Zheng Shenghui Learning and Thinking Day 2128
About the author
Professor Michael Puming is a professor with a distinguished chair at Harvard University, and his Chinese philosophy course is among the top three most popular at Harvard University.
Christina Gross Lowe is a writer and freelance writer with a Ph.D. in East Asian History from Harvard University.
About the book
This book is a selection of the course content of the Chinese Philosophy course at Harvard University. The book introduces the thoughts of Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Guanzi, Zhuangzi, and Xunzi in simple terms, and teaches you to use the wisdom of ancient Chinese philosophy to change your perception of yourself and the world. The author uses a large number of vivid examples from daily life, and the content is close to daily life, giving full play to the practicality and application of Chinese philosophy.
Core content
From the perspective of modern civilization, we will see how the ideas and wisdom of ancient Chinese philosophy can help us improve interpersonal relationships, optimize decision-making thinking, enhance self-plasticity, and then change our inherent perception of life in an all-round way.
Preface
The essence of this book is to use the perspective of Western civilization to see how the ideas and wisdom of ancient Chinese philosophy can be used to subvert our preconceived notions and change our perception of ourselves and the world.
This book is a selection of the course content of the Chinese Philosophy course at Harvard University. The main author, Professor Michael Puming, is the main teacher of the Chinese philosophy course at Harvard University, and he introduced this course in 2006, which everyone thought was an unpopular topic at first, but they did not expect that the course would be sought after by a large number of Harvard students soon after the course began. By the time the second year came, how popular had the class become? Even the steps of the classroom were full of students, and they couldn't squeeze in. The university had no choice but to move the course to Harvard's largest lecture hall, the 1,000-seat Sanders Theater. Today, Chinese philosophy is one of the most popular public electives at Harvard, second only to Principles of Economics and Introduction to Computer Science in popularity at Harvard.
You may wonder why Chinese philosophy, a cold-sounding subject, is so popular on the Harvard campus? Professor Pu Ming is said to have promised each of his students, "If you take it seriously, it will be a life-changing course." As it turns out, this is not an empty phrase. His students felt that the course was extremely impactful, changing their perceptions and opening their eyes to possibilities they never thought possible.
Moreover, the English title of the book "A New Way to Think About Everything" is called "The Path—A New Way to Think About Everything", which directly translates to "Tao - a new way to know everything", and Tao is the Tao of truth. This audio is about how to use the ideas and wisdom of ancient Chinese philosophy to re-understand yourself and the world.
Because this course is a foreign professor teaching Chinese philosophy to foreign students, it focuses more on those Eastern ideas that are new to Westerners, and uses these ideas to complement Western philosophical thinking. Through this book, we can also look at Chinese philosophy from the perspective of Western civilization and master new ways of understanding ourselves and the world.
We will focus on four key points. The author tells us that the most valuable thing about Chinese philosophy is its practical and everyday nature, which can profoundly and extensively change people's lives. The second key point is how to use the ideas of ancient Chinese philosophy to improve our interpersonal relationships? The answer given by the author is that if you re-understand the meaning and function of "etiquette" and practice true etiquette, you can improve your relationship with others. The third key point is how to use the ideas of ancient Chinese philosophy to enable us to make better decisions? This book tells us to learn to "change" and "know fate", respect the contingency and unpredictability of life, and at the same time deal with it with an open and sensitive mind. The fourth key point is how to use the ideas of ancient Chinese philosophy to make us become a better version of ourselves? The answer is self-cultivation, through consciously tempering ourselves, and finally reaching the state of being handy and internalizing in our hearts.
Part I
The first is to re-understand the value of Chinese philosophy.
For a long time, the academic status of Chinese philosophy has been underestimated, and scholars have been troubled by the lack of concepts and logic in Chinese philosophy, and there is even an opinion that China has not produced philosophy in the true sense of the word. When compiling the history of Chinese philosophy, Mr. Feng Youlan made great efforts to conceptualize and systematize Chinese philosophy, and he adopted the method of Western logical analysis. However, Professor Pu Ming's approach to Chinese philosophy is diametrically opposed. He argues that the lack of conceptual and logical systems in Chinese philosophy is precisely where it is very valuable. Western philosophy focuses on concepts and logic, and often puts forward relatively abstract propositions, such as, what is free will, where is the meaning of life, is morality empirical or a priori, and so on. However, Chinese philosophy begins with attention to specific details, such as the Analects, which focuses on people's behavior when eating and walking, which can be said to be unique in philosophy.
Ancient Chinese philosophers believed that philosophy took place precisely at the level of everyday life. They express their thoughts with the help of the ordinary side of life, and only everyday life is where great changes take place. In this way, the mind is really close to life. Chinese philosophy asks a very basic but wise question: How do you deal with your daily life?
