Having No Excessive Desire

沒(méi)有過(guò)度的欲望。“欲”主要指人為外物所感而產(chǎn)生的欲求。這樣的欲求作為人得以生存的必要條件，應(yīng)該獲得適當(dāng)?shù)臐M足。但過(guò)度的欲望會(huì)造成對(duì)自身生命的傷害，也會(huì)導(dǎo)致道德的淪喪及社會(huì)秩序的混亂。因此儒家和道家都主張“無(wú)欲”。此外，在道家思想中，“無(wú)欲”有時(shí)特指道對(duì)待萬(wàn)物、為政者對(duì)待百姓的一種態(tài)度，即為政者節(jié)制自身的欲望，不去刺激百姓的欲望。

Yu (欲) means the desire people have when they are attracted by external objects. Such desire, as the condition necessary for existence, should be suitably met. However, excessive desire is detrimental to one's life and will lead to a decline in public moral and result in social chaos. So both Confucianism and Daoism are against excessive desire. In addition, in Daoist thinking, "having no excessive desire" refers to Dao's attitude towards everything and how those in power should handle their relations with the common people. Daoism believes that those in power should suppress their desire and refrain from arousing people's desire.

引例 Citations：

◎子曰：“吾未見(jiàn)剛者?！被?qū)υ唬骸吧陾枴！弊釉唬骸皸栆灿傻脛?？”（《論語(yǔ)·公冶長(zhǎng)》）

孔子說(shuō)：“我沒(méi)見(jiàn)過(guò)剛正的人。”有人回應(yīng)說(shuō)：“申棖就是。”孔子說(shuō)：“申棖欲望太多，哪里能夠剛正呢？”

Confucius said, "I have never seen any person of rectitude." Someone responded, "Shen Cheng is such a person." Confucius said, "Shen Cheng has too many desires. How can he be of rectitude?" (The Analects)

◎故圣人云：我無(wú)為而民自化，我好靜而民自正，我無(wú)事而民自富，我無(wú)欲而民自樸。（《老子·五十七章》）

所以圣人說(shuō)：我無(wú)為則民眾自己化育，我好靜則民眾自己端正，我不多事則民眾自己富足，我不多欲則民眾自然樸實(shí)。

Therefore, the sage said, "People know how to cultivate themselves when I do nothing to interfere. They will behave themselves when I keep quiet. They will prosper when I am out of the way; and they will be sincere and honest when I hold my desire in check." (Laozi)

推薦：教育部 國(guó)家語(yǔ)委

供稿：北京外國(guó)語(yǔ)大學(xué) 外語(yǔ)教學(xué)與研究出版社

責(zé)任編輯：錢耐安