Book of commandments and nephews
Zhuge Liang [Han Dynasty]
The husband should aim high, worship sages, abandon lust and stagnate, so that the ambition of ordinary people can be revealed and felt; Endure flexion and extension, remove details, ask questions extensively, except being too stingy. Although I have stayed for a long time, why bother to harm the beauty, why bother to suffer it? If the will is not strong and the intention is not generous, it will be vulgar, silently tied to the feelings, and curled up in the secular forever, which will inevitably be indecent!
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Translation:
A person should set up lofty ideals, admire sages, control lust, get rid of vulgar thoughts that are stagnant in his chest, and let the lofty aspirations that are close to sages be clearly reflected in you, so that your heart will shake and you will get messages. We should be able to adapt to the test of different situations such as smooth twists and turns, get rid of trivial matters and emotional entanglements, consult people extensively, and eradicate our feelings of complaining about others. After doing this, even if it is possible to temporarily stop in my career, it will not damage my noble taste, so why worry that my career will not succeed! If the ambition is not firm, the ideological realm is not open, you are addicted to the secular and mediocre, you will inevitably fall into a vulgar society and become a person without culture and promise.
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Precautions:
Save: own, own.
Stagnation: the mind is confined to a certain range; Sticky.
Common aspiration: close to or similar to the aspirations of the sages.
Revealing the secret: the way to exalt.
Sadness: sincere eyes.
Good: trivial distractions.
Resentment: resentment and shame.
Stay for a long time: stay, stay.
Economy: success, realization.
Qiang Yi: Strong and decisive.
Run: To run or hide.
Dirty: a metaphor for low status.
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Appreciate:
If the Commandment emphasizes the importance of "self-cultivation", then this book "My Nephew's Commandment" expounds the importance of "determined to be a man".
At the beginning of this article, Zhuge Liang clearly pointed out at the beginning that "the ambition of a husband should be high", that is, a man should have lofty aspirations. There is no doubt that ambitious is a prerequisite for a person's success. However, how can we "aim high"? Zhuge Liang discussed "ambition" from both positive and negative aspects.
First of all, "Mu Xianxian, never lust, abandon stagnation, so that a few ambitions can be revealed and felt."
These words explain how to "aspire": Mu Xianxian means to follow the example of ancient sages and look up to them. The power of example is infinite. A good example can make people work hard, and a bad example can drag people into the abyss. Confucius also said, "When you meet the sage Si Qi, you should not reflect on yourself." . Setting a good example will continuously inject positive energy into a person. As the name implies, "abstinence from prostitution" means abstinence from prostitution. Affection can refer to love, friendship or affection. Considering that the object of the author's letter-my nephew Pang Huan is just young, the "love" here should refer to love or the desire of men and women. Therefore, "abstinence" should be understood as not indulging in lust. Francis Bacon said in "On Love": "Throughout the ages, great men and wizards rarely indulge in love and cannot extricate themselves." And said that "the excessive pursuit of love will inevitably reduce the value of people themselves." This is similar to "absolute lust". The so-called "abandoning stagnation" means that when people are alive, they will always be troubled by some trivial things, and these trivial things or troubles can often kill a person's will. Therefore, if you want to "aim high", stand higher and see farther, the realm of life will be improved, and if you jump out of this narrow circle, you will naturally "abandon stagnation". To achieve the above three points, naturally, lofty aspirations can be "revealed and felt" whenever and wherever, even in adversity.
Secondly, "forbear to bend and stretch, go into pieces, and ask questions widely, except stingy." Although you have stayed for a long time, why do you harm beauty and why do you suffer? "
With the above determination method, then the following are the measures to realize the ambition (ideal): to be "patient, meticulous, broad and not leaking, stingy." Is to be flexible, practical, put aside irrelevant distractions, seriously listen to other people's valuable opinions, learn with an open mind, learn from other people's experience, and be open-minded and open-minded. A person with lofty aspirations and broad mind will not care about temporary gains and losses, so even if he is not promoted temporarily and his talents are not recognized by others, it will not prevent him from realizing his ideals.
Finally, the author discusses it from the opposite side.
"If the will is not strong and the intention is not generous, it will be vulgar and stagnant, and it will be vulgar if it is silently tied to feelings!" In other words, if there is no lofty ambition, high fighting spirit and strong will, then such a life can only drift with the tide in the secular world, be bound by children's affection, have a low status and run out of life in mediocrity!
This article by Zhuge Liang is only more than 80 words, but it has a deep connotation. As young people, we should not only have lofty ideals and ambitions, but also have concrete and feasible measures to realize them and the perseverance to overcome difficulties and eliminate interference. Otherwise, the ideal may become a fantasy, or even unconsciously lower itself to the point of mediocrity and vulgarity. This letter from Zhuge Liang is about this truth. If a person is ambitious and determined, coupled with careful thinking and then put into action, he may succeed in the increasingly fierce social competition. On the contrary, it is doomed to fail. Zeng Guofan also taught his younger brothers to be "ambitious, knowledgeable and persistent" in his family letters. Resolutely not dirty; With knowledge, we know that knowledge is endless, and we dare not be self-sufficient; Nothing is impossible if you have perseverance. The views of these extraordinary people have condensed their life experiences in the book, which have the same effect.
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About the author:
Zhuge Liang (18 1-234), a native of Yang Du, Xuzhou (now yinan county, Linyi City, Shandong Province), was a prime minister in Shu and Han Dynasties, an outstanding politician, strategist, essayist and calligrapher. When he was alive, he was named Hou of Wuxiang, and after his death, he pursued loyalty to Hou of Wuxiang. The Eastern Jin regime made him the King of Wuxing. Zhuge Liang devoted himself to the Shu-Han regime until he died. Representative prose works include A Teacher's Watch and The Book of Commandments. He once invented the wooden ox, the flying horse, the Kongming lantern and so on, and transformed the crossbow, called Zhuge Lian crossbow, which can hit all targets with one crossbow. He died in Wuzhangyuan (now Qishan, Baoji) in 234. Zhuge Liang was highly respected in later generations, becoming a model of loyal ministers and the embodiment of wisdom. Chengdu, Baoji, Hanzhong, Nanyang and other places have Wuhou Temple, and Du Fu wrote Shu Xiang to praise Zhuge Liang.