Confucius said: "A gentleman has nine thoughts: seeing and thinking, listening to and thinking, being thoughtful, being thoughtful, looking and thinking, being loyal to words, thinking about respect, doubting and asking, thinking about difficulties, and seeing righteousness." ”
The Master said, "Whoever aspires to be a gentleman should think carefully about these nine things. When you look at it, you should consider whether you can see it clearly, when you listen to it, you should consider whether it is gentle, whether you are respectful when you are treating people, whether you are loyal when you speak, whether you are serious and cautious in doing things, if you have any problems, you should consider whether you should ask others for advice, when you are angry, you should consider whether there is any trouble, and when you are angry, you should consider whether it is morally appropriate to obtain financial benefits. ”
The "have" in "a gentleman has nine thoughts" can be understood as the meaning of possession and holding, that is, if a person wants to become a gentleman, he needs to hold the following nine aspects of cultivation.
"Si" is a meaning word, from the font point of view, it is a "heart" word plus a "field" word, from the literal meaning, it means to remember the grain harvest and consider the problem of eating. The original meaning is to think about eating. From this leads to deep thoughts, considerations, nostalgia, sadness, thoughts, and creative ideas. The explanation given in the "Shuowen" is: "Think, Rong also." ”
There are 12 sentences in the Analects that contain the word "think". The "Si" in "Si Wu Xie" is a verbal particle, and the "Si" in "the original Si is the name of the original constitution", except for these two articles, the rest of the "Si" are all expressions of the relationship between "Si" and being a person and doing things.
Confucius put forward the "nine thoughts" here, that is, if a person wants to become a gentleman, that is, the way of cultivation of a gentleman, he must compare himself from nine aspects.
"Nine Thoughts of a Gentleman" includes both behavior and mental activities, which can be said to be a combination of internal and external. It should be noted here that some people may do a good job in one or even five, and then they can do the other aspects, which is almost to the realm of a gentleman.
The original meaning of "brightness" in "sight and thought" is bright, clear and bright, as opposed to "dim". "Ming" here means to discern right from wrong.
"Seeing and thinking" means that when we look at things, we should see the truth of things clearly, and not be deceived by the appearance or even illusion of things. This is about the same as the "Do not look at incivility, do not listen, do not speak, and do not move" in the Analects of Yan Yuan, which says, "What is not in line with propriety, what do we see? Confucianism advocates naturally things that conform to propriety. We must see clearly, distinguish between truth and falsehood, distinguish right from wrong, and not be confused.
It is often said that "the eyes are the windows of the soul", but often people just can't see right from wrong. At the simplest level, if you see a man in a suit and leather shoes and driving a luxury car, is he a millionaire? As everyone knows, he is someone else's driver! Therefore, people's first impression is not real. Why is there such a discrepancy? It's because your preconceived notions are at play. If you understand the person and then make a decision, then you will gradually get closer to the essence of the problem.
Whether it is a matter of matter or a person, if you can see clearly and think clearly, this can probably be regarded as "clear".
The original meaning of "Cong" in "Listening to Sicong" is good hearing. The explanation given in the "Shuowen" is: "Cong, Chaye." "Cong" has the meaning of discernment, which means that by listening to a sound with your ears, you can use your heart to distinguish whether it is true or false.
"Lü's Spring and Autumn Period" records that Boya is good at drumming and piano, and Zhong Ziqi is good at listening. Boya drum and qin, aiming at the high mountains, Zhong Zi said: "Good, E'e Xi like Mount Tai!" Aiming at flowing water, Zhong Zi said: "Good, Yang Xi like a river!" Boya reads, Zhong Zi will get it. When the child died, Boya said that there was no more sound in the world, but the piano was broken, and the drum was never restored for life. When you hear Boya playing the piano, you can hear that you are aiming at the mountains or flowing water, and a person can "know the sound" and understand the meaning that a person wants to express, which is not simple.
"Listen to the sound of words, listen to the sound of gongs and drums" is an old saying that is a household name in China. In fact, the so-called "obedient and listening" means to look beyond the surface of the words to inquire the true intention of the speaker. Is the speaker deliberately misleading us? We all need to listen to these things clearly in order to make a decision.
In today's society, there are many people, everyone's standards are different, the way of thinking is different, and the same thing is very different from different people, which requires us to "do not listen to indecent people", and strive to listen to both the clear, and the partial listening is dark.
