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The Analects › Ba yi (Book 3)

Ba yi (Book 3) · chapter 4林放问礼之本

林放问礼之本。子曰:大哉问!礼,与其奢也,宁俭;丧,与其易也,宁戚。
Source text and commentary from Zhu Xi, Lunyu jizhu (Sibu beiyao printing).

Tap any sentence of the original to copy it with its source.

常The common reading

越简单越好。

注Key words in the commentary

“易,治也”(易其田畴);“节文习熟,而无哀痛惨怛之实”;“礼贵得中……二者皆未合礼”;“必先有质而后有文,则质乃礼之本也”。

家What other commentators say

范祖禹“祭与其敬不足而礼有余也,不若礼不足而敬有余也”;杨时“礼始诸饮食,故汙尊而抔饮”,“周衰,世方以文灭质”。

读How Yikonglu reads it

两头都偏时,宁偏向根本;放到今天:满桌菜 vs 一碗面。

核Check every citation

Every commentary line quoted in the video: the original wording, who said it, and the page in the base edition. “Paraphrase” marks our summary, not the commentator's words. About this edition

Quoted textSourcePage
“林放,鲁人。见世之为礼者,专事繁文,而疑其本之不在是也,故以为问。孔子以时方逐末,而放独有志于本,故大其问”Zhu Xi's commentarypage 38
“易,治也。孟子曰:易其田畴。在丧礼则节文习熟,而无哀痛惨怛之实者也。戚则一于哀而文不足耳”Zhu Xi's commentarypage 38
“礼贵得中,奢易则过于文,俭戚则不及而质,二者皆未合礼。然凡物之理,必先有质而后有文,则质乃礼之本也”Zhu Xi's commentarypage 39
“夫祭与其敬不足而礼有余也,不若礼不足而敬有余也……俭者物之质,戚者心之诚,故为礼之本”Fan Zuyu, quoted by Zhu Xipage 39
“礼始诸饮食,故汙尊而抔饮,为之簠簋笾豆罍爵之饰,所以文之也,则其本俭而已……周衰,世方以文灭质,而林放独能问礼之本,故夫子大之”Yang Shi, quoted by Zhu Xipage 39

音Pronunciation

CharacterIn the lineRead as
戚宁戚qī

页Pages of the base edition

Cite this pageYikonglu, Analects Ba yi (Book 3) 3.4 “林放问礼之本”, https://yikonglu.com/en/lunyu/ba-yi/4.html, version 2026-11-04.

Last checked: 2026-11-04. Changes are logged on theerrata page.

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#礼#质文#俭

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