Make up your mind, all by yourself; It's up to you to move forward and stop; Embark on the right path of life, all in your own thoughts; To be on the right path of life, we must turn passivity into initiative.
If we discuss the enlightenment of Confucius' thought to modern people, we should first pay attention to "self-awakening". To be sincere, people need "self-awakening" first. How to do this? The following is an explanation.
First, you have to make up your mind. Confucius said, "The three armed forces can win the handsome, but ordinary men can't win the ambition." The commander-in-chief of the army may be robbed, just like Xiao Feng in Jin Yong's "Eight Dragons". With superb martial arts, he can snatch the enemy commander in chief among thousands of troops and horses. However, an ordinary person's heart cannot be changed. "ambition" is the mind, which represents the fixed view of something in the heart. The point of Confucius' sentence is not to emphasize the stubbornness of ordinary people, but to affirm that no one can change an ordinary person as long as he makes up his mind. In other words, people should have their own ideas and be responsible for their own ideas.
Secondly, it is up to you to move forward and stop. Confucius said, "If it's a mountain, it won't work. I'll stop." For example, on the flat ground, although there is coverage, I will go. "that is to say: for example, if you pile up the soil of a mountain and add a basket of soil, it will be successful. If you stop, I will also stop. For example, on the flat ground, even if a basket of soil has just fallen, I will continue to work, which is my own move. Isn't everything we do in this life like this? It is better to bear the responsibility bravely than to pass it on to others.
Third, it is all in your heart to embark on the right path of life. Taking himself as an example, Confucius said, "How far is benevolence? I want benevolence, and I am benevolent. " Meaning: Is Ren Hang far from me? As long as I am willing to be kind, I can be kind at once. Here, the word "benevolence" is not a noun, but a verb, which means "doing good", that is, walking on the right path of life or doing good deeds. The opportunity of this sentence lies in the fact that the word "I want benevolence" and "desire" represent the inner will and the resulting initiative.
Q: Is there anything in the world that can be successful by "my desire"? For example, Confucius said that "being rich and expensive is what people want", but how many people in the world are really rich? People also want health, affection, friendship, study, career, happiness and so on. But can all these desires be realized just because of "my desire"? Obviously impossible. Confucius believes that only "benevolence" or "my desire" can be realized, and everyone does so. It can be seen that "benevolence" must be "from the inside out". It is because of sincerity that I set myself on the right path of life and immediately found the opportunity to do good.
Fourth, on the right path of life, we should turn passivity into initiative. Yan Yuan asked Ren. Confucius said, "Self-denial and courtesy are benevolence. A day of self-denial and self-denial, the world will return to benevolence. Be benevolent, rely on yourself, and rely on benevolence? " Yan Yuan said, "What's the purpose?" Confucius said, "see no evil, don't listen to evil, don't say evil, and don't move if you are evil." Yan Yuan said, "Although I am not sensitive, please talk to me." This chapter must be read in two paragraphs, the first paragraph is about principles, and the second paragraph is about specific behaviors. Let's talk about principles first. Yan Yuan asked how to be good, and Confucius' answer was "self-denial". In The Analects of Confucius Yan Yuan, Yan Yuan asked how to be good. Confucius' answer is "self-denial", which means "being able to practice the requirements of etiquette by yourself", that is, "turning passivity into initiative". As for the word "see no evil", as far as specific actions are concerned, we should start with the "negative aspects", not do "indecent things", and then turn passivity into initiative, "be able to make decisions and practice etiquette requirements".
"Self-awakening" is a big project. In ancient times, only the son of heaven and a few sages could realize this. When he came to Confucius, he had an insight into human nature, that is, he had the motivation to do good, and it was not different because of the differences of nationality, class and gender. Human dignity was thus established. On this basis, Confucius will further advocate "Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you", show the wisdom that everyone is equal, and inspire generations of China people to be "gentlemen". In the process of becoming a gentleman, it is natural to "cultivate talents" and carry forward the wind of benevolence and righteousness in society. Only in this way can we realize the highest value of personal life and obtain great happiness in life.
