼仪规矩，虽嫌迂腐落伍不复存在必要；但其原则道理，还是很值得现代妇女参考的。

During the time that she led the six imperial harems, she served as a role model. Imprudent and boastful people, incidents of jealousy and disarray were absent in these palaces. Queen Zhang Sun’s remarkably virtuous conduct made her an exemplary archetype for women. The Guide for Women was widely circulated after her death. Up until the Qing Dynasty, women in imperial palaces were required to read this manual! Even in the current era of equality between the sexes, modern women may still find this handbook a worthwhile reference for noteworthy rationale and principles behind some of its arcane rites and rules.

接下来，我们再说那个令唐太宗又敬又畏的魏征。唐太宗固然是圣明天子，能够虚心纳谏；魏征对于唐太宗的宠信，也是又庆幸又感恩，因此也更加尽心尽力。举凡有利邦国或有损君主的事情，魏征无不尽其能谏之事；对魏征的劝谏，唐太宗也总是让他有畅所欲言之快。言路既开，贤者自来，唐朝想要不兴旺也难。

Next, we’ll talk about Wei Zheng, whom Emperor Taizong feared yet respected. Although Emperor Taizong was a holy and understanding son of the heavens who accepted suggestions humbly, Wei Zheng was still glad about and grateful for the emperor’s partiality and trust. Consequently, Wei Zheng dedicated himself wholeheartedly, providing a thorough critique on any matter that benefited other countries or harmed the monarch. Emperor Taizong always let Wei Zheng speak his mind too. Since the path of free speech existed, worthy people were attracted to this ruler, and the Tang Dynasty had no choice but to flourish.

魏征死后，唐太宗亲临痛哭，废朝五日，并下令厚葬魏征。而守正不阿的魏征，也有个贤德清廉的夫人，她竟然婉拒唐太宗赐予的殊荣，说﹕「征平生节俭朴素，如今用一品厚葬，不是亡者之志。」结果只用布车运棺。

After Wei Zheng’s death, Emperor Taizong personally arrived and grieved in pain. The emperor failed to govern national affairs for five days and mandated an elaborate funeral for Wei Zheng. The just and incorruptible Wei Zheng also had a virtuous and fair wife. Mrs. Wei actually rejected the Emperor’s bequest of honor, saying, "Zheng was typically economical and simple. If we perform the funeral of the highest grade, then that would go against the wish of the deceased. " As a result, only cloth carriages were used to transport the casket.

出殡之日，唐太宗下诏百官送出城郊，自己登楼望丧，痛哭不已。唐太宗说﹕「人有三面镜子﹕以铜片(那时还没有玻璃镜)为镜，可以把衣帽穿戴端正；以历史为镜，可以知道往来兴替；以人为镜，可以观察自己得失。我常保有这三面镜子，以防止过错和疏忽；魏征一走，我丧失最宝贵的一面镜子了！」唐太宗一生内无后宫之乱，外则贤能满朝，把有唐一代，带到太平盛世。

On the day of the funeral procession, the emperor ordered all ministers and officials to accompany the casket out to the countryside while he ascended atop a tower to watch the funeral, crying uncontrollably. Emperor Taizong said, "Each person has three mirrors. Using the mirror of copper (glass mirrors didn’t exist yet), one can dress appropriately. Using the mirror of history, one recognizes the successes and failures of the past and present. Using the mirror of people, one examines one’s own merits and faults. I always keep these three mirrors around to prevent mistakes and negligence. With the departure of Wei Zheng, I have lost one of my most precious mirrors!" It is no wonder that during Emperor Taizong’s lifetime he had no stirrings among his harems and capable sages filled his imperial court.

这并非只是唐太宗个人特别能干；历史上能干的君王也不算少了，但像唐太宗这样德智过人，知道亲贤后，纳谏臣的，却是不多，毋怪乎他能成就旷世的丰功伟业。

It was not only through his own competence that this Emperor led the Tang Dynasty to peace and prosperity. Historically, there were plenty of gifted monarchs; however, there were few rulers who were virtuous and wise like Emperor Taizong. There was only a handful of heads of state who knew to cherish an exemplary queen and accept a minister’s admonition. Thus, it was no surprise that Emperor Taizong built an empire that reached heights incomparable in the world and throughout history.

