plain book

Chapter 17 Interpretation of Plain Books (15)
During the Warring States period, the world was in chaos. Anyone with great ambitions in society gave up their wealth to support scholars, so a huge class of "eaters" emerged. Lord Mengchang raised [-] eaters, and anyone who had a skill was accepted as a disciple.Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms wanted to unify the world, so he had the famous "Order of Seeking Talents" in history.It is better to plan for people than to plan for things.

[Original] All the generals and scholars of the country return.

The note said: "Zhao Shaming Du, the old master returned by facing the river."

【Interpretation】In the process of a country's rise, it presents a new look everywhere, which has a strong attraction, and people with knowledge come to serve one after another.Popularity is an important criterion for judging a business or an enterprise.At the beginning of the founding of the former Soviet Union, overseas expatriates sold their foreign assets and moved their families back. Some even dismantled the entire factory and shipped it back to China.

In modern China, there were also two grand occasions of "all scholars returning": one was in the early days of liberation, when the People's Republic of China was established, and overseas scholars returned in large numbers, because they saw the rise of a great country, and many of the heroes of the two bombs and one satellite , all returned to China at that time; once again, since the reform and opening up, overseas students have returned on a large scale again, making the term "returnee" a unique Chinese vocabulary.

Back then Confucius wanted to go to Jin to realize his political ideals. When he and his disciples reached the Yellow River on the border of Jin, they heard that Zhao Jianzi had killed Mingdu, a wise doctor who assisted him, so he canceled his plan to join Zhao Jianzi.why?Because Confucius could not see the hope of the future of Jin from this matter, he chose to avoid it.

[Original] The state will avoid the dead first.

The note said: "If Weizi went to Shang, Zhongni went to Lu."

【Interpretation】There is an old Chinese saying: "A sage has no place to die, and a wise man has no trouble." A sage is good at observing the current situation. When a country or a company shows signs of decline, they will stay away from dangerous places and not put themselves in trouble. .Because at this time, even if the talents and virtues are outstanding, there is no place to display them, and only villains can be in charge.

Confucius once said: "A wise and moral person should first avoid turbulent times, secondly avoid troubled and dangerous areas, thirdly avoid the temptation of pornography, and finally avoid places where rumors are rife. A gentleman does not walk in dangerous places."

These two sentences in "Sushu" are to observe the environment from the flow of talents and judge the future of a career, so as to better choose your own destination.

【Original】Where the land is thin, no large things can be produced; if the land is small and shallow, big fish will not swim; if the trees are bare, large birds will not live; if the forest is sparse, large animals will not live.

The note said: "These four are based on the fact that if a person is shallow, he will have no morality; if the country is shallow, there will be no loyalty and virtuousness." Wang said: "The land is not thick, and everything cannot grow; the ditches are shallow and narrow, and it is difficult to swim in the whale. The king Narrow measures do not allow honesty and loyalty; if you don't meet the Lord of Ming, how can you be willing to devote yourself to the court.

Gaowu lives in the forest, avoids harm and seeks peace; a wise minister chooses the master and assists, and becomes famous after doing things.If the tree has no branches and leaves, it will be difficult for big birds to nest; if the forest is sparse, tigers and wolves will not live there.The king's ambition is not broad, benevolence and righteousness are not broad, and those who are wise and resourceful will not help each other. "

[Interpretation] If the land is barren, no large plants will grow, and there will never be towering trees in the desert; if the river is shallow and the water is scarce, there will be no big fish swimming, and there will only be small shrimps in the trickle; bare No matter how tall the tree is, goshawks will not roost there; ligers and other ferocious beasts will choose high grass and dense forests to roost.

"Su Shu" uses natural phenomena to explain the causal relationship between success and failure, and the causal relationship between talents and careers.The higher the ambition, the greater the cause.Back then, if Liu Bei only wanted to keep his wife and children rich, would Guan and Zhang be sworn brothers with him to conspire with him?Can Zhuge Liang come out to help him create the Three Kingdoms?Only great ambitions can attract talents from all over the world to create a great cause together.If the water is shallow, the big fish will not swim, and the thieves will only run rampant in the countryside.

[Original] The steep mountain collapses, and the flood overflows.

The note said: "These two are the precepts of being too high and too full."

