审美：美感具有普遍性 Aesthetic Judgments Behave Universally

康德谈到美感的普遍性。

如果我没有以私利或偏见来判断一件物体，那末我对它的美丽发表我的看法时，我的判断是‘自由/无约束’的。因为我的判断不被我的私利所影响，我有充足的理由相信，其他人如果同样的不被他们的私利所影响，他们也会做出相同的美丽结论。美感是普遍性的。

我们所讲的普遍性，与下列的两种情况是不同的：第一是如‘我爱蜜糖’之类的主观判断，因为它们不具，而我们也不期待它们具有普遍性。第二是如‘有糖的蜜糖是甜的’之类的客观判断。

美感的普遍性也是不能证明的，因为没有一个决定美感的准则。我们说我们喜欢一样东西，并不表示其他人也喜欢它。

审美不靠理性概念，而是靠知觉。所以康德说：美感非概念，令人得到普遍性的欢愉。

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Kant talked about the Universality of aesthetic judgment.

If my judgment that an object is beautiful is independent of any private interest or prejudice of mine, then my judgment is 'free' when I express my view that an object is beautiful. Because no interest peculiar or private to me is influencing my judgment, I have every reason to believe that others, similarly free of their private interest, would arrive at the same conclusion of beautiful. The aesthetic judgment is universal.

This universality is distinguished first from the mere subjectivity of judgments such as 'I like honey' (because that is not at all universal, nor do we expect it to be); and second from the strict objectivity of judgments such as 'honey contains sugar and is sweet'.

Judgment of beauty cannot, despite it's universal validity, be proved: there are no rules by which someone can be compelled to judge that something is beautiful. For in claiming simply that one likes something, one does not claim that everyone else ought to like it too.

The aesthetic judgment does not rest on any concept, but rather upon feeling. Kant therefore concluded that the beautiful is that which, apart from a concept, pleases universally.

二律背反：康德的悖论 Antinomies: Kant's Paradox

二律背反是康德提出来的。就是说，两个命题，单独看都可成立，放在一起，却相互矛盾。

他列举了四组二律背反：

①正题：世界在时间上有开端，在空间上有限；反题：世界在时间上和空间上无限。

②正题：世界上的一切都是由单一的东西构成的；反题：没有单一的东西，一切都是复合的。

③正题：世界上有出于自由的原因；反题：没有自由，一切都是依自然法则。

④正题：在世界原因的系列里有某种必然的存在体；反题：里边没有必然的东西，在这个系列里，一切都是偶然的。

看起来，世界的空间和时间是有开始和会终止的。每件事情都有始终，不是吗？可是，世界又应当有无限空间和时间，不然的话，空间极限外和时间开始前又是什么呢？

康德认为，他提出的本体和现象概念解答了这个悖论。本体是纯粹概念，没知觉的世界。现象是经验的世界。

空间和时间都不是事物的本体，也不是我们经验的对象。它们是我们经验中所体验到的形式，是脑海呈现给我们的世界特色。谈空间和时间的开始和有限性，就是错误的把它们当做一种物体。

相同的，我们可以被引向认为这个世界的事物的发生是偶然性的。也可以认定是必然性的，因为世上的事都先有前因才有后果的。康德认为，自然规律的确决定了事物的发生，可是那只限于自然现象；在本体世界，自由意识是完全可能的，而伦理道德就是其中的例子。

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Kant, the great philosopher, pointed out that philosophy, or the use of reason, can seem to lead to contradictions. He gave examples of four antinomies:

The first antinomy has as thesis that the world has a beginning in time and is limited in space, and as antithesis that it has no beginning and no limits.

The second proves both the infinite divisibility of space and the contrary.

The third shows the necessity, but also the impossibility of human freedom.

The fourth proves the existence of a necessary being and the lack of existence of such a being.

It can seem that the world must have a beginning or limit in space and time. After all, doesn't everything have a beginning and/or end? But it can also seem that the world must be infinite in space and time. After all, what would be beyond the limit of space, or before time began?

Kant argued that his distinction between noumena and phenomena helps to avoid such paradoxes. The Noumenal reality is purely intelligible and nonsensual, whereas the Phenomenal reality is the world as we experience it.

Space and time are not things in themselves (noumena) nor are they objects we experience (phenomena). They are forms that our experience takes or features of the way in which our minds present the world to us. To talk about the beginning or limit of space or of time is to mistakenly treat space and time as if they were objects of some kind.

Similarly, we can be led to think that there can be free will in the world, but also that there can be no such thing, since all events in the natural world are determined, i.e. caused by prior events. It is indeed a law of nature that all events are determined, Kant said, but this applies only to phenomena. In the realm of noumena it is entirely possible that there is real freedom, and indeed ethics require that we believe in such freedom of the will.

宇宙：开始，一片空虚混乱 Universe: The Beginning is Chaos

开始，一片空虚混乱。混乱存在于万物，天和地之前。

可是，宇宙有‘开始’吗？人们为此一直争论到十九，二十世纪。今天，看起来，有证据显示，宇宙并非永久存在，它是有个开始的，大概是在150亿年前吧。

可是，还不能肯定的是，宇宙会不会终止。

混乱就是无限黑暗，永无秩序。混乱令我们想到的是胡乱的景象，无秩序，无政府状态。那是个又脏又乱的房间，乱民上街，和一群乱飞的蜜蜂。

可是，宇宙开始时，真的是混乱的吗？

华人可不这么想。华人相信宇宙之始时混沌而不是混乱。

如果你受希腊神话影响，那就是自然而然的了。

希腊神话中，hesiod 的开天辟地广为一般人所接受。开始一片混乱，是个空虚裂口，然后产生了大地，黑暗的地府，最后才产生了爱神。

我们都知道，希腊神话对西方文明中的文化，艺术和文学的影响深厚，至今还是西方语言和遗产的一部分。出自希腊神话“宇宙开始，一片空虚混乱”的这个概念，也在西方思维模式中扮演了重要的角色。我们以后再谈这个课题。

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The Beginning is Chaos. Chaos exists before anything, before the sky or earth.

