圣贤气象不是一幅画：二程、朱子与钱穆论学为圣贤的实路 

——二程与朱子如何理解在工夫中养成的“圣贤气象”

The Moral spiritual Aura of Sages Is Not a Painting: Cheng Brothers, Zhu Xi, and Qian Mu on the Practical Path of Learning to Become a Sage——How Zhu Xi and the Cheng Brothers Understood Moral-Spiritual Aura (Qixiang)in Cultivation Efforts

“圣贤气象”四字，听起来高远，却最容易被人误会成一种好看的光景。本文从二程与朱熹的原始论述出发，结合钱穆《朱子新学案》的提醒，指出圣贤气象并非供人悬想的人格画像，而是从格物致知、诚意正心、修身齐家、治国平天下的一路实做中自然透出的德性光辉。文章尽力用浅近语言，说明气象是什么、何以不能空想、又该怎样在日用常行中一步步养成。

The phrase “the moral spiritual aura of sages” (shengxian qixiang 圣贤气象) sounds lofty, yet it is most easily mistaken for a pleasing spectacle. This paper begins with the original discussions of the Cheng brothers and Zhu Xi, and draws on Qian Mu’s reminders in A New Study of Zhu Xi (Zhuzi xinxue’an 朱子新学案) to argue that the moral spiritual aura of sages is not a portrait held up for idle contemplation. Rather, it is the radiance of virtue that naturally shines through from a path of concrete practice—investigating things to extend knowledge, making the will sincere, rectifying the mind, cultivating oneself, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world. The paper strives to use plain language to explain what this aura is, why it cannot be conjured by mere imagination, and how one may gradually cultivate it in daily life.

一、从“吾与点也”说起：气象是一种什么感觉？  

 1. Starting from “I am with Dian”: What Does This Aura Feel Like?

我们读《论语》，读到曾点说“莫春者，春服既成，冠者五六人，童子六七人，浴乎沂，风乎舞雩，咏而归”，心里常会跟着一轻。孔子那时喟然一叹，说“吾与点也”。这“一轻”从何而来？朱子注此章，有一段极有名的话：

When we read the Analects and come to Zeng Dian’s words—“In late spring, when the spring clothes are ready, I would go with five or six young men and six or seven boys to bathe in the Yi River, enjoy the breeze at the Rain Altar, and return home singing”—our hearts often feel a sudden lightness. At that moment Confucius sighed deeply and said, “I am with Dian.” Where does this “lightness” come from? In his commentary on this passage, Zhu Xi wrote a very famous note:

曾点之学，盖有以见夫人欲尽处，天理流行，随处充满，无少欠阙。故其动静之际，从容如此。而其言志，则又不过即其所居之位，乐其日用之常，初无舍己为人之意。而其胸次悠然，直与天地万物上下同流，各得其所之妙，隐然自见于言外。（朱熹《论语集注》卷六）

 Zeng Dian’s learning seems to have reached the point where human desires have been utterly dissolved and the Principle of Heaven (tianli 天理) flows freely, filling every place without the slightest deficiency. Therefore, in his movement and stillness he is so at ease. When he speaks of his aspiration, he does nothing more than abide in his own position and delight in the constancy of daily life, with no intention of abandoning himself to please others. His heart is so expansive that it flows together with Heaven, Earth, and all things, each attaining its proper place—a subtle wonder that faintly reveals itself beyond his words. (Zhu Xi, Collected Commentaries on the Analects, juan 6)

这句话的意思是：曾点的学问，大概是见到了人欲尽处、天理流行的境界，随处充满，没有欠缺。所以他动静之间能这样从容。他说志向，也不过是就自己所在的位置，安乐于日常本分，并没有舍掉自己、去讨好别人的意思。他的胸襟悠然，简直与天地万物上下同流，各得其所的妙处，隐隐然从话外透出来。

This means: Zeng Dian’s learning had evidently reached the state where human desires are exhausted and the Principle of Heaven flows everywhere, filling all places without lack. That is why he could be so composed in both movement and stillness. When he spoke of his aspiration, he simply rested in his own position and found joy in the ordinary routines of daily life, with no thought of giving himself up to please others. His heart was so expansive that it seemed to flow together with Heaven, Earth, and all things, each finding its proper place—a subtle wonder faintly visible beyond his words.

