Contents
Chapter 1
A Dialogue between an Urban and a Rural
"How magnificient the Principle, whence comes everything!; it governs the universe. Hence, clouds rise to give rain, then matter gets its forms. By transforming itself, the Principle set thing's life and character right."The universe gives us joy. How interesting it is! What should we add to this?
One day, a man came from my homeland.
Recently, he said, I went to the Capital city to see my relatives. There I happend to meet a scholar. And during our talk the topic turned into a rumor about you. So, I've come here with questions to ask. Since the romor I got there said that you rectured on 'elementary art' and took students, however few they might be each times, I was delighted in my heart. However the scholar said: "he is a man from an unorthodox school. So, he is not a confucist in the true sense." Then naturally I asked him what he meant by 'unorthodox'. "By 'unorthodox', the scholar said, I meant 'not belonging to the way of sages. That is to say, he continued, such a person builds up his own doctrines with selfish motives, then cheating uneducated common people by discussing 'sofisticated' arguments on nature and heart, he gets such people perplexed. For, knowing nature belongs to ancient sages, and we cannot compete with them at all." Hearing this I pondered that confusing people is much more horrible a crime than deeds of a bandid or a robber. Since such story seemed too miserable to me, so I ask you about it. For, if you return to your homeland, it must be easy just to support your family, but it's shameful to deceive other people in order to support one's family. What do you think about it?
Answer: Lots of thanks for your kind advise. First of all, let me tell you with what intention I give lectures now. Mou-shi* says: "Human beings have a way to follow. If one does nothing but eating until one's full, wearing worm clothes and living a easy life and ignores precepts, this life is close to that of animals. Once, worried about such a terrible life, a sage sent his disciple Setsu for teaching the way: doing with proper affection between parents and children, justice between king and disciples, distinction between hasband and wife, rank between elders and youngs, and fidelity among friends." Doing these well is the virtue come from learning. Through these words one can know what was the learning among ancients. In the book of learning from Rongo (The Analects of Confucius) as well it is said: "on the whole concentrating on one's basic office is important." The heavens give the great source of the human way, which is consisted of consciousness of the supreme virtue, justice, politeness and wisdom. Mou-shi says again: "There is no way for learning than this, that is, seeking the lost sonsciousness." Putting this on one's mind, one must follow deeds of ancient sages by seeing them. It was the emperor Gyo who accomplished the way of the emperor, Shun that of filial piety, Shu-kou of servants, the great sage Kou-shi of learnings. Following their nature, according to Mou-shi, all these sages worked along both the heavens above and the ground beneath. Sages are the acme of human ways. If everyone makes an effort to see deeds and achievements of these sages with sovereign virtues, take these as laws, preach the way of five basic human virtues, and announce each person one's vocation, then oneself will be trained, a house well managed, a state well governed, and finally the world will be remain pieceful. Mou-shi said: "No one has failed following the way of previous kings." He also said: "Below the heavens, nature means examples from them. So, the basic principle is nothing but following these examples." By "nature" he meant, from plants and trees to birds and animals thtoughout, the principle given to each from the heavens and thus grown by itself. A pine growing green, a cherry bearing blossoms, a winged creature flying the sky, a scaled one swiming the water, and the sun and the moon hanging on the heaven all these represent one and the same principle. You can grasp things to come this year by seeing those in the last year, and likewise things today by those of yesterday. This means that one can know the nature of the heavens and the earth through it's vestiges. If you can grasp the nature, you can see the five human ways as well in it. The Book of the Golden Mean says "The soul of the heavens call it the nature, that is to say, the way following the nature." Of course it is impossible at all to follow the nature without knowing what it is. And knowing the nature is the fundamental principle of study. So, I don't talk idly. For example, the king Gyo, Shun made themselves a model for the all world just by following the nature. Therefore, I call knowing the heart the beginning of study. Then, apart from things about the heart, there can be no ultimate study, I think. Everything depends on the heart. The heart is the master of the body. A body without its master is equql to a dead body abandoned in a forest or field. Although I preach the way to realize that master, what's your intention to call it heresy.
* I think ordinarily Chinese proper names have been transliterated by Chinese sounds. However in this translation I transliterate them by Japanese sounds in the original text for following reasons. (1) the original text was written in Japanese not Chinese, and Japanese of this treatise is relatively close to modern Japanese. So rendering by Japanese sound is much more familier to us tham Chinese one. (2) Chinese sounds corresponding to each Chinese character have been changed many times along the history, and I think replacing Chinese names appeared in a Japanese text of Edo era by modern Chinese sounds make us nothing but incleasing my works in vain. (3) By the method I shall take in this translation one can easily get original chinese characters if the person knows Japanese, and transliteration by Chinese sounds prevents that.
He said: Not only the scholar said so, but also a Zen master hanging on there said: "since I wanted to see the innate nature, so I have practiced Zen for about 15 years. However I have never been convinced what it is. I heard, when one see it the person must jump up with delight. Then, if you say the heart can be easily known, you must be a fake teacher". On the other hand, if things are as you tell, they are very easy to learn. Let alone careless people like us, seeing with one's heart it's self-evident that flowers bloom in Spring, fluits ripes in Autumn and keep silent during Winter, and human beings do human ways. Nonthless, you still theach such self-evident things, gathering people with so many domestic things to do and making them to spare their time. Thus naturally, still I have to ask with what intention you do so. Moreover, though you say "learn it by investigating vestiges", the Zen master said "Even with 15 years of study by whole heart, it's so difficult to learn the nature". Then you, not yet a master of knowledge, say "knowing it is easy". This is quite embarassing for me! What is the cause of this?
Answer: Certainly I don't have to argue about your Zen master, because he is 'unawakened'. I think he expected to encounter some profound truth of universe some day, though in vain. In fact, Shakuson (Gautama) was fully awakened by seeing the morning star, and Reiun of the Tou (Tang) dynasty by peach blossoms, didn't they? Does awakened person see a star as the moon? Or, does unawakened one see peach blossoms as cherry ones? Why he couldn't learn the vivid movement of the heart is far evident? He spent fifteen years of mental practices in vain due to faithlessness to the truth. It's pitiful. By the way, by calling me uneducated do you mean I'm unexperienced in literatures?
