Confucius Spiritual Development?

孔子的精神修養(yǎng)發(fā)展歷程

In the Taoist work, the Chuang-tzu, we see that the Taoists often ridiculed Confucius as one who confined himself to the morality of human-heartedness and righteousness, thus being conscious only of moral values, and not super-moral value.?

在道家著作《莊子》中，經?？梢姷兰覍W者嘲笑孔子，說他把自己局限于仁義道德中，只知道道德價值，不知道超道德價值。

Superficially they were right, but actually they were wrong.?

從表面上看他們是正確的，實際卻錯了

Thus speaking about his own spiritual development, Confucius said: "At fifteen I set my heart on learning. At thirty I could stand. At forty I had no doubts. At fifty I knew the Decree of Heaven. At sixty I was already obedient [to this Decree]. At seventy I could follow the desires of my mind without overstepping the boundaries [of what is right]." (Analects, II, 4)?

孔子在談到自己的精神發(fā)展歷程時說：“吾十有五，而至于學。三十而立。四十而不惑。五十而知天命。六十而耳順。七十而從心所欲，不逾矩?！?/p>

The learning which Confucius here refers to is not what we now would call learning.?

孔子在此說的“學”跟我們現在說的“學”是不一樣的。

In the Analects, Confucius said: "Set your heart on the Tao." (VII, 6.)?

孔子在《論語》中說：“志于道”。

And again: "To hear the Tao in the morning and then die at night, that would be all right." (IV, 9.)?

又說：“朝聞道，夕死可矣?！?/p>

Here Tao means the Way or Truth.?

道，即真理。

It was this Tao which Confucius at fifteen set his heart upon learning.?

孔子十五歲時至于學即此道。

What we now call learning means the increase of our knowledge, but the Tao is that whereby we can elevate our mind.?

我們現在說的“學”指知識的增加，“道”指精神境界的提升。

Confucius also said: "Take your stand in the li [rituals, ceremonies, proper conduct]." (Analects, VIII, 8.)?

孔子還說：“立于禮?！?/p>

Again he said: "Not to know the li is to have no means of standing." (XX, 3.)?

又說：“不知禮，無以立也?！?/p>

Thus when Confucius says that at thirty he could "stand”, he means that he then understood the li and so could practice proper conduct.?

所以當孔子說三十可以“立”，他的意思是這時他懂得了禮，言行舉止得當。

His statement that at forty he had no doubts means that he had then become a wise man.?

For, as quoted before, "The wise are free from doubts."?

他說四十不惑意思是這時候他已經成為知者，因為如前文所引用的，“知者不惑?！?/p>

Up to this time of his life Confucius was perhaps conscious only of moral values.?

孔子的一生中，到此為止可能僅僅關注到道德價值。

But at the age of fifty and sixty, he knew the Decree of Heaven and was obedient to it.?

但是五十、六十時，他意識到了天命并且能順乎天命。

In other words, he was then also conscious of super-moral values.?

也就是說，這時他也認識到了超道德價值。

Confucius in this respect was like Socrates.?

在這方面，孔子很像蘇格拉底。

Socrates thought that he had been appointed by a divine order to awaken the Greeks, and Confucius had a similar consciousness of a divine mission.?

蘇格拉底認為他是受神的指派，來喚醒希臘人?？鬃油瑯佑X得他受到神的指派。

For example, when he was threatened with physical violence at a place called K'uang, he said: "If Heaven had wished to let civilization perish, later generations (like myself) would not have been permitted to participate in it. But since Heaven has not wished to let civilization perish, what can the people of K'uang do to me?" (Analects, IX, 5.)?

比如，當他在一個叫匡的地方被威脅時說：“天之將喪斯文也，后死者不得與于斯文也；天之未喪斯文也，匡人其如予何！”

One of his contemporaries also said: "The world for long has been without order. But now Heaven is going to use the Master as an arousing tocsin. (Analects, III, 24)?

一個跟孔子同時代的人說：“天下之無道也久矣，天將以夫子為木鐸。”

Thus Confucius in doing what he did, was convinced that he was following the Decree of Heaven and was supported by Heaven; he was conscious of values higher than moral ones.?

所以孔子在做事情時，深信他是在執(zhí)行神的旨意，受到神的支持；他認識的價值也就高于道德價值。

The super-moral value experienced by Confucius, however, was, as we shall see, not quite the same as that experienced by the Taoists.?

然而，我們將會看到，孔子所體驗到的超道德價值，跟道家體驗到的是不完全一樣的。

For the latter abandoned entirely the idea of an intelligent and purposeful Heaven, and sought instead for mystical union with an undifferentiated whole.?

因為道家完全拋棄了有理智、有目的的天的觀念，代之以追求與混沌的整體達到什么的合一。

The super-moral value which they knew and experienced, therefore, was freer from the ordinary concepts of the human relationships.?

因此道家所認識的及體驗的超道德價值，距離人倫日用更遠了。

At seventy, as has been told above, Confucius allowed his mind to follow whatever it desired, yet everything he did was naturally right of itself.?

就像上面說到的，孔子到了七十就能從心所欲，而他做的一切都自然而然的正確。

His actions no longer needed a conscious guide.?

他的行為不再需要有意識的指導。

He was acting without effort.?

他的所作所為也用不著努力。

This represents the last stage in the development of the sage.

這表明已經發(fā)展到了圣人的最高階段。