The wisdom of I Ching

Chapter 77 A Fair and Simple Life Will Be Auspicious——Wu Wang, Good Luck

【Original Code】

On the ninth day of the ninth day, there is no falsehood, and it is auspicious.

"Xiang" said: "Going without ignorance, you can achieve ambition."

——"Book of Changes Wu Wang"

Ninety-two, the road is frank, and you are Zhenji.

"Xiang" said: Youren Zhenji is not in chaos.

—— "Book of Changes · Shoes"

【Interpretation】

The ninth line of the hexagram "Wu Wang" says: Without delusions, abandoning evil thoughts, life will be auspicious.

"Xiang Zhuan" said: Doing things with a pure heart will surely realize the wish in your heart.

"Lu" hexagram nine and two lines say: Walking on a flat road, the hidden people will get upright in peace and will get auspicious.

"Xiang Zhuan" said: a secluded person, aloof from the world, content with his duty, self-discipline, can obtain auspiciousness, because his heart is safe and clean, so he will not be disturbed by external objects.

The ancients said: "If the heart is untainted, the world of desire is a fairyland; , You can also build a fairyland that makes your heart happy; on the contrary, if you are obsessed with sensuality and material desires, even if you are in a happy fairyland in the mountains, you will fall into the abyss of spiritual pain.

One must be fair and innocent in dealing with people. Once one deviates from the standards of morality and etiquette, one will be punished in reality.For example, seeing profit and forgetting righteousness, seeking only profit, striving for fame in the court, striving for profit in the market, being at both ends of the head, exhausting all your energy and thinking that you have a plan, trying to make money, even if you gain a small profit temporarily, you lose the long-term and fundamental life. direction.

To be a person with a pure heart can lead to auspicious life.For those who have done all kinds of bad things, no matter how much they pray to the "God" to feel uneasy, it will not have any effect.Eliminating disasters and avoiding disasters lies in being able to behave in an upright manner, not doing bad things that violate morality, and not letting yourself sink deeper and deeper in sins, so that it is difficult to extricate yourself and save yourself in the end, otherwise, sooner or later you will suffer retribution from bad things.

【Category】

Story [-]: Xu Shiji's character

Xu Shiji of the Sui and Tang Dynasties was Li Mi's general, and he was highly valued by Li Mi.In the second year of Wude (619), Li Mi was defeated by Wang Shichong, so he led his troops to surrender to Li Yuan.

Li Mi's original jurisdiction stretched from Yuhai in the east, Ruzhou in the west, Yangtze River in the south, and Weijun in the north, all of which were guarded by Xu Shiji.Therefore, Xu Shixun said to Guo Xiaoke, the long history: "Since Duke Wei (Li Mi) has surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, the places we occupy now were all under the jurisdiction of Duke Wei. If we dedicate these to the Tang Dynasty, in order to get rich and honor , I think this is a very shameful thing. Now we should record the number of prefectures, counties and military and civilian households, gather them together and play them to Duke Wei, and ask Duke Wei to dedicate them to Datang. Then this is the credit of Duke Wei. .” So an envoy was sent to inform Li Mi.

Tang Gaozu felt very strange when he heard that Xu Shiji did not report the situation of his jurisdiction on the form, but only wrote to Li Mi.The envoy told Tang Gaozu what Xu Shiji meant, and Tang Gaozu said happily: "Xu Shiji is indeed a very pure person who can appreciate virtue and promote merit." So Xu Shiji was reused, and he was given the title of Governor of Liyang, Duke of Shangzhu, and Duke of Lai. .Soon, he was granted the title of General Youwuhou, Cao Guogong, and the surname Li. Because he avoided Taizong Li Shimin's taboo, he was renamed Li Ji.

Li Mi was Xu Shixun's "old leader", and Li Yuan was Xu Shiji's "new leader".For those who wait and see, the old leader loses power and will immediately turn to the new leader. There are too many such "people leave the tea to cool down" things.But Xu Shiji did not do this, and indeed showed the behavior of an upright person. Such a person is trustworthy no matter where he goes or what position he is in.

To see whether a person succeeds or fails, whether things get bigger or smaller, the result can be seen from his conduct.A person who does not know how to stick to his own character will often pursue things that can bring happiness or other sweetness in front of him and lose his long-term development.Therefore, you must correct your own conduct and abide by certain principles of doing things.The society is full of all kinds of temptations. Only by being an upright person can we go further on the road of life and achieve success.

Story [-]: Wu Zetian repays grievances with virtue

Wu Zetian was the only female emperor in ancient Chinese history, and her tricks and tricks were cruel and outrageous.But she cherishes and loves talents, and she does not hesitate to repay those who can help her with kindness, and influences those who can help her, making them her "confidantes".This is also the advantage of her conduct.