Wang said: "The mountain is high and steep, but its roots are not strong, and it will surely collapse. The king occupies a high position and controls the world. He cannot practice benevolence in administration, and without the help of virtuous people, he will lose the country and die in the future.

Ponds are shallow and small, and they must not have the size of rivers and seas; ditches are narrow and narrow, and cannot accommodate many streams.The king is not generous in governing the country, and his kindness is not wide, so it is difficult to achieve great things. "

【Interpretation】The steeper the mountain, the easier it is to collapse; the lake exceeds its capacity, and it will overflow.To be a person and do things, you must always have a degree, to be deliberate and perfect, or to get carried away with complacency, which is often superfluous and counterproductive.Laozi once said: "If you hold it sharp, you can't keep it forever." The knife is already sharp, but it needs to be sharper. As a result, the knife is sharpened to be thin and sharp, and it will break when touched. The original sharpness will disappear in an instant. lost.

There is a statue of Balzac in a museum in France, the author is the famous sculptor Rodin.It's a pity that this statue has no hands. It turns out that there is another story in it.After the statue was completed, Rodin invited his students to come and admire it.After the first student saw the statue, he uttered a heartfelt admiration: "Ah! Look, how perfect Balzac's hands are!" Then the second and third students gave great praise to the hands of the statue. good review.Rodin was very angry. He said to the students: "These hands are too perfect. They have an independent life and no longer belong to the whole statue. Their existence can only destroy the overall effect, but cannot add color to the whole. They must be removed." So Rodin He himself cut off the statue's hands.

The real perfection is all-inclusive, which is the golden mean of Confucius. "Book of Changes" said: "All things are bent and never left behind." Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching" also said: "Curve is perfect, crooked is straight." It means that everything in the world is crooked, and perfect things are also crooked. Only what is curved can possibly develop.Therefore, circular structures can be seen everywhere in Chinese culture, 64 hexagrams can form a circle, and even Chinese philosophy can be condensed into a Tai Chi diagram.

"The song is complete" is the great wisdom unique to the Chinese people. Only by taking some detours can we finally achieve our goal.Therefore, the ancients put forward: "Wise and broad wisdom, guard against stupidity; rich in knowledge and debate, guard with frugality; armed with bravery, guard with fear; rich and powerful, guard with narrowness; be virtuous to the world, guard with concession."

[Original] Those who abandon jade and take stones are blind.

The note says: "With eyes is the same as without eyes."

Wang said: "Although you have the heart to value treasures, you can't sort jade and stones; but you have the ambition of others, and you don't have the wisdom to distinguish the wise from the foolish. A merchant looking for treasures, abandoning beautiful jade and taking stubborn stones, wastes his strength in vain, and does not make his family rich. When a king asks for scholars, he uses slanderers far away from the virtuous and virtuous; he wastes his money in vain, which is not good for the country. You can't distinguish between virtuous and foolish, and you can't distinguish between jade and stone; although you have eyes, you are blind."

【Interpretation】People who "abandon jade and take stone" are either fools or blind.In fact, this kind of thing often happens around us, and almost everyone has made such a stupid choice.For example, we often fight endlessly for things outside of us, but we lose many things because of this, such as family affection, our leisurely mood, and even health.

"Zhuangzi" records an incident: "Han and Wei are fighting to invade the land. Zi Huazi saw Zhao Xihou, and Zhao Xihou was worried. Zi Huazi said: 'Today the world's books are inscribed before the king, and the words of the book Said: If you grab it with your left hand, your right hand will be useless; if you grab it with your right hand, your left hand will be useless. However, whoever grabs it will rule the world. Can you grab it?' Marquis Zhaoxi said: 'I don't want to grab it.' Zihuazi said: 'Very Good! Just look at it, two arms are more important than the world, and the body is also more important than two arms.'”

There was a territorial dispute between South Korea and Wei, and South Korea's Zhao Xihou was very troubled by it.One day, Zihuazi went to see Marquis Zhaoxi, and saw that he was worried, so Zihuazi said to Junhou, "Now let's write down the word "World" and put it in front of you. You can own the world, but if you hold it with your left hand, your right hand will be crippled, and if you hold it with your right hand, your left hand will be crippled.Would you like to hold it in your hand?Marquis Zhao Xi said: I don't want to lose my arms for it.Zihuazi said: That's right!In this way, your arms are more important than the world, and your own body is more important than your arms.