He said: Yes. That's what I mean.
Answer: In China Rokuso* didn't learn letters at all, I heard. But I heard as well that he became the sixth grand master from Daruma*, the founder of Zen, and even that succession of Zen until today owes greatly to him. Of course this story belongs to Zen buddhism. However even in our school of Confucianism, the Analects says thus: Shika, a disciple of Koushi, said "Admit a sage to be a sage, and replace a satyr in you with him. If you do well by your parents all through your ability, serve the king all through your status and associate yourself with your friends with trust, then I must call your learned, even though you've never been taught." The way of the saint is constructed by heart. So, even without learning letters, the filial duty toward parents arises as well as the loyality toward the king and the association with friends. Indeed in ancient times without letters Futsuki and Shin'nou were certainly sages. One who practices the way of five virtues by whole heart, even though without any knowledge of letters, this person canbe called a real scholar*. Moreover, it is true that a person with litterary education should be called a saint with the harmony between knowledge and character, however this is too much hard a way for ordinary people: for many of them are killed by their daily jobs, and not blessed with good memory. Koushi also says "Practice first, and with enough spare of capacity one should study literature." You had better to know that the study to be a saint is mainly based on practices, and literary investigations are just its side issues.
* Rokuso: Daikan Enou, who was born in too much poor a family to learn letters. However he contributed for flourishment of Zen buddhism.
* Daruma: The founder of Zen buddhism. Born in India as a prince, but learning Buddhism he threw everything away and moved to China.
* a real scholar: Mencius says "One who knows one's heart knows one's nature. One who knows one's nature certainly knows the heaven." (from Prior book of heart-devotion)
He said: If things are as you've told, literary studies are in fact side issues. On this point I agree you. However, if I ask a confucian to tell by one word the main point of training oneself, surely he replies thus: "there's no such a way to teach the way of saints to people like you without "the plain reading" of "four texts"*. It's like a proverb 'calling a deaf'. Indeed even if I tell it to you, it cannot go into your ears. It's no use." Common people think so as well. Then, certainly you speak wrong. One cannot learn the way without literature. You failed to wipe out my doubt. I wonder where in the world you learned, and why you spread new doctrines different from common scholars.
* "the plain reading" of "four texts": the basics of the Chinese liberal education at that period, solely consists of reading and remembering the entire texts, that is, the Analects of Confucius, the Mencius, the Great Learning, the Mean.
Answer: The doctorine I preach doesn't differs from theirs. Let me explain the point you doubt.
Without deciding my own master, I traveled around and listened to theachers for a year or a half. But still I couldn't get out of my inexperience and imbecillity, with indecision about my master. So I sighed over for a long time, unsatisfied. Then one day at a place I met a master* living secretly. When we discussed and went down to the issue of the heart, in a moment he grasped my feeling and said: "Even if you think you know the heart, still you don't know it. What you have learned is far from the truth, like the difference between cloud and mud*. If you read books of sages without understanding the heart, it must lead to 'an one-tenth difference makes an error by thousands miles.'*" However since I thought that he misunderstood my intention and said so, I tried to persuade him over again, but in vain. That made me confused much further.
One day after that, my master asked me: "Could you tell me why you started to study." I answered: "Because I wanted to teach the way of five virtues* and five attitudes* to people below my level." He responded me: "In it's original sense 'the way' stands for 'the heart agreeing with the way'*, and this is the heart itself. As the Analects says, 'When you find new things by investigating old things, you can be a master.'* 'Old things' means doctrines told by masters, 'new things' newly invented precepts. After inventing them, you'll keep them inside you so that you don't have any trouble to respond the people's needs. Arriving at such a level, you must be a master. Neglecting this fact, you confuse yourself and other people as well, don't you? The heart is the master of a body. If you don't know what the master of a body is, you don't differ from a homeless. Trying to save others without knowing one's home is an arrogance." I tried to explain my opinions, but in vain as if "an egg dashes against a big rock". I couldn't put out even a single word. Then, I lost myself and a doubt came in.
* "a master": KOGURI Ryouun (1669-1729), Baigan's master. After serving "Daimyo" (Japanese feudal lord), Ryouun retired and lived a secret life in a hermitage in Kyoto. He was good at Buddhism and Taoism as well as Confucianism.
* "like the difference between cloud and mud": an old Japanese proverb, that is, "as different as chalk and cheese".
* "an one-tenth difference ...": an old chinese saying, from the Book of Rituals. It is "just a tiny difference sometimes leads to a terrible error".
* "five virtues": "Gorin" (jpn.) The five ways man must observe, that is, the justice between the lord and servants, familiality between father and son, distinction between hasband and wife, order between elder and younger, and trust among friends.
* "five attitudes": "Gojou" (jpn.) Sometimes this refers to just the same thing as "Gorin". When it is contrasted with "Gorin", it can mean the five attitudes for a father, mother, elder brother, younger brother and child respectively, that is, Justice, Benovolence, Friendship, Respect and Dutifulness.
* "the heart agreeing with the way": "Doushin" ("way-heart") (jpn.) This notion is contrasted with "Jinshin" ("man-heart"), that is, "the heart clouded by self-interest".
* "The man who knows new things ...": comes from the book of "Managing Politics" from the Analects. This originally Chinese phrase is commonly used among Japanese, read as "Onkochishin".
* "an egg dashes against a big rock": comes from the Bokushi (jpn.), a Chinese classic by a founder of a school.
If I truly understand something, I must not have any doubt on that. Then, I realised I didn't understand anything yet since I couldn't help wondering. Since then, I couldn't put my mind on other things. Wondering all day from morning to night, I got completely exhausted. One and half years passed like this.
And one day my mother got ill and I attended on her for twenty days. When I left her, then, suddenly my doubt was cleared as quick as wind disperses smoke. "The way of Gyou and Shun consists solely of obeying superiors" Fishes swim in water, and birds fly in the sky. A poem says "A kite flies to the heavens, a fish swims a flip-flop in the waters."* The way "obviously appears above and below" There is no space for doubt. I solved my doubt I've had for twenty years by realising that man has no special way than obeying superiors with fidelity. I got to this position by practice not by reading.