But is there a Beginning for the Universe? The argument about whether or not the universe had a beginning, persisted into the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, all the evidence seems to indicate that the universe has not existed forever, and that it had a beginning, about 15 billion years ago. However, it is not yet certain whether the universe will have an end.

Chaos is defined by infinite darkness, eternal disorder. Chaos brings to mind images of complete randomness, of disorder and anarchy. It is a messy room, a mob rushing down a city street and a swarm of bees.

But, is The Beginning Chaos?

No, if you are a typical Chinese. Chinese believes The Beginning is Formless Mass (混沌).

Yes, if you are influenced by the Greek myths.

The most widely accepted account of beginning of things as reported by Hesiod's Theogony, starts with Chaos, a yawning nothingness. According to Hesiod, Chaos was out there first, then Earth, Tartarus - a sunless abyss in the depth of Earth -, and last of all Eros (Love).

We all know that Greek mythology has had extensive influence on the culture, the arts and the literature of Western civilization and remains part of Western heritage and language. Such notion as 'The Beginning is Chaos' from the Greek mythology plays an important part in developing the Western Rational Thinking model. We shall talk about this another time.

杜甫写李白: 自称臣是酒中仙 Dufu on Libai: Immortals Could not Leave the Drink Divine

中国是世界文明古国，也是酒的故乡。在它的五千年历史中，酒和酒的文化是显著的。

听说很多诗人和文人都是在酒后创作出好的作品。唐代著名诗人李白就是有名的酒仙，以喝酒出名。

杜甫的《饮中八仙歌》是一首别具一格，富有特色的“肖像诗”。八个酒仙是同时代的人，又都在长安生活过，在嗜酒、豪放、旷达这些方面彼此相似。李白当然是八仙之一。

李白一斗诗百篇，

长安市上酒家眠，

天子呼来不上船，

自称臣是酒中仙。

杜甫描写李白的几句诗，浮雕般地突出了李白的嗜好和诗才。李白嗜酒，醉中往往在“长安市上酒家眠”，习以为常，不足为奇。“天子呼来不上船”这一句，顿时使李白的形象变得高大奇伟了。

李白醉后，更加豪气纵横，狂放不羁，即使天子召见，也不是那么毕恭毕敬，诚惶诚恐，而是自豪地大声呼喊：“臣是酒中仙！”强烈地表现出李白不畏权贵的性格。“天子呼来不上船”，虽未必是事实，却非常符合李白的思想性格，因而具有高度的艺术真实性和强烈的艺术感染力。

杜甫是李白的知友，他把握李白思想性格的本质方面并加以浪漫主义的夸张，将李白塑造成这样一个桀骜不驯，豪放纵逸，傲视封建王侯的艺术形象。这肖像，神采奕奕，形神兼备，焕发着美的理想光辉，令人难忘。

这正是千百年来人民所喜爱的富有浪漫色彩的李白形象。
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China is an ancient civilization in the world, and the hometown of liquor. During it’s over 5000-year history, liquor and liquor culture always have played significant roles.
There were many famous Chinese poets or artists who crafted their masterpieces after getting "drunk". The famous poet Libai of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) is known as the "Immortal of Wine" because of his love of alcohol. It is said that about 17 per cent of Li's poems were about drinking.
Dufu, a famous poet of Tang Dynasty wrote a rather popular poem entitled “Eight Immortal Drinkers” , which presented a vivid illustration of eight great minds of Tang Dynasty. And, obviouly Libai was one of the eight immortals drinkers:
Libai composed hundreds of poems after drinking liquor.
Drunk in the capital Chang'an City, he'd lie in shops of wine.
Even imperial summons proudly he'd decline,
Saying immortals could not leave the drink divine.

形而上与形而上学 Above-Form Dao and Metaphysics

读中国哲学与古书时，应该注意形而上与形而上学是两个不同的概念。

形而上学是英语Metaphysics的中文翻译，而形而上三个字来自易经中的‘形而上者谓之道’。可是易经中所指的形而上是超乎形象之外的非现实世界，和形而上学所要研究的是课题是不同的。

形而上学主要是讨论存在和与宇宙的问题，所以它的课题是：宇宙论、本体论。

宇宙论讨论宇宙的整体和人在其中的位置。本体论讨论世上的万物和物与物之间的关系。

可见，形而上学所讨论的是实物，与易经里‘形而下者谓之器’的器反而吻合。看起来，Metaphysics的中文译名应该是形而下学了。

可是，最近一些人，非哲学家，常用Metaphysics来形容超乎形象之外的非现实世界，如灵魂学，信仰治疗，水晶力量，方术，之流。这些课题都不在传统形而上学研究范围内的。

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The Chinese readers may be forgiven for confusing the term Above-Form with Metaphysics. The cause of confusion is a result of translating the English word Metaphysics into Chinese by borrowing words from Yijing.
Metaphysics is called 'Xing Er Shang Xue 形而上学' and the words Xing Er Shang come from Yijing's 'Xing Er Shang Zhe Wei Zhi Dao (What is Above Form is called the Dao)'. Xing Er Shang in Yijing refers to things that are Above Form, or things that are without shapes and features, ie non-physical things.
But metaphysics is traditionally more concerned with physical things than non-physical things. It is concerned with explaining the ultimate nature of being and the world. Cosmology and ontology are traditional branches of metaphysics.
Cosmology is study of the Universe in its totality, and by extension, humanity's place in it. Ontology is the investigation of what types of things there are in the world and what relations these things bear to one another.
So, Metaphysics is very much dealing with physical things. The term used in Yijing to describe the physical things is actually 'Within-Form' (Xing Er Xia). It would therefore appear that a better Chinese translation of metaphysics is 'Xing Er Xia Xue 形而下学'. Sigh...
However, it is noted that more recently, the term "metaphysics" has also been used by non-philosophers to refer to "subjects that are beyond the physical world", such as studies on spirits, faith healing, crystal power, occultism, and other such topics which the philosophic pursuit of metaphysics generally does not include....Sigh...sigh.....