[Original] Sheep and tiger skin are soft.

The note said: "There is an exterior but no interior, which is the same as no exterior."

Wang said: "The sheep wear the skin of a big worm, pretending to be a tiger, and eat grass when it encounters grass; but like a tiger, it does not change the nature of the sheep. People rely on the power of the government to exert power over the people; they are greedy when they see profits. Even if you look like a gentleman, don't change the villain's deeds. Sheep eat their grass and forget to wear tiger skins. People are greedy for their profits, abolishing the laws of the government, seeing through deceitful deeds, and accepting their misfortunes, they will definitely hurt themselves , Humiliation."

【Interpretation】A sheep in tiger skin can never become a tiger.Those who bully others, those who pretend to be powerful, will never become heroes.The true strength of a person lies in the heart, and it is an attitude of humility.Lao Tzu has repeatedly explained a truth: only its weakness makes it strong.

Which animal is the strongest on land?People will definitely say it is a tiger, and some people say that they are "the king of beasts".In fact, this is wrong, completely out of human subjective bias.Among land animals, the most powerful is the elephant.They do not have the speed and sharp claws of tigers, and they feed on the most inconspicuous grass and leaves in the food chain every day, but the size and lifespan of elephants are far longer than those of carnivorous animals.What fish is the biggest in the ocean?It's a whale shark.They feed on the lowest zooplankton in the ocean every day and live a life of clear soup and few vegetables, but they are more than ten times larger than carnivorous sharks.

Therefore, the real strength seems to be weak.In nature, on the surface, water is the weakest and rock is the strongest.However, when we stand in the Grand Canyon of the Yarlung Zangbo River in China, or the Grand Canyon of Colorado in the United States, you can feel the power of water.Those weak waters gather, like knives, split the hard rocks, forming a spectacular Grand Canyon.Only at this time can you truly understand the greatness of Lao Tzu, "the softest in the world, the hardest in the world", the "softest" water slowly walks through the canyon, and the "hardest" rocks walk silently on both sides Looking at Mu Li, what a profound scene this is.

Putting on the appearance of being invincible every day, or the posture of becoming famous, is like a sheep in tiger skin.

[Original Code] If the clothes are not lifted, the collar will fall down.

Note: "When up and down."

Wang said: "If there is no leader in the clothes, the government will not be able to order; if the country has no discipline, the law will not be correct. If the clothes do not mention the leader, it will be chaotic and difficult to wear; if the king does not serve as a minister, if there is no discipline and laws, how can we govern the country and the people?"

【Interpretation】If you want to hold a piece of clothing, you'd better hold on to the collar. When you lift it, the piece of clothing will be smooth.If you grab other places, the clothes will be out of shape.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Sun Wu, a famous military scientist, brought his own "Sun Tzu's Art of War" to Helu, king of Wu.After reading it, King Wu said: "I have read your art of war, can you try it with my army?" Sun Wu said yes.The king of Wu asked again: "Is it okay to use women for experiments?" Sun Wu also said yes.So King Wu summoned 180 beauties in the palace and asked Sun Wu to train them.

These maids are all close to Helu, including two concubines, they don't pay attention to Sun Wu at all, the whole training process has become a game of laughing and joking.Therefore, if you want to train this special group of soldiers well, the core issue is to establish the prestige of the generals, and let them know what orders and prohibitions are.

When repeatedly reaffirming the invalidity of the military order, Sun Wu said: "If the explanation is not clear and the explanation is not clear, it is the fault of the general. Since the explanation is clear and the order is not obeyed, it is the fault of the captain and the soldiers." Push the two captains out and behead them.Seeing that Sun Wu wanted to behead his beloved concubine, King Wu hurriedly sent someone to intercede with Sun Wu, but Sun Wu said: "The general is in the army, and the king's order is not acceptable!" So he ordered the two female captains to be beheaded.Since then, all the female soldiers have carefully practiced complex movements such as forward and backward, left and right, and even kneeling and standing, and they dare not play games anymore.

When doing things, we must grasp the key points, and the outline will make the eyes open.

[Original Code] Those who walk without looking at the ground will turn upside down.

The note said: "Moment up."

Wang said: "When you walk, look at the ground first, in order to understand the reason in advance. When walking, don't look at the height of the field, it will be difficult to walk; do not care about whether it is smooth or not, and whether things agree or not; Because, there must be mistakes."

