---
title: 入世第二課 The Second Lesson Of Entering The Secular World
description: "入世第二課 THE SECOND LESSON OF ENTERING THE SECULAR WORLD"
---

入世第二課 THE SECOND LESSON OF ENTERING THE SECULAR WORLD

楊釗居士

Author Charles Yeung

Translated by Soula Lo

進入社會，要獲得生活所需，首先要學會掙取金錢，學習求財之道，其中，可以通過提供勞力，也可以通過知識和智力去獲取金錢。因此，西方的教育目標：教育學生的知識以及獲取知識的工具，而東方傳統文化的教育，則是以生命為目標，因為獲得知識，往往只能使事業成功，而事業的成功只是人生的一半，尚有一半就是生命。生命的價值和意義不是以擁有多少財富，多少名譽、多少社會地位去衡量，而是以人們對你的認同，對你的尊重來衡量。因此，生命的價值不是自己對自己的看法，而是別人及社會對你的看法及評價，所以，生命的價值在于回饋社會，對社會作貢獻，對別人作貢獻。

Upon entering society, and obtaining an income for living necessities, first we need to learn how to make money, and learn a way to pursue fortune. We can make money through offering labor, or through some knowledge and intelligence. The goal of Western education is to teach students knowledge and give them the tools to obtain knowledge. But the goal of Asian traditional culture』s education is about 「Life」. Because gaining knowledge can only let people have a successful career, yet a successful career is only the half part of life, the other half is Life itself. The value and meaning of life is not measured by how much fortune you own, how much fame you gain, how high your status is, but rather by how people recognize you, how much they respect you. Thus, the value of life is not just how you look at yourself, but how other people look at you and appraise you. So the value of life is about repaying society, contributing to society, and making contributions to other people.

進入社會，學習的目標可以歸納為四個字，「處事、待人」，青年人進入社會只要學會做事就不憂兩餐，學會做人就能不斷進步，所以西方教育傳授人們知識，而東方傳統文化教育在于「育人」，培養做人的本領。

Entering society, the goal of learning can be summarized by this phrase, 「handling tasks and getting along with others.」 When young people are entering society, if they have learned how to work and handle tasks, then they wouldn』t have to worry about whether they can get enough food for surviving or not. However, learning how to be a man can let him have a constant progress; therefore, Western education teaches people knowledge, whereas Asian traditional culture』s education is to cultivate people』s virtue¸ and teach them the way of how to be a man.

在人生的實踐中，往往離不開學習「做事」和「做人」，而東方教育又提倡「未學做事，先學做人」，可見「做人」對做事有很大的幫助，而「做人」之道，「先學吃虧」，只要學會「吃虧」，繼而學會「吃苦」，人生才能立于不敗之地。

To put this practice into life, more often than not, it never is far from learning how to handle tasks and how to be a man. Asian education advocates the idea of 「Learning how to be a man before learning how to handle a task」. We can imagine that learning how to be a man can help people a lot with handling tasks. The way of learning how to be a man, is to learn how to accept the unfavorable situation instead of taking advantages from other people. Once we learn how to accept the unfavorable situation, we then can learn how to bear hardships; as a result, we could be an undefeated person in our life.

對于「處事待人」之道，儒家有很深入的研究，並總結出很好的方法及下手處，其中「大學」篇，有令人神伏的地位。在此，與大家重溫一下「大學」是如何教導「處事待人」的。

As for the way of handling tasks and getting along with others, the Confucian school has a very profound study, and they have summarized some great methods and the ways of approaching them. One of the concepts from 《Great Learning》has an impressive and important status. Here we can review some parts from《Great Learning》,and see how it gives the teachings about handling tasks and getting along with others.

「大學」的道理在于淨化自己的德性，使人們能夠去除不良的習慣，革新自己，不斷進步，直至「完滿至善」的境界。能夠知道要達到「至善境界」的目標，就要樹立堅定不移的志向，有了堅定不移的志向，內心就會不雜亂，內心不雜亂，精神就會安穩，精神安穩，然後可以自我反思，自我反省，然後就會有所收穫，這樣就能忠誠自己的意念，不會自己欺騙自己，就好像討厭難聞的氣味，喜愛美麗的顏色一樣。這時，自己就能心安，即使獨處的時候，也會慎重自己的行為。

The principle of 《Great Learning》is to purify our essence of characters, so that we would be able to get rid of our bad habits, to reform ourselves, and constantly making progress until we achieve the state of 「complete sovereign goodness.」 To know how to achieve the goal of 「complete sovereign goodness,」 we need to establish an aspiration of determined resolution. Once we have an aspiration of determined resolution, our mind won』t be in disarray. If our mind is not in disarray or confusion, our spirits will be settled and calm. If our spirits are settled and calm, we are able to be introspective or self-examining, and then gain benefits from it. In this way, we would be faithful to our aspiration, and we wouldn』t deceive ourselves, just like knowing that we hate bad odors, and love beautiful colors. Now that our mind is calm and settled, even when we are alone, we would still be very careful and mindful with our behavior.

