Reading has a feeling: what matters is why you live
▓ Lao Lu
People are afraid of death, and there is no exception in ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad. Because we know that the value of life lies in living, between life and death, usually we always choose to live, even if it is very humble, helpless, and painful.
But in the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a spirit, that is: living is not so important, what matters is how to live. What's more, they believe that people must have a criterion for living, a belief, and a bottom line that they stick to throughout. Otherwise, there is no point in living.
Confucius said: "A man with lofty ideals and benevolence has to kill himself to become benevolent, and there is no way to survive to harm benevolence." The so-called "benevolence" is a person's unswerving pursuit, and if you can't do it, it's better to die.
Turning the pages of history, for thousands of years, the stories of those people with lofty ideals who sacrificed their lives for faith, responsibility and morality still shine with brilliant brilliance.
According to the record of "Zuo Chuan: Twenty-five Years of Xianggong", the traitor Cui Shu of Qi killed the monarch, and the great historian truthfully recorded that "Cui Shu killed the monarch". Cui Shu was very angry and made him change his memory to no avail, so he killed the great historian. After the elder brother of the great historian succeeded him, he insisted on his brother's truthful record, and Cui Zhu killed him again. The younger brother who was replaced was killed for the same reason. He was succeeded by the youngest brother of the Grand Historian, who still recorded as faithfully as his older brothers. Cui Shu couldn't kill it anymore, so he had to accept it helplessly.
Stick to the bottom line, and the soldier can be killed but not humiliated. It seems that Qi Dashi adhered to the principle of the bottom line and did not hesitate to kill people with lofty ideals, which can be listed a lot in the Spring and Autumn Period.
Confucius's student Zilu was a retainer of Kong Kui, the prince of the Wei Kingdom. There was turmoil in Weiguo, the rebellious minister Kuai Shen kidnapped the son Kong Kui, Zilu learned that he wanted to seek justice for the master's family, and his friends persuaded Zilu not to take risks, and it was important to escape, but Zilu thought that how could he be so treacherous? So he did not listen to the dissuasion to return to Weiguo, and directly challenged Kuai Yu, and was killed.
Knowing you can't. Zilu's behavior is not his ignorance, but out of the code of conduct he adheres to.
The Peking Opera "Zhao's Orphan" tells the story of the Spring and Autumn Period, when Gongsun Pestle and Cheng Ying protected Zhao Shuo's widow. The ministers of the Jin State slaughtered Anjia and killed the entire Zhao family, and searched for Zhao Shuo's only surviving widow in the city. In order to keep the only remaining blood and blood of the Zhao family, Zhao Shuo's retainer Gongsun asked Cheng Ying: Which is easier to raise the Zhao orphans to grow up or to die? So, Gongsun Pestle said, then let me do the easy things, and leave the difficult things to you.
In order to cover Cheng Ying to raise the Zhao orphans, Gongsun Pestle found an abandoned baby among the people, and deliberately asked Cheng Ying to "inform" Tu Anjia, and asked the soldiers to arrest Gongsun Pestle and the fake Zhao orphans. As a result, Gongsun Pestle and the fake Zhao orphan were both killed by Tu Anjia. Later, the rescued Zhao orphan, Zhao Wu, grew up and took charge of state power. Cheng Ying saw that he had finished his mission, so he went to Zhao Wu and said: At the beginning, Gongsun believed that I could raise you, so he chose to die. Now that you have grown up, I have to go and tell Gongsun Pestle, or he will think that I have not done what I have been told. So, Cheng Ying ignored Zhao Wu's pleading and committed suicide.
In the Spring and Autumn Period, for people with lofty ideals, it was certainly a tragic character, and it was the final choice to stick to or go against their beliefs, principles and bottom line. This is, of course, a tragic, helpless, and noble choice.
The martial arts master of the Jin Kingdom was ordered by the Jin Linggong to kill Shiqing Zhao Dun. One morning, when he sneaked into the courtyard of Zhao Dun's house, Zhao Dun was already sitting in the hall in court clothes, waiting for dawn to go to the court. He felt that it was unkind and unjust to kill such a person, but if he didn't kill him, he would be disloyal to Jin Linggong. In the end, he chose to die under a locust tree in the courtyard.
