夫学者载籍极博。尤考信于六艺。《诗》、《书》虽缺，然虞、夏之文可知也。尧将逊位，让于虞舜，舜、禹之间，岳牧咸荐，乃试之于位，典职数十年，功用既兴，然后授政。示天下重器，王者大统，传天下若斯之难也。而说者曰：“尧让天下于许由，许由不受，耻之逃隐。及夏之时，有卞随、务光者。”此何以称焉？太史公曰：余登箕山，其上盖有许由冢云。孔子序列古之仁圣贤人，如吴太伯、伯夷之伦详矣。余以所闻，由、光义至高，其文辞不少概见，何哉？

孔子曰：“伯夷、叔齐，不念旧恶，怨是用希。”“求仁得仁，又何怨乎？”余悲伯夷之意，睹轶诗可异焉。其传曰：伯夷、叔齐，孤竹君之二子也。父欲立叔齐。及父卒，叔齐让伯夷。伯夷曰：“父命也。”遂逃去。叔齐亦不肯立而逃之。国人立其中子。于是伯夷、叔齐闻西伯昌善养老，“盍往归焉！”及至，西伯卒，武王载木主，号为文王，东伐纣。伯夷、叔齐叩马而谏曰：“父死不葬，爰及干戈，可谓孝乎？以臣弑君，可谓仁乎？”左右欲兵之。太公曰：“此义人也。”扶而去之。武王已平殷乱，天下宗周，而伯夷、叔齐耻之，义不食周粟，隐于首阳山，采薇而食之。及饿且死，作歌，其辞曰：“登彼西山兮，采其薇矣。以暴易暴兮，不知其非矣。神农、虞、夏忽焉没兮，我安适归矣？于嗟徂兮，命之衰矣。”遂饿死于首阳山。

由此观之，怨邪非邪？

或曰：“天道无亲，常与善人。”若伯夷、叔齐，可谓善人者非邪？积仁洁行，如此而饿死。且七十子之徒，仲尼独荐颜渊为好学。然回也屡空，糟糠不厌，而卒蚤夭。天之报施善人，其何如哉？盗跖日杀不辜，肝人之肉，暴戾恣睢，聚党数千人，横行天下，竟以寿终，是遵何德哉？此其尤大彰明较著者也。若至近世，操行不轨，专犯忌讳，而终身逸乐，富厚累世不绝。或择地而蹈之，时然后出言，行不由径，非公正不发愤，而遇祸灾者，不可胜数也。余甚惑焉，倘所谓天道，是邪非邪？

子曰：“道不同，不相为谋。”亦各从其志也。故曰：“富贵如可求，虽执鞭之士，吾亦为之。如不可求，从吾所好。”“岁寒，然后知松柏之后凋。”举世混浊，清士乃见。岂以其重若彼，其轻若此哉？

“君子疾没世而名不称焉。”贾子曰：“贪夫徇财，烈士徇名，夸者死权，众庶冯生。”同明相照，同类相求。“云从龙，风从虎，圣人作而万物睹。”伯夷、叔齐虽贤，得夫子而名益彰；颜渊虽笃学，附骥尾而行益显。岩穴之士，趋舍有时，若此类名湮灭而不称，悲夫。闾巷之人，欲砥行立名者，非附青云之士，恶能施于后世哉！

Bo Yi

The learned people read a wide range of books, but they still need to look for credible evidence from the "six arts".  Although The Book of Songs and The Book of History are incomplete, the records of the history of Yu and Xia can still be seen. When Tang Yao was about to step down from the throne, he decided to abdicate to Yu Shun.  Only after being recommended by all four Mountains and nine Mu (admistrative division), did Yu Shun and later Xia Yu try to be an official and manage the government affairs for several decades.  More thant that, only after their merits were established, was the throne passed to them. This shows that the world is the most precious treasure, and that the emperor is the biggest succession, and that it is so difficult to hand over the throne!  However, some people said that Yao wanted to cede the throne to Xu You, but Xu You refused to accept it and escaped and lived in seclusion for shame.  In the Xia Dynasty, Bian Sui and Wu Guang refused to accept the throne and were drowned.  What about all this?  Taishi gong said: I once climbed Skip hill, there was xu You's tomb on it.  Confucius arranged and discussed ancient humane men, sages and wise men, such as Wu Taibo and Bo Yi, which were recorded in great detail.  What I have heard about Yun Xu You and Wu Guang is that their morality and righteousness are very high, but there are very few written records about them. Why is that?  

