入世第一課 The First Lesson Of Entering The Secular World
入世第一課 THE FIRST LESSON OF ENTERING THE SECULAR WORLD
楊釗
Author: Charles Yeung
Translated by Soula Lo
年青人走入社會，開始創業時，首先要注意些什麼？我認為企業和個人要想取得成功，第一個門檻，稱之為「入世第一課」，就是「目標與責任」。
When young people step into society and start their career, what do they need to pay attention to first? In my opinion, if an enterprise or a person desires success, the first threshold is to have goals and responsibility. This is called 「The first lesson of entering the secular world」.
小時候讀書，認為長大後要做出成績，最重要是「立志」，也就是要有志向和理想。現在企業的經營者，要想取得成功，沒有目標，很難到達目的地。事業的成功有賴把長遠的目標訂立出來，然後分階段去追求、去落實。又或者先有小目標，然後到達了小目標之後，再尋找下一個目標，一個個目標去達到，從而走上一個較高或較大的目標，積少成多，集石成塔。要想達到目標，重要在于行動，故古有「千里之行，始于足下」的名訓。其次，目標不宜訂得太多，不宜訂得太高，太多則亂，不知往那方向努力，太高則力所不逮，打擊「信心」，所以俗語說「實事求是、腳踏實地」是成功要訣。
When we were children and studied at school, we thought in order to have good achievement, the most important thing was to make a resolution, which means we needed to have ambition and ideals. Nowadays, if businessmen in enterprises desire success, they cannot get to their destination without a goal. The success of a career depends on setting long-term goals, dividing them into different phases, then pursuing and executing those goals step by step. Or we can start with small goals; after we achieve the small goal, then look for the next goal, and achieve each one by one. Thus move on to higher or bigger goals, and accumulate them from a few to many, as if collecting rocks to build a tower. If we want to achieve our goals, the most important thing is to have a plan of action. We have an ancient famous saying which said 「A thousand mile walk starts from beneath the feet.」 Secondarily, we should not set too many goals, and should not set goals too high either. Too many goals would cause confusion; we may not know which direction we should put our efforts toward. If the goals are too high, we would not be able to achieve them, which would strike down our confidence. Therefore, this idiom: 「Follow the facts, and stand on solid ground」 is the key to success.
邁向成功的另一個重要因素是「責任」。它是動力的泉源，它可以推動人們努力工作、勤奮工作、拼命工作，有了「責任」，就會自動自覺地尋找工作做、拼命地工作。「責任」有個人責任、家庭責任、家族責任、企業責任、社會責任和對國家的責任。
Another important element toward success is responsibility. It is the source of power, which can motivate people to work hard, work diligently, and do our very best. If we have responsibility, we would voluntarily look for more work to do, and work as hard we can. Responsibility includes: individual responsibility, family responsibility, clan responsibility, enterprise responsibility, social responsibility and responsibility to our nations.
首先，人們要肩負起對自己的責任和家庭的責任，如果沒有責任，人們就會沒勁，沒勁就容易放棄，容易逃避，這是最令人瞧不起的人，也就是沒有出息的人，所以現在管理學選出人生最失敗的東西是「放棄」。
First, people need to carry their own responsibility and family responsibility. If people have no responsibility, they would lose enthusiasm. Without enthusiasm, they would give up or run away easily. These kinds of people are despised by others the most, and they have no future at all. Therefore, management science studies chose 「giving up」 as the worse failure.
要肩負責任，自己要有「責任的感覺」，稱之為「責任感」。有了「責任感」，自己就會對自己說，要擔起自己的責任；自己能站立起來，又或者說，自己能擔起家庭的責任。進一步是擔負起家族，以及企業的責任。在意識中樹立起挑擔子的「觀念」。由于這一個「觀念」，是自己對自己說的，也是心甘情願的，所以稱之為「意誠」。要成大事的人，要成為有用的人，儒家總結了許多案例，歸納人生要想成功，第一步必須由「心」開始，由自己開始，這一步稱為「意誠」，也是最重要的一步。但是，社會上理論研究者往往把這一步忘記了，又或者有意無意地把它忽略，致使世人不重視。
To carry responsibility, one needs to have the feeling of being responsible; this is called 「the sense of responsibility」. If one has the sense of responsibility, he or she would tell himself to take up his own responsibility, and stand up by himself, or we could say, one could carry his family』s responsibility. The next step is to carry the responsibility for the whole clan and the enterprise. Consciously setting up a concept of carrying responsibility. Because this concept is what one tells himself, and one is doing it voluntarily, it is called sincerity. If one wants to make a difference, to be a useful person, the Confucian school concludes from several cases, and summarizes as follows: to be successful, the first step needs to start from heart, start from oneself. This step is called sincerity, which is the most important step. But the theorists in society seem to forget this step, or intentionally neglect it, which results in most people not to value this enough.
