第九辑 圣贤之音 - 文化与道德的乐章 Volume 9: Culture & Virtue - Echoes of the Sage
摘自入行论31
Excerpt from The Way of the Bodhisattva 31
孔子说“四十而不惑，五十而知天命”，所谓“知天命”就是知道宇宙的大道、人生的真相，这要有大智慧。所以孔子是悟道的人，很多人明明不懂中国文化，还去教别人，把孔子的思想讲成一些君君臣臣、三从四德之类的东西，其实这都是些礼仪而已。当一个社会没有了道，没有了德，只剩下没有道德的礼仪的时候，人类就变得很虚伪，互相地欺骗。
Confucius said, "At forty, I had no doubts; at fifty, I understood the will of Heaven." "Understood the will of Heaven" means knowing the grand principles of the universe and the truth of life, which requires great wisdom. So Confucius was an enlightened sage. Many people clearly don't understand Chinese culture still attempt to teach others, misrepresenting Confucius' philosophy as mere matters of hierarchy and formalities, or the Three Obediences and Four Virtues. In fact, these are just etiquette. When a society loses its Way and virtue, and all that remains is etiquette without morality, humanity becomes hypocritical, deceiving one another.
中国人就是这样的——很少说真话！在官场上说一套话，商场上说一套话，回到家又说一套话，在不同的地方都得说不同的话。所以很多外国人到中国来是适应不了的。中国人这种民族特性，是任何一个民族都没有的。
Chinese people are like this - they rarely speak the truth! They speak one set of words in the political arena, another set of words in the business world, and at home, they speak yet another set. They have to speak different set of words in different places. That's why many foreigners struggle to adapt when they come to China. This national characteristic of the Chinese is unique and unmatched by any other nationality.
只有复兴真正的传统文化，我们中国才有希望。否则就要“挨打”，就要被人家欺负的。其实国家和国家之间的关系就像十来岁的孩子一样，弱势的孩子一定会遭欺负的，孩子们是很直接的，欺负你就是欺负你。不像大人，要害你不会直接干，而是背后使阴谋。
Only by reviving our true traditional culture can China have hope. Otherwise, we will be "beaten" and bullied by others. In fact, the relationship between countries are akin to children in their early teens. A vulnerable child is bound to be bullied. Children are straightforward - if they bully you, it's clear they are bullying you. Unlike adults, they won't target you directly, but instead employ conspiracies behind your back.
小孩子们的关系是赤裸裸的，国家和国家之间的关系也是赤裸裸的，就是利益的关系，你落后、弱小他就揍你、欺负你、敲诈你、遏制你。没办法，这是人性堕落的必然呈现。
The relationships between children are straightforward and transparent. So are the relationships between countries - purely based on interests. If you are backward and weak, they will beat you, bully you, blackmail you, and curb you. You can do nothing. This is the inevitable manifestation of the degeneration of human nature.
我们中国的文化不是这样的，古代中国强大的时候，都是去帮助那些弱小的国家，让他们来归顺我们，我们那个时候是泱泱大国，周边的小国家都自动地来归顺和依附，向我们进贡。不是我们侵略他们，是他们崇敬我们。
Our Chinese culture is not like that. When China was strong in ancient times, we would assist those weaker nations, making them submit to us. At that time, we were a mighty nation, and the surrounding small countries would voluntarily submit and attach themselves to us, paying tribute. It was not us invading them; it was them admiring us.
中国古代的帝国是这样子的，人类历史上其他任何一个民族都没有过这样的时代——一个国家的道德和富强，让那些小国自动地来归顺，无需欺负和攻打他们，这就是“王道”。
That's how the ancient Chinese empire was. No other nation in human history has experienced such an era where the morality and strength of a country would lead smaller nations to voluntarily submit without the need for bullying or attacking them. This is known as the "Way of the King".
跟王道相反的就是“霸道”，霸道就是打得你听话，你不听话就揍你，春秋战国的时候也有霸道，后来孔子的儒家思想得到了推广，所谓修身、齐家、治国、平天下，儒家文化是先要修身养性，才能治国、平天下的。这样的思想当时在其他的民族是没有的。
In contrast, the opposite of the "Way of the King" is the "Way of the Tyrant." The Way of the Tyrant involves forcing obedience through violence; if you don't obey, you get beaten. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period, there was also the Way of the Tyrant. Later on, Confucius' Confucianism gained popularity, advocating for self-cultivation, harmonious family, good governance, and bringing peace to the world. Confucian culture emphasized the importance of cultivating oneself before being able to govern a country and bring peace to the world. Such a philosophy was not present in other nations at that time.
人类的本能就是自私的，是需要教化的。西方后来有了基督教，有了信仰以后他们也讲布施、讲爱，正因为有基督教，才有西方现在的文明。没有信仰，就没有文明，人类就必然会堕落。
The instinct of humans is inherently selfish and requires enlightenment. Later on, the West embraced Christianity, which instilled faith and emphasized acts of charity and love. It is precisely because of Christianity that the Western world has its current civilization. Without faith, there would be no civilization, and humanity would inevitably decline.
现在中国文化在复兴，中国的国力也在复兴，没有文化的复兴，国家能强盛吗？所以说，我们国家的希望，还是要文化的复兴、道德的复兴。
Currently, Chinese culture is experiencing a revival, and China's national strength is also being rejuvenated. Can a nation truly prosper without the revival of its culture? Therefore, the hope of our country lies in the revival of culture and morality.
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