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朝三暮四

   有些我们朗朗上口的成语，意思与它原先的用法不太相同。“朝三暮四”就是一例。现代人说这四个字，是批评某人心志坚、操守不定，有见风转舵、随风摇摆之意。但是，古人的用法并非如此。

　　比较完整的版本是《列子·黄帝》所记载的。故事大意是：宋国有个养猴子的人，时日久了能与猴子互通心意。他省吃俭用来照顾猴子，后来实在没钱买足够的栗子，只好减少猴子的食物供应，但是又怕它们不再听话，于是心生一计。他对猴子说：“以后给你们吃的栗子，早上三升，晚上四升，可以吗？”猴子听了都很生气。他再改口说：“那么，早上四升，晚上三升，可以吗？”猴子听了都很高兴。

　　接着，列子总结说：“圣人以智笼群愚，亦犹狙公之以智笼众狙也。”名与实并没有什么改变，但是可以左右众人的喜怒。

　　列子原名列御寇，在时代上早于庄子，所以《庄子》书中还有一篇，名为《列御寇》，而在其他地方也多次提及此人。不过，现在通行的《列子》一书，则是晋朝的人所编成，资料未必可信。无论如何，我们要指出的是：庄子也曾使用同样的寓言，而他的意思又远远超出了前面所说的。

　　在《庄子·齐物论》谈到“朝三暮四”之前，先说了一段深奥的道理：“因此之故，像树枝与屋梁，丑人与西施，以及各种夸大、反常、诡异、奇特的现象，从‘道’看来都是相通为一体的。有所分解，就有所生成；有所生成，就有所毁灭，所以万物没有生成与毁灭，还会再度相通为一体。”

　　庄子希望大家明白：“道”是万物的来源与归宿，万物都在“道”的里面形成一个整体。他接着说：“只有明理的人知道万物相通为一体，因此不再争论而寄托于平庸的道理上。平庸，就是平常日用的；平常日用的，就是世间通行的；世间通行的，就是把握住关键的。能到把握关键的地步，就接近‘道’了。这正是顺着状况去做，达到此一阶段而不知其中缘故，就叫做‘道’。”只要觉悟“道”是一个整体，就不会计较名称与实质的改变了。因为，真正改变的只是名称，以及随着名称而使人“以为改变的”实质。

　　以上述观念为背景，庄子最后才谈到“朝三暮四”的寓言。为了保持原典的完整，我们继续引用庄子的话，他说：“人们费尽心思去追求一体，却不知万物本来就是相同的。这就叫做‘朝三’。什么是朝三呢？有一个养猴子的人拿栗子喂猴子，说：‘早上三升，晚上四升。’猴子听了都很生气。他改口说：‘早上四升，晚上三升。’猴子听了都很高兴。名与实都没有改变，而应用之时可以左右猴子的喜怒，这也是顺着状况去做啊！所以，圣人能够调和是非，让它们安顿于自然之分，这就叫做‘两行’：是非并行而不冲突。”

　　庄子的用意显然比列子的更为开阔。圣人是卓越的领袖，他有本事让众人喜、让众人怒。但是，重点在于：不论先三后四，或者先四后三，加起来的总和都是七。正如，有人少年得志，也有人大器晚成，那么你选择什么？既然人生是一个整体，我们又何必先喜后悲，或者先悲后喜呢？这些情绪反应不是多余而毫无必要的吗？如果陷入情绪反应的循环过程中，人生不是将在来去匆匆之际，茫然而大惑不解吗？这样的人生不是太可惜了吗？

　　当然，我们认真分辨及讨论“朝三暮四”这个成语，目的并不是想要改变大家习惯的用语，而是希望借着追溯源头，说明它的本意，再进而欣赏庄子思想的特色。庄子其实完全符合西方所谓的“哲学家”标准，亦即“爱智者”，因为智慧是指“完整而根本的觉悟”。在西方，这种智慧是难以言诠的；在道家的庄子，则设法以各种比喻来启发人，引领人走向爱智及慕“道”的正途上。

　　【引文】

　　狙公赋芧，曰：“朝三而暮四。”众狙皆怒。曰：“然则朝四而暮三。”众狙皆悦。名实未亏而喜怒为用，亦因是也。是以圣人和之以是非而休乎天钧，是之谓两行。 ——《庄子·齐物论》

I like this part the best. Sometimes the change in something can make a person very happy or very sad but he does not know that the end result is actually the same. Haha... An interesting way of looking into life... The more I read abt 庄子, the more stupid I feel...

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Having someone around always help... The way he see to my needs and I dun have to say a thing. The way he hold my hands so dearly to himself. The way he hug me so that I can feel his heartbeat as well. The way he stands my nonsense. The way he take care of me when I am sick. The way he looks at me so filled with love. The way he stood my side no matter how angry I am... I dun deny that there are difficult times too... The ugly moments... The fighting, screaming and shouting but at the end of the day, it just bond us closer... It's still nice to have someone around...

Dedicated to friends who believe that singlehood can be much better than being in a relationship...

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1) Girlfriend : "...And are you sure you love me and no one else ?"
Boyfriend : "Dead Sure! I checked the whole list again yesterday".

2) Teacher : "Which is more important to us, the sun or the moon?"
Pupil : "The moon".
Teacher : "Why?"
Pupil : "The moon gives us light at night when we need it but the sun gives us light only in the day time when we don't need it".

3) Teacher : "What do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?"
Pupil : "A teacher".

4) Waiter : "Would you like your coffee black?"
Customer : "What other colors do you have?"

5) My father is so old that when he was in school, history was called current affairs.

6) Teacher : "Sam, you talk a lot !"
Sam : "It's a family tradition".
Teacher : "What do you mean?"
Sam : "Sir, my grandpa was a street hawker, my father is a teacher".
Teacher : "What about your mother?"
Sam : "She's a woman".

7) Tom : "How should I convey the news to my father that I've failed?"
David: "You just send a telegram: Result declared, past year's performance repeated".

8) Teacher : "Now, children, if I saw a man beating a donkey and stopped him, what virtue would I be showing?"
Student : "Brotherly love".

9) Teacher : "Now, Sam, tell me frankly do you say prayers before eating?"
Sam : "No sir, I don't have to, my mom is a good cook".

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Doctor : "One hundred percent. Medical records show that nine out of ten people die of the disease you have. Yours is the tenth case I've treated. The others all died".

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One Student : "Sir, my Mother and Father got married on the same day and at the same time."

12) Teacher : " George Washington not only chopped down his father's Cherry tree, but also admitted doing it.
Now do you know why his father didn't punish him ?"
One Student: " Because George still had the axe in is hand."