* "A kite flies to the heavens ...": from the Book of Poetry. The same poem appears also in the Book of Moderation.
The man asked: What do you mean by "realising there is no special way than that"?
I answered: It's hard to explain what I realised, but I'll try to tell you it's basic point by a parable. Though you want to use your deeds or seals*, you cannot find them inside the box for them nor outside. And this lasts for a few days. Since you cannot find them, doubts get in you mind, if somebody stealed them, if I throwed away deeds with waste papers, if I lost them somewhere, and so on. After you abandoned them by thinking you cannot find them anymore, sometimes while you are doing some other works getting those out of your mind, suddenly you rememmber them. This sudden remembrance which doesn't come from reading quickly wipes out your doubts whether if somebody stealed them, if I lost them somethere and do on. Knowing what the heart is, you have the same mind like this, as if a dark night dawns a rapid dawn and all the heavens brighten brightly.
* "seals": "Inban" (jpn.) Usually Japanese use seals in case of contracts, applications etc. Signatures are hardly used in Japan.
The man asked: Then, do you mean that knowing the heart makes a man sage instantly?
I answered: No. I don't want to say that. You cannot be a sage without practice. Though knowing the heart keeps one and the same meaning, still this allows differences between ability and practice. Sacred sages have both great ability and rich practice. The Book of Moderation also put the same thought by saying thus: "The saint practices with ease, the sage does with profit." (20th chapter) Ordinary people like us have no such ability nor practice. Or some people does it only through hard effort and study. Since, however, even these guys know the heart, they take much more pains to practice what they learned. So if they do practice though with these pains, their practices are not different at all from those of sages.
The man asked: I want more clarifications. I think we may feel joy to follow the way. However now you say we have to learn with pains. What's the connection between these two?
I answered: I'll try to say it through a fable. Provide that there are two guys carrying a palanquin. One guy is strong, and the other is weak. The strong guy carries with ease, but the weak guy does with toil. Though with toil, the latter can save himself from starving by carrying the palanquin. Loosing this job, he have to be a begger by a street. Following the way is same as this story. We are close to the week carrier. Though we practice with pains, by doing this we save ourselves from transgressions. And we feel easy as well by doing so. Saying more, a man without knowing the heart takes pains all the time to practice, and it can be seen through his words. However not knowing what the shame it is, he doesn't set his mind up to learn.
The man asked: By "practice" you mean cultivating upright manners through studying three thousand and three hundreds basics and details of manners. If this is so, that's too much for us, rustic farmers and craftsmans. Thus the scholar rightly said that that is absolutely impossible for people without understanding.
I answered: No. That's not the case. What you've said sounds similar to the case that Confucius said to Shichou "Shi,* you're a man of flattery". By "flattery" Confucius meant "following customs without sincerity." I'll tell you what the practice is, using easily understandable examples. "Practice" means in case of farmers, for example, going to farm before dawn, returning to his house seeing stars, employing others with himself working hard, plowing in spring, mowing in summer, then reaping in autumn, thus keeping in his mind getting richer harvests even by one grain. Moreover, caring about paying appropriate taxes one have to pay, managing the living of his family by the rest amount, supporting one's family, and generally making efforts in everything, he can keep his mind calm, because he cannot commit mistakes though with great toil. If, on the other hand, one does everything he likes and fails to pai appropriate taxes, this makes his mind uneasy. I teach thus: if you understand what the heart is and make efforts in practice, you can live a calm life everyday. If you understand the heart, and practice accordingly, then your manners stand upright by themselves, your mind rests quiet and your doubt vanishes.
* Shichou, Shi: a desciple of Confucius. "Shi" is his nickname ("azana" (jpn)). This passage comes from the Book of Advancing.
The man asked: Knowing the heart makes one good, I understand. Yet then, if one learns it, however slightly it may be, he would go into the way with much more vigor. But, I heard, among people formerly went along your teaching vigorously, some slack their vigor and neglect your teaching. Why such things occur?
I answered: I pity that some people do so. Even these people, however, originally expected that knowing the way they would make their former desire for pleasure silent, eagerness for self interest and mental softness as well, then they would have enjoy their lives with their clear hearts. Their failure to observe duties and to do household jobs made them uneasy. In this case their innate desire wakes up to make their practice difficult. By failure to practice they have to deceive their hearts, and this makes conflict between the heart prone to the true way and that to humane desire, so that they suffer. Knowing that later this will make them easy, some people don't proceed to practice because they feel uneasy at that time. In the Analects too "the master said 'if a man suffers and abandon study, people think the man the worst of all.'" (from the book of "Mr. Li")
The man asked: Then, even with the knowledge, if a man doesn't come to practice willingly, does the man study in vain?
I answered: I think even this guy won't do wrong for a while. Yet without practice, he cannot tell the heart of the true way from that of human desire. Once, however, he learns to hate wrongdoing by listening to the way, even this alone profit him, for hating the wrong is good. His weekness prevents him from quick improvement. Also great men like Soushi* and Mencius got improved by full proctice. Then these two men reached the stage "making humanity one's duty" and "cultivating ever-flowing pneuma of morality" respectively. That is, first you must understand your nature. If you know your nature, practice is easy for you. Mencius too guided people by teaching that one must know one's nature first. So from the start he preached that human nature is good. Mencius invented this doctrine that even the former saint (i.e. Confucius) didn't say. Knowing leads one quickly to practice. Getting into practice, however, one must go through the long load to its perfection. That's why he said one must know one's nature. Following his idea, I too make my theory. I don't preach the way contrary to the law. My theory relies on his words: "If you know the nature with your whole heart, you know the universe." This pleased me and caused no doubt, so I built my theory on it. Shushi's commentary on Discourses of Mencius has a preface saying: "If you want to investigate the way of saints, you have to begin with Discourses."
* Soushi (jpn.) (Cengzi (ch.)): one of the best desciples of Confucius, famous for his filial piety.
The Man asked: That confucianist said: "You are not good at poetry and composition, I heard. If a lord invites you as an official confucianist* and he enjoys them, then what you would do? Without a literary education you cannot be called a confucianist." How do you think about his opinion?
