Cai Gen Tan is a collection of quotations on cultivation, life, life, and birth collected and compiled by Hong Yingming, a Daoist in the early Ming Dynasty. It has the crystallization of the truth of the three religions and the difficult way of teaching people to pass on the world, which is a rare sermon of the ancient world. For people's righteous mind cultivation and cultivation of moral virtue, there is an incredible subtle power.
Its writing is concise and elegant. Like quotations, there is an interest that the quotations do not have; like essays, but there are neatness that is not easy to reach by essays; like admonitions, and there is a kind awakening that is lacking in admonitions; and there are rainy mountains, and the quiet bells of the night, which are stained in between, and their words are clear and flavorful, and the wind and moon are boundless.
Hearts matter clear Talent needs Yun
The heart of a gentleman, the sky is blue and the sun is white, must not be unknown; the talent of a gentleman, the jade and pearls, cannot be easily known.
The inner thoughts of a gentleman are as bright as the blue sky and the white sun, and there is nothing to tell; the talents of a gentleman should be treasured like jewels, and should not be easily shown off to let others know.
Wood shows in the forest, and the wind will destroy it. In the feudal era, if the sharp edge is too exposed, showing off the talent, and not knowing the convergence, it will not only be considered frivolous or arrogant, but also serious will lead to jealousy, exclusion and even killing.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yang Xiu died for "a box of crisps" and "a chicken rib" because he did not notice this. Yang Xiu was appointed as Xiao Lian (孝廉), Ren Langzhong (任郎中), and later han xiang Cao Cao (曹曹) during the Jian'an period of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The Yang family lineage is the Famous Gate of Han, the ancestor Yang Xi, Han Gaozu Shi Gong, feng Chiquan Marquis. Emperor Gaozu Yang Zhen, great-grandfather Yang Bing, grandfather Yang Ci, and father Yang Biao iv successively served as the three dukes of Sikong, Situ, and Taiwei, and were on a par with the Yuan family at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and their reputation was prominent.
In 219 AD, Cao Cao gathered his troops to enter Hanzhong, but was rejected by Ma Chao, who wanted to take the troops back to the capital, and was afraid of being laughed at by the Shu soldiers, and hesitated in his heart, and was running into a cook into chicken soup. Cao Cao saw that there were chicken ribs in the bowl, so he felt nostalgic. In the midst of the deep groaning, Xiahou Huan entered the account and asked for the night slogan. Cao Cao replied casually, "Chicken ribs! Chicken ribs!" Xiahou Huan ordered all the officials to call them "chicken ribs!"
Yang Xiu, the master of the march, saw the word "chicken ribs" and asked the accompanying soldiers to pack their bags and prepare to withdraw. Someone reported it to Xiahou Huan. Xiahou Huan was shocked, so he asked Yang Xiu to the tent and asked, "Why do you pack your bags?" Yang Xiu said, "Judging from tonight's orders, we can know that the King of Wei will soon retire and return to the capital." Chicken ribs, eat no meat, lost and pity. Now the army cannot be victorious, the retreat is shameful, there is no benefit here, it is better to go back as soon as possible, and the king of Wei will inevitably return to the dynasty in the future. So pack your bags first, so as not to panic when you leave. Xiahou Huan said, "Sir, I really understand King Wei's thoughts!" "Then also pack your bags. Therefore, there was no general in the barracks who was not ready to return to the dynasty.
That night, Cao Cao was distraught and could not sleep peacefully, so he lifted the steel axe in his hand and walked alone around the military camp. Suddenly, I saw that the soldiers in Xiahou Huan's camp were all preparing to pack. Cao Cao was horrified and hurried back to the camp to summon Xiahou to ask him why. Huan replied, "Master Yang Dezu knew in advance what the Great King meant when he wanted to go back. Cao Cao summoned Yang Xiu to ask why, and Yang Xiu answered with the meaning of chicken ribs. Cao Cao said angrily, "How dare you create rumors and confuse the hearts of our army!" He then ordered the sword and axe hand to push Yang Xiu out and behead him, hanging his head outside the gate.
It turned out that Yang Xiu relied on his own talents and did not restrain his own behavior, and repeatedly violated Cao Cao's taboo. Once, Cao Cao built a garden. When it was caused, the exercise went to watch, and without praise or criticism, he asked someone to take a pen and write a "live" word on the garden door and left. No one understands the implications. Yang Xiu said to the craftsmen, "door" added movable characters, that is, "wide" characters, the minister thinks that you have made the garden door too big. So the garden gate was rebuilt. After completion, I asked Cao Cao to watch it. Cao Cao liked it and asked, "Who knows what I mean?" The next person replied, "It's Yang Xiu!" Although Cao Cao was superficially good, he was very jealous in his heart.
