不离日用常行内,直到天地未画前——论孔子之“兴于诗,立于礼,成于乐”

On Confucius Ideas of "Odes,Rituals and Music"

自境界上言,诗上即有礼、乐,礼与乐也相互融摄。诗"兴"处自然之情即有礼之"立"、乐之"成"。这在语源学、训诂学上亦可得一印证。但只说诗礼乐乃一事,于工夫上却不免失之笼统。自然之情的展现是"立于礼"的过程,人能近取譬而于日用常行间尽伦、敬事,方可展现自身"是他"的可能性。这根本性的人我之"和",是上至源头通于诗情善乐的"兴"、下至日用伦常间达于成"人"践德之"难"的枢机。"兴于诗,立于礼,成于乐"象征的文化心灵演进具有日用伦常间的超越意义。

The odes, rituals and music are inherently correlated. The natural sentiments inspired by the odes imply both the establishment through rituals and the achievement with music. Proofs of this kind can be found in theories of etymology and the Chinese Scholium. However, they are not quite in details, and they just claim that the odes, rituals, and music are one. The exhibition of natural sentiments is also the process of establishing one- self through rituals. If one is able to take what is near at hand as an analogy and to be filial and respectful in her daily life, she will be able to demonstrate the fundamental harmony between others and herself, which is the key to connect the source inspiration achieved through the odes and music and the difficulties of practicing morality to become human in her daily life. In this sense, the evolution of human moral mind embodied by Con- fucius ＂Find inspiration in the odes, establish oneself through rituals, and achieve perfection with music＂, which has more meanings beyond daily life.