* official confucianist: Official confucianists served a lord as political advisors, teachers, secretaries, lord's fellow students and so on.
I answered: That's right. Where can a man like me serve, unable to write even a mail in a proper manner? If knowing one's week points, however, doesn't serve as a offical, the man can save oneself from blame. A confucianist primarily concerns politics. The Analects too deals mainly with humanity and politics, and hardly with literary composition. Confucius taught people to complete human excellence and to practice humanity. Mencius taught them to know the humanity. In a word these masters preached that people should know human nature with their whole heart. Evidently literary studies belong to side issues. Therefore only wrong confucianists think themselves to concern poetry and composition. In the Analects too (from the book "Shiro (Zilu)"): "Even though one learned three hundred verses* by rote, the master says, if he is not good at politics nor, sent abroad, can deal with things by himself alone, he is nothing, though quite many people are like this." "Deal with things by himself" stands for "the heart," "learn three hundred verses by rote" "the literary." In Japan and in China too, only few people can learn big things from trifle things. Boasting of one's literary talent is shamaful. Since literary studies still help us to learn the way, however, we don't abandon whole of them. In fact, not being good at that, I pity myself for my poor literary talent. Moreover since I was born poor with humble origins, without much opportunity to study, and after my fortieth birthday I turned to study finally, how can I get into literary studies? Quite shamefully enough, I take a lot of typos even when I write a single mail. So I have to ask readers to forgive my faults.
* "three hundred verses": The Book of Poetry consists of approximately three hundred verses.
On Filial Piety
A man asked me thus: When I was young, since I couldn't tell even between the front and the back, I might do many things contrary to filial piety. After I got to manhood, however, since I learned how to behave along filial piety, I didn't nothing against filial piety, I assume. However much carefully I did everything along with it, all I did was just a average type of deed commonly seen. I want to show an extraordinary filial piety so that man asks who does such a deed. Could you possibly teach me how to behave so?
I answered: If I obey your parents and serve them without annoying them, making my outlook calm, then I must fullfill filial piety. I think it's enough.
The man said: Obeying parent's mind and making one's face calm is quite light and easy to practice. So even if I fulfill this duty, being a thing just within my house, it cannot gather public notice. I mean, however, I want to do some deeds clearly known to people.
I answered: You want vanity, and you have no right mind to serve your parents. Your vanity makes you greedy for interest. The more vanity and self-interest one has, the more righteousness the one lacks. Filial piety stands, however, on humanity and righteousness. In Analects indeed (1.1.2), "The sage concentrates on the basics. These being established, the way grows." When the basics are established, the way grows up naturally. "The basics" means obeying one's parents. Longing reputation, however, means enjoying fame. With strong desire for personal reputation, how can one know the filial piety? You says you've never fail to obey your parents. Neverthless, I heard, when a man from your uncle's home came to borrow some money, although you parents said they would, you refused to agree with them, and didn't lend him any money. Although being embarrassed your parents said, "We will save money. Let's give some money this time", and even tried to persuade you over and over, you didn't have ear to them and refused the man. I wonder whether you kept your face gentle during this dispute. Generally speaking, one cannot keep one's face gentle in such a dispute. You says, however, it's pretty easy for you both to obey your parents to keep gentle face. I can't follow you.
The man said: The Book of Filial Duty says too (from the chapter of remonstration), "If a father has a son remonstrating with him, he cannot fail to follow justice. In case of injustice, even a sage must remonstrate with his father." How can I keep my face jentle while I try to refute my parents? Even a sage can dispute with his parents if they commit injustice. Following this, I didn't agree with my parents. They thought wrongly they should lend some money to the man when he came from my uncle's home to borrow some money. My uncle now lives a life wholly different from before, that is, he lives an poor life, and has no definite idea when to pay it back. Lending money to a man without guarantee to pay it back belongs to people without prudence. When my parents claim such a preposterous thing, I have to contest even with them. Whatever they say, I mustn't let my home damaged. I didn't want them to get financial problems thereafter. That's why I didn't give the man any money. Following parents against one's own belief by enduring disadvantage on one's side seems like giving them poisoned sweets. A man of true filial piaty refuses to give them such a poison. Besides this, I gave them foods or clothes as they wanted and let them enjoy leisures and temple visits as well whenever they want. Thus I feel proud that I did almost fullfill my filial duty. Since I didn't dare, however, to seek bamboo shots in winter, I may lack something to get to the supreme filial piety.
I answered: You seem to study little hard because you quoted from The Book of Filial Piety. You missed the point completely, however. "A father with a son remonstrating with him cannot fail to follow justice" applies to the case where greedily outrageous parents try to seize the country by slaining the king. Petty people don't try to do such a outrageous deed, not more than to steal petty things. You must fight such a fight against your parents only in order to set them right again when they commit serious injustices. I mean, though with humanity and righteousness your parents tried to help the man, with inhumanity and unrighteousness you stopped them. However children must lead their parents right, you led them wrong, didn't you? If a man reading books as you did can be regarded as a scholar, people think study creates inhumanity. Coming down to this, you are no longer a scholar but a sinner spoiling studies. Among the public, indeed, many people study on such a wrong way as you did, ignoring the true meaning of books with the idea that reading books is the only way of study. On the whole, classical texts represent the heart of sages. For all the time, sages' heart and our ones are the same heart as long as it's the heart. When one reads books knowing the heart, he can understand them easily "as he sees his palm." The whole of what you called righteousness is unrighteousness indeed. On the contrary, your parents thought along the right way. They reasonably thought they should not abandon their brother. Nevertheless, you ignored their goodwill, although conversely you should ask them to lend some money even if your parents opposed doing so, because one's uncle is almost like his parents. Ignoring your parents, you are nothing more than a sinner. Much more terribly enough, ignoring how sinful you are, you said you have fullfilled your filial duty for your parents. We need not to argue how crazy you are.
The man said: It's hard for me to accept what you said; as far as I see public people, when one saves money, works hard, and supports his parents fully with his money, even if he is somewhat careless to his relatives, then people never call him an unduticul son, nay rather, such a son is called a son of good conducts. Will you call, however, even such a man altogether an undutiful guy?
