Mercifulness – 慈箴
- 慈箴
- CI (Mercifulness)
| 寬惠行德 | 成物成己 | 惡殺好生 | 乃慈之體 |
| 矜恤孤獨 | 救拯困窮 | 博施濟眾 | 乃慈之功 |
寬惠行德 以寬惠為懷而行慈德。
O（國語）「甚寬惠而慈於民。」
成物成己 成全民物之生命，即成全自己生命之道。
惡殺好生 乃慈之體 故惡殺好生之心，乃慈之體也。
矜恤孤獨 以衣食財藥，矜恤孤獨。
O（孟子）「老而無妻曰鰥，老而無夫曰寡，老而無子曰獨，幼兒無父曰孤。此四者，天下之窮民而無告者，文王發政施仁，必先施四者。」
救拯困窮 以衣食財藥，拯救困窮。
博施濟眾 乃慈之功 能如是廣施恩惠，救濟眾民之患難，乃仁人行慈之功用也。
O（論語）「如有博施於民而能濟眾何如，可謂仁乎，子曰：何事於仁，必也聖乎，堯舜其猶病諸。」
Be tolerant and benevolent, and act according to the rules of CI (mercifulness). To save the lives of others is to save one’s own life. Abstain from killing and cherish life – these are the fundamental rules of CI. Pity the orphans and the widow (A), and help the poor and the needy. Showering people with help and giving assistance to those in need are the deeds of a person acting with CI. .
NOTES:-
(A) The Works of Mencius: “There are the old and wifeless or widowers, the old and husbandless or widows; the old and childless or the barren, the young and fatherless, or the orphans. These four classes of people are the most pitiful mortals on earth for they have no one in whom they can confide their secret yearnings.”