For "Ming", "Analects of Yan Yuan" records: "The infiltration of the confession, the skin is receiving, and it is not good, it can be said that the Ming is also gone." "Slander that is secretly provoked like moisturizing things, and direct slander like the pain of the skin, will not work with you, you can be regarded as 'Ming' From this point of view, "Ming" and "Cong" are both reminding us that whether we see or hear, we must see the essence through the phenomenon and distinguish between right and wrong, so as to achieve the purpose of "Ming" and "Cong".
The original meaning of the "color" of "Sesiwen" is complexion.
The original meaning of the "appearance" of "Maung Sigong" is the appearance and appearance of the animal. The extended meaning is the appearance and appearance of all tangible things. "Appearance" is the attitude towards people and things reflected on the face.
There is a word called immobility, and inner activity is not expressed in tone and demeanor. The attitude is calm, when it is not moving, it is "color", and when it moves, it is called "appearance". Confucianism's stillness and movement include all aspects of dealing with people.
The "warmth" of "Sesiwen" is mild. When a person is with a true Confucian sage, he feels like a spring breeze, like sitting in the spring breeze.
Confucius said: If a person wants to be a gentleman, when you serve others, you should think about whether your face is gentle. In the Book of Songs, there is a saying that "a gentleman of words and thoughts is as warm as jade". In the words of the Northern Song Dynasty writer Fan Zhongyan, it is "not to be happy with things, not to be sad with oneself", and to do things impartially, which is the Confucian golden mean. Cultivation is a very wonderful word, life in the world, in essence, is a process of cultivation, without practice, people can not become a gentleman as gentle as jade.
"Gong" is respectful, the attitude towards people, you have to think about whether the attitude towards people is respectful. Confucianism emphasizes "putting oneself and others first", and a person who wants to be a gentleman must know how to respect and be humble, and treat others with sincerity, no matter whether they are high or low; only when you respect others can you gain the respect of others.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Bei heard Xu Shu say that Zhuge Liang was very knowledgeable, so he and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei went to Longzhong with gifts to ask Zhuge Liang to come out to help him do things, but he didn't see Zhuge Liang for the first time; the second time, Liu Bei and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei braved the snowstorm to invite, but Zhuge Liang wandered away; when he visited Zhuge Liang for the third time, Zhuge Liang was sleeping, Liu Bei didn't dare to alarm him, and stood until Zhuge Liang woke up himself, and then sat down and talked with each other. Liu Bei is so respectful, so that Zhuge Liang will later be rewarded with "doing his best and dying".
Those who are empty-eyed and always on top, who do not know how to be humble and respectful, will naturally not be recognized by everyone.
The face does not move, what kind of appearance it shows, these are all things that the heart is at play. The so-called "sincerity in the middle and form in the outside", the inner changes will definitely be manifested externally. "Se Siwen, Maung Si Gong" means that if you are respectful in your heart, you will have a good attitude, naturally show a gentle state, and you can show a dignified demeanor outside. This is not only to show one's own self-cultivation, but also to shorten the distance with the other party, and then win the trust of the other party, how good it is.
Let's move on to the phrase "Words are loyal, things are respectful".
The original meaning of "loyalty" is loyalty, selflessness, and dedication. The explanation given by Zhu Xi, a great Confucian in the Southern Song Dynasty, is very good: "Do what you can." "Loyalty" means that you can do your best to do what you should do well.
"Words and thoughts are loyal", here is to say that a person speaks faithfully, do not deceive himself. "Loyalty" is the first thing to do is to be "loyal" to oneself, speak without violating conscience and morality, and then actively practice one's own words, and cannot fail one's own words. In reality, some people disobey the yang and the yin, and their hearts and mouths are different, which makes people feel disgusted.
The original meaning of "respect" in "things are respectful" is respectful and dignified. Respect the outside, respect the heart. "Respect" means to be respectful at all times and have a certain binding force on one's own actions. As the saying goes: "Three hundred and sixty lines, the line is the champion." "If you choose to do something, you must respect your choice, do it responsibly and conscientiously, and you will be able to achieve a certain degree of success; Peng Duanshu, a writer of the Qing Dynasty, said in "For Learning": "If there are difficulties in the world, it will be easy for those who are difficult to do, and if they are not for it, it will be difficult for those who are easy." It is easy for people to learn, and it is easy for those who do not learn, and it is difficult for those who do not learn. (Is there a difference between difficult and easy things in the world?) If you don't do it, it becomes difficult even if it's so easy. Is there a difference between difficult and easy things for people to learn? If you learn, it will be easy, and if you don't learn, it will be easy and difficult. This story tells us that success can only be achieved if we set a goal and work hard to achieve it.