財富可以用來裝飾房屋，道德是用來修養身心。心胸廣闊，身體就能舒坦了；因此，君子必須忠誠自己的意念，端立自己的心靈和心態，這就是說：「心里如果憤怒，思想就不能端正，不能合乎正道；心里有了恐懼，思想就不能端正，不能實事求是地處理問題，心里存在憂愁患難，思想就不能端正，不能客觀地就事論事」。如果心靈不安，看東西，看不到問題的真實情形，聽東西，聽不到真實的聲音，吃東西，也不知道它味道的好與壞。所以說，端正自己心靈和心態是很重要的。如果講到治理企業，一定要先學會處理好自己的家庭，如果不能處理好自己家庭內的各方關系，反而能教好別人的，是沒可能的事。所以，君子能夠不出家門，便可以把他的教化推廣至整個企業。道理是這樣的：在家孝順父母，在外就能事奉君主，在家恭敬兄長的，在外就能事奉上司和上級，在家慈愛子女和晚輩的，在外就能善待下屬和民眾。

Wealth can be used to decorate houses, while virtue is for cultivating body and mind. If we have an extensive heart, our body would be in comfort. Therefore, a noble man must be faithful to his own will, straighten his own mind and attitude, that is to say, 「If the heart is full of anger, the thoughts wouldn』t be straight, and wouldn』t meet the righteous way. If the heart is full of fear, the thoughts wouldn』t be straight, and wouldn』t be able to follow the facts and deal with the problems. If the heart is in worry and suffering, the thoughts wouldn』t be straight, and wouldn』t be able to confine the discussion to the matter at issues objectively.」 If the heart is unsettled when hearing things, we couldn』t see the real situation of the problems; when hearing things, we couldn』t hear the real voice. When eating food, we wouldn』t know if the taste is good or bad. Thus, to straighten one』s mind and attitude is very important. If we want to talk about governing an enterprise, we must learn how to deal with things within our family first. If we can』t deal with things and relationships from every side within our own family, it is not possible to teach others to do so. Therefore, even though a noble man stays at home, he still can extend his teachings to a whole enterprise. The reason is this: if he can show filial devotion to his parents at home, then he can serve his king or emperor outside of home; if he can respect his brothers at home, he can respect his boss and superior. If he can love his children and other younger generations, then he can be kind to his subordinates and the general public.

君子應該自己先有美德，然後要求別人具有同樣的美德，自己沒有惡習、缺點，然後才可以要求別人去除惡習和缺點。如果自己不講求推己及人的恕道，而能夠使人領略恕道的原理，是沒有可能的。君子是有「處事待人的準則」，你討厭上司的行為，就不會拿他的行為來對待下屬，你討厭下屬的言行，就不會拿他的言行來對待上司，你討厭前面的人行為，就不要拿他的行為來對待後面的人，你討厭後面的人言行，就不要拿他的言行來對待前面的人，你討厭右邊的人言行，就不要拿他的言行來對待左邊的人，你討厭左邊人的言行，就不要用來對待右邊的人，這叫做「處事待人的準則」。君子必須首先慎重修養自己的品德，有了光明皎潔的品德，自然有民眾支持，有了民眾的支持，自然有國土，有了國土，自然有財富，有了財富，自然可以有所作為。

A noble man should have virtues by himself first, and then ask others to obtain the same virtues. When he himself has no bad habits and shortcomings, then he can ask others to be rid of their bad habits and shortcomings. If he doesn』t have magnanimity, and does not put himself in another』s position, it is not possible to let others understand the principle of magnanimity. A noble man has his principle of handling tasks and getting along with others. For example, if you hate your boss』s behavior, you wouldn』t adopt his behavior to treat your subordinates. If you hate the behavior of the person before you, then don』t adopt his speech and behavior to treat people behind you. If you hate the person on your right, then don』t adopt his speech and behavior to treat the person on your left. If you hate the person on your left, then don』t adopt his speech and behavior to treat the person on your right. This is called, the principle of handling tasks and getting along with others. A noble man must cultivate his own virtue carefully, when he himself owns bright and pure virtues, he will naturally gain the general public』s support. When he gains the general public』s support, he will naturally have his territory. When he has his territory, he will naturally have his wealth. With his wealth, he will naturally make a difference for his life.

「德」是根本，「財」是枝末，看輕根本而重視枝末，就會導致人民爭利、劫奪。因此，聚斂財富，則民心離散，把財富分給人民，人民就會歸來和聚集。

Virtue is the root, wealth is the branches. Value the branches but look down on the root, and you will cause people to fight for profit and commit robbery. Thus, collecting wealth would alienate people』s hearts; sharing wealth with people, people will return and join you.

因此，用違背情理的話去責備別人，別人也會用不合情理的話去回應；用不合情理的方法，獲得財貨，財貨也會不合情理地喪失。只有講仁義、修德行的人，才會喜歡好人，不喜歡壞人；君子有修己，治人的原則；必須忠誠，信實才能獲得它，而輕視、傲慢，就會失掉它。

Therefore, blaming others with unreasonable speech, others would respond with unreasonable words. Using unreasonable methods to obtain fortune and goods, your fortune will be lost without any reason as well. Only the person who values benevolence and righteousness, and cultivates his virtue, would appreciate good people, and dislike bad people. A noble man has his principle of cultivating his own virtue and governing others. He must be faithful, true and honest in order to get it. If he belittles others and is proud, he will certainly lose it.