Some people say that cultivation is doing good, or accumulating virtue.
However, if the purpose of doing good deeds and accumulating virtue is only to obtain greater blessings, then how can this "cultivation" be said to be real "cultivation" in essence just a transaction?
Of course, some people say that cultivation is to treat others with courtesy and gentlemanliness.
But in real life, the reason why people are polite and personable is often a state of deliberate performance of asking for the other party - in fact, such people, for those who cannot bring benefits to themselves, often show another kind of face.
It can be seen from this that people who treat people with courtesy and personable are not necessarily cultivated.
So, what kind of person can be regarded as cultivated?
In fact, most of the truly cultivated people have the following three characteristics, namely:
First, the improvement of personality
The so-called cultivation does not actually refer to people's external behavior, but emphasizes a correction from the inside to the outside, just like the ancients said "self-cultivation".
The implication is that true cultivation is not simply to treat others with courtesy, gentlemanly demeanor, or to accumulate virtue by doing good deeds, but to the fact that a person can revise his words and deeds and thoughts, so as to achieve the improvement of personality - not to mention that people are not sages, who can be blameless, and people who are truly perfect to the point of no shortcomings are almost non-existent, even if they are ancient saints, I am afraid that they are not born saints!
For example, Zeng Guofan, a famous minister in the Qing Dynasty, was also a problem when he was young, and Wang Yangming of the Ming Dynasty was also rejected by many people before the "Dragon Field Enlightenment".
However, the two of them were later able to correct their own words and deeds and thoughts through their own efforts, thereby improving their personality, and eventually becoming "saints" who could compete with Confucius in the eyes of the world.
It can be seen that truly cultivated people are mainly reflected in the improvement of personality.
Second, do not suffer from gains and losses
I often hear people of the older generation say: Things are impermanent.
The gist of it is that the things of life are not completely unchanged, and they do not operate exactly as we expect.
It can even be said that there are nine times out of ten things that are not satisfactory in life - the vast majority of things are counterproductive.
Therefore, if a person cannot recognize and accept this, he is easily affected by his own emotions, resulting in gains and losses, and even loses his mind.
And such a person, of course, cannot be regarded as a cultivated person.
On the other hand, truly cultivated people rarely show a state of gain and loss—not suffering from gain and loss is also another characteristic of cultivated people.
Third, return to the real self
Some people say that living in the present and being true to yourself is the best cultivation.
I think so.
That is to say, if a person cannot know his true self and return to his true self, he is easily pulled and influenced by others or external things, and he can neither locate himself nor recognize his true needs.
And how can such a person be said to be cultivated?
Therefore, in summary, these contents are actually the three characteristics of truly cultivated people.
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The materials in this article are mainly quoted from the Analects, Zhuangzi, Tanjing, Tao Te Ching, Temporary Sitting, Dream of the Red Chamber, Wasted Capital, Walking Alone, Philosophical Thoughts on Life, Plato So To Say, History, The Complete Works of Wang Yangming, Huayan Jing, University, Li Ji, Tiandao, Sun Tzu's Art of War, Wang Biji's Interpretation, Zhou Yi, And The Book of Poetry