《Caigentan (菜根譚) - Former Collection #26》 [026]
📜 Original Text
飽後思味，則濃淡之境都消；色後思淫，則男女之見盡絕。故人常以事後之悔悟，破臨事之癡迷，則性定而動無不正。
📚 Translation
If you contemplate flavor only after your hunger is sated, the distinction between richness and blandness dissolves.
If you reflect on lust only after sensual indulgence, all attachment to men and women vanishes.
Thus, one must draw upon the regret and insight that arise after the fact to dispel the delusion faced in the moment.
When this is achieved, one’s nature is stabilized, and every action aligns with righteousness.
✍️ Hanja Breakdown
- 飽 (bǎo): to be full, to be satisfied
- 後 (hòu): after, later
- 飽後 (bǎo hòu): after being full; after a meal
- 思 (sī): to think, reflect, ponder, or savor
- 味 (wèi): taste, flavor
- 思味 (sī wèi): to reflect on or savor the taste
- 則 (zé): then, thus; thereby (introduces a result or consequence)
- 濃 (nóng): rich, thick (in flavor or substance)
- 淡 (dàn): bland, light, mild
- 濃淡 (nóng dàn): rich and bland; degree of flavor or intensity
- 之 (zhī): of (possessive particle, classical equivalent of "’s" or "of")
- 境 (jìng): boundary, realm, state, condition
- 濃淡之境 (nóng dàn zhī jìng): the boundary/distinction between richness and blandness
- 都 (dū): all, entirely, completely
- 消 (xiāo): to disappear, vanish, be extinguished
- 都消 (dū xiāo): all disappear; completely vanish
- 色 (sè): color; also used to denote sensual pleasure or lust
- 色後 (sè hòu): after indulging in sensual pleasures
- 淫 (yín): lust, debauchery, indulgence
- 思淫 (sī yín): to reflect on lust; to think about debauchery
- 則 (zé): then, thus
- 男 (nán): male, man
- 女 (nǚ): female, woman
- 男女 (nán nǚ): men and women
- 見 (jiàn): view, opinion, perspective; also attachment or bias
- 男女之見 (nán nǚ zhī jiàn): views or attachments related to men and women
- 盡 (jìn): entirely, completely, exhaustively
- 絕 (jué): to sever, to cut off, to end
- 盡絕 (jìn jué): completely severed; entirely extinguished
- 故 (gù): therefore, hence
- 人 (rén): person, human being
- 常 (cháng): always, constantly
- 以 (yǐ): by means of, using, through
- 事 (shì): matter, event, affair
- 後 (hòu): after
- 事後 (shì hòu): after the event; afterward
- 悔 (huǐ): to regret
- 悟 (wù): to realize, to awaken to understanding
- 悔悟 (huǐ wù): regret and realization; remorse and awakening
- 破 (pò): to break, destroy, overcome
- 臨 (lín): to face, to be confronted with
- 事 (shì): event, circumstance, situation
- 臨事 (lín shì): when facing an event; in the moment of action
- 癡 (chī): foolish, naive, deluded
- 迷 (mí): confused, lost, obsessed
- 癡迷 (chī mí): foolish delusion; blind obsession
- 性 (xìng): nature, disposition, character
- 定 (dìng): to stabilize, to become firm
- 性定 (xìng dìng): one’s nature becomes stable or composed
- 而 (ér): and, then, but (connects clauses)
- 動 (dòng): action, movement, behavior
- 無 (wú): not, none, without
- 不 (bù): not
- 無不 (wú bù): nothing that is not; all
- 不正 (bù zhèng): incorrect, unrighteous
- 無不正 (wú bù zhèng): all are correct; every action is righteous
🔍 Explanation
We often come to evaluate things only after the experience has passed — thinking, perhaps, “That was too salty,” or “It wasn’t as good as I thought.”
But in the midst of the moment, when our senses are consumed by desire, it’s easy to chase after strong and stimulating sensations without pause.
The same is true of sensual indulgence: only after the desire is spent do we look back and realize, “It was meaningless.”
This underscores why reflection after the fact (事後) is so vital.