Another day, Saibei paid tribute to Cao Cao with a box of puff pastries. Cao Cao wrote the three words "Yihe Crisp" on the box and put it on the desk. Yang Xiu saw it, and actually took a spoon and ate the pastry with everyone. Cao Cao asked why, and Yang Xiu replied, "The box clearly says 'one person and one bite of crisp', how dare you disobey the order of the prime minister?" Although Cao Cao was smiling, he hated Yang Xiu in his heart.
Cao Cao was afraid that someone would secretly murder him, and often instructed his guards, "I have a good dream of killing people, and whenever I am asleep, you must not come near me!" Once Cao Cao was sleeping in a tent during the day, and the quilt fell to the ground, and the near attendant hurriedly took the cover for him. Cao Cao immediately jumped up and drew his sword to kill him, then went back to bed. When he got up in the middle of the night, he pretended to be surprised and asked, "Who killed my bodyguard?" Everybody tells the truth. Cao Cao wept bitterly and ordered someone to bury his close attendants. People thought that Cao Cao was really killing people in a dream, but Yang Xiu knew his intentions, and when he was buried, he sighed and said, "It's not that Cao Cao was in the dream, it was you in the dream!" When Cao Cao heard this, he hated Yang Xiu even more.
Cao Cao's third son, Cao Zhi, admired Yang Xiu's talent and often invited Yang Xiu to talk about it, and did not rest all night. Cao Cao consulted with everyone and wanted to make Cao Zhi the son of the world. After Cao Pi learned of this, he secretly invited Wu Qian, the chief of Chaoge, to his house for consultation, because he was afraid that someone would notice it, so he hid Wu Qian in a large reed, only to say that it was silk and transported to Cao Pi's mansion. After Yang Xiu knew about this matter, he came directly to tell Cao Cao. Cao Cao sent people to the gate of Cao Pi's mansion to observe. Cao Pi panicked when he found out and told Wu Zhi. Wu Zhi said, "Don't worry, tomorrow we will put silk on a large motif and transport it into the palace to confuse them." According to Wu Qian's words, Cao Pi carried some silk into the palace with a large basket. Cao Cao's emissaries searched the mounds, and sure enough, they returned to Cao Cao, and Cao Cao suspected Yang Xiu of framing Cao Pi and hated Yang Xiu even more.
Cao Cao wanted to test the talents of Cao Pi and Cao Zhi. One day, they were ordered to go out of the gates of Yecheng City, but privately they were ordered to the soldiers guarding the gates and not to allow them to let them go. Cao Pi arrived first, and the soldiers watching the gate blocked him from going out, and Cao Pi had to retreat. After Cao Zhi heard about it, he asked Yang Xiu for advice. Yang Xiu said, "You go out of the city on the orders of the king, and if there is any obstruction, just behead them." Cao Zhi listened to his words, and when he reached the city gate, the soldiers stopped him, and Cao Zhi scolded him loudly, saying, "I am going out on the orders of the king to see who dares to stop him!" Then he beheaded the soldiers who had stopped him. So Cao Cao thought that Cao Zhi had talent. Later, someone told Cao Cao, "This is what Yang Xiu taught him to do. Cao Cao was furious, so he no longer liked Cao Zhi.
Yang Xiu often taught Cao Zhi more than ten how to answer well, as long as Cao Cao asked him questions, Cao Zhi answered according to the place Yang Xiu taught him. Cao Cao asked Cao Zhi about military affairs, and Cao Zhi replied like a stream. Cao Cao was very confused in his heart. Later, Cao Pi secretly bought cao Zhi's subordinates and secretly came to tell Cao Cao. Cao Cao saw this and said angrily, "Pifu actually dared to deceive me!" At that time, he had the intention of killing Yang Xiu, and now he was killing him on the charge of confusing the hearts of the rebellious army. Yang Xiu was only forty-four years old when he died.
In a society full of suspicion, we must keep in mind the lesson of causing misfortune because of talent, learn to protect ourselves and hide jade and pearls, and be good at showing the side of moral cultivation and courtesy and humility to the world, so that people can rest assured. This is the "way of survival" that the ancient Chinese exchanged their lives and blood for. Today, what we need to learn is the spirit of the ancients who worked tirelessly to survive, rather than adhering to the dogma of the ancients. The ancients had the living environment of the ancients, we have our living environment, if you want to survive in modern society, you must show your talents and adapt to competition.
Eat tightly in your spare time
The heavens and the earth are silent, and the qi machine does not stop for a moment; the sun and moon run day and night, and Zhenming is not easy for eternity. Therefore, a gentleman should have a tight mind when he is idle, and he must have a leisurely and interesting place when he is busy.
