Difficulties are the background color of life.
Author: Insight CC
I saw a word called "trough philosophy".
It refers to the fact that everyone will experience many dark moments in their lives, but there are always some people who, in the trough, live out their own philosophy.
For example, we are familiar with the eight masters of the Tang and Song dynasties:
Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan, Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi and others, they have experienced several times more hardships in their lives than ordinary people.
But in the end, without exception, they all survived all the hardships in their lives and became superstars in the literary world.
Behind this, what led them out of those long dark years was their respective low philosophy.
If at this moment, you are at a low point in your life and feel lost, anxious, and doubtful about life.
You might as well walk with me into the CCTV documentary "The Eight Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties" to understand the experiences of these people in the literary world.
Their life stories may give you more wisdom in dealing with the world, and then guide you out of the current predicament.
1
Han Yu: Frustrated for half a life, but not sinking
Han Yu is recognized as the head of the eight masters of the Tang and Song dynasties.
In the documentary, he once commented on him: The decline of the eight generations of Wenqi, the drowning of the world, and the courage to win the commander of the three armies.
However, he is such a great man, but his life is full of twists and turns.
Han Yu was born in a family of eunuchs, his parents and brothers died when he was young, and he was able to grow up by relying on the hard work of his sister-in-law.
The hardships of his childhood have given him a mature mind since he was a child, and he has been studying hard, eager to change his fate one day.
In 786, at the age of nineteen, he went to Chang'an alone and began his ten-year career of hard work.
In the past ten years, he has repeatedly failed to make the list, and he has no way to seek refuge, and he has nothing to rely on in life, and he has lived a very difficult life.
In desperation, Han Yu left Chang'an and went to work as a staff member.
Although he did not have to worry about food and clothing while working in the local area, the ideals and ambitions in his chest were difficult to display, and Han Yu was unwilling.
Five years later, he returned to Chang'an again.
This time, it can be regarded as the emperor's hard work, and he finally got an official position to supervise the imperial history.
In the same year, there was a severe drought in Guanzhong, and the victims were everywhere, but Jing Zhaoyin, who was in charge of the administration of the capital, blocked the news and lied that there was nothing wrong in Guanzhong.
Han Yu was heartbroken when he found out, and immediately went to the court to impeach Jing Zhaoyin, but he was slandered and demoted to Yangshan County Order.
On the way to be demoted, he received the news of the death of his best friend Tjuro.
But under this double blow, Han Yu did not sink too much, but after arriving at the degraded land, he turned his grief into compassion and did his best for the well-being of the people.
He practiced benevolent government, attached importance to farming, revitalized literature and education, and enlightened the people's wisdom, and in less than a year, he managed it in an orderly manner.
Throughout Han Yu's life, he has experienced countless difficulties in life.
But no matter what situation he finds himself in, he can always be unafraid and discouraged, and with his outstanding wisdom, he will resolve them one by one, and finally become the leader of the literary world.
I am reminded of Gibran's words: one cannot reach the dawn except by the road through the night.
All the hardships on the road of life are an indispensable part of growing up.
As long as you don't sink in these pains, but trample them under your feet and try to fight the wind and rain.
Then, you and I can also refine every failure and every misfortune into our own path of advancement.
2
Liu Zongyuan: I'd rather be lonely than go against my heart
Ouyang Xiu once sighed: Heaven is born with a thick son, and it is difficult to give it alone.
Since God let Zihou (Liu Zongyuan) come to this world, why did he let him live so hard!
Liu Zongyuan's life is a difficult word with capital letters and bold.
He was born in the Liu clan in Hedong, a famous family that has been inherited for hundreds of years, but by the time of Liu Zongyuan's generation, the family fortune had already gradually declined.
In order to revitalize the family, he worked hard day and night, and finally passed the Jinshi examination at the age of 21.
After entering the officialdom, he participated in the "Yongzhen Reform" with the aim of fighting corruption and mediocrity.
He thought that the future was promising, but he did not expect that Tang Shunzong, who supported the reform, was forced to abdicate, and the reformist faction to which Liu Zongyuan belonged was defeated in the power struggle.
Liu Zongyuan was unwilling to bow his head to the officialdom and compromise, and was demoted to Yongzhou soon after, and he never returned to the dynasty for the rest of his life.
In the years when he devoted himself to Yongzhou, Liu Zongyuan's parents and wife passed away one after another, and the loneliness in his heart can be imagined.
In such a state of mind, he wrote the loneliest poem in history: "Jiang Xue".
Thousands of mountains and birds fly away, and thousands of people disappear.
Lonely boat. Fishing alone in the cold river and snow.
In that white world, Liu Zongyuan was like an old man on a lonely boat, alone and fishing alone.
But if he collapses in loneliness since then, then he will not be able to become the "Liuliuzhou" admired by the world.
He is strange that after confronting loneliness, he can bring his own pride and actively enter the world for the benefit of the world.
Four years before his death, he was relegated to Liuzhou. In this place, he saw too much suffering in the people's livelihood.
Therefore, he personally organized people to rebuild the Confucian Temple, build a school, break superstition, free slaves and maids, and did a lot of good deeds.
It is these deeds that have made him remembered by the people of Liuzhou for thousands of years. To this day, in the Liuhou Temple in Liuzhou, his statue is still enshrined for future generations to admire.
In "Caigen Tan", it is said: Snobbery, those who are not close are clean, and those who are close and not stained are especially clean.
In the dirty world, it is the most difficult for those who dare to insist on themselves and stick to their original intentions.
But when you are born in the world, you should be like a cold plum, with your own integrity and perseverance.
Even if no one appreciates it, even if it is devastated by wind and snow, it must bloom its own flowers and leave a fragrance in the world that will never fade.
