The Greatest Misery and the Greatest Joy

◎ Liang Qichao

What is the most miserable situation in life？Is it poverty，disappointment，aging，or death？No，no．None of these should entail misery．To me the height of misery is nothing but shouldering a responsibility one has yet to fulfill．Lack of material possessions may not be a misery to one who is content with what life has delivered；disappointment may not make one suffer too much if one does not aim too high in life；aging and death being inevitable，the philosophically-minded see them as simply the natural progression of life rather than miserable experiences．But for each day spent in the world，we are obliged to accomplish something．In case we fail to do so，our unfinished task will surely come to weigh down on our shoulders like a thousand-kilo load．Is it not the most miserable thing，to be tortured forever by a guilty conscience with no possibility of escape？

If we fail to keep a promise or pay back money we have borrowed，if we fail to repay someone's kindness or apologize to someone we have offended，we will surely feel ashamed to face him or her again．Even if we manage to shun them，their shadows will haunt our dreams．Why？Because we still pitifully owe them something that ever holds us responsible．The same applies to everyone around us，our family，the society，the country，and even ourselves．To anyone who has helped us in some way or another，we owe a responsibility．For everything we have the duty and ability to do，we are held responsible．To set our mind to do something means that we have signed a contract with our present self and our future self．As soon as we take on a responsibility，our conscience comes in to supervise our actions．A day's work，if unfulfilled，will turn into a nightmare at night；a life-long responsibility，if unaccomplished at death，will be brought into our tombs as a perennial torment，a misery more acute and profound than those brought about by poverty or death，which can be alleviated if we view things philosophically．So in my view，if there are miseries in our lives，being tortured by overdue responsibility is surely the most excruciating of all.

Having dealt with misery，we now turn to the question of when we experience the greatest joy in life．Surely the answer is：it is when we have fulfilled our responsibility and feel，as the proverbs go，as if we are relieved of a heavy burden，or as if a great stone has been removed from our heart．We then find ourselves in a joyful mood beyond description．The heavier the responsibility and the longer we are devoted to it，the more joyful we are，our conscience comforted and our spirit sublimated．As a rule，joy，in its true sense，only comes out of an endurance of misery．Understanding all the miseries involved in carrying out one's responsibility is a necessary prerequisite for the appreciation of the joys arising upon its fulfillment．The cycle of misery and joy makes this dynamic world of ours full of interest and significance．If we neglect our responsibility and thereby fall into a state of self-reproach，we are stewing in our own juices．On the contrary，if we perform our duty with a keen sense of responsibility at all times and in all situations，we will experience joy at all times and in all situations．To be joyful or not is thus entirely our own choice．This is one of the virtues of the junzi，the exemplary person，as advocated by Confucius：“He makes the right choice wherever he is.”That we choose to take on responsibilities means we choose to be a joyful self．

Nevertheless，Mencius claimed that junzi are beset with miseries throughout their lives．Why？Because they often take various kinds of responsibilities upon themselves：the more outstanding they are，the more arduous are their duties；and they never think of shirking their responsibilities．Zengzi，another well-known philosopher in Chinese history，when talking about responsibility，said that“The burden is heavy and the road is long”and“It is a long road indeed since one has to exert himself till death.”Benevolent people and scholars of integrity who concern themselves with the country and the people，sages and Buddhas who lament the evils of the society and pity the sufferings of the people - these are all examples of choosing a lifestyle ridden with worries and miseries，yet they all live this life by spending each day doing their duty and in return being rewarded with joy．In the final analysis，they enjoy life despite its miseries．

Someone may ask：“Could I not become carefree by shirking my responsibilities，since they are the root cause of all misery？”The answer is no．Responsibility does not disappear when being evaded；it disappears when being fulfilled．Only if one lived like a two or three-year-old child，with no responsibilities on one's shoulders，could one lead an entirely misery-free life．Once we grow up，responsibilities naturally fall upon us．How can we shake them off？Of course some are huge missions，while others are petty tasks．The former's fulfillment brings great joy and that of the latter minor joy．Attempting to shirk responsibility can only plunge us into a mire of misery where we will be forever bogged down．

对于家庭、对于社会、对于国家，乃至对于自己，未尽到应尽之责，那是人生之最苦；而尽到了职责，则是人生之最乐。“人生须知道有负责任的苦处，才能知道有尽责任的乐处。”梁启超近百年前所提倡的这种以责任心为核心的人生态度，至今仍不失其意义。