1. Mencius said, "All things are already complete in us.
—Chaou K＇e says there are three ways of speaking about the appointments or decrees of Heaven. Doing good and getting good is called 受命, "receiving what is appointed." Doing good and getting evil is called遭命, "encountering what is appointed." Doing evil and getting evil is called 随命, "following after what is appointed." It is only the first of these cases that is spoken of in the text. It must be borne in mind,however, that by 命 here Ch＇aou understands death,and that only, and we should acquiesce in this, if there did not seem to be a connection between this chapter and the preceding.
2. 知命者,—he who knows or has the true notion of,etc. 岩, "precipitous" and likely to fall.
4. The fetters are understood to be those of an evildoer. 桎 are fetters for the hands, and 梏 those for the feet.
CHAPTER 3. VIRTUE IS SURE TO BE GAINED BY SEEKING IT, BUT RICHES AND OTHER EXTERNAL THINGS NOT.
This general sentiment is correct, but truth is sacrificed to the point of the antithesis, when it is said in the second case that seeking is of no use to getting. The things "in ourselves" are benevolence,righteousness, propriety, and knowledge, and endowments proper of our nature. The things "without ourselves" are riches and dignities. The proper course to seek these is that ascribed to Confucius, advancingaccording to propriety, and retiring according to righteousness, but yet they are not at our command and control.
CHAPTER 4. MAN IS FITTED FOR, AND HAPPY IN, DOING GOOD, AND MAY PERFECT HIMSELF THEREIN.
1. This par. is quite mystical. The all things are taken only as the principles of all things,
2. "There is no greater delight than to be conscious of sincerity on self-examination.
3. "If one acts with a vigorous effort at the law of reciprocity, when he seeks for the realization of perfect virtue, nothing can be closer than his approximation to it."