The wisdom of I Ching

Chapter 74 Good at Leveraging the Enemy - Li, Lizhen, Heng.Livestock cow auspicious

【Original Code】

Leaving, Lizhen.Heng.Livestock cows are auspicious.

"彖" said: Li, Li Ye.The sun and the moon are as beautiful as the sky, and the hundred grains and plants are as beautiful as the soil.Chongming is beautiful and upright, and it turns into the world.It is soft and beautiful, and it is upright, so it is prosperous, so it is also "livestock cows are auspicious".

"Xiang" said: "Ming two works, separated."My lord shines in all directions with Jiming.

—— "Book of Changes · Li"

【Interpretation】

The hexagram "Li" says that if the person who is beneficial to Fuli is upright, the uprightness will prosper.If you develop a docile character like a cow, you will get auspiciousness.

"Zhuan Zhuan" said: Li is attached to Li.The sun and the moon are attached to the sky, and the hundred grains and vegetation are attached to the land.Chongming (two Mings) should be attached to all righteous people and things, and become the folk customs of the world.Rou (two lines and five lines) should be attached to the middle position and be prosperous, so develop a docile character like a cow, auspicious.

"Xiang Zhuan" said: A Ming appears twice, which is Li.Virtuous and dignified people should use their own light to shine on all sides of the world.

The hexagram "Li" talks about a kind of wisdom that relies on external forces to achieve self-fulfillment.The lower body of this hexagram is the same as the upper body, overlapping.Li and Li have the same pronunciation, and the ancient meaning of Li is two deer walking side by side, so it has the meaning of attachment.Li also symbolizes fire, which is empty inside and bright on the outside, and the flame must be attached to the object, so it has the meaning of light.But how did the light come about?Light is a virtual thing, and it must be attached to a certain substance before it can be emitted.Therefore, the hexagram says: Li, attachment, is very beneficial, but the object of attachment must also be beneficial to oneself.

The hexagram "Li" also talks about the wisdom of "borrowing strength".Self-development should not only rely on its own advantages, but also be good at taking advantage of the situation.This has important practical guiding significance for ordinary people, especially in the early stage of starting their own business, how to use the power of "opponents" to expand their brains, extend their power, and use external forces to help them succeed.

【Category】

Story [-]: Zhang Yi's strategy of defeating the enemy with the enemy
In 313 BC, the King of Qin wanted to crusade against Qi State, but he was worried about the "joint vertical" relationship between Qi and Chu, and was afraid that the powerful Chu State would send troops to rescue Qi State, so he sent Zhang Yi to Chu State to carry out activities, deducing a story about the cession of land. 600 miles and actually only 6 miles of historical legend.The king of Chu was furious after being humiliated, and wanted to "exchange" Zhang Yi from Qin with the land in central Guizhou, and wanted to kill him to relieve the hatred of being deceived.Unexpectedly, Zhang Yi had already bribed Jin Shang, the favorite minister next to King Chu, and Jin Shang instigated King Chu’s favorite concubine Zheng Xiu to blow the wind to King Chu every day, so that King Chu not only dared not have the idea of ​​killing Zhang Yi again, but also treated him very kindly. Zhang Yi used this to curry favor with Qin.

After completing her mission, Zhang Yi left Chu State and came to South Korea immediately. She said to Han Wangyou: "The land in South Korea is mostly treacherous mountains, and the food produced is not much. The country only reserves enough food for two years. However, there are only 20, but Qin has millions of soldiers. Resisting Qin with the strength of South Korea is like hanging a heavy object from a bird's nest. There is no chance of success! I plan for the king, It is better to serve Qin and attack Chu, which can not only avoid the disaster of Qin's attack, but also win Qin's favor, there is no better strategy than this." Han Wang really adopted his suggestion.

Zhang Yi continued to travel eastward to Qi State with the mission of King Qin on his back.He said to the king: "Now Qin and Chu have become brotherly countries. South Korea has given the land of Yiyang to Qin, Wei has given Qin the land outside the river, and Zhao has cut Hejian to Qin. Only the king If you don’t obey Qin, Qin can let Han, Zhao, and Wei attack Qi together. At that time, it will be impossible for you, my lord, to unite with Qin.” King Qi obeyed Zhang Yi’s words and voted for Qin country.

Zhang Yi went to Zhao Guo again and said to Zhao Wang: "Your Majesty has united the power of the world to resist Qin, and Qin soldiers have not been out of Hangu Pass for 15 years. Your majesty spreads over the six kingdoms of Shandong (Qi, Chu, Han, Wei, Yan). Qin State was very fearful. Although it was preparing troops and stockpiling food and grass, it did not dare to act rashly. But you have gone too far, lord, and have repeatedly threatened Qin State. The country has been harboring resentment for some time. Now Qin's army has been stationed in Mianchi. The king of Qin asked me to inform you and your courtiers that the current situation is that Chu and Qin have become brothers, and Han and Wei have also become Qin. The vassals of the state of Qi, and the state of Qi also offered land rich in fish and salt to the state of Qin. The current situation is as if the right arm of the state of Zhao has been broken. People who have lost a right arm are doomed to be alone and lonely when they fight with others. If there is no danger, it is impossible...for the sake of the king, why not become a country of brothers with Qin?" King Zhao was also stumped by Zhang Yi's lobbying.

