本集課程重點包括：

一、運動除了技能，更要講究精神

      今日有許多的運動項目，都專注於技能，但是運動家的風度，更要好好去發掘，這才是運動的重點所在。古代的大射、鄉射、賓射、燕射等射禮，除了比技能也要看風度、看禮節，從射箭中觀人之德，才能藉此找到人才，或作為國家祭祀的助祭者，或提拔為公務員服務人民，可見射禮並不簡單。

二、射箭不主張貫穿獸皮做的靶

      射可以分軍人的武射，以及軍人以外的文射。武射不只要中靶，還要貫穿獸皮；文射重點在觀德，並不主張射穿靶皮，所用的力道與武射不同等，這是古道，也就是要在品德、風度、禮節中去講究。

三、各行各業都有道

      射箭有道，各行各業也是如此，例如茶道、花道、商道、醫道，甚至所有運動項目都一樣，在較量當中要保持風度，要有禮儀，還要懂得反求諸己，贏了不驕傲，敗了也不氣餒，這樣才是一個精彩的人生。

八佾篇第十六章白話翻譯

【經文】

子曰：射不主皮。為力不同科，古之道也。

【字詞解釋】

主皮：主張射穿其皮。

為：ㄨㄟˋ，因為。

科：等級、類別。

【白話解釋】

      孔子說：舉行射禮時，是一種學習的禮儀，所以射中目標就行，不需要把皮革穿透，甚至偏一點也沒關係。因為每個人的力氣大小都不同，古時候舉行學習禮儀的射箭比賽就是這種精神。

【章旨】

      孔子說明古代的禮射，尚德不尚力，不似今人尚力不尚德，今人一定要把皮革射穿，孔子不以為然，因其不合於古時候的比賽精神，故從古。

《論語講要》原文

 周朝有六藝教育，六藝中有射之一藝。射有軍事之射，有平時各種禮射。此說禮射，古注考據甚多。簡要言之，行射禮時，張布為射侯，猶今人所言之箭靶，當中以獸皮設鵠為目的。禮射觀人品行，注重養德，古時不主張射穿其皮，但能射中目的即可，甚至稍偏，亦無不可。何也。因為各人之力大小不同等也。此為古時所行之道。時至春秋之末，咸主射穿其皮，則尚力不尚德矣，所以孔子敘古之道而歎之。又古注，凡行射禮，皆射三次，第一次射，但取合禮。第二次射，始取主皮。或謂射穿其皮，或謂中而不穿。第三次射，聽鼓樂之節制，則合於樂。三射以合禮樂為上，主皮次之。

【雪公講義】

      「集解」孔曰：言於射而後有爭也。

      「皇疏」略錄：古者生男，必設桑弧蓬矢於門左，使人負子出門而射；至長以射進仕，擇士助祭。若射不合禮樂，則不預祭。

      「射義」曰：射，仁道也。發而不中，不怨勝己者，反求諸己而已。

      「集注」略云：惟於射而後有爭；然雍容揖讓，則其爭君子，而非小人之爭矣。

      【按】此章重在君子。所謂君子，乃學而能立之士。凡功利名位，有背道違仁者，自不爭取；關乎道德仁義等，又當固執力行。經不云乎：「當仁不讓於師」，「見義不為無勇也」。其爭也君子句，更須細味焉。

English

Teacher Tang Yuling will accompany you to read The Analects   

57. Book 3 Ba Yi (The Eight-row Dance), Chapter 16

The Master said, “In archery it is not going through the leather which is the principal thing -- because people's strength is not equal. This was the old way.”

Highlights of this lecture include:

1. Emphasizing the true spirit of sportsmanship rather than skills

  Nowadays, many kinds of sports focus on physical strength and skills. But the crucial consideration should be about sportsmanship. In ancient China, ritual archery matches took place in different occasions, such as the archery grandeur before the emperor (大射Dashe), the courtesy archery locale (鄉射Xiangshe) at ministerial level, the archery matches as greeting to honorable guests (賓射Binshe), and the archery matches among vassal lords at banquets (燕射Yanshe). The matches emphasized on skills and on archers’ manners and etiquette. The players’ personality, graciousness and virtuous character manifested were closely observed and serious accounted for whether they were qualified to partake in the formal worshipping ceremonies at grand temple. Or, they could be handpicked to serve in the officialdom. As a matter of fact, ritual archery didn’t mean a simple match to win.

2. Piercing through the leather target was not a must

  Archery can be divided into two types, military and literati archery. Military archery武射 required not only to hit the mark but also to penetrate the hard leather target. Instead, the literati archery文射emphasized on archers’ virtues and manners rather than piercing through the leather target; as the level of strength required was not of the same as that for military archers. Such was the rule of yore. The crucial consideration of the days of yore were archers’ character, virtues, graciousness and decorum.

3. All walk of life have a blissful way to go.

  Archery has developed its values to follow. The same is true in all walks of life and principles, such as sado (Japanese tea ceremony), ikebana (flower arrangement), business, medical profession and all kinds of sports. In contests, players were obliged to follow the codes of conduct, upheld ones’ integrity and good sportsmanship. More respects will go to players of good propriety. A virtuous player would able to seek the cause in oneself, would not proud with his prize won nor daunted by a defeat. By living out this, a player of virtues can embark upon a spectacular life.