因為要介紹陶淵明的生平，我就引了他的詩篇來說明。我本來是說陶淵明的詩篇中寫過「形」、「影」、「神」這幾首詩，他對人生曾經有過很仔細地反省與考慮。一般人不是追求名就是追求利，而陶淵明能夠超脫名利的韁索在精神上得到解放和自由。可是我們要知道，他這種精神上的自由和超脫，是經過一段矛盾，一段掙扎以後才得到的。今天我們先簡單地介紹到這裏，其他的內容留在下一次介紹。

第三講

上一次我們簡單地介紹了陶淵明的生平事跡；我們說陶淵明在中國的詩人裏面，是內心心情最為平靜的一個詩人。可是他不是單純的平靜，他是經過許多心靈的矛盾衝突之後才得平靜下來的。那我們就要說明陶淵明是怎樣有的這些矛盾和衝突的。他受著中國傳統的儒家思想的影響，本來也是要做一番事業的。

儒家是講「修身、齊家、治國、平天下。」要出來為國家為人民做一些有益的事情。陶淵明也曾經有過這樣的理想，可因為的所處的那個時代，當時政治的腐敗、官僚軍閥彼此之間相互殺伐，以至後來的奪權篡逆等等，由於這種社會時代的原因使陶淵明原來的那種以儒家思想出發的理想不能得到實現；既然儒家的思想不能夠付諸實現，於是陶淵明便藉助了道家的思想，以及東晉時代佛學的思想來求得他內心的平靜。

我們這樣說，只是一個很簡單的概念。今天我就要把陶淵明一生所經歷的仕宦生活情況做一個比較有系統的介紹。

陶淵明最後是回到田園去隱居種田了，他中間也曾有過出仕的經歷；「出仕」就是出來做宮。他為什麼要出來做官呢？中國儒家的孟子曾經說過這樣的話：「仕非為貧也，而有時乎為貧。」〈〈孟子〉萬章 篇下〉。出來做官本來是不應該以賺錢為目的的，不完全是因為家裡窮就出來做官。儒家的思想一般都是為了治國平天下的，所以出仕的人並不是為了貧窮。

可是孟子說：「有時乎為貧」。有的時候就是因為貧窮才出來做宮的。出來做宮的人都分別為這兩種情形：一種不是為了貧窮，是為了他的治國平天下的理想；也有的時候是因為要緩解他的貧窮。

陶淵明一生究竟做過一些什麼官呢？他到底是由於什麼原因才出來做官的呢？我上次說過歷史上記載他生平的傳記有好幾種，這些傳記中對他出入官場的情況說法也不盡相同。較為可信的說法認為他一生出來做過五次官，這其中有的時候是因為貧窮，有的時候是為了理想。

關於他的第一次出仕，歷史傳記上說法較為一致。說他年輕的時候曾經擔任過一次州祭酒的職務 。陶淵明是江州人，他曾經作過江州的祭酒。「祭酒」就是祭祀。政府如果有什麼重要的典禮或祭紀的活動時，需要有一個在典禮上主持儀式的人。這 個人的職務就叫做祭酒。

以前我介紹過，「晉書」、「宋書」、「南史 」上都有他的傳記。不但如此，後來的人還給陶淵明編了年譜。據這年譜上記載陶淵明差不多是在二十九歲左右做過江州的祭酒。歷史上說他做州祭酒「不堪吏職，少日自解歸。」不堪就是不能忍受；吏職就是做官的所應承擔的職責：他不能忍受這樣的約束。少日是指時間很短；解是辭職；自解是自動辭職。

那麼陶淵明這一次出來做官是為什麼原因呢？ 也是在他的歷史傳記中記載說，他是因「家貧、親老」才出來的。陶淵明八歲的時候父親就死了，他家裏很貧窮。這裡的親老是說他的母親年歲老了。孟子所說的做官「有時乎為貧」，還不是說因為你自己的貧窮，你想有更好的物質的享受。孟子所說的貧窮是你家裏的貧窮，你需要對你的父母盡「孝養」的責任。