I answered: I admit such a man is an ordinary man indeed, of course. On the other hand, you, dear good son, completely ignore how to serve your parents, because you try to imitate silly people without reading while you read a lot of books. I know an old story concerning this: "When Koumeisen* was under Soshi's supervision, Koumeisen didn't read any books for three years. One day Soshi asked him: 'You've been in my school for three years. However, you don't seem to study. Why do you do so?' Then Koumeisen said: 'Why didn't I study? As far as I saw, you've never scold even dogs or horses. So much impressed by that, I tried to imitate you, but still I can't.'" Men like Soshi, on the one hand, never scold even dogs or horses before their parents. You, on the other hand, think just feeding is enough for fulfilling filial duty. The Analects says: "These days, the master says, people call feeding filial duty. Even dogs and horses, however, feed their family pretty well. Without respect, how can we differ from them." Things being like this, the way to serve one's parents consists solely of love and respect. Love stands for treating with affection and respect treating with respect. Failing to follow parent's will, however, you made them sad. You made them sad from the lack of love, you didn't follow from the lack of respect. Men without love and respect don't differ from birds and animals. If you want to know about worldly famous filial duty or that of the sages, you have to understand love and respect as soon as possible. Knowing love and respect, you may get to filial piety of the sages.
* Koumeisen (jpn) (Gong-ming-xuan (chn.)): a desciple of Soshi.
The man said: Serving parents is my primary concern. Neverthless, putting urgent issues aside, you order me to learn the heart in general first. Why do you tell me such a upside-down thing?
I answered: You said you can't follow your parents if you get a loss from it. But if you fail to follow them, you disobey them. However, is there any more serious lack of filial duty than disobeying parents? Then, you thought wrongly it doesn't accord with the justice to follow an order causing a loss. You thought so because you couldn't tell right and wrong due to your dark mind. Although all I've said so far show ways to serve parents, you couldn't understand none of them. It's also because you don't know the heart. That's why I said you should know the heart first.
The man asked: If I follow a suggestion causing a loss, it may make the whole family fallen. I thought so with my sense of right and wrong, good and evil. You said, however, I lacked them. Why could you say so?
I answered: None of what you said comes from the sense of right and wrong. As for other people you may argue right and wrong. For parents, however, you mustn't do it. Much less you should, because your parents did nothing wrong to the society. Pitifully enough, you couldn't understand that they had so humane kindness as to help their relative, much worse, you called them wrong. By the way, you inherited your parents' property, or you made your property by yourself and support your parents by it?
The man said: As you know well, I have no property except what I inherited from my parents.
I answered: Since your parents could hand down such a big property to you, could your family possibly fall down even if they spent some of them? Since they had it, you should let them do as they wanted, even if they wasted it. When it runs up, on the other hand, you should support them even by any vulgar works. By the way, for example, if a man leaves his parents starving and helpless, saying "I cannot support my parents by my money I earned by working with toil and selfless devotion", then do you believe this attitude right?
The man said: No. I hate to call such a man human, who makes his parents starving and helpless by saying he cannot support them by his property.
I answered: Right. Apparently you too know right and wrong in human matters. Then, why you didn't allow them to use their property as they wanted? In China, for instance, the emperor Shun* was that of great filial piety: he thought he could abandon the world for his parents, as if one abandons worn-out straw shoes. You should remember this story. Since even your body comes from your parents ones, let alone your property, if they spent it as they want, or even if they sell it away, you have no right to complain about it. On the other hand, if you are going to support them by their property and use the rest for supporting yourself, you seem to wait for them to die soon. Such a motive moving inside you cannot fail to come out, and maybe frequently trouble your parent's feeling. A medical book says: "a bad feeling causes one hundred disease." Seeing these, you cannot give them more undutiful things than by making them troubled. Once a king Sen reigned over Ei. His first son was called Kyu. Then the king welcomed another wife called Senkyou from Sai, who bore two sons thereafter; Ju the elder and Saku the younger. One day, since Saku and his mother had told the father untrue things on Kyu, the father, blinded by his love for his new wife, started to hate him, had a trick that the king sent him to Sai where assasins would ambush him. Then, finding the conspiracy of his mother and the brother, Ju tried to save his another brother by informing him about it. Kyu refused his advise, however, by saying thus: "That's an order from my father. I cannot escape from it." Feeling at a loss, Ju stealed his brother's flag for the envoy to Sai and went before his brother to die instead of him. Assasins killed him mistakely. After that, Kyu got there and said: "I've just come hire on my father's command. Kill me instead of my brother, for he has no fault to be killed." Then assasins killed him as well. Well, Kyu obeyed his father's order without revealing his stepmother's evil plot. Even sacrificing his life, he didn't fail to obey his father. On the other hand, you complain to your parents on a pretty small amount of money, and to make matters worse, hurt their feeling by your selfish interest. Comparing your filial attitude with ancient sages' one, the former doesn't differ from trees and stones. Go back and think it over.
* Shun (jpn. and chn.): an emperor of a Chinese dynasty in the legendary period.
* Maybe the word "Bushido" is not unfamiliar even to western people mainly due to NIITOBE Inazo's famous book titled the same word. However, I think, only well-educated people can understand it's meaning only through this word. That's why I'm going to translate "Bushido" somewhat analytically like this.
A man asked me: I put my son out to service to a soldier family. Then, I would thank you if I could hear from you how can I teach him the way of the soldier.
I answered: Born in a farm family, I'm not good at the way of the soldier. As far as I've learned from books, however, I'm going to argue it. Well, first of all, whoever serves king is servant. As they say "servants are drawn", servants always fell drawn to their king. In reality some servants seem to be drawn just by salary from king. According to the Analects (XVII Youka (Yinghuo), 15) too, "Can a base man serve a king? Before he gets a high rank, he is anxious to get it. After he gets it, however, he is anxious about losing it. Being anxious about it, he doesn't hesitate to do anything he can do." A single bite of such anxiety can ruin the king. Since ancient times, disloyal acts comes from desire for salary. If you want to see how servents are drawn to their king, you should see Shun (Shun) serve Gyou (Yao), I'in (Yiyin) Touou (King Tou) (Tangwang) and Taikou (Taijia), Shukoutan (Zhougongdan) Buou (King Bu) (Wuwang) and Seiou (King Sei) (Chengwang). Servants of today too should abandon their desire, and follow these excellent examples. Besides them, all of other excellent servants like a king's son Hikan (Bigan) carried all righteous deeds out for their king, because they were drawn to their king all the time. Now these servants work as good example for setting servants upright.
