Shên-t’u Ti thought he was born out of his time

Shên-t’u Ti thought he was born out of his time, and was about to cast himself into the River. Ts’ui Chia learning of this stopped him, saying, "I have heard that the function of the saintly man and the humane gentleman between Heaven and Earth is to be father and mother to the people. Now is it right not to come to the rescue of a drowning man by reason of fearing wet feet?"

Shên-t’u said, "Not so. Of old Chieh by putting Kuan Lung-fêng to death, and Chou by killing the Prince Pi-kan, lost their empires. Wu by killing Tzŭ-hsü, and Ch’ên by killing Hsieh Yeh, had their states destroyed. Therefore the loss of a state or the destruction of a family is not caused by a lack of saints and sages, but it is the result of not using them." Whereupon embracing a stone, he sank into the River.

When the superior man hears of this he says, "He was scrupulous indeed, but as to his being benevolent (jên), this I have yet to see." The Ode says,

So it is!
Heaven has done it;—

What then shall I say?

申徒狄非其世，将自投于河。崔嘉闻而止之，曰：“吾闻圣人仁士之于天地之间也，民之父母也，今为儒雅之故，不救溺人，可乎？”申徒狄曰：“不然。桀杀关龙逢、纣杀王子比干，而亡天下。吴杀子胥，陈杀泄冶，而灭其国。故亡国残家，非无圣智也，不用故也。”遂抱石而沉于河。君子闻之，曰：“廉矣！如仁欤？则吾未之见也。”《诗》曰：“天实为之，谓之何哉！”

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