緇門警訓 1.39

1.39

夫聖且賢必務於學。聖賢以下安有不學而成人哉。學猶飲食衣服也。人有聖乎賢乎眾庶乎。雖三者異。而饑索食渴索飲寒索衣則不異矣。學也豈得異乎。惟禽獸土木不必學也。嗚呼愚夫嗜飲食而不怠。冐貨利而不休。及就於學朝學而夕怠者有矣。夫有春學而冬怠者有矣。夫苟如嗜飲食冐貨利之不知怠者。何患於不為博聞乎。不為君子乎。曰世有至愚者。不辯菽麥之異。不知寒暑之變。豈令學耶。豈可教耶。曰至愚由不教也。由不學也。苟師教之不倦彼心之不怠者。聖域可躋而陞乎。何憂菽麥之不辯乎。且愚者渴而知飲。饑而知食。寒而知衣。既知斯三者則與草木殊矣。惡乎不可學也。不可教也。人之至愚豈不能日記一言耶。積日至月則記三十言矣。積月至年則記三百六十言矣。積之數年而不怠者。亦幾於博聞乎。又日取一小善而學行之。積日至月則身有三十善矣。積月至年則身有三百六十善矣。積之數年而不怠者。不亦幾於君子乎。為愚為小人而不變者。由不學耳。中庸子喟然嘆曰。吾嘗見恥智之不逮才之不敏。而輟於學者。未見恥飲食不如他人之多而輟飲食者。輟飲食則殞其命。何必恥於不多耶。輟學問則同夫禽獸土木。何必恥才智之不如他人耶。苟恥才智不如則不學。則亦應恥飲食不如他人則廢飲食。以是觀之豈不大誤乎。吾亦至愚也。每揣才與智不逮他人者遠矣。由知飲食之不可輟。而不敢怠於學也。行年四十有四矣。雖病且困。而手未嘗釋卷。所以懼同於土木禽獸耳。非敢求臻聖域也。亦非求乎聞達也。雖或彷徉戶庭。夷猶原野。以暫頤養。目觀心思。亦未嘗敢廢於學也。由是登山則思學其高。臨水則思學其清。坐石則思學其堅。看松則思學其貞。對月則思學其明。萬境森列各有所長。吾悉得師而學之。萬境無言而尚可學。人之能言。雖萬惡必有一善也。師一善以學之。其誰曰不然乎。中庸子曰。世有求之而或不得者也。世有求之而必得者也。求之而或不得者利也。求之而必得者道也。小人之於利也。雖或萬求而萬不得。而求之彌勇。君子之於道也。求之必得。而望塗懷怯自念力不足者。此求利小人之罪耳。仲尼曰。仁遠乎哉。我欲仁斯仁至矣。言求之而必得也。

Sages and worthies invariably dedicate themselves to study; below the level of sages and worthies, how could anyone become a complete person without study? Study is just like food, drink, and clothing. Among people there are sages, worthies, and the common masses. Although these three differ, when hungry they seek food, when thirsty they seek drink, and when cold they seek clothing—in this there is no difference. How could study be any different? Only beasts, earth, and wood have no need to study. Alas! The foolish man craves food and drink without tiring, and rushes after wealth and profit without rest; yet when he turns to study, some study in the morning and slacken by evening, or study in spring and slacken by winter! If one were simply like those craving food and drink or rushing after wealth and profit, never knowing weariness, why worry about not becoming broadly learned, or not becoming a gentleman? Someone said: 'There are the utterly foolish in the world, who cannot tell beans from wheat, and know nothing of the changes of cold and heat. Can they be made to study? Can they be taught?' I say: utter foolishness arises from lack of teaching and lack of study. If a teacher instructs tirelessly and their mind does not slacken, can the realm of the sage not be mounted and scaled? Why worry about not telling beans from wheat? Furthermore, the foolish know to drink when thirsty, to eat when hungry, and to wear clothes when cold. Since they know these three things, they are distinct from plants and trees; why could they not study, why could they not be taught? Even the most foolish among humans, can he not memorize one phrase a day? Accumulating days into a month, he memorizes thirty phrases; accumulating months into a year, he memorizes three hundred and sixty phrases. If he accumulates this over several years without slackening, will he not approach broad learning? Moreover, if one takes one small good deed each day, learns it, and puts it into practice: accumulating days into a month, one possesses thirty good deeds; accumulating months into a year, one possesses three hundred and sixty good deeds. If he accumulates this over several years without slackening, will he not approach becoming a gentleman? Remaining foolish and remaining a petty person without change is merely due to not studying. Master Zhongyong sighed deeply and said: 'I have often seen people ashamed that their intellect does not measure up and their talent is not sharp, and so break off their studies; but I have never seen anyone ashamed that their food and drink is not as plentiful as others' and so break off eating and drinking. If one breaks off eating and drinking, it ends one's life—why must one feel ashamed that it is not plentiful? If one breaks off learning and inquiry, one is the same as beasts, earth, and wood—why must one feel ashamed that one's talent and intellect are not equal to others'? If being ashamed that one's talent and intellect are inferior causes one not to study, then being ashamed that one's food and drink are inferior to others' should likewise cause one to abandon food and drink. Viewed from this, is that not a great mistake? I too am utterly foolish. Whenever I assess my talent and intellect, they fall far short of others. Because I know that eating and drinking cannot be broken off, I do not dare to slacken in study. I have reached the age of forty-four. Though ill and distressed, my hands have never put down the scrolls; this is simply out of fear of becoming the same as earth, wood, and beasts. It is not that I dare seek to reach the realm of the sage, nor that I seek fame and prominence. Even when strolling in the courtyard or wandering leisurely across the fields to take temporary rest, observing with my eyes and reflecting with my mind, I have never dared abandon study. Thus, climbing a mountain, I reflect upon learning from its height; approaching water, I reflect upon learning from its clarity; sitting on a stone, I reflect upon learning from its firmness; looking at a pine, I reflect upon learning from its steadfastness; facing the moon, I reflect upon learning from its brightness. The ten thousand conditions arrayed in abundance each have their strong point; I am able to take them all as teachers and learn from them. The ten thousand conditions are wordless and yet can still be learned from; as for people who can speak, even with ten thousand evils they must have one good. Taking that one good as teacher to learn from it—who could say otherwise?' Master Zhongyong said: 'In the world there are things which one seeks and may not obtain; and there are things which one seeks and is certain to obtain. That which one seeks and may not obtain is profit; that which one seeks and is certain to obtain is the Way. The petty person with regard to profit, though he seek ten thousand times and ten thousand times fail to obtain it, yet seeks it with ever greater courage. The gentleman with regard to the Way seeks it and is certain to obtain it; yet gazing at the road he harbors dread, privately reflecting that his strength is insufficient—this is precisely the fault of the petty person seeking profit. Confucius said: "Is benevolence far away? If I desire benevolence, benevolence arrives." This means that seeking it, one is certain to obtain it.'