作者簡介：葉嘉瑩教授，出生於中國北京，北京輔仁大學中國文學系畢業。1948年遷居臺灣，現住加拿大溫哥華市，為當代著名之中國古典文學詩詞家。
葉教授曾任教於臺灣省立彰化女子中學、省立臺北第二女子中學、輔仁大學、淡江大學、臺灣大學、美國密歇根州立大學及哈佛大學、加拿大卑詩省大學。曾至中國北京大學、北京師範大學、南京大學、南京師範大、上海復旦大學、上海華東師大、成都四川大學等校。
葉教授現任加拿大皇家學會院士，中國天津南開大學中華古典文化研究所長。
（編者的話）：葉嘉瑩教授於1984年訪問本會在加拿大溫哥華之金佛寺，當時宣公上人請葉教授即席給大家談一談中國的詩詞，因此引起了葉教授以下的講辭。本講辭之錄音帶由葉教授1979年在中國天津南開大學中華古典文化研究所之學生徐曉莉、安易、楊愛娣三位女士所整理、謄繕。
葉教授於1998年5月於萬佛城又開講了中國詩聖杜甫的詩，錄音帶正在整理中；待整理完畢亦將陸續刊出。
第 一 講
我今天有機會跟大家在這裡見面，一同來賞析中國東晉時候，一位著名的詩人陶淵明的詩。這其中有一段殊勝的因緣。那是由於一個偶然的機會，才促成了這件事情。上個星期，我偶然來到金佛寺，宣公上人突然提出讓我給大家談一談中國的詩。我當時沒有一點準備，我想在這裡談什麼詩比較好呢？
一般說起來，佛家的宗教是很看重人的內心活動的。佛經上曾說：「一切眾生，當好制心。」是說一切的眾生，你們都應該好好地制心；制就是控制，管理你自己的心。因為我想到佛教裡有這樣的說法，所以當宣公上人叫我講詩的時候，我就想起中國的詩人陶淵明有一首詩，他也是講到人心的問題。就是上次我給大家講到的那首詩中的「問君何能爾？心遠地自偏。」是說你為什麼能夠不受到世俗的擾亂呢？因為你的心距離那些世俗的擾亂比較遠，所以你自然就會覺得你住的地方是很安靜的。
我還記得以前看的一段禪宗的語錄，說是有兩個和尚在廟外面爭論起來。你們知道嗎？佛教的寺廟門前常常掛有幡，就像由旗桿上倒垂下來的很長的條幡。那上面有的寫著「阿彌陀佛」之類的文字。那天晚上颳風了，風一吹，幡就會搖動，於是這兩個小和尚，一個就說是風動，另一個說不是風動，而是幡動。正在兩個小和尚爭論不休的時候，當時的惠能大師－－即後來的六祖大師－－正從這裡經過，聽見了他們的爭吵。大師即說：「既不是風動，也不是幡動，是仁者你們的心在動。」他說是你們兩人的心都被外界所迷惑，所牽動了。所以我就想到陶淵明的那首詩，講到「心遠地自偏」的問題。
陶淵明這個詩人，生在中國歷史上充滿了戰亂、黑暗、災荒的時代中；在這樣的時代中，怎樣才能夠保持住自己內心中的一份平安，這是這位詩人他所終生努力的，而他最終也真的果然就做到了。所以上週我就講了這首陶淵明的詩。正是因為有了上述的機緣，所以後來宣公上人就叫我經常跟大家談一談中國的詩。我想既然我們已經從陶淵明開始了，那麼接下來，我們還接著講陶淵明的「飲酒」詩。
在講陶淵明的詩之前，我還想到上次在我講完詩的時候，宣公上人並且說過一句話。他說陶淵明是死去的人了，已經距離現在千百年之久了，可我的講解好像是把他復活了一樣；好像他就是一個活生生的人。其實這種感覺倒不只是因為我講他的詩才使大家有此感覺的。早在南宋的時代，中國有一個很有名的詞人，叫辛棄疾。他有一個別號，叫稼軒。他是一個文章與武功都很好的人；他也會帶兵打戰。
他曾經寫過一首詞，這首詞裡邊，就講到陶淵明。他詞裡邊有這樣幾句話。由於時間跟板面的地方都不夠，我不能把他的全詞都寫出來，我只寫裡邊的幾句話﹕「老來曾識淵明，夢中一見參差是。」後邊還有兩句﹕「須信此翁未死，到如今凜然生氣。」
這是說辛棄疾在他年老以後，方才真正認識了陶淵明。陶淵明是晉朝人，辛棄疾是宋朝人，中間隔了很多的朝代。他怎麼會認識了陶淵明呢？後面他又說﹕「夢中一見參差是。」參差是好像、彷彿。是說我夢中看見的陶淵明，不一定就跟他活著的時候的樣子完全一樣，可是大概差不多吧！所以說是「參差是」。下面「須信此翁未死」：「須」就是「應該」；他說我們後代的人，凡是讀了陶淵明詩的人，就應該相信「此翁」，指陶淵明老先生。他說「此翁未死」，這位老先生好像沒有死。「到如今凜然生氣」，直到現在，到辛棄疾的時代，仍「凜然」，是很有精神的樣子。這個「生氣」不是跟別人發脾氣，而是說很有生命力的樣子，好像真的是活了一樣。所以不但是南宋的辛棄疾感覺到了陶淵明那充滿生命的活力，一直到我們現在1984年了，我們講陶淵明的詩時，你們宣公上人還感覺到陶淵明的凜然生氣呢！
這不是我的講演使他變活了，而是他的精神本來就沒有死，千百年來都具有一種感動人心的力量。有的人，他即使活在世上，也吃飯，也睡覺，我們說他像行屍走肉一樣。他活著的時候，就活得沒有勁頭了，何況他死了以後呢？可是陶淵明死後千百年來，人家唸他的詩。還覺得他跟活著一樣，這是因為陶淵明活在世上的時候，他的感情、他的思想、他的生活都是他真正地以他真誠的面目與世人相見的，所以我們才能感受到他那種真誠的感情、真誠的思想和真誠的精神。
我上次所講的那首詩，是陶淵明「飲酒」詩裡邊的一首。這組以「飲酒」為名的詩，一共有二十首。我上次講的只不過是其中的一首而已。其實要想真正瞭解陶淵明的「飲酒」詩，只講一首詩是不夠的，所以我就將接著把這二十首都講解一番。
這二十首「飲酒」詩是陶淵明為什麼緣故而寫作的呢？他的真正意思是什麼？在我們正式講他的詩之前，我們應對陶淵明他所生長的那個時代，以及他所經歷的生活做個簡單的介紹。
