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Translations -> Xunzi 23.4
| 2016-11-17 14:44:30Xunzi 23.4 |
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| Posted by: frank091 (Frank Saunders Jr) | I say: This is not so. This does not arrive at knowledge of people's spontaneous nature, nor does it recognize the distinction between people's spontaneous nature and artifice. As for spontaneous nature: it is given by Heaven, and is both unlearnable and unworkable. As for ritual and duty: these are what the sage kings created, and what people learn and are capable of, what they work at and only then master. What is unlearnable and unworkable in people---call it spontaneous nature. What is learnable to the point of capability, and workable to the point of mastery in people---call it artifice. This is the distinction between spontaneous nature and artifice. It's people's spontaneous nature for their eyes to be able to see, for their ears to be able to hear. The brightness that enables sight is not separate from the eyes, nor the discriminating that enables hearing separate from the ears. Clearly, the eyes' brightening and the ears' discriminating cannot be learned. |
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