Zeng Guofan is known by the world as the first perfect person in the ages of "meritorious service and moral speech and three immortals".
But few people know that he grew up in an ordinary family, mediocre qualifications, even 7 times to become a show talent, not in good health, and often ridiculed as a talented and stupid person.
However, such a person made Mao Zedong admire: "To the people close to him, to serve Zeng Wenzheng alone." ”
Zeng Guofan's life is a legendary life from "stupid man to saint".
And the secret of his path from stupid man to saint is only two words- reading.
01
Read books, across classes
As the saying goes: "If you eat bitterly, you will be a good person." ”
If you can't eat the pain of reading, you can't escape the shackles of life, and you can't be a superior person.
People are saying that class is solidified, but the meaning of reading is that no matter how ordinary and small you are, as long as you do your best, you can usher in the transformation of life.
Zeng Guofan was born into a family of mountain people in Hunan, and his ancestors have relied on farming for a living for generations.
Although his grandfather Zeng Yuping was not very literate, he had rich life experience and attached great importance to reading education.
Because throughout the ages, only reading is a shortcut for ordinary families to cross classes, and it is also the best way out.
Zeng Guofan had ordinary qualifications, but he was notoriously diligent in reading, enlightened at the age of four, read the Bible at the age of eight, practiced eight strands at the age of nine, and took the county examination at the age of fourteen.
Reading is bitter, it is difficult to study, even if he has fallen behind many times, he has never given up, but constantly reflects on and sublimates his own reading method.
In this way, after years of hard study, he finally passed the Xiucai examination, then won the lifting, and then went to the capital to win the Jinshi, becoming the second place in the temple examination.
"Chao Wei Tian Shelang, Twilight Heavenly Son Hall" is the true portrayal of Zeng Guofan, reading is his step into the body, but also the door to the Zeng family to change the door.
I have heard the saying: "The best way to break down class barriers is to read." ”
Birth determines your lower limit, but reading determines the upper limit of your life.
Reading well is a shortcut for ordinary people to achieve a counterattack, 200 years ago, and it still is today.
Therefore, you have suffered from reading, that is, the best way to go to the vast world.
02
Read books and improve your circle
As the old saying goes, "Those who are close to Zhu are red, and those who are close to ink are black." ”
The fastest way for a person to become good is to be with good people.
And reading is a stepping stone to improve your circle, and the beginning of self-improvement.
After Zeng Guofan entered school, there were almost no people in the circle of friends who were far inferior to him and were not self-motivated.
As he himself said, everyone has their own strengths that are worth learning from him.
In terms of self-cultivation, there is Tang Jian; in terms of studying the history of scriptures, there is Wu Zixu; in terms of artistic creation, he Shaoji...
The excellence of his friends was a great encouragement to Zeng Guofan, so he rose to catch up, continued to grow, and finally stood out
After entering the army, Zeng Guofan entered the circle of Mu Zhang'a, the first assistant minister of the military aircraft, and only then did he receive recommendation and protection, and became a close minister of the Daoguang Emperor, completely gaining a foothold in the official field.
Zeng Guofan said of the way of making friends: "The success or failure of a lifetime is related to the merits of friends. ”
This means that the quality of your circle determines the quality of your life.
Walk with the wise and you will excel; with the high, you will be able to reach the top.
Reading books, so as to enter the high-level circles, there are often more excellent people gathered here, which has a huge pull on your life.
03
Read books and zoom in on patterns
Zeng Guofan said: "The temperament of people, because of their nature, is difficult to change, but reading can change their temperament." ”
Reading books and cultivating moral sentiments can change your temperament and amplify your pattern.
Before the age of 30, Zeng Guofan had a big temper and a small pattern, just an ordinary layman, an ordinary bureaucrat, and no proud achievements.
However, in the year of his establishment, he realized that the past was muddy, and he was determined to be a saint of Wenzhi martial arts.
How do you become a saint?
Insisting on reading and seeking knowledge and teaching from the ancestors of the ancestors is the only way for Zeng Guofan to be reborn.
Zeng Guofan had one in his daily class, reading ten pages of history every day, even if there was something going on.
He also asked himself to "see, read, write, and write" every day.
Even on the march, the journey was tiring and his body was tired, and he had to finish his book to rest.
Zeng Guofan also said: "Those who seek great things should pay the most attention to the pattern." ”
What determines a person's height and destiny is not origin, not talent, not ability, but pattern.
And reading persistently is the nourishment of your life, the soul of wisdom, and can achieve your pattern and mind.
04
Read books, the family prospers
Mencius said, "The Gentleman's Zee, the Fifth Dynasty and the Cut." ”
However, the Zeng family has not faded for ten generations, and there are many talents, and none of them have failed.
The mystery lies in the sentence written by Zeng Guofan in his family letter: "I do not hope that the generations will be rich, but I hope that there will be talents from generation to generation." ”
Zeng Guofan would always squeeze out time to understand his children's reading and learning, personally formulate a study plan, and urge them to be motivated.
Even as an official in Beijing, he attached great importance to the younger generations of the clan, and did not forget to write letters home to teach his brothers and nephews to learn to be self-motivated.
Regarding reading, he was very strict and did not allow children to slack off in the slightest.
He himself led by example, teaching his descendants to cultivate and read the heirloom, so that the Tsang family style could not fall for a hundred years.
Reading is not only the step of personal advancement, but also the foundation of family rejuvenation.
Su Shi also said: "Loyalty has been passed down from family to family for a long time, and poetry and books have been followed by a long time." ”
The best heirlooms for future generations are not houses, cars, or tickets, but teaching children to read.
Because reading is the lowest threshold of nobility, the first good thing in the world, and the foundation of family prosperity.
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Zeng Guofan said: "A person who likes to read will not be bad in character; a person with good character will not be bad in his life' luck." ”
It can be seen that the feng shui fortune of a person's life is hidden in the word "reading".
Reading allows you to break down barriers and cross classes;
Reading can help you ride the wind and waves and improve your circle;
Reading can teach you self-cultivation and enlarge the pattern;
Reading books can make you wise and your family prosperous.
In the future, may you and I all be able to open up new knowledge, increase knowledge, increase knowledge, grow insight, change fate, and become a better self in the midst of books and ink!