待續 |
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About the author: Professor Yeh Chia-ying was born in Beijing, China. She graduated from the Department of Chinese Literature of Furen University in Beijing. In 1948 she moved to Taiwan, and at present she lives in Vancouver, Canada, where she is a well-known poet and scholar in the field of Classical Chinese Literature.
She has taught in Taiwan at Zhanghua Girls High School, the Second Girls High School of Taipei, Furen University, Danjiang University, and National Taiwan University. She has been a Visiting Professor at Michigan State University and Harvard University in the U.S., and a Professor of the University of British Columbia in Canada. She has also lectured or been a visiting professor at Beijing University, Beijing Normal University, Nanjing University, Nanjing Normal University, Fudan University and Huadong Normal University in Shanghai, Sichuan University in Chengdu, and others.
She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Director of the Classical Chinese Culture Research Institute of Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
Editor's Preface: When Professor Yeh Chia-ying visited Gold Buddha Monastery in Canada, the Venerable Master Hua invited her to speak on Chinese poetry, and thus this lecture series began. The lecture tapes were transcribed by Tu Xiaoli, An Yi, and Yang Aidi, who were three of her students in 1979 at the Classical Chinese Culture Research Institute of Nankai University in Tianjin, China.
In May of 1998, Professor Yeh delivered another lecture series on Tu Fu's poetry. The tapes of these lectures are currently being prepared for publication as well.
First Lecture
I have this opportunity of meeting all of you today and enjoying together with you the poetry of Tao Yuanming, a famous poet from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. There were special conditions that have led up to this—a kind of coincidence. Last week I happened to come to Gold Buddha Monastery, and the Venerable Master Hua suddenly asked me to say something about Chinese poetry. At that time, I was not prepared at all, and I wondered what kind of poetry would be most suitable to discuss here.