形而上之道与形而下之道 The Above-Form Dao and the Within-Form Dao

我们都知道，读中国古书不易。难在哪里呢？难在有时一字多用，或者多字同义。

例如，谈中国文化，一个‘道’字最难解释。这个道字，有时候讲形而上，有时候讲形而下。

我们说过，形而上的道是不可命名，不可说的。老子说‘道常无名’中的道就是形而上的道。

问题是，很多时候形而下的法则也叫道，甚至我们走的路也叫做道，如果读古书不求甚解，就会被误导了。

易经其实是讲阴阳和人生哲学比较多。虽然讲明‘形而上者谓之道’，可是对这个形而上的道的阐述并不多，反而讲的多数是应用之道，读时我们不可不察。例如，易经讲‘一阴一阳之谓道’就是形而下的应用之道。

在道家思想中，我们知道有‘有’与‘无’，‘有名’与‘无名’的区别，其实只有‘有名’和‘无名’的区别，‘有’与‘无’是‘有名’和‘无名’的简称而已。‘无’和‘无名’是相同意思的。

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We all know it is not easy to read the Chinese classics. Why? Because very often, a single word or term is used in different contexts to mean different things and in other cases, a single concept can be called by many names.

The word Dao is one of the most difficult words to understand in the Chinese literature.

We have noted that Yijing says that what is above form is called the Dao and this above-form Dao is unnameable. The is the same Dao when Laozi said: "Dao is eternal, nameless."

However, quite often, Dao is also used to represent the within-form namable rules or principles, and this can cause confusion to whose who are not familiar with its usage.

One has to understand that Yijing is basically a Book of Changes based on Yin-Yang theory and it does not elaborate very much on Dao, especially on the above-form Dao. Very often, when it talks about Dao, it really refers to the within-form Dao, or the Way (guiding principles). For example, when it says, 'The successive movement of the inactive Yin and active Yang operations constitutes what is called the Dao.' The Dao here refers to the within-form Dao, or the course of things.

In the Daoism philosophy, there is a distinction between You and Wu (Being and Non-being), and between You-Ming and Wu-Ming (Nameable and Unnameable). These two distinctions are in fact only one, for You and Wu are simply the abbreviated terms for You-Ming and Wu-Ming. Wu and Wu-Ming are used interchangeably.

中国哲学：和而不同 The Goal of Harmony

北京奥运开幕式所要表达的其中的一个概念是‘和谐’。而‘和谐’正是中国文化精神之精髓，珍贵的中国文化遗产之一。‘和谐’在儒家眼中，就是一个‘和’字，而奥运开幕式所突出表现的正是这个‘和’字。儒家经书‘中庸’就谈到了中和：

喜怒哀乐之未发，谓之中。发而皆中节，谓之和。

中也者，天下之大本也。和也者，天下之达道也。

致中和，天地位焉，万物育焉。

所以‘和’便是协调分歧，达成和睦一致，意味着和谐，但它承认不同。把不同联合起来成为和谐一致。

一个有组织的社会里，有各种不同才能，不同行业的人，各有自己的地位，完成不同的作用，各得其所，彼此没有冲突，这就是和谐社会。

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It is abvious that one of the aims of the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony was to convey the concept of "Harmony", which is an important characteristic of traditional Chinese culture, as well as a precious cultural heritage of China.

However, the concept of harmony was called by many names in the Chinese philosophy and literature.

The Confucian term for harmony is he, which was featured prominently in the opening ceremony. The word he was established in a famous passage from the Zhong Yong (Doctrine of the Mean):

"Before the feelings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy are established, there is equilibrium (zhong: the mean, the centre). The establishment of these feelings in proper measure of each and proper rhythm for all is called harmony (he). This equilibrium is the greatest source of the world; this harmony is the world's universal Way (Dao). With the full attainment of equilibrium and harmony comes the proper ordering of heaven and earth and the nourishment of all things."

Harmony is the reconciling the differences into a harmonious unit. He means harmony, which is not incompatible with difference; on the contrary, it results when differences are brought together to form a unity.

A well-organised society is a harmonious unity in which people of differing talents and professions occupy their proper places, perform their proper functions, and are all equally satisfied and not in conflict with one another. This is the ideal harmonious society.

北京奥运：美国自封王，排名还是世界第一 Beijing Olympics: Now You Know Why USA is Always Number 1

美国各大报章，互连网站和电台，报道北京奥运，不约而同的以总奖牌数来排名。所以虽然中国在金牌数目上，超越美国很多，但是对美国的民众来说，美国还是排名榜上的第一名，因为美国的总奖牌比中国多。

美国可能是世界上唯一用总奖牌来排名的国家。

一般相信，奥运委员会的政策是以金牌数目来排名。可是一位洛杉矶的记者好像并不知道这一点，他在八月十八日就说：“中国媒介和世界不少国家以金牌数，而不用奖牌总数来排名，是不令人惊奇的，虽然美国奖牌总数以65对61领先中国。”

好像美国受到了委屈。可是许多读者却有不同的想法。

一位读者认为这种说法有误导性，是差劲的新闻报道。

另一位读者更不客气的指出，‘这是美国人显出他们丑恶性格的又一个例子。美国人最近才用总奖牌的新花招。不要告诉我金牌和铜牌是一样的。美国人真的是一个爱哭闹的小孩和眼红的输家。’

说这是他们的新花招是不正确的。听说他们用这个方法已经很久了。

问题时，他们就是只喜欢自己的方法。他们用总奖牌，用英里，用每小时多少英里........还有，他们鼓吹单元主义。

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The US media have ranked the countries based on total medals won rather than gold medals won- and this has put the USA in the number one position. As on 20 Jul 08, USA has won a total of 83 medals as compared to China's 81. That means, as far as the Americans are concerned, the USA is at the top of the medals table.

Most of us would think that it is the International Olympic Committe's policy to rank the medal table according to the number of gold medals won. However, Philip Hersh of Los Angeles Times does not seem to be aware of this long standing international practice when he said on 19 Aug that "It is no surprise that Chinese media are among many worldwide that list the medal standings by gold rather than total medals, where the United States leads 65-61."

I believe USA is the only country in the world that use the total medals count.

