入世第一课 THE FIRST LESSON OF ENTERING THE SECULAR WORLD

杨钊

Author: Charles Yeung

Translated by Soula Lo
 
年青人走入社会，开始创业时，首先要注意些什么？我认为企业和个人要想取得成功，第一个门槛，称之为「入世第一课」，就是「目标与责任」。

When young people step into society and start their career, what do they need to pay attention to first? In my opinion, if an enterprise or a person desires success, the first threshold is to have goals and responsibility. This is called “The first lesson of entering the secular world”.

小时候读书，认为长大后要做出成绩，最重要是「立志」，也就是要有志向和理想。现在企业的经营者，要想取得成功，没有目标，很难到达目的地。事业的成功有赖把长远的目标订立出来，然后分阶段去追求、去落实。又或者先有小目标，然后到达了小目标之后，再寻找下一个目标，一个个目标去达到，从而走上一个较高或较大的目标，积少成多，集石成塔。要想达到目标，重要在于行动，故古有「千里之行，始于足下」的名训。其次，目标不宜订得太多，不宜订得太高，太多则乱，不知往那方向努力，太高则力所不逮，打击「信心」，所以俗语说「实事求是、脚踏实地」是成功要诀。

When we were children and studied at school, we thought in order to have good achievement, the most important thing was to make a resolution, which means we needed to have ambition and ideals. Nowadays, if businessmen in enterprises desire success, they cannot get to their destination without a goal. The success of a career depends on setting long-term goals, dividing them into different phases, then pursuing and executing those goals step by step. Or we can start with small goals; after we achieve the small goal, then look for the next goal, and achieve each one by one. Thus move on to higher or bigger goals, and accumulate them from a few to many, as if collecting rocks to build a tower. If we want to achieve our goals, the most important thing is to have a plan of action. We have an ancient famous saying which said “A thousand mile walk starts from beneath the feet.” Secondarily, we should not set too many goals, and should not set goals too high either. Too many goals would cause confusion; we may not know which direction we should put our efforts toward. If the goals are too high, we would not be able to achieve them, which would strike down our confidence. Therefore, this idiom: “Follow the facts, and stand on solid ground” is the key to success.

迈向成功的另一个重要因素是「责任」。它是动力的泉源，它可以推动人们努力工作、勤奋工作、拼命工作，有了「责任」，就会自动自觉地寻找工作做、拼命地工作。「责任」有个人责任、家庭责任、家族责任、企业责任、社会责任和对国家的责任。

Another important element toward success is responsibility. It is the source of power, which can motivate people to work hard, work diligently, and do our very best. If we have responsibility, we would voluntarily look for more work to do, and work as hard we can. Responsibility includes: individual responsibility, family responsibility, clan responsibility, enterprise responsibility, social responsibility and responsibility to our nations.

首先，人们要肩负起对自己的责任和家庭的责任，如果没有责任，人们就会没劲，没劲就容易放弃，容易逃避，这是最令人瞧不起的人，也就是没有出息的人，所以现在管理学选出人生最失败的东西是「放弃」。

First, people need to carry their own responsibility and family responsibility. If people have no responsibility, they would lose enthusiasm. Without enthusiasm, they would give up or run away easily. These kinds of people are despised by others the most, and they have no future at all. Therefore, management science studies chose “giving up” as the worse failure.

要肩负责任，自己要有「责任的感觉」，称之为「责任感」。有了「责任感」，自己就会对自己说，要担起自己的责任；自己能站立起来，又或者说，自己能担起家庭的责任。进一步是担负起家族，以及企业的责任。在意识中树立起挑担子的「观念」。由于这一个「观念」，是自己对自己说的，也是心甘情愿的，所以称之为「意诚」。要成大事的人，要成为有用的人，儒家总结了许多案例，归纳人生要想成功，第一步必须由「心」开始，由自己开始，这一步称为「意诚」，也是最重要的一步。但是，社会上理论研究者往往把这一步忘记了，又或者有意无意地把它忽略，致使世人不重视。

To carry responsibility, one needs to have the feeling of being responsible; this is called “the sense of responsibility”. If one has the sense of responsibility, he or she would tell himself to take up his own responsibility, and stand up by himself, or we could say, one could carry his family’s responsibility. The next step is to carry the responsibility for the whole clan and the enterprise. Consciously setting up a concept of carrying responsibility. Because this concept is what one tells himself, and one is doing it voluntarily, it is called sincerity. If one wants to make a difference, to be a useful person, the Confucian school concludes from several cases, and summarizes as follows: to be successful, the first step needs to start from heart, start from oneself. This step is called sincerity, which is the most important step. But the theorists in society seem to forget this step, or intentionally neglect it, which results in most people not to value this enough.

