Life is but a thought: Nan Huaijin's 15 Life Wisdom Lessons

Chapter 40 Live each day as if it were your last (1)
Doing nothing, but being able to make a difference
In life, one should contribute one's strength as much as possible to add a little glory to the world, instead of caring about fame and fortune, and complaining about others.

Mr. Nan Huaijin said: "The so-called 'doing nothing' is the principle of doing nothing but doing nothing. All actions should be like flowing water, doing what is right, what should be done, and what should be done."

In life, one should contribute one's strength as much as possible to add a little glory to the world, instead of caring about fame and fortune, and complaining about others.We can learn more about active and inactive actions from Lao Tzu's story of "Tooth and Tongue".

Confucius wholeheartedly asked Lao Tzu about "rituals", so he brought his disciples to Luoyang.

After seeing Lao Tzu, Confucius expressed his intention.Lao Tzu nodded and smiled.When Confucius and his disciples were about to listen carefully, they did not expect Lao Tzu to say: "What do you think of my teeth?"

Confucius master and apprentice, you look at me, and I look at you, and you feel baffled.Lao Tzu smiled without saying a word, then stuck out his tongue and said, "Then, take a look at my tongue again, what do you think?"

Confucius looked carefully at Lao Tzu's tongue again, and suddenly he had a flash of enlightenment, enlightened, and then smiled and said: "Mr.

After a few days, Confucius and his disciples bid farewell to Lao Tzu and got up to return to the State of Lu.Along the way, his disciple Zilu was full of doubts and could not let go.Seeing Zilu's sad face, Yan Hui asked why.

Zilu said: "We traveled all the way to Luoyang just to learn from Lao Tzu. Unexpectedly, he refused to teach us anything, only let us see his teeth and tongue, which is too rude." ?”

Yan Hui said with a smile: "Actually, it is worthwhile for us to come this time. Mr. Laozi told us great wisdom that we cannot learn from other places. He opened his mouth to let us see his teeth, telling us: although the teeth are hard, but After being rubbed up and down for a long time, it is inevitable that it will be incomplete. Then, he showed us his tongue, which means: Although the tongue is soft, it can overcome rigidity with softness, so it is still intact."

After hearing this, Zilu suddenly realized that the Tao is here.

Yan Hui continued: "It's like the flowing water on this road, it looks soft, but when faced with the rocks blocking the way, it can break through the mountains and rocks, and finally leave the rocks behind; although the wind passing through is nothing, But when it loses its temper, it can also knock down a tree and uproot it..."

After Confucius heard this, he praised him greatly: "Yan Hui really knows the whole leopard from a glimpse, and he can understand thousands of miles with a word!"

The teeth are gone, the tongue is still there, and only by doing nothing can we accomplish what we should do.There are many people in Chinese history, from emperors and generals to commoner hermits, who seem to have done nothing, but have achieved great achievements, because they are familiar with Lao Zhuang's way of life that "useless things are of great use".To contain all functions with a mind of nothingness, and to use everything for me is the real great use.Therefore, in life, we don't need to persistently pursue "promise" and "great use".

During the Three Kingdoms period, there were two famous advisers in the Cao Wei camp: Yang Xiu and Xun You.Yang Xiu is self-reliant and can always see what is on Cao Cao's mind and speak out, often making Cao Cao unable to step down.Although Cao Cao was stubborn on the surface, he actually hated him to the core.

Later, Cao Cao seized an opportunity and killed Yang Xiu on the charge of confusing the morale of the army.And what about Xun You?That is another result.Xun You is a wise man, and very strategic.His abilities are not only manifested in political and military struggles, but also in establishing a foothold and dealing with interpersonal relationships.He has been in power for more than 20 years, and he has calmly handled the complex relationship between up and down in the political vortex. In the extremely cruel personnel strife, his position has always been stable and invincible.Although Cao Cao is famous for his "love of talents", as a strong figure of the feudal ruling class, he also knows what kind of people are used by him and what kind of people cannot be used by him.Regarding Cao Cao's lack of hesitation and lack of mercy, how did Xun You survive in the world?

Once, Cao Cao commented on him like this: "Gong Da is stupid on the outside and wise on the inside, cowardly on the outside and brave on the inside, weak on the outside and strong on the inside, does not attack the good, does not work hard, is wise and stupid, although Yan Zi and Ning Wu cannot pass. "It can be seen that Xun You's wisdom is extraordinary.Facing the enemy and the people around him, he showed a completely different appearance of himself.In the face of the enemy, he took the lead bravely and was indomitable.But to Cao Cao, to his colleagues, he does not show his edge, does not compete, and always behaves very humble, weak or dull.Therefore, this is exactly why Xun You has been with Cao Cao for 20 years, and he can still have a harmonious relationship with him and is deeply trusted.

In the 19th year of Jian'an, Xun You died on his way to conquer Sun Quan.When Cao Cao learned about it, he wept bitterly, praised his character, and praised him as a humble gentleman and a perfect sage. , but can make a difference.This is just like some laws in the world, don't go to extremes, because it is easier to perish.Only by walking between the two extremes can we survive longer and start our own business.