朱子这段话，句句说的是曾点，句句也在描画一种“气象”。程子读《论语》时，更明白提醒人：

Zhu Xi’s words describe Zeng Dian sentence by sentence, and in doing so they also paint a kind of “moral spiritual aura” (qixiang 气象). When Cheng Yi read the Analects, he gave an even clearer reminder:

 先观二子之言、后观圣人之言，分明天地气象。凡看《论语》，非但欲理会文字，须要识得圣贤气象。（朱熹《论语集注》卷三引程子）

 First observe the words of the two disciples, then observe the words of the Sage—one is clearly the aura of Earth, the other of Heaven. Whenever one reads the Analects, one must not only grasp the literal meaning; one must also recognize the moral spiritual aura of the sages. (Cheng Yi, quoted in Zhu Xi, Collected Commentaries on the Analects, juan 3)

这句话的意思是：先看子路、颜回两人的话，再看孔子的话，一个如地，一个如天，气象分明。凡读《论语》，不只要弄懂文字，还要认得圣贤的气象。

This means: First look at the words of Zilu and Yan Hui, then look at the words of Confucius—one has the aura of Earth, the other of Heaven; the difference is unmistakable. Whenever you read the Analects, do not just figure out the literal meaning; you must also recognize the moral spiritual aura of the sages.

这便引出一个问题：所谓“圣贤气象”，究竟是什么？

This brings us to a question: What exactly is this “moral spiritual aura of sages” (shengxian qixiang 圣贤气象)?

术语注释 / Terminology Note  

 圣贤气象 (shengxian qixiang)：The overall moral spiritual atmosphere, bearing, and personality radiance of a sage or worthy. It is not a single trait but the total impression of virtue made visible in one’s conduct, speech, aspirations, and inner expansiveness. 指圣贤人物在言行、志趣、胸襟等方面透露出来的整体德性光辉与人格风貌。  

 天理 (tianli) / 人欲 (renyu)：In Neo Confucian thought, Heavenly Principle is the universal moral order inherent in all things and in the human heartmind; human desires are selfish inclinations that obscure this principle. 天理指宇宙万物及人心本具的普遍道德秩序；人欲指遮蔽此天理的私欲。  

 气象 (qixiang)：A term borrowed from weather and landscape, meaning the visible “atmosphere” or “aura” of a person’s whole moral character. 本指天气景象，后借指人物整体德性透露出的风貌与气度。

 二、气象不是一种神秘的光环  

 2. This Aura Is Not a Mysterious Halo

若问二程与朱子，他们大概会答：气象是人格的全体透露。它不是一个人才华、一句话的漂亮，而是内在德性充盈之后，自然显现在言行、举止、志趣、胸襟上的整体风貌。程颢说：

If we ask the Cheng brothers and Zhu Xi, they would probably answer: this aura is the full disclosure of a person’s character. It is not one’s talent or the cleverness of a single phrase, but the overall bearing that naturally appears in speech, conduct, aspirations, and breadth of heart once inner virtue has become full. Cheng Hao said:

 仁者以天地万物为一体，莫非己也。认得为己，何所不至？（《二程遗书》卷二上）

 The person of humaneness (ren 仁) regards Heaven, Earth, and all things as one body; nothing is not oneself. If one truly recognizes all things as oneself, what could one not reach? (Surviving Works of the Cheng Brothers, juan 2, part 1)

这句话的意思是：仁者把天地万物看作一个整体，没有不是自己的；认得这是自己，还有什么事做不到？

This means: A person of humaneness sees Heaven, Earth, and all things as one body—nothing is not oneself. If you truly recognize all things as yourself, what is there that you cannot accomplish?

这是说，仁者的心量开阔到与天地万物不相隔。这样的心量表现在人身上，便有了一种温和、广大、安定的光景。二程形容颜回：

This means that the humane person’s heart is so broad that there is no barrier between oneself and all things. When such a heart shows itself in a person, there appears a gentle, expansive, and serene disposition. The Cheng brothers described Yan Hui this way:

 颜子，和风庆云也。（《二程遗书》卷五）

 Yan Hui is a gentle breeze and an auspicious cloud. (Surviving Works of the Cheng Brothers, juan 5)

这句话的意思是：颜回，好比温和的风、祥瑞的云。

This means: Yan Hui is like a warm breeze and an auspicious cloud.