One reader thinks that Philip Hersh's statement is misleading and says: "Changing the way that the medal tally is presented internationally to mislead the readership is poor journalism. Lift your game Philip."

Another remark is more nasty: "It has been countless examples that Americans show their ugly personalities. Counting total medals is the recent one. Do not tell me a bronze is the same as gold. Americans just are cry babies and sore losers."

It is not true to say that "counting total medals is the recent one". They have used this method for as long as anyone can remember.

The problem is, they always like to do things their own way, they count the total medals, the use 'miles' to measure distance, they use 'miles per hour' or MPH, they use.........and one more thing, they advocate universalism.

儒释道 Three Doctrines

中国人的人生哲学，有三个角度：

1。道家讲的是人与宇宙环境的关系。

2。儒家讲的是人与人间的关系。

3。佛家讲的是人的内心与世界的关系。

释儒道互补共存，合称三教。当然，中国人所谓‘教’向来不是西方心目中的宗教，而是三教九流的‘教’，有教育指导的意思。

道家是对人与物的看法。要达到快乐，人必须以正确的看待万物。了解万物之道，十分重要。这并不是说人没有可改变的地方，而是说我们应该相信我们的本性，和发掘自我。

儒家相信和谐来自正当的人伦关系。这些人伦关系就是夫妻，父子，兄弟，朋友与君臣之间的关系。文质彬彬，然后君子。而执行礼节就是达到个人高尚品质和修养的最好方法。

佛家相信人生而痛苦，因为无知和欲望，所以要除去欲望，痛苦才能解除。

释儒道三家思想引导华人生活，无所不在。可以说，它们对亚洲人文化的感染，至今未衰。

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Chinese believes that there are three basic dimensions related to the living of life:

1. The right relations with the universe and our environment which is the province of the Daoism.

2. The right relations with one's neighbour which is the province of Confucianism.

3. The search for spirituality in the inner self and its relation to the world that is the province of Buddhism.

Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism became known as the Three Doctrines, or the "Three Teachings".

Daoism is a way of looking at life and of thinking about things. One should look at life and think about things in the right way in order to reach happiness. It is therefore very important to understand The Way Things Are. This does not mean that there are not things we need to change about ourselves, but it's important to recognize and trust our own inner nature, and discover who we are.

Confucianism believes that harmony come from proper relationships. If everyone would maintain their proper roles within these relationships then the entire society would be at peace. These relationships are: (1) husband and wife (2) father and son (3) older brother to younger brother, (4) friend to friend and (5) subject to ruler. Becoming human is a cultural achievement and the formal instrument for pursuing personal refinement and self-articulation is li, ie ritual practice.

Buddhism thinks that life is suffering, which is caused by ignorance and desire and we can end suffering by ceasing our desire.

Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism shape and guide all aspects of Chinese life. Their principles and ideals still imbue Asian culture today.

易经说道: 形而上者谓之道 Yijing: What is above Form is Called the Dao

易经为五经之首，是中国最重要的一本古典经书。从古到今，学者无不对它终生研读。他对中国古典哲学无论是儒道释三家，影响深刻。

道是哲学中最重要的中心思想，为儒释道广泛研论。道在中国哲学的地位犹如‘存在’和‘真理’在西方哲学所占据的地位一样。中国哲学所说的“道”归根到底是一样的，都是天地人等万物如何生成。

易经说：形而上者谓之道，形而下者谓之器。

形而上就是超乎形象之外的非现实世界。那么，形而下就是现实世界了。器自然就是器物。把道和器放在一起，道就没有那么神秘了。

老子认为一切形而下的东西都有名字，或者至少有命名的可能。形而上的东西虽然也有可命名的，但是所有不可命名的都是形而上的。道就是这一类的概念。

老子说：‘道可道，非常道，名可名，非常名。’又说：‘道常无名，朴。’

就是说，可以说的道是形而下之道，不是永恒的形而上之道。所以说道恒常而不能命名，道也是朴实的。

道既然不可命名，为什么又被称为‘道’呢？因为我们要谈论它，不得不以语言来加以形容，只好称它为‘道’了。道其实不是个名字。它是个符号，与我们所称树木的东西是不同的。我们叫一棵树为树时，我们知道树是有属性的。而我们谈道时，不是因为它有什么属性，而只把它当成一种指称。

所以，道不是神秘的虚谈，只是我们对那些不可命名的超乎形象的指称和符号罢了。

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The Yijing易經, or I Ching, the Book of Changes, is unquestionably one of the most important books in China. Its origin goes back to mythical antiquity, and it has occupied the attention of the most eminent scholars of China down to the present day. Nearly all that is greatest and most significant in the three thousand years of Chinese cultural history has either taken its inspiration from this book, or has exerted an influence on the interpretation of its text.

And Dao (Tao) is a pivotal concept of ancient Chinese thought and is the center of Chinese philosophical discussion. It occupies the position at the center of thought that in Western philosophy is filled by terms like 'being' or 'truth'.

Yijing has this to say about Dao:

What is above form is called the Dao; what is within Form are called Qi (器) ie ‘actual things and affairs.’

Forms are things that lie within shapes and features, they are physical things.

Laozi, the great Taoism philosopher elaborated that all those within Form, ie physical things must have names, ie they are nameable. While not all above Form are unnameable, what is unnameable mostly is above form. Laozi therefore said: "The Dao that can comprised in words is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the abidding name." and that "Dao is eternal, nameless, the Uncarved Block. Once the block is carved, there are names."

As Dao is unnameable, it cannot be comprised in words. Then how can we give it a name Dao? This is because we wish to talk about it, we are forced to give it some kind of designation.

So Dao is really not a name. That is to say, to call the Dao Dao, is different from calling a tree tree. When we call a tree tree, we mean it has some attributes by which it can be named. But when we call the Dao Dao, we do not mean that it has any such nameable attributes. It is simply a designation.

So, Dao is actually not something mysterious, it is just a designation to what is above form, which is unnameable.