Confucius said, "Bo Yi and Shu Qi did not remember old enemies, so they seldom complained."  He added, "Why did they resent humanity when they sought it and got it?"  I felt sorry for Bo Yi, and the truth was strange when I read the poems they had left behind.  Their biographies say that Bo Yi and Shu Qi were the two sons of Lord Guzhu.  His father wanted to make Shu Qi a king. After his father died, Shu Qi gave up the throne to his eldest brother, Bo Yi.  "This is my father's will," Said Bo Yi.  So he ran away.  Shu Qi also refused to inherit the throne and fled.  So the people of the kingdom had to appoint another brother.  Just then, Bo Yi and Shu Qi heard that Xi Bo Ji Chang (King Wen of Zhou) respected the elderly, so they discussed and said, "Why don't we go to him?" By the time they arrived, Xi Bo was already dead. His son, King Wu, was carrying his father’s spirit tablet in his carriage, and honored him as King Wen. He was heading east to attack King Zhou.  Bo Yi and Shu Qi held up King Wu's horses and dissuaded him, saying, "Can you say it is filial to start a war before your father is buried?  Can it be called benevolence for an official to kill a king?"  When the people around King Wu wanted to kill them,but Jiang Shang said, "These are two righteous men!"  Then he picked them up and sent them away.  After King Wu put down the Yin rebellion, the whole world submitted themselves to the Zhou Dynasty. But Bo Yi, Shu Qi considered this sort of action as a shame, so they adhered to the righteousness of the Zhou Dynasty and did not eat any food, and lived in seclusion in Shouyang Mountain. There, they appeased their hunger by collecting and eating ferns. When they were starving to death, they wrote a song which said: "Climb Shouyang Mountain and pick edible wild herbs for dinner. Cruelty is substituted by cruelty and who knows where the mistakes are? Shen Nong and Yu Xia already died. Whom should we submit ourselves to? Alas, the time of death is near and how life is worn out!"  They thus died of starvation on Shouyang Mountain.  

In this case, were Bo Yi and Shu Qi resentful  or not?

Someone said, "Heaven has no partiality for persons, but favors those who are good."  Bo Yi and Shu Qi can be called good people or not good people at all?  They accumulated virtue and cultivated virtue to such an extent that they eventually starved to death!  In addition, among the seventy disciples, Confucius only called Yan Yuan a studious man, but Yan Yuan was always poor, and even he did not have enough scum, so he finally died prematurely.  What about the idea that God always reciprocates and blesses those who do good things? While Dao Zhi killed innocent people every day, ate human hearts and livers, and gathered thousands of followers to run amuck and eventually died of old age. What morality does he follow?  These are particularly significant and obvious examples.  In modern times, some people behave badly, break laws, and enjoy ease and happiness all their lives.  Their children and grandchildren have profitable industry. But there are also countless persons who have chosen their ways before they move, who have waited for good opportunities before they speak, who have never gone astray, and who have never striven to do what is not just and right. However, they have suffered from disasters.  I doubt it very much. It is reasonable or unreasonable?  

Confucius once said, "People who have different views on morality cannot plan things together." Such people can only do as they please. Therefore, he said, "If riches and honor can be obtained, I will do it even if I have to take the whip as a groom.  If I can't pursue it, I'll do what I like."  "Only in the cold season, can we know that pines and cypresses are the last to wither. "  " When the whole world is muddy, virtuous people emerge."  Is it because they take morality too seriously, or take wealth too lightly?  

Confucius said, "A moral man fears nothing more than that his reputation will not spread after death."  Jia Yi said, "Greedy people die for wealth, heroic people die for fame, pretentious people die for power, and ordinary people cherish their lives."  In Qian Hexagramthe of Book of Changes, the author said "The same bright things reflect each other, and the same kinds of things respond to each other".  "Clouds follow dragons, winds follow tigers, saints appear and all things stand out."  Although Bo Yi and Shu Qi were already wise men, they became even more famous because of Confucius' praise.  Although Yan Yuan was devoted to learning, his virtues became more and more brilliant only because he followed Confucius. People who live in seclusion in caves have such standard choices that their reputations are drowned and they are not praised. It is really a sad thing! The common folks want to better their virtue and foster their reputation. But if they do not attach themselves to men of great fame and status, hoe can they leave their name in the future?