Every day we see that the heavens and the earth seem to be silent and motionless, but in fact, the activities of nature do not stop; the sun rises in the morning, the moon sinks in the west at night, the day and night change, and the light of the sun and the moon is eternal. Therefore, when a gentleman is idle, he must have a sense of urgency and make some plans; when he is busy, he must be busy and idle, and enjoy a little leisurely fun in life.
Huang Tingjian, a famous writer and calligrapher during the Northern Song Dynasty in China. In 1067, he was admitted to the jinshi and embarked on a career path. At first, his career was smooth, but after Emperor Zhezong's pro-government and the implementation of the new law, Huang Tingjian was vilified, deposed, and demoted to the remote prefecture of Qianzhou.
Huang Tingjian's relatives and friends were worried about his future, but he himself did not care, and still lay down on the bed and slept soundly. Later, Huang Tingjian offended Zhao Tingzhi, and Zhao Tingzhi entered into rumors in front of the emperor, and Huang Tingjian was exiled to Yizhou on the charge of "schadenfreude and slandering the country" in the poem.
In Yizhou, Huang Tingjian lived in a small dilapidated house, which was unbearable for others, but Huang Tingjian was still calm, and later he simply moved to the small watchtower of the border garrison. Huang Tingjian is indifferent to fame and fortune, and his temperament is Gengjie, although he has experienced several ups and downs in the stormy storms of political struggle, he has always faced the gains and losses of honor and humiliation with a free and calm mentality.
Huang Tingjian wrote in "And Answer Zhao Ling Tong Qian Rhyme": "Life and politics have no leisure, and I have sneaked away several times in my busyness. Purple swallow yellow oriole drives the sun and moon, and vermilion cherry red apricot falls on strips. The poem becomes a guest collection of slightly aware, drinking less first worrying about the board. Personally dispatch the children to hoe the grass path, and mingle out of the city in the morning and evening. The poem writes the poet's beautiful feelings about life in a rare leisure time, the crisp and pleasant birdsong, the soft and verdant branches constitute the beautiful scenery in front of him; the poetry and drinking allow the poet to "sneak around" and enjoy it.
Huang Tingjian's "life and politics have no leisure, busy to steal a few times" does not refer to doing some chores, but refers to empty, do nothing. When you are busy with many things, you can quietly empty yourself and relax yourself, which is very rare. There is a saying called "stealing half a day's leisure.". In fact, through the two words "stealing leisure", we can see the magic of this idiom, which very vividly reflects the feelings and elegance of a literati, although the world is open to the world, determined to exert wisdom and benefit the country, but also busy stealing, relaxed and moderate. The word "steal" doesn't mean well, but it's very vivid in this idiom.
Modern people study, work pressure is very large, pressure will cause inefficiency, but is not conducive to learning and work, if you can be busy stealing, self-regulation, relax the mood, light load, but will achieve unexpected results. However, busy sneaking is not the same as being lazy, after stealing, it is still necessary to return to a busy state, but the idleness of this moment can make people extremely relaxed and happy.
The ancients taught us to "hide sometimes, move with knots", there is stillness in movement, there is movement in stillness, teaching nature, and learning to regulate. In the development of modern economy, whoever can hide and move in a measured manner will be able to seize the opportunity.
Look back happily
Enri is born of harm, so when he is happy, he must look back early; after defeat or success, he will let go of his heart.
When you are in a good situation and get grace, it often brings misfortune, so when a person is satisfied, he should turn back early and realize it as soon as possible; after suffering setbacks, it will sometimes make a person go to the road to success, so when he is not satisfied, he must not stop here and give up the pursuit.
In 496 BC, king Lu of Wu sent troops to attack the state of Yue, but was defeated by the king of Yue, and He lu was also seriously injured, and before dying, he instructed his son Fu Cha to avenge him. Keeping his father's words in mind, Fu Cha stepped up his military training day and night, preparing to attack the Vietnamese country. After two years, Fu Cha led his troops to a great defeat, and Gou Jian was surrounded, with no way out, and prepared to commit suicide. At this time, the minister Wen Zhong persuaded him, saying: "The minister of the State of Wu, Bo Yao, is greedy for money and lustful, and can send someone to bribe him." Gou Jian listened to Wen Chuan's advice and sent him to bribe Bo Zhao with a treasure, and Bo Yao agreed to go with Wen Chuan to see King Wu.
Wen Zhong saw King Wu, offered the treasure, and said, "King Yue is willing to surrender and serve you as your subordinate, please forgive him." Bo Yao was also on the side to help Wen Zhan speak. Wu Zixu stood up and loudly objected: "People often say that 'to cure the disease, we must remove the roots', and they practice far-sighted thinking, Wen Zhong and Fan Li are shrewd and strong, and if they are released this time, they will find a way to take revenge after they go back!" At this time, Fu Cha thought that the Yue state was no longer enough to be troubled, so he did not listen to Wu Zixu's advice, agreed to the surrender of the Yue state, and withdrew the army to the state of Wu. After the State of Wu withdrew its troops, Gou Jian took his wife and doctor Fan Li to the State of Wu to serve king Wu, herd cattle and sheep, and finally won the favor and trust of king Wu.
