Chapter Four: LEARNING TO BE CAREFUL

朝起早，夜眠迟，老易至，惜此时。
晨必盥，兼漱口，便溺回，辄净手。
冠必正，纽必结，袜与履，俱紧切。
置冠服，有定位，勿乱顿，致污秽。
衣贵洁，不贵华，上循分，下称家。
对饮食，勿拣择，食适可，勿过则。
年方少，勿饮酒，饮酒醉，最为丑。
步从容，立端正，揖深圆，拜恭敬。
勿践阈，勿跛倚，勿箕踞，勿摇髀。
缓揭帘，勿有声，宽转弯，勿触棱。
执虚器，如执盈，入虚室，如有人。
事勿忙，忙多错，勿畏难，勿轻略。
斗闹场，绝毋近，邪僻事，绝勿问。
将入门，问谁存，将上堂，声必扬。
人问谁，对以名，吾与我，不分明。
用人物，须明求，倘不问，即为偷。
借人物，及时还，人借物，有勿悭。

自守要廉洁，予人要慷慨，这是古之明训；慷慨仁慈者，「施恩不望报，与人不追悔。」

We should be uncompromising with ourselves and generous with others; this is an ancient teaching of wisdom. A generous and kind person is one who "does favors for people without expecting any reward, and gives things to others without ever regretting it."

但是慷慨，必须以廉洁为基础，如果不是自已的东西，绝不可假公济私，借花献佛；廉洁又必须以慷慨为作用，否则就显得刻薄悭吝，像《史记 》和《儒林外史》里所嘲讽的那些廉吏、酷吏一样，令人憎恶。

However, generosity has be to based upon honesty. If something does not belong to us, we can’t take it for our personal use or borrow it to make an offering to the Buddha. Honesty needs to be applied with generosity; otherwise we will be mean and stingy like those detestably self-righteous and cruel officials criticized in the Historical Records and the Chronicles of Chinese Scholars.

总之，就借贷双方的「取」、「与」事物上，要做到「一芥不以与人，一芥不以取诸人」；凡不属于自己的，就是一枚小小芥菜子，都不敢苟且随便。那么取、与之际，怎样才能不苟且随便呢？其实只不过是个「清楚明白」罢了！借方在借的时候，借什么？借多久？都要说得明明白白，不可顺手牵羊，以恶小而为之。还的时候，是否完整？是否如期？都要做到清清楚楚，不可含糊笼统、以善小而不为。

In general, whether we are borrowing or loaning things, we should "not casually give away even a mustard seed, and not casually take even a mustard seed." If something does not belong to us, even if it’s just a tiny mustard seed, we cannot carelessly take it or give it away. How can we avoid being careless? By making everything very clear. When we borrow something, we should state clearly what we are borrowing and how long we need to keep it. It’s not acceptable to casually take something and think that petty theft is of no consequence. In returning the item, we should ask ourselves whether we are returning it intact and on time. We should be very clear about this. We can’t be vague and neglect the details.

俗话说﹕「天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福。」谁也保证不了自己永远不须求助告贷于人，所以有时勿悭吝，无时也无须忸怩；借者借得爽快，还者还得如期，不是说「有借有还，再借不难」吗？就算不再借，我一人的信用，必能增强贷方的信心，而更乐意继续资助他人，这岂不也是间接助人？

There’s a saying, "The weather is unpredictable; human fortune is changeable." No one can guarantee that he or she will never ask for help or borrow from others. Therefore, when you have something, don’t be stingy; when you have nothing, don’t be embarrassed. One should borrow things in a straightforward manner and return them by their due date. Isn’t it said: "Return what you have borrowed, and you can borrow again with ease"? Even if you don’t borrow again, your own trustworthiness can reinforce the confidence of the creditor, who will be more willing to lend to others in the future. Isn’t that just indirectly helping others?

而贷方在借出之际，只能借自己的所有物，若自己没有，须明明白白说没有，可以指点借方到别处告贷；千万不要像《论语》中描述的那个鲁国人，人家来借醋，他没有，偏不直说，还去向邻居调借来给人，打肿脸充胖子。至于借出物收回之际，更要清清楚楚，明明白白地，不可妄加额外利息，或挟恩求索他事。

As lenders, we can lend only our own belongings to others. If we don’t have what someone wants, we should say so clearly and maybe suggest where the person might get help. Don’t act like that person from the state of Lu, described in theConfucian Analects, who pretended to be what he was not. When someone asked to borrow vinegar, he went to borrow some from a neighbor to lend to him instead of frankly saying that he didn’t have any. When things are returned to us, it’s even more important to be very clear and fair. We can’t demand extra interest or try to get the borrower to do something for us in return for our favor.

