阅六一居士传 - mauriceling/mauriceling.github.io GitHub Wiki

人非巅峰处，我与事物同。
千里遥风下，百年骸与霞。
当年宏伟楼，今在古籍中。
日出浓重装，月下衣清凉。
当年已过往，繁烟随风藏。
上山望春景，山下室清净。
书宝琴棋酒，人生何所求。
来时我手空，归时皆放走。
— 27/08/23

Commentary: 六一居士传 was written by 欧阳修 (Ouyang Xiu) in 1046 when he was 40 years old. The original classical Chinese text (原文) is

六一居士初谪滁山，自号醉翁。既老而衰且病，将退休于颍水之上，则又更号六一居士。

客有问曰：“六一，何谓也？”居士曰：“吾家藏书一万卷，集录三代以来金石遗文一千卷，有琴一张，有棋一局，而常置酒一壶。”客曰：“是为五一尔，奈何？”居士曰：“以吾一翁，老于此五物之间，是岂不为六一乎？”客笑曰：“子欲逃名者乎？而屡易其号。此庄生所诮畏影而走乎日中者也；余将见子疾走大喘渴死，而名不得逃也。”居士曰：“吾因知名之不可逃，然亦知夫不必逃也；吾为此名，聊以志吾之乐尔。”客曰：“其乐如何？”居士曰：“吾之乐可胜道哉！方其得意于五物也，泰山在前而不见，疾雷破柱而不惊；虽响九奏于洞庭之野，阅大战于涿鹿之原，未足喻其乐且适也。然常患不得极吾乐于其间者，世事之为吾累者众也。其大者有二焉，轩裳珪组劳吾形于外，忧患思虑劳吾心于内，使吾形不病而已悴，心未老而先衰，尚何暇于五物哉？虽然，吾自乞其身于朝者三年矣，一日天子恻然哀之，赐其骸骨，使得与此五物偕返于田庐，庶几偿其夙愿焉。此吾之所以志也。”客复笑曰：“子知轩裳珪组之累其形，而不知五物之累其心乎？”居士曰：“不然。累于彼者已劳矣，又多忧；累于此者既佚矣，幸无患。吾其何择哉？”于是与客俱起，握手大笑曰：“置之，区区不足较也。”

已而叹曰：“夫士少而仕，老而休，盖有不待七十者矣。吾素慕之，宜去一也。吾尝用于时矣，而讫无称焉，宜去二也。壮犹如此，今既老且病矣，乃以难强之筋骸，贪过分之荣禄，是将违其素志而自食其言，宜去三也。吾负三宜去，虽无五物，其去宜矣，复何道哉！”

The modern Chinese translation (白话译文) is

六一居士最初被贬谪到滁州山乡时，自己以醉翁为号。年老体弱，又多病，将要辞别官场，到颍水之滨颐养天年，便又改变名号叫六一居士。

有位客人问道：“六一，讲的是什么？”居士说：“我家里藏了书一万卷，收集收录夏商周三代以来金石文字一千卷，有一张琴，有一盘棋，又经常备好酒一壶。”客人说：“这只是五个一，怎么说‘六一’呢？”居士说：“加上我这一个老头，在这五种物品中间老去，这难道不是‘六一’了吗？”客人笑着说：“您大概是想逃避名声的人吧，因而屡次改换名号。这正像庄子所讥讽的那个害怕影子而跑到阳光中去的人；我将会看见您（像那个人一样），迅速奔跑，大口喘气，干渴而死，名声却不能逃脱。”居士说：“我本就知道名声不可以逃脱，也知道我没有必要逃避；我取这个名号，姑且用来记下我的乐趣罢了。”客人说：“你的乐趣怎么样呢？”居士说：“我的乐趣可以说得尽吗!当自己在这五种物品中得到意趣时，泰山在面前也看不见，迅雷劈破柱子也不惊慌；即使在洞庭湖原野上奏响九韶音乐，在涿鹿大地观看大战役，也不足以形容自己的快乐和舒适。然而常常忧虑不能在这五种物品中尽情享乐，原因是世事给我的拖累太多了。其中大的方面有两件，官车、官服、符信、印绶从外面使我的身体感到劳累，忧患思虑从里面使我的内心感到疲惫，使我没有生病却已经显得憔悴，人没有老，精神却已衰竭，还有什么空闲花在这五种物品上呢？虽然如此，我向朝廷请求告老还乡已有三年了，(如果)某一天天子发出恻隐之心哀怜我，赐还我这把老骨头，让我能够和这五种物品一起回归田园，差不多就有希望实现自己素来的愿望了。这便是我记述我的乐趣的原因。”客人又笑着说：“您知道官车、官服、符信、印绶劳累自己的身体，却不知道这五种物品也会劳累心力吗？”居士说： “不是这样。我被官场拖累，已经劳苦了，又有很多忧愁；被这些物品所吸引，既很安逸，又庆幸没有祸患。我将选择哪方面呢？”于是和客人一同站起来，握着手大笑说：“停止辩论吧，区区小事是不值得比较的。”

