After the Spring Festival, I have been busy all the time, and put books aside. Occasionally, I just read some entertaining gossip. I believe that reading is a necessary means of learning, but when all the energy for learning has been eroded by busyness, we might as well change reading into a kind of relaxation. When tired, easy reading can be a leisurely self-enjoyment.
Yesterday, I casually talked with a friend, he said that now when he goes back to his old unit and gives speeches to middle-level cadres, the listeners feel that what he says has a bit of an otherworldly flavor. I suddenly realized, yes! We both bought "The Analects", read it deeply together, and studied it like a Bible, but in fact, we are still talking about the scenery on the other side of the river to the people around us.
An ancient book like "The Analects" has been studied for thousands of years, and we have only been reading it for a few months. During the reading process, comparing it with life, we inevitably feel a sense of joy and understanding, but we are just beginners.
"The Analects" is great wisdom, not strategy! Even less petty cleverness! And if one becomes too obsessed, it's easy to transcend real life. I think, instead of being addicted, it's better to let go! It's time to let go! Isn't this the Zen teaching of the late Master Sheng Yen - face it, accept it, solve it, and then let it go! "The Analects" is a great wisdom in the treasure house of national spirit! Therefore, I think we should carefully organize each chapter and section, break them down into small pieces, repeatedly face them, accept them, solve them, and finally let them go! Only then can we fully appreciate the essence! Don't be greedy, take small meals often!
During my recent busy period, it gave me a contrast with my friend. Because of the coincidence of being busy, I put it down, while he became more and more obsessed because he was too fascinated. The feeling of sweating profusely, I'm really afraid he will go crazy.
Holding the sages' books, recognizing the wisdom of the ancients, is truly one of the great pleasures of life! But "The Analects" uses such a word to describe it - "pleasure"! This is just a smile from the heart! It cannot be "joy", which implies losing oneself. So, when friends come from afar, there can be joy! Because joy needs to infect the atmosphere, it's best to dance and embrace first, then ask about each other's well-being... But often, we can't grasp the measure of this "pleasure". Being too happy gives us a sense of floating, and we don't even realize that we have placed ourselves high above others. At this point, problems arise. In common terms, it's called alienation from the masses. Strictly speaking, the problem is bigger, it's arrogance!
Confucius didn't call education "education", but rather "teaching and resolving doubts", in the context of various schools of thought, it's called "transmitting the way"! Confucius said to teach according to the student's aptitude, and to tirelessly teach others! That feeling is like the students standing on the podium, while the teacher humbly bows with hands clasped.
Here, I can't help but think again about the Zen question: without entering the world, how can one leave it? I think this is a cycle. Thinking that I am different from the secular world, and that I will eventually leave it, so I won't enter it, in fact, this is avoiding the world! Jumping into the big dye vat of society, and then struggling out, although you return to the original place, in fact, this process is the cultivation process. As mentioned above, we cannot refuse to "accept it" because we ultimately want to "let it go"! If you accept it but become greedy for it, and lose the courage and wisdom to let it go, it's also unacceptable! A vulgar metaphor would be, people eat food, they inevitably need to use the toilet, not eating leads to starvation, eating but not excreting leads to death by holding it in! You can't refuse to eat just because you know you will eventually need to excrete, so, can you say this person is very wise?
Talking with my friend again, the people around him are very good at scheming, so everyone has achieved a great career, they talk about money for everything, but they succeed! Now, they want to achieve greater development and integrate resources. When I hear the word scheming, I immediately think of very capable businessmen who don't miss any opportunity, and if there's no opportunity, they create one. Haha, although I don't know how to do business and have no career to speak of, am I not also a person who schemes? Because life has many responsibilities, and many wishes to fulfill, life is short, seize the day, doing what you want to do whenever possible, making every minute and second count, isn't this also scheming in life?
I suddenly thought and told my friend, smart people without wisdom roots always want to get rid of their troubles, but they lack the talent to turn complex wisdom into simple philosophy. They have strategies, but lack the great wisdom to achieve "benevolence". So when they discover the power of money, they regard it as a treasure, because they find that all their confusing thoughts can be simplified and solved by money, and all philosophical logic can be explained by one principle! How good is that? So I think, in fact, they work hard to make money not just to meet material needs, but to fundamentally improve their worldview, thereby freeing themselves from all spiritual troubles.
Hmm, reviewing what has been learned is really something that needs to be done frequently. Each time, there are new insights and understandings! But don't forget, "pleasure" is acceptable, stop at the right moment, and let go! Thus, not getting angry when others don't know, maintaining a pleasant demeanor, making those who don't know become knowledgeable, and allowing the knowledgeable to spread knowledge to more unknowing people, this shows the spirit of a gentleman! Just as the Analects says, isn't this what a gentleman is? Haha!
Oh, I lost myself again! It doesn't feel good.