所以宋朝末年，文天祥說過這樣的話：「孔曰成仁，孟曰取義，讀聖賢書，所學何事。」這是說，孔子說過，當你在品格完美與身體健全兩者不能同時保有的時候，你寧可「殺身」，也要「成仁」，「成仁」是完成你品德道義的美好追求。孟子也說過，當你面對生命與正義的嚴重衝突時，你就是捨棄生命，也要成全正義，這是所有讀聖賢書的人首先要做到的一件事，否則聖賢之書你就算是白讀了。所以中國古代的讀書人最要緊的是要有仁義的操守，即「無恒產而有恆心者惟士為能。」
因此榮啟期就回答孔子說：「貧者士之常」，「死者人之終」，我是「處常得終」。他說，貧窮是我本來就應該守住的操持，我活了九十歲了，按說已該壽終正寢了，而我仍然健康地活著，我有什麼可悲哀的？
所以陶淵明現在就引用了榮啟期這段故事，他說榮啟期九十歲了，連根腰帶都沒有，由此可知他年輕的時候一定是更加貧寒了。但是榮啟期絲毫不因貧窮而悲哀，他根本就不指望善惡的報應，也從末想過「善有善報」是不是「空言」的問題。
那麼是什麼東西能夠支持他「處常得終」，安於貧賤的，這就是「君子固窮」的儒家的操守。儒家的操守是從不計較善惡的報應的，就算天道是不可信的，就像是為善的不一定能有善報，那麼你就因而不行善了嗎？
要知道，我們不是為了「報」才去「善」的，這才是根本，不但儒家的理想以此為根本，佛家也以此為根本的。宣化上人才說如果你拜佛是為了得到福報，那已經是一種錯誤了，而且你如果為善為了善報，從佛家來說這也是一種貪欲。
所以做人的最高境界不管是儒家的，還是佛家的，他們在最高層次上的理想是可以合而為一的，這就是你內心的持守。所以陶淵明接下去就說了：「不賴固窮節，百世當誰傳。」他說，如果不是仰仗著世界上還有「君子固窮」的節操，還有像伯夷、叔齊和榮啟期這樣寧肯「九十行帶索」，餓死在西山，也不改變自己內心之中對仁義持守的人。那麼，我們的歷史就真的是一片黑暗，一片混濁與齷齪了！
就因為世界上畢竟還有這樣有操守，有理想的人，這些「清士」的存在，我們的歷史才有了這一線光明，我們的過去才值得歌頌和流傳。如果不是有他們的美好節操，那麼我們千年百世的歷史還有什麼可值得歌頌和傳揚的呢？我們的人類前景就眞的一點希望和光明也沒有了，那將是我們最大的悲哀！這就是陶淵明所考慮的第二個問題。
衰榮雖然是無定的，天道的報應也是無常的，就算沒有天道善惡的報應，陶淵明說，我也要持守得住，因為「不賴固窮節，百世當誰傳」。因此陶淵明他才寧可放棄榮華富貴，不去做官，而歸來種田的。
有時候遇到天災人禍，沒有收成，在飢寒交迫之中，他內心也非常苦惱困惑的。陶淵明的另外一首詩中說：「貧富常交戰，道勝無戚顏」，他說我也曾經有過內心之中的矛盾交戰：是寧可貧窮也要持守住自己的品德呢？還是為了衣食之安而到官場上去做貪官污吏？但最後我的「道」終於勝利了。
你看儒家講「道」，佛家也讀講「修道」，當你的「道」戰勝了各種干擾終於取得主導地位的時候，你內心之中就眞的有了一種喜悅和平安的快樂，你自然就會把你的平安和喜樂表現在你的言語、行為、態度中，所以你就沒有「戚顏」了。「戚」是悲哀痛苦的樣子，「顏」是指容貌表情；如果你的道勝了，那麼喜悅就會時常與你在一起了。「貧富常交戰，道勝無戚顏」。如果你每天只是向外追求，而不是向你內心去追求，那麼你盡管有了富貴利祿，但你還會有可能因為不滿足而「戚戚」的，內心之中也不會有平安和喜樂的，因為他只有身外的物質，而沒有內心的「道」。
待續 |
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Therefore, at the end of Song Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang said, "Confucius realized humaneness and Mencius achieved righteousness. What do we learn from reading the books of sages?" Confucius said, "When perfect conduct and physical health cannot simultaneously be maintained, you would rather sacrifice the body in order to realize humaneness, thereby fulfilling your quest for perfect virtue." Mencius also said, "When there is a serious conflict between life and righteousness, you should uphold righteousness even if it means giving up your life. That is the first thing anyone who has studied the sages' books should do. Otherwise, one has read those books in vain." Thus, ancient Chinese scholars considered humaneness and righteousness to be paramount. That is, "Only a scholar can preserve his integrity without a steady income."
