| 家○上○下○二○ ○二年八月二日 | 客曰○嘻○甚矣○子之好學也○ | 也○ | 所謂○窃待於下風○幸聞咳唾之音○以卒相丘 | 孔子曰○曩者先生有緒言而去○丘不肖○未知 | 曰○子將何求○ | 見孔子○還鄕而立○孔子反走○再拜而進○客 | 乃下求之○至於澤畔○方將杖拏而引其船○顧 | 與○ | 子貢還○报孔子○孔子推琴而起○曰○其聖人 | 也○ | ○苦心勞形以危其真○嗚呼○遠哉○其分於道 | 客乃笑而還行○言曰○仁則仁矣○恐不免其身 | 子貢曰○非也○ | 侯王之佐與○ | 子貢曰○非也○ | 又問曰○有土之君與○ | ○ | 以化於齊民○將以利天下○此孔氏之所治也○ | 行仁義○飾禮樂○选人倫○上以忠於世主○下 | 子路未應○子貢對曰○孔氏者○性服忠信○身 | 客曰○孔氏者何治也○ | 客問其族○子路對曰○族孔氏○ | 子路對曰○魯之君子也○ | 也○ | 子貢○子路二人俱對○客指孔子曰○彼何為者 | 陸而止○左手据膝○右手持頤以聽○曲終而招 | 船而來○須眉交白○被發揄袂○行原以上○距 | 書○孔子弦歌鼓琴○奏曲未半○有漁父者○下 | 孔子游乎緇帷之林○休坐乎杏壇之上○弟子讀 |
莊子南華經
第三十一章漁父 |
| 削跡於衛○伐樹於宋○圍於陳蔡○丘不知所失 | 孔子愀然而嘆○再拜而起○曰○丘再逐於魯○ | 教已○ | 矜○此四患也○能去八疵○無行四患○而始可 | ○人同於己則可○不同於己○雖善不善○謂之 | 自用○謂之貪○見過不更○聞諫愈甚○謂之很 | 更易常○以挂功名○謂之叨○專知擅事○侵人 | 不友○明君不臣○所謂四患者○好經大事○變 | 之險○此八疵者○外以亂人○內以傷身○君子 | 之慝○不擇善否○兩容頰适○偷拔其所欲○謂 | ○析交離親○謂之賊○稱譽詐偽以敗惡人○謂 | 不擇是非而言○謂之諛○好言人之惡○謂之讒 | 莫之顧而進之○謂之佞○希意道言○謂之諂○ | 四患○不可不察也○非其事而事之○謂之總○ | ○以化齊民○不泰多事乎○且人有八疵○事有 | 势○而下無大臣職事之官○而擅飾樂○选人倫 | 亂○天子有司之憂也○今子既上無君侯有司之 | 人○禮樂不節○財用窮匱○人倫不飭○百姓淫 | 時○以傷庶物○諸侯暴亂○擅相攘伐○以残民 | ○不順天子○諸侯之憂也○陰陽不和○寒暑不 | ○國家昏亂○工技不巧○貢職不美○春秋后倫 | 功美不有○爵禄不持○大夫之憂也○廷無忠臣 | 能不勝任○官事不治○行不清白○群下荒怠○ | 賦不属○妻妾不和○長少無序○庶人之憂也○ | 其事○乃無所陵○故田荒室露○衣食不足○征 | 美也○四者離位而亂莫大焉○官治其職○人憂 | 事也○天子諸侯大夫庶人○此四者自正○治之 | 請釋吾之所有而經子之所以○子之所以者○人 | 客曰○同類相從○同聲相應○固天之理也○吾 | 六十九歲矣○無所得聞至教○敢不虛心○ | 孔子再拜而起○曰○丘少而修學○以至於今○ |
| 乃剌船而去○延緣葦間○ | 子勉之○吾去子矣○吾去子矣○ | 可與往者○不知其道○慎勿與之○身乃無咎○ | 客曰○吾聞之○可與往者○與之至於妙道○不 | 請因受業而卒學大道○ | 先生不羞而比之服役而身教之○敢問舍所在○ | 孔子再拜而起曰○今者丘得遇也○若天幸然○ | 子之蚤湛於人偽而晚聞大道也○ | 不知貴真○禄禄而受變於俗○故不足○惜哉○ | ○不拘於俗○愚者反此○不能法天而恤於人○ | 以受於天也○自然不可易也○故聖人法天貴真 | 無問其禮矣○禮者○世俗之所為也○真者○所 | 所以矣○飲酒以樂○不选其具矣○處喪以哀○ | 主○功成之美○無一其跡矣○事親以适○不論 | ○飲酒以樂為主○處喪以哀為主○事親以适為 | 貞○飲酒則歡樂○處喪則悲哀○忠貞以功為主 | 真也○其用於人理也○事親則慈孝○事君則忠 | 親未笑而和○真在內者○神動於外○是所以貴 | 人○故強哭者○雖悲不哀○真怒未發而威○真 | 客曰○真者○精誠之至也○不精不誠○不能動 | 孔子愀然曰○請問何謂真○ | ○ | ○則無所累矣○今不修身而求之人○不亦外乎 | 於不免矣○謹修而身○慎守其真○還以物與人 | 适受與之度○理好惡之情○和喜怒之節○而幾 | ○子審仁義之間○察同異之際○觀動靜之變○ | 死○不知處陰以休影○處靜以息跡○愚亦甚矣 | 而影不離身○自以為尚遲○疾走不休○絶力而 | 惡跡而去之走者○舉足愈數而跡愈多○走愈疾 | 客凄然變容曰○甚矣○子之難悟也○人有畏影 | ○而離此四謗者何也○ |
| 家○上○下○二○ ○二年八月二日 | 有錯字請通知我 | 可謂有矣○吾敢不敬乎○ | ○故道之所在○聖人尊之○今之漁父之於道○ | 之者死○得之者生○為事逆之則敗○順之則成 | 而由獨擅之○且道者○萬物之所由也○庶物失 | 故長傷身○惜哉○不仁之於人也○禍莫大焉○ | 彼非至人○不能下人○下人不精○不得其真○ | ○夫遇長不敬○失禮也○見賢不尊○不仁也○ | 禮儀間矣○而朴鄙之心至今未去○進○吾語汝 | 孔子伏軾而嘆○曰○甚矣○由之難化也○湛於 | 矣○漁人何以得此乎○ | 磬折○言拜而應○得無太甚乎○門人皆怪夫子 | 猶有倨敖之容○今漁父杖拏逆立○而夫子曲要 | 主○千乘之君○見夫子未嘗不分庭伉禮○夫子 | 役久矣○未嘗見夫子遇人如此其威也○萬乘之 | 不聞拏音而后敢乘○子路旁車而問曰○由得為 | 顏淵還車○子路授綏○孔子不顧○待水波定○ |
