Utmost Joy(1)
至樂(一)
1 Is there an absolute joy in which it has no side effect in this world?
這世上真有絕對無副作用的快樂嗎？
2 Is there anything that can maintain life exactly for a long time in this world?
這世上真有一件東西，可以準確無誤地，長期維持保護人的生命嗎？
3 In this world what should I do, what should I believe, what should I avoid, what should I seek, what should I accept, what should I refuse, what should I love and what should I hate?
生活在這個世界上，我應該做什麼，應該相信什麼，又應該避免做什麼? 我應該追求什麼，應該接受什麼，又應該拒絕什麼? 我應該愛什麼，又應該恨什麼呢?
天下有至樂無有哉？有可以活身者無有哉？今奚為奚據？奚避奚處？奚就奚去？奚樂奚惡？
4 In this world, what’s the value that I should treasure? Is it position, long life, or kindness?
這世上什麼樣的東西才是最值得我珍惜的? 是地位，是長壽，還是仁善呢？
5 I know that common people prefer to health, gourmet food, splendid clothes, beauty and music than poverty, humble work, early death and malady.
我知道一般人都喜歡健康、美食、華衣、漂亮的容貌及音樂等等，最不喜歡的是貧窮、卑賤的工作、夭壽以及惡疾。
6 They are afraid of loosing their health, no opportunity for enjoying gourmet food, no beauty, and no music for fun. When they can’t get these that they like, their mood fall down to the bottom and they feel that they are unlucky, complaining all.
人們較為擔心的是自己的健康，還有是否有機會嘗到美食，是否有漂亮的衣服穿，是否有美人依偎在懷，是否有音樂助興。當他們得不到這些他們所熱切盼望得到的東西時，他們的情緒就立刻跌入谷底，開始怨天尤人，甚至歸咎於一切都是因為自己的運氣不好。
7 In truth, these people who led by the outward material are very stupid.
老實說，這種被外界物質牽著鼻子走的人是極其愚蠢的。
夫天下之所尊者，富貴壽善也；所樂者，身安厚味美服好色音聲也；所下者，貧賤夭惡也；所苦者，身不得安逸，口不得厚味，形不得美服，目不得好色，耳不得音聲。若不得者，則大憂以懼，其為形也亦愚哉！
8 Those rich men are desperate to work. They are busy and nervous in accumulating greedily the wealth that they can’t use up in their whole life.
這世上的有錢人，他們沒命地工作，每天緊張兮兮地，貪婪地囤積一些他們一輩子也花用不的財物。
9 Their way to seek sensory consoling is very shallow.
他們追求感官慰藉的作法是極其膚淺的。
夫富者，苦身疾作，多積財而不得盡用，其為形也亦外矣！
10 In order to protect position, the man with high position consider all days what he should do and not do to please the officials of higher level.
那些處在高位的人，為了保障其職位，一天到晚都在傷腦筋，到底應該這樣做，還是不應該那樣做，如此煞費思量，目的全是為了取悅上司。
11 Their lives are very unstable, because they would be dismissed and replaced at any time.
這些人的生活是極其不穩定的，因為他們隨時都有被撤換的可能。
12 A series of misfortune follows a man’s birth.
人一生下來，一連串的不如意就緊隨著而來。
夫貴者，夜以繼日，思慮善否，其為形也亦疏矣！人之生也，與憂俱生。
13 The older is aging day by day. Everyday they have to stand with death so they can’t help but feel sad.
年紀大的老人，他們在老化、衰敗的過程中渡過了一天又一天，每天與死亡的威脅為伍，心情鬱悒自是在所難免。
14 Alas! This is such a miserable scene!
唉! 這是一幅多麼可悲的情景啊!
壽者惛惛，久憂不死，何之苦也！其為形也亦遠矣！
15 These people get lost so far and so deep in seeking for the enjoyments of material. These people are brave in deed. Their stories, wealth, power and reputation are appraised wonderful. However, those nice things can’t make them immortal. What’s more, it is not sure that those that common people think well are really good and those that common people think bad are really bad.
這些人在追求物質享受的道路上，是已經迷失的夠遠、夠深了。這些勇敢的烈士們，他們的事蹟，他們的財富、權位、名譽等在世人的評價中都是極其美好的;可是這些所謂美好的事物，卻無法保證他們能得以不死。更何況，他們自己也不能確定，世人所認為美好的就真的是好，或相反的真的是壞。
16 Those common people think are good but can’t protect their life.
若說它們好，可這樣卻也無法保住他們的命。
烈士為天下見善矣，未足以活身。
17 Some people think those are bad but the order and economic activities of the society are maintained because of them. The environment created by those is the fundamental where many people live in, so those are good in this respect of consideration.
若說它們不好。可又因為它們的緣故，社會經濟活動興旺，社會秩序也才得以維持。它們所創造出的環境，讓許多人因而活命，所以就這層意義上而言，它們看起來又似是好的。
吾未知善之誠善邪？誠不善邪？若以為善矣，不足活身；以為不善矣，足以活人。
18 I am watching the conducts of common people in this world. The common people think that what they have done are all seeking for joy but after close analysis, I don’t know what their so-called joy is a real joy or nothing but a kind of illusion, or a presentation with serious side effect.
我觀察現今世人的許多行為，發現他們都認為自己是在追求快樂。可是經過仔細分析，我實在不明白他們的所謂快樂，是真的快樂，還是僅只是一種幻覺，一種有嚴重後遺症的表象。
19 I see common people scrambling for their joy. I truly find these joys hanging high as the goal sought by people. They who obtain the joys say they feel happy and comfortable. Instead, I am not able to experience throughout the so-called joys they seek for. Why do they feel happy with the joys? Why do they feel unhappy without the joys?
