《Caigentan (菜根譚) – Complete Works | Former Collection》 #1 [001]

 

📖 Chaegeundam (菜根譚) Anthology – Vol.1 [001]

📜 Original Text (Classical Chinese)

棲守道德者，寂寞一時；依附權勢者，淒涼萬古。
故達人觀物外之物，思身後之身，寧受一時之寂寞，毋取萬古之淒涼。

📚 English Translation

Those who dwell in virtue may endure loneliness for a time,
but those who cling to power and influence will face eternal desolation.
Thus, a wise person looks beyond material things and reflects on their legacy after death,
choosing rather to accept momentary solitude than to suffer everlasting regret.

🪶 Chinese Character Glossary

• 棲 (qī): to dwell, reside
• 守 (shǒu): to guard, uphold
• 道德 (dàodé): virtue, morality
• 寂寞 (jìmò): loneliness, solitude
• 一時 (yīshí): for a moment, temporarily
• 依附 (yīfù): to attach to, to rely upon
• 權勢 (quánshì): power and influence
• 淒涼 (qīliáng): desolation, bleakness
• 萬古 (wàngǔ): eternity, countless ages
• 達人 (dárén): a person of wisdom, enlightened one
• 觀物外之物 (guān wùwài zhī wù): to see beyond the surface of things
• 思身後之身 (sī shēnhòu zhī shēn): to reflect on the self after death; one’s posthumous reputation
• 寧受 (nìng shòu): to rather accept, willingly endure
• 毋取 (wú qǔ): to avoid taking; to refuse to choose

🔍 Commentary

This passage invites the reader to compare two types of lives: one grounded in moral integrity and the other dependent on external power. The former may involve temporary isolation or neglect, but it ultimately brings peace. The latter, though possibly glorious in the moment, leads to a legacy of emptiness.
The “wise person” (達人) is portrayed as someone who doesn’t chase immediate rewards or popularity. Instead, they consider values that outlast their own lifetime — reputation, honor, and the impression they leave behind. It's a call to live deliberately, choosing integrity even at the cost of temporary discomfort.