君子養心

孫卿子

To Cultivate Virtues

by Sun Qingzi

东山 译

To cultivate virtues, the greatest part is to acquire the character of honesty and sincerity.

To be regarded as honest and sincere you must exercise benevolence and uphold righteousness.

With honesty and sincerity in practicing benevolence you can influence people to do the same;

By being truly sincere and honest in implementing righteousness you will be able to transform social customs for the better.

It will be called the heavenly ethics if the society is progressing for the better and thriving in the best.

【作者简介】孙卿子，即荀卿，荀况，荀子（约前313年-前238年），名况，字卿（一说时人相尊而号为卿），两汉时因避汉宣帝询名讳称孙卿。战国晚期赵国人，思想家、哲学家、教育家、儒家学派的代表人物。荀子當過齊國稷下學宮祭酒、楚國蘭陵令，還曾去趙國、秦國遊說。

（原载《海外南开人》102期，2/20/2016出版）