The man asked: Being uneducated, I don't beg you subtle explanations. I just ask you to give me answers easy to understand. Last year, for example, I visit the Ise shrine and asked a priest to teach me the teachings of the shrine. Then the priest said: "the teachings of the god makes it the goodness to be honest; that is, to be dutiful to parents, loyal to the lord, diligent in your family business honestly, free from a sense of guilt. If, fulfilling these, you still have any guilt, the god takes it over." Then, thinking this teaching easy, I asked if he would like to tell me any little bit more subtle teachings. "If you can do them easily, the master said, I'll teach you them someday." Although, thinking it easy, I tried to fulfill these virtues, first, it was not easy at all for me to be honest, and much harder to fulfill filial duty and loyalty. Being so, I thought I couldn't manage to be diligent in business and free from guilt within my lifetime. The more I thought these things over, the more I admired the loftiness of the teachings. Now I ask you to give me such easy-to-understand teachings like in this story.
I answered: You got good teachings; I think them true. In the Analects as well: "asked by Fanchi about humanity, the master said 'loving people, asking knowledge and knowing people.'" Although humanity and knowledge is a big problem, it is fully expressed by these two words. It is much desirable to be easy to teach people without too much dependence on tricky words. Luckily enough, I, being uneducated, would like to tell you taking a metaphor easy to understand for you from things belonging to you too. Limbs, first of all, serve the mouth; for when the mouth doesn't eat, limbs cannot feel at ease. Even if, for this reason, limbs must toil for the mouth all their lives, they have to devote themselves to it loyally without any complaints. You must take it the norm of servants for their lord, limbs serving the mouth. Servants eat rice and soup, which the salary from their lord makes for them. Without it, how could they maintain their lives? Therefore, when servants sacrifice themselves for their lords, ignoring themselves like a dewdrop or dust, this is the way of servants. If you serve your lord differently from limbs serving the mouth, you should know you commit disloyalty. When you take this the norm, you cannot miss the way of servants, wherever you serve a lord. Well, servants follow the administration. A lord, on the other hand, must govern servants with the way of lords. In ancient times of great sages, taking the people for children, a lord took the people's heart for his own heart. A commentary (from "The Great Learning" (the tenth commentary)) says: "Caring for what the people care for, hating what the people hate, this makes a lord the people's parents." That's why, even after a lord passes away, "the people so much attach themselves to him that they cannot forget him". You should taste this teaching. A loyal servant leaves his name behind, and the people love it. The Book of Rites (from the chapter of detailed rites) also says: "A loyal soldier should make his aim firm at the age of fourty so that he cannot get affected by self-interest nor get offended by personal luck. Settled his mind like this, then, he serve his lord." The way of soldier consists in settling one's mind through knowing the heart. Mencius too says thus (from the chapter of "Hearty devotion"): "Ennoble your heart. But what does it stand for? Nothing more than humanity. If you kill an innocent man, you violate humanity. If you take someone else's possessions, you violate justice. Where should you settle yourself? Humanity. Which way should you take? Justice." He also says thus (from the chapter "Gao-zi Part I): "(If I cannot take both of them,) I will prefer the justice to the life. Thus, sometimes we cannot escape from suffering." A worrior must taste this saying. Some guys, however, think the way consists solely in martial arts wrongly indeed. Neverthless, a soldier without right mind of soldier isn't a genuine soldier. The Analects says thus ("Tai-bo"): "Even with a splendid talent of the Emperor Zhou, the master says, if one behaves arrogantly and ungenerously, we don't need to examine his other aspects." With good and upright heart, on the other hand, even if one lacks something, he is still a genuine soldier. The master says thus too ("Xian Asks"): "When your country have the way, you may get salary. When it lacks the way, however, you should be ashamed of doing so." Therefore really shameful is getting salary in a well-governed peaceful country and living on it without making any contributions for that. Much more, in case a outrageous lord cannot govern his country well, if you don't set him right nor cease getting salary from him, it's the biggest shame. People wishing to be soldiers should taste this well. And this is the outline of the way of the soldier. He will learn particular points after starting his career in the family.
A merchent asked me saying: making trade my daily business, I feel pretty troubled about how to live according to the way of the merchant. What principle I should follow in buying and selling?
I answered: As for the beginning of the merchants, I heard, in ancient times they began to trade by profession, by exchanging excesses with deficiencies. Since merchents must make their living by exact calculation, they should not neglect even one penny. Piling up a fortune by piling them represents the way of the merchants. This fortune, however, comes from public people. Positing that people have the same heart as their own, and guessing from their own feeling for sparing even a penny, if merchants give great care to articles for sale so that they can sell them wasting nothing of them, although customers regret paying for them at first, finding goodness of the articles they must take their regret back. Making them take it back is no less than leading them to the good way. Moreover, since merchants satisfy everyone by circulating public goods, their activity never goes against the nature as a saying goes (The Analects, "Yanghuo"): "the heaven, earth and four seasons circulate so that everything grows." Therefore, even if merchants pile their mealth up to the heaven, it cannot come from their greed for money. They should spare even one penny but without greed, tasting the deed of Aotozaemon* who was unwilling to waste 10 pennies even spending 50 pennies for them. Being like this, their way corresponds to the same policy the soldiers of the highest rank have, and go along the way of the universe so that they can flourish. Making themselves flourish and people's heart calm as well, as public treasure they work as if they pray for peace of the world all the time. Of course they also should follow the law of the government and keep self-respect. Even merchants must know the way of the sages; otherwise working for money they must earn dirty one which makes their descendant ruined. That's why merchants must know the way so that they can prosper, if they love their children.
* Aotozaemon: a legendary samurai of middle Kamakura period serving HOUJOU Tokiyori; once he dropped 10 pennies in a river, he paid 50 pennies for workmen to take them up again.