Perhaps because of this understanding, Professor Pu Ming rarely uses obscure philosophical terms when teaching Chinese philosophical thought. He used a large number of vivid examples in life to interpret the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius, Lao Zhuang, Guan Zhong, Xunzi and others. When you read this book, you may think of Dale Carnegie's "The Weakness of Human Nature", because its content is close to our lives and brings into play the practicality and application of Chinese philosophy.
Before moving into the discussion of specific ideas, the author also reminds us of the need to break down stereotypes about Chinese philosophy. For example, when we think of Confucianism, we often think of self-discipline and conformity, and we think that Confucianism teaches us to be content with our social roles and obey established social rules, which gives people the impression of being conservative and rigid. However, the author believes that Confucius was never a person who wanted to strengthen social control, but instead inspired us to improve our consciousness of self-improvement, and to shape a more perfect self through the method of self-cultivation. It leads to an open, positive mindset rather than a closed and conservative mindset.
This book tells us that the most valuable thing about Chinese philosophy is that it is rooted in everyday life, paying attention to the smallest details, and if we want to appreciate these ancient wisdoms, we must break stereotypes and rediscover their true colors.
Part II
The second important point: how to use the ideas of ancient Chinese philosophy to improve our interpersonal relationships? The author tells us that we need to rely on etiquette. By creating a situation through etiquette and empathizing with the feelings of others, relationships can be improved. When you think of etiquette, what comes to mind first? Is it a ceremony like a wedding or a funeral, or is it a welcome and send-off in a social event? Either way, many people will feel that etiquette is a mere formality, and it is an unpleasant external constraint that makes people feel that it is a burden.
So what is true etiquette? Let's look at a real-life example. You play hide and seek with a 4-year-old child, and when you hide, you deliberately show one foot so that he can find you. When he finds you, he will laugh happily, and you will pretend to be annoyed and praise him for being amazing. If the author tells you that this is etiquette, you may wonder how it is etiquette to make a game?
According to the authors, etiquette is the construction of a "hypothetical" situation, in which people are brought into a completely new relationship, and each participant plays a different role than in everyday life, which is the key to helping us improve our relationships. In the game of hide and seek, the roles of adults and children are reversed, and the adults, who are usually omnipotent in the eyes of children, play the role of clumsy people who will be caught, while the children in a disadvantaged position play a powerful role. The meaning behind this etiquette is to pretend that children are smarter than adults. In this ritual, the child's need to become stronger is satisfied, while the adult can relax, and the relationship between the two generations is lubricated.
In addition to creating situations, another aspect of etiquette is to be considerate of other people's feelings. Mr. Gu Hongming, a cultural master, once said that true etiquette is essentially understanding the feelings of others. Or in other words, etiquette is to allow us to put ourselves in the shoes of others, to feel and understand the emotions of others, to achieve "empathy". Let's compare the etiquette of the Chinese with the etiquette of the Japanese, the Japanese etiquette is exquisite and thoughtful, such as bending over, nodding, smiling no matter who they meet, and even the amplitude of each movement is about the same, but many Westerners feel that this exquisite and thoughtful etiquette cannot really make people happy, why? Because it seems to be rehearsed, their smile is like the professional behavior of the service staff, and their etiquette is to show how good their cultivation is, rather than understanding the feelings of others. The etiquette of the Chinese may not be so delicate and thoughtful, but it often makes people feel sincere, so it can produce emotional satisfaction.
In normal times, we often play our own roles, and it is difficult to enter the role of others and understand what others are thinking and needing. Etiquette provides us with an opportunity to improve our relationship by creating a pattern that is different from our daily lives, allowing us to play other roles, or swapping roles so that we can be considerate of each other. The author argues that for us personally, etiquette prevents us from falling into a single role, opens our perspectives, and makes our emotions more inclusive. For others, etiquette takes care of each other's feelings and makes our relationships more harmonious.
There are two key points on how to use etiquette to improve interpersonal relationships, the first is to create a situation that is different from everyday life and play a different role than usual, and the second is to be considerate of other people's feelings and empathize with others.
Part III
The third key point is how to use the ideas of ancient Chinese philosophy to enable us to make better decisions? Here the author expounds the ideas of "contingency" and "knowing fate" in Chinese philosophy. Contingency is flexibility. To know fate is to know fate. These two words do not seem to be positive words in today's Chinese society. Many people feel that a flexible way of thinking has led to "unqualified" behaviors such as unruly and exploiting loopholes, which hinder our integration into modern civilization. "Knowing fate" seems to represent a kind of negative thinking that does not seek progress and only seeks to accept fate, so that we do not take the initiative to meet challenges, but are numb and content with the status quo, which is an old brain that should be abandoned. But these two words have become "treasures" in the author, and he believes that this is the great wisdom of the Chinese.