朱子又引程子的话，把孔子、颜回、孟子三种气象放在一起：

Zhu Xi further quoted Cheng Yi, placing the three different auras of Confucius, Yan Hui, and Mencius side by side:

 程子云：“孔子元气也，颜子和风庆云也，孟子泰山岩岩之气象也。”此程夫子之善想像者也。今人想像圣贤气象，只是想像不得，若见得，便须做将去。岂徒想像而已哉！必还以验之吾身者如何也。（《朱子语类》卷九十三）

 Master Cheng said: “Confucius is the primal vital force (yuanqi 元气) itself; Yan Hui is a gentle breeze and an auspicious cloud; Mencius has the towering, rocky aura of Mount Tai.” This shows Master Cheng’s skill at imaginative description. But people today try to imagine the aura of the sages and simply cannot. If one truly sees it, one must then go and do it. How could it be only a matter of imagining? One must bring it back and test it against one’s own person. (Classified Conversations of Master Zhu, juan 93)

这句话的意思是：程子说：“孔子像天地元气，颜回像和风庆云，孟子像泰山岩石那般高峻。”这是程夫子善于形容。今天的人想象圣贤气象，只是想不出来；如果真见到了，就必须照着去做。难道只是想象吗？必须拿它回到自己身上检验。

This means: Master Cheng said: “Confucius is like the primal vital force of Heaven and Earth; Yan Hui is like a gentle breeze and an auspicious cloud; Mencius has the towering rocky aura of Mount Tai.” This shows Master Cheng’s skill at vivid description. People today try to imagine the aura of the sages but simply cannot. If you truly see it, then you must go and practice it. Is it merely a matter of imagining? You must bring it back and test it on your own person.

这里有一层意思很要紧：气象可以形容，却不可以只当作一幅画来赏玩。朱子尤其不喜欢人把颜回看成一个柔善的人。他说：

There is an important point here: the aura can be described, but it must not be treated as a painting to be admired. Zhu Xi particularly disliked people treating Yan Hui as a soft and mild person. He said:

 如今人多将颜子做个柔善底人看，殊不知颜子乃是大勇，反是他刚果得来细密不发露。如个有大气力底人，都不使出，只是无人抵得他。（《朱子语类》卷五十二）

 People today mostly regard Yan Hui as a gentle and kind person. They do not realize that Yan Hui possessed great courage; rather, his fortitude and decisiveness were refined to such a fine degree that they did not show on the surface. He was like a person of enormous strength who never exerts it, simply because no one can withstand him. (Classified Conversations of Master Zhu, juan 52)

这句话的意思是：现在的人多把颜回看成一个柔善的人，殊不知颜回是大勇，反而他是刚毅果决得来细密，不露出来。好比一个极有气力的人，力气都不使出来，只是没人抵得过他。

This means: People today mostly see Yan Hui as a soft and kind person. They do not know that Yan Hui had great courage; his strength and decisiveness were refined so finely that they did not show. He was like a person of tremendous strength who never uses it, simply because no one can withstand him.

所以，“圣贤气象”在朱子那里，不是软绵绵的和气，不是飘然物外的潇洒。它里面藏着刚健、弘毅、认真的力量。钱穆先生《朱子新学案》里也反复叮咛，读朱子书，最要懂得他这一番“实”字。朱子讲气象，从不脱离功夫。

Thus, for Zhu Xi, the moral spiritual aura of sages is not a soft and limp geniality, nor an otherworldly carefreeness. It contains inner strength, firm resolve, and seriousness. In A New Study of Zhu Xi, Qian Mu repeatedly reminds us that when reading Zhu Xi’s works, the most important thing is to grasp his emphasis on the word “concrete” (shi 实). Zhu Xi never spoke of this aura apart from practical effort.

