Tuesday, June 22, 2010

子曰:中庸之为德也,其至矣乎! Confucius Said: The Doctrine of the Mean is of the Highest Order

‘中庸’是新儒家所采用的概念与儒家经典书名。《中庸》这本经典据说是孔子的唯一曾孙子思(孔汲)所写的。而这个词则在《论语》只出现过一次:
子曰:‘中庸之为德也,其至矣乎!民鲜久矣。’
英语把它翻译为‘平均法则’,对英语读者可能有误导性。
‘中’至少有三个意义。
‘中’的第一个意思指‘执两用中’的‘中’。真正的意思是既不要“过”也不要“不及”。如描绘美人,‘增之一分则太长,减之一分则太短;著粉则太白,施朱则太赤’。身体与容貌都恰到好处。这就是‘中’。
第二个意思指‘适宜、合适、合乎一定的标准’,含有‘从容中道’的意思。也即表现于外部行为上的“中道”,合于礼。
引导‘中道’的深入内心世界,就是‘中’的第三个意思,所谓‘喜怒哀乐之未发谓之中’。这是说明礼是道德准则,是根源于人的含而未发的内心的。
‘庸’ 指平常,一般,‘庸’亦指‘用’。‘中庸’就是‘尚中,并为一般之用’。要了解‘中’的意思,才能比较好地掌握‘中庸’的道德意义。
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‘Zhong Yong’ is both a concept and the name of a Neo-Confucian text. The composition of the text is attributed to Zisi (or Kong Ji) the only grandson of Confucius. The term only appears once in the Analects:
Confucius said, ‘The virtue embodied in the Doctrine of the Mean is of the highest order. But it has long been rare among people.’ (Analects: 6:29)
To translate ‘Zhong Yong’ as the Doctrine of the Mean may not have conveyed its full meaning to English readers. The Chinese term ‘zhong yong’ consists of two Chinese words, zhong and yong.
The word Zhong has at least three meanings.
The first meaning refers to the situation where one needs to listen to both sides and choose the middle course, i.e. to be impartial and just right. The real meaning is neither too much nor too little, that is, just right. In the case of a beautiful lady, she can be described as, ‘If she were one inch taller, she would be too tall. If she were one inch shorter, she would be too short. If she used powder, her face would be too white. If she used rouge, her face would be too red.’ The description means that her figure and complexion were just right. This is zhong.
The second meaning is used to describe customary norms that must be suitable, appropriate, and that should be conformed to, as expressed in the Chinese saying, ‘calmly follow the suitable Way’. The word ‘Way’ with capital letter W refers to Dao, or in Confucian term li, the external rituals.
It is the inner mind and the concept of equilibrium that lead us to follow the ‘suitable Way’. This is how the third meaning of equilibrium is derived. It is said that ‘before the feelings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy are established, there is equilibrium’. In other words, understanding of rituals refers to moral standards which originated from the need to have equilibrium before various feelings are established.
The word ‘yong’ means common, ordinary, or utilise. Combine ‘zhong’ with ‘yong’, it means ‘the common and ordinary use of the principle of zhong’. It is therefore important to understand the meaning of zhong before we can fully appreciate the virtue embodied in the principles of Zhong Yong.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

中庸:致中和 The Doctrine of the Mean: Full Attainment of Equilibrium

对华人而言,学习一门艺术最重要的就是要参与传统,艺术家要在吸取丰厚的传统养分与同时真实地据为己有之间找到适当的平衡点。如果一个人走极端,就是说极端个人主义或者极端遵照传统,那就会影响到获取艺术情感、做人与增强技术中的好料。
从在不断临摹大师作品就是一个例子。
从一方面来看,单是模仿古代大师其实可能把我们拒绝在传统生活之外,而不能获取传统所能给予我们的养分。如果所学到的技巧只限于模仿,我们就不能探索到审美表情里的欢愉与失意感。
另一方面,极端个人主义忽略了艺术与继承传统的紧密关系。和过分的遵照传统一样,过分的个人主义限制了一个人对培养内心修养的成功。
所以,艺术家如果能避免极端,他的能力与修养就能得到无限增强。儒家经典《中庸》就有说,‘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。’
意思就是说,个人与传统之间的平衡对艺术家的成就很重要,它也提醒我们,艺术的本来就是人道主义的。
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For Chinese, one of the most important aspects of taking up art is participating in a tradition, and artist must strike an appropriate balance between simultaneously drawing upon the richness of the tradition and finding a way to appropriate it authentically. If one leans towards an extreme, whether extreme individualism or extreme conformity, then the goods of artistic expression, person-making, and increase of skill will be affected.
A case in point is the practice of repetitiously copy the work of past masters.
On the one hand, merely imitating the past master could mean actually keep one from living the tradition and actualising the goods that it offers. One will not discover the joys and frustrations of aesthetic expression if the skill involved is limited to that of mimicry.
On the other hand, extreme individualism ignores the relationships that are integral to the continuation of the tradition. As with excessive conformity, excessive individualism limits one’s success to a practice’s internal goods.
Hence, artistic ability and personal refinement are maximised by avoiding these extremes. The classical Confucian text ‘The Doctrine of the Mean’ states, ‘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.’
The claim is that striking a balance between individual and tradition is essential for flourishing artists and further reminds us that arts serve primarily humanitarian ends.