One day from Banshu* a man came to Kyoto. Then caming to me with his landlord, he asked thus: I have a son who hopes to study. He frequently asked us to allow him to go to Kyoto even for a while for even only listening some lectures on The Small Learning, The Great Learning or other books. Feeling very sorry for bothering you, I want talk with you about my son. In and around Himeji too, rich families with a large estate let their children study. I heard, however, sometimes they got some troubles later. Though my precious son desires that, and I want him to be a man of a opened eye, still I hesitate to follow his wish, worrying that he might became a bad guy.
* Banshu: these days in south Hyogo.
I asked him: What do you mean by that children make troubles by studying?
The man said: Among the people committing themselves to academic study, seven or eight people out of ten neglect their household jobs such as trade and agriculture, longing to wear a sword. To make matters worse, many of them look down on others. Even to their parents, though they don't give them unfilial deeds in their face, in some cases they seem to regard them illiterant. While I think the study prevent him from talking back to others in an annoying fashon, on the other hand, still he seems to imply that, being ignorant, his parents should keep silent. Parents too, reversely, cannot be frank to him, being educated however slightly. That's why I don't allow him to go to the capital, because I'm afraid that he would be same as those youngs.
I replied: Originally in order to correct such characters one commits to learning. Though you seem to be talking about a case happened around the castle town, maybe being rustic such a thing happend.
He said: That's not the case: for most of them learned under teachers being pretty famous all over Kyoto.
I replied: Listening to your story I declare all of the students you mentioned get away far from the moral of humanity. The learning consists solely in making it clear. Can teachers, as far as they are teachers, teach things contrary to the way of the ancient sages even in case they teach enemies? The learning stands on, first of all, behaving oneself, respecting one's lord with honor, serving one's parents with humane love, keeping company with friends with faith, applying love widely over people, feeling pity for poor people, keeping oneself free from false pride in one's own success, escaping from waste and luxury so far as cloths and other minor articles, being diligent in one's family business, counting income and waching outgo, and finally, observing the laws and managing one's home. This is the outline of the way of studying.
He said: Among your story I found some points hard to understand. You said one should keep away from luxury of cloths. Parents, however, naturally want their children wear finer ones than other children. If children wear poor cloths against parents' will, do they something contrary to filial piety by ignoring their will?
I replied: I don't mean one should keep poor life ignoring others' will, but one should keep moderate life. Can parents knowing well the way be pleased with their children living luxury lives, ignoring propriety. Confucius says too ("Eight Rows"): "rituals should be simple rather than over-splendid." Therefore, failing to fulfil all proprieties, one should know the big damage of luxury.
He said: If you tell the truth, my son won't be seriously damaged by studying. A man said, however, thus: "these bad morals of today's scholars don't come from bad disciples. These scholars, while being Confucianists, teach without understanding the Sages' Heart. That's why they ignore 'overcoming selfishness and going back to the propriety.' To make matters worse, their greed for salary prevents them from going forward with propriety and backward for righteousness. By studying their impropriety, then, their disciples tend to take false pride in their literary talent, looking down on other people. This disease comes from studying. Searching for it's main cause, I find it's a bad infection of their teachers' bad ambition and self-interest. It's not disciples' fault at all. Their teacher did create all the bad things." Which is true, you or this man?
I answered: I sincerely worn you never to tell such a terrble opinion. In the Analects too: "Zigong asked Ziqin, saying 'even by a single word the Sage judges whether one knows or not. That's why you mustn't speak anything without modesty.'" Though I have no idea how many Confucianits work all over this country, surely one cannot call oneself so without reading the Analects. Zhuxi says too in his introduction to "The Collected Commentary in the Analects": Confucius "measured grain fairly when he had to work as an official measurer after grown up." As a man with the great Sages' virtue Confucius didn't hate to measure even fire wood, grass and raw wood; he did it fairly. That is to say, he followed the Heaven's Will. Other period he "became an offcial breeder" and raised cattles and sheeps, taking that his job. He worked hard so that cattles and sheeps grew healthily and breed flourishingly. This time too he followed the Heaven's Will. Making this the model, everyone - worriors, farmers, craftsmen and merchants all alike - must be satisfied with one's family business. Can readers of the Analects ignore such an evident truth? Knowing the Way, after all, consists in being satisfied with one's present state and desiring nothing other; this is the virtue of studying. Students you've just mentioned, ignoring this basic principle, desire to wear a sword, and to make matters worse, in missing the point of the teaching, shift their failure onto their teachers; this is completely wrong. Even Confucianists, being far from the Sages, cannot stop thinking about the salary. Though inevitable to worry, however, with any desire for salary one mustn't be an officer. Knowing this Confucianists should keep the desire down and refuse any improper salary. One must take one's present state allotted by the Heaven. This is because one should follow Confucius. Knowing this can I neglect my job any more? Even if a feudal lord wants me to be his servant, I would refuse that offer because of my poor ability. Why can this matter, to serve or not? In the Analects too ("Zihan"): "I don't want to sell myself, Confucius said, I just wait somebody buy me." By "wait somebody buy me" he meant that the worrior shouldn't offer himself as a servant unless the offer comes with full courtesy even if it would make him starve or even die. Without understanding this obvious statement one cannot call oneself an Analects reader. Without exception a servant should work solely for keeping his lord straight and his country safe. If he works with even slight desire for salary, he cannot help worrying about losing it. Worrying about salary he cannot give his lord appropriate advice. However many books he's read through and however great fame he got by his wide knowledge, if he may make his lord do something wrong, he cannot call himself a scholar. Once Ranyou served Ji, his softness prevented him from giving good advice; on the contrary he even helped him to go much worse. Seeing this Confucius scolded Ranyou bitterly of course. Now if a servant serves with desire for salary, he would harm himself and only get a serious shame.