Calmness is true

Ease is the inherent state of beings in nature.But for us, it is calmness to get rid of worldly distractions in our hearts, face life calmly and calmly, and realize the true meaning of happiness and joy in the impetuous and turbulent life.

Lao Tzu once said that if you want to live a fulfilling and leisurely life, you only need to remember two words - Xu Sheng.Xu means slow, and only the clear and meaningful "moving Xu Sheng" can be peaceful and endless.In this regard, Mr. Nan Huaijin emphasized that "the Xu Sheng of movement" is the law of life and doing things. Taoism requires people to do everything without being violent, chaotic or turbid, and everything is leisurely "Xu Sheng", with a calm attitude and a contented attitude.

In today's society, everyone is busy and exhausted, living in a fast-paced life, living a fast-food lifestyle, and has long forgotten the true meaning of life that "slowness is the truth".

"Zhuangzi · Autumn Water" has: "Swift fish travel calmly, which is the joy of fish." From this sentence, we can see that calmness is the state of natural creatures.But for us, it is calmness to get rid of worldly distractions in our hearts, face life calmly and calmly, and realize the true meaning of happiness and joy in the impetuous and turbulent life.

One day, a friend came to visit the old monk.When eating, the old monk only served one pickle.

The friend couldn't help asking him: "Isn't this too salty?"

The old monk replied calmly: "Salty has a salty taste."

After the meal, the old monk poured a glass of plain water to drink, and his friend asked again: "Is the plain water too bland? Is there no tea? How can you drink such bland water?"

The old monk smiled and said: "White water is light, but light has a taste of light."

In one's life, one needs to taste all kinds of flavors. The saltiness of pickles and the lightness of white water are like different situations and events encountered in life. Only by transcending the difference between salty and light can one truly taste the proper saltiness and the pureness of lightness to true.As a song says: "I used to ask repeatedly in the dark, only then did I know that it is true to be calm and calm."

The old monk perfectly interpreted the meaning of "Xu Sheng".Yes, people need to survive slowly, slowly appreciate the scenery along the way, and patiently savor the stories around them.Don't be in a hurry and hurry, this will only ignore the beautiful scenery.

Lei Ming is a well-known successful person. When his classmates were still struggling for their jobs, he already had his own world.

When someone was surprised by what he got, Lei Ming calmly said: "It's actually quite simple. The only way to get this calmness is to go out half an hour earlier every day."

When he first started working, like many people, he always felt that there was a lot of work at hand and he couldn't finish it. In order to complete his work, he had to use his spare time.Slowly, leisure activities are reduced, work is barely completed, and people are exhausted.

One day, his father couldn't help but said to him: "Can you try to go out half an hour earlier every day?"

He thought it was because his father couldn't bear to see him like this, so he asked him to leave early.So, he got angry and went out early.

When he got to the bus stop, he was surprised to find that there were so few people waiting for the bus and there were still empty seats.Compared with the usual situation of being too crowded and unable to find a place to stay, it is really much better.

In addition, there was no rush hour for work, and there was no traffic jam on the road, so I arrived at my destination soon.While sitting in the car, he sorted out his day's work, what to do first, and what to do next.After entering the office, his colleagues hadn't come yet. He stretched his hands and feet in the empty office, listened to some soothing music, and then threw himself into his work.

Half an hour passed, and he finished his usual work of more than an hour or even two hours.When his colleagues hurriedly clocked in and opened drawers in a hurry, he had already placed materials to be sorted out and made a cup of hot tea in front of him.In the following days, he would go out half an hour earlier every day, and then finish his work well.On weekends, he can also invite friends to have fun together.

Now, he understands what his father said. It turns out that these seemingly impatient words hide a philosophy!If you can exchange half an hour for a day of calmness, why not do it?

Slowly, Lei Ming's ability at work and time management ability gained the attention of his superiors, and he was promoted all the way until Lei Ming chose to resign and decided to go it alone.

Although he is now a successful person, he still insists on "going out half an hour early" and tells his subordinates this work trick.

So far, his company has been rated as one of the most efficient companies in the city for many times.

Maybe you didn't pay attention to this half an hour, but as long as you do it, I believe you will get different results.If you go out half an hour earlier, you can see the scenery that others can't see, and you can do things that you can't usually do.Just like Lei Ming, improve your work efficiency and improve yourself in the workplace.

It can be seen that "going out half an hour early" is not a kind of calmness in life, is it not a kind of free and easy mentality.Only in this way can our life or work be orderly and achieve true harmony.

Pampered
Saints and sages have always been lonely, but real celebrities are self-sufficient.Only when you are not surprised by favor or humiliation, and have no intention of leaving or leaving, can you have a peaceful mind, be contented, be optimistic and enterprising, and look at the situation with a smile.