这气象也不是凭空悬在历史上的几个名字。朱子门人黄榦在《徽州朱文公祠堂记》里，把这条人格的谱系说得很清楚：

Nor is this aura something suspended in history attached to a few famous names. Zhu Xi’s disciple Huang Gan, in his “Record of the Shrine to Master Zhu in Huizhou,” set forth this genealogy of personality very clearly:

 尧、舜、汤、文、武、周公生而道始行，孔子、孟子生而道始明。孔孟之道，周、程、张子继之；周、程、张子之道，文公朱先生又继之，此道统之传历万世而可考也。（黄榦《黄勉斋集》卷五）

 When Yao, Shun, Tang, King Wen, King Wu, and the Duke of Zhou lived, the Way first began to be put into practice. When Confucius and Mencius lived, the Way first began to be illuminated. The Way of Confucius and Mencius was carried on by Zhou Dunyi, the Cheng brothers, and Zhang Zai; the Way of Zhou, the Chengs, and Zhang was in turn carried on by Master Zhu. This transmission of the lineage of the Way (daotong 道统) can be traced through ten thousand generations. (Huang Gan, Collected Works of Huang Mianzhai, juan 5)

这句话的意思是：尧、舜、汤、文王、武王、周公在世时，大道开始实行；孔子、孟子在世时，大道开始彰明。孔孟之道，由周敦颐、二程、张载接续；周、程、张子的道，又由朱先生接续。这个道统的传承历经万世而可以考证。

This means: When Yao, Shun, Tang, King Wen, King Wu, and the Duke of Zhou lived, the Way first began to be practiced. When Confucius and Mencius lived, the Way first began to be illuminated. The Way of Confucius and Mencius was carried on by Zhou Dunyi, the Cheng brothers, and Zhang Zai; the Way of Zhou, the Chengs, and Zhang was in turn carried on by Master Zhu. This transmission of the lineage of the Way can be verified through ten thousand generations.

可见，圣贤气象不是某一个人的孤高影子，而是一条大道上的人格光辉。二程与朱子所讲的“学为圣贤”，正是要人走上这条路，自己也透出一点光来。

Clearly, the moral spiritual aura of sages is not the solitary shadow of any single individual, but the radiance of personality along a great Way. What the Cheng brothers and Zhu Xi meant by “learning to become a sage” (xue wei shengxian 学为圣贤) is precisely to have people step onto this path and let a little of that light shine through themselves.

术语注释 / Terminology Note  

 仁 (ren)：Often translated as “humaneness” or “benevolence”; in Neo Confucianism it means the virtue of being one body with all things, the unblocked flow of life and moral awareness. 仁即与天地万物为一体、生命与道德意识畅通无阻的根本德性。  

 元气 (yuanqi)：The primal, undifferentiated vital force of the cosmos; here used to describe Confucius’s all-embracing and lifegiving moral influence. 元气指宇宙本始的生命力，此处形容孔子包容万有、化育众生的德性力量。  

 道统 (daotong)：The orthodox lineage or transmission of the Way from ancient sages through Confucius and later Neo Confucian masters. 道统指自古圣先贤经孔子及后世理学宗师相传的儒家正道统绪。  

 学为圣贤 (xue wei shengxian)：The fundamental Neo Confucian conviction that the goal of learning is not merely to acquire knowledge but to become a sage through moral transformation. 学为圣贤是理学的基本信念：学习的终极目的不在求知，而在通过道德转化成为圣贤。

三、气象不可空想，须从“做起处”入手  

 3. This Aura Cannot Be Imagined; One Must Start from Where Sages Began

有人或许要问：既然气象如此高妙，我是不是该天天默想圣人的样子？朱子连忙摇头。他说：

Someone might ask: Since this aura is so exalted, should I perhaps spend my days silently picturing the appearance of the sages? Zhu Xi would quickly shake his head. He said:

 今不理会圣贤做起处，却只去想他气象，则精神却只在外，自家不曾做得著实工夫。须是“切问而近思”。（《朱子语类》卷二十九）

 If one does not understand where the sages started, but only thinks about their aura, then one’s spirit is merely outside oneself, and one has never done any concrete inner work. One must “inquire earnestly and reflect on what is near at hand.” (Classified Conversations of Master Zhu, juan 29)

这句话的意思是：现在不去理会圣贤从何处做起，却只去想他们的气象，精神就跑到外面去了，自己却没下着实功夫。必须“切问而近思”。

This means: If you do not try to understand where the sages began, but only think about their aura, your spirit is running outside yourself, and you have not done any real inner work. You must “inquire earnestly and reflect on what is close at hand.”