Second, studious, thoughtful and practical.
People are rational. By studying and thinking, we can broaden our knowledge, understand the truth, and then trigger specific behaviors, so that we can have no regrets in life.
The first thing to say is "studious". Confucius himself is a typical "studious". He declared: "In a city with ten rooms, there must be loyal ministers like hills, so it is better to learn like hills." That means: there must be hardworking and trustworthy people like me in a small place with a family of ten, but they don't like learning as much as I do.
Confucius' so-called knowledge covers a wide range, including traditional knowledge (five classics), ability (six arts) and the truth of being a man and doing things. Confucius was once known as an expert in rites and music. Before he entered politics at the age of 5 1, he had long regarded people's funerals as his profession. Historical Records Confucius Family describes that when he learned from Shi Xiang, he experienced "learning his songs" (learning his basic melody), "learning his numbers" (learning his superb playing skills), "learning his ambition" (understanding the composer's mind), and finally "winning the game" (as if seeing the characters depicted in music). His concentration and eagerness to learn make "Shi Xiangzi sit down and worship", which he admires as a student. Confucius later became a teacher himself. His experience was: "Review the past and learn new things, and you can be a teacher." Only in this way can human culture improve.
In addition to mastering ancient knowledge, Confucius also humbly learned from the people around him. What he learned was to do good and avoid evil. He said: "If you have a threesome, you must have a teacher. Choose good and follow it, and change it if it is evil. " He also said: "See the sage Si Qi Yan, see the sage and introspect." Students want to go into politics, and his encouragement is to "listen more and watch more", and then carefully compare and improve their words and deeds. Zi Gong followed Confucius for a long time and realized that Confucius was a "teacher of impermanence". Without a fixed teacher, he can learn from all kinds of people and situations, so that his achievements are like the sun and the moon illuminating the world, which makes people admire him.
Secondly, learning must be accompanied by "deep thinking". Everything we learn is materials provided by others, and even if we write it all down, it may not be useful. So subjective introspection is an essential step. College students generally have no habit of thinking deeply, and often forget what they have learned after taking the exam.
An American university did an experiment. One month after the summer vacation, the university urgently recalled the top students in each class and asked them to take the final exam on the same topic again before the summer vacation. None of them passed. This is the result of "learning without thinking". Confucius said, "Learning without thinking is useless, and thinking without learning is dangerous." Meaning: Learning without thinking leads to nothing; Thinking without learning is chaos.
Confucius also experienced "thinking without learning". He said, "I try not to eat for a day and stay up all night. It's no use thinking. It is better to learn. " Looking at the opposition between learning and thinking, we can see that "thinking" means seriously thinking about what you see and hear around you. For example, from the news, we know the daily events in various places, and the causes and consequences of these events may not be presented, and they are extremely chaotic. Even if we think about it with our heart, it is difficult to inspire. The English poet T.S.Eliot wrote in the poem "The Rock": "Where is the intelligence we lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we lost in the information? " Information happens every day. It's no use thinking too much. Just like Confucius, open your books and study! At this time, learning is particularly worth pondering, so that the knowledge in books can be transformed into your own experience.
A.N. Whitehead, a British philosopher, said when talking about education: "Until the textbooks were lost and the notes were burned, all the details memorized for preparing for the exam were forgotten. At this time, what you have learned is really useful to you. " Deep thinking is the key. How can people learn without thinking?
The last and most important thing is to "practice" and put it into action. Confucius is eager to learn, and his virtue is excellent, which meets the requirement of "the ancient scholars are for themselves". From the age of fifteen, he has been "determined to learn" and has shown himself in front of everyone all his life: "Standing at thirty, not confused at forty, knowing the destiny at fifty, obeying at sixty, and not overstepping the rules at seventy." The so-called "follow one's inclinations" is the ultimate virtue, representing the perfect combination of learning and doing.
Confucius always gives consideration to words and deeds when teaching his disciples, and words and deeds precede words. His excellent disciples are classified into four subjects, which are "morality, speech, politics and literature" in turn. Gao flyer, a linguist, asked how to be a gentleman. Confucius said "speak before you act", that is, practice what you want to say first and talk about it later.