You must neither do unkindness nor unrighteousness, nor be unfaithful or unfaithful. This is the basic principle of the ancient people with lofty ideals. In order to uphold this principle, even if it is to give up one's life.
Li Ji is the favorite concubine of Jin Xiangong. In order to make his own son the crown prince, he did not hesitate to harm the prince Shensheng, and designed to sacrifice the poisonous horse meat to Jin Xiangong to eat, which made Xiangong misunderstand the prince Shensheng. So, the people around Shen Sheng persuaded him to either go to Jin Xiangong to expose Li Ji's conspiracy, or simply leave the country and come to a long time. But what Shen Sheng thought was that if he exposed Li Ji, he would inevitably break his father's heart. My father is old now, and I can't bear to hurt him. If I am charged with murder of my father and king, then I am afraid that no country will tolerate me?
Prince Shensheng can obviously give up for his own justification, and would rather sacrifice himself than make his father sad, which is not a kind of persistent adherence to the belief in righteousness and benevolence.
It's not important to live, it's important to live why! Do it when you know you can't do it, even if you die.
Wei Xuangong is a mediocre king. But his two sons, Gongzi Jian and Gongzi Shou, between life and death, deduced the deep brotherhood and great love in the world. Gongzishou's mother, Xuan Jiang, was deeply favored by Wei Xuangong. In order to make her son Gongzi Shou the crown prince, Xuan Jiang tried every means to kill Wei Xuangong's eldest son, Gongzi Anxious, she asked Wei Xuangong to send Gongzi Anxious to envoy Qi State, and then sent a killer to kill Gongzi Anxious on the way.
Xuan Jiang's conspiracy was known to her own son, Gongzi Shou. Gongzishou couldn't bear to see his brother killed, so he told his brother Gongzi's conspiracy about Xuanjiang's conspiracy and told him not to go to Qi. But Gongzi anxiously believes that it is the responsibility of the state to send an envoy to the country of Qi, and it is also to fulfill his father's entrustment, if he does not go, he will be disloyal to the country, and his father will not believe it. So, still insisted on going.
In order to save his brother, Gongzishou decided to die in place of his brother. He deliberately drunk his brother at the dinner where he saw off his brother to Qi, and then set off in his brother's carriage under his brother's banner, but on the way, he was killed by an ambush set by Xuan Jiang. After waking up in a hurry, Childe found that his younger brother was gone, and when he inquired, he learned that his younger brother was impostor and went to the disaster. Childe was anxious to let his younger brother die for him, so he hurried to chase after his younger brother, but it was too late, and his younger brother had already been killed. In anger, Gongzi hurriedly said to the gangsters, "You have killed a noble person, what is the point of my life?" So he rushed into the gangsters, fought hard, and was also killed by the gangsters. The two brothers died generously, one did not want to violate his mission and duty, and the other could not bear the victimization of his brother and sacrificed his life to save him. This historical record is teary-eyed and cannot be read suddenly.
Chinese advocate loyalty, integrity, kindness and trustworthiness. For the choices between life and death of the characters in these stories, we cannot simply consider whether they are worthless and meaningless, but should analyze them from the life sentiment and life structure they choose. There are many things more important to them than being alive. Because in their hearts, there is a higher value belief and they are always ready to give their lives to practice their beliefs and principles.
Of course, in the course of the Chinese revolution, there are also many revolutionary aspirants who have no complaints or regrets for their ideals and beliefs and the principle of the bottom line. It is undeniable that today, when we deal with some conflicts and problems with our own values in work or life, we usually choose to avoid, compromise or even seek perfection to comfort and balance our lost mentality, so as to be freed. Of course, this is also a last resort, but compared with the people with lofty ideals in history, we will be ashamed.
Whether it is a sage or a person with lofty ideals, the courage of ancient and modern China and foreign countries who regard death as their home for their mission and duty and the feat of shaking the mountains and rivers will forever live on in history, and will remind us all the time how to behave and do things, and how to stick to our beliefs, standards and bottom line.
