加密数字货币交易所-《论语》详解：给所有曲解孔子的人-子曰：三人行，必有我师焉：择其善者而从之，其不善者而改之

Confucius said: “When three people walk together, there must be someone I can learn from: choose the good ones and follow them, and correct the bad ones.”

Yang Bojun: Confucius said: “When a few people walk together, there must be someone I can learn from: I select those with good qualities and learn from them, and see the shortcomings to correct myself.”

Qian Mu: The teacher said: “When three people walk together, there must be my teacher. Choose the good ones and follow them, and correct the bad ones.”

Li Zehou: Confucius said: “When three people walk together, there are certainly teachers worth learning from. Select the good qualities and learn from them, and see the shortcomings to improve oneself.”

Detailed explanation:

What does ‘three people’ mean? Why not five or ten? What about two? These questions have probably never been definitively answered or acknowledged. In fact, the so-called ‘three people’ refer to the ‘ruler, father, and teacher’—the three most worthy of respect. ‘Three people walking together’ implies walking alongside the ‘ruler, father, and teacher.’ People should emulate the highest standards; does that mean walking with a few great villains and still say ‘there must be my teacher’? That would be peers of the same kind, not companions of virtue. According to the above and common explanations, if three people are all vegetative states, then walking with three vegetative persons—how can there be someone I can learn from? Vegetative persons are still human; how can I learn from their good qualities? And how can I correct their bad qualities? This is not a matter of quibbling but a critique of the previous foolish and laughable explanations.

‘There must be my teacher’—if ‘must,’ then it is conditional; ‘there is,’ meaning possessing; ‘teacher,’ meaning to emulate; ‘therein,’ referring to this. Confucius emphasizes verification in the present reality, and he does not blindly affirm the ‘ruler, father, and teacher,’ believing that there must be something to emulate. Instead, he stresses that without other standards, we cannot confirm what is good or bad. This standard can only be the current reality. ‘Ruler, father, and teacher’—regardless of any theories or opinions—cannot detach from the present reality to become eternal principles. Only then does the possibility of ‘selecting’ arise.

Walking with the ‘ruler, father, and teacher,’ if there are aspects to emulate, Confucius offers the following advice: ‘Choose the good ones and follow them, and correct the bad ones.’ ‘Choose’—select based on current reality, not according to personal preferences, lineage, or factions; ‘good’—perfection; ‘follow’—broadly follow; ‘follow them’—let the good ones be widely adopted, applying and testing their virtues within the broader scope of current reality; ‘correct them’—make adjustments to the bad ones in the current context. ‘Correct’—besides modification, also emphasizes ‘restarting’ or ‘redoing.’ This correction is not a one-time act but an ongoing process until perfection is achieved.

The first two chapters discussed the significance of ‘studiousness’ for inner sagehood and outer kingship. This chapter further points out that, under the standard of ‘studiousness,’ when facing the legacy of predecessors represented by ‘ruler, father, and teacher,’ the proper attitude is ‘choose the good ones and follow them, and correct the bad ones.’ Without this premise, so-called emulation is merely copying dead models. Confucius and the Analects always remain alive within vibrant reality.

Chánzhōng’s plain translation of Zen teachings