Finally, what is Confucius' expression of "studious"? He said: "A gentleman does not want to eat enough, nor does he want peace. If he is sensitive to things and careful about what he says, he will have an appropriate way and be honest. It can be said that he is eager to learn. " What Confucianism expects is that a scholar (scholar) should become a gentleman, and a gentleman "seeks Tao without seeking food" and "worries about Tao without worrying about poverty". Tao is the ideal of adults. When we study, don't forget this original intention.
Third, self-cultivation and happiness.
The secret of self-cultivation is to read here and remind yourself at any time; When carrying out moral cultivation, we should pay equal attention to words and deeds, and take a two-pronged approach; Cultivation is the guarantee and guarantee of happiness.
Will life be happy if you live by instinct without self-cultivation? Confucius' answer to this question is no, and human instinct includes all kinds of desires and impulses, which can be collectively called "blood gas". Blood gas has caused many troubles and troubles to people. Confucius said: "A gentleman has three precepts: when he is young, his blood gas is uncertain, so he should be careful; It is also strong and bloody, and it is fighting; I am also old, my blood gas is declining, and I have to quit. " It can be seen that people will fall into the predicament of "lust, aggression and insatiable greed" in adolescence, maturity and old age. Want to solve these troubles, can only rely on self-cultivation. What is the secret of cultivation? How to proceed? Finally, how to connect happiness? The following are discussed separately.
First, the secret of self-cultivation is to remember that we are here and remind ourselves at any time. What did Confucius do? He said: "I am worried if I don't practice morality, don't talk about learning, and I can't migrate if I am not good at it." In other words, Confucius was worried that virtue was not well cultivated and knowledge was not well taught, so he could not do what he should do when he heard it, but he could not correct his shortcomings immediately.
A person who often worries about these problems can naturally avoid them. As the seventy-first chapter of Laozi said: "The sage is not sick, but sick because of illness; My husband is just sick, so he is not sick. " Meaning: a saint has no shortcomings, because he regards shortcomings as shortcomings; It is precisely because he regards shortcomings as shortcomings that he has no shortcomings. There is a chapter in The Analects of Confucius that Chen Si did not point out Confucius' fault. Confucius said, "Autumn is also fortunate. If you have, people will know. " In other words, I am lucky, as long as there is anything wrong, others will know. Confucius devoted himself to studying the Book of Changes, hoping that he would be "no bigger than me".
In other words, Confucius was not a natural saint. He clearly said, "If you are a saint and kind, how dare I?" After a lifetime of practice, you can be extraordinary. Zigong praised Confucius and said, "Confucius is out of reach, and Heaven is out of reach." It is impossible for the sky to climb stairs, but Confucius' example is: as long as you practice hard, everyone has hope.
Second, in terms of moral cultivation, we should pay equal attention to both words and deeds and do both. In words, "Zi Han said: profit gives birth to benevolence." Confucius seldom took the initiative to talk about interests, fate and benevolence. Why is this happening? Because talking about interests may make people forget the righteousness, or "forget the righteousness at the expense of interests"; Talking about fate may make people passive and helpless, even ignoring the more important mission in life; When it comes to benevolence, we must teach students in accordance with their aptitude and point out the correct way of life according to the special situation of students, instead of talking about abstract truth in general.
Watch "Midday Rain: Strange, Strong, Chaos and Spirit". Confucius did not discuss abnormal, brave, chaotic and miraculous things with people. Why is this happening? Because abnormal things confuse people, brave things make people forget virtue, rebellious things make people uneasy, and magical things make people delusional. Not discussing these doesn't mean they don't exist. Just as today's definition of "news" is: a dog biting is not news, but a man biting a dog is news. Too much news of "strangeness, strength, disorder and divinity" will inevitably make people panic and waste good time.
