Dacheng Guo Xue: Why didn't Confucius count as divination?

"Historical Records Confucius Family" said: Confucius "likes the Book of Changes late ... Wei read the Book of Changes and made up three unique skills (bamboo slips cooked with cowhide pimping broke many times)." The Analects of Confucius says, "Learning is easy at fifty". Confucius also wrote ten Yi Zhuan, called Ten Wings. But does Confucius count as divination? Teacher Zhang Cheng's answer: He must have calculated it, as an exploration and curiosity, but he must not believe it, because if he doesn't believe it, it won't count later; And this disbelief is not based on fact judgment, but on value judgment; It's not that I don't know, it's that I disagree.

In ancient literature, there are four records of Confucius' divination: one is that Confucius' words are good for life, the other is that Shuweigan Chidu in Han Dynasty, the other is that Wang Chong's divination on balance, and the other is that Yang Wanli's Miscellaneous Notes on Cheng Zhai in Southern Song Dynasty. Shuweila's banner is made of tiger skin, making it up, of course, you can't believe it; Wang Chong's Lun Heng criticized it as a folk superstition, but Wang Chong didn't believe it. I don't know what basis Yang Wanli's record is. He is so far away from Confucius that no one has said anything for so many years. Where did he know that? So I still can't believe it. The only thing that is somewhat credible is the record of Confucius' family story-it should belong to Confucius' curiosity or exploration.

Why didn't Confucius do divination? First, The Analects is a record of Confucius' words and deeds by Confucius' students or students' students, but there is no record of Confucius' divination. On the contrary, there are several articles about Confucius' opposition to divination. Second, related historical materials, such as Historical Records, have no record of Confucius' divination. Third, there is no record of Confucius' divination in ten articles of Yi Zhuan.

There is a saying in Yijing Heng Gua Jiu San Ci: "Don't be constant with virtue, or be ashamed of virtue." It means that if you can't keep your virtue persistently, you will be humiliated forever. Confucius explained it this way: "A person who has no perseverance does not need divination, because he is always unlucky." (The Analects of Confucius Lutz)

What Confucius said here was "no occupation", which was later summarized by Xunzi as "those who do easy things don't occupy" (outline). People who are good at easy things are those who learn to take the right path. The Book of Changes teaches us to take the right path and be decent people. In this way, everything goes well in nature and there is no need for divination.

As trees are, so are fruits. All the blessings are self-made. Wealth has no door, and everyone has his own interests, which has nothing to do with divination. That's what Confucius meant.

The Analects of Confucius and this sentence of Confucius: "A person's life is also straight, and a life of ignorance is also fortunate."

People's survival depends on honesty; Dishonest people survive by luck and avoid disaster.

Integrity and conformity to the right path are the gates of birth. Going astray is a dead end.

It's normal to be born at the gate of life. It's a fluke not to die at the gate of death.

The Analects of Confucius is not only a good book, in fact, in this case, corrupt officials and thieves in prison will have a better understanding of it.

The greatest wisdom in life is to know and agree with the right path.