For "words" to "think of loyalty", for "things" to "think of respect". "Loyalty" and "respect" are the results of inner action. Confucius taught us here that we should pay attention to our own words, and actively fulfill what we say, and that we should cultivate a professional spirit, so that there is no difference between high and low in doing things or work, only the division of labor. Therefore, no matter what work you do, you can't be sloppy or casual. Especially the tasks assigned by the leaders and superiors, we must complete them conscientiously, do everything casually, hang the children, and after getting used to it, we will ruin our lives.
The original meaning of "doubt" in "doubt" is to bewilder, doubt, and by extension, doubt, doubt, hesitation, estimation, fear, etc. The explanation given in the "Sayings" is: "Doubt, confusion." ”
"Doubt" is the state of confusion, confusion, and incomprehension that people show in the face of ignorance.
The original meaning of "ask" is to ask someone to answer something that you don't know or don't understand. The explanation given in the "Shuowen" is: "Xun also." ”
"The Mean" records: "Erudite, interrogating, prudent, discerning, and dedicated." The gist of this passage is to study extensively, to inquire in detail, to think carefully, to discern clearly, and to practice it in earnest. The "interrogation" in "interrogation" refers to being detailed and careful. The meaning of the phrase "doubtful inquiry" is to inquire in detail about knowledge, to understand it thoroughly, and never to stop until it is understood.
"Doubt" and "questioning" means that people have "doubts" and want to solve the difficult problems of doubt, and then produce a desire to seek knowledge and seek solutions, and "asking" is the best choice for solving "doubts." If you don't understand, you can ask questions! Of course, just ask someone and you'll waste their time, and you may not get the answer you want.
Confucius was a master of "asking". "The Analects of the Eight Hundred Chapters" records that when the son enters the Taimiao, he asks about everything. Or said: "Who means that the son of a man knows etiquette? When Zi heard it, he said, "It's a courtesy." "Confucius once entered the Taimiao, and he had to ask about everything. Someone said, "Who said that this son of Dr. Yanyi knows how to be polite? When he arrived at the Taimiao, he had to ask others for advice on everything." When Confucius heard about this, he said, "I am doing this because it is a courtesy." The reason why Confucius became the master of learning at that time was that the source of living water was to have the spirit of "asking everything". It is with this spirit that he said when he was teaching Zilu: "From, teach the girl to know what to know, to know what to know, not to know is not to know, is to know." Confucius said, "Zhongyou, do you really understand what I have taught you?" What you know is what you know, and what you don't know is what you don't know, and that's the real knowledge.
In life, we must be good at finding problems, thinking about problems seriously, when encountering difficult problems, it is really "not angry" and "not angry", do not slap the swollen face and become fat, to humbly seek advice, to be ashamed to ask, in this way, in order to continuously improve their ability to solve problems.
The original meaning of "angry" is to have a scattered mind. The state of "anger" lasts for a certain period of time, and then it rises to anger. The explanation given in the "Shuowen" is: "Angry, angry." ”
The word "wrath" appears three times in the Analects. The Analects of Yan Yuan records: "Once angry, forget one's body and his relatives, is it not confused?" This chapter and the Analects of Yang Goods record: "Today's wisdom is also angry." ”
"Difficult" here refers to the disasters that anger may bring, and the aftermath that will be left behind.
"It is difficult to think about it", to be angry with others, not to be rash, but to think of the serious consequences of venting anger, so that we can maintain our sanity and avoid disasters and disasters.
When Liu Bang of the Western Han Dynasty heard that the Han messenger said that he was asking Liu Bang to make him the fake king of Qi, Liu Bang was very angry when he saw it. After Zhang Liang and Chen Ping hinted at it, he immediately said: If you want to be crowned the true king of Qi, what kind of fake king will you be crowned! Liu Bang sent Zhang Liang to Han Xin's camp and announced that Han Xin would be crowned king of Qi. In this way, Liu Bang and Han Xinjunchen worked together to fight against Xiang Yu and finally won the victory in the Chu-Han War. If he had not agreed to appoint Han Xin as the king of Qi at that time, and Han Xin's position had changed, and if he had followed Xiang Yu, would Liu Bang still be able to win the victory in the struggle for hegemony between Chu and Han? This was a model of "resentment and difficulty."
