Heavier than Mount Tai, yet lighter than a
wild goose's feather.(重於泰山輕於鴻毛)
Sima Qian was China's most eminent
historian. His Records of the Grand Historian is China's most classic
historical work. In his youth, he travelled throughout China, conducting
detailed field investigations. In middle age, he began to organise Chinese history
from 2700 BC to 100 BC based on the materials he had collected.
In 99 BC, a few years after he began
writing the Records of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian displeased the Han
Dynasty king with one of his views and was sentenced to castration.
This was an extremely humiliating and
unacceptable punishment for a man, and Sima Qian considered suicide. However,
he thought of his dream, his promise to his father and all the work he had put
into this book. Ultimately, he decided to endure the humiliation and continue
living.
A passage from a letter that Sima Qian
wrote to a close friend is summarised below.
'My ancestors didn't achieve any great
feats. Our family's position mainly involved cultural research, historical
recording, and astrological observation. In the king's eyes, his position was
probably similar to that of officials in charge of divination and sacrifice —
useful only at specific times. Most of the time, he wouldn't even think of us.
Our status was similar to that of those who performed songs and dances before
the king.
If someone like me were to die, it would be
as significant to the world as the death of an ant. If I were to commit suicide
after receiving this punishment, what would people say about me? They might say
that I had indeed committed a crime and deserved to die.
We will all die, but each person's death
has a different meaning.
Some people's deaths have a greater impact
on the world than Mount Tai, while others' have a lighter impact than a goose
feather. Why is there this difference? The reason lies in the fact that each
person's life is unique, with its own ideals and pursuits.
I believe that the most important values
for a person living in this world are:
1. Ensuring that our actions do not bring
shame upon our ancestors.
2. Ensuring that our actions do not bring
shame upon our bodies.
3. Ensuring that our actions do not bring
shame upon our dignity.
4. Ensuring that our actions do not bring
shame upon our words.
5. Being humiliated by kneeling before
others because of a crime.
6. Being humiliated by wearing prison
clothes.
7. Being humiliated by wearing shackles and
being whipped.
8. Being humiliated by having one's hair
and beard shaved and being chained.
9. Being humiliated by mutilation and
dismemberment. The most extreme of these is the punishment of castration that I
am about to receive — a humiliation that is utterly unbearable and
unacceptable.
And yet, I am about to accept this most
unbearable humiliation.
Sima Qian ultimately chose to accept this
humiliation and completed the Records of the Grand Historian, in which he
objectively recorded many people and events worthy of being recorded.
His book has had a profound impact,
inspiring generations of readers for over 2,100 years.
The idiom translates as "heavier than
Mount Tai, lighter than a wild goose's feather".
It is used to describe various life values.
Dear friend, what thoughts or inspiration
have you had after hearing this story?
What do you consider to be the most
important value in your life? If you were to die tomorrow, what would you leave
behind for the world?
I hope this story gives you some new
insights.
重於泰山輕於鴻毛(Heavier than Mount Tai, yet
lighter than a wild goose's feather.)
司馬遷是中國最傑出的歷史學家。他寫的史記是中國最經典的歷史書。他在青年時代走遍了全中國，進行詳細的田野調查。他在中年之後根據所蒐集的材料，開始整理中國從公元前2700年到公元前100年間的中國歷史。
公元前99年，在司馬遷開始寫史記這本書的幾年之後，他所提出的一個看法讓當時的漢王朝的國王不開心，他被判處了宮刑的刑罰。
這是一個對於男人來說非常難堪又難以接受的刑罰，因此司馬遷一度想自殺但他想到自己的夢想，他想到他對他的父親的承諾，他想到自己為了這本書付出的那些努力與準備。他後來決定選擇忍受這種屈辱而繼續活著。
司馬遷寫給自己的好朋友的一封信中有一段話的大意如下。
我的祖先並沒有偉大的功勳，我們家族繼承的這個職位主要是負責文化研究和歷史紀錄與星象觀察，我的這個職位在國王的眼中，應該就像是那些掌管占卜與祭祀的官員一樣，只有在特定的時候有用，在大多數的時候他完全不會想到我們，我們的地位就像是那些在國王面前表演的唱歌跳舞的人一樣。
像我這樣的一個人如果死了，對這個世界來說就跟死掉一隻螞蟻一樣，如果我受到這個刑法後自殺，那麼人們會怎樣討論我呢，人們可能會在我死後評論我說我的確犯了罪，我的死是應該的。
我們每個人都會死，但我們每個人死的意義有所不同。
有些人的死亡對這個世界的影響比泰山這座山更重，有些人的死亡對這個世界的影響比大雁的羽毛更輕，為何會有這種差別呢?其原因就在於每個人的人生有著各自不同的理想與追求。
我認為，一個人活在這個世界上，最重要的價值就是要確保我們的行為不會使我們的祖先蒙受羞辱，其次是要讓我們的行為不要讓自己的身體到羞辱，再其次是不要讓我們的行為讓我們的尊嚴受到羞辱，再其次是不要讓我們的行為使我們的言語受到羞辱，再其次是因為犯罪所以要彎曲身體向別人下跪而受到羞辱，再其次是換上囚服而受到羞辱，再其次是戴上枷鎖、遭受鞭打而受到羞辱辱，再其次是被剃掉鬚髮並戴上鐵鏈受辱，再其次是毀傷肌膚、斷絕肢體受辱，而這些羞辱中最極致的，就是我所要接受的這種宮刑的處罰，這種羞辱，是最令人無法忍受與接受的。
而我竟然要接受這個最令人無法忍受的羞辱。
司馬遷最後選擇接受這個羞辱並且完成了史記這本書，他在這本書中客觀地記錄了，許許多多值得被記錄的人物與事件。
司馬遷的這本書的影響是巨大的，從2100年前到現在，所有讀到這本書了人，都得到許多啟發。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是比泰山這座山更重，比大雁的羽毛更輕。
這句成語被用來形容各種不同的生命價值。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
你認為你的人生中最重要的價值為何呢?你如果明天就會死去，你是否有留下那些東西給這個世界呢?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為司馬遷-報任少卿書
https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E5%A0%B1%E4%BB%BB%E5%B0%91%E5%8D%BF%E6%9B%B8