First, let's talk about why "flexibility" is a good thing. The German philosopher Immanuel Kant once proposed a famous ethical experiment, suppose that a friend is hiding in your house, and then a murderer who pursues him knocks on the door and asks you if the person is not there, should you lie to protect your friend, or should you answer honestly? But the answer given by Kant is that you should tell the truth, because honesty is an absolute principle and should not vary depending on the situation.
If you throw this question to an ancient Chinese philosopher, like Confucius, he might answer, of course you should lie to help that innocent person, because you should consider the situation as a whole and not mechanically enforce a single precept. Confucius will also tell you that such a thought experiment is useless if all complex factors such as human emotions are excluded, because it is completely incapable of guiding our practical life. In fact, no single ethical or moral law can override the complexity of human emotions.
This is the idea of "contingency" in Chinese philosophy, that is, the flexible wisdom of the Chinese. It emphasizes that each specific scenario is unique and constantly changing. If we don't know how to be flexible and only respond according to fixed rules or standards, then it is impossible to make sound decisions. A good decision must depend on our understanding of the specific situation and our grasp of the overall situation.
Let's talk about what kind of wisdom it is to "know your fate". The author argues that Westerners are accustomed to defining themselves as rational individuals and relying too much on their own rational minds, thinking that they can solve all problems through fine calculations. In fact, since Westerners have largely laid the foundations of modern society, we as individuals living in modern society have the same tendencies. For example, we all like to make plans, make lists, we calculate what is good for us and what is bad for us, and then make a thorough plan and try to implement it. However, the author tells us that this kind of thinking implies our misunderstanding of the world, which is that it is stable and governed by universal laws.
But what is the truth? The world is full of uncertainty, and even if we plan carefully, something unexpected will always happen that will break our assumptions about the future. You may say that we think about these accidents in advance, but in reality, when they happen, we are still caught off guard and very upset.
The idea of "knowing one's fate" in Chinese philosophy sees the limits of planning. "Fate" does not mean that we should passively accept the reality of life and accept the mercy of fate. On the contrary, "life" refers to something that we cannot control even after all our efforts. The premise is that we have done everything we can, and at this time, there will always be something that will still come, so we have to "do our best and obey the destiny of heaven". The author calls it "the contingency of life" or "the unpredictability of life."
We Chinese are in awe of this "unpredictability" in our bones, and we always subconsciously feel that we are small and unable to resist the "destiny of heaven". Therefore, immersed in this kind of thinking for a long time, the Chinese remain cautious even when they are prosperous and hopeful even in times of hardship. This all stems from the fact that we believe that there are always unexpected arrangements in life. The author tells us that it is only by being aware of the unpredictability of life that we can truly open our eyes and face life in a broader way.
Since fate is unpredictable, can we not do anything? Of course not, the author provides us with two methods. The first is to improve our foresight, to anticipate possible dangers in advance, and then to avoid them in time. "Mencius" says: "Those who know their fate do not stand under the rock wall", which tells us not to stand under the wall that is about to collapse if we predict in advance that the wall will fall. If we are still standing under the wall without knowing it and being hit by the wall, then we cannot complain that this is the arrangement of fate, and we can only say that we have not "known our fate". The second way is that although we can't plan everything, we can think about the conditions that make things go in a better direction, and then prepare for those conditions. Keep life open and sensitive, take the initiative to create the best conditions and lay the foundation for change, and then the door of opportunity will open to us.
To sum up, Professor Pu Ming believes that how to use the ideas of ancient Chinese philosophy to make better decisions. The first is to be flexible, we need to be in a specific situation, consider the particularity of the situation, and respond accordingly, and the second is to know our fate, respect the unpredictability of life, improve foresight and initiative, and create conditions to cope with change. In a word, the author reminds us not to rely too much on rational gains and universal laws, but to make life open and sensitive.
Part IV
The fourth key point is how to use the ideas of ancient Chinese philosophy to make us become a better version of ourselves, that is, how to cultivate ourselves. In Chinese philosophy, self-cultivation is a common topic. It's not easy to come up with something new about a topic that has been talked about for more than 2,000 years, but this book does just that.
The author says that there are two major steps to self-cultivation, the first step is to do things consciously, and the second step is to do things without consciously. At first glance, it must sound a bit mysterious. Let's break it down.
Let's start with doing things consciously. The author argues that our behavior is often governed by habit and becomes a patterned thing. For example, we greet friends, shake hands with strangers, and use different ways of greeting and responding on different occasions, but when we do these things, we often do them unconsciously, and we rarely think about the philosophical meaning behind them. The author reminds us that if we only mechanically fulfill these social habits in our lives, then we lose the power to change ourselves, and these mechanical behaviors do not help us become better versions of ourselves.