Everyone knows that "impulsiveness is the devil", and because of impulsiveness, people's behavior can get out of control. During the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Bei attacked and killed Wu because of his sworn brother Guan Yu. Liu Bei "rejuvenated the division with anger", arrogantly advanced, and committed the taboo of soldiers. In terms of specific operational guidance, he did not take into account the geographical advantages and led the army into a rugged mountain road of 200 to 300 kilometers that was difficult to unfold; at the same time, in the face of the stubborn resistance of the Wu army, he did not know how to change the operational arrangements in time, but adopted the wrong method of setting up camps everywhere, and fought a battle at Yiling, which led to a crushing defeat.
The lessons of history tell the current war commanders that on the battlefield of the future, they must use reason to control their emotions, control their feelings, calmly handle all kinds of enemy situations, prevent the occurrence of problems such as not listening to the persuasion of colleagues, acting rashly on their own impulses, and being deceived by the enemy's provoking generals, and consciously "winning over their anger."
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Wu Sangui, the chief soldier of the Third Customs, heard that his concubine Chen Yuanyuan had been captured by Li Zicheng's general Liu Zongmin, and he looked up to the sky and shouted: "If a husband can't protect a woman, how can he see a person! If you don't kill Li thief and kill Liu Zongmin, I swear not to be a man!" Wu Sangui gritted his teeth, surrendered to the Qing court, led the Qing troops into the customs, and soon captured Beijing and drove Li Zicheng's peasant army out of Beijing. Wu Sangui was angry at the crown and became famous, and he became famous through the ages.
A colleague next to me, as long as he drives on the road, it can be said that he sees six roads and scolds in all directions. If someone overtakes a car, jumps in a queue, or the traffic rules are not standardized, he will curse without listening. Once, the car in front of him suddenly stopped, and in a fit of rage, he got out of the car and quarreled with others, and the two sides tore a few times, isn't this typical road rage?
"Resentment" is a warning to people to stay calm when they have a conflict with others, because impulsiveness will not help you solve the problem, and it may exacerbate the problem. It should be noted here that Confucius did not mean that he would blindly tolerate and let the villain gain an inch, but that he should "repay grievances with straightforwardness and repay virtue with virtue." ”
Let's finally look at the "See-to-Think." ”
"Seeing the meaning of thinking" appears in two places in the "Analects", one is this chapter and the other is in the "Analects of Zizhang", Zizhang said: "When the scholar sees danger and death, he sees the righteousness, sacrifices and respects, and mourns. ”
"De" means to get.
Ill-gotten wealth cannot be gained, as is fame, enjoyment, etc. During the Northern Song Dynasty, Chen Shimei's wife Qin Xianglian provided him with education. He won the top prize in the imperial examination, because he was greedy for wealth and became a concubine. Qin Xianglian came to him with her children, but Chen Shimei not only did not admit it, but also sent killers to chase and kill them. This matter was known to the emperor, and Bao Zheng tried Chen Shimei, who was later executed. A person covets a momentary glory and wealth, but puts his life into it, why do you say this?
A gentleman loves money, but he should take it in the right way, and what he pays attention to in the middle is the word "righteousness", which is whether it is suitable or not, whether it is improper or not, and whether it is unreasonable. Take what you should take, don't take what you shouldn't. In this way, "righteousness" refers to whether people can restrain their behavior and strengthen moral self-discipline in the face of the temptation of interests, so as to "take righteousness and then take it". Now some officials, who have worked hard all their lives, have finally become leaders. couldn't control himself in the face of temptations, and even used his power for personal gain, and regretted it when he went to prison. What does "regret" mean, regret for past actions. If you know today, why bother in the first place?
"A gentleman has nine thoughts" has both internal thoughts and external behaviors, and "nine thoughts" is about the same as the "four don'ts" of Confucianism, "don't see, don't listen, don't speak, and don't move".
Thousands of miles of embankment, collapsed in the anthill. As a person who aspires to become a gentleman, he should pay attention to the details of doing things, and he must be down-to-earth, to put it bluntly, "nine thoughts" is actually that words and deeds must conform to the norms of etiquette and morality, so stick to it, get used to it, and you will naturally be in the "Tao". Because the Tao is natural! You yourself are already in the "Dao," so you are naturally a gentleman.