| 家○上○下○二○ ○二年七月一日 | ○好惡者○德之失也○故心不憂樂○德之至也 | 故曰○悲樂者○德之邪也○喜怒者○道之過也 | 合天德○ | 覺無憂○其神純粹○其魂不罢○虛無活淡○乃 | 謀○光矣而不耀○信矣而不期○其寝不梦○其 | 無鬼責○其生若浮○其死若休○不思慮○不豫 | 故○遁天之理○故無天灾○無物累○無人非○ | 感而后應○迫而后動○不得已而后起○去知與 | 陰同德○動而與陽同波○不為福先○不為禍始 | 故曰○聖人之生也天行○其死也物化○靜而與 | 德全而神不虧○ | 平易恬淡○則憂患不能入○邪氣不能襲○故其 | 故曰○聖人休休焉則平易矣○平易則恬淡矣○ | 道德之質也○ | 故曰○夫恬淡寂漠○虛無無為○此天地之平而 | ○聖人之德也○ | 無不有也○淡然無极而衆美從之○此天地之道 | 而治○無江海而閑○不道引而壽○無不忘也○ | 好也○若夫不刻意而高○無仁義而修○無功名 | 矣○此道引之士○養形之人○彭祖壽考者之所 | ○吹呴呼吸○吐故納新○熊經鳥申○為壽而已 | 矣○此江海之士○避世之人○閑暇者之所好也 | 好也○就藪澤○處閑曠○釣魚閑處○無為而已 | 此朝廷之士○尊主强國之人○致功并兼者之所 | 功○立大名○禮君臣○正上下○為治而已矣○ | 世之士○教誨之人○游居學者之所好也○語大 | 也○語仁義忠信○恭儉推讓○為修而已矣○平 | ○此山谷之士○非世之人○枯槁赴渊者之所好 | 刻意尚行○離世異俗○高論怨誹○為亢而已矣 | 莊子
南華經 第十五章 刻意 |
| 家○上○下○二○ ○二年七月一日 | 有錯字請通知我 | 虧其神也○能体純素○謂之真人○ | 故素也者○謂其無所與雜也○純也者○謂其不 | ○聖人貴精○ | 野語有之曰○衆人重利○廉士重名○賢士尚志 | 一之精通○合於天倫○ | 純素之道○唯神是守○守而勿失○與神為一○ | 下蟠於地○化育萬物○不可為象○其名同帝○ | 至也○精神四達并流○無所不极○上際於天○ | 夫有乾越之劍者○柙而藏之○不敢用也○寶之 | 動而以天行○此養神之道也○ | 故曰○純粹而不雜○靜一而不變○淡而無為○ | 不流○亦不能清○天德之象也○ | 則竭○水之性○不雜則清○莫動則平○郁閉而 | 故曰○形勞而不休則弊○精用而不已則勞○勞 | ○ | ○不與物交○淡之至也○無所於逆○粹之至也 | ○一而不變○靜之至也○無所於忤○虛之至也 |
Self-Conceit and assurance, which lead men to quit society, and be different from their fellows, to indulge in tall talk and abuse of others,--these are nothing more than personal over-estimation, the affectation of recluses and those who have done with the world and have closed their hearts to mundane influences.
Preaching of charity and duty to one's neighbor, of loyalty and truth, of respect, of economy, and of humility,--this is but moral culture, affected by would-be pacificators and teachers of mankind, and by scholars at home or abroad.
Preaching of meritorious services, of fame, of ceremonial between sovereign and minister, of due relationship between upper and lower classes,-- this is mere government, affected by courtiers or patriots who strive to extend the boundaries of their own State and to swallow up the territory of others.
Living in marshes or in wildernesses, and passing one's days in fishing,--this is mere inaction, affected by wanderers who have turned their backs upon the world and have nothing better to do.
Exhaling and inhaling, getting rid of the old and assimilating the new, stretching like a bear and craning like a bird, -- this is but valetudinarianism, affected by professors of hygiene and those who try to preserve the body to the age of P'eng Tsu.