李白：笑而不答心自闲 Libai's Poem: Conversation in the Mountains

今天读一读李白这首诗意淡远的七言绝句：山中问答。

问余何意栖碧山， 笑而不答心自闲。

桃花流水杳然去， 别有天地非人间。

李白 (701—762年)，唐代伟大的诗人。是中国史上最伟大的诗人之一，又称为“诗仙”。他善于从民歌、神话中汲取营养素材，构成其特有的瑰丽绚烂的色彩，是屈原以来积极浪漫主义诗歌的新高峰。

这首诗虽只四句，但是有问、有答，有叙述、有描绘、有议论，其间转接轻灵，活泼流利。用笔有虚有实，实处形象可感，虚处一触即止，虚实对比，蕴意幽邃。

问余何意栖碧山，笑而不答心自闲：有人问我为什么要居住在碧山呢？我笑而不答。其实，我心里清楚，而且是悠然自得的。

诗以提问的形式领起，突出题旨，唤起读者的注意，当人们正要倾听答案时，诗人笔锋却故意一晃，“笑而不答”。“笑”字值得玩味，它不仅表现出诗人喜悦而矜持的神态，造成了轻松愉快的气氛；而且这“笑而不答”，还带有几分神秘的色彩，造成悬念，以诱发人们思索的兴味。“心自闲”三个字，既是山居心境的写照，更表明这“何意栖碧山”的问题，对于诗人来说，既不觉得新鲜，也不感到困惑，只不过是“悠然心会，妙处难与君说”罢了。第二句接得迷离，妙在不答，使诗增添了变幻曲折，自有摇曳生姿、引人入胜的魅力。
桃花流水杳然去，别有天地非人间：这是写“碧山”之景，其实也就是“何意栖碧山”的答案。这种“不答”而答、似断实连的结构，加深了诗的韵味。“碧山”之中这种不汲汲于荣、不寂寂于逝，充满着天然、宁静之美的“天地”，实非“人间”所能比！那么“人间”究竟怎样呢？这一回诗人真的不说了。

据说中国国民党主席连战曾用这首诗来形容一个人交卸了工作后的心境。

Li Bai (701-762) was a Chinese poet. He is best known for the extravagant imagination and striking Daoist imagery in his poetry, as well as for his great love for liquor. He spent much of his life travelling. He is said to have drowned in the Yangzi River, having fallen from his boat while drunkenly trying to embrace the reflection of the moon.

His ability to create extraordinary out of ordinary was an unusual gift among his contemporaries, and was most likely the reason why he was considered the "Poem-God". The fact that his Chinese nickname was "詩仙" (shīxiān, which translates literally into god of poetry) should itself prove it. The spontaneity of his language combined with the extravagance of his imagination distinguished Li Bai from any other poets in the Chinese history.
The following is the English translation of his poem 'Conversation in the Maintains".

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If you were to ask me why I dwell among green mountains

I should laugh silently. My heart is serene.

The peach blossom follows the moving water.

There is another heaven and earth beyond this world of men.

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北京奥运展现书法之道 The Dao of Chinese Calligraphy

中国日报8月9日的一篇文章认为北京奥运开幕展现了书法之道。
中国书法其实具有很强的表演性。虽然对不认识中文字的观众而言，这是一种视觉艺术。可是对华人来说，书法有复杂而深远的文化意蕴。
书法自古以来就是高雅的媒介。它是一种独立的艺术，也是不少艺术不可缺的陪衬艺术，所谓牡丹虽好，也要绿叶扶持。更主要的是，它可以带领我们走向心灵平和与宁静之道。
欣赏书法的一个好方法是欣赏者想象自己正在书写，从而感觉书法线条的韵律和运动。很多书法爱好者都是用这个方法来学习书法的。
对那些不认识汉字和不熟悉中国文化的人，欣赏书法的最简易方法就是把书法当作视觉艺术。那些线条，毛笔法，结字，章法，尤其是草，狂草，简直形如西方表现主义者，或抽象派的图画。 毫无疑问的，中国书法从音乐和舞蹈中得到了灵感。可以这么说，书法家正在运用毛笔的韵律和运动，静静地和自己的身体交流。
毕卡索曾经说：如果我生来是个中国人，我必定成为书法家，而不是画家。我们有很多理由相信他讲的是真心话。

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Extracted from an article published in the China Daily on 9 Aug 08 by Yang Yingshi, after watching the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics:

For me, the performances are deeply rooted in the tradition of Chinese calligraphy. Although it is seen, especially by those who cannot read the characters, as a form of visual art, it has a much more complex and profound cultural meaning in the lives of Chinese.
Calligraphy has long played the traditional role of a graceful means of communication. It can also be a form of fine art that stands on its own but also serves as the fundamental basis for other art forms such as Chinese ink painting and seal carving. Above all, it can be a Tao, a "path" of "way" to spiritual peace and harmony.......

A good way to appreciate Chinese calligraphy is to feel the rhythm and movement of the calligraphic lines by imagining that you are writing the calligraphy yourself. That is how Chinese calligraphers typically learn.
For people who do not read Chinese and are not familiar with Chinese culture, the most convenient way to appreciate calligraphy is to treat it as a visual art. The lines, brushwork, structure of the characters, and composition of the entire piece, especially if in running or cursive script may be reminiscent of expressionist and abstract paintings in Western art.....

It is true that calligraphers often find inspiration from great music and dance. In a way, the calligrapher is having a silent dialogue with himself via the rhythm and movement of the brush and his/her own body.
Pablo Picasso was quoted as saying: "Had I been born Chinese, I would have been a calligrapher, not a painter." We have plenty of reasons to believe that he was telling the truth.

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北京奥运：八不问 Beijing Olympics: Eight "don't-asks"

为迎接奥运，北京社区挂上了“八不问”礼仪牌，告诫居民：和外宾交谈时，需留意自己的语言。

所谓“八不问”即

不问履历出身、

不问收入支出、

不问家庭财产、

不问年龄婚否、

不问健康问题、

不问家庭住址、

不问政见信仰和

不问私人情感。

路透社引述北京官员表示，对中国而言，这些都是习以为常的生活话题，然而对于外国人，这些却是无理而且令他们尴尬的话题，我们希望能通过对居民的教育，使得北京居民更懂得应对礼仪。

据报道，有位老北京人说：平时街坊邻里见面时，互相调侃都无所谓，“哪怕生面孔，聊个一两句，也就熟悉了，问问年龄、收入，感觉很正常。”

北京礼仪学院院长李柠表示：“八不问”涉及的禁忌问题，与中国传统文化的确有冲突的地方，但并不对立，它是街邻文化以及民族文化一种弱化的体现。

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There is no doubt that the Chinese government is doing everything in its power to protect your right to privacy, at least during the Beijing Olympics.

