_ _ _ _ _ _ _ The Doctrine of the Mean: "Don't be obscure, don't be obscure, so a gentleman is cautious." Zhu Note: "It is not particularly obvious that a gentleman is cautious and independent. Although it is subtle, people tend to be cautious about what they don't understand, such as small things and big things; This is obvious, and so is subtlety. Accidentally, it is called' sincerity'. " I think it is true that a gentleman is cautious and independent. This is true in front of people and behind their backs. An open-minded man is also a real husband. To put it bluntly, a cautious and independent person has a broad mind and a noble character of being honest with others. Pseudo-Taoism and a beast with a human face are absolutely impossible. Then there are foreign examples, examples of reasoning ... things that truly represent the beautiful spirit of mankind can always cross the times, national boundaries, nationalities and religious beliefs. What a noble spiritual sentiment it is to be cautious and independent. In a book written by a Frenchman, I saw such a story, which is very similar to the story of Yang Zhen mentioned earlier. The story says:
"My friend traveled to Thailand and saw cute little souvenirs on the street stalls. He chose three and asked the price. The female vendor replied that each 100 baht. He made a counter offer of 60 baht. She just doesn't agree. Finally, she said,' For every 100 baht I sell, the boss can give me 10 baht. If I sell 60 baht, I won't make anything. My friend is heartbroken. This is much more than what the boss gave you, and I also spent less money. This is good for both sides. He thought she would say yes at once, but she shook her head. He also said that your boss won't know, don't worry. She looked at my friend and shook her head firmly and said,' The Buddha will know. "
Yang Zhen said that "heaven knows, earth knows, I know, and son knows", and Thai female vendors said that "Buddha will know". In fact, in the final analysis, if two people do it, it is "you know, I know", if one person does it, it is "I know", and saying "no one knows" is self-deception. It is to break the "no one knows" window paper. Lu Jiuyuan, a scholar in the Song Dynasty, clearly said, "Be cautious about independence and don't deceive yourself." Yuan Cai, a poet in the Song Dynasty, also said that being cautious and independent means being "honest and innocent." In this way, linking prudence and independence with honesty, not deceiving others, and innocence has reached a fairly high moral realm, which shows that people have a high degree of rationality and consciousness of consciously observing moral norms and conventions.
On the surface, a gentleman is easy to handle affairs, but it is difficult to be a consistent gentleman. "People are born with desires", which is the innate nature of human beings. In "the world is bustling, all for profit; In today's bustling world, in the tide of materialistic and mercenary goods, in the field of rights without effective supervision and checks and balances, everyone is facing the test of "restraining desire" How many people have been defeated in the face of this kind of test, and ended up with a "one short step makes an everlasting regret"? Such examples abound, so there is no need to list them here. How to consciously "desire"
It is necessary to have a high degree of moral cultivation and pass the "cautious independence" barrier.