《Caigentan (菜根譚) - Former Collection #34》 [034]
📜 Original Text
利慾未盡害心,意見乃害心之蟊賊; 聲色未必障道,聰明乃障道之藩屏
📚 English Translation
Profit and desire may not yet fully corrupt the mind, but self-opinion is indeed the moth-worm that eats away at it.
Sensory temptations do not necessarily obstruct the path to enlightenment, but intellectual conceit is indeed the fence that blocks it.
✍️ Hanja Breakdown
- 利 (lì) — Advantageous, beneficial: profit, benefit, advantage
- 慾 (yù) — Desire, greed: longing, craving, lust
- 利慾 (lìyù) — Profit and desire, worldly greed
- 未 (wèi) — Not yet: still, not yet occurred
- 盡 (jìn) — Exhaust, finish: completely, entirely, thoroughly
- 未盡 (wèijìn) — Not yet complete, still not entirely
- 害 (hài) — Harm: to injure, to damage, to ruin
- 心 (xīn) — Heart, mind: one’s thoughts, inner being
- 害心 (hàixīn) — To harm the mind
- 意 (yì) — Meaning, intention: thought, private desire, subjective view
- 見 (jiàn) — To see, view: opinion, perspective
- 意見 (yìjiàn) — Opinion, personal view, subjective stubbornness (here: “self-opinion” or “ego”)
- 乃 (nǎi) — Indeed, truly: thus, therefore, is in fact
- 之 (zhī) — Possessive particle: links modifier to noun (“of”)
- 蟊 (máo) — Moth-worm: a pest that destroys grain
- 賊 (zéi) — Thief: something harmful, plundering
- 蟊賊 (máozéi) — Moth-worm thief: a hidden, gnawing inner threat
- 害心之蟊賊 (hàixīn zhī máozéi) — The moth-worm thief that harms the mind
- 聲 (shēng) — Sound: auditory pleasure, music
- 色 (sè) — Color: beauty, sensuality, feminine charm
- 聲色 (shēngsè) — Sounds and colors: sensory pleasures, indulgence
- 未必 (wèibì) — Not necessarily: not always, not inevitably
- 障 (zhàng) — Obstruct: to block, to hinder
- 道 (dào) — Way, path: moral principle, the way to enlightenment
- 障道 (zhàngdào) — To obstruct the Way, to hinder enlightenment
- 聰 (cōng) — Acute hearing: intelligent, sharp
- 明 (míng) — Bright, clear: wise, discerning
- 聰明 (cōngmíng) — Cleverness, intelligence, brilliance
- 藩 (fān) — Fence: barrier, boundary
- 屏 (píng) — Screen: shield, protective wall
- 藩屏 (fānpíng) — Fence, barrier, obstruction (metaphor for an inner impediment)
🔍 Commentary
This Caigentan passage highlights the contrast between what we often assume to be obstacles and what truly hinders us. It offers a profound insight: internal misguidance can be more dangerous than external temptations.
The first line states:
"Profit and desire may not yet fully corrupt the mind, but stubborn self-regard is truly the moth-worm that gnaws at it."
We often assume that pursuing profit or indulging desire is the greatest threat to integrity. While these can harm the mind, this passage identifies a more insidious enemy: stubborn self-regard.
This refers to rigid thinking, narrow views, and dogmatic judgments rooted in arrogance. Like a moth-worm thief (蟊賊) silently devouring grain, stubborn self-regard subtly corrodes our moral core and clouds our judgment.
It warns us that internal stubborn self-regard can be even more destructive than external desire.
The second line continues:
"Sensory temptations do not necessarily obstruct the path to enlightenment, but intellectual conceit is truly the fence that blocks it."
We tend to believe that sensory temptations (聲色) are the greatest hindrance to spiritual practice. While they can certainly distract us, this passage suggests that intellectual conceit can form an even more formidable barrier (藩屏).
Intellectual conceit, though a valuable gift, often leads to self-satisfaction and arrogance. Believing in one’s intellectual superiority breeds pride, which closes the mind to new truths, stifles humility, and erects a rigid fence that blocks the transcendent path.
In conclusion, this passage reminds us that the most dangerous obstacles often lie within.
Stubborn self-regard and arrogance, more than external temptations, can bind us more tightly and distance us from enlightenment.
Thus, cultivating inner humility, guarding against stubbornness and pride, and reflecting inwardly are the true ways to spiritual growth.