【Interpretation】People who walk without looking at the ground, but only look up at the sky, will stumble sooner or later, with bruised nose and swollen face.No matter what you do, you must be down-to-earth and at the same time see the direction clearly.

Successful people understand one truth: accomplishing one thing is definitely a systematic project, and all aspects must be taken into account. It is important to recognize the situation and grasp the direction, but it is also important to be down-to-earth, and vice versa.A common mistake made by losers is that action and thinking cannot be unified, or they are too ambitious, their goals are contrary to their own strength, they chase the sun with their necks up, and finally fall into the ditch; I only saw a small profit in front of my head, and finally hit the south wall, and my head was bleeding.

[Original] The house of the weak is ruined, and the country is ruined by the weak.

The note said: "To be incompetent is to be weak."

Wang said: "If there are no strong pillars in the house, the house is crooked; if there is no virtuous minister in the court, the country will be in danger. The beams and pillars will rot, and the house will collapse; the virtuous ministers will be alienated, and the family and country will be in chaos."

【Interpretation】If a house is not supported by strong pillars, it will collapse; if a country is not supported by talented and virtuous people, it will perish.

Duke Huan of Qi is one of the Five Hegemons in the Spring and Autumn Period, but his hegemony cannot be separated from one person, that is Guan Zhong.Guan Zhong was originally from the state of Lu. Duke Huan of Qi listened to Bao Shuya's suggestion and pretended to have an enmity with Guan Zhong when he attacked the state of Lu. He took Guan Zhong to the state of Qi and entrusted him with important tasks.With the support of Duke Huan of Qi, Guan Zhong carried out a series of reforms.For example, a system of military-government integration and military-civilian integration has been implemented, training during slack seasons, and going out to war when there is war.This not only improves the combat effectiveness of soldiers, but also does not have to pay the cost of raising soldiers.These reforms laid the foundation for Qi to dominate in the future.

However, when Guan Zhong died, Duke Huan of Qi was a foolish emperor, and he used inhumane people, causing chaos in the world.When Duke Huan of Qi was seriously ill, the five sons were busy fighting for power and profit, and they didn't care about him at all. After Duke Huan of Qi died of illness, his body was left on the bed for 67 days, and no one cared about it. The dead insects crawled out of the window.

There are many examples in history of losing one person and losing a country.

[Original] Foot cold is sad, and people complain about hurting the country.

The note said: "The qi of harmony is born in the feet and flows through the limbs, and the heart is the ruler. If the qi is harmonious, the heavenly ruler will be happy, and if the qi is unhealthy, the heavenly ruler will be hurt."

Wang said: "The disasters of cold food all start from below. If a person's feet are cold, it will hurt the heart; if the heart hurts at the end, there will be a danger of death. The people are the foundation of the country, and the foundation is solid and peaceful; the people are happy and live in their own homes. In this industry, the country is not in danger or distress. The people lose their homes when there are frequent servants; the resentment in life will hurt the country."

[Interpretation] There is a saying in slang that "people warm their legs, but dogs love their mouths". When it is cold and freezing, dogs always sleep with their front hooves hugging their mouths, so they are cold because their feet are cold; Originally, the country's chaos was caused by people's grievances.

The foundation of a whole body lies in its feet, the foundation of a country lies in its people, and the foundation of a unit lies in its employees.How many times China has changed dynasties, all because of the boiling of public grievances.The mighty Ming Dynasty was finally destroyed by Li Zicheng, a grassroots man; now how many companies are going bankrupt due to the dissatisfaction of employees.But with such a simple truth, many leaders just can't learn it, and they stumble repeatedly without introspection. [Original] When the mountain is about to collapse, the people will be the first to suffer; when the country is about to decline, the people will be the first to suffer.

Note: "From ancient times to the present, the population is prosperous and the people are happy; but the country is declining, and there is no such thing."

Wang said: "The mountain will collapse, but the roots will not be strong; the country will decline, and the people will suffer first, and the country will perish."

【Interpretation】There are precursors to any disaster. If you see a problem with the foundation of a building, it is a precursor to the collapse of the building. If you see ordinary people worrying about food and clothing, it is a precursor to the decline of the country.

Whether to hide wealth with the people or with the country is actually a question that does not need to be debated.

(End of this chapter)