說到 「道」，我又想起孔子還曾經說過「朝聞道，夕死可矣」，他說如果你早晨聽說真正的道了，你真正懂了它裏面的道理內容了，那麼就算你傍晚時就死去了，你也一定不會感到遺憾了，因為你這輩子沒有白來，因為你畢竟認識了道。所以儒家與佛家在這一點上是相通的。他們在最高的境界修養上是相同的。
不過佛教常常還能給人一點安慰：今生行善如果沒有得到善報，可以在來生獲得好的報應。可是儒家呢？完全靠你自力更生，你連來世的安慰這一點都沒有了，你也要做到「道勝無戚顏」這就是陶淵明在這首詩裏所要表達的思想和感情。雖然這是很短的一首詩，但是詩裏還有陶淵明許多人生的體驗，有他很多人生的哲理，也有許多中國古代傳統悠久的思想和文化。我們今天就先把這首詩結束在這裏。
第七講
上一次我們把《飲酒》的第二首講完了，我想我們既講的是詩。我們就除了講清它的內容，情意，哲理之外，也應該從文學的觀念上看一看這首詩算不算一首好詩，或者為什麼是好詩。我們本來在講陶淵明的詩以前就講過了，我們說陶淵明的詩很有思想性，但是當他把他的思想表現在詩裏的時候，他不只是說一個道理而已，同時還是非常有味道的詩。
那是因為，首先他詩裏邊所說的這些思想，道理是緊密結合著他的生活經驗和感受的；第二個原因是，他詩裏邊有許多形象和比喻用得非常好。除了上述這兩點之外，這第二首詩之所以好，還有另外一個緣故。
我們上次曾經說過，陶淵明這首「積善云有報」的思想，是來源於司馬遷的《史記伯夷列傳》的。《伯夷列傳》在《史記》本來就是非常出色，非常值得注意的一篇文章。它跟《史記》中其他的列傳都不一樣。為什麼不一樣？一個非常簡單的原因就是，在別的列傳裏邊，都是先寫一個傳記，然後是司馬遷對這個人的評注，即以「太史公曰」為標誌的一段評注。「太史公」是司馬遷的官職名稱，在漢代這種官的職責是記載歷史的。
《史記》中所有的傳記都是「傳」與「評」相分離的，只有《伯夷列傳》裏邊沒有把司馬遷的主觀評註用「太史公曰」的標誌分離出來，他是把評注跟傳記結合在一起的。他時而記敘，時而批評講述，兩者結合得如水乳交融。
另外，他還不只是把敘述跟評注結合在一起，他還把他的疑問跟感慨也結合在一起了。在整個的《伯夷列傳》裏邊，他用了很多問句，表示一種疑問的口氣。他曾經先引述古人所說的「天道無親，常與善人」，然後他就舉了很多例子，很多例證都是善人遭到不幸的結果，反而不善的人過了很好的生活，所以他最後就問「倘所謂天道，是邪？非邪？」——假如真有所謂的天道，而且天道是常常祝福行善的人，那是真的嗎？究竟「是」還是「非」呢？
在舉例證的時候，他先提出疑問，然後他舉一個例記。他所舉的就是伯夷。他說像伯夷，「倘所謂善人者，非耶！」——伯夷不是一個很好的人，不是嗎？可是為什麼伯夷和他的弟弟叔齊餓死在首陽山上了呢？
我現在說的是《史記——伯夷列傳》這篇文章的特色，是它把敘述跟批評兩個結合在一起了，把疑問跟感慨結合在一起了。司馬遷的《史記》之所以不止是一部歷史，也是很出色的文學，就正因為他不只是說一個故事，他把自己的一些感慨，一些評注都寫在裏邊了。
陶淵明的這首詩不僅用了《伯夷列傳》裏邊的思想和感慨，另一個之所以感人的地方是他還吸取了司馬遷《伯夷列傳》中的敘述方法。他是怎樣敘述的呢？
待續 |
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Speaking of the 'Way', I remember that Confucius said, "Knowing the Way in the morning, I can die without regrets in the evening." He said that if you heard about the true Way and understood its meaning in the morning, then even if you died that very evening, you would not feel regretful; you would not have wasted this life because you understood the Way. On this point, Confucianism and Buddhism are equal. At the highest level of cultivation, both are the same.
Buddhism offers people certain consolation, saying that, "If you don't receive good retributions from good deeds in this life, you will receive them in future lives." In Confucianism, however, you rely completely on yourself. Even though there is no hope of a better destiny in the future, you still have to have the attitude that, "When the Way prevails, my face is no longer gloomy." These are the ideas and sentiments that Tao Yuanming conveys in this poem. Although it is a very short poem, it contains many of Tao Yuanming's life experiences and his philosophy of life, as well as being rich in the traditional ideas and culture of ancient China. Let us conclude here for today.
Lecture Seven
Last time we finished discussing the second poem in the series "On Drinking." In discussing poems, we should not only discuss their content, sentiment, and philosophy, but also analyze them from literary perspective to see if they are good poems and what makes them good. Before we began discussing Tao Yuanming's poems, I mentioned that his poems were very rich in ideas. In expressing those ideas, he not only conveyed the principles, but did so in a very tasteful and interesting way.
First of all, he integrated those ideas and principles with actual experiences and feelings from his life. Secondly, he made skillful use of imagery and metaphors in his poems. In addition, there is another reason why the second poem is excellent.
Last time, we mentioned that the line: "It is said that accumulated good brings a reward" conveyed an idea derived from the "Biographical Sketch of Boyi" in Sima Qian's Historical Records. The "Biographical Sketch of Boyi" is an outstanding and noteworthy article in the Historical Records. It is different from the other biographies. One very simple reason is that for most biographies, Sima Qian would first record the person's life story and then add his own comments, starting with the phrase, "The Imperial Historian says..." Imperial Historian was the title of Sima Qian's position, which in the Han Dynasty carried the responsibility of recording history.
Throughout the Historical Records, the biography proper is separated from the comments in all the biographical sketches except for that of Boyi, in which Sima Qian did not use the phrase "The Imperial Historian says" to separate the life story from his comments. Instead, he interspersed his comments right within the biography. He alternated between biographical narration and commentary, blending the two like water and milk.
He not only merged the narrative and commentary, but also included questions and exclamations as well. The "Biographical Sketch of Boyi" has many questions expressing his doubts. He first alludes to the ancient proverb: "Heaven shows no partiality, yet always aids the virtuous, " and then he presents many examples, some of good men who suffered unfortunate endings, and some of bad guys who lived out their lives in comfort. Then he concludes with a question: If that is divine justice, is it reliable or not? If there actually is something called divine justice, does it always bless good people? Is it real or not?
In presenting the case, he first asks a question, then brings up an example, which is Boyi. He said that a man like Boyi was considered a good man, wasn't he?—Boyi was a good man, was he not? But why did both Boyi and his brother Shuqi starve to death at Shouyang Mountain?
A characteristic feature of the "Biographical Sketch of Boyi" in the Historical Records is that it combines narrative and commentary, questions and exclamations. Sima Qian's Historical Records is not merely a book of history, but also excellent literature. He not only recorded the stories of people's lives, but also added his own feelings and comments as well.
Tao Yuanming not only alludes to the ideas and feelings in the "Biographical Sketch of Boyi," but it is very touching to see that he also absorbs Sima Qian's narrative skill. How does he do it?
To be continued |
