How did Zeng Guofan abstain from lust? The extraordinary can be sanctified

Late Qing Dynasty Zhongxing famous courtier - Zeng Guofan.

Confucianism talks about "self-denial and retribution", in the face of selfish desires that hinder our success, we must learn to exercise restraint, so in terms of "color", there is also the saying of "precepts in color"; Taoists on this issue say: "Shun is a person, against the immortal", if you obey your own desires, you will become a mortal, otherwise, you can attain the incarnation of immortality; and in Buddhism, abstaining from evil and fornication is one of the great precepts. "The first of all evil and fornication" is the purpose of the ancient sages' painstaking teachings, so that our children and grandchildren will learn to "abstain from sex"—abstinence, or abstinence, because it is a matter of physical and mental health, and human life and failure do not need to be repeated here. And we should also understand that many sages have also been like us ordinary people, who have emerged in the seven passions and six desires, and they have finally become extraordinary because they can strictly discipline themselves and be diligent in self-cultivation, and Zeng Guofan is such a person.

Zeng Wenzheng duchy domain, late Qing Dynasty Zhongxing famous courtier, can be called a figure of the times. He was immortal in "standing up for his words and making meritorious contributions", with the goal of "perfecting people in ancient and modern times". In fact, Zeng Guofan was not born a sage, just as in terms of lust, he also considered himself "happy", so how did this "perfect man of eternity" finally transcend the ordinary and succeed through "self-cultivation"? Let us travel through time and space, follow the following information, and feel the journey of this sage's heart together, and have some insights from it. Zeng Gonggong once said: "If a person can aspire, then what can the sage Haojie do?" Why resort to people! I want to be kind, Si Ren is the best... If you don't aspire to it, then although you live with Yao Shun Yu Tang, you are also self-contained, I am self-made, why should I be with me! "Let us all learn to surpass ourselves, so as to improve our lives, and ultimately be a person who benefits society!"

Zeng Guofan's wife, Ouyang Shi, was not in good health and often fell ill. Once Zeng Guofan participated in the group worship of Jinshi's classmates, because the house of worship was bell-ringing and the concubines were like clouds, which made Zeng Guofan "open his eyes", and his "joyful" heart was born spontaneously, looking east and west, quite elegant. The "Diary" said: "It is a day, the eyes are repeatedly evil", "the shame is lost", when he returned home sadly, he was uneasy. In addition, his wife was ill, so she "had a bad mood at night and was tired of moaning." The contrast between the beautiful scenery during the day and the moaning sound on the sickbed was so great that Zeng Guofan could not bear it, so he went out to chat with friends, "more first home". The next day, his wife's illness worsened, Zeng Guofan asked Wu Zhuru to come to see, because Zhou Was stuffed by selfish desires, Zeng Guofan's theoretical kung fu was greatly reduced, and when he heard others talk about science, he felt that he was estranged. And to pass the time with a feast and wine, he was very happy.

Tang Peng was his best friend and authored the book "Floating Qiuzi", which was well received by Zeng Guofan. One day in February of the 23rd year of Daoguang, Zeng Guofan went to Tang Peng's house for a wedding feast, and during the banquet, he saw two of Tang's ji people, and Zeng Guofan repeated the same technique, "Harmony is abuse, and there is no idle inspection." Similar records in Zeng Guofan's early Diaries are not limited to the above examples. This shows that the flesh and blood are strong, zeng guofan who has just passed the age of establishment also has seven passions and six desires, and is also a normal person, he is full of love for women, although this "love" is a metaphysical "love" under the domination of sexual consciousness, but at least from one side of the true reflection of Zeng Guofan's emotional world. His later success lies in changing what he used to do, "cutting off the roots and vowing to fight with blood."

In his early years, Zeng Guofan had the "Three Precepts", one of which was the precepts. He also believes that indulging in this is an obstacle to the cause. He also believes that in front of outsiders, husband and wife should not be too close. Despite this, Zeng Guofan was still difficult to do, scolding himself as a beast.

Zeng Guofan himself admitted, "The useful years are half spent on his wife", and on the second day of the first month of March, "in the middle of the day, there is no respect in the boudoir." Last year i vowed to abstain from this evil, and now I have committed it again, shameful, hateful! Bamboo is like a long talk. Long time not to rule, good friend to this, but feel cheeky." He said that he "knows that his body is weak, but he does not know how to be restrained, and he is not filial piety."

However, as he grew older, Zeng Guofan's "disrespect" in this regard soon changed greatly, becoming a solemn, witty and gentlemanly person. Zeng Guofan is like this, in order to make a difference in his day, strictly limit his lust, and even the normal emotional exchange between husband and wife is strictly restrained. In the Confucian ancestor Confucius, they all recognized "food color, sex also", but Zeng Guofan believed that once people's selfish desires and lusts expanded, they would be difficult to clean up, and would eventually hinder the great cause. He later became an extremely popular subject, but he resolutely did not accept concubines, and his life style was also strictly self-disciplined, which was different from the feudal masters of his contemporaries, and it was also the prominent point of his spiritual character.

In order to achieve "clarifying the aspirations of the world", Zeng Guofan proposed three precepts in response to his bad habits: one abstained from eating tobacco, the second abstained from speaking falsely, and the three abstinence from disrespect, all of which were later done.

Smoking is harmful to health is common knowledge for everyone today, but smoking has an impact on people's spirits, and it is not clear to everyone. Zeng Guofan told people such a truth through his own personal feelings. Zeng Guofan realized that if there is too much socializing, it is difficult to concentrate the spirit, and there will be mistakes in doing things. In addition, smoking also has a great impact on this. He said: The spirit must always be more than enough, and only when we do things can we be full of energy and not loose. "Talk too much, eat too much cigarette, so it makes me sleepy."

After realizing the danger, he vowed to quit smoking from October of the twenty-second year of Daoguang and as one of the "three precepts". But the initial quit was a tough day. In order to pass the difficult time, he asked his friends to play chess and chat. He wrote in his diary: "It is advisable to abide by the rules and respect things, but to gossip about absurd deeds, and not to spoil the game." When I returned to the next few, I did not shake the brush, read the book carelessly, and gave up on myself. It is to quit smoking for the first time, like losing milk, and to save some self-forgiveness. With this forgiveness, there is nothing the world can do. Urgent yimeng province. Zeng Guofan likened the first quit of smoking to the weaning of babies, which vividly illustrated his doting on smoking and the pain of quitting smoking.

As the saying goes, playthings lose their minds! Personality, habits, and food color are all okay as long as they are moderate, but once people's selfish desires and lusts are expanded, they are difficult to clean up, and will eventually hinder the great cause, so a person who does great things should limit his inappropriate desires through continuous self-encouragement, and put his main mind on the cause he wants to engage in, so as to improve himself.

Zeng Guofan quotes: "One point of spirit and one point of cause, very spiritual and very good." ”