[56칙] Beyond Wealth and Competence: True Contentment and the Wisdom of Balance
📜 Original Text
奢者富而不足,何如儉者貧而有餘;
能者勞而府怨,何如拙者逸而全真。
📚 Translation
Those who indulge in luxury are wealthy yet unsatisfied. How can they compare to the frugal, who may be poor but live with abundance?
The competent toil endlessly and attract resentment. How can they compare to the inept, who live at ease and preserve their true nature?
✍️ Hanja Breakdown
- 奢 (shē - Extravagance): To be extravagant, to be excessive.
- 者 (zhě - Person): A person who does ~.
- 奢者 (shēzhě - The Extravagant): An extravagant person, one who indulges in luxury.
- 富 (fù - Wealth): To be wealthy, to have abundant property.
- 而 (ér - And/But): And, however, but, while also ~, although ~.
- 不 (bù - Not): Not to be ~.
- 足 (zú - Enough): To be enough, to be satisfied.
- 不足 (bùzú - Unsatisfied): Not to be satisfied, to feel a lack.
- 何 (hé - How): How, why.
- 如 (rú - Like): To be like, to resemble.
- 何如 (hérú - How can it compare to~?): Although taking the form of a question, it is a rhetorical expression emphasizing that the latter part is more desirable or superior.
- 儉 (jiǎn - Frugality): To be frugal, to be thrifty.
- 儉者 (jiǎnzhě - The Frugal): A frugal person.
- 貧 (pín - Poverty): To be poor.
- 有 (yǒu - To have): To have, to exist.
- 餘 (yú - Surplus): A surplus, abundance, leisure.
- 有餘 (yǒuyú - Abundance): To have abundance, to have leisure.
- 能 (néng - Competence): To be capable, to be competent.
- 能者 (néngzhě - The Competent): A competent person, a talented person.
- 勞 (láo - Toil): To labor, to strive, to be arduous.
- 府 (fǔ - Repository): A government office, to accumulate. (Here, it means 'to accumulate'.)
- 怨 (yuàn - Resentment): Resentment, grudge.
- 府怨 (fǔyuàn - Accumulate Resentment): Resentment accumulates, to incur resentment, to hear complaints.
- 拙 (zhuō - Ineptness): To be clumsy, to lack talent, to be inept.
- 拙者 (zhuōzhě - The Inept): An inept person, one who lacks talent, an unpolished person.
- 逸 (yì - Ease): To be at ease, to be leisurely, to live in seclusion.
- 全 (quán - Preserve): To preserve entirely, to completely maintain.
- 真 (zhēn - Truth): Truth, true nature, reality.
- 全真 (quánzhēn - Preserve True Nature): To fully preserve one's true essence, to maintain one's original nature, to completely hold onto one's innate truth.
🔍 Commentary: Seeking Inner Abundance and True Nature
Chapter 56 of Caigentan poses a thought-provoking question:
"Why do the wealthy and competent often seem to suffer, while the poor and inept appear more at ease?"
This question reveals a profound truth about the paradoxes of life.
We tend to believe that wealth is preferable to poverty, and competence superior to ineptitude.
After all, the wealthy need not beg; they can pay their dues, help others, and live with dignity.
The competent carry great responsibilities and often become pillars of society, supporting many.
Such people are undeniably valuable and necessary.
This passage does not dismiss their worth outright. Rather, it reminds us that in chasing wealth and excellence, one can inadvertently lose inner peace and allow one’s heart to grow barren.
Extravagance knows no end, and competence often invites the weight of others’ expectations and scrutiny.
Like trying to fill a leaky jar, one may pour endlessly yet never feel full — a life that lacks true contentment.
On the other hand, the frugal find abundance even in modest circumstances.
By letting go of the superfluous and holding fast to what truly matters, their hearts remain light and calm.
The inept, unburdened by others’ expectations, move at their own pace, preserving their original purity.
This does not advocate complete withdrawal, but rather serves as a gentle warning:
do not lose your inner balance in the pursuit of outward success.
🌱 Conclusion: The Wisdom of Balance
In this world, some stand tall like mighty trees, shielding others from the wind, while others sway freely like blades of grass.
A life of wealth and competence is certainly admirable — but it should not become one crushed under the weight of desire.
If you cherish frugality and cultivate leisure of the heart, the mighty tree can remain firm against the wind, and the humble blade of grass can embed its roots deeply and stay true to its place.
The teachings of Caigentan remind us:
"Do not endlessly strive to acquire more; even if you are capable, do not let yourself be overwhelmed by toil. Instead, pause and look within."
A life that lightens the burdens of the heart and preserves one’s true self shines quietly yet brightly — and endures.