But if we recognize that we are stuck in a fixed pattern and consciously change it, we gain self-plasticity. When teaching Chinese philosophy, the author asks his students to pay attention to their interactions with others on a daily basis, to record how they respond, and how they respond to themselves and others. For example, take the initiative to open a door for a stranger, text a friend who is in trouble, greet your usually taciturn boss, keep an eye out for these actions, and record what changes they cause. After a period of accumulation, his students have discovered incredible changes. Some students said that I began to try to add my sincerity to the greetings, and found that the other party's reaction was very different, and my life slowly changed profoundly.
In today's popular parlance, the author advises us to be "mindful" in everything. Different people may do the same thing, but each person has a different degree of "heart" and different understanding, so the same thing has different meanings for them.
Therefore, we don't have to pursue to do something earth-shattering or different, but it is precisely to persevere in self-cultivation in ordinary things, temper our emotions, and improve our spiritual realm. Mr. Feng Youlan said that the life of a saint is no different from the life of ordinary people. What a saint does, that is, what ordinary people do. Carrying water and chopping wood is a wonderful way.
Let's talk about what it means to do things without being conscious. The author uses Zhuangzi's most famous fable, the Cook's Ox Solution, as an example. The work of solving the ox was very boring at first, but with the accumulation of time, his skills became more and more proficient, and gradually, he became familiar with every vein and texture on the ox, and he began to dance his knife, grasping the direction of the knife edge with ease, so as to obtain a state of freedom. In particular, the author points out that Ku Ding did not get free by throwing away his kitchen knife and dancing in the streets, nor did he get his freedom by working weekdays and partying on weekends, but that his freedom was obtained in his daily work.
The author also said that this is like practicing the piano, training hard, the goal is to be able to play with chic and free. At first, the fingers are very clumsy on the piano, and you have to consciously train your fingering and music theory, but after a long period of practice, you will find a feeling that you will become more and more coherent and comfortable, until you can play beautiful music without thinking about specific techniques and playing freely with your own emotions.
Another example is this state of not having to do things consciously. In Jin Yong's novel "Heaven and Dragon Slayer", the master Zhang Sanfeng taught his apprentice Zhang Wuji the Tai Chi swordsmanship he had realized. Zhang Sanfeng asked him to practice again, and then asked him again, how much do you remember? Zhang Wuji replied, I have forgotten most of it. The people around him sweated for him, but Zhang Sanfeng smiled and said: Do it again. When Zhang Wuji finished practicing for the third time, he suddenly realized that I had forgotten everything, Zhang Sanfeng laughed happily. Why did Master Tai be so satisfied with all of them? Because he had already internalized every move, and no longer had to limit himself to specific moves, but had reached a higher level.
These stories may seem a little far away from us, after all, not everyone has superb skills, but in many ordinary things, we have already experienced the state depicted by Zhuangzi. For example, when we first make a new friend, we consciously find some common topics to lighten the mood, and when we get along for a long time and become good friends who talk about everything, we will have a relaxed and happy conversation, and you don't have to say to yourself, "Okay, now I should be joking with him." In five minutes, I'll have to tell him a story about when I was on vacation." We just get along freely according to our own mood, and this state is actually the same as Ding Jieniu, pianist performance, and Zhang Wuji's practice.
In the beginning, we need to work hard in order to get to a state where we don't need to work hard. You need to do things consciously in order to be able to move with ease and with your heart. In order to achieve the purity of the spiritual realm, we must go through its complexity, which is the deep meaning of the "two steps" of self-cultivation. This process of self-cultivation, this step of improving the state of life, is actually the same as what we usually say, at the beginning it is "looking at the mountain is the mountain, looking at the water is the water", and later it is "looking at the mountain is not the mountain, looking at the water is not the water", and finally "looking at the mountain is still the mountain, looking at the water is still the water" This change is the same.
summary
First of all, we talked about the value of re-evaluating ancient Chinese philosophy today, and most importantly its practical and everyday nature. Because it is rooted in our daily lives, it has a powerful power to change and influence.
Second, we talked about the meaning and role of etiquette, and when used correctly, it can help us better empathize with the feelings of others and improve our relationships.
Third, we speak of "flexibility" and "knowing fate", and "vindicate these two words". Truly knowing how to be "flexible" and "knowing your fate" can make our lives open and sensitive, allowing us to make better decisions.
Finally, when we talk about "self-cultivation", the first step is to do things and train consciously, in order to reach the second step of a higher state, that is, to achieve true freedom and freedom without deliberate effort.
Written by: Wan Ru, Brain Map: Moses, Source: Get APP Listening Book Column