Even though the moment has already passed, the regret and insight it leaves behind can arm us against future delusions.
At its core, this passage offers a profound truth:
“You may falter in the face of passing desires. But once those desires have run their course, you must reflect deeply, repent sincerely, and regain your composure.
Only then will your future actions be rightly guided.”
This is the true strength of wise introspection.
Reference Materials
Original Text Source
- This explanation is based on the widely circulated digital edition of Caigentan (菜根譚) (composed of 225 chapters in the Former Collection and 141 chapters in the Latter Collection) as its primary source for translation and commentary.
Conceptual Explanation
The explanation of philosophical concepts in the main text (e.g., Guest Qi, Sensual Desires, Consciousness, Deluded Mind, etc.) has been compiled by synthesizing universal interpretations based on the following types of academic resources:
- Specialized dictionaries and glossaries related to Chinese classical philosophy and Buddhist philosophy (e.g., 《漢語大詞典》, 《佛光大辭典》, etc.)
- Annotated translation editions of Cai Gen Tan with detailed commentaries and related research papers (specific editions may be cited)
- Academic books on East Asian classical thought regarding the theory of mind-nature (心性論) and Qi (氣) philosophy.
[Guidance Note]
飽 (bǎo): to be full, to be satisfied.
後 (hòu): after, later.
飽後 (bǎo hòu): after being full, after a meal.
思 (sī): to think, to reflect, to ponder, to savor.
味 (wèi): taste, flavor.
思味 (sī wèi): to reflect on taste, to savor a taste.
則 (zé): then, thereby.
濃 (nóng): rich (flavor), strong.
淡 (dàn): bland, light (flavor), weak.
濃淡 (nóng dàn): rich and bland, concentration.
之 (zhī): (possessive particle, similar to 'of').
境 (jìng): realm, state, distinction, boundary.
濃淡之境 (nóng dàn zhī jìng): the realm/distinction of rich and bland flavors.
都 (dū): all, entirely, completely.
消 (xiāo): to disappear, to vanish.
都消 (dū xiāo): all disappear, completely vanish.
色 (sè): color; beauty, physical pleasure, lust.
色後 (sè hòu): after indulging in sensual desires.
淫 (yín): lust, debauchery, excessive indulgence.
思淫 (sī yín): to reflect on lust, to think about debauchery.
則 (zé): then, thereby.
男 (nán): male, man.
女 (nǚ): female, woman.
男女 (nán nǚ): men and women.
見 (jiàn): view, opinion, attachment.
男女之見 (nán nǚ zhī jiàn): attachment/views regarding men and women.
盡 (jìn): all, completely, to exhaust.
絕 (jué): to cut off, to cease, to be severed.
盡絕 (jìn jué): completely severed, entirely vanished.
故 (gù): therefore, hence.
人 (rén): person, human.
常 (cháng): always, constantly.
以 (yǐ): by means of, with.
事 (shì): matter, event, affair.
後 (hòu): after.
事後 (shì hòu): after the event, after the fact, afterwards.
悔 (huǐ): to regret, to repent.
悟 (wù): to realize, to awaken.
悔悟 (huǐ wù): regret and realization, to regret and realize, to repent and awaken.
破 (pò): to break, to shatter, to overcome.
臨 (lín): to face, to confront, at the moment of.
事 (shì): matter, situation.
臨事 (lín shì): when facing a matter, at that moment, facing an event, an immediate matter.
癡 (chī): foolish, deluded, obsessive.
迷 (mí): deluded, bewildered, confused.
癡迷 (chī mí): foolish delusion, fleeting obsession, attachment. Foolish and deluded.
性 (xìng): nature, disposition.
定 (dìng): to stabilize, to become firm.
性定 (xìng dìng): one's nature becomes stable.
而 (ér): and, but.
動 (dòng): action, movement.
無 (wú): to not have, there is no.
不 (bù): not.
無不 (wú bù): there is nothing that is not.
不正 (bù zhèng): not correct, not righteous.
無不正 (wú bù zhèng): there is nothing that is not correct, all are correct.