Author
Su Shi, whose name is Zizhan, is Dongpo Jushi, a writer in Song Dynasty, and one of the eight masters in Tang and Song Dynasties, including Seven Chapters of Dongpo, Dongpo Yi Zhuan, Dongpo Yuefu and so on.
the original text and translation
the original text: those who are born ill (mi ? o) ① those who do not know the sun, ask those who have a purpose. Or tell him, "The sun is like a copper plate." Button ② to get the sound. He smells the clock every day, thinking that it is also a day. Or tell them, "The light of the sun is like a candle." The shape of the candle is obtained. One day, I think it will be tomorrow. The day is a bell, and it's far away, but those who are afraid don't know the difference, and those who ask for it without seeing it are also.
Tao is more difficult to see than the sun, and people's failure to reach it is tantamount to embarrassment. The supreme person tells us that although there are clever examples and good guidance, there is no need to overdo it with candles. Since the plate and the clock, since the clock and Yu (4), turn to each other, is there both? Those who spoke the Tao in the past, or named it after what they saw, or did not understand it, all sought the Tao too much.
but you can't ask for it? Su Zi said, "Tao can be caused but not sought." What is the cause? Sun Wu said, "A good fighter causes people, not others." Zi Xia said, "A hundred workers live in four places to make it happen; A gentleman learns, so that he can learn. " Don't ask for it, but I think it's also embarrassing!
there are no people in the south, and the sun and water live together. At the age of seven, you can swim, at the age of ten, you can float, and at the age of fifteen, you can't. If you have no husband, how can you be miserable? There must be someone who gains the way of water. If you live in the sun and the water, you will get the Tao at fifteen; If you don't know the water, you will be strong and afraid of the boat. Therefore, the brave people in the north ask why no one is there, and there is no one who does not drown in the river of words. Therefore, those who seek the Tao without learning are those who learn from the north.
in the past, scholars learned from temperament, and scholars were miscellaneous in learning, but not interested in Tao; In this world, scholars are selected by the classics, and scholars know how to seek the Tao without learning. Wu Junyan of Bohai Sea was interested in being a scholar, so he asked the Ministry of Rites to write "Japanese Metaphor" to inform him.
A person who was born blind didn't know the sun, so he asked someone with eyes what the sun looked like. Some people told him, "The sun looks like a copper plate." Knock on the copper plate and you will hear its sound. One day (he) heard the bell and took the bell that made the sound as the sun. Some people told him, "The light of the sun is like a candle." You can know the shape of a candle by touching it with your hand. One day, (he) tried to figure out a musical instrument shaped like a candle and regarded it as the sun. The difference between the sun and the ringing clock and the blowing cockroach is too far, but the person who was born blind doesn't know that there is a big difference between them, because he didn't see it with his own eyes but asked others for knowledge of the sun.
The abstract "Tao" (truth, law, etc.) is more difficult to understand than the sun, and people who are not familiar with the Tao are no different from the blind people who were born to know the sun. Knowledgeable people told him that even with clever metaphors and good inspiration, they could not make these metaphors or teaching methods better than using copper plates and candles to explain the sun. From comparing the sun with a copper plate to treating the copper bell as the sun, from treating the copper bell as the sun to treating the musical instrument yue4 as the sun, is it still over? Therefore, some people who talk about "Tao" in the world explain it according to their own understanding, while others subjectively guess it without understanding it, which are all disadvantages of studying Tao.
in that case, is it impossible to get the Tao in the end? Mr. Su said: "Tao can come naturally step by step through its own modest learning, but it cannot be forced without learning." What is "to"? Sun Wu said: "A general who can fight can attract the enemy without being attracted by the enemy (in a passive position)." Zixia said: "craftsmen from all walks of life sit in shops and workshops to complete their business of manufacturing and selling products;" Talented people study hard to make that road come naturally. " It's not forcing it, but making it come by itself. This is "Zhi"! There are many people who can dive in the south. They live with the water every day. At the age of seven, they can wade across the river. At the age of ten, they can swim on the surface. At the age of ten, they can dive into the water. Divers can dive into the water for a long time, how can they be sloppy and sloppy? It must be understood by the law of water activity. If you live with water every day, you can master its laws at the age of fifteen. Born ignorant of water, you are afraid of it even when you meet a boat in your prime. So the warriors in the north asked the divers in the south for their skills of diving into the water, and tried it in the river according to the technology they said. No one did not drown. Therefore, those who don't study hard honestly and insist on Tao are all people who learn diving in the north. In the past, talents were selected by paying attention to the rhythm of poetry and fu, so scholars combined with Confucianism and Mohism and also became famous legalists instead of seeking Confucianism. Nowadays, talents are selected by Confucian classics, so scholars only know how to insist on righteousness, not to study hard. Wu Yanlv, a native of Bohai Sea, is a person who is interested in studying Confucian classics in a down-to-earth way. He is about to go to Beijing to take the Jinshi exam headed by the Ministry of Rites. I wrote Japanese Metaphor to encourage him.
Implication
The truth expounded in this article includes Su Shi's personal experience. Su Shi, who has been through the hardships of seeking truth and studying knowledge, is particularly cordial and interesting to talk about. Through this article, we can better understand the three reasons. First of all, if you don't study hard and practice by yourself, but just rely on asking about others and trusting others casually, you will not go deep, not only lose one-sidedness, but also make mistakes easily. If we only make a subjective guess, it will be even more harmful. Secondly, external factors must work through internal factors, and it is useless to rely solely on external forces. The internal cause of seeking truth and studying knowledge is to learn by yourself, not just picking up the ready-made fruits of others. There is also a third point. The so-called learning should not only talk about theory, but also work hard, have real talents and practical training. Although Su Shi said that one day "Tao" will come to you without asking, in fact, he emphasized the subjective and dynamic role of people. If you don't work hard, "Tao" will not come to you. These principles, in today's view, are still correct, useful to us and worth learning from.