《论语》“色难”命题的衍义

On the Derivation of the Proposition of“Se nan”in The Analects of Confucius

“色难”命题的主词指称一直是传统孝文化史的一桩“悬案”,这主要是把“色养”陷溺于“事生”单一维度进行讨论造成的。“事父母”之“孝”的内涵包括“事生与事死”,藉于此,“色难”命题的主词只能指向“子辈”。传统孝文化中,“事生与事死”实践表述为“居则致其敬,养则致其乐,病则致其忧,丧则致其哀,祭则致其严”,以此为进路,“色养”内质可以理解为把“敬、乐、忧、哀、思慕”情感倾注到对父母的“生、老、病、死、祭”全过程照护中。顺之,“色难”的原始意蕴应为:事父母一生,子辈“敬、乐、忧、哀、思慕”的情感贯注是困难的事情。

The subject reference of the proposition of“se nan”(difficulty to have a benign countenance in the presence of parents)has always been an“unsolved case”in the history of traditional filial piety culture,which is mainly caused by the discussion of“se yang”(difficulty to maintain parents with a benign countenance)in the single dimension of maintaining parents when they are alive.The connota-tion of filial piety includes“maintaining parents when they are alive and after their death”,so that the theme of“se nan”can only point to the offspring.In traditional culture,the practice of“maintaining parents when they are alive and holding a memorial ceremony them after their death”is expressed as respecting parents when they are alive,pleasing them,worrying about them when they are ill,feeling sorrowful when they die,and holding a solemn memorial ceremony after their death.In this context,“se yang”includes“respect,joy,worry,sorrow and mourning”and pays attention to parents’“life,old age,illness,death and memorial ceremony.”Then,the original meaning of“se nan”should be like this:it is difficult to maintain parents,especially for their offspring to pay attention to the emotions of“respect,joy,worry,sorrow and mourning”.