The Art of Living Chinese Proverbs and Wisdom. Hong Yingming

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ of faults, consider how much may be borne; in the instruction of virtue do not aim too high, consider how much may be achieved.

      In the education of others, whether in praise or criticism, one should have a sense of proportion and avoid excess. If there is fault, a whiff of condemnation or severe criticism may not only defeat the purpose of instruction but also arouse a counter psychology that negates the very essence of education. In the inculcation of virtue, the targets should not be set too high or the demands made too severe, one should consider what measure of achievement is possible. The Confucians believed in “severity to oneself but leniency to others,” the treatment of others requires a suitable degree of tolerance. This is both a form of self-cultivation and a kind of wisdom in outward behavior.

       24. The dung beetle makes filth yet becomes the cicada that sups upon the dew of the autumn wind; rotten straw is without light but produces the glowworms that shine so brilliantly in summer. Knowledge is to understand that purity often springs from filth and that light is born of darkness.

      The ancients discovered from their life experience that the larva of the noble cicada that ate the wind and drank dew lived in the filth of a dung heap. The glowworm that shines on a summer evening is also born out of the filth of rotten straw. One can see from this that purity and filth are not absolute opposites but may, under certain conditions, be mutually interchangeable. So is the life of man. An evil environment has always been the whetstone upon which character and great causes are honed, and lotus flowers emerge unstained from the mud. In times of dirt and darkness one should maintain the confidence to transform filth into light, so that one may greet a glorious future.

       25. Pride and arrogance are born of empty affectation; once rid of this behavior the spirit of righteousness will shine forth. Sensuality and lust are a vain illusion; once they are eradicated upright honesty will appear.

      A classic Buddhist text, the Platform Sutra, states: “The nature of all living things was originally pure.” Buddhism believes that the nature of man, like heaven and earth, the sun and moon, was originally both pure and undefiled and glorious. Greed, hatred and ignorance are like the dust that obscures a mirror and that also darkens the mirror of the soul. Consequently, one should “constantly sweep and clean to prevent the accumulation of dust.” Only by frequently cleansing the soul of dust and ridding it of vexation and delusion can the mirror of one’s inner being shine forth in glory and purity.

       26. Once sated with food one cannot recall the difference between rich and plain; once sated with sex one cannot recall the stirrings of lust. Hence one should use the sense of regret after the deed to counter the obsession of the moment and fix one’s nature so that no act lacks principle.

      Mengzi (c. 372–289 BC), the thinker and leader of the Confucian school of thought at the time of the Warring States said: “Appetite and lust are matters of basic nature.” A starving man is filled with a fierce longing for food; the stirrings of lust prompt a desire for female beauty but once these longings and desires are sated they lose their interest. In life man is filled with certain curiosities, longings and impulses. Once they have been experienced one discovers that they are nothing much. People who have had their fill of the red dust of the mundane world and who once more encounter something enticing are able to maintain equilibrium of heart and are not easily misled by appearances.

       27. The official at court must not lack a sense of the hills and forests; dwelling amongst hills and streams one must remember the stratagems of court.

      A man who occupies a high position, scheming in the cockpit of fame and profit, is easily entangled in complicated affairs and suffers thereby. At this point he must maintain a simplicity of outlook before he can retain an attitude of unruffled calm. With time on one’s hands and in the comfort of home, away from the cares of office, it is easy to turn lazy and slothful. Here, one must retain a sense of social responsibility and maintain an interest in current affairs. In such a life, whether involved in affairs or not, one may advance or retreat at will in proper order.

       28. In conduct do not strive after merit, to be without fault is merit enough; in one’s dealings with others do not expect gratitude or recompense, not to suffer complaint is recompense enough.

      In daily life when people help others they frequently do so out of a sense of arrogant self-satisfaction, hoping that others will show gratitude and quickly reciprocate. This is a demonstration of extreme selfishness and of no benefit at all in raising one’s state of virtue. Cultivated people require a spirit of selfless dedication and should not always be in pursuit of some utilitarian recompense that shows them in a good light. In helping others, one should not strive for gratitude and recompense for the help. It is enough that there is no fault and that you have not aroused the hatred of others. That is the greatest achievement.

       29. To labor in the performance of good works is the height of virtue but to suffer thereby is of no comfort to the mind. A certain measure of indifference to success is best and to be worn out by care helps nobody.

      It is praiseworthy to possess professional ambition and a sense of responsibility and to work hard. Nevertheless, to know only work and profession and to work so hard as to be both physically and mentally exhausted will have a counter-effect and lead to a loss of interest in life itself. A man who is indifferent to fame and profit may well be considered to be of good character. Nevertheless, an excess of the lofty-minded avoidance of desire may lead to a cold detachment in which there is no feeling of responsibility towards either state or society. This kind of detachment has neither value nor significance. In everything, too much is as bad as not enough, good may turn to evil and the original gale of virtue become just a scented hint on the wind.

       30. One who labors but sees no road ahead should consider his first intentions; one who has achieved success should consider what is to come.

      The man building a venture is full of satisfaction and self-confidence. However, once a setback is encountered, it is easy to become dispirited and downcast and to give in to despair. There is another phenomenon—“The hundred li traveler falls at the ninetieth,” in which many people on the point of success lose their grip and fail at the last moment so that all that has been achieved already is lost for lack of a final effort. In such a situation what is most needed is to retain one’s confidence and courage. Think of your first intentions and motivation and you can dispel the predicament that confronts you more easily and not give up so lightly.

      At the point of recognition and success it is exceptionally easy to become complacent and to have no regard for the way forward. In this case, a failure to value one’s good fortune, an indulgence in licentious behavior and blind greed may mark the place where glory is actually the beginning of downfall, so that the peace and stability of one’s final years becomes a sea of mud.

       31. Though the wealthy should be generously openhearted, conversely, they are often mean and suspicious. This is the behavior of the poor and lowly. How then is wealth to be enjoyed? The clever man should be discreet but many are ostentatious, this is the defect of the stupidly clever! How can this not fail?

      The wealthy should by rights be openhearted and generous in their treatment of people before they can adopt grand airs. If one enjoys wealth and rank but one’s treatment of others is harsh and lacking in benevolence, that is to arouse universal condemnation. How could such wealth be long maintained? Highly talented people are much the same. They stand out in a crowd but the merest hint of self-display and boasting will cause people to shun them. It is only a modest bearing that will win the respect of others and establish СКАЧАТЬ