Zhang Yi went to the Yan State in the north again, and said to the King of Yan: "Now King Zhao has come to the court of Qin State and sent him to the land of Hejian to show his sincerity of submission. If you do not submit to Qin State, King, Qin State will let Zhao Moreover, Qi and Zhao are like vassals to Qin at present, so they dare not send troops to attack. If the king submits to Qin, he can avoid the disaster of Qi and Zhao's attack for a long time." The king of Yan immediately asked to sacrifice Changshan There are five cities in the area in order to form an alliance with Qin.

With the unique vision of a politician, Zhang Yi had a deep understanding of the political, economic, and military conditions of the countries at that time, and he also had insight into the contradictions among the six Shandong countries. Yili was able to closely combine political strategy, strategy, diplomacy and necessary secret espionage activities. This is a crucial reason why he achieved success in lobbying the vassal states and dismantling the "joint vertical".

There is a unity of contradictions in everything, and they are constantly changing and developing in the movement of contradictions.To be good at grasping the main contradiction that restricts and affects the attitude and behavior of the other party, or to point out the crux of the matter, or to analyze the pros and cons of gains and losses, and use this to attract the other party to obey you. This is a good use of the relationship between contradictions.

Taking advantage of competitors can make up for one's own lack of strength, and can also strengthen one's own advantages, allowing oneself to break through various limitations, so as to achieve twice the result with half the effort, which can be described as a clever method.

Story Two: Gaining Strength from the Opponent

Japan has always been in the leading position in swimming sports, but some people say that their swimming training methods also have a magical secret: in Japanese swimming training halls, there are many crocodiles.

During training, after the players jump into the water, the coach will put a few crocodiles into the swimming pool.The crocodile, which hadn't eaten for a few days, immediately became wild when it saw a living person, chasing the athlete desperately.Although the athletes knew that the crocodile's mouth was tightly bound, they swam desperately reflexively when they saw the crocodile's fierce appearance.

Coincidentally, there is a long-distance running coach in Canada who is world-renowned for training several long-distance running champions in a short period of time.Many people want to know the secret of his training, but no one thinks that the secret of the coach's success lies in a magical partner, and this partner is not a certain person, but a ferocious wolf dog.Because the coach trains long-distance runners, he has always asked his students not to use any means of transportation when they leave home, but to run to the training ground, which is also the first subject of daily training.

There is a student who is the last to arrive every day, and his place of residence is not the farthest.But suddenly one day, this student arrived more than 20 minutes earlier than others.The coach knew the time when he left home, and he simply calculated, the speed of this student today can almost exceed the world record.When the coach saw him, the student breathlessly described what happened to him today.

It turned out that not long after he left home, he met a wolf dog 5 kilometers away from the training place. The wolf dog was chasing him desperately, so he ran in front desperately, leaving the wolf dog far behind.The coach understood that this player's extraordinary performance today was due to a wolfhound, because he had a terrible enemy, and this enemy allowed him to bring out all his potential.

From then on, the coach hired an animal trainer and got a few wolf dogs to train them. Whenever the students were training, they "released the dogs", and the students' grades improved rapidly.

Whether it is a Canadian coach or a Japanese coach, they have undoubtedly grasped the truth: the strength of the enemy will allow a person to exert his great potential and create amazing results, especially when the enemy is strong enough to threaten his life, the enemy Right behind you, if you don't work hard for a moment, your life will be in danger.

Potential competitors can constantly stimulate your energy, and can also keep you clear-headed at all times, and win a "war" victory in a state of active efforts.An enemy is someone who blocks your way at a certain intersection on your way forward. You may not like it, but you have to fight him.He is your opponent and may become an obstacle to your progress.However, life without opponents is also dull, and a smooth journey without obstacles will make people lose their fighting spirit.Rely on the enemy, and use the enemy's strength as the driving force for your progress, and you will see the direction of progress and keep making progress.

Story [-]: The old professor borrowed his strength to make a difference
On a certain campus, there is a short, thin old professor who does a set of Tai Chi every morning in a corner of the playground.One day, a worker from our school passed by and watched with the crowd. He looked at it and said with a smile, "What's the use? There's no strength at all." A few students who knew the old professor's "powerfulness" said, "Then you and him Let's compete."

The worker thought he was tall and powerful, and smiled again, thinking how he would survive my blow, but said, "Don't dare! Don't dare!" He said "Don't dare" with double meanings. I am afraid that I will hurt the old man; second, I dare not fight with the professor.In order to promote the benefits of Taijiquan, the professor said: "Young man, come on, it doesn't matter. You can use as much strength as you have."

The worker rushed to the old man at once, trying to win.Seeing a high mountain rushing towards him, the old man turned sideways, and at the same time grabbed his hand and pulled it. The worker couldn't stand up, and suddenly jumped a distance of one or two feet, still couldn't stand up, and fell to the ground.It's still a matter of using force properly, otherwise, the workers will suffer a lot.

