The wisdom of I Ching

Chapter 83 Be Pragmatic in Doing Things——Really Blessed, Ji Dalai
【Original Code】

In the Ninth Five-Year Plan, the killing of cattle by the neighbors in the east is not as good as the offering sacrifices to the neighbors in the west.

"Xiang" said: "It is not as good as when the neighbors in the west kill cattle in the east."If you are really blessed by it, you will be lucky.

—— "Book of Changes Ji Ji"

【Interpretation】

Hexagram Nine and Five Lines in "Ji Ji" says: The neighbors in the east hold grand sacrifices by killing cattle, but it is not as good as the neighbors in the west who hold relatively simple sacrifices and get practical blessings.

"Xiang Zhuan" said: The neighbors in the east kill cattle and hold sacrifices, which is not as good as the neighbors in the west.When the cattle are slaughtered in the east, the gods cannot have meat to eat immediately. It is not as good as the sacrifices being held in the west, where there are a large number of ready-made offerings, which can be enjoyed immediately.

In life, we must be pragmatic, do ready-made things and get quick returns, and do less things that are not mature.People who are not pragmatic think that they can "empty hands and white wolves", but the result can only be that they are eaten by wolves.In the same way, an arrogant person will not achieve great success in the end, because he spends his energy on those external things.Only by concentrating on the things in front of you and being pragmatic can you fly from low to high.A pragmatic attitude in doing things is the best foundation for Shunda in life.

【Category】

Story [-]: Bu Tianzhang thinks about the people

Bu Tianzhang was born in Luoyang (now Henan) in the Yuan Dynasty.He was intelligent since he was a child, and when he grew up, he became self-reliant with integrity. He studied the history of books and understood the general principles of success and failure.In the first year of the Yuan Dynasty, he served as a government official in Henan. At that time, there were tens of thousands of hungry people in the north of the Yellow River. They gathered on the bank of the Yellow River and planned to migrate to the south. After accepting his opinion, nothing happened.

In the fourth year of Dade, Bu Tianzhang was appointed as the head of the Ministry of Industry.Liu Shuai of Weizhou seized other people's property arbitrarily, and the officials dared not deal with it. The Ministry of Zhongshu sent Bu Tianzhang to make a decision.Bu Tianzhang quickly subdued Liu Shuai, and all the land he took back was returned to the people.

In the early years of Huangqing, Bu Tianzhang was appointed as the magistrate of Guide Prefecture, encouraging farming and persuading studies; repairing the river canals and avoiding the flood of the river.At that time, thieves gathered and occupied the main roads, and business travel was blocked.Bu Tianzhang caught hundreds of thieves and executed them all for public display, only then did the phenomenon of thieves subside.

Soon Bu Tianzhang was promoted to the deputy envoy of Zhejiang Lianfang, and he took office for several months.Because of his meritorious service in changing the land system, he was appointed as the general manager of Raozhou Road. After Bu Tianzhang took office, he allowed the people to report their own land properties, and he did not disturb the people in his administration. The people were happy and the territory was quiet and solemn.

In the second year of Tianli, a rebellion broke out in Shu, and the Jingchu area was greatly shaken.The imperial court also worshiped Bu Tianzhang as Shannan Lian's visiting envoy.People thought he was too old to take office.Bu Tianzhang said: "The country is in danger. Although I am eighty years old, I am often afraid that I will not die well. How can I escape difficulties!" So he stepped forward to take up the post.

After he took office, he rectified the weather, strictly governed officials, and the states and counties were stable and united.At that time, the price of goods was soaring, Bu Tianzhang ordered not to lower the price of goods, and allowed the people to buy and sell freely, which led to the traffic of merchants' vehicles and boats, and the price of rice fell quickly.He also left the money from Yushitai's fine treasury, which was no longer sent to Yushitai to help the hungry people. After Yushi arrived, the people gathered on the road to welcome him.

Bu Tianzhang was an official all his life, and he never engaged in formalism, but paid attention to reality and worked with sincerity. This is the most pragmatic style of work, which has won the love of the common people.In real life, we should also be pragmatic in doing things.Only being pragmatic will bring good luck to your life.