But in self-esteem without self-conceit, in moral culture without charity and duty to one's neighbor, in government without rank and fame, in retirement without solitude, in health without hygiene,--there we have oblivion absolute coupled with possession of all things; an infinite calm which becomes an object to be attained by all.
Such is the Tao of the universe, such is the virtue of the Sage. Wherefore it has been said, "In tranquility, in stillness, in the unconditioned, in inaction, we find the levels of the universe, the very constitution of Tao."
Wherefore it has been said, "The Sage is a negative quantity, and is consequently in a state of passivity. Being passive he is in a state of repose. And where passivity and repose are, there sorrow and anxiety do not enter, and foul influences do not collect. And thus his virtue is complete and his spirituality unimpaired."
Wherefore it has been said, "The birth of the Sage is the will of God; his death is but a modification of existence. In repose, he shares the passivity of the Yin; in action, the energy of the Yang. He will have nothing to do with happiness, and so has nothing to do with misfortune. He must be influenced ere he will respond. He must be urged ere he will move. He must be compelled ere he will arise. Ignoring the future and the past, he resigns himself to the laws of God.
"And therefore no calamity comes upon him, nothing injures him, no man is against him, no spirit punishes him. He floats through life to rest in death. He has no anxiety; he makes no plans. His honor does not make him illustrious. His good faith reflects no credit upon himself. His sleep is dreamless, his awaking without pain. His spirituality is pure, and his soul vigorous. Thus unconditioned and in repose, he is a partaker of the virtue of God."
Wherefore it has been said, "Sorrow and happiness are the heresies of virtue; joy and anger lead astray from Tao; love and have cause the loss of virtue. The heart unconscious of sorrow and happiness,--that is perfect virtue. ONE, without change,--that is perfect repose. Without any obstruction,-- that is the perfection of the unconditioned. Holding no relations with the external world,--that is perfection of the negative state. Without blemish of any kind,--that is the perfection of purity."
Wherefore it has been said, "If the body toils without rest, it dies. If the mind is employed without ceasing, it becomes wearied; and being wearied, its power is gone."
Pure water is by nature clear. If untouched, it is smooth. If dammed, it will not flow, neither will it be clear. It is an emblem of the virtue of God. Wherefore it has been said, "Pure, without admixture; uniform, without change; negative, without action; moved , only at the will of God;--such would be the spirituality nourished according to Tao."
Those who possess blades from Kan or Yueh, keep them carefully in their scabbards, and do not venture to use them. For they are precious in the extreme. The spirit spreads forth on all sides: there is no point to which it does not reach, attaining heaven above, embracing earth beneath, influencing all creation, its form cannot be portrayed. Its name is then Of-God.
The Tao of the pure and simple consists in preserving spirituality. He who preserves his spirituality and loses it not, becomes one with that spirituality. And though that unity the spirit operates freely, and comes into due relationship with God.
[Spirituality is used for 'shen'. Shen should be our Spiritual Soul. During meditation, in communion with our Spiritual Soul, our conscious mind and Soul will become One. Therefore Tao in human is the Spiritual Soul.]
A vulgar saying has it, "The masses value money; honest men, fame; virtuous men, resolution; and Sages, the soul."
(Soul translation from Chinese is sperm. Taoist yoga teaches people to produce sperms, converts them into energy, then into spirit. This is vitality in men. My preaching is different. I stress on family cultivation and regulation. If your wife opposes you in learning meditation, you can only use sex to transfer your energy to her, bringing up her spirituality. If she follows you meditating, you both can go celibate. I have not come across a Taoist book that talks about women's eggs. This shows that GOD make men a step ahead of women. This is why I always stress men have to lead the countries. This is my Confucianism. If every couple meditate, the world is in harmony.)
Thus, the pure is that in which there is nothing mixed; the simple is that which implies no injury to the spirituality. And he who can keep the pure and simple within himself,--he is a divine man.
Edited on 9th June 2008