书城成功励志沉思录(上)
4299100000010

第10章 再宝贵的荣誉也不过是过眼烟云(1)

8.纯洁干净的灵魂没有任何堕落、污秽,亦没有任何伤痛。即使生命突然间结束也不会有任何的遗憾,不像人们说某个演员突然离开舞台那样,“遗恨终生”。在他身上看不到任何奴颜婢膝或矫揉造作,对任何东西既不刻意追求亦不刻意疏远,没有任何可谴责之处,也没有任何见不得人的地方。

9.要尊重我们理性思维的器官。正是这一器官决定我们头脑中是否存在与自然和理性不相协调的因素;而且正是得益于这一器官,我们才得以避免做出草率的决定,才有人与人之间的友谊长存,才有对诸神的恭敬虔诚。

10.抛弃一切浮华,珍惜眼前的时光;时刻牢记,每个人所能把握的只有眼前看得见的短暂时光,过去的已经过去,未来的飘忽不定,均非我们力所能及。每个人的生命之光都是短暂的,生存之所是有限的;人死后名字还能流传多久呢?再显赫的人物,也会很快被人淡忘,更何况只有活人才有记忆,而活人也会很快死去,死后甚至连自己都不记得,又怎么可能还记得在他们之前就死了多少年的人呢!

11.除上述种种建议之外还需再添加一条对任何呈现到眼前的事物都要下一个精确的定义或进行详尽的描述,因为只有这样才能从实质上、从整体上把握其本质;明确其名称,确定其由什么构成,又会分解成什么。因为对于思想的升华来说,还没有什么比对呈现到我们生命中的事物有条不紊地加以研究更加有效呢。看见什么都要想一想这是一种什么样的宇宙现象,其各个构成部分又是怎样运转,部分对于整体而言有什么价值,它对于最高级社会的成员——人类而言又有什么价值;弄清楚每一事物的本质,明确其构成,弄清其眼前的形态能维系多久,我们又为何会需要它,比如是因为我们渴望温柔、男性气概、真相、忠诚、简单、满足,等等,还是其它什么原因。面对任何事情我们都应说:这是上帝的旨意;这是命运的牵引,是机缘巧合;这是我们同伴的安排,而其之所以这样做纯粹是其天性使然;因此我们在处理与他人的关系时也要本着我们的天性,本着善意、公正的原则。然而与此同时,也要衡量一下其与那些无关事物之间的价值关系。

12.如果你能在理智、严格、冷静、客观的指引下全神贯注于眼前的事物而毫不分神,好像随时都可能有人将它带走那样;如果你能像这样坚持下去,无所期待亦无所恐惧,只有对于眼前的事物,对于自己所说的每一句话(没有一句谎言)都满足,那么你就是一个幸福的人,而且没有人可以阻止你的幸福。

13.就像医生身边总带着药具以备随时治病救人一样,我们也有自己的原则方法以备随时理解思考事情,而我们要做的事情无论再小,也不要忘记神圣与世俗之间的关系,因为,任何世俗的事情如果做好了就是一件神圣的事,反之亦然。

14.不要再漫无目的地徘徊,因为当你真的老了的时候,你不会读自己的自传,不会阅读希腊、罗马人的生活,也不会阅读年轻时为自己备下的名著选读。抓紧时间朝着命运规划的人生目标努力吧,如果是真的爱自己,就抛弃那些空洞的幻想,趁着自己还有能力的时候帮助自己去实现这一目标吧。

15.很多人不知道“偷窃”、“播种”、“购物”、“安静”、“明确自己该做什么”等究竟有多少种含义,这是因为它不是凭眼睛就能看得出来的,而是需要凭借另一种形式的“视力”。

16.对于肉体、灵魂和智慧而言,声色感觉属于肉体,欲望属于灵魂,而原则属于智慧。仅凭外表而定印象是动物的行为;受欲望牵引的则是野兽或受女人控制的男人;仅凭智慧去实现看似合理的目的是不信神的人的行为,是可能背叛自己国家、关起门来可能干坏事的人的行为,是像暴君法拉利斯和尼禄之类的人会做的事。如果说上面我提到的那些都是一个普通人所具有的话,有一样是只有好人所特有的,那就是满足于现有的一切,满足于命运的安排;崇拜内心的神性,不去打扰它,给它宁静,像对待真神一样地毕恭毕敬,言语不悖事实,行动不悖良心。即使没有人相信他简单、谦恭、怡然的生活,他也不愠不怒,更不会因此偏离了自己的人生路,而沿着这条路走下去的人会变得纯洁,宁静,超然于生死,让一切听从命运的安排。

1.We ught to consider not only that our life is daily wasting away and a smaller part of it is left, but another thing also must be taken into the account, that if a man should live longer, it is quite uncertain whether the understanding will still continue sufficient for the comprehension of things, and retain the power of contemplation which strives to acquire the knowledge of the divine and the human. For if he shall begin to fall into dotage, perspiration and nutrition and imagination and appetite, and whatever else there is of the kind, will not fail; but the power of making use of ourselves, and filling up the measure of our duty, and clearly separating all appearances, and considering whether a man should now depart from life, and whatever else of the kind absolutely requires a disciplined reason, all this is already extinguished. We must make haste then, not only because we are daily nearer to death, but also because the conception of things and the understanding of them cease first.

2.We ought to observe also that even the things which follow after the things which are produced according to nature contain something pleasing and attractive. For instance, when bread is baked some parts are split at the surface, and these parts which thus open, and have a certain fashion contrary to the purpose of the baker"s art, are beautiful in a manner, and in a peculiar way excite a desire for eating. And again, figs, when they are quite ripe, gape open; and in the ripe olives the very circumstance of their being near to rottenness adds a peculiar beauty to the fruit. And the ears of corn bending down, and the lion"s eyebrows, and the foam which flows from the mouth of wild boars, and many other things- though they are far from being beautiful, if a man should examine them severally- still, because they are consequent upon the things which are formed by nature, help to adorn them, and they please the mind; so that if a man should have a feeling and deeper insight with respect to the things which are produced in the universe, there is hardly one of those which follow by way of consequence which will not seem to him to be in a manner disposed so as to give pleasure. And so he will see even the real gaping jaws of wild beasts with no less pleasure than those which painters and sculptors show by imitation; and in an old woman and an old man he will be able to see a certain maturity and comeliness; and the attractive loveliness of young persons he will be able to look on with chaste eyes; and many such things will present themselves, not pleasing to every man, but to him only who has become truly familiar with nature and her works.

3.Hippocrates after curing many diseases himself fell sick and died. The Chaldaei foretold the deaths of many, and then fate caught them too. Alexander, and Pompeius, and Caius Caesar, after so often completely destroying whole cities, and in battle cutting to pieces many ten thousands of cavalry and infantry, themselves too at last departed from life. Heraclitus, after so many speculations on the conflagration of the universe, was filled with water internally and died smeared all over with mud. And lice destroyed Democritus; and other lice killed Socrates. What means all this? Thou hast embarked, thou hast made the voyage, thou art come to shore; get out. If indeed to another life, there is no want of gods, not even there. But if to a state without sensation, thou wilt cease to be held by pains and pleasures, and to be a slave to the vessel, which is as much inferior as that which serves it is superior: for the one is intelligence and deity; the other is earth and corruption.