text / Thought Canteen
In the changes of history, rulers play a very important role. Their every move affects the destiny of millions of people. Therefore, the requirements for their knowledge and cultivation have been extremely strict since childhood.
Historical records record that when the queen of the Zhou Dynasty was pregnant and the child was not yet born, three teachers, Taifu, Taibao, and Taishi, had been assigned to the child. One was responsible for physical fitness, one was responsible for knowledge, and the other was responsible for virtue. nourish.
The Zhou Dynasty had a very complete education and training mechanism for rulers, so their world was relatively stable.
"The Great Learning" is the first of the Four Books. It not only talks about the knowledge of rulers in governing the country, but is also an official textbook in ancient schools. It also has great inspiration for ordinary people on how to behave in the world.
Why "The Great Learning" can become the first of the "Four Books"
"The Great Learning", together with "The Doctrine of the Mean", "The Analects" and "Mencius" are also called the "Four Books".
Mr. Qian Zhongshu's father Qian Jibo said that the book "Great Learning" is the way of learning in ancient Taixue (Taixue is an ancient institution of higher learning). It means, why should be taught in ancient Taixue, why should be learned, and what is the fundamental purpose of learning? The answers are all in this book.
"The Great Learning" is "the door for beginners to enter virtue". The first chapter of the book puts forward the three principles of clarifying virtue, being close to the people, and striving for perfection. Eight items: , governing the country, and bringing peace to the world. explains very clearly the entire scope of Confucian thought and the sequence of life and learning.
Read "The University" word for word
▼The way of the university lies in being clear and virtuous, in being close to the people, and in striving for perfection.
This is the first sentence of "University". "Ming Ming De" is very important. The first "Ming" is a verb, which means to make clear and promote. Ming De is actually wisdom. Wisdom is the highest virtue and the most fundamental virtue.
Therefore, Mingmingde means that a person should carry forward his knowledge. For rulers, it is reflected in how you lead the people and how you benefit the people; for ordinary people, it should be shown in their daily behaviors, that is, "the unity of knowledge and action."
Zhuzi explains "Mingde" as, "What a person obtains is from heaven, but he is imaginary and not ignorant, and he can respond to all things by possessing many principles."
means that through teaching and learning, you will be able to understand this truth and be able to gather people to understand everything. To become virtuous is not through meditation, but through moral practice.
Be clear about virtue, be close to the people, and strive for perfection. These three are progressive relationships, and finally reach the ultimate.
The fundamental principle of things in the world is called perfection. Zhu Zi said that the principle of things is of course the best, and he also said that the best is to do the best, that is, to do good things to the best.
"Zhi" has two meanings. One is that you can never stop until you reach the highest state, and you must always move forward. The second is that once it is achieved, it cannot be changed or shaken, that is, it cannot be changed.
It is very difficult to stop at perfection, because people always have various ideas. Perfection is one of our ideals and the ultimate standard of our behavior. We must not only achieve it, but also abide by it.
▼Knowing to stop, then there is concentration, and after concentration, one can be still.
People will have many personal interests to consider, and it is difficult to overcome them. However, "The Great Learning" believes that knowing cessation can lead to sedation, and only by truly knowing cessation can we maintain good and impartiality.
"Be calm and then you can be still", which is another step forward. In this world, people are often influenced by the outside world and themselves. If our cultivation is not deep, whether we are meditating or sitting quietly, our thoughts will be like racing horses even though we are sitting there.
"Ding" includes firmness, calmness, certainty, and various kinds of concentration. Only with "sedation" can we truly be consistent in our way.
So if you don't read, but you say you have a firm belief, it is blind belief.You must read the book and understand many principles before you can truly achieve "samadhi".
"Conclusion is the principle, and tranquility is in the heart. Once it is established in the principle, the heart will be calm. If it is not settled in the principle, the mind will just go east and west." This is what Zhu Zi said.
In short, "sedation" is an objective state, while tranquility is a person's subjective state of mind. To be able to determine your psychology, the next step is how to achieve tranquility.
Zhu Zi once said that concentration means that the mind does not move rashly, and that the mind does not move rashly means it is still. Those who move rashly are just moving without roots. Why can't you calm down? Because there is no foundation in the heart, this foundation is the foundation of perfection. If you don’t have a foundation, you will move without roots.