Well, by saying "Confucianists don't know the heart of the sages", what do you mean? First of all, the heart is the master of the body. But, Confucianism is also called "Ru", which means moistening.* Hence, you must know, you cannot moisten your body without moisten your heart. The Collected Commentary on Mencius too begins by explaining the heart. By knowing the heart you can hold your ambition tight, make the right clear; this makes you progress. Without knowing the heart, however, you remain dark and ignorant; this prevents you from making the reason clear even if you follow "science". Even a Chinese medical text ("Somon" ("Suwen" (Chn.))) says that numb limbs stand against the humanity. A Confucianist must take the universe the heart taking a form of an unified body. Then, in a sense, he is everything and nothing stands outside himself. Taking the whole universe yourself, you can got to everywhere. Without knowing the heart, however, pneuma failing to penetrate prevents you from being unified with the universe. Then you suffers like a patient of numb limbs. A Sage, to the contrary, can make his heart penetrated the universe. Without knowing the heart, how can a master correct people's mind? With what standard? Well, you said some masters don't know the heart. Indeed in a local area like your hometown any scholar with vast reading, knowledge of characters and teaching ability can be taken as a Confucianist. But, if he teaches Confucianism without knowing what the heart is, he is a Confucianist just for mean people and nothing more than a bookshelf. Confucianism for Sages, on the other hand, minds nothing but to correct people's heart and bring them to virtues. Taking no vain pride on one's literary talent, forgetting one's personal interest, putting empty ambition out and keeping healthy one along the Way, these belong to the Confucianist for noble people.
That only ancient Sages knew the heart and these days people ignore it corresponds to the Buddhists' doctrine that the present period belongs to the ten thousand years of the abolished Law. Criticizing Buddhists from time to time, some guys still adopt their doctrine when it pleases them saying that people go worse in this lawless world. I cannot understand how they can take such a bizzare attitude. Sages said "the way keeps unchanged for one hundred generation", didn't they? Without understanding this, one cannot teach anybody nor give any lectures on classics.
* The original sentence is untranslatable because the author uses a pun on Chinese characters and their sound. Translating it word by word is possible but it makes the sentence meaningless: for your interest here it is "'Ru' (Chinese name for Confucianism) can be called 'ru' (similar but different Chinese character than first one), which means moistening."
He asked: then, you give lectures with that knowledge, don't you? Let me ask you what does it mean to understand the true heart.
I answered: it's not easy for me to tell you by words directly what the heart is. A professor expressed it by its function, saying that it reflects from and in every side like an well-shining mirror. Chen-zi, for example, called it "still-water-like bright mirror." An other master represented it by its effect. Mencius said (former Gaozi): "the heart intends as it takes effect: say, hungry one intends eating, thirsty one drinking." In the Analects too (Jizi): "the master says: sight intends light, hearing sound, en-visag-ing greetings." In sum, the Sages see the heart in everything from the ground to the sky. Could we easily explain a deep feeling like this by words? You have to attain to that stage by yourself. A verse called "the masses" says too: "where things lie, the law lies too." Taking a father and his son for example, the former's benevolence reflects father's heart, the latter's filial piety son's one. It goes like this everywhere. This example seems quite easy to understand. Making this out rightly, however, is highly difficult unless you determine your heart out by resolving all doubts. You cannot determine your heart out without making your mind firm. Even parents cannot hand it down to their children, so much less a teacher to their disciples. If I happen to get to it, my master approve that; that's all. Coming up to this point, even Confucius and Mencius cannot give clear comments by words. Confucius, however, still adds (Youka (Yanghua)): "What should the heaven say? It works all the time and makes a million things alive." That is, the Way goes, being far from concealed. While he said in such a somewhat obscure fashion, only few people have doubts saying, for example, "What did Confucius mean by this 'It works all the time and makes a million things alive.'" Zhuang-zi says too (from the "Heaven-way"): "To read books without knowing the heart of the Sages equals with to enjoy eating lees without tasting liquor itself. Books without heart are nothing more than lees." He compared the taste of liquor to a bucketworker shaving hoops, saying: "if too loose, they couldn't hold the bucket still; if too tight, however, they couldn't welcome it. Not too loose, nor too tight; you must apply this sense to your heart. No one can explain this by words." Interesting, don't you think? If you preach the way without understanding the heart, your behavior would be ridiculous as an amateur trying to make a bucket just after hearing about a bucketmaker. Your bucket wouldn't keep water in it, or maybe even couldn't keep itself as a bucket, because you don't master the technique by heart. Teaching as well should work like this. That's why it holds understanding the heart as its pricipal part. "At 70, the master said, I didn't transgress the limit even if I simply did what I wanted to." Thus, just following what his heart wanted to, holy Confucius still could keep going along the law of the world; even wise people cannot attain to this stage. Although the sage, the wise and the ordinary differ each other, they attain to the same stage when they know the heart. This understanding works as water. Sages are water in the four oceans; it holds big ships and enables them to bring goods over the world, so that it sustains people all over the world. Wise men are water in large rivers; it can sustain one country. We, just ordinary people, are water in small rivers; it can sustain only several "Cho"* of ricefield. How much differs in extent in helping people, they finally come down to the same sea. Through the same way we know what the heart is; each of us takes different ways - some people take upper ways, others middle, and lest lower - up to the holy sages. If we don't stop learning, however, all of us reach to the same stage, the holy sages. Just being ordinary people, we have no other way to there than by restraining desires, punishing bad deeds and studying hard. And our way is long and slow...
* Cho: a Japanese unit for field; one "Cho" roughly equals to 100 are.
The man left.
Other guy came and asked me, saying: now if what you've said to the guy is true, then do all of our confucianists who give disciples a lecture on classics understand what the sages' heart is?
I replied: I don't think so. Even if they read classical texts before many disciples, it alone doesn't make them real confucianists. To make people's life rich by knowledge on the nature, this is what the true confucianist must do. Even if you read so many books as to "burden an ox and pile up to the ceiling", without understanding the nature you are nothing more than a vulgar Confucianist only reciting texts, not a true one. Whereever you listen to lectures, you must discern whether the teacher is a real Confucianist or not. Without this, the more you learn, the more you may neglect your family business following what you "learn", then practice unfilialty and finally harm yourself, as the gest said. The true Confucianist teaches with deep understanding of the heart. Mencius said ("The Prior Gao-zi"): "at heart everyone wants the noble; everyone has something noble in one's heart; just they can't find that." Taste this!
-The End of the First Volume-