| | 重己: |
三曰── |
| | Thirdly──
|
| | 重己: |
倕，至巧也。人不爱倕之指，而爱己之指，有之利故也。人不爱昆山之玉、江汉之珠，而爱己一苍璧小玑，有之利故也。今吾生之为我有，而利我亦大矣。论其贵贱，爵为天子，不足以比焉；论其轻重，富有天下，不可以易之；论其安危，一曙失之，终身不复得。此三者，有道者之所慎也。有慎之而反害之者，不达乎性命之情也。不达乎性命之情，慎之何益？是师者之爱子也，不免乎枕之以糠；是聋者之养婴儿也，方雷而窥之于堂；有殊弗知慎者。夫弗知慎者，是死生存亡可不可，未始有别也。未始有别者，其所谓是未尝是，其所谓非未尝非，是其所谓非，非其所谓是，此之谓大惑。若此人者，天之所祸也。以此治身，必死必殃；以此治国，必残必亡。夫死殃残亡，非自至也，惑召之也。寿长至常亦然。故有道者，不察所召，而察其召之者，则其至不可禁矣。此论不可不熟。 |
| | Chui was extremely skillful. People do not love the fingers of Chui, but they love their own fingers; this is because of self-interest. People do not love the jade from Kunshan Mountain or the pearls from the Jiang and Han rivers, but they love their own humble jade disc and small beads; this is because of self-interest. Now, my life being something I possess brings me great benefit as well. In terms of its value and worth, even a title of emperor is insufficient to compare with it; In terms of its weightiness, even possessing the wealth of the entire world cannot exchange for it; In terms of safety and danger, once lost in a single morning, one will never regain it for the rest of their life. These three aspects are what those who follow the Way must be cautious about. Those who exercise caution yet still end up harming it do not understand the true nature of life and destiny. If one does not understand the true nature of life, what benefit is there in being cautious? This is like a teacher's love for his student, yet he cannot avoid stuffing the pillow with chaff; It is also like a deaf person raising an infant, peering into the hall during thunderclaps; These are cases of people who act without truly knowing how to be cautious. Those who do not know how to be cautious regard life and death, survival and destruction, possibility and impossibility as indistinguishable from the very beginning. Those who regard these things as indistinguishable find that what they call right has never truly been right, and what they call wrong has never truly been wrong; thus, the wrong becomes right, and the right becomes wrong—this is called great confusion. Such a person is doomed to calamity by Heaven itself. If one uses this mindset to cultivate their body, they will surely die and suffer misfortune; If one uses this mindset to govern a state, it will surely be ruined and perish. Death, misfortune, ruin, and destruction do not come about by themselves; they are summoned by confusion. Longevity, health, and perpetual well-being also depend on this principle in the same way. Therefore, those who follow the Way do not examine what is summoned, but rather investigate what summons it; once this is understood, its arrival cannot be stopped. This discussion must not be taken lightly.
|
| | 重己: |
使乌获疾引牛尾，尾绝力勯，而牛不可行，逆也。使五尺竖子引其棬，而牛恣所以之，顺也。世之人主贵人，无贤不肖，莫不欲长生久视，而日逆其生，欲之何益？凡生之长也，顺之也；使生不顺者，欲也；故圣人必先适欲。 |
| | If Wu Huo were to pull a bull's tail with all his strength, the tail would break and his energy would be exhausted, yet the bull could not move forward—this is going against nature. If a five-foot-tall child were to guide it with a halter, the bull would go wherever it pleases—this is following nature. The rulers and noble people of the world, regardless of their virtue or lack thereof, all desire long life and lasting vision; yet they daily act contrary to what sustains life. What benefit is there in desiring it? The reason why life is prolonged is because one follows the natural order. Those who cause their lives to go against nature do so out of desire; Therefore, the sage must first regulate desires.
|
| | 重己: |
室大则多阴，台高则多阳，多阴则蹙，多阳则痿，此阴阳不适之患也。是故先王不处大室，不为高台，味不众珍，衣不燀热。燀热则理塞，理塞则气不达；味众珍则胃充，胃充则中大鞔；中大鞔而气不达，以此长生可得乎？昔先圣王之为苑囿园池也，足以观望劳形而已矣；其为宫室台榭也，足以辟燥湿而已矣；其为舆马衣裘也，足以逸身暖骸而已矣；其为饮食酏醴也，足以适味充虚而已矣；其为声色音乐也，足以安性自娱而已矣。五者，圣王之所以养性也，非好俭而恶费也，节乎性也。 |
| | A large room produces excessive yin, and a high terrace produces excessive yang. Excessive yin causes constriction, while excessive yang leads to atrophy—this is the problem of imbalance between yin and yang. Therefore, ancient sage kings did not dwell in large halls, nor build high terraces; they did not indulge in numerous delicacies, and their clothing was not excessively warm. Excessive warmth causes the body's channels to become blocked, and when the channels are blocked, vital energy cannot circulate freely; Indulging in numerous delicacies fills the stomach, and a full stomach causes great pressure on the middle jiao (the digestive region); With the middle jiao greatly strained and vital energy unable to circulate, can one possibly attain long life under such conditions? In ancient times, when sage kings built parks and ponds, it was sufficient merely for leisurely observation and to provide physical exercise; Their construction of palaces, halls, terraces, and pavilions was only sufficient to protect against dryness and dampness; Their carriages, horses, clothing, and furs were merely sufficient to ease the body and warm the bones; Their food and drink, including porridge and sweetened drinks, was only enough to satisfy taste and fill hunger; Their enjoyment of sounds, colors, and music was merely sufficient to calm the mind and provide personal pleasure. These five aspects were how sage kings cultivated their nature; it was not that they favored frugality or disliked expenditure, but rather that they regulated things according to the needs of human nature.
|
