孔門十哲 – 子夏 – Eng

子夏 Zixia

卜商（前507年－？），姒姓，蔔氏，字子夏。晉國貴族之後，但到他這一代已家道中落。家貧，勤奮好學，是孔子的重要弟子，少孔子四十四歲，與子遊同列孔門十哲的文學科，長於文學，對《詩經》有深入的研究。曾在魏國西河（今陜西渭南）創辦學堂並授業，魏文侯曾向子夏問問題。李克、吳起、西門豹都是他的學生，一般認為傳授《公羊傳》的公羊高、《穀梁傳》的穀梁子，也是子夏一派的門人。

Bu Shang, also known as Zixia, was a descendant of the aristocracy of the state of Jin, but his family had fallen on hard times by his generation. Despite his family’s poverty, he was diligent and eager to learn. He became an important disciple of Confucius, and was a fellow student of Zi You in the literary arts. He excelled in literature and had a deep understanding of the “Classic of Poetry”. He established a school and taught in Xihe in the state of Wei (now Weinan, Shanxi). The Wei Wen Hou once asked him questions. His students included Li Ke, Wu Qi, and Ximen Bao, and it is generally believed that Gong Yang Gao, who taught the Gongyang Zhuan, and Gu Liangzi, who taught the Guliang Zhuan, were also his disciples.

生平 Biography

子夏出身貧窮，約前483年，他來到魯國拜孔子為師。前476年他赴晉國西河（今陜西渭南）創辦了一所學堂並在那裏教書，三家分晉後該地成為魏國領土。開創的「西河學派」培育出大批經國治世的良材，並成為前期法家成長的搖籃。西河地方之人，將子夏作為孔子看待。據雲《毛詩》之學，是由子夏傳下。《論語》一書疑多出於他和門人手撰。
Born into poverty, Zixia came to the state of Lu and became a disciple of Confucius around 483 BC. In 476 BC, he traveled to Xihe in the state of Jin (now Weinan, Shanxi) and founded a school where he taught. After the partition of Jin into three smaller states, Xihe became part of the state of Wei. The “Xihe School” that he established trained many talented individuals who would later play important roles in governance, and it became a cradle for the growth of early Legalism. The people of Xihe regarded Zixia as highly as they regarded Confucius. According to legend, the study of the Mao Commentary was passed down by Zixia. It is also suspected that he and his disciples wrote much of the Analects of Confucius.

子夏長於文學，對《詩》有深入的研究，能通其義理，著有詩序，他教人致知求仁的方法：「學識要廣，誌向要堅定，凡事要細心去問，要從淺近處去思考，以類推於的遠大地方，仁道就在這裏面了。」
Zixia was well-versed in literature, with a deep understanding of the “Classic of Poetry” and was able to understand its meaning and principles. He wrote poetry and was known for his poetry commentaries. He also taught his students the methods of seeking knowledge and cultivating benevolence, saying, “One’s learning should be broad, and one’s aspirations should be firm. One should be meticulous in inquiry and think from a simple perspective, extending one’s understanding to more profound matters. The path to benevolence is within this process.”
後人非議子夏者多由二事，一是子夏語：「學而優則仕，仕而優則學。」二是子夏為喪子而痛哭失明，不愛惜身體。
Later generations criticized Zixia mainly for two things: first, his famous saying “When you learn, learn with an eye to where you will apply your learning; when you work, work with an eye to where you can be of greatest service.” And secondly, his mourning for his deceased son was so intense that it caused him to become blind, disregarding his own physical health.