Chapter 31 -- The Old Fisherman
Confucius, traveling in the Black Forest, rested awhile at Apricot Altar. His disciples sat down to their books, and he himself played upon the lute and sang.
Half way through the song, an old fisherman stepped out of a boat and advanced towards them. His beard and eyebrows were snowy white. His hair hung loose, and he flapped his long sleeves as he walked over the foreshore. Reaching firm ground, he stood still, and with left hand on his knee and right hand to his ear, listened.
When the song was finished, he beckoned to Tzu Kung and Tzu Lu, both of whom went to him. Then pointing with his finger, he enquired, saying, "What is that man doing here?"
"He is the Sage of Lu," replied Tzu Lu.
"Of what clan?" asked the old man.
"Of the K'ung family," replied Tzu Lu.
"And what is his occupation?" said the old man.
"He devotes himself," replied Tzu Lu, "to loyalty and truth. He practices charity and duty towards his neighbor. He regulates ceremonies and music. He distinguishes the relationships of man. He is loyal to his prince above, a reformer of the masses below. Thus he will be of great service to the whole empire. Such is his occupation."
"Is he a ruler of a State?" asked the old man.
"He is not," said Tzu Kung.
"A minister?" said the old man.
"No," said Tzu Kung.
Then the old man laughed and walked away, saying, "Charity is charity, yet I fear he will not escape the wear of mind and tear of body which imperil the original purity of man. How far, alas, has he wandered from the true path!"
Tzu Kung went back and told Confucius, who, laying aside his lute, arose and said, "This man is a Sage!"
Thereupon he followed the old man down the shore, catching him up just as he was drawing in his boat with his staff. Perceiving Confucius, the old man turned round to receive him, at which Confucius stepped back and prostrated himself twice before advancing.