这便好比我等看山。远远望去，云雾缭绕，气象万千，自然好看；但若只站在山外指指点点，一辈子也识不得山的真面目。要识得，须得走进山去，一步一步，踩在石头上，才知道山的高低冷热。朱子又说：

This is like us looking at a mountain. From a distance, with clouds and mist swirling around it, the mountain appears in countless magnificent aspects—naturally beautiful. But if you only stand outside the mountain and point, you will never know its true face in a lifetime. To know it, you must walk into the mountain, step by step, feet on the rocks, before you learn its heights and depths, its cold and warmth. Zhu Xi also said:

 曾氏父子二人极不同。世间自有一样人如此高洒，见得底，学不得也。学者须是学曾子逐步做将去，方稳实。（《朱子语类》卷四十）

 Zeng Dian and his son Zeng Shen were utterly different. There are indeed people in the world so lofty and free that one can glimpse them but cannot imitate them. Students must learn from Zeng Shen and do things step by step; only then will they be steady and substantial. (Classified Conversations of Master Zhu, juan 40)

这句话的意思是：曾皙、曾参父子两人很不一样。世间确有一种人这样高超洒脱，看得见却学不来。求学的人须学曾参一步步做去，才稳当实在。

This means: Zeng Dian and his son Zeng Shen were extremely different. There are indeed people in the world so lofty and freespirited that you can see them but cannot learn from them. Students must learn from Zeng Shen and proceed step by step; only then will they be stable and solid.

曾皙的“浴乎沂，风乎舞雩”固然高妙，但朱子怕人只学那高妙的样子，反而落空。他劝人学曾参，从“吾日三省吾身”那样的笨功夫做起。气象不是凭空跳出，而是从实地里长出来。

Zeng Dian’s “bathe in the Yi, enjoy the breeze at the Rain Altar” is certainly wonderful, but Zhu Xi feared that people would imitate only that wonderful appearance and end up with nothing. He urged people to learn from Zeng Shen, starting with the “clumsy” effort of “I daily examine myself on three points.” The aura does not jump out of thin air; it grows from solid ground.

术语注释 / Terminology Note  

 切问而近思 (qiewen er jinsi)：From the Analects; means to ask earnest, practical questions and reflect on things close to one’s own life, rather than indulging in distant speculation. 切问而近思：出自《论语》，指恳切地发问、从切近处思考，不驰心于玄远。  

 做起处 (zuoqi chu)：Literally “the place where one begins”; Zhu Xi uses this to emphasize that one must find the concrete starting point of moral practice rather than admiring its finished result. 做起处：指道德实践的具体入手处，而非只仰慕已成之境。

 四、格物致知与诚意正心：养气象的下手处  

 4. Investigating Things, Extending Knowledge, Making the Will Sincere, and Rectifying the Mind: Where the Aura Is Cultivated

那么，这“实地”在哪里？《大学》把路子开得很清楚：

So where is this “solid ground”? The Great Learning lays out the path very clearly:

 古之欲明明德于天下者，先治其国；欲治其国者，先齐其家；欲齐其家者，先修其身；欲修其身者，先正其心；欲正其心者，先诚其意；欲诚其意者，先致其知；致知在格物。（《大学》）

 The ancients who wished to illuminate their bright virtue throughout the world first ordered their states. Wishing to order their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their minds. Wishing to rectify their minds, they first made their wills sincere. Wishing to make their wills sincere, they first extended their knowledge. Extension of knowledge lies in investigating things. (Great Learning)

这句话的意思是：古来想要在天下彰明光明德性的人，先要治好他的国；要治好国，先要整齐他的家；要整齐家，先要修养自身；要修养自身，先要端正自心；要端正自心，先要诚实自己的意念；要诚实意念，先要推极自己的知；推极知在于穷究事物之理。

This means: The ancients who wanted to illuminate their bright virtue throughout the world first brought order to their states. To bring order to their states, they first regulated their families. To regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. To cultivate their persons, they first rectified their minds. To rectify their minds, they first made their wills sincere. To make their wills sincere, they first extended their knowledge. Extending knowledge lies in investigating things.

