Tuesday, May 5, 2009

修身 Self-Cultivation

我们说,中国文化的基本精神赞成共生的精神与个人和个人所组成的社区相互存在。强调个人修养,因为通过个人修养可以达到丰富的知性与道德理解,这些理解会演化为和谐社会,最终改变世界。
‘大学’这对这点有很好的说明。
大学之道:在明明德,在亲民,在止于至善。知止而后有定,定而后能静,静而后能安,安而后能虑,虑而后能得。
物有本末,事有终始,知所先后,则近道矣。
古之欲明明德于天下者,先治其国;欲治其国者,先齐其家;欲齐其家者,先修其身;欲修其身者,先正其心;欲正其心者,先诚其意;欲诚其意者,先致其知;致 知在格物。物格而后知致,知致而后意诚,意诚而后心正,心正而后身修,身修而后家齐,家齐而后国治,国治而后天下平。
自天子以至于庶人,壹是皆以修身为本。其本乱而末治者否矣;其所厚者薄,而其所薄者厚,未之有也。
.
It is said that the underlying spirit of Chinese culture endorses the spirit of symbiosis and mutuality of individuals and the community formed by them. Self-cultivation is emphasised as it is through self-cultivation that one can achieve the comprehensive intellectual and moral understanding that will evolve a harmonious community and ultimately change the world.
This is well explained in the book ‘Great Learning’.
The way of Great Learning lies in demonstrating real character, in cherishing the common people, and making a commitment to doing what is best. Such a course of learning can only be set once one has made this commitment. Only in making such a course of learning is one able to find equilibrium, only in having found equilibrium is one able to become self-assured, only in having become self-assured is one able to deliberate in what one does, and only in being deliberate in what one does is one able to get what one is after.
Things have their root and their branches. Affairs have their end and their beginning. It is in realising what should have priority that will lead us near to what is taught in the Great Learning.
The Ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom first governed well their own States. Wishing to govern well their States, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things. Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated. Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their States were rightly governed. Their States being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy.
From the emperor down to the commoners, everything is rooted in personal cultivation. There can be no healthy branches when the root is rotten. It has never been the case that what was of great importance has been slightly cared for and at the same time that what was of slight importance has been greatly cared for.

No comments: