📖 《Caigentan (菜根譚) – Complete Works | Former Collection》 #10 [010]

📖 Caigentan (菜根譚) – Former Collection (前集) #10 [010]

📜 Original Text

恩裏由來生害, 故快意時, 須早回頭; 敗後或反成功, 故拂心處, 莫便放手。

📚 Translation

Harm is prone to arise from within situations of grace; therefore, when things are going well and your heart is joyful, you must know when to withdraw early.
Success can sometimes follow failure; therefore, when things are not to your liking, you should not easily give up.



🪶 Chinese Character Breakdown

• 恩 (은혜 은): Grace, favor.
• 裏 (속 리): Inside, within.
• 由 (말미암을 유): Due to, from.
• 來 (올 래): From (used idiomatically).
• 生 (날 생): To be born, to arise, to occur.
• 害 (해할 해): Harm, damage, detriment, to cause harm.
• 恩裏由來生害 (은리유래생해): Harm is prone to arise from within situations of grace.
• 故 (옛 고): Therefore.
• 快 (쾌할 쾌): Pleasant, refreshing, exhilarating.
• 意 (뜻 의): Meaning, intention, heart.
• 快意 (쾌의): A state of feeling good, joy when intentions align.
• 時 (때 시): Time, when.
• 快意時 (쾌의시): When one feels exhilarated and things go as intended.
• 須 (모름지기 수): Must, certainly, necessarily, finally, eventually, ought to.
• 早 (이를 조): Early, quickly, hastily, promptly.
• 回 (돌아올 회): To return, to turn back, to reflect.
• 頭 (머리 두): Head (here indicating direction).
• 回頭 (회두): To look back, to reflect, to stop, literally turning the head, referring to changing direction by turning the bow of a ship.
• 敗 (패할 패): Defeat, failure, to be defeated, to fail.
• 後 (뒤 후): After, later, next.
• 或 (혹 혹): Perhaps, someone, something, in some cases, maybe.
• 反 (되돌릴 반): Conversely, on the contrary, to return.
• 成 (이룰 성): To achieve, to succeed.
• 功 (공 공): Merit, success, achievement.
• 敗後或反成功 (패후혹반성공): After failure, in some cases, one can conversely succeed.
• 拂 (떨칠 불): To shake off, to go against.
• 心 (마음 심): Heart, mind.
• 拂心 (불심): Going against one's heart, unpleasantness.
• 處 (처): Situation, time, place, case.
• 拂心處 (불심처): A situation that goes against one's heart, a situation where things don't go as intended.
• 莫 (말 막): Do not (indicates prohibition).
• 便 (편할 편): Easily, readily, immediately, directly.
• 放 (놓을 방): To release, to let go, to abandon.
• 手 (손 수): Hand.
• 放手 (방수): To let go of one's hand, to give up.
• 莫便放手 (막편방수): Do not easily let go of your hand, do not give up.



🔍 Commentary

This passage concisely and powerfully captures two paradoxical truths of life.

First, it warns that good things can paradoxically lead to negative outcomes.
The phrase "harm arises from within grace (恩裏生害)" cautions against situations where kindness or benefits make people lazy, or where excessive joy and satisfaction lead to arrogance and carelessness.

Therefore, precisely when things are going well and one feels joyful, it is necessary to take a step back and reflect on oneself. This requires 'early braking'.
This is the meaning of "快意時, 須早回頭 (When feeling exhilarated, you must turn back early)."

Second, it suggests that even within failure and frustration, the seeds of success may be hidden.
"敗後或反成功 (After failure, one can conversely succeed)" means that even when things are not to one's liking and don't go as intended, there might be an opportunity for a turnaround within that situation.
This leads to the advice, "拂心處, 莫便放手 (When things are not to your liking, do not easily give up)."

Thus, this sentence awakens a sense of balance in life: stop when things are going well, and do not stop when things are not going well.



📌 One-Sentence Summary

Reflect when things are good — excessive satisfaction can bring harm.
Do not give up when things are difficult — the seed of success is within failure.