This poster appears in Beijing with etiquette instructions designed to smooth Chinese-foreigner relations during the upcoming summer 2008 Olympics.
1) A Smile is Beijing’s Best Business Card — A Smile is the Whole World’s Propriety

2) Eight things not to ask Foreign Guests about:
- income or expenses, age, love life or marriage, health, someone’s home or address, personal experience, religious beliefs or political views, and what someone does.
3) General Rules for Etiquette with Foreigners

- One’s manners and bearing, and image should be graceful

- Be neither humble nor haughty, but at ease and self possessed

- Seek commonalities while reserving differences, have reason and integrity

- Adapt to others’ customs, respect ethical code- Abide by agreements, adhere to promises

- Be enthusiastic in moderation, foreigners are different from Chinese

- Be appropriately modest, be affirmed in yourself

- Do not ask private questions, respect others’ customs

- Ladies first, be gentlemanly

- Seat honored guests on the right, and get along harmoniously

Some westerners seem to be pleased with the Chinese government's effort, as they put it: "It's rather sweet that the Chinese would so drastically reinvent themselves, culturally, just to conform to alien manners. "

审美愉快感是非功利性的 Aesthetic Judgments are Disinterested

我们说：美感就是愉快感。那么，愉快感就是美感吗？当然不是。

天气热，吃到冰淇淋，自是乐事。但这不是美感，因为这种愉快感是功利性的。这是感官快感。

别人有灾难，你帮了个大忙，对方感激涕零，亦是件大乐事。可是如果对方不领情，还对你破口大骂，你的感觉又如何呢？这其实是道德快感。

感官快感和道德快感的共同点是：由愉快产生判断。就是说，先把冰淇淋吃了才感觉好吃，帮了别人的忙后才感到心情舒畅。

审美愉快感刚好相反：由判断而产生愉快。就是说先看到了花，先认为它美才感觉到愉快，至于是不是毒花，那不是考虑的因素，因为审美是无功利性的。一样东西美不美，和它能不能给我带来好处和用处是没有关系的。

所以说情人眼里出西施，或者别人看到你的女朋友而惊为天人，是不是审美态度，那就难说了。当然，话说回来，找女朋友或未来太太，是不是要用审美的态度，那是个不同的话题了。

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Kant said: Aesthetic judgments are disinterested, meaning that we take pleasure in something because we judge it beautiful, rather than judging it beautiful because we find it pleasurable.

Interest is defined as a link to real desire and action, and thus also to a determining connection to the real existence of the object.

Certainly, I may wish to own the beautiful painting, or at least a copy of it, because I derive pleasure from it - but that pleasure, and thus that desire, is distinct from and parasitic upon the aesthetic judgment.

If there's a beautiful painting, or if there's a beautiful melody, you just want to enjoy it, you just want to absorb yourself in it, surrender yourself to it, you don't want to do anything with it, and you don't want to make use of it.

So in the same way, if you see a really beautiful woman, you just appreciated her as a beautiful woman, you wouldn't want to do anything with her, you'd just be quite happy gazing and gazing, appreciating her beauty.

But, needless to say, that's not our usual attitude, we don't usually see aesthetically, we see in terms of sensuous attractiveness hence craving springs up, or we see in terms of sensuous attractiveness because the craving is there, looking round, searching for an object.

Aesthetically speaking, it is the judgment that results in pleasure, rather than pleasure resulting in judgment.

书法与长寿 Calligraphy & Longevity

书法不但是一门高雅的艺术，练习书法还可以修身养性，延年益寿。华人一向认为练习书法是可长寿的最好活动。中国书法是身心的活动，因此能振奋身体，脑筋和心灵。

书法的基本原则与益处和冥想，气功，武术是相同的。

我们练习书法时，身心要平静，集中书写。呼吸要顺畅，心情要平和。

在身体方面，执笔要正确，坐或站的姿势要平正，这样身心才能配合，这就是所谓心正身正。长久练习，自然可以达到延年益寿的效果。

据说，书法家年龄比一般人高。清朝康熙和乾隆就是好例子。他们都是爱好书法的皇帝。他们的寿命其他中国皇帝高。据说皇帝的寿命比一般老百姓低。乾隆活到89岁，是中国最长命的皇帝。

Chinese calligraphy is not only a beautiful art, its practice is also an effective way to enjoy healthy life and longevity. The Chinese have rated practicing Chinese calligraphy as the number one activity for longevity.

Chinese calligraphy is both an artistic and physical practice. It can elevate one's body, mind, and spirit from internal and external practices. It has been regarded as a good way to strengthen one’s will and leads to a healthy life. Many principles and benefits of practicing Chinese calligraphy are very similar to meditation, Qi Gong, and Chinese martial arts. While one is practicing Chinese calligraphy, one has to calm the mind, body, and focus on writing. The breathing is very smooth and the mind is very peaceful.

In order to write beautifully, we also train and fine-tune our nerves and hand movement with correct body mechanics which benefit our well being. The upright and ergonomically correct postures required during practicing Chinese calligraphy as well as one's enjoyment and focus upon writing beautiful characters can lead one to a higher coordination of mind, body, and spirit and attain longevity without specifically working on it.

Since Chinese calligraphy is a very meditative, disciplined, and relaxing practice, master calligraphers and those who enjoy practicing it have been known to outlive their contemporaries throughout the history of China.

There were two emperors in the Ching Dynasty, Kang Xi ( 康熙 ) and Qian Long ( 乾隆 ), who lived longer than most Chinese emperors. Most emperors of China had shorter lives than ordinary people, mostly due to excessive indulgence. Emperor Chian Long (1711-1799) lived up to 89 and had the longest life among all Chinese emperors.

