本集課程重點包括：

一、認識林放

      林放是魯國人，孔子六十八歲回到魯國所收的弟子， 本章可以看出他想要深入講究禮的內涵，所以他問禮的根本，好比一棵樹有花、葉、枝幹、果實，也需要根本的配合，才能茂盛生長。孔子說這個問題是大哉問，也就是問得太重要了。

二、禮不願奢，寧願儉

      古禮可以分為五類：吉凶軍賓嘉。禮的過奢與過儉都是過失，但在兩者之中抉擇，寧可儉不要奢，因為儉中有誠意，誠意才是禮的根本重點。

三、喪禮與其辦得很有條理，寧願哀傷

      喪禮的過失，可能是很有條理，可能是過於哀傷，此時則寧可選擇哀傷，所謂「禮不足而哀有餘」，臨喪不哀，沒有誠意，那就沒有可觀之處，誠意才能讓人有感受，才能讓人感動。

八佾篇第四章白話翻譯

【經文】

林放問禮之本。子曰：大哉問。禮，與其奢也，寧儉。喪，與其易也，寧戚。

【白話解釋】

      林放，字子丘，魯國人，為比干後代，傳為孔子晚年的得意弟子。

      魯人林放請問孔子禮的根本，孔子讚歎他問得太好了，並略舉禮與喪，來解答根本之問。禮，以吉禮中的祭祀為例，祭祀以誠心為本，與其奢華，寧願節儉，奢則失其誠，從儉則無此失，可得其本。喪，與其和順有條理，卻不合情理，則寧願哀戚，哀戚可得其本。

【章旨】

      孔子說明禮之根本在質而不在文，在簡而不在奢。

《論語講要》原文

      鄭康成注：「林放，魯人。」程氏集釋引朱彝尊經義考，謂蜀禮殿圖以林放為孔子弟子。

      林放請問禮的根本。孔子先以「大哉問」稱讚他，然後解答。

      古時禮有五種，即吉凶軍賓嘉。吉禮是祭祀，凶禮是喪事等。孔子略舉禮與喪，為林放解答根本之問。

      中國一切學問皆重根本。例如酒由水造，水是酒之本。又如百川歸海，河為海之本。故祭祀供酒，只供白水，祭海神則先祭河神。

      孔子答復林放說。禮，與其奢華，寧願節儉。喪，與其和易，寧願哀戚。

      禮，此禮與喪禮對稱，當指喪禮之外的諸禮。茲以祭祀為例。祭祀注重誠心，奢則失其誠，從儉則無此失，可得其本。喪與其易的易字，古注有多種解釋，包咸注為和易，可從。和易是和順而有條理。舉行喪禮，如此和易，不合情理，則不如哀戚。哀戚可得其本。

      包咸注：「易，和易也。言禮之本意失於奢，不如儉。喪、失於和易，不如哀戚。」

English

Teacher Tang Yuling will accompany you to read The Analects    

45.Book 3 Ba Yi (The Eight-row Dance), Chapter 4

Lin Fang asked what was the first thing to be attended to in ceremonies. The Master said, “A great question indeed! In festive ceremonies, it is better to be sparing than extravagant. In the ceremonies of mourning, it is better that there be deep sorrow than a minute attention to observances.”

Highlights of this lecture include:

1. About Lin Fang

  Lin fang was a native of Lu. Lin became a disciple of Confucius after the Master returned to Lu at 68 years of age. This chapter tells us that Lin Fang wanted to go in depth about the substances of propriety, here is about ceremonies— the root or origin of Li 禮. A tree, for example, consisting of flowers, leaves, stems, fruits, requires the roots for its survival. Confucius exclaimed with admiration that Lin Fang had asked such an excellent question which was very important indeed.

2. When it comes to festive ceremonies, it is better to be frugal than lavish.

  Ancient Li has five types: auspicious rites (ji-li 吉禮), inauspicious rites (xiong-li 凶禮), military rites (jun-li 軍禮), hosting rites (bin-li 賓禮), and congratulatory rites (jiali 嘉禮). About the observances required at due ceremonies, over-lavish and over-frugal both are wrong. Sincerity is fundamental and the root in practicing ceremonies of Li禮. The Master preferred the lesser one: frugal and simple were better than lavish and attentive to details—when a sparing ceremony was backed by truer feelings and sincerity.

3. When it comes to funerals, it is better to mourn than to be fastidious.

  A funeral service is a sorrowful occasion. It could be faulty with the articulation of fastidious procedures or excessively sorrowful mourners. The fault of exceeding grief felt is of lesser evil. As it is said: “a less decent proceedings in a funeral is acceptable when the strong feelings for the dead revealed by mourners are true.” Only can sincerity touch people and the feelings shared. Or else there is nothing valuable in being attentive to the minute details of the burial ceremony.