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陶淵明還曾說過「但恨鄰靡二仲，室無萊婦，抱茲苦心，良獨內愧。」他說我很遺憾在我的鄰居中沒有像求仲、羊仲那樣的人，我的家中也沒有像老萊子妻子那樣的人。求仲、羊仲是中國古代很清高的隱士，他們寧可過隱居的清貧生活，也不肯做官。老萊子的妻子則是一個非常理解支持丈夫堅守品節的人，據說老萊子曾與妻子一起去隱居，過著非常清貧的生活，後政府出面邀請老萊子出來做官，老萊子不能決定，可老萊子的妻子馬上就說：你不要出去做官，咱們寧願貧苦，也不要到那污穢的官場之中去做官。陶淵明感慨自己家中沒有像老萊子妻好那樣能夠理解支持丈夫堅守節操的婦人。連周圍親近的妻好和鄰居都不能了解自己，所以陶淵明就只有「抱茲苦心，良獨內愧」了。「抱」是內心懷抱。是說我選擇了這種躬耕的生活有我很苦的用心，可是朋友家人都不了解我。「良」是實在，「獨」是獨自一人。是說我內心之中是非常地寂寞、孤獨和苦悶。我剛才說過陶淵明飲酒的時候，是在閑暇之時，他沒有一個知己可以談心，可以把他的思想感情相互交流、訴說出來，所以只好把這份內心的感受與感慨寫下來，這就是他詩中所以有那麼多思想的原因。
那麼他這第一首詩所考慮的是什麼問題呢？是人生最重要的問題，即人生觀的問題。一般人在世界上所考慮的只是自己的「得失」、「榮辱」，每個人在做事之前總要想想：我做了這些事情能得到什麼好處。現在很多人做事不是先考慮正義、真理，而是效益和名利，考慮的是能否有人稱贊我，能否出名顯貴……。前些時候，我碰到幾個從台灣來的朋友，他們說現在台灣流行著一句話，年輕人出來做事情都要打一張牌，這不是我們說的撲克牌或麻將牌，而是一張名牌，是要打出一個知名度。他們急於要出名追求一個榮譽。那麼這樣的東西果然就是真實的，果就是可靠的嗎？陶淵明就考慮到這樣的問題，人生究竟是為了什麼？是為了得失、榮辱嗎？
陶淵明說：「衰榮無定在，彼此更共之」，你不要以為你今天很得意，你要知道眼前這一切都是靠不住的，就像那些做股票生意的，今天一下子可能賺很多錢，但是明天他有可能一下子就破產了。
所以他說「衰榮無定在」，「衰」是衰敗，「榮」是繁榮，陶淵明是用形容植物、草木的形容詞來喻說人世間的道理，其實不但是草木植物有花開、花落，興盛和衰敗的時候，人生也有花開、花落，興盛與衰敗，而什麼時候衰敗？什麼時候成功？哪些人成功？哪些人失敗？陶淵明說這是「無定在」的。沒有一個固定的所在。不是說注定了姓張的人家都興旺，姓李的人家都衰敗，或者說姓李的人家都榮華，姓張的人家都衰敗，從來沒有這樣的事情。沒有一個人能夠永久地榮華或衰敗。這就是下一句所說的「彼此更共之」。「彼此」，一是指衰敗，一是指榮華。「更」在這裡讀作「耕」，不是「亙」，是相互更替的意思。「共」是共同結合在一起，這句話的意思還不只是說衰敗和榮華的相互交替而是說當你衰敗的時候，可能就已經種下了榮華的種子，而當你繁華榮耀的時候，也可能埋下了衰敗的因由了。
中國古代思想家老子就說過這樣的話：「禍兮福所倚，福兮禍所伏」，是說福與禍是相互依存的。中國古代還有個成語說：「塞翁失馬，焉知非福」。有些事情從表面上看起來是件禍事，但實禍往往就是幸福的依托，有時也可以叫你因禍得福。而那些表面起來是幸福的事，實際上往往也已有災禍的種子潛伏，埋藏在裡面了。
中國古代還常常這樣說：「生於憂患，死於安樂。」你不要看眼前是憂愁，是患難，憂患、患難反而可以使你更加努力，更加知道勤奮，這樣反而使你興盛起來；你看起來是在安樂，快活、享福了，可結果就使你懶散了、怠慢了、鬆懈了、奢侈了、淫靡了，這反而使你漸漸走向衰亡。
待續
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Tao Yuanming once said: "My only regret is not having neighbors such as the two Zhong, nor a wife such as Lai's. I uphold a life of principle, but feel really lonely and guilty." In other words, "I am very sad that there are no people like Qiu Zhong and Yang Zhong among my neighbors, nor a woman like the wife of Lao Lai Zi in my home." Qiu Zhong and Yang Zhong were lofty-minded hermits in ancient China, who chose to lead a poor and pure life in solitude over working for the government. Lao Lai Zi's wife totally understood and supported her husband's virtues. It was said that Lao Lai Zi and his wife retreated to a very poor and pure life. Later on, the government invited Lao Lai Zi to be an official. While Lao Lai Zi was considering it, his wife immediately said, "Don't work for the government. I would rather live in poverty than have you work for that corrupt government."
