Zhuangzi once said: "To be alone is to be unique, and to be alone is to be noble." ”
On the stage of life, each of us is a unique existence,
This uniqueness dooms us to feel lonely.
Looking at the world, we will find that those who are as strong as lions tend to walk alone, while weak people like cattle and sheep are in groups.
Zhuangzi pointed out that loneliness is not a weakness,
On the contrary, it allows a person to excel rather than indulge in being gregarious.
01. Loneliness is a source of strength
To "enjoy solitude" is to not sacrifice one's own feelings to cater to others.
Quality solitude is to find deep spiritual satisfaction and joy in solitude.
This kind of solitude is not solitude, but a kind of exploration and practice of one's own heart.
It transcends the pursuit of fame and fortune and is a state of inner peace and freedom.
The ancient adage "small hidden in the world, big hidden in the wild"
It expresses the search for the true self in tranquility, and it is also an understanding of high-quality solitude.
The king of Chu sent someone to ask Zhuangzi to serve as the prime minister, and Zhuangzi was still fishing at that time.
Zhuangzi told a story to the envoys of the king of Chu:
I heard that there was a 3,000-year-old turtle in the state of Chu, and after his death, his body was enshrined in the temple and worshipped.
Do you think it's happier for this turtle to be worshiped after death, or to live and wag its tail in the mud?
Messenger Answer:
"Naturally, it's more comfortable to wag your tail in muddy water. ”
Zhuangzi smiled and said:
"Then please come back, everybody, and I want to wag my tail in the muddy water. ”
The French writer Victor Hugo said, "Loneliness can make a man capable, but it can also make a man clumsy." ”
This is not a belittling of loneliness, but rather a revelation that loneliness can develop a person's ability to be independent, and it can also make a person more and more clumsy in their inner exploration.
Like Qu Yuan, he spent his life in solitude and questioning, but as a result, he wrote deeply moving poems and became the first great patriotic poet in Chinese history.
Experience can temper will, and loneliness can achieve talent.
People who know how to enjoy solitude know how to make their souls strong.
In solitude, we can find our true selves, embrace inner peace, and release deep strength.
Loneliness is not a negative state, but a path to the depths of the heart.
02. Loneliness ennobles the soul
There is such a story in "Keiko Xiangliang":
When Hui Shi was in Liang to be Xiangguo, Zhuangzi was going to visit Hui Shi.
There is a good villain who provokes Hui Shi:
"Zhuangzi is here to replace you and be the prime minister. ”
Of course, Hui Shi was not reluctant, and immediately sent people to search the whole city for three days and three nights.
Instead of being afraid, Zhuangzi took the initiative to find Hui Shi,
He said, "Did you know that there is a bird in the south called the lucid, which flies from the South China Sea to the North Sea, and it does not inhabit without the sycamore tree, does not eat without the fruit of bamboo, and does not drink without luscious springs."
At this time, the owl caught a rotting rat, and it looked up at the lurot flying right by, making a 'drink' sound from its throat to protect its food.
The way you look today, aren't you using Liang Guo to scare me?"
The honey of A, the arsenic of B.
Everyone has their own world, so even loneliness is not vulgarity, but adherence to self.
03. Loneliness is a mirror that illuminates oneself
Chuang Tzu once told a short story about empty ships, revealing how we should be calm in the face of external conflicts.
There was a shipman who was furious when his ship was hit by another oncoming ship.
However, when he then discovers that the ship is empty, his anger melts and laughter echoes.
Zhuangzi leads us to think:
"Only people can swim in the world without avoiding it, and obey others without losing themselves. ”
Loneliness is not an escape from social interaction,
It requires us to have the mentality of an empty ship,
You can enjoy solitude without intrusion on others.
Wandering alone in this world, you will eventually set off alone.
Life is a process of constant reconciliation with oneself.
An example that matches this is Su Shi, when he was relegated to Huangzhou, his heart was naturally gloomy.
Political loneliness, coupled with the triple stress of poverty, illness, and panic, almost knocked the middle-aged literati down.
However, he did not sink into the predicament,
Instead, he led his family to work in the difficult mountains and wilderness, founded Dongpo, and called himself Dongpo Layman.
In addition, he built a small grass hut on the hillside, and every winter he went to the snow scene alone, and named the grass hut Snow Hall.
Loneliness makes him reflect, makes him know how to be open-minded and casual,
In the end, he became the most dashing writer in Chinese history.
Loneliness, which makes people introspective, makes us understand that reconciliation with fate requires a calm mind.
Su Shi's changes show the growth and strength of a person in loneliness.
After all, everyone is drunk and I am sober, everyone is turbid and I am alone.
We may not be able to change the world, but we can make our hearts stronger.
Shaping a high-quality mind in solitude is always better than going with the flow of low-quality.
A soul that can endure loneliness will always become stronger.
Those who are talented and have dreams are better able to find and take advantage of opportunities in solitude.
And those who lack the courage to face loneliness can often only lose themselves in vulgar speech.
苏轼所言，“缺月挂疏桐，漏断人初静”
Although it depicts the loneliness of the dwelling, in this loneliness, he finds inner peace and growth.
In the long journey of life, learn to enjoy loneliness, recognize yourself,
Let the soul be more noble, so that you can be outstanding in this world.
Source: WeChat public account "Guoxue Yuanliu"
Author: The Source of Chinese Studies
Editor: Wu Xicheng
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