邁過了「意誠」，第二個門檻是「正心」。何為「正心」？就是「不斜」，又或者說是「不假、不偽、不劣」。何謂「不正」？「有說無做」謂「不正」。今天說了，明天便忘記，稱之為「不正」，「講一套做一套」謂「不正」。說謊是「不正」，偷盜為「不正」，「惡口」是「不正」，「二舌」是「不正」。那麼什麼才是「正」呢？腳踏實地謂之「正」，實事求是謂之「正」，有講有做謂之「正」，今天講了，明天以及以後堅持這樣做謂之「正」。不偷盜謂之「正」、不妄語謂之「正」、不惡口謂之「正」、不二舌謂之「正」。
After stepping through sincerity, the second threshold is 「a straight mind」. What is a straight mind? It means not crooked, or we could say, not false, not faking, not being bad. What is not straight? Talking without action is not straight. Saying something today and forgetting it tomorrow, this is not straight. Saying one thing and doing another is not straight. Lying is not straight, stealing is not straight, speaking evil words is not straight, and speaking poisonous words to destroy others』 relationship is not straight. Then what is being straight? Standing on solid ground is straight, following the facts is straight, and speaking words with action is straight. Saying something today, following through tomorrow, and being persistent in the same action in the future is straight. Not stealing is straight, not speaking false language is straight, not speaking evil words is straight, and not speaking poisonous words to turn people against each other is straight.
第三個門檻，也就是人生的第三個台階，稱之為「修身」，剛才提到的「正心」只是在觀念、在心中、在腦中明白其中的意思，但人的業力很重，也就是人的「基因」力量很大，要克服業力，又或跨越「基因」的阻力，實在不是容易的事，因此，古訓中有「知易行難」的教導。雖然「知易行難」，不等于不可能，因此前輩們教導我們要學習，「勇往直前，不竣不休」的精神，另外，人類也有良好「基因」的一面，稱之為「人向高處，水向低流」的自然現象。
The third threshold, which is also the third step in our life, is called cultivating one』s moral character. We just mentioned that sincerity is a concept; we might understand the meaning in our heart and our mind, but the power of a human being』s karma is very strong. In other words, the power of genes is strong. To overcome the power of karma, or to leap over the barriers of genes, is truly not an easy task. Therefore, there is an ancient』s teaching which said, 「To know it is easy, but to do it is difficult.」 Although it is easier known than done, it is not impossible, so our predecessors asked us to learn the spirit of 「go forward bravely and do not rest until we complete the mission」. Human genes also have a good side, which called 「People tend to walk to high spots; water tends to flow to low ground.」 This is a natural phenomenon.
「修身」，也就是修正自己的不良行為，首先從日常的行為和語言開始，把不良的行為改正，把不好的語言修正，稱之修正自己的「口和身」，最後是修正自己的「意」，所以「修身」就是修正自己的「身、口、意」。
To cultivate one』s moral character means to correct one』s bad behaviors. First, we need to start with action and language in daily life, correct bad behaviors, and rephrase bad language. This is called modifying our mouth and body. Lastly we need to modify our mind. Thus, to cultivate one』s moral character is to modify ones』 body, mouth, and mind.
第四個門檻，稱之為「齊家」，也就是團結家族成員，把家族中有共同看法的人團結在一起，把認同「團結就是力量」的成員走在一起，向共同的目標而努力。
The fourth threshold called 「to govern one』s family」, also means to unite all the family members, gather the members who share the same perspectives, and let the members who agree with this idea, 「In Unity There Is Strength」 walk together, and work towards the same goals.
這就是「目標和責任」，由自己擴展到「家庭」成員，再到「家族」成員，把更多的人團結在一起，為更多的人謀利益。
This involves setting goals and carrying responsibility: expanding this concept from ourselves to our family members, and then on to clan members; thusly, uniting more people to produce benefits for more people.
第五個門檻，稱之為「治企」，也就是「管治企業」。要成為企業的領袖，並且能令企業健康的成長，以及持續地發展下去，其基本功必須經過「意誠、正心、修身、齊家」這四個階段。如果沒有修煉，又或火候不夠，就容易走歪。走歪便沒法到達目的地，又或中途受阻，所以說：「腳踏實地」、「實事求是」的重要，古人稱「台上一分鍾，台下十年功」，道理就在其中。
The fifth threshold is called 「governing the enterprise」, or managing the enterprise. If one desires to be the leader of an enterprise, and ensure the enterprise to grow up healthy, and develop continually, the basic lesson is to pass these four stages: sincerity, straight might, cultivate one』s moral character, and to govern one』s family. If we don』t practice diligently, or are not mature enough, we could easily go in the wrong direction. If we head in the wrong direction, then we will not reach the destination, or we might encounter obstructions in midway. Therefore, 「to stand on solid ground and to follow the facts」 is important, that is why an ancient once said, 「one minute on stage requires ten years of practice」.
人生真的不容易，事業成功是上半場，人生成功是下半場。事業成功只能為我們獲得「名、利和社會地位」，而人生的成功才能令我們獲得「身體健康、家庭幸福和開心、自在」。
To live in this world is not easy. To be successful in one』s career is only the first half part; the other half is to be successful in life. To be successful in a career can only let us gain fame, wealth and status. To be successful in life will let us gain health, a happy family, joy, and a carefree life.