COLLECTED CONVERSATIONS : DISCOURSES 1.3

SKILLFUL WORDS
SKILLFUL WORDS
《巧言》

Kongzi said: Skillful words, pleasing appearance—little humanity!


Yulei ch. 20, Lunyu 1:3, 1:

Someone asked about the Lunyu verse “skillful words, pleasing appearance—little humanity!”

Answer: It is merely that if the heartmind is away from its home, then this already is not humanity. My pupil Zudao once said in his notes that “if one causes their own heart and mind to depart and be located on the outside, how can one then attain humanity?” It is not that there is another kind of humanity apart from this.

或問「巧言令色,鮮矣仁」。曰:「只心在外,便是不仁也。祖道錄云:「他自使去了此心在外,如何得仁。」不是別更有仁。」

° ° °


Source: the “Collected Conversations of Master Zhu,” chapter 20, with 11 index numbers in total on verse 1.3. Full Chinese text here: CTEXT).

COLLECTED CONVERSATIONS : DISCOURSES 1.3