追憶逝水年華

Thus for sixteen days I saw from my window a hundred men at work like busy husbandmen, with teams and horses and apparently all the implements of farming, such a picture as we see on the first page of the almanac; and as often as I looked out I was reminded of the fable of the lark and the reapers, or the parable of the sower, and the like; and now they are all gone, and in thirty days more, probably, I shall look from the same window on the pure sea-green Walden water there, reflecting the clouds and the trees, and sending up its evaporations in solitude, and no traces will appear that a man has ever stood there. Perhaps I shall hear a solitary loon laugh as he dives and plumes himself, or shall see a lonely fisher in his boat, like a floating leaf, beholding his form reflected in the waves, where lately a hundred men securely labored. 

這段充滿詩意的文字立刻讓我想到了《徒然草》中第26段所引的一首和歌：

昔日幽期處牆腳傾廢，

唯見堇花叢生荒草間。

有不待風吹而自散落者，人心之花是也！

從人事的慣例看來，曾經互訴情愛的兩人往往會變成不同世界的人，這比死別更可悲。生長在都市的人，一切變化太快，幾年後回到舊的地方，連可回憶的景物都不見了，更何況是人呢！

梭羅的整體論

If we knew all the laws of Nature, we should need only one fact, or the description of one actual phenomenon, to infer all the particular results at that point. Now we know only a few laws, and our result is vitiated, not, of course, by any confusion or irregularity in Nature, but by our ignorance of essential elements in the calculation. Our notions of law and harmony are commonly confined to those instances which we detect; but the harmony which results from a far greater number of seemingly conflicting, but really concurring, laws, which we have not detected, is still more wonderful. The particular laws are as our points of view, as, to the traveller, a mountain outline varies with every step, and it has an infinite number of profiles, though absolutely but one form. Even when cleft or bored through it is not comprehended in its entireness.

對於人世間不公義的事儘管不應袖手不顧，但當已盡了力而無法改變時，則可以認為：之所以有這樣的世間，是因為我們所不知的法則所造成。正如高山和深海，如此不同，卻又如此和諧。梭羅說，因為我們所知的法則甚為有限，計算所得結果也會因為我們的無知而有缺陷。我們對於法則以及和諧的看法通常受限於我們的視野，所以真正和諧美好的事物卻看起來互相矛盾衝突，這是因為造成這些真正的和諧美好事物的法則無法為我們所見。我們所見者猶如山中的旅者，山的輪廓隨著行進而有無限變化，但其實山只有一個；即使將之劈開或鑿穿了，我們也無從得窺全豹。

無功任運是謂捨。佛法講捨是有前提的；當修行的人的心既不高昂，亦不下沉時，便不需使用寂止及策舉之法。孔子七十而從心所欲不踰矩，便是捨的法門。在學習電腦語言時，讀到了兩個觀念：reductionism 以及 holism. 前者認為一件事物可以藉著瞭解組成它的各個部份而被瞭解；後者認為事物的整體經常是大於各個部份的總合。程式設計師在學習程式設計時，經常要交錯的使用這兩個互相對立的觀點。修行也是如此。因為偏於修止，於境暗昩，謂之沉沒，此時宜修策舉相；若心高舉，則應修厭背相，使心沉靜。然而，若是使用遞迴的技巧，則 reductionism 會成為瞭解程式的敵人，必須讓自己完全以 holism 的觀點來思考。此時就跟捨的法門很類似了。在山中修行的行者，或急或徐，若在某處美景耽著，則怠慢修行；若是急著攻頂，則會錯過身旁美景。梭羅說，我一生中曾遇見過一兩個人真正懂得每天散步的心法，－－ 不僅僅是為了運動身體，或只是為了振奮精神，而是確實地鍛鍊身心，讓自己能夠藉著拋棄任何特定的目標而達到最真實究竟的目標 －－ 這樣的人可以說是具備了溜達閑晃的天賦。

華爾騰湖測量圖

When I had mapped the pond by the scale of ten rods to an inch, and put down the soundings, more than a hundred in all, I observed this remarkable coincidence. Having noticed that the number indicating the greatest depth was apparently in the centre of the map, I laid a rule on the map lengthwise, and then breadthwise, and found, to my surprise, that the line of greatest length intersected the line of greatest breadth exactly at the point of greatest depth, notwithstanding that the middle is so nearly level, the outline of the pond far from regular, and the extreme length and breadth were got by measuring into the coves; and I said to myself, Who knows but this hint would conduct to the deepest part of the ocean as well as of a pond or puddle? Is not this the rule also for the height of mountains, regarded as the opposite of valleys? We know that a hill is not highest at its narrowest part.

梭羅在池畔生活的第一年冬季，即1946年初，便對華爾騰池進行測量。他的測量技術是自學的，但1946年所繪製的測量結果卻真實呈現了華爾騰池的形狀：（圖中箭頭所指是北方）

圖右下角的 D點現在叫作梭羅灣（Thoreau's Cove），他的池畔小屋則位在D點右下標示著 House 的位置。

底下是google map 的地圖：

檢視較大的地圖

梭羅所繪地圖翻轉180度後如下：

हरिवंश

AFTER A STILL winter night I awoke with the impression that some question had been put to me, which I had been endeavoring in vain to answer in my sleep, as what — how — when — where? But there was dawning Nature, in whom all creatures live, looking in at my broad windows with serene and satisfied face, and no question on her lips. I awoke to an answered question, to Nature and daylight. The snow lying deep on the earth dotted with young pines, and the very slope of the hill on which my house is placed, seemed to say, Forward! Nature puts no question and answers none which we mortals ask. She has long ago taken her resolution. "O Prince, our eyes contemplate with admiration and transmit to the soul the wonderful and varied spectacle of this universe. The night veils without doubt a part of this glorious creation; but day comes to reveal to us this great work, which extends from earth even into the plains of the ether.



