Text of Confucianism Part 02

SR No.: 007676
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: James Legge
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1882
Total Pages: 2405
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 43 MB

Page 301

274
THE APPENDIXES.
SECT. I.
VI. (The trigram representing) heaven and (that representing) water, moving away from each other, form Sung. The superior man, in accordance with this, in the transaction of affairs takes good counsel about his first steps.
1. “Ile does not perpetuate the matter about which (the contention is):'-contention should not be prolonged. Although he may suffer the small (injury) of being spoken against,' his argument is clear. .
2. He is unequal to the contention; he retires and keeps concealed, stealthily withdrawing from it:'--for him from his lower place to contend with (the stronger one) above, would be to invite) calamity, as if he brought it with his hand to himself.
3. 'He confines himself to the support assigned
and earth, to discharge its store of rain.' This gives to the writer the idea of waiting; and the superior man is supposed to be taught by this symbolism to enjoy his idle time, while he is waiting for the approach of danger and occasion for action.
The regular course of the subject of line i seems to be the determination to wait, at a distance from danger, the proper time to act.
The subject of line 2, which is undivided and in the centre, is thereby shown to be possessed of a large and generous forbearance.
The recognition of the circumstances of the time, and hearkening to its requirements, explain, in paragraph 4, the retreat from the cavern,' which is not here repeated from the Text. The line being weak and divided, its subject knows his own incompetency, and takes this prudent step.
Ka says that he does not understand what is said under line 6,that the occupant and the place are not suited to each other, for the yin line being in the sixth, an even place, seems to be where it ought to be. We are only surprised that cases of inconsistency in these explanations are not more numerous.
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