Story [-]: Yang Jizong was an upright official

Yang Jizong was one of the most upright officials in the Ming Dynasty.In the early years of Chenghua, the imperial court adopted Wang Ao's recommendation and promoted Yang Jizong to be the magistrate of Jiaxing.

When Yang Jizong took office, he had only one servant to accompany him, and the official office and study were also plain and unpretentious.He is upright and honest by nature, lonely and indifferent, and people dare not offend him.

However, he can often call the people in the countryside to inquire about their sufferings, help them solve practical problems, and vigorously set up social schools. If the folk children do not go to school when they are 8 years old, their fathers and brothers will be punished.Every time Yang Jizong met an academic officer, he treated him like a guest. The teachers and Confucian scholars in the mansion competed to persuade him to learn, and the culture and education flourished for a while.

The censor Kong Ru came to Jiaxing to clean up his military registration, and most of the old people in various villages were flogged to death by him.Yang Jizong posted a notice saying: "If anyone is punished to death by the censor's staff, come to the government office to report his name." Kong Ru was very angry.Yang Jizong went to visit him and said: "There must be certain rules in the way of governance. You only need to eliminate fraud and exhort and punish officials. It is the local government's business to conduct house-to-house inspections and assessments, not your Feng Xianguan's jurisdiction. "Kong Ru couldn't embarrass him, but he was deeply jealous.Before leaving, Kong Ru broke into the government office suddenly, opened Yang Jizong's suitcase and checked, there were only a few pieces of old clothes in it, Kong Ru left ashamed.

For the eunuchs who passed through Jiaxing, what Yang Jizong gave them was water chestnut, Gorgon fruit and almanacs.The eunuchs asked for money, and Yang Jizong immediately issued a public notice to collect the gold and silver in the treasury, and said: "The money is all there, please print a coupon for me." The eunuch was so frightened that he dared not accept it.

When Yang Jizong went to Beijing for an audience, Wang Zhi wanted to see him, but he refused.Ming Xianzong asked Wang Zhi: "Who is the most honest among the pilgrimage officials?" Wang Zhi replied: "There is only Yang Jizong who doesn't love money in the world."

After nine years of office, Yang Jizong was exceptionally promoted to be the procurator of Zhejiang.He offended the eunuch Zhang Qing many times. Zhang Qing's elder brother Zhang Min, who was in charge of ceremonies, often slandered Yang Jizong in front of Xianzong.Xianzong said: "Are you talking about Yang Jizong who doesn't want any money?" Zhang Min was frightened and wrote back to Zhang Qing: "Treat Yang Jizong well, the emperor already knows what he is."

To be an official is to be clean and honest, and to be serious and responsible in doing things. This is the most important thing for an official to do well.If these things are done well, the well-being of the common people can be realized, and the officials can win the love of the world.

Story [-]: Emperor Sui Yang is flashy and unreal

Emperor Sui Yang was a person who liked to pay attention to ostentation. In 607 (the third year of Sui Daye), Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty led 50 armored soldiers on a northern tour outside the Great Wall. In 609, he made a westward tour of Zhangye.When Emperor Yang of Sui's western inspection team arrived at Yanzhi Mountain, he ordered "Boya, Tutunshe, etc., and the 27 countries of the Western Regions to pay homage to Daozuo", and the welcome crowd wore gold and jade, burned incense and played music, and sang and danced.Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty ordered men and women in Wuwei and Zhangye to put on gorgeous clothes, gold and jade ornaments on their heads, sit in the best carriages, and line up to meet him.It can be said that it is mobilizing teachers and mobilizing people, laboring people and wasting money.

In 610, missions and business travelers from various ethnic groups in the Western Regions, admiring the prosperity of the Central Plains, came to Luoyang, the eastern capital.In order to show off himself, Emperor Sui Yang held a grand welcome party on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.On Duanmenwai Street in the imperial city, the theater was surrounded by [-] steps, a hundred theater buildings were built, and [-] musicians were recruited to perform plays day and night, and their reputations were heard for dozens of miles.After night fell, they continued to sing with lights and festoons.The [-]-play show, which cost a huge amount of money, lasted for half a month before it came to an end.