Pet is a sign of pride.Humiliation is the code name for frustration.When a person achieves success and fame, he will be ecstatic, weep with joy, and even get carried away.If this person has the true cultivation of being indifferent to fame and wealth, he will have the calmness of "not being surprised by favor or humiliation".

Mr. Nan Huaijin once used Zhuge Liang's famous saying to urge us to understand the meaning of "not to be surprised by favor or shame": "A snobbish friend cannot go far. A friend who knows each other is warm without increasing, and cold without giving up. It lasts for four seasons without fading. Dangerous but solid."

Speaking of which, "Don't be surprised by favor or shame" also comes from a true story.

In ancient times, there was an official named Lu Chengqing, who was highly praised by the people because he was just and responsible.

Once, an official had an accident in which a grain ship capsized and should have been punished. Later, after thinking about it, he rated the official as "middle-lower" and notified himself.After the official who was punished knew the result, he didn't make any comments, nor did he show any expression of doubt.

Afterwards, he thought about it carefully: the sinking of the grain ship was not the result he wanted to see, and it was not his personal responsibility, nor could it be saved by his personal ability.Therefore, it is not appropriate to be rated as "lower middle".

Then, he revised the evaluation of the punished officials to "middle-medium" level, and notified the punished officials.The official still didn't express his opinion, nor did he look excited.

Seeing the official's reaction, Lu Chengqing praised the official greatly, and blurted out: "Okay, it's not surprising, it's rare and rare!" So, with a swipe of a pen, he changed the performance appraisal of the punished official to the "upper middle" grade.

Slowly, the story of "not to be surprised by favor or disgrace" spread, and it has been passed down to this day.

Nan Huaijin said: "In life, whether you are proud or frustrated, the crux of the realm of favor and disgrace is all because of pregnancy."

"Cai Gen Tan" said: "Don't be surprised by favors and disgraces, just watch the flowers bloom and fall in front of the court; stay and stay unintentionally, follow the clouds and clouds in the sky." Only by being a human being can you be "not surprised" by seeing favors and disgraces as ordinary as flowers blooming and falling; Depending on whether the position changes like clouds roll and clouds, it can be "unintentional". "Looking at the front of the court" has the meaning of "hiding in a small building to form a unified system, and caring about winter, summer and spring and autumn"; "Yunshu" also implies the lofty realm of "a man can bend and stretch".Regarding things and things, regarding fame and fortune, not worrying about losing and not happy about gaining, this is exactly "indifference to clear ambitions, tranquility to achieve long-term goals".

Saints and sages have always been lonely, but real celebrities are self-sufficient.Only when you are not surprised by favor or humiliation, and have no intention of leaving or leaving, can you have a peaceful mind, be contented, be optimistic and enterprising, and look at the situation with a smile.

Henry Kissinger was born in Führ, Germany in 1923 and is of Jewish descent. In 1938, he immigrated to the United States with his parents.When they arrive in the United States, Henry Kissinger and his family need to become like Americans, speak American words, and do what Americans should do.When you arrive in a new environment, you have to adapt to everything.

Sometimes, they will be looked down upon, bullied, and treated harshly by the locals.Henry Kissinger felt uncomfortable, why did he become like this... His parents also encountered obstacles everywhere due to work problems. The original accountant in the company had to send and receive newspapers here for a small amount of remuneration.

Despite such a blow and misfortune, my mother has always maintained a normal heart, and she can still maintain a positive attitude as usual.She always said to Henry Kissinger: "Children, these misfortunes are nothing. This is God's arrangement. We must not lose our faith in life, and don't ask God to give us great happiness."

Perhaps due to the influence of his parents, Henry Kissinger began to change his attitude towards life and towards others.Unexpectedly, his transformation actually won him a friend.It was unbelievable that he felt kindness for the first time in a country where he didn't understand the language.

To put it simply, "not to be surprised by favor or shame" is a "normal heart".Just like the mother in the story, despite suffering such a big blow and misfortune, the mother always maintains a normal heart and can still maintain a positive attitude as usual.

The so-called normal mind does not mean that we only want to succeed and refuse to fail.It's not about only wanting the good side and rejecting the bad side.A normal mind is to take success and failure as ordinary.

A writer once said: "Buddhist classics and Zen masters' understanding often refer to the state of the heart as 'heart water'. Water is inclusive. No matter what state it is contained in, it will be in a state of harmony and unity with the container. "Water can contain everything and be contained by everything, but isn't an inclusive heart like soft water?

In short, whether in life or work, we all need a sense of normalcy.A person who is not surprised by favor or humiliation can see things more clearly.

Things are impermanent, why hold on tight

The world is impermanent. When we really can't grasp something, we choose to let go, accept this reality with a calm mind, and then cherish what we have around us.In this way, there will be less regret.

Everything is changing, and nothing is permanent.That is to say, when we are gaining, we may be losing, and when we are losing, we may be gaining.Someone once said: "No matter what has happened or is happening, it has its own reason and cause and effect."

(End of this chapter)