▼Be quiet and then you will be at peace, be at peace and then you can think about it, and after thinking about it, you can gain.
"Be still and then you can be at peace", which means that only after we know all the truth and all the ways of heaven can we be at peace.
"Be safe and then be able to consider." Zhu Zi believed that "considering" means thinking carefully in doing things. When doing things, you should think deeply and long-term.
Contemplation does not purely refer to thinking. Confucianism advocates the unity of thinking and action. Only when you think properly can you behave appropriately.
When you can truly have a rational understanding and know how to treat things correctly, you will have new ideas, which is called "getting".
▼Things have a beginning and an end, and things have an end and a beginning. If you know the sequence, you will be shortcut.
Zhu Zi’s comment on this sentence is: “Mingde is the foundation, new people are the end, knowledge is the beginning, and ability is the end. The relationship between them tells us where the beginning and end are, where the focus is, and what the master-slave relationship is. Let us think according to these points.
The same is true for reading and being a human being. We must know that things have an end and an end, and that things have an end and a beginning. We must think clearly about what comes first and what comes last.
▼ In ancient times, those who wished to spread virtue to the world first governed their country.
"Ming Ming De" should be expressed in a concrete and practical way. For rulers, it means to prove that you have Ming De, and then you must govern the country well.
▼ If you want to rule your country, you must first bring order to your family. If you want to improve your family, you must first cultivate your body. If you want to cultivate your body, you must first rectify your mind. If you want to correct your heart, you must first be sincere. If you want to be sincere in what you mean, you must first know the truth; knowing things lies in investigating things.
Specifically speaking, in order to do well for the world and the country, it must ultimately be implemented in personal cultivation. Step by step from the outside to the inside, push to the most primitive place, starting from "investigating things to gain knowledge".
What is "Gewu"? The interpretation of "ge" in the Han and Tang dynasties is to come, and the other meaning is to achieve.
"Gewu" means that the world is constantly presenting you with many things, including things and physical states. You must be able to accept them, ponder them, and study them.
▼ After observing the object, you will know it, after knowing it, you will be sincere, and if you are sincere, your heart will be right.
Why not put sincerity and integrity first, but put "investigating things to gain knowledge" first? Why not start from within and then think about the outside world?
's question is actually based on modern thinking logic. We now have the distinction between inside and outside. We believe that only when we are sincere and correct can we gain knowledge from the inside out.
But the ancients believed that all things are one, and human, material, and heavenly forces are one. So how can you be sincere and upright in the first place? How can you show that your heart is right? How can you prove that you are sincere?
Therefore, knowledge can only be gained after studying things. This knowledge includes the overall understanding of the world and how to behave in the world.
After understanding things, you will be sincere. It means that when a person is in the world, he should be careful when doing things, and he must not lie to himself.
Be sincere and then your heart will be upright. Why should we have a correct mind? Because it is not easy for the mind to be calm, and it is not easy to be corrected if it is tossed back and forth. One of the subjective conditions for being upright is that you must not be biased in order to put your mind where it should be, and only in this way can you cultivate yourself.
▼ If the mind is upright, the body will be cultivated; if the body is cultivated, the family will be in order; if the family is in order, the country will be governed; if the country is governed, the world will be peaceful.
Self-cultivation is not about correcting one's own behavior according to established behavioral norms, but in the process of regulating the family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world, constantly improving and improving oneself, reflecting on oneself, being able to see one's own mistakes, and constantly correcting oneself.
Therefore, self-cultivation is a rather complicated process, which must always be carried out in practice. It is a lifelong process of learning to become an adult.
After you have cultivated yourself, you can manage your family and govern the country.
Confucius said, "Cultivate yourself to govern others." After you have taken care of yourself and cultivated yourself well, you can then govern the people of the world. Learning also has the same purpose: to cultivate oneself and govern others, to cultivate oneself and bring peace to the people.
Lecturer Introduction
Zhang Rulun
Lecturer at the Thought Canteen
Distinguished Professor of Fudan University , Director of the Chinese Philosophy Teaching and Research Office, School of Philosophy, Fudan University, Vice President of Shanghai Society for Comparative Chinese and Western Philosophy and Culture, Director of the Society for the History of Chinese Philosophy, "Contemporary Chinese Philosophy Series" 》Chief Editor.