迈过了「意诚」，第二个门槛是「正心」。何为「正心」？就是「不斜」，又或者说是「不假、不伪、不劣」。何谓「不正」？「有说无做」谓「不正」。今天说了，明天便忘记，称之为「不正」，「讲一套做一套」谓「不正」。说谎是「不正」，偷盗为「不正」，「恶口」是「不正」，「二舌」是「不正」。那么什么才是「正」呢？脚踏实地谓之「正」，实事求是谓之「正」，有讲有做谓之「正」，今天讲了，明天以及以后坚持这样做谓之「正」。不偷盗谓之「正」、不妄语谓之「正」、不恶口谓之「正」、不二舌谓之「正」。

After stepping through sincerity, the second threshold is “a straight mind”. What is a straight mind? It means not crooked, or we could say, not false, not faking, not being bad. What is not straight? Talking without action is not straight. Saying something today and forgetting it tomorrow, this is not straight. Saying one thing and doing another is not straight. Lying is not straight, stealing is not straight, speaking evil words is not straight, and speaking poisonous words to destroy others’ relationship is not straight. Then what is being straight? Standing on solid ground is straight, following the facts is straight, and speaking words with action is straight. Saying something today, following through tomorrow, and being persistent in the same action in the future is straight. Not stealing is straight, not speaking false language is straight, not speaking evil words is straight, and not speaking poisonous words to turn people against each other is straight.

第三个门槛，也就是人生的第三个台阶，称之为「修身」，刚才提到的「正心」只是在观念、在心中、在脑中明白其中的意思，但人的业力很重，也就是人的「基因」力量很大，要克服业力，又或跨越「基因」的阻力，实在不是容易的事，因此，古训中有「知易行难」的教导。虽然「知易行难」，不等于不可能，因此前辈们教导我们要学习，「勇往直前，不竣不休」的精神，另外，人类也有良好「基因」的一面，称之为「人向高处，水向低流」的自然现象。

The third threshold, which is also the third step in our life, is called cultivating one’s moral character. We just mentioned that sincerity is a concept; we might understand the meaning in our heart and our mind, but the power of a human being’s karma is very strong. In other words, the power of genes is strong. To overcome the power of karma, or to leap over the barriers of genes, is truly not an easy task. Therefore, there is an ancient’s teaching which said, “To know it is easy, but to do it is difficult.” Although it is easier known than done, it is not impossible, so our predecessors asked us to learn the spirit of “go forward bravely and do not rest until we complete the mission”. Human genes also have a good side, which called “People tend to walk to high spots; water tends to flow to low ground.” This is a natural phenomenon.

「修身」，也就是修正自己的不良行为，首先从日常的行为和语言开始，把不良的行为改正，把不好的语言修正，称之修正自己的「口和身」，最后是修正自己的「意」，所以「修身」就是修正自己的「身、口、意」。

To cultivate one’s moral character means to correct one’s bad behaviors. First, we need to start with action and language in daily life, correct bad behaviors, and rephrase bad language. This is called modifying our mouth and body. Lastly we need to modify our mind. Thus, to cultivate one’s moral character is to modify ones’ body, mouth, and mind.

第四个门槛，称之为「齐家」，也就是团结家族成员，把家族中有共同看法的人团结在一起，把认同「团结就是力量」的成员走在一起，向共同的目标而努力。

The fourth threshold called “to govern one’s family”, also means to unite all the family members, gather the members who share the same perspectives, and let the members who agree with this idea, “In Unity There Is Strength” walk together, and work towards the same goals.

这就是「目标和责任」，由自己扩展到「家庭」成员，再到「家族」成员，把更多的人团结在一起，为更多的人谋利益。

This involves setting goals and carrying responsibility: expanding this concept from ourselves to our family members, and then on to clan members; thusly, uniting more people to produce benefits for more people.

第五个门槛，称之为「治企」，也就是「管治企业」。要成为企业的领袖，并且能令企业健康的成长，以及持续地发展下去，其基本功必须经过「意诚、正心、修身、齐家」这四个阶段。如果没有修炼，又或火候不够，就容易走歪。走歪便没法到达目的地，又或中途受阻，所以说：「脚踏实地」、「实事求是」的重要，古人称「台上一分钟，台下十年功」，道理就在其中。

The fifth threshold is called “governing the enterprise”, or managing the enterprise. If one desires to be the leader of an enterprise, and ensure the enterprise to grow up healthy, and develop continually, the basic lesson is to pass these four stages: sincerity, straight might, cultivate one’s moral character, and to govern one’s family. If we don’t practice diligently, or are not mature enough, we could easily go in the wrong direction. If we head in the wrong direction, then we will not reach the destination, or we might encounter obstructions in midway. Therefore, “to stand on solid ground and to follow the facts” is important, that is why an ancient once said, “one minute on stage requires ten years of practice”.

人生真的不容易，事业成功是上半场，人生成功是下半场。事业成功只能为我们获得「名、利和社会地位」，而人生的成功才能令我们获得「身体健康、家庭幸福和开心、自在」。

To live in this world is not easy. To be successful in one’s career is only the first half part; the other half is to be successful in life. To be successful in a career can only let us gain fame, wealth and status. To be successful in life will let us gain health, a happy family, joy, and a carefree life.