文明的冲突：一元文化还是多元文化异中求同？The Clash of Civilizations: Universalism or Commonalities?

美国学者亨登顿以提出文明的冲突的命题而闻名于世。他所提出的解救方案，在今天的世界局势下，益显得重要和有见解。

目前西方推行以西方文化为中心的世界单一文化，可以说是文明冲突的导火线，其后果是相当严重的。

亨登顿认为，与其只推行某一种文化中所谓的普遍特色，不如寻找和推行各文明文化中的共同点，这样所有个别文化才能继续共存。

在这个多元文化的世界，积极的作法应该是：放弃一元文化主义，接受多样性，和寻找共同点。这就是我们华人所说的异中求同，孔子所说的和而不同吧。

他还特别以新加坡为例。新加坡自上个世纪90年代就开始寻找国内各民族的共同价值观。这些共同价值观代表新加坡人的特性，和其个别种族本身的价值观是没有冲突的，是可以共存的。

新加坡寻找新加坡人文化特征的方式是劲头十足和有启发性的。

世界主要的宗教--西方基督教，正统教，兴都教，佛教，回教，孔教，道教，犹太教--固然分裂人类，可是他们也有共同的地方。如果人类有朝一日想发展一个单一文明，看来只能由这些共同点中慢慢的演变和展现。

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Samuel P. Huntington offered his thought on resolving the clash of civilizations and the following is extracted from his book published in 1996:
Instead of promoting the supposedly universal features of one civilization, the requisites for the cultural coexistence demand a search for what is common to most civilizations. In a multicivilizational world, the constructive course is to renounce universalism, accept diversity, and seek commonalities.
A relevant effort to identify such commonalities in a very small place occurred in Singapore in the early 1990s.......
It is neccesary, .... to identify the core values which Singapore's different ethnic and religious communities had in common and 'which capture the essence of being a Singaporean'.....
The Singapore project was ambitious and enlightened effort to define a Singaporean cultural identity which was shared by its ethnic and religious communities.......

... whatever the degree to which they divided the humankind, the world's major religions - Western Chrisianity, Orthodoxy, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism - also share key values in common.

If humans are ever to develop a universal civilization, it will emerge gradually through the exploration and expansion of these commonalities.

李斯: 谏逐客书 Lisi：We Needed Foreign Talents ...

李斯可以说是中国外来人才政策最早的提倡者。他在《谏逐客书》里的‘是以泰山不让土壤，故能成其大；河海不择细流，故能就其深’是我们所熟悉的名言。

战国末期，韩国派人来秦国做间谍，不久被发现了。于是秦国的王公大臣劝秦王说：“从六国来侍奉大王的人，大都是来离间秦国的，把他们统统赶走吧。”

楚国人李斯也在被驱逐之列，于是上书秦王说：“听官员们议论要驱逐客卿，我私下认为这是不对的。从前秦穆公用百里奚、蹇叔，秦孝公用商鞅，秦惠王用张仪，秦昭王用范睢，才使秦国国富民强，沃野千里，奠定了今天这样能统一天下的功业，那些贤臣可都不是秦国人啊。现在大王身上佩戴的昆山美玉、隋侯珠、和氏璧、明月珠、太阿剑，没有一样是秦国出产的。那些敲瓦坛击瓦罐、拍大腿伴奏、呜呜叫喊的是正宗的秦国音乐，但没见大王听过，听的都是《郑》、《卫》、《桑间》、《昭》、《虞》、《武》、《象》这些乐曲，这也不是秦国的，难道大王看重别国的只是这些吗？这不是统一天下的方法啊。
泰山不排斥土壤，才能堆成那么高大；河海不排斥细流，才能变得那样深邃；君王不抛弃民众，才能凸显他的盛德。地不分东西，人没有敌我，四季五谷丰登，鬼神降福泽，这才是三皇五帝被天下人称颂至今的原因。
非秦国出产的物品，值得珍视的很多；非秦国出生的士人，忠心秦国的不少。希望大王能三思。”

于是，秦王打消了逐客的想法，重用李斯等人，并于公元前221年统一了天下。

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Lisi was the Prime Minister of Qin the First Emperor.

Lisi was a native of the state of Chu (楚). In 247 BC he went to Qin, in western China, where he joined the entourage of Lü Buwei (呂不韋) , the prime minister. He was therefore a foreign talent of Qin.

In 237 BC, under pressure from members of the royal family and from highly placed officials of the state of Qin, the ruler ordered that all foreigners be deported because they were unreliable. Lisi wrote one of his best-known pieces, entitled 'Jian zhu ke Shu', in response to this edict and advised the emperor not to drive away foreign talents. He argued that men should be employed because of their worth, not because of their origins. He urged the king of Qin to think in terms of an empire that would include all people, not simply of a state among states. Foreigners, such as Lisi himself, were essential if the ruler were to carry out his aim of conquest of the other states.

Li's advice was accepted and the edict withdrawn. Lisi thus remained in Qin until his death, devoting himself to aiding his ruler in building the empire. Shortly after submitting his memorial opposing the expulsion of foreigners, Lisi was promoted to the position of minister of justice.

China was unified under the Qin dynasty in 221 BC.

Sometime between 219 BC and 213 BC Lisi was elevated to the position of prime minister.

美感是一种愉快感 Aesthetic Judgment and Pleasure

康德是个伟大的哲学家，也可说是近代美学之父。

他认为美是靠美感来判断的，而美感是一种愉快感。

美感是一种愉快感，看来是很明显的一回事。平时我们看到美好景色，事务，美女，心情当然应该是愉快的。美女当前，多看几眼，当然是因为感觉愉快美好啦。

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中国人一向是民以食为天。美者，羊大也。羊大之所以为美，则是因为大而肥的羊好吃的缘故。现在的人把好吃的东西通通都叫做‘美食’了。

What is the relation between the judgment that an object is beautiful and the feeling of pleasure?

Immanuel Kant describes the judgment of beauty as “based on” a feeling of pleasure.

Pleasure seems something obvious and even intimate to us when we see it in someone's smile, posture, or manner and when we can say right off that we are having a good time and enjoying ourselves.

