The Law of Happiness
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Summary
The Law of Happiness is a collection of short ethical essays by the Japanese ethicist Maruyama Toshio (1892–1951), founder of the Institute of Moralogy. Originally published in Japanese as Shiawase ni Naru Hōsoku, it was compiled by PHP Institute from more than ten of his works, translated into Chinese through the Yeeyan Gutenberg Project, and published by CITIC Press Group in 2017. The book has no continuous plot; it consists of short philosophical essays in a style akin to China's Caigentan, discussing nature and the heavens, daily life, labor and money, and also family, life and death, art, and the cultivation of the mind. It seems loosely organized, yet everything converges on a single question: how can a person live happily? The author's idea of "pure ethics" holds that ethics is not an external constraint but an unchanging law existing between people, between people and things, and between people and nature: follow it and you find happiness; defy it and you invite misfortune. The recurring core is gratitude—first thanking your own body and your parents, then gladly accepting everything that happens around you. From this extend propositions such as "all things are good," "suffering is the gate to happiness," "destiny is self-made, circumstances are self-created," and "labor is the driving force of happiness." The author does not seek systematic argument but stresses knowing and doing: the point of reading is not to grasp concepts but, once moved, to put the teachings into practice in that day's meals and words and deeds. The book is short, its tone warm and assured, suited to reading one or two pieces on waking or before sleep.
Editor's review
市面上讲“幸福”的书，大多教你设定目标、管理情绪、优化习惯，把幸福当成一项可以量化的绩效。丸山敏雄这本小书走的是另一条路：他谈的是“法则”，一种他认为先于个人意志而存在的秩序——你顺着它活，日子就顺；你逆着它拧，日子就和你拧着来。 这种说法听上去有点旧，甚至有点“不科学”，但读进去会发现它的力量恰恰来自朴素。他不谈抽象的善，而是让你从感谢自己的身体和发丝开始；不谈如何改变伴侣和孩子，而是说“欲改人过，先思己非”；不谈如何发财，而是说“金钱是有生命的”。八十来页的篇幅，语气笃定，短句如钉子，读起来像一位上了年纪的长者在耳边说话，不解释太多，只告诉你“照做试试”。 对习惯了方法论读物的读者，这本书可能显得不够“有用”。但它本来也不是为了让你读完就掌握什么，而是让你在某一段停下来，想一想自己最近的日子是不是过歪了。作为一本可以随身携带、随手翻一页的小书，它的分量刚好。
Who it's for
A good fit for
- 对日本伦理思想、东亚人生哲学感兴趣的读者
- 长期焦虑内耗、想换一种朴素视角看生活的都市人
- 喜欢《菜根谭》式短章小品、能接受无主线散篇的读者
- 通勤或睡前想读几页静心短文的轻阅读者
Not a good fit for
- 希望获得系统心理学方法、可量化练习步骤的读者
- 期待严密论证与学术考据的哲学研究者
- 偏好有完整情节与叙事推进的读者
Reading tips
- 不必从头读到尾，每天翻一两则，读完当天试着在一件小事上落实
- 读到“苦难是幸福之门”“命运自拓”等命题时，先别急着评判，结合自身处境想一想
- 可与《菜根谭》《论语》等东方格言体作品对读，体会不同文化里相似的伦理直觉
- 若对作者思想有兴趣，可进一步了解日本伦理研究所与“纯粹伦理”十七条的完整表述
About the publisher
CITIC Press
China · Founded in 1988
Founded in 1988 and affiliated with China CITIC Group, CITIC Press focuses on business and economics, social sciences, literature and children's books, with common categories covering social sciences, finance, literature, Eastern philosophy and literary appreciation. Its library holds 91 titles, including Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens trilogy, Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Wu Xiaobo's Thirty Years of Strife: Chinese Enterprises 1978–2008, Nelly Sachs's The Weight of Butterflies: Selected Poems of Nelly Sachs, as well as New Interpretations of the Analects and Chiang Hsun's lectures on Dream of the Red Chamber. Its authors and translators include Lin Junhong, Ba Shusong, Chen Li and Chang Fen-ling. Overall, the press introduces influential works in finance and social sciences while balancing classic translation and local appreciation in literature and Eastern philosophy, combining academic depth with accessible reading.
