..續本文上一頁e from the emperor down to the common citizens. Some emperors went into mourning and stayed away from the court for three years, leaving the government to their ministers. They secluded themselves in the palace, wore coarse garments, and ate bland food. They didn”t visit their concubines or enter their gardens or ponds. They didn”t shave or cut their hair, and did not talk unless it was absolutely necessary. Such behavior won the praise of sages. Other public officials also returned to their villages for three years” mourning. In modern terms, it would be equivalent to taking a leave of absence to go home. Ordinary people observed mourning by staying at home and not going to work. Those who were especially filial even built huts by the graveside of their parents and dwelt there.
爲什麼要這樣約束呢？當年孔子的學生宰予就曾對孔子說：“父母去世守叁年喪，其實一年都已夠久了！如果全國的人都叁年不習禮，不習樂，這樣會禮崩樂壞的。況且物換星移也是一年一度，我認爲一年也就夠了！”孔子就問他：“父母才死一年，穿好的，吃好的，在你能心安嗎？”宰予也不矯揉做作，很坦白地回答：“能安！”孔老夫子沒奈何，只好說：“你若能心安，就這麼做！有道的君子在居喪期間，內心充滿哀傷，雖有美食，食之不甘；雖有嘉樂，聞之不樂；一切日常起居，都不覺安適，所以才不願意享樂。現在你既然心安，就這麼去做去吧！”
Why did they restrain themselves in this way
Confucius was once asked by his disciple Zai Yu, "Why is there a three-year mourning period for parents
Isn”t one year long enough
If every person in the country stops practicing the rites and performing music for three years, won”t the rites and the music perish
All things, including the seasons, follow a yearly cycle; therefore, I think one year is enough," Confucius asked him, "Would you feel comfortable wearing nice clothes and eating fine food only one year after your parents died
" Zai Yu answered frankly, "Sure, I”d be comfortable." All Confucius could say was, "If you would feel comfortable, then just go ahead. When a person of true virtue mourns, he is so filled with grief that even if he eats fine food, he does not taste it; even if he hears fine music, it does not make him happy. In all the affairs of daily life, he feels no comfort or ease. That”s why he has no inclination to indulge in pleasure. If you feel comfortable, go ahead and have your way."
等宰予走後，孔子就評論說：“宰予真是不仁啊！子女生下來，至少也得經過叁年，才能離開父母的懷抱。守叁年喪，是天下通行的喪禮啊！宰予這人，對他父母有過叁年的愛慕嗎？”
After Zai Yu left, Confucius said, "Zai Yu is truly lacking in humaneness. After a child is born, it cannot leave its parents” embrace for at least three years. Three years is the standard time of mourning for the whole country. I wonder whether Zai Yu loved his parents for three years."
這意思是說，禮本來就是依據多數人人情的趨向，來製訂出一套配合的程序，以方便每個人遵循，使上下不亂，並不是用虛文來限製人自由的。遠古的人心比較單純厚道，父慈子孝的天性，幾乎是無時不刻地自然流露；所以在父母死後，當然是寢食難安了！說真的，“父母之恩，昊天罔極”，就一輩子思慕也不爲過。
The rites were set down according to the sentimental inclinations of the majority of the people, so that everyone would be able to uphold them and order could be maintained in society; they are not empty rules imposed upon people to restrain their freedom. In ancient times, people were more simple and kind-hearted. The instinct for parents to be kind and children to be filial was ever present. Therefore, when their parents passed away, it was natural for people to lose their appetite and have trouble sleeping. Truly, "the kindness of our parents is vaster than the heavens," and a lifetime of yearning for them would not be too much.
但人生在世，有應盡的義務和責任，不能離群索居，永遠沈湎在哀痛裏，這是不合乎中道的；而一年之喪，又意有未盡。怎麼辦呢？就兩者擇其中，定個叁年，也算對父母頭叁年推乾就濕，乳養提攜的辛勞，稍稍地回報罷了！這是爲什麼定叁年的喪期。
However we all have duties and responsibilities to fulfill in life, so we cannot withdraw from the world and indulge in mourning forever--that would not be the Middle Way. On the other hand, one year didn”t seem to be enough for mourning, so what could be done
As a compromise between the two, the period of three years was set as a token of repaying our parents for their toil in rearing us for the first three years of our lives.
等叁年的喪期滿了，就應該節製自己的哀傷，恢複正常的生活。所…
《弟子規淺釋 Standards for Students 第二章：孝 Chapter Two： FILIAL PIETY - 10》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…