The Complete Collection of Ice Books

Chapter 7 God's Bone (6)
Translation
To examine whether a person is treacherous or loyal, one should first look at his demeanor in both dynamic and static states.The eyes are in a static state, that is, when there is nothing to see, the eyes are serene, steady and bright, with true feelings inside, like two bright pearls, hidden but not exposed; the eyes are in a moving state, that is, they are in the state of observing things and people. At the moment, the eyes are calm, agile and sharp, and the eyes are like new buds drawn from spring trees, full of vigor and vitality.The eyes are static, clear and clear, as if there is no one else present; the eyes are dynamic, with murderous intentions hidden inside, and sharp edges exposed, as if aiming at the target, hitting the target, and then firing.The above two expressions are clear and transparent, which belong to the pure state of mind.When the eyes are static, the gaze is like the light of fireflies, weak and flickering; when the eyes are dynamic, the gaze is like flowing water, clear but erratic.The above two kinds of gazes, one is an expression that is good at disguising, and the other is an expression that hides treacherous intentions.When the eyes are static, the eyes seem to be sleeping but not sleeping, awake and not awake; when the eyes are moving, the eyes are like frightened deer, showing panic.The above two kinds of eyes, one is the expression of wisdom and ability but does not follow the righteous way, and the other is the expression of deep planning but afraid that others will peep into his heart.People with these two expressions are mostly flawed people, and those with the latter two expressions are people who are silent.The expressions above are all treacherous expressions, but this kind of expression is often mixed with the clear expression, which must be carefully distinguished when observing people.

Interpretation
To investigate evil and righteousness in the Qing Dynasty, we must start from two aspects: dynamic and static.Movement refers to dynamics, the state and function of movement changes.Static refers to a static state, a relatively stable state and situation.

Movement and stillness are not only a group of important philosophical concepts, but also used frequently in ancient philosophy.In philosophy, movement and stillness are opposite dynamic terms, and the combination of movement and stillness is a dialectical spirit and method for observing, analyzing and solving problems amidst the movement and changes of things.The combination of dynamic and static is often used for overall synthesis and analysis, which can avoid mechanization and simplification.Paying attention to the combination of movement and stillness is a prominent feature of ancient Chinese philosophical methodology, which has certain dialectical thinking and scientific nature.This is a feature that the traditional mystical culture school does not have.If we only judge things from the unilateral aspect of "movement" or "quietness", we will inevitably be biased and go to the side of isolated and static metaphysics.The combination of movement and stillness can improve the accuracy of judgment.

Zeng Guofan is good at recognizing people and employing talents. Quite a few general judgments are static judgments, such as "Xiang has a flat head, round forehead and square forehead, and the master is rich and honored early." , such as "If the qi is turbid and the spirit is dry, he must be a poor man."If you meet a person who is "high-powered in the six houses" and "turbid and dry", you will only be "must be poor", not "rich all your life".And such as "the eyes are dull, the bridge of the nose is high and the life is quick", it is a combination of the two.There is also a difference between movement and stillness in human behavior, posture, and posture, such as "the eyes are dull, and the nose is high, and the life is also short". ", it can only be said that "fate is also promoted".The above two judgments are sometimes made by comparison.

This is the principle of carefully analyzing the relationship between clearness and turbidity and movement and stillness.

Since "movement" and "quietness" are the state of the movement and change of things, the truth and essence of things are most likely to be revealed and presented in movement, especially at some important junctures, which can most reveal people's sincerity. This is "movement".But if the movement is too fast and it is difficult to understand its essence, it is necessary to observe "quietness". Although "quiet" is a stable state, this kind of stability is relative. It is in the first and subsequent two "movements". In the process of change, it is only a link in the process of movement.This process from "moving" to "still" and then to "moving" and from "still" to "moving" and then to "still" is exactly the way to discover things from the two states of "moving" and "still". The best period for essence and truth.Therefore, the combination of "movement" and "quietness" can see the truth and essence of things more clearly.

"Moving" here refers to the state when the eyes are looking at people and things;Where there is movement, there must be stillness, and after stillness, there must be movement. They are mutually coherent.

Zeng Guofan proposed two groups of movement and stillness: stillness is like pearls, movement is like water; stillness is like no one, and movement is like going.This is a series of positive words, the "movement" and "quietness" of "clarification to the end", accompanied by such words as the same, clean and pure.

"Quiet like pearls", the eyes are quiet, and when they are not looking at things, they are like pearls inlaid in the eyelids, resplendent and crystal-clear, and the beautiful brilliance is deeply contained in the eyes, like a pool of autumn water, but hidden The movement of overflowing light and brilliance is contained but not exposed, and the brilliance is contained, quiet and dazzling.This is the dignified state when the mind is peaceful and steady, and the heart is selfless.

