哲學家

At the present day, and in this country, as I find by my own experience, a few implements, a knife, an axe, a spade, a wheelbarrow, etc., and for the studious, lamplight, stationery, and access to a few books, rank next to necessaries, and can all be obtained at a trifling cost. Yet some, not wise, go to the other side of the globe, to barbarous and unhealthy regions, and devote themselves to trade for ten or twenty years, in order that they may live — that is, keep comfortably warm — and die in New England at last. The luxuriously rich are not simply kept comfortably warm, but unnaturally hot; as I implied before, they are cooked, of course à la mode.

Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. With respect to luxuries and comforts, the wisest have ever lived a more simple and meagre life than the poor. The ancient philosophers, Chinese, Hindoo, Persian, and Greek, were a class than which none has been poorer in outward riches, none so rich in inward. We know not much about them. It is remarkable that we know so much of them as we do. The same is true of the more modern reformers and benefactors of their race. None can be an impartial or wise observer of human life but from the vantage ground of what we should call voluntary poverty. Of a life of luxury the fruit is luxury, whether in agriculture, or commerce, or literature, or art.

現在，在台灣這個國家，很少聽過餓死人的；但是大部份的人卻活在恐懼之中，害怕自己退休後沒錢用。據說，我們的國家有免於恐懼的自由。如果這麼說你還是不能安心，那你可以遷到更暖的南部來；這裡不但氣候暖，人心也暖。只要你不為自己設限，要保持你體內的生機熱應該是沒問題。我並不敢要求每個人都要變成哲學家，但是當哲學家就不要想成為樂透頭彩得主；這兩者你只能選擇一個。一個過著神仙般生活的人，對實相不會有所領悟，更不會想要解脫；人們總以為登高才能眺遠，但人類生命中的難題還是得在地面上解決。