人慾

人慾

1. (literary) human desire

   • 聖人述六經，只是要正人心，只是要存天理、去人欲。於存天理、去人欲之事，則嘗言之，或因人請問，各隨分量而説，亦不肯多道，恐人專求之言語，故曰予欲無言。若是一切縱人欲、滅天理的事，又安肯詳以示人？是長亂導奸也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     圣人述六经，只是要正人心，只是要存天理、去人欲。于存天理、去人欲之事，则尝言之，或因人请问，各随分量而说，亦不肯多道，恐人专求之言语，故曰予欲无言。若是一切纵人欲、灭天理的事，又安肯详以示人？是长乱导奸也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1518, 王陽明,《傳習錄》第11, translated by Chan Wing-tsit

     Shèngrén shù liùjīng, zhǐshì yào zhèng rénxīn, zhǐshì yào cún tiānlǐ, qù rényù. Yú cún tiānlǐ, qù rényù zhī shì, zé cháng yán zhī, huò yīn rén qǐngwèn, gè suí fènliàng ér shuō, yì bùkěn duō dào, kǒng rén zhuān qiú zhī yányǔ, gù yuē yú yù wúyán. Ruòshì yīqiè zòng rényù, miè tiānlǐ de shì, yòu ān kěn xiáng yǐ shìrén? Shì zhǎng luàn dǎo jiān yě. [Pinyin]

     The primary purpose of Confucius’ transmitting the Six Classics was purely to rectify people’s minds, to preserve the Principle of Nature, and to eliminate selfish human desires. He did discuss these matters. Sometimes when people asked him, he would talk to them according to their capacity to understand. But even then he would not talk much, for he was afraid that people would try to seek truth in words only. This is why he said that he wished not to utter a word. How could he be willing to tell people in detail all these things that would release selfish human desires and destroy the Principle of Nature? That would be to promote disorder and induce wickedness.