"Moving like water", when the eyes are observing things, they are like the first waves of spring water, shining brightly, gracefully and beautifully; like a bay of flowing autumn waves, the water surface is shining, refreshing, and beautiful. .This is the sharp and pure state of God. (In some manuscripts, this sentence is written as "moving like wood hair", which means that the hair grows like a spring tree. The tree is nourished by water, and it grows in spring, and the essence stored in the winter turns into new buds. Watching people and things, the essence in the eyes Flowing, like a beautiful tree spewing out spring, new buds are self-cleaning, full of vitality, the original meaning is the same.)
"Quiet as if there is no one else", when the eyes are not looking at things, it is peaceful and natural, quiet as a virgin, with no distracting thoughts in the heart, and it is as natural and peaceful as if there is no one around you and you are alone.Just like the orchid in the empty valley, although it is silent, it has noble ambition and peaceful fun. It reminds people of a poem by Wei Yingwu in the Tang Dynasty: "Wild crossing without a boat." The deeper state of this sentence is that when you are quiet, Like an old monk in samadhi, he is not moved by external objects at all.Its shape is peaceful and natural, with no distracting thoughts in mind.

"Moving as if going", when the eyes turn from "quiet as if there is no one" to looking at external objects, the eyes are sharp, sharp, and the momentum is like a strong arrow, flying away, straight to the bull's-eye, but the sharpness is hidden , not domineering, not angry but majestic, murderous intentions are hidden but not sharp, prestige is comfortable, hiding the aura of a king.

Whether it is the integrity of the nature or the absence of distracting thoughts, it is a manifestation of the same appearance and the inside, unshakable persistence, and unhindered movement and stillness, so it is called "clarifying to the end".The above two groups of dynamic and static states are manifestations of a clear mind, pure and uncluttered.This kind of person is always the same no matter whether he is in motion or in front of others, whether in adversity or adversity, and always maintains an upright and pure character, showing his integrity to the world.However, if you look carefully, there are also differences here.The first group of dynamic and static states is relatively gentle, such as light and flowing water, corresponding to daily behavior; the second group of dynamic and static states has a large contrast, which is a more intense state, corresponding to critical moments.In front of the enemy, if you can't be surprisingly calm, it will be difficult to judge the situation soberly and correctly; if you can't act quickly when you make a decision, you will lose the opportunity and the time will never come.

On a deeper level of understanding, the realm of "quiet like pearls, moving like water" seems to be better than the realm of "quiet like no one, moving like going", because the former is quiet and gentle, with a state of virtue and moderation, which belongs to The state of sages and sages of great philosophers and great wisdom is the air of kings; the latter belongs to the state of heroes with both wisdom and courage, and the state of being arrogant and domineering is the air of dominance.The boundary between sages and heroes lies here.To identify the talents of the pillars, it seems that the nuances of talents should be found here.

The above is the state of being completely clear and dignified.

Evil is also traced in the clear, so it is not easy to distinguish.Zeng Guofan listed several manifestations of evil: stillness is like a fluorescent light, movement is like flowing water;This is the "movement" and "quietness" that belong to the "hidden flow" and "defeat".Accompanied by some negative words, such as human face and animal heart, crooked ways, and so on.

"Quiet like a firefly", when the eyes are not looking at things, the eyes are shining like fireflies in the summer night.The light of fireflies is weak and flickering, and the environment of fireflies is mostly shady places such as trees and bushes. This feeling has a faint evil spirit.If there is such a look in a person's eyes, he often has other thoughts.

"Moving like running water", when the eyes are looking at things, although they are clear, they are erratic, like drifting water.This kind of person is smart, but lacks perseverance.Confucius said that "the benevolent enjoys mountains, the wise enjoys water", and the characteristics of water are related to wise men.But the difference between righteousness and evil is that one "moves like water" and the other "moves like flowing water". The difference lies in the fact that a person with a righteous spirit and a magnanimous mind has clear and deep eyes, and a person with evil thoughts has clear but wandering eyes. Things drifted.

"Quiet as if half asleep", when you are quiet, your eyes are half open and half closed, like sleeping but not sleeping.This state has the function of killing two birds with one stone. It can not only peep at the movement around you, but also keep silent, so that you can rest your mind and do things.This kind of person is ambitious, wants to grasp all good things in his hands, and cannot be single-minded. He is essentially treacherous, that is, a person who is "smart and lustful".

"Moving like a frightened deer", when the eyes move, they are as anxious as a frightened deer.When you think about it in conjunction with "quiet and half asleep", you will understand: you are resting in a half-asleep and half-awake state, but you are thinking about cleverness, afraid of being seen through by others, and also afraid of missing good things outside. If you want to see what's going on, it looks like a frightened deer that looks up and looks around from time to time while wanting to eat grass and being wary of beasts at the same time.