"What do you want, Sir?" asked the fisherman.
"Just now, venerable Sir," replied Confucius, "you left without finishing your remarks. In my stupidity I cannot make what you mean. Therefore I have come in the humble hope of hearing any words with which you may deign to help me."
"Well," said the old man, "you are certainly anxious to learn."
At this Confucius prostrated himself twice, and when he got up said, "Yes, I have been a student from my youth upwards until now, the sixty-ninth year of my age. Yet I have never heard the true doctrine, which I am now ready to receive without bias." (could be 59 year of age; see other chapters.)
"Like species follow like," answered the old man. "Like sounds respond to like. This is a law of nature. I will now with your leave apply what I know to what you occupy yourself with,-- the affairs of men. The Son of Heaven, the princes, the ministers, and the people,--if these four fulfill their proper functions the result is good government. If they quit their proper places, the result is unutterable confusion. When the officials mind their duties and the people their business, neither is injured by the other.
"Barren land, leaky roofs, want of food and clothing, inability to meet taxation, quarrels of wives and concubines, no precedence between young and old,-- such are the sorrows of the people.
"Capacities unequal to one's duties, and inability to carry on routine work, absence of clean-handed-ness, and carelessness among subordinates, lack of distinction and want of preferment,--such are the sorrows of ministers.
"The Court without loyal ministers and the State in rebellion, the artisan unskillful and the tribute unsatisfactory, the periodical levee unattended and the Son of Heaven displeased,--such are the sorrows of the princes.
"The two great principles of nature working inharmoniously, heat and cold coming at irregular seasons so that men and things suffer, the princes rebellious and fighting among themselves so that the people perish, music and ceremonies ill regulated, wealth dissipated, the relationships of man disregarded, the masses sunk in immorality,--such are the sorrows which fall to the share of the Son of Heaven.
"But now you, Sir, occupying neither the more exalted position of ruler nor performing the subordinate functions of minister, nevertheless take upon yourself to regulate music and ceremonies and to reform the masses. Are you not traveling out of your own sphere.
"Further, men have eight blemishes, and there are four things which obstruct business. These should be investigated.
"Meddling with matters which do not matter to you, is prying.
"To push one's way in, regardless of neglect, is to be forward.
"To adapt one's thoughts and arrange one's words, is sycophancy.
"To applaud a person, right or wrong, is flattery.
"To love speaking evil of others, is slander.
"To sever friendships and break ties, is mischievousness.
"To praise people falsely with a view to injure them, is malice.
"To give ready assent with a view to worm out the wishes of others, good and bad alike, is to be a hypocrite.
"These eight blemishes cause a man to throw others into confusion and bring injury upon himself. The superior man will not have him for a friend; the enlightened prince will not employ him as his minister.
"To love the conduct of great affairs, and to introduce change into established order with a view to gain reputation,--this is ambition.
"To strive to get all into one's own hands, and to usurp what should be at the disposal of others,--this is greed.
"To know one's fault but not to correct them, to receive admonition but only to plunge deeper,--this is obstinacy.
"To suffer those who are like oneself, but as for those unlike not to credit them with the virtues they really possess,--this is bigotry.
"Such are the four things which obstruct business. And only he who can put aside the above eight and abstain from the above four is fit for instruction."
At this Confucius heaved a sigh of distress. Then having twice prostrated himself, he arose and said, "Twice was I driven from Lu. I was tabooed in Wei. My tree was cut down in Sung. I was surrounded by the Ch'ens and the Ts'ais. I know not what my fault is that I should have suffered these four persecutions."
"Dear me!" said the old man in a vexed tone, "How slow of perception you are. There was once a man who was so afraid of his shadow and so disliked his own footsteps that he determined to run away from them. But the oftener he raised his feet the more footsteps he made, and though he ran very hard his shadow never left him. From this he inferred that he went too slowly, and ran as hard as he could without resting, the consequence being that his strength broke down and he died. He was not aware that by going into the shade he would have got rid of his shadow, and that by keeping still he would have put an end to his footsteps. Fool that he was!
"Now you occupy yourself with charity and duty to one's neighbor. You examine into the distinction of like and unlike, the changes of motion and rest, the canons of giving and receiving, the emotions of love and hate, and the restraint of joy and anger. Yet you cannot avoid the calamities you speak of.
