2007-03-12 18:44:11Yvette

豹變--保羅的讀書小筆記

值漫遊「語教傳奇」際,正讀卜書,見書中有「豹變翻成蝶夢」一句,馬上為其豐富的意象所吸引。或許是由於兒時住過埔里,見過繁花粉蝶恣意鬧,樹枝間山伯英台追逐,溝南岸北迤邐出東坡的行草;每念及此,總引來如打坐時的嘴角微微上揚。

這句話大家較熟悉的應該是「蝶夢」。典出《莊子》齊物論「不知周之夢為蝴蝶與?蝴蝶之夢為周與?」,千古傳頌。其實《莊子》也提及夢化為魚化為鳥,大宗師中說:「且汝夢為鳥而厲乎天,夢為魚而沒於淵。不識今之言者,其覺者乎?其夢者乎?」這段借孔子之口回答顏回,教導其高徒安心接受變化,便可入於寥天一。

「豹變」源自《易經》革卦象辭:「大人虎變,其文炳也。…君子豹變,其文蔚也。」豹變描寫的是會做文章的人,舌思若泉,辭湧若藻,興奮處,如鞭雷驅電,繡虎雕龍,低迴時,似蒲柳早衰,崦嵫向晚;文采就像是花豹身上花紋斑爛亮眼。科舉時代有此文采學問肯定蟾宮連步。當年對策列高第,授朝散郎的王勃路過南昌,參與都督閻公宴餞時,寫下「落霞與孤鶩齊飛,秋水共長天一色」,「天高地迥,覺宇宙之無窮;興盡悲來,識盈虛之有數」等名句,宴罷往交趾省文,渡海溺水,驚悸成疾而卒,年僅廿八,令人有「豹變翻蝶夢」之嘆。

推衍來說,凡是人間光彩奪目之造作皆可稱「豹變」之作。例如畫家梵谷在一八八八年春天到法國阿爾(Arles)近郊畫下的「桃花盛開」,當時梵谷內心充滿希望,感情澎湃,服膺Camille Pissarro(1831-1903)在巴黎時向他說過的話:「你應當放膽去鋪張色覺,不管和諧與否,只要有色彩」。梵谷在虯結的樹枝上用了桃紅、粉紅、櫻紅、血紅,背景的淡雲藍天似乎只讓油彩未乾的綠地更加懾人心神。歷二年餘,畫完「黍園上的烏鴉」,梵谷似乎抵不住四合而來的魔影,以手槍對自己的脅骨射擊,三十七年痛苦生涯嘎然而止。

至此,「豹變翻蝶夢」所揭示的「人生無常」意思已十分明顯。但吾人不應只身陷其消極面,而應知「即使蝶夢,無妨豹變」。王勃的滕王閣序傳頌至今,無事拿來念念,仍心生歡喜,更加珍惜如詩樣美麗的中文,確是觀止之作。梵谷的遺作不只市價不菲,其中飽實的生命力,與生之欲的掙扎在在向世人宣說人類處境最深層的牽絆與救贖。

蝶言豹語空幻有,夜深人靜,本文是否也是夢中作?若有所悟,寫「豹變翻蝶夢,南柯生大有」,置於桌墊下,再尋周公去也。

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冉夫子的作品放在留言版太可惜!
不經他同意,就當作是雨教班刊投稿放這兒啦!
(若需修改,直接寄給我或留言就可以了!)
哇!!! 2010-12-01 15:51:30

1104 個點閱!!!

Sherry to Lucky 2007-04-20 21:30:06

Oh! Did I look unhappy when we old classmates met last time in Changhuang? I didn`t remember it. Maybe that`s because I got tired after driving a long way from Taipei to Changhuang. Sorry for making old friends worried then. Anyway, with Lucky`s wishes, we will surely be happier and luckier. Wish you and your family happiness, too.

Paul 2007-04-20 20:03:04

Dear Lucky:
Thanks for your greetings. I hope that we can get together within a short period of time; this upcoming summer maybe?

Life is like a flow. We can only go with it. By the way, we have only one youngster in the family, a naughty boy, now second-grader in the senior high school. How many kids do you have now?
Good luck to you and your lovely family, too.