十一、立志為「異樣人」
分家爭產,是一件敗壞倫常道德的行為,世間人還不醒悟。啊!在這不良世風之下
,有的呢,為了爭奪家產,竟把堂上的父母丟到一邊;有的為了妻子大聲吵嚷著分家,就把兄弟的情誼給傷了;甚至為了錢,就謀財害命。啊!不肖子孫作孽,這樣不但不能光宗耀祖,反而是敗壞家聲,羞辱祖先。可是,「分家爭產」的行為,比比皆是,好像已蔚為一種風氣,習以為常,不足為怪了。你我想想!這是不是一件很可悲的事呢?歷代祖先必定含冤。所以王善人立志為「異樣人」,不爭財產,不重妻子。《太上感應篇》說:「用妻妾語,違父母訓。貪冒於財,欺罔其上。」雖然王善人沒有讀過書,可是他天性淳厚,幹活(工作)盡忠,奉養父母盡孝,對兄弟盡悌,體恤宗親,感化宗族,敬老懷幼。
十二、常存光宗耀祖的志氣
王善人在十里臺老張家扛活(做長工)時,由於和老東家(僱主)有親戚的關係,因此王善人對太爺(曾祖父)生前的事蹟,也略略知道。
王善人常說:「我太爺啊,他老是一個讀書人,四書五經都很熟的,吟詩作對都很行的,還寫了一手的好字。每逢冬臘(農曆十二月),快過年的時候,附近市鎮的商號、有錢的人家,都爭先恐後接他去寫對聯兒(春聯),所以無論是遠、是近,沒有不知道他的大名。
→待續
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11. Resolving to Be Different
Splitting up the family and fighting over the family wealth is an act which destroys the virtue of moral obligation. Yet people in this world had still not awakened to this. Following the world's unwholesome trend, some people cast aside their parents in the fight for the family wealth; some shouted and argued to split up the family because of their wives, thus hurting the relationship among brothers; some even committed murder for money. The worthless sons created such grief in the family. Instead of glorify ing the family, they ruined the family reputation and disgraced the ancestors. However, this conduct of "splitting up the family and fighting for wealth" was going on everywhere. It seemed to have become a trend. People were so used to it that they didn't see it as strange. Let's think about it. Was this not a pitiful thing? The ancestors must have grieved. Therefore, Good Man Wang resolved to be "someone different." He would not fight for the family wealth, and under certain circumstances he would not listen his wife. In Lao Zi's Chapter of Response, it is said, "Listening to the whispers of wife and concubine, one will do things against the parents' instruction. Being greedy for wealth, one will cheat his superior." Even though Good Man Wang did not have any education, he had a wholesome nature, was dutiful and loyal at work, provided for his parents and performed filial piety, treated his brothers with respect and courtesy, was considerate of his relatives, moved and converted his people, respected the elderly, and was kind to children.
12. Always Resolving to Glorify the Family and Ancestors
When Good Man Wang was working for the elder Mr. Zhang at Ten Li Platform, since he was related to the elder employer, he heard a little about the life of his great grandfather.
Good Man Wang often used to say, "My great grandpa was a scholar, very familiar with the Four Books and the Five Classics. He was very skilled at reciting poetry, matching couplets and writing good calligraphy. Every year during the twelfth lunar month, as Chinese New Year was approaching, the stores and wealthy families in neighboring towns would rush to ask him to write couplets to hang on their doors. Therefore, whether far away or close by, there was no one who hadn't heard of his name.
→To be continued
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