Shangguanyi, the founder of the five-character poem "Shangguan Style", was an important minister in the early Tang Dynasty. He once held a high position as a prime minister. After participating in the abolition of Emperor Gaozong, he was discovered by Wu Zetian. Shangguanyi and his son were beheaded. Shangguanyi's granddaughter Shangguan Wan The son and mother became palace servants.When Shangguan Wan'er was 14 years old, Crown Prince Li Xian and ministers Pei Yan and King Luo Bin planned the "Coup against Wu", and Shangguan Wan'er actively participated in it in order to avenge her father.But after the incident was revealed, the crown prince was deposed, Pei Yan was beheaded, and King Luo Bin narrowly escaped death.But Shangguan Wan'er was finally pardoned by Wu Zetian.

A song "Colored Book Complaint" written by Shangguan Wan'er was accidentally discovered by Wu Zetian.Wu Zetian didn't believe that such a good poem could be written by a maid, so she asked her to improvise a five-rhythm poem with the theme of indoor ribbon-cut flowers, and at the same time use the same rhyme as "Colourful Book Complaint".Shangguan Wan'er contemplated for a while, and quickly chanted: "Dense leaves are pruned, and new flowers are pruned one after another. Although it is not wrong to climb the sticks, it is not true to pick pistils. The spring solstice comes, and autumn is not willing to thin it out. Excuse me." Peaches and plums, what about the desire to mess with each other?"

After Wu Zetian heard this, she repeatedly claimed to be good, and praised her as a talented woman.But pretending to be puzzled by "Ask peaches and plums, how do you want to be confused?" Shangguan Wan'er replied: "It means that fake flowers can be confused with real ones." "Are you intentionally insinuating me?" Wu Zetian asked suddenly road.

Shangguan Wan'er replied without panic: "Your Majesty, I heard that poems are not strictly interpreted, it depends on the state of mind of the interpreter at that time. If Your Majesty says that I am insinuating, I will not dare to quibble." "Answer Well done!" Not only was Wu Zetian not angry, but she also smiled and said, "I just like your stubborn character."

Then she asked again: "I killed your grandfather and your father, and made you and your mother my servants. You should have a vengeance against me, right?" Shangguan Wan'er remained the same. Said calmly: "If your majesty thinks it is, the servants will not dare to say no." Wu Zetian praised her for a good answer, saying that he was looking forward to such an answer.

Then, Wu Zetian greatly praised her grandfather Shangguanyi's literary talent, pointed out the crime of Shangguanyi in drafting the abolished imperial edict, and hoped that Shangguan Wan'er could understand her and be loyal to her.However, not only did Shangguan Wan'er not be loyal to Wu Zetian, but she also participated in future coups out of revenge.According to the law at that time, "should be hanged", but considering that he was young, he could be sentenced to exile, that is, sent to Lingnan to serve as an army.

However, Wu Zetian believed that according to her crime, she should be sentenced to death by hanging, but considering that she is young, she can be changed if she receives some education.Therefore, it should not be executed.However, to be sent to Lingnan, where the mountains are high and the roads are far away, and the environment is harsh, for a young girl, it is tantamount to killing her.Therefore, the punishment for exile is a bit too heavy.In particular, she is very talented. If she is cultivated carefully, she must be a very outstanding talent.

In view of this, it was decided to impose a tattoo on Shangguan Wan'er, that is, tattoo flowers on her forehead and smear cinnabar into it.And he kept Shangguan Wan'er by his side.Wu Zetian also said: If I can't even influence teenage girls, how can I influence the common people in the world?
Wu Zetian was able to kill what should be killed but not killed, and stayed by her side, which made Shangguan Wan'er very grateful.Since then, Wu Zetian has been guiding her carefully, influencing her, cultivating her, and reusing her from many aspects.

During her relationship with Wu Zetian, Shangguan Wan'er gradually understood her genius in governing the country, broad-mindedness and art of employing people. She completely eliminated her grudges and misunderstandings, and replaced her with admiration, respect and love. She solved her problems and worked hard for her, becoming Wu Zetian's most powerful "confidant".

Repaying grievances with kindness can often be exchanged for the trust of others at a small price, and they will be loyal and willing to pay for you, becoming a force you can rely on.

Story [-]: Chen Chunzu's behavior
During Song Lizong's period, Jia Sidao and others grasped the characteristic of Lizong's greed for beauty, and gradually controlled the government.When Jia Sidao was in power, many literati joined him as his disciples and advised him.

Among the many diners, there was a man named Chen Chunzu, who was upright and very proud, different from others, so other diners tried their best to exclude him, even Jia Sidao's family didn't like him very much.

One day, someone secretly hid the shoes of one of Jia Sidao's favorite concubines under Chen Chunzu's bed, intending to take the opportunity to frame the two of them.Jia Sidao found his concubine's shoes in Chen Chunzu's room, but instead of getting angry immediately, he retreated calmly.