Secondly, as far as behavior is concerned, we see "Viscount: meaningless, unnecessary, unrealistic and egoless." In other words, Confucius had no four major shortcomings at all: he didn't speculate out of thin air, he didn't stick to his own ideas, and he didn't inflate himself. These four points are all aimed at solving the stubbornness of "self-centeredness". Failure to persist does not mean that there is no position. Confucius treated three things cautiously, namely, fasting, war and disease. The priority of these three shows some value. Disease ranks third, because that is what "individuals" should pay attention to in health; War ranks second, because it is the security and survival of the "country" that must be vigilant; Fasting comes first, which means that religious sacrifice is the link between man and his ancestors and has the meaning of reporting the source. The so-called "being cautious to the end and pursuing the people's virtue" is enough to illustrate the good sentiments of China people. It can also be seen that Confucius' cultivation is not only concerned with individuals and countries, but also with the human world including ancestors and descendants. Here, I can ask again, can such excellent literacy bring happiness to people?
Third, self-cultivation is the guarantee and guarantee of happiness. Who is the happiest among Confucius' students? Therefore, the answer is clear: Yan Yuan's virtue is the best. Confucius said, "You are a virtuous man! A spoonful of food, a spoonful of drink, in the mean lane, people can't bear their worries, and they won't change their fun when they go back. Xian zai hui also! " Yan Yuan's life is so poor that others can't stand the sadness brought by that kind of life, but Yan Yuan has never changed his original happiness.
There is no reasonable connection between poverty and happiness, unless one understands "Tao", which is what Confucius said: "If you are poor, you can enjoy Tao". Confucius' "Tao" refers to the right path of mankind. Simply put, it is "self-cultivation" to settle people around you. Such a "Tao" can be pursued by ordinary people; If you want to fully realize it, even Yao and Shun may not be able to do it. Life is most afraid of not having a goal or choosing the wrong goal. The goal of Confucianism is fair and clear, and it will bring great happiness to people in the process of pursuit and realization.
In this way, Confucius' own happiness was fully displayed. He does his work seriously. He said, "What's wrong with me if I study silently and never tire of learning and never tire of teaching?" This is the duty of being a teacher. He added: "If you go out, you are responsible for your officials. If you go in, you will be responsible for your father and brother. If you dare not say goodbye to the funeral, why is it for me? " This is to abide by the duty in life and work. These two sentences "Why for me?" The real meaning is: what does it matter to me if I do these things well? Whether there is a right path or wealth is completely out of consideration. Based on this awareness, Confucius said: "It is also fun to eat water and rest with your arms bent." Unjust wealth is like a cloud to me. "
Confucian happiness is inseparable from the world and will always be enjoyed by people, not individuals. Confucius once said that "those who benefit have three pleasures" and "take pleasure in rites and music, be kind to others and be friends with many virtuous people", that is, take pleasure in being regulated by rites and music, take pleasure in talking about the advantages of others and make many good friends. The so-called "frugality" also represents an appropriate way to get along with people. These three pleasures are all practiced in the world, witnessing the feelings of Confucianism's entry into the WTO. Ceng Zi summed it up very well. He said, "A gentleman makes friends with his words and helps others with his friends." A gentleman talks about literature and art in order to get together with friends and then use such friends to help him embark on the right path of life.
In The Analects of Confucius, Confucius had an ideological encounter with the hermit at that time. Confucius made it clear that he would not be in the same group as birds and beasts, and he must persist in fighting among mankind. As for his failure to realize his ideal, as early as expected. This is exactly what a gatekeeper said by Confucius: "He who knows what he can't do is also!" Knowing that the ideal could not be realized, he still went forward bravely, because it was out of his sincere will and the "destiny" that Confucius realized. The lessons we have learned here are as follows: First, no matter what era or society we are in, people need self-cultivation and strive to reduce the persistence of "self-centeredness"; Second, self-cultivation must take both words and deeds into account, aiming at a "gentle" gentleman; Third, the virtue created by self-cultivation will inevitably lead to the proper relationship between people and me, thus making the mood filled with a happy atmosphere. (According to People's Forum Fu Peirong's "Chinese Studies and Life")