重义轻利问心无愧 Having a Clear Conscience Trumps Personal Gain
Having a Clear Conscience Trumps Personal Gain
During the Xifeng period of the North Song Dynasty, there was a teahouse located next to the Fan Pavilion in the Capital City. The teahouse business was quite prosperous.
One day, a customer whose last name was Li, talked with his old friend about their past over tea. It was hot that day, so Li took off his sweater and put it on top of his pouch full of dozens gold pieces lying on the table. After he and his friend had finished talking and drunk their tea, he forgot about his gold. He later discovered that he had forgotten his pouch, but he thought that it would be impossible to find it since so many other customers were there.
About four years later, customer Li came to the teahouse again. With no expectation of finding his gold, he mentioned what he had lost years before. The teahouse owner heard him and asked, "Were you wearing a sweater that day?" Li said, "Yes!" The owner continued, "Was your friend wearing a leather coat?" Li replied, "Yes!" The owner said, "I saw what you had left on the table, and I went after you, but you walked so fast that I couldn't find you among so many people. I put it away, because I thought you might come back for it the next day. I never even opened it. It is very heavy, so I guess maybe there are gold pieces inside. If it is consistent with what you describe, you can have it back!" Li said, "If you can find it, I will split it with you." The owner said nothing but smiled.
Li followed the owner upstairs and saw many items such as shoes, umbrellas, clothes, vessels, etc., which customers had left. On each item was a tag, marking the date as well as a description of the person who had left it. If unknown, it was just marked "unknown." In a corner of the attic, they found a cloth pouch, dated, and marked.
After he went downstairs, the teahouse owner asked Li again about the amount of gold inside. Li replied, and his host opened the cloth pouch. The amount matched what Li had mentioned, and the shop owner gave it to him.
Li wanted to express his appreciation by leaving half of the gold for the owner. The owner said, "If I only attached importance to how I could benefit and didn't care about being honest, then I would have hidden your gold. In that case, what could you have done? You don’t even have evidence to take me to court. Why did I do it this way? It is because I have to face my own conscience!"
Li realized that the owner would not accept his offer. He was embarrassed but thanked the owner again and again. The owner responded cordially to his thanks each time. Later he tried to invite the owner to the Fan Pavilion for a drink, but the owner declined.
There were more than 50 people in the teahouse. They all appreciated what the owner had done, saying that such things were rarely seen in the world. Someone said, "This is a perfect example of 'Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, and I know' that Yang Zhen, a well known official from the Han Dynasty, talked about.”
The old people often say, "Never do anything that goes against your conscience." The ancients also said, "Human beings are born with good natures." Actually, we can still distinguish good from evil in many situations. It is only when one is interfered with by acquired notions or is tempted by personal interests that one cannot hold to one's purity, generosity, and moral principles. A real gentleman should revere gods and Heaven, follow the moral standards of human beings, restrict himself with "prudence" and "self-discipline," and have a clear conscience about every deed he does.
重义轻利 问心无愧
北宋熙丰年间，在京师的樊楼旁边有一座小茶馆，生意非常兴隆。
有一天，一位李姓客人，与一老友在此小茶馆叙旧饮茶。因天气比较热，李姓客人便脱下了外衣，把带的数十两金子随手放到了茶桌上，结果走时却忘记了拿。李姓客人离开茶馆后，才发现自己遗失了金子，但心想这个茶馆中往来的人那么多，肯定找不回来了，也就没有回去寻找。
三四年后，李姓客人再次来到这家茶馆，他并没抱希望，只是随口说自己三四年前曾在这里遗失过东西。茶馆老板听后想了想，问道：“你那天是不是穿着毛衫坐在这里？”李姓客人说：“是啊。”又问：“同你在一起坐在这里的人是不是穿着皂皮袄？”答：“是啊。”茶馆老板说：“那些东西被我捡到了，那时也赶快出去追赶，但你们走的很快，在那么多人中一时也没有辨认出人，于是就把东西放了起来。心想你们明天肯定会回来寻找。我从没有打开过，但觉得很重，想必是黄金白银之类的东西。如果你说的块数重量相同，你就拿回去吧！。”李姓客人说：“如果能找到，我就与你平半分。”茶馆主人笑而不答。
李姓客人跟随茶馆主人来到一小棚楼上，发现楼上放了很多鞋、伞、衣服、器皿等他人遗失在这里的东西，而且上面都贴有字条，写有某年某月某日，大概是什么样的人所遗失。如果不知道的，就写着不知道。在一个楼角中找到一个小包袱，封记从没有打开过，上面写着某年某月一位官人所遗失在这里的。
下楼后，茶馆主人同众人再次询问李姓客人包袱中金子的块数重量。李姓客人答出来后，茶馆主人打开包袱一看，果然同李姓客人说的相符，便把包袱全部还给了他。
李姓客人为表示感谢，要留下一半金子给茶馆主人，茶馆主人说：“官人想必也读过书，怎么这么不会看人呢？古人明辨义利之分，我如果重利轻义，就把东西藏起来不告诉你，你又能怎样呢？又不能官法相加？我之所以这样做，就是总怕自己有愧于心的原故啊！”
李姓客人知道他不会接受，非常羞愧，对其一再施礼拜谢，茶馆主人则不断的谦让辞谢。后请茶馆主人到樊楼去饮酒，结果茶馆主人也坚决推辞了。
当时茶馆中五十多人，大家都非常感慨，说这种事真是世上少有。有人说：“伊尹的一介不取，杨震畏惧的四知（天知、地知、你知、我知）也不过如此啊！”
老人经常说“不要做愧心事”。古人说“人之初，性本善。”其实，面对很多事情时，我们的内心还是能够区分正邪好坏的，只是在后天观念的侵扰下，在私利私欲的诱惑下，有时并不能坚守自己心中那份纯真和善念，以及道德准则。只有畏天敬神，以人伦道德为基点，时时严谨的要求自己“慎独”、“自守”，事事做到问心无愧，这才是正人君子应具备的品行。