惟

德

學

，

惟

才

藝

wei

de

xue

wei

cai

yi

只有

品德

學識

只有

才能

技藝

only if

virtue

knowledge

only if

talents

skills

看只有在品德學識以及才能技藝上頭。
If your virtue, learning, and talents,

不

如

人

，

常

自

勵

bu

ru

ren

chang

zi

li

比不上

他人

經常

自己

勉勵

not as good as

others

always

self

to urge

發現有不如人的時候，應當時時自我勉勵。
Do not measure up to others friends', then spur yourself on to try harder.

若

衣

服

，

若

飲

食

ruo

yi

fu

ruo

yin

shi

至於

上衣

下服

至於

飲料

食物

as to

top shirts

skirts or pants

as to

drink

food

至於在穿的衣服和吃的食物方面，
If your clothes or your food,

不

如

人

，

勿

生

戚

bu

ru

ren

wu

sheng

qi

比不上

他人

不要

生起

憂傷

not as good as

others

do not

to give rise to

sorrow

發現有不如人的地方，不須心生煩惱哀傷。
are not as good as others', do not be sad or upset.

如果你問﹕「人生在世，什麼是最可寶貴的？」相信很多人都會說是金銀珠寶、良田美宅，或者家庭和樂、事業順利之類的。其實，人最可寶貴的資產是道德；唯有以德為寶，方能致力於德業；唯有致力於德業，方能修道成德；唯有修道成德，方能仰不愧於天，俯不怍於人。所謂「仁者不憂，智者不惑，勇者不懼。」

If you ask people, "What is the most important thing in life? " most would probably give answers such as gold, silver, precious gems, fertile fields and fine houses, or a happy family and a successful career. Actually, the most precious thing we own is our virtue. Only by cherishing virtue as a treasure can we devote ourselves to practicing virtuous deeds; only by devoting ourselves to virtuous work can we cultivate the Way and achieve virtue; and only by cultivating the Way and achieving virtue can we maintain a good conscience and have no cause for remorse before Heaven and people. As it's said, "The humane are not worried; the wise are not deluded; the brave are not frightened." 

究竟不憂不惑不懼什麼？又為什麼不憂不惑不懼？其實說穿了，這中間的關鍵，就是「名」、「利」二字。仁者安仁，不憂名利之有無；智者利仁，不惑名利之得失；勇者好仁，不懼名利之大小。這三種人都是以德為寶，發達時謙虛好禮，窮困時也怡然自得，一生做事堂堂正正，無求於名利；既無求於名利，自然也無所求於人，那麼又有何可憂可惑可懼之事？

What is it that they are not worried, deluded, or frightened about? And why are they not worried, deluded, or frightened? Actually, fame and profit are at the bottom of it. The humane dwell in humaneness and don't worry about whether or not they have fame or profit. The wise help the humane and are not deluded by the gain or loss of fame and profit. The brave admire the humane and are not afraid of whether their fame and profit are large or small. These three types of people all cherish virtue. When they are successful, they are modest and courteous. When they are in poverty, they remain peaceful and content. In whatever they do, they do it properly without seeking fame or profit. Since they aren't seeking fame or profit, they naturally will not expect things from others, and so what could they possibly be worried, deluded, or frightened about?

像孔子的學生子路，就是個真正的勇者。史上說子路穿著破蔽的衣服，廁身於公卿之間，他也毫不忸怩畏怯。為什麼？因為他操守正直，心胸坦蕩蕩，自然不會畏懼強權而卑微自傷。

Confucius' disciple Zilu, for example, was truly a brave man. It is recorded in history that, dressed in ragged clothes, he mingled with lords and dukes without the slightest embarrassment or fear. Why was this? It was because his character was honest and straightforward, and so he had no reason to feel inferior to or afraid of powerful people. 

孔子另一個弟子原憲，也是個清淨守節，貧而樂道，不恥惡衣惡食的人。孔子在世時，他就已非常耿介清廉；孔子去世後，原憲也不做官了，就隱居在衛國的鄉野間。雖然他住的房子是架茅草為頂，編蓬草為扉，不但風穿得進，雨也滲得透，吃的更是野菜淡水，還常常有一餐沒一餐的；但是他照樣正襟危坐，弦歌不輟。

Yuan Xian, another disciple of Confucius, was a person of virtuous purity who was poor yet delighted in the truth and was not ashamed of his humble clothing or food. When Confucius was still alive, Yuan Xian was already very resolute and incorruptible. After Confucius passed away, he resigned from his government post and became a hermit in the wilderness of the state of Wei. Although his roof was made of thatch and his door of raspberry vines, through which the wind could blow and the rain could seep in, and what he ate was wild vegetables and plain water, and he didn't always have food for a meal, he continued to sit up straight and study.

