Confucian self-cultivation: Scholars start from Daqin

Tianming turned his head happily and said: "Shaoyu, this is Brother Gao, he is very powerful, he is even more powerful than Uncle according to old man Ban."

"My name is Ziyu!"

Shaoyu corrected the address, walked over and saluted, "Ziyu, I have met Mr."

Gao Jing sized him up and said, "Ziyu, Shaoyu...hehe, it's good."

Tianming shouted cheerfully: "Brother Gao is one of our own, so he won't harm us, right?"

Shaoyu said speechlessly: "You are too careless 220."

Gao Jing said with a smile: "Okay, let's go to class... It's my first time teaching in Xiaoshengxianzhuang, you two should give me some face, don't laugh if you don't speak well!"

Tianming patted his chest and said, "Brother Gao's face, I will definitely give it to Tianming!"

As he said that, he hurried to the first row of desks, sat upright on his knees, and looked like he was listening to the class seriously.

Shaoyu couldn't help but muttered: "Why didn't I see that you were so serious in other gentlemen's classes?"

Tianming yelled: "Shao Yu, hurry up and do a good job. As my younger brother, you must listen to Brother Gao's lecture carefully, and don't laugh, you understand?"

"Who is your little brother!"

While retorting, Shaoyu knelt down at the desk next to Tianming.

After the two sat down, Gao Jing thought about it and said, "How should I teach? What do you two think I should teach?"

Shaoyu stared, speechless.

Tianming suppressed a "puchipuchi" laugh, and said, "Tell me whatever you want...but don't ask us to endorse it!"

"Well……"

Gao Jing thought for a while, hammered the palm of his hand, and said: "Yes! Since it is Confucianism, let me teach you the word "Confucianism" first."

Shaoyu couldn't help but said: "Sir, don't you need to teach this?"

Gao Jing looked at him with a smile, and said, "Then do you know what the word "Confucianism" means?"

Just as Shaoyu was about to speak, he suddenly didn't know what to say.

Tianming laughed out loud.

Gao Jing raised his hand and wrote the word "Ru" on the sand table, saying: "Ru, one person, one need, look at the word "need", there is rain on the top, and a person below, which means that people are begging for rain. "

Shaoyu and Tianming poked their heads to watch, Tianming said loudly: "Really, is it true that Confucianism is "people who pray for rain"?"

"how is this possible?"

Shaoyu cast a contemptuous look at Tianming, then looked at Gao Jing.

Gao Jing explained: "In the ancient tribal period, the tribal wizards were responsible for praying for rain. At that time, the wizard was a very important position. He needed to know all kinds of knowledge to solve the problems of the tribe's survival, such as How to obtain food, how to hunt, how to farm, how to heal the wounded, how to worship ghosts and gods...

Therefore, "Confucianism" at that time referred to rain-seekers, that is, tribal shamans. The more knowledge the shamans mastered, the better the life of the tribal people. Later, when the country was formed, "Confucianism" referred to learned people. . "

The two suddenly realized, nodded again and again: "Understood, I understand, so it is like this."

Gao Jing nodded in satisfaction, and said: "Confucius is a very learned man, so he founded "Confucianism"...Confucius has many works, other teachers will talk about them, so I don't bother to talk about them.

But Confucius (caad) has a core of learning, that is "benevolence"... Can you write this word? "

"of course!"

Tianming impatiently stretched out his hand and drew the word "benevolence" on the sand table.

"Not bad!"

Gao Jing nodded, and said: "Ren, from others to two, means the relationship between two people, mutual care, mutual help, mutual achievement, so "benevolence" means "loving people"...but this is what it means today."

Shaoyu asked curiously, "Didn't it mean that before?"

"The old "benevolence" was not written like this."

Gao Jing raised his hand, wrote a "body", and wrote a "heart" underneath, saying: "Shang Zhou's "benevolence" is written like this, do you know what it means?"

The two thought for a while, then shook their heads to express their ignorance.

"In "Erya", it says, body, I also. It also says: Zhen, Yu, bow, body."

Gao Jing explained: "So "body" refers to oneself, benevolence, from the body to the heart, which means thinking about oneself in the heart, thinking about oneself, in simple terms, it is to achieve oneself."

Shaoyu and Tianming looked at each other in dismay: "Achieve yourself?"

"Self-restraint, self-cultivation, self-fulfilment."

Gao Jingdao: "It means achieving oneself, realizing oneself, and perfecting oneself, so the "benevolence" of Confucius actually refers to improving oneself, such as "I reflect on myself three times a day", which means to reflect on myself every day, so that I can improve myself day by day.

Confucius also said: The ancient scholars are for themselves, and the modern scholars are for others.The purpose of ancient people's learning is to improve themselves, but the purpose of learning today is to show off to others and to demand others.