"Reverently care for your body. Carefully preserve your natural purity (shen shou qi zhen 慎守其真 means fixing attention at your chu chiao.). Leave externals to others. Then you will not be involved. But as it is, instead of improving yourself you are trying to improve other people. Surely this is dealing with the external."
"Then may I enquire," said Confucius in a tone of distress, "what is the original purity?" [Ypur Spiritual Soul]
"Our original purity," replied the fisherman, "is the perfection of truth unalloyed. Without this, we cannot influence others. Hence, those who weep to order, though they mourn, do not grieve. Those who assume anger, though violent, do not inspire awe. Those who affect friendship, though they smile, are not in unison.
"Real mourning grieves in silence. Real anger awes without expression. Real friendship is unison without the aid of smiles. Our emotions are dependent upon the original purity within; and accordingly we hold the latter in esteem.
"If applied to human affairs, then in serving our parents we are filial, in serving our prince we are loyal, in the banquet hour we are merry, in the hour of mourning we are sad.
"The object of loyalty is successful service; of a banquet, mirth; of mourning, grief; of serving parents, gratifying their wishes. If the service is accomplished, it matters not that no trace remain. If parents be gratified, it matters not how. If a banquet results in mirth, the accessories are of no importance. If there be real grief in mourning, it matters not what ceremonies may be employed.
"Ceremonial is the invention of man. Our original purity is given to us from God. It is as it is, and cannot be changed. Wherefore the true Sage models himself upon God, and holds his original purity in esteem. He is independent of human exigencies. Fools, however, reverse this. They cannot model themselves upon God, and have to fall back on man. They do not hold original purity in esteem. Consequently they are ever suffering the vicissitudes of morality, and never reaching the goal. Alas! you, Sir, were early steeped in deceit, and are late in hearing the great doctrine." [God, tien, is Tao. Our original purity is Our Spiritual Soul.]
Confucius, having again prostrated himself twice, arose and said, "It has been a godsend to meet you, Sir, today. Pray allow me to follow you as your servant, that I may benefit by your teaching. I venture to ask where you live that I may enter upon my duties and learn the great doctrine."
"I have heard," replied the old man, "that if a man is a fit companion, one may travel with him into the uttermost depth of Tao. But if he is not a fit companion, and does not know Tao, one must avoid his company, that no harm may befall. Excuse me, I must leave you." Thereupon he pushed off his boat, and disappeared among the reeds.
Yen Yuan then brought up the chariot, and Tzu Lu offered the hand-cord to Confucius. But the latter paid no attention. He waited until the ripples on the water had smoothed down and the sound of the punt-pole had died away, before he ventured to get up.
Tzu Lu, who was at the side of the chariot, enquired saying, "Master, I have been in your service now for a long time, yet never did I see you treat any man like this. In the presence of a ruler of ten thousand or a thousand chariots, I have never seen you treated other than with great respect, while you yourself would wear a haughty air. Yet before this old fisherman, leaning on his punt-pole, you cringe and bow and prostrate yourself twice before answering. Is not this too much? The disciples do not know what to make of it. Why this behavior to an old fisherman?"
"Yu!" cried Confucius, resting on the bar of the chariot; "it is difficult to make anything of you. You have long studied ceremonies and duty to your neighbor, yet you have not succeeded in getting rid of the old evil nature. Come here, and I will tell you.
"To meet an elder without respect is want of ceremony. To see a Sage and not to honor him, is not to be in charity with man. Unless you are in charity with man, you cannot humble yourself before a fellow-creature. And unless you can honestly do this, you can never attain to that state of original purity; but the body will constantly suffer. Alas! there is no greater evil than not to be in charity with man. Yet in such a plight, O Yu, are you? [Confucius was gracious, but grace is not good enough for self cultivation.]
"Further, Tao is the source of all creation. Men have it, and live. They lose it, and die. Affairs in antagonism thereto, fail; in accordance therewith, succeed. Therefore, wherever Tao abides, there is the reverence of the true Sage. And as this old fisherman may be said to possess Tao, could I venture not to respect him?" [Man has Spiritual Soul, and lives. He loses his Spiritual Soul, he dies.]
Edited on 9th June 2008