These two sentences mean: It is difficult for a person with flawed conduct to hide his inner panic, so when he looks at him intently, his eyes will flicker like summer fluorescent lights, and it is difficult to concentrate for a long time.When he expresses his views to others, because of his inconsistency, uncertainty, guilt or fear of being found out by others, his eyes dare not look at others, and he keeps looking around, looking for something that can make him feel at ease. When the target comes, the eyes will flicker like flowing water, and the flow is erratic.

"Think deeply without talents", have high intelligence, but unknowingly deviate from the right path, and have other thoughts, can't be consistent, like to see differences and change, lack loyalty.This type of person is a very scheming person.Because the city is deep and refuses to show people its true colors, when communicating with it, it is found that its eyes are often half-opened and half-closed, sometimes opened and sometimes closed, and the light that occasionally shines out of them often contains cunning, conceit, contempt, and suspicion. and other complex genealogy.When you suddenly mention a key question and pull him back from the half-thought state, he will panic like a frightened moose.Such eyes are listening, thinking, suspicious, and secretly calculating eyes, which are very worthy of attention.Such people have high intelligence, but their intellect has not been used on the right path, they are also the so-called "deep thinking without talent".

Comparing the above two groups of dynamic and static states, it can be roughly distinguished as, "quiet like fluorescent lights, moving like flowing water, sharp and promiscuous" is a person of small wisdom and treachery, with a treacherous heart but a pretense, always drifting Traces can be found, so that there will be no serious problems; "quiet like half asleep, moving like a deer, thinking deeply without talent", is easy to be confused with dignified and heavy, and "moving like a deer" may also be related to vigorous and resolute and capable, which is not the same as deliberate It's different to cover up, it's almost like an antelope hanging horns, and there is no trace to be found.This kind of wise and treacherous person can hold his breath and will not attack until the time is right. He usually looks dignified and upright (and he doesn't need to hide it), which is very deceptive.For example, Wang Mang and Qin Hui in history.Needless to say, their intelligence and ability, if their fame and deeds are spread all over the world, and their lives are stopped before their true nature is revealed, maybe they will really be famous forever.

Those who have flaws in conduct are called "failures"; those who think deeply about other talents are called "hidden currents".Judging from the clearness of the facial features, both of them may be upright and handsome, and their minds must be smart, but their obscene and cunning eyes are hard to hide. The basis of "loser" is still "tool", which is good in nature, but it's just that the acquired character is bad, and there is a sense of self-ashamedness, so the eyes flicker.Such a person can be properly vigilant in order to correct.If there is a lack of character and no remorse, it is not good in nature, that is, "not a weapon", no matter what.As for "Yinliu", he is a person of great wisdom and treachery, and his evil intentions are hidden deep in his heart, so he is called "Yinliu", which means that there is no trace to be found. Most of the "hidden stream" people are ambitious and waiting for opportunities. They may not be able to be alerted by words, so they should not have a deep friendship with them;From this point of view, utensils are inferior, because there are traces to be found; concealment is superior, because there are no traces to rely on, and it is even more difficult to identify.

"The traces of Junzhi are in the Qing Dynasty, so we must distinguish them."The two kinds of traitors are both placed in "clearness": the defeated weapon is placed in "quiet like light, moving like running water", and the hidden current is placed in "quiet like half asleep, moving like a frightened deer". Appearing in the face of "Qing", it is difficult to distinguish, so Zeng Guofan reminded "evil and righteous" that "the traces of both are in Qing, but they must be distinguished."

After careful analysis, the "movement" and "quietness" of "clarification to the end" are "positive"; the "movement" and "quietness" of "hidden flow" and "defeat" are "evil".The contrast between one good and one evil lies in the fact that when the spirit is clear, it is determined, and when the spirit is clear, it is floating.

Utilize the world
Great virtuous and loyal people usually do not show the slightest sharpness, their energy is restrained, and they are ordinary people. Once they act, they are as quick as a rabbit, swift and quick, and succeed in one fell swoop.A wise and treacherous person hides a deep evil heart, but does not show his sharpness outside, and wins a good reputation, but there is always worry that people will see through his heart, so there will be traces to be found.

Bai Juyi, a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem "Distinguishing Talents", in which there is a sentence: "Xiang Shi died at the beginning, who knows if his body is true or not?" Who can tell the truth from the fake?
Wang Mang (45 B.C.-23 A.D.), courtesy name Chenjun, Han nationality, was born in Yuancheng, Wei County, the founder of the new dynasty, and reigned from 8 A.D. to 23 A.D.

In history, Wang Mang was a treacherous person who monopolized power and usurped the throne, but in terms of his own talent and courage, he was actually an extremely rare talent at that time.If he did not usurp the superior position, did not show his true nature, and continued to work diligently and faithfully and live a frugal life as before he won the power of the government, he might become a Zhou formula figure who will last forever.

