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-> -> -> The Scope and Meaning of the Treatise

《开宗明义 - The Scope and Meaning of the Treatise》

English translation: James Legge [?] Library Resources
1 开宗明义:
仲尼居,曾子侍。子曰:“先王有至德要道,以顺天下,民用和睦,上下无怨。汝知之乎?”曾子避席曰:“参不敏,何足以知之?”子曰:“夫孝,德之本也,教之所由生也。复坐,吾语汝。身体发肤,受之父母,不敢毁伤,孝之始也。立身行道,扬名于后世,以显父母,孝之终也。夫孝,始于事亲,中于事君,终于立身。《大雅》云:‘无念尔祖,聿修厥德。’”
The Scope and Meaning...:
(Once), when Zhong Ni was unoccupied, and his disciple Zeng was sitting by in attendance on him, the Master said, "The ancient kings had a perfect virtue and all-embracing rule of conduct, through which they were in accord with all under heaven. By the practice of it the people were brought to live in peace and harmony, and there was no ill-will between superiors and inferiors. Do you know what it was?"
Zeng rose from his mat and said, "How should I, Shen, who am so devoid of intelligence, be able to know this?"
The Master said, "(It was filial piety.) Now filial piety is the root of (all) virtue, and (the stem) out of which grows (all moral) teaching. Sit down again, and I will explain the subject to you. Our bodies - to every hair and bit of skin - are received by us from our parents, and we must not presume to injure or wound them. This is the beginning of filial piety. When we have established our character by the practice of the (filial) course, so as to make our name famous in future ages and thereby glorify our parents, this is the end of filial piety. It commences with the service of parents; it proceeds to the service of the ruler; it is completed by the establishment of character.
It is said in the Major Odes of the Kingdom: Ever think of your ancestor, Cultivating your virtue."

URN: ctp:xiao-jing/scope-and-meaning-of-the-treatise