Generally speaking, Buddhism is a religion that emphasizes the inner mind. A Sutra says, “All living beings should master their minds.” That is to say, all living beings should control and watch over their own minds. Since I remembered this teaching in Buddhism, when Venerable Master asked me to speak on poetry, I recalled that the Chinese poet Tao Yuanming had written a poem on the human mind. This is the poem I discussed last time, which goes: “Why are you so calm? When the mind is detached, the surroundings are naturally peaceful.” Why are you not affected by worldly disturbances? Because your mind is far away from worldly annoyances, and so, very naturally, you feel that the place you live is very tranquil.
I recall a Chan story about two monks who were arguing outside the monastery. You know how there are often banners hung up in front of Buddhist temples, long flags that say something like, “Amitabha Buddha”? It was windy that evening, and the flags were fluttering in the wind. Thus, one monk said, “The wind is moving.” The other one said, “The flag is moving.” While the two monks were debating back and forth, the Great Master Huineng, who later became the Sixth Patriarch, passed by and overheard their argument. The Great Master remarked, “It is not the wind that moves, nor the flags. Kind sirs, it is your minds that are moving.” He said, “Your minds have been confused and moved by outside phenomena.” So, I talked about Tao Yuanming's poem which said, “When the mind is detached, the surroundings are naturally peaceful.”
Tao Yuanming was born in a period of Chinese history that was full of wars, darkness, and disasters. The poet strove all his life to maintain an inner peace during those difficult times, and eventually he was successful. That's why I discussed this poem of Tao Yuanming last week. Because of these conditions, Venerable Master Hua asked me to lecture regularly on Chinese poetry. I figured that since we had started with Tao Yuanming, we might as well continue with his “Drinking” poems.
Before we go on, I recall that at the end of my last speech, Venerable Master Hua commented that although Tao Yuanming has been dead for over a thousand years, I spoke about him in such a vivid way it was as if he were still alive. In fact, it is not my discussion of his poems that makes you feel that way. Early in the Southern Song Dynasty, there was a famous Chinese poet named Xin Qiji, also known as Jiaxuan. He had both literary and military talents. He could also lead troops in battle.
He wrote a poem about Tao Yuanming. Here are few lines of that poem. Due to the limited time and board space, I cannot write out the whole poem; I will only write these few lines: “I only got to know Yuanming in my old age. He looks pretty much like in my dreams.” There are two lines later in the poem: “You should not think that this man is dead; even now, he is still full of vitality.”
Xin Qiji is saying that he did not really know Tao Yuanming until he was old. But Tao Yuanming lived during the Jin Dynasty [317-419 A.D.] and Xin Qiji lived in the Song Dynasty [1127-1278 A.D.]; there were several dynasties in between. How could he have known Tao Yuanming?
Later, he said: “He looks pretty much like in my dreams.” His meaning was, “Tao Yuanming may not have looked exactly the way he appeared in my dream, but he didn't look that different.” So the line says, “pretty much like.”
Then the poem says, “You should not think that this man is dead.” We, the readers of Tao Yuanming's poems in later generations, should believe that this man--the elder Mr. Tao Yuanming—is not dead. It seems that this elder gentleman is not dead. “Even now, he is still full of vitality.” Even now--in the time of Xin Qiji—he looks full of energy. This “energy” is not that of an explosive temper, but indicates an appearance of great vitality. Not only did Xin Qiji of the Southern Song Dynasty sense Tao Yuanming's vitality, but even now as we talk about his poems in 1984, your teacher, Venerable Master Hua, can also sense Tao Yuanming's energetic power!
My lectures have not brought him to life, for his spirit never died in the first place. For hundreds of years, he has had the power to touch people's hearts. Sometimes people may be alive, eating and sleeping, but we say they are walking corpses. They have no purpose to live for when they are alive, how much the less after they die. But hundreds and thousands of years after Tao Yuanming's death, when people read his poems, they feel as if he is still alive. That is because when Tao Yuanming was living in this world, he always presented his true self to the world: his emotions, his thoughts, and his life. Thus we can sense the sincerity of his sentiments, ideas, and spirit.
The poem I discussed last time was one of Tao Yuanming's “Drinking” poems. He has a series of twenty poems entitled “Drinking,” and that was only one of them. If we really want to understand Tao Yuanming and his “Drinking” poems, studying one poem is not enough. So I will explain go on to all twenty.
Why did Tao Yuanming compose these twenty “Drinking” poems? What was his real aim? Before we get into his poems, we should briefly introduce the background of his time and his lifestyle.
To be continued
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