鐔津文集 11.28

11.28

上人名曉月。字竺卿。余以始字其義不當不可以為訓義。以公晦易之。名以月者。蓋取其高明之義也。然明不可終明必受之以晦。日月終明。則晝夜之道不成。故日晦於陰而月晦于陽也。天地日月之至明者也。聖賢烏可終勞其明乎。聖賢終明。則進退動靜之道固不足法於世也。故古之聖賢者明於有為而晦於無事也。舜明於政治而晦於得人。以讓天下。文王建箕子明於與九疇而晦於大難。周公明於輔相而晦於成功。孔子明於春秋六經之文而晦於旅人。顏子孟軻子思楊雄皆相望而晦明於後世也。故其事業甚大道德益揚。作法於世而萬世傳之。今上人有器識。明於為學知道。其將有所晦乎。上人吾徒也。與世俗事物邈然不相接。又益宜晦焉。余於上人故人也。別去十年。果得法自瑯琊來會於吳中。觀其處心空寂。能外於身世而不累其得喪是非。真所謂能向晦者也。字之以晦抑亦發其蘊也。一旦以道歸覲其所親索文為別。故序其字而贈之云。

The Master's monastic name is Xiaoyue and his courtesy name was Zhuqing. I considered his original courtesy name inappropriate in meaning and unfit to serve as an instructive moral, so I changed it to Gonghui. He was named Yue (Moon) probably to take the meaning of loftiness and brightness. Yet brightness cannot remain forever bright; it must inevitably be succeeded by darkness. If the sun and moon were forever bright, the way of day and night would not be accomplished; therefore, the sun conceals its light in yin and the moon conceals its light in yang. Heaven and earth, the sun and the moon, are the utmost in brightness. How could sages and worthies wear out their brightness to the very end? If sages and worthies were forever bright, their way of advancing and retreating, movement and stillness, would certainly not suffice to serve as a model for the world. Therefore, the sages and worthies of old were bright in active doing and obscure in having no affairs. Shun was bright in governance and obscure in securing capable men, thereby yielding the empire. King Wen established Jizi; he was bright in granting the Nine Categories and obscure in great tribulations. The Duke of Zhou was bright in assisting and obscure in accomplishing deeds. Confucius was bright in the texts of the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Six Classics, and obscure as a traveler. Yanzi, Mencius, Zisi, and Yang Xiong all looked toward one another, alternating obscurity and brightness for later generations. Therefore, their undertakings were exceedingly grand, their Way and virtue were promoted all the more, and they established models for the world to be transmitted for ten thousand generations. Now the Master possesses capacity and insight; he is bright in learning and knowing the Way. Will he have that in which he is obscure? The Master is one of our order; he is distantly disconnected from worldly affairs, and it is even more fitting that he remain obscure. I am an old friend of the Master. We were separated for ten years; having indeed obtained the Dharma, he came from Langya to meet in the Wu region. Observing that his mind is empty and still, that he can hold himself detached from the body and the world without being burdened by gain and loss or right and wrong, he is truly what is called one who can face obscurity. Giving him the courtesy name of Hui is also to bring forth his inner reserves. When one day he went to visit his parents on account of the Way, he asked for a text upon parting; therefore, I wrote a preface on his courtesy name to present to him.