子貢做了衛國的宰相後，就衣錦著緞地帶了浩浩蕩蕩一堆人馬，穿荒越野去到貧民戶探望原憲這位老同學。子貢一看原憲衣冠破蔽，又形容枯槁憔悴，很不以為然，衝口而出問他﹕「你病了嗎？」原憲說﹕「我聽說『沒有財產的，叫做貧窮；學了道而卻不能去實踐的，叫做有病 。』像我這樣，只是貧窮，不是有病！」子貢聽了，感到非常慚愧，悶悶不樂地走了；終其一生，子貢都以自己的言語失檢為恥。

After Zi Gong became the prime minister of Wei, he went, dressed in satin and accompanied by a large retinue of mounted men, through the wilderness to where the poor peasants lived, to visit his old friend Yuan Xian. When Zi Gong saw Yuan Xian dressed in tattered clothes and looking gaunt and haggard, he asked in surprise, "Are you sick?" Yuan Xian replied, "I've heard it said that, “Those who own nothing are said to be poor; those who study the Way and are unable to practice it are said to be sick.' I am merely poor, not sick! " Upon hearing those words, Zi Gong felt very ashamed and left in low spirits. Throughout his life, Zi Gong always felt ashamed if he spoke carelessly. 

其實子貢原就是口齒伶俐，長袖善舞的生意奇才，和原憲本就貧富懸殊；加上又做了官，既富且貴，子貢還能惦念老朋友而去看望，也是難得了！乍見原憲的清苦，子貢用「學而優則仕」的觀點，對原憲表示不以為然，也是出於對人才的惋惜，我們倒不須對子貢太過苛責；何況子貢聞過則懺，終身恥之，這一點也不是常人的修養所能企及的。至於原憲的不慕富貴，甘苦如飴，則殊屬難能可貴，值得敬佩。

Actually Zi Gong was a talented businessman who could express himself very eloquently. He and Yuan Xian were totally disparate in terms of wealth. As an official, Zi Gong was both rich and honored. It's quite remarkable that he showed such concern for his old friend and went to visit him. Seeing Yuan Xian's poverty, Zi Gong expressed his surprise from the point of view that "a learned person should become an official and serve the country" and out of grief that his talent was wasted. Therefore, we need not criticize Zi Gong too much, since he was one who would repent and feel lifelong shame whenever he learned of his own faults. This is not a quality found in ordinary people. Yuan Xian's disregard for wealth and honor is also a rare quality worthy of our admiration.

唐朝的大詩人白居易，曾寫了個續座右銘，其中有四句說﹕

勿慕富與貴，勿憂貧與賤；
自問道何如，貴賤安足云？

The great poet Bai Ju-yi of the Tang dynasty once wrote a poem containing the following lines: 

Yearn not for wealth and honor. 
Grieve not about poverty and low status. 
Ask yourself how your cultivation of the Way is, 
And that not be concerned with being noble or lowly.

這意思和《論語》上說的「君子謀道不謀食」一樣，都是教人以進德修道為要務，毋須為衣服飲食等身外之物去傷神。俗話說﹕「山珍海味，不過日食三餐；華屋廣廈，不過寢時數尺。」有什麼好汲汲營營的呢？況且若為了口腹之欲而恣殺牲禽，那罪過又不只是一生一世的報應了！

This is the same principle as that expressed in the line from the Confucian Analects: "The superior person devotes his attention to the Way and not to food." These sayings tell people that cultivating virtue is the essential thing, and we should not waste our energy on externals such as clothing and food. An idiom says, "You may have all the delicacies of the world, but you cannot eat more than three meals in a day. You may have luxurious, sprawling mansions, but you only take up a few feet of space when you sleep." What's the point of working so hectically for such things? And if you kill creatures just to please your palate, you may suffer the consequences for many lifetimes to come!