Tao Yuanming lamented that he did not have a good wife like Lao Lai Zi's who could understand and support her husband's virtues. Even his relatives, good friends and neighbors could not understand him. All he could do was exclaim:
I uphold a life of principle, but feel really lonely and guilty.
'Uphold' indicates 'hold in one's heart.' "I chose this farming life with its profound ideals, but my friends and family don't understand me. 'Lonely' means all by oneself. He said, "I really feel alone and distressed."
I mentioned earlier that Tao Yuanming drank in his leisure time, but did not have a buddy with which to discuss the feelings and thoughts in his heart; therefore he could only write down his innermost sensations and thoughts. That's why his poems are so deeply thoughtful.
Now, what issue did he consider in the first poem? It was the most important issue, regarding his perspective on life. Most people in the world care about personal benefit and fame. Before they act, they always think: "What's in it for me?" Today, many people care little about righteousness and truth, but are concerned only about benefit, fame and wealth. They worry, "Will anyone admire me?" and "How can I become famous?"
Not too long ago, I met a few friends from Taiwan. They told me that there is a very popular saying in Taiwan now: "When a young man starts to work in the society, he should play a card." This is not a poker card or a mahjong card, but a name card-that is, they should make a name for themselves. They are eager to pursue fame. However, is such fame genuine? Tao Yuanming considered this issue: What is life ulti- mately about? Is it about winning and losing, about honor and disgrace?
Tao Yuanming said: "Decline and prosperity are imper manent, each reciprocating the other." Don't think that you are in good shape today; you should know that you cannot count on the current situation. It is analogous to the stock market: you may strike it rich one day and go bankrupt the next. Therefore Tao said:
Decline and prosperity are imper- manent.
'Decline' refers to deterioration; 'prosperity' indicates growth. Tao Yuanming chose adjectives usually used to describe plants to allude to human situations. As a matter of fact, not only do plants bloom, wither, flourish and decay at certain times, humans also have times of blossoming, withering, flourishing, and decaying. When do we fail? When do we succeed? Who succeeds and who fails? Tao Yuanming believed all such things to be ephemeral and unfixed.
For example, the Zhang family does not always prosper, nor is the Lee family doomed to fail. Things do not happen that way. No one prospers or declines forever. That is ex- pressed in the next line:
"each reciprocating the other." 'Each' here indicates decline and prosperity. 'Geng' (reciprocate) should pronounced in the fourth tone instead of the first, so that it means reciprocal exchange.
'Reciprocate' also connotes a mutual unity: not only do decline and prosperity alternate and replace each other, but the seed of prosperity may be sown during decline, and the cause of decay may be planted in times of glory.
An ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Zi, said, "Misfortune is the basis of fortune; fortune is the cause of misfortune." That is, fortune and misfortune are interdependent. There is another Chinese proverb, "The elder man at the frontier lost his horse. Who can know whether it is not his fortune?" Some seemingly unfortunate events may actually be the source of fortune; you might obtain blessings through bad luck. Some ostensibly fortunate events actually bear the cause of disaster.
The ancient Chinese often said, "One grows in anxiety and hardship; one dies in laxness and negligence." Don't worry about the anxieties and difficulties of the present; they can push you to work harder, until you eventually achieve prosperity. On other hand, a seemingly enjoyable life of fun and ease only encourages laziness, laxness, luxury, and lust, eventually leading one to failure.
To be continued
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