When commenting on Chinese historical figures, the Japanese sinologist Ryukichiro Hama once said: "There are three achievements that can be achieved in life: morality, learning, and merit, and only by having all three can you become a great man." Looking at all the figures in Chinese history, there are only three people who can do all three - Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms, Wang Yangming of the Ming Dynasty, and Zeng Guofan of the Qing Dynasty. The three of them are noble and knowledgeable, and they all have the merits of fighting on the battlefield.
1. Fools seek knowledge, and masters understand knowledge
It is recorded in the "Biography" that a friend asked Wang Yangming: "What if you don't remember reading?" ”
Wang Yangming replied: "As long as you know, how can you remember?" To know that it is already the second righteousness, as long as you know your own ontology. If the disciples had to remember, they would not have known; If the disciples want to know, they will not know their own essence. ”
Wang Yangming believes that ordinary people only remember the words in the book when they read books, which is learning knowledge. Because remembering is only that you remember the words in the book, but does this "knowledge" have any influence and touch on you? It's hard to say.
Knowing is that you have discovered the truths in the book from your own heart, and confirmed the truths in the book in your own heart. This is all about reading books to invent your own mind. In this way, you will get real knowledge.
It can be said that in Wang Yangming's eyes, knowledge is just something that is dead and has no attitude. Learning, on the other hand, is the knowledge that is confirmed in our hearts and realized. The biggest difference here is whether you have been confirmed and realized in your own heart.
Therefore, some people understand a lot of principles of living in the world and have read a lot of books, but they are not reliable in doing things. For these things are only knowledge in his heart.
Whether we are studying or practicing, we should find out whether we are learning knowledge, or understanding the truth and doing knowledge.
Lao Tzu said, for the sake of learning day by day, for the Tao day by day. To learn is to learn knowledge, of course, the more you learn, the more you learn; And for the Tao, that is, to understand knowledge, naturally less and less. Wang Yangming told us that the only way to learn is to understand conscience.
Second, knowing but not doing, just unknown
I often meet this kind of person in my life, they have a lot of knowledge, they know a lot of truths, but they never do things according to those moral precepts, those knowledge.
Wang Yangming believes that they actually don't know. For example, a son thinks he knows what filial piety is, but in reality he often abuses his parents. This son actually didn't know "filial piety".
Therefore, Wang Yangming said, "Those who do not know it." Knowing but not doing, just not knowing. ”
Those who have truly learned at home will immediately practice a good truth when they know it. As Lao Tzu said, "When the sergeant hears the Tao, he acts diligently." ”
If a person really realizes what is good and good, then he will definitely do it. If he didn't act on it, there was only one reason: he didn't really recognize the good.
Third, there is wisdom only with sincerity, and insincerity is just cleverness
Wang Yangming believes that only the sincerity of the world can then establish the foundation of the world. In his opinion, "sincerity" is a very important word. To do things, you must first have sincerity, and then you can be elegant in things, otherwise you will not be able to start. Therefore, when doing anything, we must pay attention to the word "sincerity". And this "sincerity" is sincerity and confession from the heart.
We often talk about the difference between wisdom and cleverness, in Wang Yangming's view, people with great wisdom are based on sincerity, honesty is not to deceive themselves, not to deceive others, not to deceive the world.
And those "smart people", on the contrary of sincerity, are based on cunning, and the so-called cleverness has become a means to obtain benefits.
Therefore, Wang Yangming warned his juniors in his family motto: Don't lie, don't be greedy. If a person cannot live up to the word sincerity, then his wisdom can easily degenerate into ordinary cleverness.
"Han Feizi" said that cunning is better than clumsiness. In this regard, Wang Yangming and Zeng Guofan coincide with the ancients.
Zeng Guofan regarded himself as "dull" and "clumsy" and "clever", which enabled him to practice the transcendent ability of being well versed in the world but not disturbed by the world.
"Sincerity is dedicated and full-spirited, and there will be a logical day without changing its normality." "Humble sincerity" is not only the key to self-cultivation and the way to get along, but also the foundation of business and success.
Although "humble and honest" sometimes seems to be a loss in the present, it is ultimately a foundation for the future, and there will be greater gains in the end. This is a disdain for all "smart people" who are blind, but it is a necessary quality for anyone who achieves great things.