任契 · 天道无亲常与善人

Rèn Qì

Classical Chinese Text

和大怨，必有余怨；报怨以德，安可以为善？是以圣人执左契，而不责于人。有德司契，无德司彻。天道无亲，常与善人。

Translation & Meaning

等到深仇大怨结成之后再去调解弥合，心里终归还会残留余怨；怎如平日便以厚德待人、使怨恨根本无从结成更为妥善呢？ 因此圣人就像手持借据存根（左契）的宽厚长者一样，只尽自身信义本分，却从不苛刻向他人追讨索责。 有德行的人如同执守信约、宽容予人；无德行的人如同苛政税吏、锱铢必较地搜刮索取。 自然天道对任何人都没有偏私亲疏，却总是自然佑助那些心怀良善、厚德宽容的人。

Commentary

青禾散人评注：“执左契而不责于人”是极高的修养：心中有账、行事有信，却不把别人欠自己的情分挂在嘴边催讨。天道无私，而善心本身即与天道同频。

Linguistic & Character Analysis

  • 和 (hé): accord / harmonize
  • 大 (dà): classical character (dà)
  • 怨 (yuàn): classical character (yuàn)
  • 必 (bì): classical character (bì)
  • 有 (yǒu): manifest being / cosmos / to possess
  • 余 (yú): classical character (yú)
  • 报 (bào): classical character (bào)
  • 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
  • 德 (dé): Intrinsic Virtue / inner power
  • 安 (ān): classical character (ān)
  • 可 (kě): can / capable of being
  • 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
  • 善 (shàn): goodness / skillful / kind
  • 是 (shì): this / therefore
  • 圣 (shèng): sage / enlightened one
  • 人 (rén): person / human
  • 执 (zhí): classical character (zhí)
  • 左 (zuǒ): classical character (zuǒ)
  • 契 (qì): classical character (qì)
  • 而 (ér): yet / and / but
  • 不 (bù): not / un- / without
  • 责 (zé): classical character (zé)
  • 于 (yú): to / at / in
  • 司 (sī): classical character (sī)
  • 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
  • 彻 (chè): classical character (chè)
  • 天 (tiān): heaven / nature / cosmos
  • 道 (dào): The Way / Logos / to speak
  • 亲 (qīn): classical character (qīn)
  • 常 (cháng): constant / dynamic invariable
  • 与 (yǔ): classical character (yǔ)