Contents
- Chapter One: The Lead of Life: The Way of Happiness for All / Gratitude Is the Ticket to Happiness / An Ordinary Mind / Let Nature Take Its Course / The Heart Is Only "Sincere" / Straightforwardness / Flowing Like Water / Existing as One Is / All Things Are Good / My Mind Is the Treasure of Treasures / Not Gaining Because of Not Taking / Advancing Is Good / Transforming the Environment / Religion Is Built on the Foundation of Ethics / Ten Articles of Ethical Practice / The Footsteps of Life
- Chapter Two: Living Each Day Earnestly: Honor with Ritual / Rising Early / The Moment You Realize Is the Best Moment / Cheerful Answers / The Spirit of Harmony at the Table / What Is Before You Is the Best / Food Is Love / The Japanese Home in Harmony with Nature / Pouring All My Love into My World / Religious Education / The Body Is the Vessel of Life / Illness Red-Lights an Unharmonious Life / Illness Is the Mind's Purification at Work / Light at the End of the Tunnel / Suffering Is the "Gate to Happiness" / The Extension of the Mind / Those Who Believe in Fortune-Telling / What Is the New Year / The "Whole" Resides in the "Unified"
- Chapter Three: Labor Is the Driving Force of Happiness: Work with Your Feet on the Ground / Each Hardship Expands the World by One Step / The Correct Order / Money Is a Gift from Heaven / Salary Is a Gift from Above / Money Is Alive / Without Delay / Burning Memories / Cultivating Without Slackening / Gaining the Favor of Heaven / How to Deal with the Weather / Labor Is the Key to Solving All Problems
- Chapter Four: Aspiration: Look to the Heights / Destiny Is Self-Invited / A Good Teacher Is Hard to Find / Only Seekers Find the Way / Unconditional Respect / "Reverence" Is the Root of Culture / Those in Sacred Professions / It Takes a Hundred Flowers to Be Splendid / Those Who Hold to Justice / Those Who Achieve / The Blue World
- Chapter Five: Loving the Family: Children Are the Embodiment of Cosmic Life / Children of God / Children Are Born for Their Parents / Pouring Out Love / Deciding and Daring to Act / Unconditional Parental Love / The Spring of Love / Filial Piety Is the Way of Being Human / Sitting Before Your Parents Like a Child / Feeling Parents' Loving Kindness / Monogamy Is the Height of Nature / To Correct Others' Faults, First Consider Your Own / The Cross Is the Origin of Existence / The Relay of Life
- Chapter Six: The Nature of Life: Where Does Life Come From / The Great Treasure of the Human World / The Source of Life / Life and Death Are Not Different / Death Is Not the End of Life / Death Is the Highest Level of Life / Honor the Departed with Ritual / The Root of Generation and Development / Sex Is Sacred / The Eternal Prosperity of Humankind / Woman Is the Goddess of Peace / Life Is a Grand Drama Directed by Heaven / Live It Splendidly
- Chapter Seven: Cultivating the Mind: Calligraphy Is the Mirror of the Mind / Sharpen Yourself Through Calligraphy / Intention Before the Brush / How to Make the Brushstroke Powerful / The Correct Posture in Calligraphy / The Secret of Progress / Setbacks Are the Cornerstone of Brilliance / Insights from Practice / Seek Opponents Among the Ancients / Entertainment Is Necessary / Practice Makes Perfect / Art Is the Homeland of the Mind / Kendo and the Tea Ceremony Are the Pride of Japanese Culture
- Chapter Eight: Beauty Is the Food of the Mind: Open the Window of the Mind / Pay Attention and Observe / Merge with the Charms of Nature / Artistic Beauty Is Pure Beauty / Art Is Vibration / Form Is a Divine Creation / Reverence Is a Pact to Receive All of Another / Accumulated Experience Is Tradition / Suffering Is the Artist's Teacher / Japanese-Style Living, Harmonious Art / The Creation of Beauty / Enthusiasts Are the Driving Force of Art / Family Culture / The Lead of Life Is Yourself
FAQ
这本书和泰勒·本-沙哈尔的《幸福的方法》是同一本吗？
不是。两者书名相近但内容完全不同：《幸福的方法》是美国心理学家本-沙哈尔的积极心理学著作；《幸福的法则》是日本伦理学家丸山敏雄的伦理学小品文集，中文版由中信出版集团于2017年出版，译者为于航。
书里的“纯粹伦理”是什么意思？
丸山敏雄认为，伦理不是外加给人的道德约束，而是存在于人与人、人与物、人与自然之间的不变法则。遵行这些法则就会得到幸福，违逆它们则招致不幸，这一主张被称为“纯粹伦理”。
这本书有完整的情节或案例故事吗？
没有。全书由一则则独立的哲理短文组成，没有贯穿始终的主线，作者本人也不追求体系化叙述，重点在于让读者感受并在生活中实践。
篇幅长吗？适合每天读多少？
中文电子版体量很小，属于轻量级小书。建议每天读一两则，读完留一点时间回想，比一次性通读更容易有所得。
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