这是一条从内到外、从近到远的路。朱子注《大学》，补了一章格物致知，说：

This is a path from inner to outer, from near to far. In his commentary on the Great Learning, Zhu Xi supplemented a chapter on investigating things and extending knowledge, saying:

 所谓致知在格物者，言欲致吾之知，在即物而穷其理也。……至于用力之久，而一旦豁然贯通焉，则众物之表里精粗无不到，而吾心之全体大用无不明矣。（朱熹《大学章句》）

 What is meant by “extension of knowledge lies in investigating things” is this: if we wish to extend our knowledge, we must go to things and exhaustively investigate their principles. … When we have exerted effort for a long time, one day there will be a sudden breakthrough and all things, inner and outer, subtle and coarse, will be understood, and the whole substance and great function of our mind will be fully illuminated. (Zhu Xi, Commentary on the Great Learning)

这句话的意思是：所谓致知在格物，是说要想推极自己的知，就要在事物上穷究它的理。……用力久了，一旦豁然贯通，那么万物外表内里、精微粗浅的道理没有不到的，我心的全体大用也没有不明的了。

This means: “Extension of knowledge lies in investigating things” means that if you want to extend your knowledge, you must go to things and exhaustively investigate their principles. … After long effort, one day there is a sudden breakthrough, and then the outer and inner, subtle and coarse principles of all things are all reached, and the whole substance and great function of your mind is fully illuminated.

可见，朱子讲的气象，不是闭目静坐想出来的光景。它先要人在事事物物上穷理，把心里弄得明白。心里明白了，私欲少了，天理流行，气象才慢慢透出来。程颐说得好：

Clearly, the aura Zhu Xi speaks of is not a vision produced by sitting with eyes closed. It requires first exhausting principles in every affair and thing until the mind becomes clear. When the mind is clear, selfish desires diminish, and the Principle of Heaven flows freely—only then does the aura gradually shine through. Cheng Yi put it well:

 涵养须用敬，进学则在致知。（《二程遗书》卷十八）

 To nourish one’s inner virtue, one must use reverence (jing 敬); to advance in learning, one must extend knowledge. (Surviving Works of the Cheng Brothers, juan 18)

这句话的意思是：涵养心性须用敬，求取学问在于致知。

This means: To nourish your inner nature you must use reverence; to advance in learning you must extend knowledge.

“敬”是收束身心，“致知”是推展见识。一收一推，气象便在其中渐渐养成。

“Reverence” gathers in the mind and body; “extending knowledge” expands one’s understanding. One gathers, the other pushes outward—through this, the aura is gradually formed.

诚意正心也不是空话。《大学》说：

Making the will sincere and rectifying the mind are also not empty words. The Great Learning says:

 所谓诚其意者，毋自欺也。如恶恶臭，如好好色。（《大学》）

 What is meant by “making the will sincere” is allowing no selfdeception. It is like hating a bad smell or loving a beautiful sight. (Great Learning)

这句话的意思是：所谓诚实自己的意念，就是不要欺骗自己。好比厌恶恶臭，好比喜好美色，要发自内心。

This means: “Making the will sincere” means not deceiving yourself. It is like hating a bad odor or loving a beautiful appearance—it must come from the heart.

一个人若在独处时也能不欺骗自己，心里便有了一个“诚”字。这“诚”字积得久了，眉宇之间自然有一种安静可信的气象。所以朱子教人，从不离开这些日用间的实功去谈高妙。

If a person can avoid deceiving himself even when alone, then there is a word “sincerity” (cheng 诚) in his heart. When this sincerity accumulates over time, a calm and trustworthy aura naturally appears in his bearing. That is why Zhu Xi never spoke of lofty matters apart from these concrete daily efforts.