3
Ouyang Xiu: Regardless of obedience or disobedience, take it calmly
Ouyang Xiu was introduced in the documentary:
He's a lovely old man.
He likes to drink, but rarely gets drunk.
He also likes flowers very much, and advises everyone not to smile with white hair and flowers. , he is a drunkard in the mountains and rivers, a flower guest in Luoyang City, he is a loving person, and he is an interesting soul.
In his life, he has also experienced several twists and turns, and the interesting thing is that every time Ouyang Xiu is demoted, he can always make higher achievements than before.
His state of mind not only became more and more detached after being repeatedly degraded, but his literary achievements also became higher and higher, and he also became a generation of literary sects.
In 1045 AD, Ouyang Xiu experienced the first debasement in his life.
At that time, he and Fan Zhongyan presided over the "Qingli New Deal", which aimed to reform the rule of officials, but they were unexpectedly strongly resisted by the old school.
Soon after, the "Qingli New Deal" ended in failure, all the participants were demoted, and Ouyang Xiu was also demoted to Chuzhou.
When he first came to Chuzhou, Ouyang Xiu did have an unsatisfactory time.
Because he regretted that his and Fan Zhongyan's hard work was in vain, he locked himself in his room all day long, secretly sad.
Until one day, he and his mother visited the Wangtai Ancestral Hall.
Seeing that its inscription records that Wang Taishou has been degraded many times in his life, but he has always been indomitable and promotes his deeds of benevolence and righteousness.
Ouyang Xiucai suddenly woke up.
From then on, he no longer felt sorry for himself, but began to implement his own tolerant political ideas in Chuzhou.
He traveled with the people, rejoiced with the people, and governed this place so that the people were honest and the people were happy. Also here, the "Drunkard Pavilion" that has been passed down through the ages was written.
Later, Ouyang Xiu experienced several promotions and was demoted several times, but no matter what the situation was, his state of mind was always the same:
Don't be happy to advance, don't be afraid to retreat.
In the ups and downs of the Huan Sea, he lived out of the standard, lived elegantly, and lived happily.
I remember someone once asked me: what is the ideal state of life?
I think Ouyang Xiu's life is the best answer.
When you are frustrated, you will not sink, and when you are proud, you will not be arrogant.
At any stage of life, I like that time and complete the duties that should be completed at that stage.
In this way, you and I can be like Ouyang Xiu, go with the flow, be at peace with what happens, and live the fulfilling life you want.
4
Su Shi: Everything in the world is nothing more than that
Among the many literati, Su Shi is the most loved one in the world.
Yu Guangzhong said: If I go on a trip, I will definitely find Su Shi, because he is a very interesting person.
Lin Yutang said: Su Shi is a hopeless optimist, a great humanitarian, and a friend of the people......
Qian Mu said: He is a rare perfect person through the ages.
In Chinese history, he is an indispensable and rare figure.
However, behind his praise and halo, there is a bumpy fate.
It is said in the documentary that Su Shi was young and ambitious, and his debut was at the peak, and he was quite favored by the emperor.
But such a smooth start in his life took a sharp turn in middle age.
He has been an official for more than 40 years, and most of the time, he has been on the way to being demoted, and even almost died on the way to being demoted several times.
But Su Shi never complained, but refined the suffering into the calmness of "and try the new fire and new tea, and take advantage of the years of poetry and wine", and turned the setback into the chic and expansive of "life is like a reverse journey, and I am also a pedestrian".
He spent his life making the life of sorrow blossom in the mortal dust.
There is a scene in the documentary that touched me deeply:
When Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou, he and his friend Yang Shichang traveled on the red cliff together, and in the face of the vast river view, Yang Shichang frowned.
Su Shi was puzzled and asked why.
Yang Shichang said that everything we have gained will eventually be lost, and even life will return to nothingness, and I don't know what it means to live.
And Su Shi, who was originally frustrated, did not follow with him to be pessimistic and self-suffering, but in turn persuaded Yang Shichang:
If you look at it from the one who changes, then the heaven and the earth cannot be seen for a moment, and from the one who does not change, then the things and me are endless, and how can you envy it!
In Su Shi's view, everything in the world is changing rapidly, and blindly entangled in these impermanent things is just self-suffering.
Since you and I are alive, we should focus on the beauty of the present. Live well in the present, and live up to this life.
As the saying goes: Everyone is happy in good times, but gentlemen are happy in adversity.
Su Shi's greatest charm is that he will never be swallowed up by the environment in his heart, but go beyond the environment and illuminate the road of life with the light of his heart.
In our lives, we will also encounter many hardships and many times of sorrow.
Instead of being depressed and hurting your body in vain, it is better to pack your bags and stride forward to enjoy the scenery of every station in life.
Why is life unhappy, just because I don't understand Su Dongpo.
Next, let's open the documentary and walk into Su Shi's world together.
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"The Eight Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties" begins with the following words:
Thousands of years ago, they used a huge pen like rafters to explain the way and help the people of the world with a vast mind.
A thousand years later, we re-enter their world with respect and contemplation.
Read their lives, and you'll find:
Fate never favors anyone. Everyone's life has its own hardships that must be endured and suffering.
And those who are powerful are strong, and in the face of sudden blows, they can always do not worry about adversity and do not give up in desperate situations.
The trough is the normal state of life, and the predicament is the background color of life.
When the road ahead is difficult, we are reluctant to hope and stride forward, and when we fall into the abyss, we can still give ourselves upward spiritual strength.
Then, everyone who has fallen into the trough will be like these great figures, stepping on all the thorns, going through all the difficulties, and living another kind of free and easy life in the bumpy world.
Give it a thumbs up and encourage your friends.