Another example is "a gentleman seeks from himself, a villain seeks from others", a gentleman reflects on himself, and a villain blames others.

Therefore, the "benevolence" of Confucius must first achieve and perfect oneself, and then influence others.

A benevolent person loves himself, and then loves others!

do you understand? "

"So it is!"

Tianming slapped his thigh and said excitedly, "Why can't I understand what you said is so simple?"

Shaoyu also suddenly said: "It turns out that the Confucian "benevolence" means this."

"Well, you two are good students."

Gao Jing praised him, which immediately made Tianming's eyebrows beam with joy, while Shaoyu was relatively calm.

"Next, let's learn "wisdom"."

Gao Jing wrote the word "wisdom" on the sand table and said: "Confucius said: Knowledge, benevolence, and courage are the three virtues in the world.

Wisdom, also known as "knowledge", is not pure intelligence, but distinguishing right from wrong, knowing what is right and what is wrong. Only such a person can "know" and be a "wise man"...".

Chapter 260: Benevolence, Righteousness, and Propriety

"Mencius also said: the heart of right and wrong is the end of wisdom."

Gao Jing spoke casually: "What do you mean? Mencius believed that distinguishing right from wrong is the beginning of "wisdom".

But more depends on acquired learning, that is, "learning to know".For example..."

Gao Jing looked at the two of them, thought for a while, and said, "There was a pedestrian on the road, and you killed him inexplicably. Is this right or wrong?"

Tianming blurted out, "Of course it's wrong!"

Gao Jing asked, "Where do you think it's wrong?"

"Ah? This..." Tianming couldn't speak.

Gao Jing said with a smile: "This is "conscience". You know it from birth, and you know right from wrong from birth. Mencius said: Those who know what they don't care about have conscience. This is the nature of human beings.

However, if someone taught you from an early age that it is right to kill casually, would you kill casually? "

Tianming raised his head and said: "No matter who teaches this, what is wrong is wrong, I will not kill people casually!"

Shaoyu remained silent, as if thinking of something.

Gao Jing continued: "If that pedestrian has a lot of money, it will be yours if you kill him. Will you still kill him?"

Tianming insisted: "No!"

Shaoyu continued to remain silent.

Gao Jing smiled and said: "But someone will definitely do it... Greed for money is a kind of selfish desire, it will deceive people's conscience, Tianming, who do you like the most?"

Tianming didn't know why, so he replied, "Of course it's Yue'er...and Uncle."

Gao Jing frowned slightly, and said: "If Yue'er is going to die, that pedestrian has medicine to cure him, but he refuses to give it to you. You can only get the medicine by killing him...Do you want to kill him or not?"

Tianming was stunned, his face full of confusion.

Gao Jing reached out and touched his head, and said, "So, your conscience has been deceived, don't you feel bad?"

Tianming nodded.

Shaoyu remained silent, but looked at Gao Jing with some surprise.

"After talking about "wisdom", let's talk about "benevolence" in reverse."

Gao Jing smiled and said: "As I said just now, a benevolent person loves himself first, and then loves others. The so-called "self-love" means to perfect oneself, to maintain the conscience in the heart, and not to be blinded by various selfish desires. When you can do this In one step, you are the "sages" of Confucianism.

Want to be a "saint"? "

Tianming scratched his head and said, "I want to! But...it's too difficult!"

"Yeah, it's too difficult."

Gao Jing sighed, and said, "Everyone can become a saint, why are there so few saints? The way of a saint is to be self-sufficient in nature and not to seek outside."

Shaoyu stared at Gao Jing, and suddenly asked, "Sir, you are not an ordinary person, who are you?"

"My surname is Gao. I just arrived at Xiaoshengxianzhuang today. I can be regarded as a teacher for the time being."

Gao Jing responded casually, and continued: "Okay, after talking about Confucius' "benevolence", let's talk about Mencius' "righteousness."

Tianming quickly said: "I know this, chivalrous, our Mo family is the most chivalrous."

"Really? Then let's give another example."

Gao Jing smiled and said, "It's still the example just now, a pedestrian was walking on the road, and someone rushed out to kill him, would you help?"

Tianming said without thinking: "Of course I will help!"

Shao Yu also nodded.

Gao Jing continued to ask: "If this pedestrian has killed many people, will you still help?"

Tianming was dumbfounded: "This...doesn't help?"

Gao Jing said with a smile: "This pedestrian is a general. He once fought for the country on the battlefield and killed many people?"

"This……"

Tianming grabbed his hair, looking crazy, and said, "Then should we help, or not?"

Gao Jing laughed and said, "Aren't your Mo family the most chivalrous? What about you, Shaoyu? To help or not?"