祸福相依

宋有富人，天雨墙坏 不筑，必将有盗 暮而果大亡其财 其家甚智其子
近塞上之人有善术者 马无故亡而人胡 其父曰：“此何遽不为福乎?”
居数月 其马将胡骏马而归 家富良马 其子好骑 堕而折其髀
胡人大入塞 死者十九 此独以跛之故 --庄子


塞翁家一匹心爱的马走失了，亲友们纷纷来安慰，塞翁却说：“安知非福？”不久这匹马回来了，而且还带了另一匹马来。于是亲友们又来庆贺，塞翁又说：“安知非祸？”果然，他的儿子因骑马摔断了腿。塞翁仍是说：“安知非福？”过了些日子，战争爆发了，青壮男子应召上前线，塞翁的儿子因跛脚而得免入伍，保全了性命。


There once was very poor man living in a village who had a very fine horse.
So fine, in fact, that the lord of the castle wanted to buy it. But the old man always refused.

"To me this horse is not merely an animal. He's a friend. How could I sell you my friend?"

One morning he went to the stable and found his horse gone.

All the villagers said, "We told you! You should have sold your horse. Now he's been stolen instead. What terrible luck."

"Bad luck or good luck," the old man said. "Who can say?"

Everyone laughed at him.

But 15 days later the horse returned, followed by a whole herd of wild horses. He had escaped from the stable, courted a young mare, and returned with the rest of the herd following behind!

"What luck!" the villagers cried.

The old man and his son began training the wild horses. But a week later the man's son broke his leg trying to train one of the horses.

"Bad luck," said his friends. "What are you going to do now without your son to help you? You who are already so poor."

"Bad luck, good luck, who can say?" the old man replied.

A few days later an army belonging to the lord of the land passed through the village and forced all the young men to become soldiers.

All... except the old man's son, because of his broken leg.

"How lucky you are," the villagers cried. "All our children are gone to war, but you've been able to keep your son. Our sons will probably be killed..."

The old man replied, "Bad luck, good luck... who can say?"

The future comes to us in bits and pieces. We never know what lies in store for us. But if you always maintain a positive attitude the doors of chance remain open, and you will be a happier person.

....................................................................................

"Remember that happiness doesn't depend on what you are or on what you possess, but only on how you think."

"Contentment brings happiness even in poverty. Discontent brings poverty, even in wealth."


《塞翁失马》体现了《淮南子·人间》“人间之事，得失之端，存亡之几”的要旨，塑造了一个“见本而知末，观指而睹归”的善术者形象。这位失马的塞翁，不以众人之“吊”为忧，不以众人之“贺”为喜，在复杂的现实面前，沉着冷静，方寸不乱，既看到了“祸福同门，利害相邻”，也看到了“祸福相转而相生”，充分地体现了道家“淡泊无为，蹈虚守静”的心态。这种祸福相依、利害相伴、且能“转而相生”的观点是符合辩证法的。但这种随缘自适、随遇而安的超然物外的生活态度及相对主义观点，否定了衡量事物的客观标准，是不够科学的。同时，文末以“丁壮者……死者十九”来反衬塞翁之子以跛独存，格调也较低。

《塞翁失马》较好地说明了要用发展的、变化的、一分为二的眼光看问题的辩证观点。首先，要有正确的思想方法，祸福可以互相转化，要学会在祸中看到福，从祸中求得转移，对各种生活现象，宜积极乐观，忌消极悲观；要学会在福中看到祸，加以戒备，做到心存忧患，居安思危。其次，要有成熟的生活态度，祸福的到来具有很多不确定因素，生死、利害、得失等，并不都是可以预测的，因此，应力求考虑周全，处事谨慎，多一些准备，少一点幻想，这样一旦面临祸患，就能安之若泰，处变不惊。 详文见