你們今天畢業了。中文大學今年博士，碩士，學士畢業生合共9841。今天社會增添了多名受過髙等教育的年輕人。
各位不要小看你們的地位，不管今天社會怎麼看年輕的一代，我始終覺得你們是我們的希望，社會的未來。梁啟超先生說：「少年智則國智，少年富則國富，少年強則國強，少年獨立則國獨立，少年自由則國自由，少年進步則國進步。」(《少年中國說》)
也許一些人覺得今天大學畢業生大不如前，吵吵鬧閙，不懂禮節，不思進取，但我覺不能以偏概全。我看見今天大部分的畢業生，仍然是對未來充滿熱誠和盼望。年輕人亦應該思考怎樣以知識、智慧和赤子之心，建設社會，造福人群。
說到底，四年大學教育，是否真的作育人材，完成培養品格的使命？我還是要以孔子的教訓作為準繩。《大學》有云：「大學之道，在明明德，在親民，在止於至善。知止而後有定，定而後能靜，靜而後能安，安而後能慮，慮而後能得。」
以林語堂先生的意譯，高等教育的目標在於保存人高尚的品格，在賦予人民新的生命，在止於完美之境。知道止於完美的境界之後，對人生才有固定的宗旨。對人生有了固定的宗旨，才能得到心境的寧靜。得到心境的寧靜之後，才能安然自處。能安然自處，才能用心思考。能思考，才能有所知。我盼望諸位能保存髙尚的品格，立定人生的宗旨，然後向著目標努力，安然自處，不隨波逐流。
作為社會的棟樑，先賢又説：
「古之欲明明德於天下者，先治其國；欲治其國者，先齊其家；欲齊其家者，先修其身；欲修其身者，先正其心；欲正其心者，先誠其意；欲誠其意者，先致其知；致知在格物。」
To be worthy members of society, we should also bear in mind Confucius’ remarks: “He who wishes to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things.” *
In a nutshell, we should improve ourselves as a person, and then our families, and then society. I sincerely hope that our educational programs in this University, formal and non-formal, and our campus life had helped you to build a sincere attitude, a warm-blooded heart, and a dignified personality. Today, you are leaving school, now it is your responsibility to build a career, a family, and our society. As members of an educated community, we should all do our best, working harder and complaining less. Unconstructive criticisms can do no good to the individuals, to the family, and to society. Endless dispute will not make this world a better place.
I should also say that the recent war in the Middle East, the terrorist attacks in Paris, and the quarrels in Hong Kong are proofs that darkness cannot dispel darkness, and hatred is no cure for hatred. Peace can only be achieved if we replace darkness with true light, and hatred with forgiveness.
各位，讓我再説一遍，你們是社會的未來，是我們的希望。願各自珍重，祝鵬程萬里。
注：本文為香港中文大學第七十八屆大會（頒授學位典禮）校長致辭（2015-11-19），蒙作者允許轉載。
Photo credit：http://www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/tc/press_detail.php?id=2130
