Never before, never after, master of thought.
Wang Yangming, formerly known as Wang Shouren, was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang. Wang Yangming was a very naughty person when he was young, and he was not very interested in reading.
At the age of fifteen, he dared to travel long distances alone to inspect the border. Riding and archery with young people from ethnic minorities.
Wang Yangming, who is studying, is not the kind of person who follows the rules.
At the age of twelve, a conversation between him and his teacher also determined the development direction of his future thoughts and life path.
Wang Yangming asked his teacher, "Why do people study? What do people study for? " His teacher replied: cultivate one's morality and cultivate one's character, rule the country and rule the world, and of course study and be an official. Wang Yangming retorted that his teacher said, "This is not the top priority of reading. The top priority of reading is to be a saint." From this short but tough conversation, we can see that Wang Yangming has great ambitions since he was a child.
Wang Yangming is a scholar at the age of 28. From 12 to 28 years old, Wang Yangming has been walking in the direction he expected in his heart for sixteen years.
During these sixteen years, he learned to ride a horse and shoot an arrow, and studied all the art books he could find at that time.
Study Zhu's works carefully. At that time, the standard answer to the imperial examination was in Zhu's works. In the process of learning, Wang Yangming gradually discovered that some viewpoints in Zhu's works may have problems.
Zhu particularly emphasized the understanding of things. Zhu said: "Every grass and tree has its own reason." Wang Yangming felt "wisdom" in front of flowers and plants, and finally Wang Yangming didn't realize any avenue.
He realized that there was nothing wrong with Zhu Fuzi's theory, but the fault lay in practice. Therefore, Wang Yangming studied Buddhism and Taoism deeply and reached an amazing level. Coupled with the misfortune of officialdom and oppression in life. Let him have an unprecedented thought-"Yangming Thought"
Three questions about Wang Yangming's life
1, don't ask the result.
Buddhism pays attention to "cause and effect" and "fortune and misfortune". Wang Yangming, who has a deep study of Buddhism, certainly understands this idea.
Therefore, in his life, he never asked the result of things. He believes that as long as he works hard, the result of the matter is already doomed. After all, "Man proposes, God disposes".
This view is very obvious in his thought and life course.
His thought advocates "to conscience", that is, only by getting rid of inner "distractions" can a person improve himself and save society.
The result of Wang Yangming's lifelong indifference to things is that when he is doing things, there are no distractions in his heart. He believes in his ability and does practical things wholeheartedly, so he can "win every battle."
In the process of his growth, he did not pursue the good or bad results. At the age of twelve, I began to dream of becoming a "saint", and at the age of twenty-eight, I was admitted to Jinshi; After being admitted to Jinshi, he was arranged to supervise the construction of the Prince's Mausoleum, and he still completed the task without any regrets. Jiang Xiping succeeded in rebellion, but was repeatedly vilified in the court and then exiled to Guangxi.
If this case happened to ordinary people, the dream-chasing heart would have died long ago. However, Wang Yangming has been moving forward and has been throwing away the "distractions" in his heart.
2. Don't ask people's hearts
Mencius, an Asian sage, thinks that "human nature is good" and Xunzi thinks that "inherent vice". But Wang Yangming advocated "don't ask the good and evil of human nature" all his life. He believes that the "good and evil" of human nature are all evaluated by others, and the real human nature is "self-sufficient".
Wang Yangming once said: "People's hearts are dangerous because they are mixed with others, which is false." He believes that people's hearts are complex and constantly changing, so it is impossible to judge a person's humanity by "good and evil".
3. Don't ask about the past
Everyone is unique and has different personalities and experiences. Therefore, Wang Yangming believes that there is no need to study the right and wrong of past lives too much. Too much research and discussion will only disturb your emotions and add trouble to yourself.
It is better to live in the present. This is what he said: "What is the advantage of thinking about the past and the future? Just rest assured. "
On the way to completing his thoughts, he was also "Mo Wen's past, only asking about the future", and he only devoted himself to exploring forward and studying Buddhism and Taoism. He has also made achievements in these two fields, but he has not lost himself. Finally, he softened the knowledge of many schools and founded his own Yangming school.
Wang Yangming does not strive for small profits, words, fame, and first place.
1, do not dispute small profits.
"The world is full of benefits, and the world is full of benefits." This is a true portrayal of many people. Life is just a few silver coins. Wang Yangming is different. He never competes with others for profit.
At that time, official corruption prevailed, and Wang Yangming, an official, never took bribes. Because he thinks: "My heart is self-sufficient, my heart is self-sufficient", he follows his inner thoughts, puts aside all distractions that affect his achievement of "the study of saints" and pursues his ambition wholeheartedly.
2. Don't argue.
Wang Yangming in life is also unwilling to waste his breath with others, which has a lot to do with his thought of "conscience"
Because he believes that others can't evaluate a right or wrong, as long as it is "psychologically integrated", worthy of morality and worthy of their own. Arguing with them will only waste your time and increase your trouble.
3. Don't question your reputation.
Speaking of Wang Yangming's greed for fame, we should talk about the "unity of knowledge and action" in Yangming's thought. "Unity of knowledge and action" holds that "there is a line in knowledge, and there is knowledge in line, and both are indispensable". This thought is manifested in his love of doing practical things as Wang Yangming.
Wang Yangming likes to study the art of war. He carefully studied all the Ming Dynasty art books he could find. But he will not only "talk on paper", but also practice the array method with melon seeds and walnuts.
When he was in Wang Ling, he managed the craftsmen militarily, and sometimes he arranged troops. Wang Yangming didn't seek fame and fortune in officialdom, even though he made meritorious deeds in Jiangxi's counter-insurgency, he didn't get much reward. He just wants the country to be peaceful and the people to live and work in peace.
4. Don't worry.
Wang Yangming doesn't try to get ahead in life. After all, "the gun hits the first bird." During his entrance examination to Jinshi, he repeatedly read Zhu's works and found some mistakes in Zhu's views, but he didn't mention them immediately.
Because he knows, what's the use of pointing out Zhu's mistakes? It's totally useless not to find new ideas against him.
It is under this thought that Wang Yangming devoted himself to studying and thinking deeply, and finally came to Yangming's mind.
abstract
Wang Yangming's success is inevitable. As a "saint" at that time, his attitude towards life also doomed his success. Without asking or arguing in life, Wang Yangming was able to concentrate on his studies and finally achieved Yangming studies.
Wang Yangming's attitude towards life is actually a kind of wisdom. As long as you can hold your horses and think seriously in life, you will actually get more.