我们平常人若想进德修业，也是要「亲仁者；远小人」。语云﹕「物以类聚。」我们行仁者之事，仁者自然来相亲；仁者来相亲，德业会更进步。反之，我们行小人之事，小人自然来相亲；小人来相亲，德业就会渐颓废。所以有德君子，总有良师益友和佳偶；无行小人，每多邪师损友与妖姬。

For us ordinary people who want to make progress in cultivating virtue and further our aspirations, we must also "draw near humane ones and distance ourselves from scoundrels." The Analects states, "similar objects tend to gather together"; in other words, "birds of a feather flock together." If we do the deeds of civilized characters, then civil persons will naturally draw near us; when humane characters draw near us, our virtues advance. In contrast, if we do the deeds of scandalous ones, then villains will naturally draw near us; when villains draw near us, then our virtues deteriorate gradually. Therefore, virtuous people always have good teachers, beneficial friends and helpful partners, while unscrupulous scoundrels usually have evil teachers, harmful friends, and sullen seducers.

然则孰是仁者？谁为小人？这似乎是孔子和学生们最喜欢的议题，在《论语》和《孔子家语》中，其定义比比可见。有一次，颜回又问怎样是小人？孔子解释说﹕「专把他人的善行说成坏事，却自喜是辩才无碍；内心狡诈阴险，还自认是聪明绝顶；见人犯错，就幸灾乐祸；自己不虚心向学，反而动辄笑人无知；这都是标准的小人行径。」那小人的言论有什么特质呢？孔子又说﹕「君子以实际行事作为语言，小人只靠口舌。所以君子会在合乎义理的事情上相互批评砥砺，私底下却彼此亲敬；小人则是在做坏事时相互倚赖合作，私底下却彼此仇视。」

Who’s considered humane and who’s considered scandalous, how- ever? This appeared to have been one of the favorite debate topics for Confucius and his students. The Confucian Analects and the Words for the Household repeatedly iterated these definitions. For example, once Yan Hill inquired about the definition of a scoundrel. Confucius explained that a crook was "One who purposely depicts others’ good deeds as bad, yet merrily considers oneself flawlessly eloquent. A scoundrel is calculating and endangering, yet one considers himself exceptionally intelligent. One sees others make mistakes and delights in the disaster. One doesn’t try to learn humbly but actually laughs at others’ ignorance. These are some of the typical habits of a scoundrel." Then what are the outstanding qualities of a civil being? Confucius answered, "The civil one uses action as his language whereas the scoundrel relies only on words. Thus, civil persons will mutually criticize and compare according to reason and pertinence of the issue. Privately they value and respect each other. On the other hand, scoundrels cooperate and depend on one another while committing crime. Privately they treat each other like enemies."

总之，君子小人最大的不同，在于「君子喻于义；小人喻于利」，也就是说一个胸怀公开正直，以义自守；一个居心狭隘自私，唯利是图。所以君子会面，无不谘诹劝善；小人碰头，总是狼狈为奸。因此，我们虽说众生平等，要「泛爱众」；却是要善恶明了，以「亲仁」为依归。泛爱众本是心存等慈，是其原则；亲仁则是行事合宜，是个权便。存心当仁，行事须智；仁心智行，就足以顶天立地，通达四海了。

In summary, the biggest difference between civilized humanitarians and scoundrels is that "Civil ones are acclimatized to justice while uncivil ones are acclimatized to self-interest." In other words, one maintains an open and straightforward heart, safeguarding integrity while the other dwells selfishly in narrow-mindedness, caring only for one’s benefits. When gentlemen gather, for instance, they always consult one another and encourage each other to be good. When rascals meet up, however, they always collaborate to do evil. Thus, although we speak of equality among living beings and "love of all beings," we should be clear about good and evil, using "drawing near humaneness" as an anchor. The principle of loving living beings is basically the principle of maintaining equitable kindness; to draw near civility is an expedient act that concurs with principle. If you intend to be a humanitarian, you must conduct yourself wisely. A humane heart and wise conduct are sufficient to prop up heaven and earth and enter the brilliance of the four seas.