「養」字不應讀「仰」音。我們今天都很通俗地讀「仰」音，在古代是有分別的。「養狗」、「養貓」才讀「仰」音。對於父母雙親不能讀「仰」音，應該讀做「樣」音，是「孝養〈樣音〉 」

待續 

In order to introduce Tao Yuanming's life story, I have alluded to his poems. Through his poems "Shape, Shade, and Spirit," we know that he carefully considered and examined his life. Whereas most people chase after either fame or fortune, Tao Yuanming surpassed these two hurdles and attained spiritual freedom and transcendence. But we should know that he acquired his spiritual freedom and transcendence only after a certain amount of struggle. Today we have just given a brief introduction, and we will leave the rest for next time.

---- Third Lecture ----  

Last time, we briefly talked about Tao Yuanming's life story. Among Chinese poets, Tao Yuanming was the one who had the greatest peace of mind. However, he was not peaceful by nature; he obtained his calmness after much inner conflict and struggle. Now let's talk about why Tao Yuanming had such conflicts and struggles. Under the influence of Confucianism, the traditional Chinese thought, he had intended to build up his career.

Confucianism emphasizes "cultivating oneself, harmonizing one's family, administrating the country, and keeping the world in peace," and urges everyone to contribute something to benefit the people and the country. Tao Yuanming at first truly believed in this perfect ideal, but he lived in a time of political corruption, when officials fought with and assassinated one another, and planned coups to usurp power. Due to the times, Tao Yuanming was unable to develop his Confucian ideals. Failing to realize the ideals of Confucianism, he then turned to Taoism and Buddhism, which were popular in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, to help him attain inner peace.  

That has been a very brief introduction of his spiritual journey. Today I will give a more systematic introduction of Tao Yuanming's career as a government official.  

After serving as a government official a few times, Tao Yuanming finally retreated to the countryside and took up farming. Why did he want to be a government official? Mencius, who followed the Confucian school of thought, said, "Usually people do not become officials because of poverty; but sometimes, they do it because of poverty." [Book of Mencius, Wanzhang section] The purpose of serving as an official was not to make money or to relieve family poverty. According to Confucianism, the purpose is to manage the country and bring peace to the world. Thus, officials do not serve because of poverty.

However, Mencius said, "But sometimes, they do it because of poverty." Sometimes, people are government officials due to poverty. There are two motivations for serving as government officials: one is to realize the ideal of ruling the country and establishing world peace; the other is to alleviate financial difficulty.

What government positions did Tao Yuanming hold in his life? What was his motivation? I mentioned last time that there are many versions of his biography, and each version has different record regarding his government career. The most reliable account says that he served as a government official five times. Sometimes he served due to poverty, and sometimes to pursue his political ideal.

Most versions of his biography are in agreement on his first government position. When he was young, he worked as "State Officer of Rites" for Jiangzhou, his native state. When the government held important ceremonies or rituals, they needed a person to host the program. That person was the officer of rites.

I mentioned earlier that his biography is recorded in the Annals of Jin, Annals of Song and Annals of Nan. In addition, a later author compiled a year-by-year biography of Tao Yuanming's life. According to that biography, Tao Yuanming worked as State Officer of Rites when he was twenty-nine years old. However, he "could not tolerate the job of an official and soon resigned and left." Finding an official's responsibilities unbearable and being unable to accept the restrictions, in a very short time, he quit of his own initiative.

Why did Tao Yuanming become an official that time? According to his biography, he did it because of "family poverty and an aged parent." His father died when he was only eight years old, so his family was very poor. "An aged parent" refers to his elderly mother. Mencius' words "sometimes, they did it because of poverty" refer not only to personal poverty and a desire for better material things, but also to family poverty and responsibility to support one's parents.

The word yang for "support" should not be pronounced in the third tone, as we commonly pronounce it now. It was different in the past. Pronounced in the third tone, it means to "feed," as in feeding a dog or cat. When referring to support of parents, we should pronounce it in the fourth tone, not the third.    

To be continued