清靜平和,自然真性
利欲未盡害心
Desire for Gains not necessarily harm the mind,
意見乃害心之蝨賊
Opinions are the pests and thieves of the mind.
聲色未必障道
Sights and sounds not necessarily obstruct the way,
聰明乃障道之藩屏
Cleverness is the barrier obstructing the way.
(Saikontan, Book I: 34, 菜根譚 I:34)
耳中常聞逆耳之言，
Our Ears always hear unpleasant words
心中常有拂心之事，
Our minds always have ungratifying concerns
才是進德修行的砥石。
but they are the whetstones for self improvement.
若言言悅耳，
If we hear pleasing words
事事快心，
and everything is gratifying to the mind,
便把此生埋在鴆毒中矣。
Our life is buried in feathers of poison.
Human Relationship is no lofty business
作人無甚高遠事業
Shake off conventions, you then enter the hall of fame.
擺脫得俗情便入名流
Learning does not enhance your expertise,
為學無甚增益功夫
Reduce your burden in the material, you then transcend into the divine.
減除得物累便超聖境
Saikontan I :14
菜根譚 I:14
When attacking other’s wrongs, don’t be too harsh;
攻人之惡思毋太嚴
Consider whether he can take it or not.
要思其堪受
When teaching good, don’t have high ideals.
教人之善毋過高
Make sure that they can be followed.
當使其可從
(菜根譚 I:22)
勢利紛華, 不近者為潔
Power and Wealth, Pure are those who Stay Away from it;
近之而不染尤潔
Those Staying Close and yet untainted are even Purer.
智械機巧, 不知者為高
Wits and Contrivance, Noble are those who do not Know them,
知之而不用者尤高
Those who Know but do not use them are even more Noble.
勢利紛華, 不近者為潔
Power and Wealth, Pure are those who Stay Away from it;
近之而不染尤潔
Those Staying Close and yet untainted are even Purer.
智械機巧, 不知者為高
Wits and Contrivance, Noble are those who do not Know them,
知之而不用者尤高
Those who Know but do not use them are even more Noble.
(菜根譚第一卷第四則, Saikontan Book I,4)
The mind of the decent is like the bright sun in the blue sky,
君子之心事天青日白,
You cannot stop others from knowing.
不可使人不知;
His talents are treasured like gems,
君子之才華玉韞珠藏,
They cannot be known easily.
不可使人易知。
(Saigontan Book I,3.菜根譚第一卷,第三則)
He who has just delved in the world is only tainted slightly,
涉世淺, 點染亦淺;
but the well experienced is deep in schemes;
歷事深, 機械亦深
The decent prefers authenticity to sophistication,
故君子與其練達, 不若朴魯
He would rather be wild than contrived.
與其曲謹, 不若疎狂。
(Saikontan Book I, 2 菜根譚第一卷,第二則)
He who abides by morals may be lonely for a while
棲守道德者,寂寞一時
He who fawns upon power is chilled with sorrow for ons.
依阿權勢者, 淒涼萬古
He with superb understanding sees beyond the material,ponders beyond the body.
達人觀物外之物,思身外之身;
Rather be lonely for a moment than take eons of chilling sorrows .
寧受一時之寂寞,毋取萬古之淒涼。
( Saikontan Book I,1,菜根譚, 第一卷,第一則)
