Find Thyself

The only problem unconsciously assumed by all Chinese philosophers to be of any importance is: How shall we enjoy life, and who can best enjoy life? No perfectionism, no straining after the unattainable, no postulating of he unknowable; but taking poor, modal human nature as it is, how shall we organize our life so that we can woke peacefully, endure nobly and live happily?

Who are we? That is first question. It is a question almost impossible to answer. But we all agree with the busy self occupied in our daily activities is not quite the real self. We are quite sure we have lost something in the mere pursuit of living. When we watch a person running about looking for something in a field, the wise man can set a puzzle for all the spectator to solve: what has that person lost? Some one thinks is a watch; another thinks it is a diamond brooch; and others will essay other guesses. After all the guesses have failed, the wise man who really doesn’t know what the person is seeking after, tells the company:" I’ll tell you. He has lost some breath." And no one can deny that he is right. So we often forget our true self in the pursuit of living, like a bird forgetting its own danger in pursuit of a mantis which again forgets its own danger in pursuit of another.

一切中國的哲學(xué)家在不知不覺中認(rèn)為唯一重要的問題是：我們要怎樣享受人生?誰最會(huì)享受人生?我們不追求十全十美的理想，我們不尋找那些得不到的東西，我們不要求知道那些不得而知的東西;我們只認(rèn)識(shí)不完美的、會(huì)死的人類的本性，那么我們要怎樣調(diào)整我們的人生，使我們可以和平地工作著，曠達(dá)地忍耐著，幸福地生活著呢?

我們是誰呢?這是第一個(gè)問題。這個(gè)問題幾乎是無法答復(fù)的?？墒俏覀兌汲姓J(rèn)在我們?cè)怀；顒?dòng)中那么忙碌的自我，并不完全是真正的自我;我們相信我們?cè)谏畹淖非笾幸呀?jīng)失掉了一些東西。當(dāng)我們看見一個(gè)人在一片田野里跑來跑去在尋找東西時(shí)，智者可以弄出一個(gè)難題給一切旁觀者去解答：那個(gè)人失掉了什么東西呢?有的猜一只表;有的猜一支鉆石胸針;其他的人則作其他的猜測。智者委實(shí)也不知道那個(gè)人在尋找什么東西;可是當(dāng)大家都猜不中的時(shí)候，他會(huì)對(duì)大家說：“我告訴你們吧。他失掉了一些氣息了?！?沒有人會(huì)否認(rèn)他的話是對(duì)的。所以我們?cè)谏畹淖非笾谐３Ｍ袅苏嬲淖晕?，像莊子在一個(gè)美妙的譬喻里所講的那只鳥那樣，為了要捕捉一只螳螂而忘掉自身的危險(xiǎn)，而那只螳螂又為了要捕捉一只蟬而忘掉自身的危險(xiǎn)。