禪林寶訓 4.55

4.55

簡堂曰。古者修身治心。則與人共其道。興事立業。則與人共其功。道成功著。則與人共其名。所以道無不明功無不成名無不榮。今人則不然。專己之道。惟恐人之勝於己。又不能從善務義。以自廣也。專己之功。不欲他人有之。又不能任賢與能。以自大也。是故道不免於蔽。功不免於損。名不免於辱。此三者乃古今學者之大分也。

Jiantang said: 'In ancient times, when cultivating the person and ordering the mind, they shared the Way with others; when undertaking affairs and establishing endeavors, they shared the merit with others; when the Way was accomplished and the merit became illustrious, they shared the fame with others. Therefore, there was no Way that was not illuminated, no merit that was not accomplished, and no fame that was not glorified. People nowadays are not so: they monopolize their own Way, only fearing that others might surpass them, yet they cannot follow the good and pursue righteousness in order to broaden themselves. They monopolize their own merit, not wishing others to have it, yet they cannot employ the worthy and delegate to the capable in order to aggrandize themselves. For this reason, their Way cannot avoid being obscured, their merit cannot avoid being diminished, and their fame cannot avoid being disgraced. These three are the great distinctions between the scholars of ancient and modern times.'