That night, Jia Sidao called his concubine to him, whispered a few words in her ear, and then she went to Chen Chunzu's room and stopped, knocking on the door lightly.Chen Chunzu was reading a book under the lamp, when he heard the knock on the door, he put down the book and asked, "Who is it? What's the matter?"

She said softly: "It's me. I have nothing to do tonight. I want to come and sit with you sir. I think you are willing, sir."

Chen Chunzu is a very upright person. He recognized the voice of Jia Sidao's concubine, and quickly replied: "Madam, it's getting late and I've gone to bed. Please go back." She teased Chen Chunzu again with words, Chen Chunzu didn't say a word and ignored it.The two sides held each other for a while, and when Chen Chunzu saw that she hadn't left, he said angrily: "Madam, although Wansheng is a guest, he will never do anything stealthy. Madam, please respect yourself, otherwise, Wansheng will report this matter to the Prime Minister. "

Seeing that Chen Chunzu had no other intentions, Jia Sidao, who was hiding nearby, dispelled the doubts in his heart.The next day, he asked a maid, and after learning the inside story, he valued Chen Chunzu even more.

In order to find out the truth of the matter and understand Chen Chunzu's real thoughts, Jia Sidao adopted the strategy of "throwing stones to ask for directions" and sent his concubine to try it out, and finally found out that Chen Chunzu had no wrong ideas.As for Chen Chunzu's own integrity, he was not afraid of any kind of test. As a result, both parties avoided a bad result.

We advocate that people should be open-minded and open-minded in doing things.Simple-minded people often judge others by themselves, and cannot imagine that others will use and plot against them.Such situations do exist in real life, and you must be vigilant and not leave any gaps for the other party to take advantage of.If you can maintain your own position and don't place too much value on those unrealistic interests, you won't be tempted by others to ruin your reputation.

Story [-]: Zuo Zongtang's principles of doing things
In the Qing Dynasty, Zuo Zongtang spent his whole life as a soldier, galloping in the north and south, and devoted himself to state affairs.In his later years, he was also called to serve as the center of the capital.The capital is a place where the power struggle is extremely fierce, especially Li Hongzhang has a lot of constraints on him, but Zuo Zongtang "does his duty when he is in position", and he still works day and night for state affairs.

Zuo Zongtang has always hated opium importation.After the Second Opium War, the Qing government was forced to accept the fact that the opium trade was "legalized" under the threat of powerful ships and guns from the Western powers.In order to reduce the trade loss caused by the import of opium and the outflow of silver, the Qing government negotiated with the British Minister to China in the seventh year of Tongzhi (1868) to increase the tax on imported opium by 20%.However, the issue of tax increase has not been realized because of the obstruction of opium merchants.

Zuo Zongtang hated the serious harm caused by opium to Chinese society. He proposed to increase tariffs to stop opium, which has positive significance for solving the long-standing problem of opium poisoning.However, he alone could not reverse the social situation at that time.In this regard, he can only feel sad and helpless.

Despite Zuo Zongtang's outstanding achievements during his administration in Beijing, he was rejected from the central government by his political opponents and transferred to the post of governor of Liangjiang.Not only did he not care too much about personal gains and losses, but he also tried his best to do more practical things. When he was the governor of Liangjiang, he devoted almost all his energy to strengthening the construction of coastal defense.

Zuo Zongtang is also very frugal in life, and his family education is very strict. He asked his relatives to "live in the supervisor's house, according to the size of the house, not to be contaminated with officialdom habits, young masters' ostentation, and keep everything simple."

Zuo Zongtang is a representative of integrity, patriotism, pragmatism, and courage in the history of our country. He is also a person with a sense of responsibility. He can "treat public affairs as his own." A manifestation of "great wisdom".

【The Heart of the Book of Changes】

There is an old saying: "One's life is upright and selfless, so why ask God to forgive you or not?" , to be able to obtain permanent auspiciousness and continuous wealth.

"Integrity is power." In a higher sense, this sentence is more appropriate than "knowledge is power."Spirit without soul, intelligence without deeds, and intelligence without good works have limited influence.Integrity is not only a quality that a person should have when dealing with the world, but also enables people to achieve their ideal goals.

Integrity means having the courage to stand up for what you believe in.This includes having the perseverance to stick to what you think is correct, and being able to calmly bear the blow or even persecution of yourself by what is wrong.When Martin Luther was executed, he said to his enemies: "It is neither safe nor prudent to do what is contrary to conscience. I still stand my ground, and God will Help me, I won't make another choice."

Integrity also means to voluntarily obey the moral norms that meet the requirements of society.In a sense, this is the core of integrity, no one forces you to demand yourself according to high standards, no one forces you to "dedicate yourself", and no one forces you to obey your conscience.An upright person can do this consciously, which makes him have great faith and strong strength.

The society is full of hope, and the reason is that people have an instinctive ability to identify and pursue integrity.

(End of this chapter)