辩论之后，居士叹息说：“读书人从年轻时开始做官，到年老时退休，往往是有等不到七十岁就退休的人。我素来羡慕他们，这是我应当离职的第一点理由。我曾经被当朝任用，但最终没有值得称道的政绩，这是应当离职的第二点理由。强壮时尚且如此，现在既老又多病，凭着难以支撑的身体去贪恋过多的职位俸禄，这将会违背自己平素的志愿，自食其言，这是应当离职的第三点理由。我有这三点应当离职的理由，即使没有这五种物品，（我）离职也是应当的，还要再说什么呢！”

In 六一居士传, Ouyang Xiu changed is secondary name (号) from 醉翁 to 六一居士 as he is looking towards retirement. Retirement also means that the peak of career is over. Retirement then is more of a change in mental state rather than anything. I’ve seen so many people that holds onto their working titles even in retirement and as a result, unable to retire properly. Ouyang Xiu gave 3 reasons to retire – (a) he admires those that can retire before 70 years old, (b) he has been a courtier but did not consider having made much progress, and © he had not done what he aspired when he was young and now, he is old. I can feel the same thing as well. I do want to retire early. I certainly did not achieve that I wanted in career and not much hope in doing so. I did not even do all the degrees that I had wanted to do. I also feel very worn out as well – went through a burnout and is starving off another one. Hence, retirement has been on my mind for the last few years.

Ouyang Xiu said that he has (a) ten thousand volumes of books, (b) a thousand items of historical works, © a set of chess, (d) a zither, and (e) a flask of wine. Then he adds himself in, amounting to 6 ones (六一). He puts himself as one of the items rather than own-ing the items. Long time ago, my mum cut herself badly while washing toilet windows and I asked her the same time – is it that she is washing the toilet or is the toilet washing her? Similarly, I’ve seen so many people being used by their cars by cleaning and keeping it in tip top condition. Best performance is Pareto Optimality, which is not possible to maintain; while decent performance is Nash Equilibrium, which is maintainable. As we grow older, our bodies cannot be as good and healthy as before – muscles and looks are increasingly difficult to maintain at the best condition. So why bother to be at the best? Just be not too bad. In this world, we do not own anything. We do not even own our bodies. Once we do not own anything, nothing owns us as well. We use what the world provides. We come to this world empty handed. During our lives, we accumulate stuffs and tools. As we are preparing to retire, it is decumulation of stuffs and tools. Again, I find that many people cannot decumulate and ends up suffering. All that we can bring away when we leave this world are memories and experiences.

There are 2 types of fortunes – 鸿福 and 清福. 鸿福 refers to for-tunes in the business of life, and may include good food and drinks, dance and music; while 清福 refers fortunes in the simplicity of life, and may include sitting silently, or eating simple meals. Many people know how to enjoy 鸿福 but not 清福, and bothers them-selves with things and ends up burdening themselves. I know that I can enjoy my 鸿福 but also hopes that I can enjoy my 清福.