( 靖曄 攝影/看中國)

The Concept of “Being Content with Poverty and Happily Pursuing the Way” (Part 3)
 
The Cheng Brothers Kept Their Noble Characters Amidst Poverty
 
Cheng Hao (1032 – 1085 AD) and Cheng Yi (1033 – 1107 AD), two brothers, were famous philosophers and educators in the Northern Song Dynasty. They both “learned diligently, loved history, were content with poverty, and kept their noble characters.” Although they had different life experiences, they continued learning throughout their lifetimes. They kept teaching and pursuing the same ideal. Cheng Hao worked as a local government official. He wrote, “Care for people as if they were patients” as a motto to caution himself. He also politely refused a gift of one hundred rolls of high quality, delicate silk from Prime Minister Lu Dafang (1027 – 1097 AD), saying that he was not the only poor man, rather “There are many poor people in the world.” After completing his government affairs, he always went to teach his students.
 
Cheng Yi served as a tutor to the emperor. He proposed to Emperor Zhezong (1077 – 1100 AD) that a gentleman should pay attention to “cultivating his character and nourishing his virtue.” He liked being close to those who had noble character and dared to admonish the emperor. These descriptions reflect that the two brothers were not disturbed by poverty, and they instead were concerned about the people than wealth. The two brothers later enraged the nobility and were forced to resign from their positions.
 
The Cheng brothers exhibited noble and moral character in the aspects of learning, governing and conducting themselves. They believed that the supreme goal of education is to have the students follow the heavenly principles, be benevolent to people, care about the world, and be in accord with the recognized principles. Although they lived a life of often “having no vegetables” for food, they never stopped teaching. Their noble characters were widely known, thus many people came to learn from them, even from a thousand miles away.
 
The famous classic stories of “Cheng (Cheng Yi) Men (door) Li (standing) Xue (in snow)” and “Ru (like) Mu (bathing) Chun (spring) Feng (breeze)” have become legendary for future generations. The first story tells of how a couple of students went to see Cheng Yi. Cheng was sitting there mediating with his eyes closed. They respectfully stood outside the door in the severe snowy weather. When Cheng woke up, the snow was already one foot deep. They second story describe how Cheng Hao’s students felt that they learned from him as if they were bathing in a spring breeze.
 
The Cheng brothers authored many writings. They once described their own experiences, “We studied under the direction of Zhou Dunyi. He often told us to find what Confucius and Yan Hui were content with and why they were happy.” They believed that assimilation to the Tao (heavenly principles) and unity of heaven and man are where spiritual happiness lies. Cheng Yi wrote, “Heavenly Tao and heavenly principles are the fundamental causes for the creation of everything in the world. They are inside everything and also above everything. Every existence has its own course. Why the sky is high above, why the earth is deeply beneath, why everything exists as it naturally does, they all have their own causes.” “A sagacious person follows the heavenly principles and also wants all living beings to follow the same.” Cheng Hao wrote in his poem, “Observing all things in tranquility, one will find joy and interest in each, everything feels and enjoys the four seasons as humans do. Tao reaches heaven and earth and beyond any material existence, ever-changing thought is as unpredictable as wind and clouds.” He understood Tao’s stateliness and sublimity. His joy lay in knowing the spirit of heaven and earth, and the thoughts of the immeasurable sentient beings, as well as everything in the universe. He also wrote the poem, “It has separated from the secular world that is thirty miles away. The white clouds and red leaves are floating far and near.” (“Autumn Moon”) The poem of “The clouds are leisurely reflected in the water; the sound of spring water flowing naturally comes in the quietness.” (“Walking on the Moon Slope”) depicts Cheng Hao’s inner peace, indifference to fame and interest, and calmness.
 
There is an ancient saying, “Only by not pursuing glory and wealth can one have great ideals, only by being in peace at heart can one think and see far ahead.” There were many individuals with high virtues in history, who were practitioners and promoters of the truth and heavenly principles, as well as exemplary individuals of personal cultivation. Cultivators have their own pleasure from cultivation. Cultivation in itself is a pleasure to them. They look lightly at poorness, richness, and nobility, as they want to cultivate away all kinds of material desires and human attachments, keep their inner peace, and feel fulfilled and contented. Their happiness is in their knowing the heavenly principles, understanding the truth of the universe and the meaning of life, and in having a bright future! The ideal of “being content with poverty while happily pursuing the Tao” symbolizes their pursuit for a sublime, spiritual realm. Regardless of what circumstances they are under, they firmly hold onto their inner noble characters and pursue the truth without reservation or slacking off!
 
浅谈传统理念“安贫乐道”(下)
 
二程安贫守节
 
北宋著名思想家、教育家程颢、程颐兄弟二人，“力学好古，安贫守节”，虽然个人经历不同，却都一生学而不厌，诲人不倦，追求共同的理想。程颢历任地方官，书“视民如伤”于座右自警，又婉拒宰相吕大防赠他百匹高档精美绢帛，说何只我穷，“天下之贫者亦众矣”，每于公事完毕，即亲自教学传道；程颐曾教皇帝读书，向哲宗提出了君子应重视“涵养气质，薰陶德性”，常接近品行高尚、敢于当面规劝君主之过失之人。这些都反映了他们二人不以自处清寒为意，而以百姓疾苦为念。二人后来因触怒权贵而辞职回乡。
 
二程在为学、为政与做人等方面都表现出高尚的道德风范，认为教育最高目的要使受教育者循天理，仁民而爱物，谨守纲常。他们的生活状况虽然时常“蔬菜不继”，但从不“辍教”，名节广传，故士子从其学者无数，甚至不远千里而来，著名的“程门立雪”和“如沐春风”的典故更被后人传为佳话。
 
二程著作甚丰，曾自述：“昔受学于周敦颐，每令寻孔颜乐处，所乐何事”，认为心灵得道，天人合一的境界，乃是精神上乐趣之所在。程颐写道：“天道、天理，是创造万事万物的根源，它在事物之中，又在事物之上。事事物物都有其规律，天之所以高，地之所以深，万事万物之所以然，都有其理”、“圣人循天理而欲万物同之”。程颢在诗中写道：“万物静观皆自得，四时佳兴与人同。道通天地有形外，思入风云变态中”，感悟道的庄严崇高，“乐”在于通于天地精神，乃至通于无量众生之心，通于宇宙万事万物，他还写道：“隔断红尘三十里，白云红叶两悠悠”（《秋月》）、“水心云影闲相照，林下泉声静自来”（《游月陂》），表现出其心境的宁静、淡泊和从容。
 
古语云：“非淡泊无以明志，非宁静无以致远”，历史上有许多道德高尚之人，都是真理和道义的实践者、传播者和修身的典范。修道人有修道人的乐趣，本身就是乐在其中，看淡贫、穷、富、贵，修去各种物欲及人的执著，保持内心世界的祥和、充实和自得。乐在明理，明了宇宙人生真相，前程一片光明！“安贫乐道”理念彰显出一种对高尚精神境界的追求，无论身处任何环境都要坚持道义，坚守心灵深处的高贵，义无反顾地追随真理，永不懈怠！