孟祥森，筆名孟東籬，一九三七年生於中國河北省，一九四八年來台，就讀鳳山誠正小學，一九五七年考上高雄中學，後進入台灣大學哲學系、輔仁大學哲學研究所畢業。曾任教於台灣大學、世界新專、花蓮師專。
自一九六七年到二○○五年止，孟祥森先後翻譯《齊克果日記》、《沈思錄》、《異鄉人》、《如果麥子不死》等西洋文、史、哲、心理、宗教書籍共計約八十二本，譯作品質與數量為當代少見。
早年以漆木朵為筆名，發表《幻日手記》、《耶穌之繭》。一九八三年起，轉向生活札記體寫作。共計出版《萬蟬集》、《濱海茅屋札記》、《野地百合》、《念流》等十七本自然及禪學著作。
曾在花蓮鹽寮海邊築茅屋而居，被認為是台灣實踐環保生活的作家代表。孟祥森一生特立獨行，具體履行其倡導的愛生哲學，蔣勳曾以「第一個，或許也是唯一一個—台灣在生活裡完成自己的哲學家」稱之。
一九九七年，移居台北陽明山平等里磚屋。二○○九年九月，罹患肺腺癌辭世，享年七十二歲；「那花，就那樣兀自開著」，是孟東籬為自己一生，所下的最後註腳。
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本課程透過對孟東籬的小全集式閱讀，深入探討生而為人活著之存在感、日常生活之「活在當下」、愛慾之纏縛與糾葛、生死大哉問之奧義、及如何活出精彩的自我方能不枉此生。
再者，本課程是向孟東籬致意之深情回眸，年逾花甲之年，想對影響自己一生重要的人鄭重道謝，感念從輕狂的慘綠年少一路走來的陪伴與相知相惜。
就像希臘人發明悲劇，羅馬人創立了書信體，文藝復興開啟了十四行詩，工業革命帶來小說的興起，在我們這個忙與盲、大家都嫁給了工作的時代中，孟東籬留下了粒粒珍珠般的生活札記體。
孟東籬的作品大都以生活札記的方式呈現，文學就是他的生活，他的心。他直掬生活之水，感知其冷暖，並加以記錄。孟東籬的文學，就是他一顆誠摯純樸心靈的投影和寫真。在文字的背後，我們可以感到他的心跳、脈動、和溫暖。他是我們這個時代，既雍容大度、又質樸的聲音。在他的書寫中，我們的心和他的心，素面相見。

Meng Xiangsen, whose pen name is Meng Dongli, was born in Hebei Province, China, in 1937. He came to Taiwan in 1948 and attended Fengshan Chengzheng Elementary School. He was admitted to Kaohsiung High School in 1957, and later entered the Department of Philosophy of National Taiwan University and graduated from the Institute of Philosophy of Fu Jen University. He has taught at National Taiwan University, World New College, and Hualien Normal College.
From 1967 to 2005, Meng Xiangsen has translated a total of about 82 books on Western literature, history, philosophy, psychology, and religion, including "The Diary of Kierkegaard," "Meditations," "The Stranger," and "If the Wheat Never Dies." The quality and quantity of his translations are rare in contemporary times.
In his early years, he used Qi Muduo as his pen name and published "Notes on the Magic Sun" and "The Cocoon of Jesus". Since 1983, he has turned to writing life notes. A total of seventeen nature and Zen books have been published, including "The Collection of Ten Thousand Cicadas", "Notes from a Coastal Thatched House", "Lilies of the Field", and "Nianliu".
He once built a thatched hut on the beach in Yanliao, Hualien, and is considered a representative writer in Taiwan who practices environmentally friendly life. Meng Xiangsen was a maverick throughout his life and implemented the life-loving philosophy he advocated. Jiang Xun once called him "the first, and perhaps the only, Taiwanese philosopher who fulfilled himself in life."
In 1997, he moved to the brick house in Pingpingli, Yangmingshan, Taipei. In September 2009, he died of lung adenocarcinoma at the age of 72. "That flower just bloomed like that" was the last footnote Meng Dongli wrote for his life.
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This course, through the reading of Meng Dongli's short collection, deeply explores the sense of existence of being born as a human being, "living in the moment" in daily life, the entanglement and entanglement of love and desire, the profound meaning of life and death, and how to live a wonderful self so that this life will not be wasted.
Furthermore, this course is an affectionate look back to pay tribute to Meng Dongli. Now that he is over sixty years old, he would like to express his solemn thanks to the important people who have influenced his life, and express his gratitude for his companionship and mutual understanding all the way from a frivolous and miserable young man.
Just like the Greeks invented tragedy, the Romans founded the epistolary genre, the Renaissance started the sonnet, and the industrial revolution brought about the rise of novels. In our era of busyness and blindness, where everyone is married to work, Meng Dongli left behind pearl-like notes on life.
Most of Meng Dongli's works are presented in the form of life notes. Literature is his life and his heart. He directly drank the water of life, felt its warmth and coldness, and recorded it. Meng Dongli's literature is the projection and portrait of his sincere and simple soul. Behind the words, we can feel his heartbeat, pulse, and warmth. He is the voice of our time that is both graceful and generous, as well as simple. In his writing, our hearts and his hearts meet face to face.

✧ 《幻日手記》
✧ 孟祥森/孟東籬精選集：
孟祥森，2014，《萬蟬集》。台北：水牛文化。
孟祥森，2014，《濱海茅屋札記》。台北：水牛文化。
孟祥森，2014，《野地百合》。台北：水牛文化。
孟祥森，2014，《素面相見》。台北：水牛文化。
孟祥森，2014，《念流》。台北：水牛文化。
孟祥森，2014，《那花兀自開著：宇宙戀人孟祥森》。台北：水牛文化。
孟祥森，2014，《愛渴：孟東籬最後日記》。台北：水牛文化。

✧ "Notes of the Phantom Sun"
✧ Selected collections of Meng Xiangsen/Meng Dongli:
Meng Xiangsen, 2014, "Collection of Ten Thousand Cicadas". Taipei: Buffalo Culture.
Meng Xiangsen, 2014, "Notes from a Coastal Thatched House". Taipei: Buffalo Culture.
Meng Xiangsen, 2014, "Lily of the Field". Taipei: Buffalo Culture.
Meng Xiangsen, 2014, "Meeting Without Face". Taipei: Buffalo Culture.
Meng Xiangsen, 2014, "Flow of Thoughts". Taipei: Buffalo Culture.
Meng Xiangsen, 2014, "The Flower Blooms: Cosmic Lover Meng Xiangsen". Taipei: Buffalo Culture.
Meng Xiangsen, 2014, Thirst for Love: Meng Dongli’s Last Diary. Taipei: Buffalo Culture.