I've heard a story like this:
Two believers went to listen to the Dharma because the road was far away and it was the dry season, and they were thirsty.
When they were in danger, they saw that there was water standing on the side of the road, but there were so many insects that the Buddha's vows were not to be drunk.
One person said, "Drink it, save my life, and then see the Buddha and hear the Dharma." ”
Another person said, "What good is it to break the Buddha's vows and see the Buddha." And he died of thirst.
Later, when the drinker saw the Buddha, the Buddha said to him, "If you don't take my precepts, even if you see me and hear the Dharma, what good is it?"
In this life, if you want to achieve great things, you must learn to abide by the precepts and be strict with yourself.
Just like Zeng Guofan, a famous minister in the late Qing Dynasty, from a cloth cloth to becoming the "first perfect person in the ages", the great wisdom he adhered to was both rigid and soft, and the great wisdom of both square and round, which was respected by later celebrities.
His exhortations continue to inspire and educate us to this day.
01
- The benefits can be shared but not alone, and the few can be few
Zeng Guofan said in the "Quotations on Governing the Army": "Profit can be shared but not alone, and if you are alone, you will lose; ”
The meaning of this sentence is that a person who only cares about exclusive interests is destined to attract resentment and cannot achieve great things;
On the contrary, planning only needs to be discussed with a few professional people, and a large number of people will be prone to trouble.
I deeply believe that in life, many of us have suffered in both aspects.
Some people do not know how to share benefits with others and end up isolated, while some people do not have their own ideas and end up drifting with the crowd and achieving nothing.
When Zeng Guofan was young, he thought that as long as he had morality, he could inspire others, but as a result, those who had defected to him at the beginning turned to others.
When Zeng Guofan was confused, his staff member Zhao Liewen told him: "Those who gather the private interests of all people can become the public of one person." ”
Zeng Guofan suddenly realized that he was very generous to his subordinates from then on.
In the army, he rewarded meritorious deeds, promoted officials to knighthood, and often gave his combat exploits to soldiers.
Since then, every time the Hunan army recruits troops, it is overcrowded, and many high-ranking generals have joined Zeng Guofan's army.
In reality, people cooperate with each other, interests are the foundation, but also the driving force, only by treating money and atmosphere, in order to accumulate popularity.
Even though morality can influence people, it cannot keep people. Only when a person knows how to make profits can he get more contacts and resources.
On the contrary, a person can only control the initiative to do things if he knows how to plan and not speak out.
According to the record in the "Warring States Policy", when Shang Ying persuaded Qin Xiaogong to change the law, Qin Xiaogong wanted to convene the ministers to discuss the matter.
But Shang Ying persuaded him: "Those who have achieved great success do not seek the public." Later, the Shang Dynasty reform was successfully carried out in the Qin State.
In life, if a person wants to plan important things, he only needs to discuss them with a few people who have real insight.
Differing opinions may not necessarily provide a good plan, but may shake your will and undermine your faith.
As said in "Huainanzi Human Training": "Today, 10,000 people can not compare the law of adjusting the clock, and those who know it sincerely are only one person." ”
In many cases, the quantity involved in decision-making does not equal the quality, and if there is too much quantity, it is inevitable that secrets will be leaked and others will get ahead of the curve.
Only by keeping a low profile will there be fewer obstacles and obstacles, and the chances of success will be greater.
Therefore, sharing benefits and seeking not to speak to the public is a great wisdom for people to live in the world.
Throughout the ages, all those who have become big have known how to use money as a tool, giving up small profits and making big profits, so as to achieve success.
In the same way, all those who achieve great things are good at hiding their wisdom, seeking not to speak to the public, having the courage to make independent decisions, and ultimately achieving a career.
02
- Don't do things that are long-lasting, and don't go to the place of contention
Zeng Guofan said in "Six Commandments": "Don't do things that are long-lasting, and don't go to the place where everyone is fighting." ”
Meaning, don't get involved in things that pursue long-term interests, and don't go to places where there is a lot of fighting.
Throughout the ages, how many people have lost all the games in order to compete for interests, and too many people have lost their lives because they are involved in the land of right and wrong.
As the saying goes, there is a knife next to the sharp word.
On the road of life, let go of the heart of striving for profit, and do not fight with others, in order to move forward better.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, at the beginning of the reign of Duke Huan of Qi, the state of Qi declined, the two countries of Lu and Liang were strong, and the situation of the state of Qi was very dangerous.
In order to reverse the situation, Prime Minister Guan Zhong proposed to Qi Huan Gong and ordered all the people to wear clothes that Lu and Liang were better at weaving silk fabric.
As soon as this plan was implemented, Qi bought this cloth from Lu and Liang at a high price.
Seeing that it was profitable, the people of Lu and Liang abandoned agriculture, and everyone was busy weaving a large number of silk and indulging in the joy of profiteering.
At the same time, on the one hand, Qi continued to buy silk materials, and on the other hand, vigorously developed its own agriculture and hoarded grain.