我看世人都爭先恐後地追求他們所謂的快樂。我也確實發現，這些快樂是高高的懸掛在那兒，成為人們努力奮鬥的目標。得到它們的人都說好快樂、好享受。然而我卻完全沒有辦法體會，他們所謂的快樂，有什麼快樂可言，得不到它們的話，又有什麼好覺得不快樂的。
吾觀夫俗之所樂舉群趣者，誙誙然如將不得已，而皆曰樂者，吾未之樂也，亦未之不樂也。
20 Sometimes, I really doubt if there is a joyful feeling and sorrowful feeling in the world. Truly speaking, I think that a sound, tranquil and peaceful life is the real joy without side effect. Common people, however, think that it is boring, lonely, vacant, extremely hard and painful life.
有時我真懷疑，這世上是否真的有快樂與不快樂這樣的感覺。老實說，我認為平靜無波、安穩、沉靜的生活才是真正沒有後遺症的快樂。然而世人卻聽不進去，認為那是無聊、寂寞、空虛與極其難過的痛苦生活。
果有樂無有哉？吾以無為誠樂矣，又俗之所大苦也。
21 Alas! What can I do?
唉! 既然如此，那我又有什麼可說的呢?
22 This possibly is the difference between the common people and men of practice.
這大概就是修行人與一般人之間的差別吧!
故曰：「忠諫不聽，蹲循勿爭。」故夫子胥爭之以殘其形；不爭，名亦不成。誠有善無有哉？今俗之所為與其所樂，吾又未知樂之果樂邪？果不樂邪？
23 To the men of practice, “there is no joy in the utmost joy and no praise in the utmost praise”. Safe and peace are bliss. If Heaven forgot you, you would live for longer time. If government forgot you, you would pay less tax and do fewer services. If you reduced the association with the malfeasant, you would be exploited less. The time when nobody notices you mostly is nice.
對修行的人言「至樂無樂，至譽無譽」，平安就是福。老天忘記你，你就活久點兒。政府忘記你，你就少繳些稅，少出些勞役。少與那些貪官污吏接觸，你就少被剝層皮。沒人理會的大部份時間都是好的。
故曰：「至樂無樂，至譽無譽。」天下是非果未可定也。
24 According to the said statement, it is difficult to draw a conclusion on what is joy, what is good, and what is favorable. Nevertheless, people who keep a sound, tranquil and peaceful heart can find long joy without side effect for sure. At the same time, it can protect people’s lives. Why? Let’s study on it.
由上觀之，天下的事很難有一定論，認為什麼是快樂？什麼是好的？什麼是有利的？不過人保持一顆沉穩，安寧，祥和之心確實是可以找到沒副作用持久的快樂，同時可以活命保身。關於其中的原因，現在容我來說明。
雖然，無為可以定是非。至樂活身，唯無為幾存。
25 In the birth stage of earth, the air was full of poisonous gases, such as gas of sulfur, carbon monoxide. Temperatures in different places were different. Therefore, storms show everyday. Under the condition of heavy rain and hurricane, the sky was varying. The sky was not stable and didn’t become blue until most gases of sulfur; carbon monoxide and biogas were pressed down, settled down or transformed to hide in land.
當地球初生之時，空氣中充滿著硫磺、一氧化碳等含毒氣體。大氣溫度的分佈也極不均勻，因此暴風雨無日或停。巨風暴雨下，整個天空充滿了詭譎而多變的色彩。直到有一天，大氣中的硫、一氧化碳、沼氣等大部份被降伏、沉積或轉化並深藏於大地之中。這時天空才逐漸穩定下來，開始透出一片蔚藍之色。
26 The earth was so too. In the youth of earth, the whole earth was like a coal clod taken from stove. Each place gave out poisonous gas that made people faint. Hot spring spouted out from underground at times. The earth was heated and unrest everyday. It didn’t calm down until the lithosphere came to cool down and high temperature lowered.
大地也是這樣。在地球年輕時，整個地球像是一塊剛從火爐取出的煤塊。各地都冒著令人昏眩的毒瓦斯。赤熱的泉水不時自地底噴出。大地熱滾滾的，不得一刻安寧。只有當地球溫度逐漸降低，地殼慢慢冷卻，高溫退去後，大地才算安靜了下來。
27 When peaceful environment with blue sky and cool land came into being, creatures started to have a suitable space to live. The vigorous world possibly came into being.
當天空展現蔚藍，大地逐漸退燒，寧靜的環境出現後，生物才真正地獲得生長的空間。生氣蓬勃的世界才成為可能。
28 In the other viewpoint, we may say that creatures were gestated in chaos. When chaos calmed down, life came out one after another.
從另外一個角度上看，也可以說萬物是在渾沌中開始孕育的。當渾沌沉靜下來時，生命就逐一的誕生了。
請嘗試言之：天無為以之清，地無為以之寧。故兩無為相合，萬物皆化生。芒乎芴乎，而無從出乎！芴乎芒乎，而無有象乎！
29 Therefore, when heaven and earth calmed down, all things came into being. Is our human enlightened from this phenomenon?
所以當天地寧靜下來時，萬物也就形成了。而我們人類，是否也可以從這樣的現象中得到一點啟示呢？
萬物職職，皆從無為殖。故曰：「天地無為也而無不為也。」人也孰能得無為哉！