For Kant "enjoyment" is the result when pleasure arises from sensation. But judging something to be "beautiful" has another requirement: sensation must give rise to pleasure by engaging our capacities of reflective contemplation. Judgments of beauty are sensory, emotional, and intellectual all at once for Kant.

子曰: 四十而不惑 Confucius: At Forty I had No Doubts

孔子说：人到了四十岁，对什么事都明白了，所以就不会困扰了。

孔子也说：“知者不惑。”所以冯友兰说孔子回顾自己，到四十岁时，懂得了人生的智慧。
南怀瑾说人到了三十岁，做人做事处世的道理不变了，确定了，可是这时候还有怀疑，还有摇摆的现象，‘四十而不惑。’，到了四十岁，才不怀疑。
不惑，就是对世态人生不再有迷惑的地方，世事洞明、人情练达，波澜不惊，荣辱泰然。不惑是人生四十的标杆，四十又是秋天成熟果实的象征。人到四十，明白了一个重要的道理，这就是世界是残缺的，完美是没有的。
有人说，四十岁以前，你的行为举止，由父母负责。四十岁以后，如果你还面目可恶，那你就要自己负责了。我看这是言之有理的。
于丹教授对孔子“三十而立，四十不惑”的一种阐释：

其实人在三十岁以前是用加法生活的，就是不断地从这个世界上收集他的资格，他的学习经验、财富、情感、名誉这一切都是在用加法的，其实物质的东西越多，人是越容易迷惑的。
怎么样能到四十不惑呢？

这就是三十岁以后就开始要用减法生活了，就是不是你心灵真正需要的东西学会舍弃。其实我们内心就像一栋新房子，人刚刚搬进去的时候，都想要把所有的家具和装饰摆在里面，当最后这个家摆的像胡同一样时，发现没有地方放自己了，这就被东西奴役了，而且学会减法，就是把那些不想交的朋友舍掉了，不想做的事情可以拒绝了，甚至不想挣的钱你可以不受那个委屈了，当敢于舍弃的时候，人才真正接近不惑的状态。
什么叫做不惑？就是人面对很多世界给你的不公正啊、打击啊、缺憾啊、不再孜孜以求追问为什么不公平，而是在这样一个坐标上迅速建立自己应有的位置。现代的哲学家冯友兰先生有这样一句话：“阐旧邦以辅新命,极高明而道中庸”中庸之道其实是极尽高明之后，也就是中国古人所说的绚烂之极而归于平淡，真正有过极尽璀璨，在你二十的时候，三十岁的时候，曾经风发扬厉过，那么走过“不惑”的时候才表现为这样一种淡定而从容。
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Conficius said: At forty, I had no doubts.

According to Fung Yu-Lan, the statement that he had no doubts means that he had then become a wise man. For Confucius also said: "The wise are free from doubts."

And a wise man would understand the purpose of his enquiries into the moral world and the wellsprings of purposive social action.

顿悟：归来笑拈梅花嗅，春在枝头已十分.... Sudden Enlightenment: Let's Think About Religion Philosophically....

今天和大家分享一首诗。這首詩是唐朝有一位比丘尼到處訪道，後來開悟所作的。

尽日寻春不见春，

芒鞋踏破岭头云。
归来笑拈梅花嗅，

春在枝头已十分。

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四方云游，尽日寻春，了无所得，失望苦闷。归来偶见梅花一枝，却已春满十分。于是会心一笑，似有所悟：“道不远人”，不应该“道在迩而求诸远”。且慢！既然“春在枝头已十分”，怎么会踏遍陇头不见春？想这时节，早该是盎然生机春无限了吧，那为什么在“踏遍陇头云”的时候，却不能发现那无处不在的盎然生机？可见她是把自己囿于狭隘的心的圈子里了。只在心中寻美，美亦不可轻得。

世上最珍贵的事物往往就在我们的周遭，亲情、爱情、友情 —— 还有我们自己，然而，这颗心却总是向外寻觅、眼睛总是望外攀缘，相信幸福在遥远的未来，总有一天会到临；又或者，认为所谓幸福总须靠珍贵物件妆点，所以必然不是唾手可及的。但是，过度往外抓取的结果使得我们丧失了享受真正幸福的能力！当幸福真的来临时，常常就视若无睹，失之交臂。回到当下、细细审视，将毫不费力地发现那颗宝石早在你我心房停泊已久，等著我们去开启、去摩挲、把玩。

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In order to understand the Chinese mind it is imperative that we understand the three most important philosophies that constitute the Chinese culture. These are the philosophies of Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, known as the Three Doctrines, or the "Three Teachings" in China.

Chinese people are not religious and Chinese culture lacks divinity in a rigid religious sense. Its philosophies and religions have blurred boundaries. Chinese scholars think about philosophy in the spiritual sense and about religion philosophically. As regards the state of happiness, philosophy and religion often overlap in a mutual focus on the human condition.

To the Chinese, the search for spirituality in the inner self and its relation to the world that is the province of Buddhism. What significance, then, does Buddhism philosophy have to the Chinese in general? It is "the paradise of supreme happiness" (jile shijie 极乐世界).

There is instruction on how to reach this paradise on completion of a certain procedure, and a long period of spiritual cultivation. The portrayed paradise is inviting, but to the pragmatic, value-orientated Chinese its "entry procedure" is simply not feasible. Chinese Chan (禅) Buddhism provides a simpler way to find spiritual paradise that is accessible to all its followers: Sudden Enlightenment (dun wu 顿悟).

Confinement to religious rituals is not required, as these are seen as nothing more than formal pretensions. Chan Buddhism directs the attention to an inner, rather than external, paradise.

What, then, happens on attaining sudden enlightenment?

There is nothing more expected of this person. They live their life in the normal way, pursuing accustomed activities. After enlightenment, however, old things are seen from a new perspective, as although the enlightened person may live no differently from previously, they themselves are no longer the same.
This peom says it all:

All day long I seek spring and see no spring,
My straw sandals tread on clouds over the furrows.
Coming back, I pick a plum blossom and smell it,
And look, spring already hangs on branches.
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