The worker got up and blushed and said, "It's so powerful! It's so powerful!" The old man said, "This is your own strength. I just use your strength to make you fall."

Taijiquan looks weak and weak, but its mysteries are endless. It pays attention to "defense, defense, leap, move, dodge, and dodge". Make a strange move and use your strength to fight.Not only can save time and effort, but also the effect is amazing.Everyone knows the principle of "sailing a boat with the wind". The stronger the wind, the faster the boat will go.The same is true for confronting an opponent. The stronger the opponent is, the greater the reaction it will bring to you.

Therefore, in order to defeat the enemy and achieve a decisive victory, in a direct face-to-face contest, in addition to making all-out efforts, one must also learn to use the strength of the opponent to defeat him.This is the mystery of the well-known principle of "four twos and one thousand catties".

Story Four: Johnson's Knack

In the late 20s, Frey Cosmetics monopolized the market for African-American cosmetics.George Johnson was a very good salesman for this company.George was not reconciled to living under others for a long time, and decided to start his own family.With a mere 50 yuan, he opened a company of his own, specializing in the production of cosmetics for blacks.

It was very difficult at the beginning of the business, with only three employees and two simple factories.Johnson clearly knew that he did not have the strength to compete with Frey, so how should he open up the market for his products?This question has been bothering him.After a long time of thinking, I finally had an inspiration.So he and his employees worked together to develop a powder cosmetic cream.The product is available, but how can it be marketed?After repeated thinking, Johnson decided to use the "background method" to sell his products.He put out such an ad, which said: "When you use Foley's cosmetics, and then put on some Johnson's powder cream, it will make you feel different beauty."

At the beginning, his employees were very dissatisfied with this kind of dependent propaganda, saying that he was not advertising his own products, but bragging for Frey's products.People from Foyle Company also laughed at him because of this: "You have a deep relationship with our company, why don't you advertise for us for free?"

Johnson ignored this. He smiled and said to the employees: "It is because of their company's great reputation that we do this. Now almost few people know that my name is Johnson. If I stand beside the President of the United States, I will The name of Foley's cosmetics will be known to everyone in no time. The same is true for selling cosmetics. In the black society, Foley's cosmetics are famous. In favor of Godfrey, in fact, we have invisibly raised our own social status."

This method has received very good results as expected, consumers have naturally accepted his products, and the market share has also expanded rapidly.Then Johnson produced a series of new products.This time he changed the previous dependent publicity strategy, and instead strengthened the promotion of his own products.After just a few years of hard work, Johnson's cosmetics squeezed most of Frey's products out of the cosmetics market.The cosmetics market for African-Americans became Johnson's dominance.

When one's own power is weak, one can take refuge in the strong side and grow safely under its wing. This is also a good strategy of taking advantage of the situation. "You are fledgling, weak and weak, it is difficult to defeat a strong enemy, and you should succumb to the banner of a strong opponent, and use its prestige to recharge your energy and prepare before moving." This strategy is also called "borrowing jade to carve jade". "Borrowing jade" is an act of shelter and a technique of lying on salary, while "carving jade" is the foundation of a strong body and the way of development. The purpose of "carving jade" is to surpass the opponent, attack jade with jade, and finally completely defeat the opponent.

【The Heart of the Book of Changes】

On the positive side, the enemy is also a backer, and they depend on each other.Because of the existence of the enemy, we will not relax our vigilance and dare not slack off easily, so as to make continuous progress and finally win.The development of things is the result of the joint action of internal and external factors, and the success or failure of doing business is the result of the combination of self-improvement and leverage.When one's own strength is insufficient, borrowing the opponent's strength, or even temporarily attaching to him, and then developing and growing rapidly, this is also a shortcut to success.

We live in this realistic society, full of hard work and competition everywhere, and you may encounter powerful enemies at any time.They are obstacles in your progress, and they will even defeat you completely.However, "you can lose your horse, you will lose your fortune", obstacles and failures can often inspire you with more energy and tap your greatest potential.Facing the enemy, you have to show extraordinary perseverance and wisdom, and finally you can reach the peak of career success.

The opponent is still a rare driving force.Real opponents will stimulate your energy, while potential opponents will remind you to constantly surpass yourself.Only by relying on your opponents can life become more dynamic, and career will continue to rise.On the contrary, if he just immerses himself in his own business and treats his peers and opponents as real enemies, then his benefits will not last long.

Only by treating the enemy as another kind of friend and backer can you know and understand the other party more clearly, so as to occupy a dominant position in the competition.You can grasp the opponent's weakness and act randomly to achieve a targeted goal; you can also use the opponent's strength to achieve yourself.

Real power exists objectively, especially the power of opponents.At first glance, bringing a very real threat to oneself is an unfavorable factor leading to one's own success.But if we can use it skillfully, it will turn disadvantages into driving forces and remove obstacles in our progress. If so, why not do it?

(End of this chapter)