|
正因為陶淵明對松樹，對菊花有這樣的感覺和認識，所以當他「採菊東籬下」時或許想到了世界上很多人追求外表的浮華、追求世界上的名利，追求虛榮，可是他與那些人不同。
他在遠離塵世喧嘩的地方，在自己草廬東邊的籬笆下，面對著盛開的那麼美麗的菊花，他內心完全是一種「懷此貞秀姿，卓為霜下傑」的感受，這還不算，接下來一句：「悠然見南山」他又把自己與外在自然界的形象中所包含的意義給合起來了。
「悠然」在這句裡應該有兩個意思，一個是「遠」，另一個是「閑」。南山是在很遠的地方，假如你每天匆匆趕路，你就看不見這座山的美麗，只有在你心裡很平靜的時候才看得見。這個「閑」不是說身體上的閑，有的人身體很閑，可心裡忙得不得了，整天胡思亂想很多事情，一點也不閑。這裡的「閑」，是內心真正有一種安閑，恬然的閑趣。就在這種悠然、安閑的感覺之中，一抬頭看見遠遠的南方那座山。這句話還沒說完，他不只是遠遠地，悠然地驀然之間發現了南山，他還看到了南山被「山氣日夕佳」的景象所籠罩著。「山氣」在中國是指山上的煙靄，峰巒與雲氣在夕陽下交織在一起所構成的朦朧絢麗的樣子。
他說，當我採菊的時候，我就發現南山上的煙嵐在太陽落山時候特別美麗，像霧一樣在晚霞的映照下忽明忽暗，如夢如幻。不僅如此，山還常常帶給人另外一種聯想。
孔子的〈論語〉上曾經說過這樣的話：「知者樂水；仁者樂山。」「知者動；仁者靜。」（〈論語雍也〉）。孔子認為每個人的性情、品格都不相同。有些人很聰明，很機智，反應很快，他們就喜歡水；而那些天性與感情上都很淳厚的人就很喜歡山。水給人的感覺是波浪起伏，動蕩不平的，一陣風過就會吹起很多波紋；而山給人的感覺是安靜，穩重的，特別是那些大山，非常深沉穩重地矗立在那裡。所以說智者喜歡水的隨物賦形的動態；仁者喜歡山的安穩深沉的靜態。
瞭解了這些，我們就不難推知陶淵明在說到「採菊」、「見南山」的時候的意識活動和心理感覺。下面的「飛鳥相與還」這句就更重要了。
山上有許多樹木，鳥的巢穴都在山上的林木之中，到了黃昏的時候，鳥就要回去休息了。陶淵明的「歸去來辭」中說「鳥倦飛而知還」。安靜的山林是可以休息，可以依托的地方。黃昏的時候，不是一隻鳥，是成群結隊的鳥一起飛回來投巢歸宿了。陶淵明這裡寫的不僅僅是大自然的景象，這裡面也隱含著他自己切身的感受。
他在決定告別官場，辭職歸隱時寫的「歸去來辭」裡不是說「鳥倦飛而知還」嗎？這隻倦飛的「鳥」，以及他在「歸園田居」之一裡說的「羈鳥戀舊林」中的「鳥」，其實都是他自己的心靈的象徵；這隻由陶淵明的心靈而幻化成的「鳥」在經過了「日暮猶獨飛，徘徊無定止。夜夜聲轉悲，厲響思清遠。去來何依依，因值孤生松。斂翮遙來歸，勁風無榮木。此蔭獨不衰。托身已得所，千載不相違。」（「飲酒」之四）的一番經歷之後，我現在引的這首以後會仔細講的。這裡我只是要來說明大自然中的每一種形象中，都結合有陶淵明的深切感受在裡面。
因此現在當他在採菊、見南山，以及看到「飛鳥相與還」之後，他內心的諸般感受便一起湧上心頭，所以最後他才說出「此中有真意，欲辨已忘言」的話。這裡的「真意」還不是西方所謂的真理，而是他生活中所體味到的種種意趣或意味，是他在那樣的情景中自心靈油然產生的一種感受和感覺。這樣的「真意」，他說我不知道該用什麼樣的話才能給你解釋清楚。雖然我很願意告訴你，但我找不到合適的言辭。
待續
|
|
Tao Yuanming empathized with the pine trees and chrysanthemums. Thus, while "plucking chrysanthemums at the east wall," he may have thought about worldly people pursuing external glamour, wealth and fame, but he himself was quite different from those people.