性格 Personality

《荀子》大略篇說子夏家貧，而子夏對於不能出仕的想法為：「諸侯之驕我者，吾不為臣；大夫之驕我者，吾不復見。柳下惠與後門者同衣，而不見疑，非一日之聞也。爭利如蚤甲，而喪其掌。」其性格可見一斑。《論語》中，子夏認為「死生有命，富貴在天」，又說「四海之內，皆兄弟也」。但根據《論語》，子張曾經評語子夏「拒與不可者為友」的作法太過狹隘，如果被他人所拒絕，自始則無法驕傲地拒絕他人。可見孔子弟子之中，對於子夏為人的評論有所不同。
According to the “Xunzi,” it is said that Zixia’s family was poor, and his thoughts on not being able to serve were: “If the lords are arrogant towards me, I will not serve as a vassal; if the great ministers are arrogant towards me, I will not see them again. Liuxia Hui wore the same clothes as the servant, but there was no suspicion, and this was not something that happened in a day. Fighting for profit is like fighting for fleas, and losing control.” His character can be seen from this. In “The Analects,” Zixia believed that “life and death are predetermined, and wealth and rank are bestowed by heaven,” and also said, “Within the four seas, all men are brothers.” However, according to “The Analects,” Zizhang once criticized Zixia’s narrow-minded approach of “refusing to be friends with those who cannot be accepted,” suggesting that if he was rejected by others, he would not be able to refuse others with pride from the beginning. It can be seen that among Confucius’ disciples, there were different opinions on Zixia’s character.
子夏向誌於學，故被孔子譽為文學第一，與子遊同列。和子遊一樣，子夏也是孔子晚年的得意門生。子夏對於文學造詣甚深。而據《論語》，子夏曾與孔子討論《詩經》中「巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以為絢兮。」之意義。孔子以為「素以為絢兮」是全句重點，因而點評「繪事後素」。指「美目」與「巧笑」如同「繪」，而人品之「素」是基礎。子夏舉一反三而回應「禮後乎？」意近於孔子所說之「人而不仁，如禮何？」指禮如同美目巧笑，是使一個人具有氣質的外在修飾。孔子回應：「如同我從商朝之禮而開始我的研究，漸漸可以以周諸國的《詩》來討論修飾的道理了！」。
Zixia, who was one of Confucius’ favorite disciples in his later years and considered to be a top scholar alongside Zilu, had a deep understanding of literature. During one discussion with Confucius regarding a line from the Classic of Poetry, “With a coquettish smile and beautiful eyes, so charmingly bright「巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以為絢兮。」,” Confucius believed that “素以為絢兮” was the key point of the sentence and commented that “繪事後素”. He emphasized that “美目” and “巧笑” are like “painting”, and one’s character or “素” is the foundation. Zixia’s response, which suggested that ritual, like beautiful eyes and charming smiles, is an external embellishment that enhances a person’s charisma, while one’s inner substance forms the foundation, was in the form of a counter-question: “Is ritual (禮) placed after substance?” This idea aligns with Confucius’ statement: “If a person is not humane, what use is ritual?” Confucius replied by stating that he began his research with the ritual of the Shang Dynasty and now he can discuss the principles of embellishment with the Poetry from various states.
子夏的勤奮好學，在孔門弟子中亦相當突出，並因此獲得孔子的贊賞和鼓勵。子夏的對《詩經》的造詣受到承認，後世也有認為《易經》所流傳的解釋部分傳承自子夏。《史記》中的《樂書》記載「魏文侯問於子夏」，可見子夏對於周朝的音樂也有涉獵。他在孔子去世之後策劃推舉有若而未果，根據《孟子》，理由為子夏、子張、子遊認為有若外表「貌似孔子」，曾子卻反對。子夏離開孔門，前往他國聚徒講學。《史記•魏世家》記載魏文侯「受子夏經藝」，可見子夏在魏國講學，而成為魏文候的老師因而名聲甚大。
Zixia stood out among Confucius’ disciples due to his diligence and eagerness to learn, earning him praise and encouragement from the sage. He was recognized for his expertise in the Classic of Poetry, and it is believed that some interpretive traditions in the Yi Jing were passed down from him. Zixia also had knowledge of the music of the Zhou dynasty, as shown in the “Music” chapter of the Records of the Grand Historian, where Wei Wen Hou asked him about it. According to the Mencius, after Confucius’ death, Zixia, Zizhang, and Ziyou planned to recommend You Ruo as his successor because You Ruo looked “similar to Confucius” in appearance, while Zengzi opposed it. Their plan was unable to carry out in the end. Zixia then left the Confucian school to teach his disciples in other states, becoming well known as the teacher of Wei Wen Hou as recorded in the “Wei Family Annals” of the Records of the Grand Historian.

評價 Evaluation

早在子夏追隨孔子問學之前，好談論別人是非的子貢曾問孔子，「子張與子夏相比孰賢？」孔子答曰：「子張也過，子夏也不及。」又問：「然則子張愈與？」曰：「過猶不及。」孔子的評價耐人尋味。朱熹在註這段話時說：「子張才高意廣，而好為苛難，故常過中；子夏篤信遵守，而規模狹隘，故常不及。」孔子也曾當面告誡子夏：「汝為君子儒，無為小人儒。」
Zigong asked, “Who is superior between Zizhang and Zixia?” Confucius replied, “Zizhang goes too far, and Zixia falls short.” Zigong asked again, “Does that mean Zizhang is stronger?” Confucius said, “Going too far and falling short are equally bad.” Confucius’ evaluation is thought-provoking. Zhu Xi commented on this passage, saying, “Zizhang has a wide range of talents and interests, but he likes to be strict and harsh, so he often goes too far. Zixia is dedicated to following and upholding principles, but his scope is narrow, so he often falls short.” Confucius also warned Zixia in person, saying, “As a scholar of the noble class, do not become a scholar of the petty class.”