At a certain time, the state of Qi suddenly ordered all its citizens to wear only silk clothes and no longer wear silk clothes, and announced that the state of Qi would be closed and no longer trade with Lu and Liang.
Ten months later, the supply of grain in Lu and Liang exceeded demand, so they had to buy grain from Qi at a high price. Three years later, the state coffers of Lu and Liang were empty and they had to submit to Qi.
There is a saying, "Worship profit as a god, and he will bring evil to you like the devil." ”
Lu and Liang only saw the benefits of the benefits, so they went to fight, but they were led by the nose by the Qi state, and finally became their vassal states.
Blindly pursuing interests often leads to long-term losses, and at the same time, over-devoting oneself to the struggle will greatly consume one's energy and resources, and even bring about negative effects.
Zeng Guofan was famous all over the world for founding the Hunan Army and pacifying the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, but this also aroused suspicion and precautions among the Manchu elites.
Zeng Guofan has been in officialdom for a long time, deeply understands the complexity of the court and society, and also sees through the cruelty of the power struggle in officialdom.
Therefore, after his success, he took the initiative to withdraw the Hunan army and retreated bravely, so as to stay away from the land of right and wrong and keep the peace of the entire family.
Since ancient times, the place of contention has often been a dangerous place, and the greater the interests involved, the more battles there are, and the more dangerous the minefields.
If you want to have long-term happiness and peace, you must avoid competing for fame and fortune, and learn to give up and give in on your own initiative.
As the old saying goes, "The heart of profit and harm is born, but the heart of right and wrong is dim." ”
Truly intelligent people, no matter how great the temptation of profit is and how much value the place they are fighting for, will not take it in their eyes and keep it in their hearts.
Because they understand that only by not being burdened by worldly interests can they keep their hearts pure, and that they can enjoy natural peace only by being free from the troubles of right and wrong.
In many cases, instead of being obsessed with chasing fame and fortune, it is better to put aside distracting thoughts and let the soul be cleansed and sublimated.
When you learn to stay away from the strife between right and wrong, your mind will naturally be clearer and your life will be lighter.
03
- It is said that the shortcomings of others are the shortcomings of protecting themselves, and the longs of praising others are the strengths of jealousy
I once saw a question on the Internet: "Why are there so many dissatisfactions in life?"
A high praise replied, "Because there are too many people who don't know how to introspect." ”
Zeng Guofan once said in the "Six Precepts": "The shortcomings of people are the shortcomings of protecting themselves, and the advantages of praising others are the strengths of jealousy." ”
It means talking about the shortcomings of others in order to hide their own shortcomings, boasting about their strengths and being jealous of others' strengths.
In life, if you like to talk about other people's shortcomings and boast about your strengths, it is not only a sign of not knowing how to introspect, but also brings disaster to yourself.
Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, once chatted about the talents of the generals when he was drinking with Han Xin.
Liu Bang asked Han Xin: "Like myself, how many soldiers can I bring?"
Han Shin replied, "The more the merrier." ”
This sentence gave Liu Bang a lot of inspiration, and he realized that as long as he could take charge of more soldiers, it was possible to become a real powerhouse.
So Liu Bang continued to ask Han Xin, wanting to know how many soldiers he could bring, and he hoped to be comparable to Han Xin and show his ability.
Han Xin replied, "You can only bring a maximum of 100,000 soldiers. ”
This answer made Liu Bang feel lost in his heart, so he continued to ask Han Xin: "What about you?"
Han Xin replied proudly, "Like me, the more the better." ”
Although Han Xin later realized that his words were wrong, he hurriedly added: "The king is not good at using soldiers, but good at using generals. ”
But the seeds of jealousy have been planted in Liu Bang's heart, and he is full of insecurity and strongly feels that his position of power is threatened.
He was afraid that Han Shin's future ability and prestige would exceed his expectations, so he chose to take measures to restrict Han Shin's development.
And Han Xin was finally put to death by Liu Bang because he didn't know how to restrain his edge, and his arrogance led to his death.
The famous Runny's Law warns us: "To be a human being, we must maintain a normal heart, not arrogant, not arrogant, in order to accumulate the fruits of luck for a long life in the future." ”
When people reach a certain age, they will find that the so-called glory and success do not necessarily bring good luck to themselves.
If you blindly indulge in it, it may add obstacles to your growth path and bring unpredictable hidden dangers.
Only by knowing how to introspect and constantly improve oneself can we make all-round progress and become a better version of ourselves.
In the second half of life, learn to look at yourself soberly and be friendly to others, so that the road of life can go more and more smoothly.
04
There is a saying in the Huayan Sutra: "Only by keeping the precepts and walking can you always be done." ”
Only by knowing how to stick to the precepts can we do everything in moderation and be happy in what we get.
Keeping the precepts is a kind of self-discipline and a kind of wisdom.
Learn to share interests and seek not to speak to the public, in order to achieve a career;
Only by knowing how to stay away from interests and disputes can we keep ourselves safe forever;
Only by looking at yourself correctly and being friendly with others can you live a sober and comfortable life.