131. The Study of Self-Nature

一三一、心性之學

1 What is working on one’s self-nature? It is delving into the possibilities of one’s mind and nature. It begins with “admiring saints and sages” and emulating their words and deeds. It is strengthening one’s moral fiber, making one’s character upright and observing proper boundaries of conduct. The Confucian School views sagehood as the highest level of human life.

1 什麼叫性功?就是心性之學,研究心和性的學問。講性功,第一要學聖人,學聖人的言行。效法聖賢,就是要把品德修好,堂堂正正、規規矩矩做人。所以儒家以做聖人為人生最高的境界。

2 Daoists teach dual cultivation of self-nature and physical body. They speak of transcending the mundane and entering the sacred and ultimately look to becoming perfected beings as the highest level of human life. A perfected being is one who possesses righteous qi, stands proudly between heaven and earth, and does not act for personal gain.

2 道家講要性命雙修才能超凡入聖,最後做到真人,並以做真人為人生最高的境界。真人,是有正氣的人,是能頂天立地,不為自己打算的人。

3 The highest realm of life is reached by transcending from mortality into sagehood, sweeping away ordinary people’s bad habits.

3 人生的最高境界,就是要超凡,就是要把凡夫俗子的不良習氣通通一掃而盡。

The Third Teachers and High Level Church Officers Class, July 9, 1991

第三期師資高教班-民國八十年七月九日