Thus Rong Qiqi answered Confucius, "Poverty is the permanent condition of a scholar, whereas death is every man's end. Now, I am abiding in that permanent state and have reached the end." He was saying, "Poverty is a virtue that I should uphold. I am ninety and should have died by now, but I am still alive and healthy. Why should I be sad?"
Tao Yuanming mentions how Rong Qiqi could not even afford a belt at the age of ninety, implying that he must have been even poorer in his youth. But Rong Qiqi was not depressed at all on account of being poor. He basically held no expectations towards what consequences he would receive for good or bad deeds; he never considered the matter of whether good deeds are rewarded.
Then, what enabled him to "dwell in that permanent condition and reach the end," and to be content in poverty? It was the Confucian principle that "a virtuous person remains steadfast in poverty." Confucians are not at all concerned about the what retributions they receive for their good or bad deeds. Even if divine justice is not reliable and good deeds don't necessarily bring good results, how could one refrain from being good?
We should realize that rewards are not the reason that we do good deeds. This principle is fundamental not only to Confucianism, but also to Buddhism. Therefore Master Hsuan Hua said, "If you bow to Buddhas only to seek blessings, you are wrong." Furthermore, according to Buddhism, if you do good deeds hoping for a reward, you are just being greedy.
Therefore, at the highest level, a Confucian and a Buddhist will agree that the loftiest ideal is inner integrity. Tao Yuanming goes on to say: Were it not for those individuals who chose poverty so as to preserve their integrity, / What in history would be worth passing down to future generations? Were it not for "virtuous people who remained steadfast in poverty," such as Boyi and Shuqi, who preferred to starve in the western mountains, and Rong Qiqi, who "at ninety, used a rope as a belt," refusing to compromise their humaneness and righteousness, then our history would be filled with darkness, corruption, and turbidity!
Since there are virtuous people with noble aspirations in this world, there is a gleam of light in our history, and the past is worthy of being praised and passed down. Without their excellent virtue, what, in our thousands of years of history, would be worthy of praise and propagation? There would be no hope or light at all in our future, and that fact would be our greatest sorrow! This is the second issue that Tao Yuanming considered.
Although prosperity and decline are inconstant and divine retributions for good and evil are uncertain or even nonexistent, Tao Yuanming said: "I must maintain my integrity, for were it not for those individuals who chose poverty so as to preserve their integrity, / What in history would be worth passing down to future genera- tions?" Therefore, Tao Yuanming gave up prosperity, fame and wealth, as well as a government office, to take up farming in the country.
Sometimes, natural or man-made disasters destroyed his crops. Suffering hunger and cold, he felt very confused and anxious. In another poem, he said: "I constantly struggled with myself over whether to be poor or to be rich. When the Way prevailed, my face was no longer gloomy. " He had inner struggles over whether to uphold his virtue by choosing poverty, or to live a comfortable life by working as a corrupt official. In the end, the 'Way' prevailed in his mind!
Confucians talk about the 'Way,' and Buddhists speak of 'cultivation.' When the 'Way' overcomes all kinds of obstructions and eventually prevails, you experience a genuine sense of blissful peace within yourself. That peace and joy will naturally manifest in your speech, behavior, and attitude, and you won't have a gloomy face. You will not have a sad and miserable expression on your face. If you seek satisfaction externally, instead of pursuing it within, then you may achieve wealth and honor, but you will probably still feel unsatisfied and look gloomy; you will not be peaceful and blissful, for although you have external, material goods, you lack the 'Way' within.
To be continued |