术语注释 / Terminology Note  

 格物致知 (gewu zhizhi)：A core Neo Confucian method: to investigate the principles in things one by one until one’s knowledge is extended and one’s mind becomes fully clear. 格物致知：理学核心方法，即逐一穷究事物之理，推极吾心之知，使心体大明。  

 诚意正心 (chengyi zhengxin)：Two stages in the Great Learning: making the will sincere means no selfdeception; rectifying the mind means freeing the mind from emotional distortions. 诚意正心：《大学》修身的两个环节：诚意即不自欺，正心即不受情绪偏蔽。  

 敬 (jing)：Not merely politeness but inner attentiveness, seriousness, and reverent concentration that keeps the mind focused and composed. 敬：非仅礼貌，而是内心专注、庄重、收敛的修养态度。  

 涵养 (hanyang)：Nourishing one’s moral nature through quiet, reverent preservation before acting. 涵养：未发时以敬存养心性的功夫。  

 致知 (zhizhi)：Extending or pushing one’s knowledge to its utmost through contact with things and principles. 致知：即物穷理以推极吾知。

 五、从修身齐家到治国平天下：气象在人间烟火里  

 5. From Self-Cultivation and Family Regulation to Ordering the State and Bringing Peace to the World: The Aura in the Midst of Human Life

气象既不是离群索居的光景，便一定落在人伦日用、家国天下之中。《大学》接着讲：

Since this aura is not a scene of solitary retreat from the world, it must be found in daily human relationships, in family, state, and the whole world. The Great Learning continues:

 身修而后家齐，家齐而后国治，国治而后天下平。（《大学》）

 Only after the person is cultivated is the family regulated; only after the family is regulated is the state ordered; only after the state is ordered is the world at peace. (Great Learning)

这句话的意思是：自身修养好了，家才能整齐；家整齐了，国才能治理；国治理了，天下才能太平。

This means: Only after you cultivate your own person can your family be regulated. Only after your family is regulated can the state be well ordered. Only after the state is well ordered can the world be at peace.

这“平天下”三字，说来极大，却从“修身”二字起步。朱子与吕祖谦编《近思录》，后序里说：

The phrase “bringing peace to the world” sounds extremely grand, yet it begins from the two words “cultivating oneself.” In the postface to Reflections on Things at Hand (Jinsilu 近思录), which Zhu Xi compiled with Lü Zuqian, we read:

 循是而进，自卑升高，自近及远。（《近思录》后序）

 If you proceed along this path, you will ascend from the low to the high, and move from the near to the far. (Postface to Reflections on Things at Hand)

这句话的意思是：顺着这条路走，从低处升到高处，从近处走到远处。

This means: Follow this path, and you will rise from the low to the high and go from the near to the far.

圣贤气象不是忽然从天而降，而是这样一个“自卑升高、自近及远”的过程。一个人在家庭里侍奉父母、与兄弟相处，若能诚敬不欺，气象自然温厚；到了治理一方、面对天下，若能把这份诚敬推扩出去，气象自然广大。古人所谓“天下”，放到今天，已是一个地球村。全球治理的理想，若不在身心上立根，也只是一句空话。朱子教人从格物做起，正是要我们先把自家弄得明白，再去理会天下。

The moral spiritual aura of sages does not descend from heaven all at once; it is precisely this process of “rising from the low to the high, moving from the near to the far.” If a person serves his parents and gets along with his siblings with sincerity and reverence, his aura will naturally be warm and generous. If he can extend this sincerity and reverence when governing a region or facing the world, his aura will naturally become broad and farreaching. What the ancients called “the world” is today already a global village. If the ideal of global governance is not rooted in one’s own body and mind, it is only empty talk. Zhu Xi taught people to begin with investigating things precisely because he wanted us first to make ourselves clear before we go on to deal with the world.