Wang Mang's aunt was the Empress Empress. When she became emperor, the Wang family was very prominent.Because Wang Mang's father, Wang Man, died too early, he did not have time to become a marquis, leaving orphans and widows, and was excluded and neglected by his tribe, which caused great psychological pressure on Wang Mang. This may be his rebellious character to usurp the upper hand in the future the original reason.

After Wang Mang was a little sensible, he studied hard, was respectful, thrifty and modest, self-denial and self-cultivation. He not only respected his elders, but also made friends with some social celebrities.He gradually appeared in front of his tribe as a progressive young man who was humble, respectful, frugal, and not interested in pleasure. He was dressed in the standard Confucian style, and he was not only extremely filial to his mother and elders (at that time, filial piety to parents and teachers was the greatest virtue, and many people became officials because of this) , and heroic, won the praise of the people at that time.Wang Mang's uncle, Da Sima Wang Feng, was seriously ill. The Wang family only knew how to enjoy feasting and traveling.After a few months, Wang Feng recovered from his illness, but Wang Mang was unkempt and haggard. Wang Feng was so moved that he sighed: It is better to have Wang Mang than to have a son.Before Wang Feng died, he entrusted his sister (who was now the empress dowager) and the emperor to promote Wang Mang. Da Sikong and some celebrities in the world also praised Wang Mang's character, so Wang Mang was named the new capital.

After he became a Marquis, Wang Mang still kept his style of being honest and respectful, he didn't dare to be sloppy or complacent in front of others, but secretly he began to enjoy himself.He once bought a beautiful servant girl in private, but his cousin accidentally ran into him. Wang Mang said to him: "The general Zhu Ziyuan has no sons. The person who looks at him said that this woman is suitable for giving birth to a beautiful child, so he offered to help General Zhu." I bought it back." At that time, he sent the slave to Zhu Ziyuan's residence.

Wang Mang's uncle, Wang Gen, assisted the government for several years, but due to poor health, he applied to the Empress Dowager for retirement.Another minister, Chun Yuchang, first had an affair with Empress Xu's sister, then married her as a concubine, colluded with Empress Xu internally and externally, and gradually gained the favor of the emperor Han Pingdi.Wang Mang said to Wang Gen: "Chunyu Chang wants to replace you, and he is discussing a solution with his subordinates." Wang Gen became very angry and asked Wang Mang to report Chunyu Chang's conspiracy to the Empress Dowager.Because the Queen Mother was dissatisfied with Queen Xu, she took the opportunity to relegate Chunyu Chang.

Because of this report on the traitor, Wang Mang replaced Wang Gen as Da Sima at the age of 38.He pays more attention to his image and reputation.His mother was ill, and other ministers sent their wives to visit.A woman dressed in rough clothes and not much different from ordinary servants came out to meet them.Those wives had heard that Wang Mang's household life was relatively simple before, and they didn't take it seriously. When the woman claimed to be Wang Mang's wife, all the wives were shocked and their eyes were as big as copper bells.Later generations read history and know that this was Wang Mang's act of concealing his true purpose, but many people at that time were confused by Wang Mang's loyalty and cleanliness, and their praises were like flowers.

Only Peng Xuan, who was newly promoted to the position of Sikong, saw Wang Mang and quietly said to his elder son: "Wang Mang has an evil spirit in his spirit, and he may do bad things after he has enough power. I don't want to be attached to him. I am not an official now. Do it." So he wrote a letter saying that he was "dizzy and forgetful, begging for bones to return to his hometown".Using the "god" that identifies talents to analyze, "shen is clear and bright" means that people are smart and show off, and they will not be ordinary people;Wang Mang may also have felt that Peng Xuan had seen something, but he couldn't get a handle on it, so he had to agree bitterly, but he refused to reward the pension.Peng Xuan died a few years after returning to his hometown.

Later generations read the history and know that Wang Mang pretended to hide his greater ambitions, but people at that time were indeed confused by Wang Mang's appearance of humility, thrift, self-denial and diligence.It wasn't until after Wang Mang took power and usurped the throne that his treachery and hypocrisy were exposed to the world, which proved that Peng Xuan's vision of knowing people was indeed very good.

If Wang Mang died when he was just becoming famous and popular, future generations would always respect him as a sage.If before Wang Mang gained power, those in power could find out that he was treacherous and take measures against him, perhaps history would have been rewritten.

Since the eyes have the function of "windows to the soul", people often start with the eyes to distinguish "voicing" and "evil and righteous".So how to grasp people's personality and inner activities in daily life, is there any rule to follow?Here are a few ways to recognize people through their eyes:
(End of this chapter)