陈牧:《易》曰:困于石,据于蒺藜,入于其宫,不见其妻,凶。何也?先生教我?
萧凡:臣以为,非所困而困焉,名必辱。非所据而据焉,身必危。既辱且危,死期将至,妻其可得见耶?
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人受教矣。
chenmu:thereisadescription,trappedinstonesandtribulus,hereturnedhomewithoutseeinghiswife,thisisabadsign,sirtaughtmewhat‘sgoingon?
xiaofan:ithink,getstuckwiththingsthatshouldn‘tbethere,reputationcanbedamaged,occupyplacesthatshouldn‘tbeoccupied,liveswillbeindanger,ifbothofthesemistakeshavebeenmade,thenthetimeofdeathisnotfaraway,thereforeitwasimpossibleforhimtomeethiswife。
chenmu:sirisright,iacceptyourteachings。
陈牧:《易》曰:何校灭耳,凶。何也?先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,善不积,不足以成名;恶不积,不足以灭身。小人以小善为无益而弗为也,以小恶为无伤而弗去也。故恶积而不可揜,罪大而不可解。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人受教矣。
chenmu:thereisasayingthatitisunluckytowearouttheears,sirtaughtmewhat‘sgoingon?
xiaofan:ithink,ifyoudon‘tinsistondoinggoodthings,youcan‘tbecomefamous,ifyoukeepdoingbadthings,youwillputyourselfindeath,thelittlemanthinksthatthesmallthingsofkindnessareuselessanddoesnotdoit,thevillainthinksthatitdoesn‘tmatterifhedoesevillittlethings,hewon‘tchangeit,thusevildeedsandsinshavereachedaninsolublepoint。
chenmu:sirisright,iacceptyourteachings。
陈牧:何谓大丈夫也?先生教我。
萧凡:臣以为,君子立天下之正位,行天下之正道,得志则与民由之,不得志则独行其道,富贵不能淫,贫贱不能移,威武不能诎,是之谓大丈夫也。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人受教矣。
chenmu:sirtaughtmewhatabigmanis?
xiaofan:ithink,agentlemanstraightenshimselfoutanddoesthingswithdignity,iftheyareinahighposition,theywillleadpeopletodosotogether,iftheyareinalowposition,theywillinsistondoingsothemselves,richescannotmakethemsexuallypromiscuous,povertyandlowlinesscannotchangetheirambitions,threatsandforcecannotmakethemafraid,onlysuchapersoncanbecalledabigman。
chenmu:sirisright,iacceptyourteachings。
陈牧:敢问先生,何谓天德?
萧凡:臣以为,君子养心,莫善于诚。致诚无他,唯仁之守,唯义之行。诚心守仁则能化,诚心行义则能变。变化代兴,谓之天德。天不言而人推高焉,地不言而人推厚焉,四时不言而百姓期焉。夫此有常,以至其诚者也。天地为大矣,不诚则不能化万物;圣人为智矣,不诚则不能化万民;父子为亲矣,不诚则疏;君上为尊矣,不诚则卑。夫诚者,君子之守,而政事之本也。
陈牧:先生之言是也,寡人受教矣。
chenmu:iwanttoknowwhatthehighestvirtuis?sirtaughtme。
xiaofan:ithink,thebestvirtueofagentlemanshouldbesincerity,onlybyhavingkindnessinyourheartcanyoukeepyoursincerity,onlybyhavingrighteousnessandsincerityinyourheartcanyoukeepit,withbenevolenceandrighteousness,sinceritycanchangeinfinitelywithoutlosingitsessence,thisisthehighestvirtue,heavendoesnotspeakbutpeoplethinkheisclever,thelanddoesnotspeakbutpeoplethinkheisgenerous,theseasondoesnotspeakbutpeopleknowhewillcome,that‘sbecausehemaintainsthepurestsincerity,ifheavenandeartharenotsincere,allthingswillnotgrow,ifasaintisnotsincere,hecannotimpressthepeople,ifthefatherandsonarenotsincere,thentheywillbeestranged,ifthekingisnotsincere,thenthereisnoonetoassisthim,sincerityistheintegrityofagentleman,atthesametime,itisalsothesourceofgovernance。
chenmu:sirisright,iacceptyourteachings。