穷达以时

窘困与显达受时运的影响。“穷达以时”的说法最早见于郭店楚墓竹简。在天命或天道赏善罚恶的观念下，有德之人会受到奖赏而显达于世，背德之人会遭受惩罚而生活窘困。“穷达以时”一说则破除了“穷达”与德行之间的这种必然联系，指出人们处于窘困还是显达的境遇，会受到时运的影响。同时，时运的限制不应影响人们对自身道德的修养，道德修养不以显达为目的。

Poverty and Prosperity Are Influenced by the Times

This concept is first found on the bamboo slips unearthed from a tomb of the State of Chu at Guodian Village, Hubei Province. According to the belief that the mandate of heaven or the way of heaven rewards the good and punishes the evil, virtuous individuals will be rewarded and become prosperous, while those who act immorally will be punished and live in poverty. The concept breaks the necessary connection between one's moral character and their state of poverty or prosperity, indicating that one's state of poverty or prosperity is influenced by their circumstances. At the same time, the limitations of circumstances should not affect a person's moral cultivation, as moral cultivation should not aim for prosperity.

引例

穷达以时，德行一也。（郭店楚墓竹简《穷达以时》）（窘困或显达受时运的影响，但德行应始终如一。）

In people's lives, being impoverished or prosperous is influenced by the circumstances of the times, but their moral character remains consistent. (Poverty and Prosperity Are Influenced by the Times, written on the bamboo slips unearthed from a tomb of the State of Chu at Guodian Village, Hubei Province)