术语注释 / Terminology Note  

 修身齐家治国平天下 (xiushen qijia zhiguo pingtianxia)：The progressive sequence of moral and political practice in the Great Learning: from Self-Cultivation outward to family, state, and the whole world. 修身齐家治国平天下：《大学》所列由内而外、由近及远的道德政治实践次第。  

 近思录 (Jinsilu)：Reflections on Things at Hand, an anthology of Neo Confucian sayings compiled by Zhu Xi and Lü Zuqian, designed to guide beginners in moral learning. 《近思录》：朱熹与吕祖谦合编的理学语录选集，为初学者指示进学门径。  

 全球治理 (quanqiu zhili)：A modern extension of the traditional ideal of “bringing peace to the world,” applied to contemporary international and planetary concerns. 全球治理：传统“平天下”理想的现代延伸，面向当今国际与全球性议题。

 六、结语：圣贤气象是走出来的  

 6. Conclusion: The Aura of Sages Is Walked Into Being

说到这里，我们可以回答了：二程讲“圣贤气象”，是教人从圣人言行里认得一种人格的全体；朱子讲“圣贤气象”，则更重在教人自己去做，不许人只做看客。钱穆先生提醒我们，朱子之学是实学，气象是实做功夫之后自然透出的光景。

Having come this far, we can now answer: When the Cheng brothers spoke of the “moral spiritual aura of sages,” they were teaching people to recognize in the words and deeds of the sages a whole personality. When Zhu Xi spoke of it, he placed even greater emphasis on teaching people to go and do it themselves; he would not allow anyone to remain a mere spectator. Qian Mu reminds us that Zhu Xi’s learning is a learning of concrete practice, and that the aura is a radiance that naturally appears after genuine effort.

程子说“必还以验之吾身者如何也”，这句话最亲切。我们读《论语》，看孔子、颜回、曾点、孟子，觉得气象万千；但若只停在赞叹，气象仍是他人的，不是自己的。要成就自己的气象，须从今日眼前一事做起：读书时切问近思，处家时孝悌忠信，为学时格物穷理，接人时诚意正心。如此一步步走，自卑升高，自近及远，圣贤气象，才真是我们自己的。

Master Cheng said, “One must bring it back and test it against one’s own person.” This sentence is the most intimate. When we read the Analects and look at Confucius, Yan Hui, Zeng Dian, and Mencius, we feel that their auras are magnificent. But if we stop at admiration, the aura still belongs to them, not to us. To cultivate our own aura, we must begin with one thing right before us today: when reading, ask earnest questions and reflect on what is near; when at home, practice filial piety, fraternal respect, loyalty, and trustworthiness; when learning, investigate things and exhaust their principles; when meeting others, make the will sincere and rectify the mind. Step by step, rising from the low to the high, moving from the near to the far—only then will the moral spiritual aura of sages truly become our own.

参考文献 / References

1. 程颢、程颐：《二程集》，北京：中华书局，2004年。  

   Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi. Collected Works of the Cheng Brothers (Er Cheng ji). Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 2004.

2. 朱熹：《四书章句集注》，北京：中华书局，1983年。  

   Zhu Xi. Collected Commentaries on the Four Books (Sishu zhangju jizhu). Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1983.

3. 黎靖德编：《朱子语类》，北京：中华书局，1986年。  

   Li Jingde, ed. Classified Conversations of Master Zhu (Zhuzi yulei). Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1986.

4. 朱熹、吕祖谦编：《近思录》，上海：上海古籍出版社，2000年。  

   Zhu Xi and Lü Zuqian, eds. Reflections on Things at Hand (Jinsilu). Shanghai: Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 2000.

5. 黄榦：《黄勉斋集》，影印文渊阁四库全书本。  

   Huang Gan. Collected Works of Huang Mianzhai (Huang Mianzhai ji). Photographic reprint of the Wenyuange Siku Quanshu edition.

6. 钱穆：《朱子新学案》，北京：九州出版社，2011年。  

   Qian Mu. A New Study of Zhu Xi (Zhuzi xinxue’an). Beijing: Jiuzhou Press, 2011.

7. 张立文主编：《朱熹大辞典》，上海：上海辞书出版社，2013年。  

   Zhang Liwen, ed. A Comprehensive Dictionary of Zhu Xi (Zhu Xi da cidian). Shanghai: Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House, 2013.

圣贤气象；二程；朱熹；钱穆；格物致知；修身  

moral spiritual aura of sages; Cheng brothers; Zhu Xi; Qian Mu; investigating things and extending knowledge; Self-Cultivation