噢，王子。我們的眼睛在讚嘆，在靜觀，把這宇宙奇妙多變的景象傳達於靈魂。夜幕固然把造物的光輝部份掩遮，但白晝轉瞬來臨，揭示這偉大的作品，其廣大甚至從此土延伸至蒼穹。

已故的孟祥森（筆名孟東籬）在上個世紀末翻譯此段引文時，因為沒有網路，以他的博學多聞，仍註明此段引文出處不明。但我卻輕易的找到出自 《Harivansa》（訶利世系，或譯為哈利家譜）, 是印度二大史詩之一《摩訶婆羅多》的一個續章。《訶利世系》與《摩訶婆羅多》在實際內容上沒有什麼聯繫，但關於黑天的一些最主要的故事都是保存在此續章中。之前買的《湖濱書簡》，Letters to a Spiritual Seeker，梭羅亦有在給朋友的信中（1849/11/20）引用此史詩：

（那些學習瑜伽的人，從婆羅門那裡得到了努力的成果，）可擺脱一切枷鎖，像鳥在空中飛翔那樣的自由自在。
瑜伽者在沉思中，就能對造化有所貢獻；他能吸入神奇的香味，聽到美妙的事物。神體穿過他卻不傷害他，而與大自然吻合，使一切對他都恰到好處。他的一舉一動都鼓舞了大自然。

Free in this world, as the birds in the air, disengaged from every kind of chain.

Thus the Yogin, absorbed in contemplation, contributes for his part to creation : he breathes a divine perfume, he hears wonderful things . Divine forms traverse him without tearing him, and united to the nature which is proper to him, he goes, he acts, as animating original matter.

此書信集的編者在註釋提到梭羅於1849年9月11日自哈佛大學圖書館借出這套自梵文翻成法文的《Harivansa》，兩個月後，在給朋友的信中摘譯成英文。而1851年5月在修改《湖濱散記》而重讀此套書的同時，也在他的日記中記載了這兩段。因此可以推斷首揭引文應在此時加入《冬天的池》；梭羅說：正如其他的傳道者，寫完了我要講的，一段時日之後，我會再加進汲取自中國和印度經典的文字。

Like some other preachers, I have added my texts - derived from the Chinese and Hindoo scriptures – long after my discourse was written .

帝寶豪宅

Most men appear never to have considered what a house is, and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have. As if one were to wear any sort of coat which the tailor might cut out for him, or, gradually leaving off palm-leaf hat or cap of woodchuck skin, complain of hard times because he could not afford to buy him a crown! It is possible to invent a house still more convenient and luxurious than we have, which yet all would admit that man could not afford to pay for. Shall we always study to obtain more of these things, and not sometimes to be content with less? Shall the respectable citizen thus gravely teach, by precept and example, the necessity of the young man's providing a certain number of superfluous glow-shoes, and umbrellas, and empty guest chambers for empty guests, before he dies? Why should not our furniture be as simple as the Arab's or the Indian's? When I think of the benefactors of the race, whom we have apotheosized as messengers from heaven, bearers of divine gifts to man, I do not see in my mind any retinue at their heels, any carload of fashionable furniture. Or what if I were to allow — would it not be a singular allowance? — that our furniture should be more complex than the Arab's, in proportion as we are morally and intellectually his superiors! At present our houses are cluttered and defiled with it, and a good housewife would sweep out the greater part into the dust hole, and not leave her morning's work undone. Morning work! By the blushes of Aurora and the music of Memnon, what should be man's morning work in this world? I had three pieces of limestone on my desk, but I was terrified to find that they required to be dusted daily, when the furniture of my mind was all undusted still, and threw them out the window in disgust. How, then, could I have a furnished house? I would rather sit in the open air, for no dust gathers on the grass, unless where man has broken ground.



日本三大隨筆之一的《徒然草》提到：

能持身簡樸，袪除奢欲，不務財富，不求世間名利的，方稱賢慧。自古富而賢者，為數極少。

許由身無長物，有人見他捧水而飲，乃贈以葫蘆。時或繫之樹上，風吹作響，許由頓覺厭煩，遂棄而不用，復以手掬水。真可謂清涼之心也！孫晨冬天沒有棉被，僅備乾草一束，夜來舖草而臥，醒來便將之收起。唐土之人，以此等人為高士，載之書冊以傳世；若生於日本，必湮沒無聞。


讀李永熾先生《從風土與場所看台灣族群》一文，說到台灣雖有獨特的風土，卻被來來往往的人刻意的漠視。我們只有過客，剝削者，外來政權，而沒有自己主體的台灣。因為風土與場所的不同，會產生不同的文化，所以許由及孫晨此等人物不為日本人所喜歡。而在美國，則有梭羅。

梭羅因為桌上的三塊石頭必須每天擦拭，而沒有時間擦拭內心的塵埃，頓生厭背之心，將之丟棄。較之必須每天清掃的帝寶豪宅內的高級沙發，他寧願選擇坐在露天的草地上。

梭羅說，我們是不是應該偶爾學著滿足於現況，而不是整天想著如何去獲得那些奢侈品，去告訴我們年輕的一代，在你們死之前，務必要擁有鉑金包，名錶，跑車，豪宅，否則你們就白活了？我們的監察院長在嘲笑大學生打工的不智時，只有人責怪他不懂民間疾苦，卻沒有人告訴他，求學問並不是為了將來可以賺更多的錢而已！難道將來在台灣的史冊上，就只會有王永慶，郭台銘這些人？如果是這樣，即便台灣建構成為完全屬於台灣人民的國家，也不會被其他世界的人所尊重的。