Living in a remote area without any worldly clamor, standing at the eastern wall, facing those beautifully blossoming chrysanthemums, he was overwhelmed with the feeling of
"virtuous and elegant in disposition, they are heroes in the frost." What is more, he
"beheld South Mountain at leisure," merging himself with the profound meanings conveyed by the scenes of nature.
'At leisure' can be interpreted as 'from afar' and as 'in rel-axation.' South Mountain is far away. If you are always in a rush, you miss the beauty of this mountain. You can appreciate it only when you calm down. That line is not referring to physical leisure. Some people are physically idle, but their minds are incredibly busy, generating a jumble of confused thoughts all day long; they are far from relaxed. The 'leisure' here indicates true inner peace and calm. In such a relaxed mood, one looks up and sees South Mountain in the distance. Not only did Tao gaze peacefully at South Mountain from afar, he also noted,
"How fine the sunset reflected in the mountain mist!" The mountain mist describes the clouds shrouding the peaks and the fog in the valleys. The sunset interwoven with its reflections in the mist among the peaks create a scene of soft beauty.
Tao was saying, "While plucking chrysanthemums, I noticed how extraordinarily beautiful the mist around South Mountain looked in the sunset." The fog-like haze reflecting the rays of the setting sun, was bright yet obscure, like a dream or illusion. In addition, mountains often remind people of something else.
The Analects of Confucius say: "Wise people enjoy water; humane people enjoy mountains." "Wise people are active; humane people are still." (Yong Ye,
Analects).
Confucius believed that people have different personalities and dispositions. Smart, witty people with quick reflexes tend to like water, whereas individuals who are kind and down-to-earth have a great liking for mountains. Water gives one the feeling of waves constantly rising and falling. A gust of wind creates many ripples. Mountains are perceived as still and dependable, especially those huge mountains that stand—firm, solid, and reliable. Thus we say that wise people prefer the dynamic nature of water, which adapts its shape and form according to conditions, while humane people enjoy mountains, which stand still and calm.
With that understanding, we may comprehend Tao's state of mind when he described plucking chrysanthemums and gazing at South Mountain. The next line,
"Birds are flying home in groups," is even more important.
Birds build their nests in the trees that blanket the mountains. They fly home to rest in the evenings. In Tao Yuanming's "Return," he said,
"Tired of flying, birds are going home." The calm forest is a safe haven where they can rest and take shelter. In the evenings, not only one bird, but flocks of birds fly back to their nests. In describing this scene of nature, Tao was alluding to his own feelings.
When he decided to quit his official post, he wrote in the poem "Return":
Tired of flying, birds are going home. He also wrote this line in "Retreating to Farming Life":
A restrained bird is missing its old woods. The bird in both poems is a metaphor for his own mind. The experience of the bird conjured from Tao's mind is described in the fourth poem in "Drinking":
In the evening he soars alone, aimlessly roaming. His tone grows sad in the night; his high-pitched calls echo far and wide. Flying back and forth, where can he settle down? Coming upon a tall, solitary pine, he gathers his wings to land from afar. None of the more luxuriant trees survive the constant harsh wind; this one alone stands tough. Having found a safe refuge, he won't desert it for a thousand years." Later I will explain that poem in detail. Now I only want to illustrate how Tao Yuanming blended his own passionate feelings with every scene in nature.
While plucking chrysanthemums, gazing at South Mountain and watching the birds flying home in groups, Tao was overwhelmed with a plethora of feelings, so he uttered:
"No words can express the profound meanings within these scenes." The "profound meanings" denote various feelings and impressions in his life experience, rather than "truth" in the Western sense. Those aesthetic feelings naturally arose when he experienced the scenery. He was saying, "I really don't know how to describe these profound meanings. I would like to, but I simply can't find the right words."
To be continued
|
