Chapter 3 beauty of life
The author of this book, Daisaku Ikeda, the honorary chairman, the translator, Professor Bian Liqiang, and Mr. Chang Shuhong mentioned at the beginning of this book are all my friends.Some of my friendships with them have lasted for more than 40 years, at least ten or twenty years, and they can be regarded as old friends.I respect them, I admire them, I love them, and I always enjoy them.
As long as there are Chinese translations of the works of honorary chairman Daisaku Ikeda (these translations are often written by Professor Bian Liqiang), I have read almost all of them.Now read his "Proverbs of Life".It can be said that on the basis of old understanding, new understanding has been added.On the basis of old admiration, new admiration has been added, and I am even more happy with it.
What are the criteria for judging whether a book is good or bad?This may vary from person to person.However, I personally believe that there are still objective standards that can be accepted by ordinary people.To sum up, there are roughly the following items: Can a book encourage people to move forward, or pull people back?Can a book give people optimism or pessimism?Can a book increase a person's wisdom, or increase his stupidity?Can a book elevate a person's spiritual realm, or lower it?Can a book enhance one's ethical and moral level, or depress it?Can a book strengthen or weaken?Can a book inspire people to fight against difficulties, or make people bow to difficulties?Can a book give people a noble aesthetic enjoyment, or a low-level and indecent pleasure?There are some similar standards that can be cited, but I think the above are enough.In general, a good book can reach the first half of the problem.If it can only match the second half, it is a bad book.
Take the above standards to measure Mr. Ikeda Daisaku's "Proverbs of Life". After reading this book, everyone will admit that it can encourage people to move forward; it can give people optimism; it can increase people's wisdom; It can enhance people's ethical and moral level; it can give people strength; it can encourage people to fight against difficulties; it can give people noble aesthetic enjoyment.In short, on the road of life, it can help people distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong; it can help people find the right path without losing their way.
Therefore, my conclusion can only be: this is a good book.
If someone thinks that what I said above is too vague and not specific enough, I might as well be more specific and give a few examples from the book.Many incisive words in the book are filled with the author's wisdom and tact.The author is an internationally renowned social activist, thinker, and religious activist in Japan.In his magnificent life, he observed and experienced life through his own eyes and mind, and finally penetrated into life and reached the state of harmony and harmony.The words in the book are pearls sprinkled from his deep heart, and every sentence shines with light.Reading such a book is really like walking into a tower of seven treasures and finding rare treasures everywhere, too many to choose from.It also seems to be walking on the hillside, which is overwhelming.The first paragraph of "1. Life" in this book is worth pondering carefully: "I think life cannot be without hearty laughter." The second paragraph: "I hope that in my true self, Always maintain the creativity of constantly creating new things and the sociality of contributing to people and society." What a positive attitude towards life, it is really deafening!I myself have reached an octogenarian age, and I especially appreciate this passage: "The beauty of 'old', old and beautiful--this is probably more noble beauty than the beauty of any period of life. Old age or old age is the essence of life. Autumn. If you want to talk about its beauty, I think it is the beauty of frosty leaves." After I read it, I suddenly felt that I was really "beautiful", and my heart was full of youthful vitality.Such wonderful words are everywhere in the book, and I no longer do copywriting.The reader is left to find out for himself.
It is autumn now.The frosty leaves of February flowers are just outside my window.There is a translation of this book on the desk.I, an old man like a frosty leaf, raised my head to look at the red leaves and lowered my head to read the beautiful chapters. My heart was relaxed and happy, and my decadence was swept away. I wrote this short preface with a pen.
November 8, 1994