Three years later, they were released and returned home. After Gou Jian returned to China, he was determined to be angry and strong, and prepared for revenge. Afraid that he coveted a comfortable life and consumed his ambition for revenge, he slept on a straw pile with a weapon at night, and he hung a bitter gall in the house, and every morning when he got up, he tasted the bitter gall, and the soldier outside the door asked him: "Have you forgotten the shame of three years?" "He sent Wenzi to manage state affairs, Fan Li to manage the military, he personally went to the fields to work with farmers, and his wife also spun thread and weaved cloth. After ten years of arduous struggle, the Vietnamese nation finally had enough food and turned weak into strong. And Wu Wangfuchai blindly tried to compete for hegemony, without the slightest consideration of the people's livelihood and suffering. He also listened to Bo Zhao's bad words and killed the loyal minister Wu Zixu. In the end, fu cha successfully competed for hegemony and dominated the princes. But at this time, Wu Guo, seemingly powerful, was actually downhill.
In 482 BC, Fu Cha personally led a large army north to compete with the Jin state for the lord of the princes, and the Yue king Gou Jian took advantage of the fact that wu's elite troops were outside, suddenly attacked, defeated Wu bing in one fell swoop, and killed Prince You. When Fu Cha heard the news, he hurriedly led his troops back to China and sent someone to ask for peace with Gou Jian. Gou Jian estimated that he could not destroy wu at once, so he agreed. In 473 BC, Gou Jian personally led an army to attack the State of Wu for the second time. At this time, the State of Wu was already at the end of its strong crossbow, and it could not resist the strong onslaught of the Vietnamese army at all, and it was repeatedly defeated. In the end, Fu Cha sent people to ask for peace with Gou Jian, and Fan Li firmly advocated the destruction of the State of Wu. When fu cha saw that he could not make peace, he regretted that he did not listen to Wu Zixu's advice, and he was ashamed and embarrassed, so he drew his sword and killed himself.
Sometimes being in the face of adversity can make people stronger, braver, and also inspire a person's potential. The idiom story tells people not to be easily overwhelmed by difficulties, but to learn to improve their abilities in difficult situations.
Relax your heart and die
The field in front of him should be wide and make people sigh unevenly; the benefits behind them should flow for a long time, so that people will have uneasy thoughts.
Only when a person treats people with a generous heart will the people around you not complain of dissatisfaction; the blessings left to the world after death will be passed on for a long time, so that future generations will have continuous thoughts. Broad charity is uneven, and generous grace is all thought.
Zeng Guofan believed that the most important thing was the principle of filial piety among all family members. Filial piety is easy to understand, that is, gratitude, respect and support for parents and elders. Compassion refers to the harmony and friendship between brothers, that is, the harmony and harmony between peers. In Zeng Guofan's family letters, it is generally thought that he wrote the most letters to his children, but in fact, he wrote the most letters to his brothers, which shows the importance he attaches to the relationship between brothers. Zeng Guofan famously commented that the law of family prosperity is: The family of officials and eunuchs in the world is generally depressed after only one generation, because most of them are stupid children; the family of shangjia, that is, the family of private entrepreneurs, can generally be passed on for three generations; the family of cultivation and reading, that is, the family based on the management of agriculture and reading, can generally prosper for five or six generations; and the house of filial piety, that is, the family that pays attention to filial piety and governs the family with peace, can often last for ten generations and eight generations.
Zeng Guofan also placed special emphasis on "being diligent in running the family" under the purpose of "governing the family with peace". This diligent family management has two meanings in Zeng Guofan, one is that family members should be diligent and thrifty, and the other is that parents should be diligent in teaching by example. Zeng Guofan said this, he himself can meticulously take the lead in doing it, and do it very well. For example, the second son, Zeng Jize, likes Western sociology, Zeng Jihong likes mathematics and physics, and although Zeng Guofan does not know anything, he can do his best to understand and try to learn a little. Such a father is worthy of being a real "diligent and family-oriented" father. Under the influence of Zeng Guofan, Zeng Jize would always personally teach children to learn English, mathematics, and music, and also teach them to practice calligraphy, write poetry, explain the classics and historical chapters, no matter how busy they were, they always had to take time out every day to accompany their children and families, which was the best family education.
Therefore, there are many scientists, educators and social activists in the descendants, great-grandchildren, and even grandchildren of Zeng Guofan.