再就借贷双方的存心而言，借方受了恩，不可一日或忘，要常存感恩。贷方却不可时时不忘，要无「能施」、「所施」与「受施者」；也就是财物借出犹如失去，不存收回的心，那么对方归还自己时，岂不等于是双重的获得？能这样无罣碍，才会悠然自得，俯仰无愧乎天地。

As for the attitudes that the borrower and lender should have, the borrower should always remember the favor he has received and not forget it for a single day. The lender, on the contrary, should forget about it; he should have no thought of the giver, the receiver, or the thing given. When we lend money or things out, we should think of them as if we had lost them and not expect to get them back. Then when the borrower returns them, we’ll feel as if we have gained a bonus. If we can be without attachment like this, we will always be at ease and will have a clear conscience .

倘若自己既非借方，又做不起贷方，对于他人的急难，则要感同身受，为之奔走推介，以全贷方之德，并成借方之美；若做不到这样，最低限度，也不该因嫉妒或私怨，去加以扭曲渲染或破坏吧？但是这种人却是到处可见。若说是「死生有命，富贵在天」，借方终能度过难关，你这么做，岂不是违天之命，结己之怨？借方若不能度过难关，你这么做，难道不会有「我不杀伯仁，伯仁因我而死」之悔？不会有「雪上加霜」、「落井下石」之过？自己不能助人，还要破坏他人助人，真是双重的损失和罪过！所谓「获罪于天，无所祷也」，人怎好不自求多福呢？

Even if we ourselves are not borrowing anything and cannot afford to be lenders, we still should feel empathy for those in need and try our best to recommend them to a lender. This is a way to help lenders earn merit and help borrowers get what they need. If we aren’t able to do this, at least we shouldn’t twist or exaggerate the facts because of jealousy or personal grudges. Yet people are doing this everywhere. If it’s true that "Life and death are determined by fate; wealth and honor are decreed by destiny," then if the person in need finally gets through the difficulties, all you’ve done is go against fate and cause the person to hate you. If the person doesn’t survive the crisis, won’t you feel as regretful as the person who said, "I didn’t kill Boren, but Boren’ s death was because of me." Won’t you be guilty of adding insult to injury and making the situation worse? You can’t help someone yourself, and you want to keep others from helping him. That doubles the harm and the offense! And so it’s said, "When you offend against heaven, there’s no way to pray for mercy." How can people fail to do merit and create blessings?

关于借贷，在《庄子‧外物篇》里，有一个很有趣的譬喻。庄子因为不愿委屈本性去做官，所以生活常陷窘境。一日，庄子去向监河侯借粮，监河侯满口答应﹕「行！我即将去收取封邑的田税，到时再借三百金给你如何？」庄子听了变了脸色，忿忿地说了个故事来嘲讽这位监河侯﹕「我来的途中，听到呼唤声，回头一看，泥路上车轨碾过留下的小坑洼处，有一条奄奄一息的鲋鱼在那儿挣扎。鲋鱼要求我拿些水来，好让牠活下去。我对牠说﹕『行啊！我将到南方去游说吴王、越王，引发西江的大水来迎候你，可以吗？』鲋鱼变了脸色，忿忿地说﹕『我失去我过惯常的生活环境，没有安身立命之处。眼下我只要得到一斗一升的水，就可以活命，你却说出这样的话，还不如早点到干鱼店里找我的尸体算了！』」

There’s an interesting analogy for borrowing and lending inZhuang Zi ’s Chapter on External Matters. Because Zhuang Zi didn’t want to compromise his principles and work as an official, he was often in poverty .One day, he went to borrow food from the Lord of Jianhe, who agreed right away, "Sure! I’m going to collect the farming tax on my land, and then I’ll lend you three hundred taels of gold. How’s that?" Upon hearing that, Zhuang Zi was furious and told a story making fun of the Lord of Jianhe: "On my way here, I heard someone calling. I looked around and saw a dying fish struggling in a pit made by carts running over the muddy road. The fish begged me to bring some water so it could survive. I told the fish, ’Sure! Let me go to the South to persuade King Wu and King Yue to release water from the mighty West River to give you a nice treat, alright?’ The fish very angrily retorted, I’ve lost my normal habitat and have no place to live. Now all I want is a dipperful of water to stay alive, yet you say something like that. You might as well go look for my body in the dried fish store soon. ",

这故事的确发人深省。因此有感而写下这对对联﹕「济人当如及时雨，还物须似花信风。」所谓及时雨，就是救急救得及时，草木就不致枯死，施物虽小而福德却大。所谓花信风，就是言出如山，归还有期，就像一年二十四个节气里，该吹什么风，开什么花时，就如期吹什么风，开什么花，一点都不耽误。我们在待人接物上，亦当如是！倘若没事先问过，这就叫做偷窃。

This story really gives us something to ponder about. Inspired by this story , I wrote a couplet: In helping people, we should be like timely rain. In returning things, we should be like seasonal flowers and winds. Timely rain prevents trees and grasses from withering; that means we should help those in dire need right away. Even though the favors we do may be small, the merit is great. "Like seasonal flowers and winds" means that we should keep our word and return things on time, just as during each of the twenty-four solar terms in a year, certain winds blow and certain flowers bloom. It all happens according to schedule and nothing is delayed. That’s how we should be in dealing with people and things! If you don’t get the owner’s permission, then stealing is what you have done.