During this period, business travelers of various ethnic groups would go to Fengdu (ie Dongshi) for trade.Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty ordered the city to be rectified. All shops had to paint walls, painted doors and windows, and displayed new products. The shop assistants had to wear brocade clothes, and even small vegetable vendors had to use exquisite dragon beard mats on the floor.When businessmen from the Western Regions passed by wine and food shops, the shop owners gave them warm hospitality, free food and drink, and went out drunk.To show the prosperity of the Sui Dynasty.But the guests saw that this was an illusion, and some even pointed to the colorful silk wrapped around the trees in the market and asked: "There are also poor people in China, whose clothes don't cover their shape, why not give them this thing, why not wrap the tree?" "

In order to make the aliens fearful, Emperor Sui Yang continued to show off his force to them and generously rewarded his chiefs. In 607, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty visited Yulin and asked Yu Wenkai to build a tent that covered the sky. The tent could seat thousands of people and was filled with various precious utensils. A grand banquet was held to entertain the chiefs of Turkic, Khitan, Xi and other tribes. Seeing the surprised and joyful expressions of the leaders of the nomads, Emperor Sui Yang was satisfied and gave 2000 million pieces of brocade to the Turkic Qimin Khan.Outside Yulin Village, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty ordered Yu Wenkai to build the Guanfeng Temple and Marching City, and a palace and a big city were built on the ground overnight.The nomads thought it was a magical skill, and they were intimidated by it, and they knelt down and kowtowed ten miles away.Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty took advantage of the weakness of the uncivilized nation's underdeveloped economy and technology to satisfy his own vanity, and it can be said that he spared no expense.

Sui Yangdi's vanity and exaggeration not only failed to win the trust of all ethnic groups, but caused wars. In the autumn of 615, when he was on a tour outside the Great Wall again, he was suddenly attacked by hundreds of thousands of Turkic cavalry, and 41 of the 39 cities in Yanmen (now Dai County, Shanxi) were lost.Emperor Sui Yang was unable to escape and was besieged in Yanmen City.The Turks rushed to attack Yanmen, and shot their bows and arrows at the feet of Emperor Sui Yang. The mighty tyrant was so frightened that he was so frightened that he cried loudly while holding his youngest son, his eyes were swollen from crying.Thanks to the soldiers who fought hard to stick to it, they turned the crisis into safety.

The stupidity of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was that he thought that those luxurious decoration ceremonies could not only show the wealth and strength of the country he ruled, but also make the "guests" feel great satisfaction, but in fact they had the exact opposite effect.Because everything he has shown is both flashy and domineering, which will inevitably make people feel unhappy and disgusted from the bottom of their hearts.There are many such examples in history that are worthy of warning for our future generations.

【The Heart of the Book of Changes】

All those who achieve great things are pragmatic. They start with the things in front of them. Even though things are ordinary, they must do them well. This is a serious and responsible attitude.Moreover, they are all good at seizing opportunities, seizing opportunities on things that can best realize their value and can do better, and do it seriously, and finally achieve success.

Although things done with good intentions may not have good results, people can see the potential in them.Things have achieved great results, which must have the hard work of the person in charge.Don't think that other people's success is all due to luck. To do great things, you must have opportunities to promote it, but to do the things at hand best, you still need to put in a lot of hard work.

Instead of making a big fuss on the surface of things, it is better to do practical things down-to-earth.Do less formalism and do more practical things, this is the rule of success for the world.People who have the least reason to be proud tend to be the most proud. They say everything in a miraculous way, and they actually want to win the applause of others. The result can only be contempt by the knowledgeable, which makes people laugh out loud.

Some people seek fame like beggars begging for food, or accumulate honor like ants storing food.Even if you have great talent, you should try to avoid that obvious vanity.Do what belongs to you with peace of mind and let others say it.Credit can be discarded as much as possible, and it must not be sold for a price.Don't be exaggerated, vain, unnatural, and ridiculed.People who work hard may be laughed at as fools, but they will eventually get more than people who play smart.

(End of this chapter)