Chapter 7 Chapter 2 Answers Zhou Daotong's book - tempering in things

Zhou Daotong is Zhou Heng, a native of Yixing, Jiangsu. Daotong is his character, and his nickname is Jing'an. He once studied with Wang Yangming, and later learned from Zhan Ruoshui. He was able to coordinate the theories of Wang and Zhan. He was a county magistrate. The two lives of Wu and Zeng have come, and they are sincerely prepared for the Tao, and they are very comforting and miss each other.If Daotong is true, it can be said that he is a good scholar who believes in it.In the midst of worry and illness, can you discuss in detail with the two lives, but the two lives also have their own ambitions and are willing to work hard. Every time they see it, they feel that they are making progress. It bears the meaning of coming from afar.Farewell to this book to express my understanding, please write a few words.Those who are ridiculous and have nothing to say, often use Daotong to ask a few verses in the book, and then turn to the words to pay for them, without going into details.The two lives should also be able to learn by mouth.

The letter said: "Daily kung fu is just 'aspiration'. Recently, Mr. Yu said, experience it all the time, and you will understand it more and more. But with friends, you can't be separated for a while. If you have friends to teach, then your ambition will be strong and broad, and you will have business. If you don't have friends to talk to each other for three to five days, you will feel weak, and you will be sleepy when you encounter problems, and you will forget from time to time. But today, when you don't have friends to talk to each other, you still just sit quietly, or read books, or wander through the scriptures. It’s quite meaningful and suitable to learn from it to cultivate this ambition. However, it’s not as good as gathering with friends, the spirit flows, and the business is more. What should be done to deal with people who live alone?”

This paragraph is enough to prove that the Daotong can be obtained by using kung fu every day, and kung fu is roughly used in this way. As long as there is no interruption, the meaning will be different after you are proficient.Most of us are learning, we need big brains, and we just "will".The so-called disease of forgetfulness is just a lack of real ambition.Today's lustful people are not sick and forgetful, but they are sincere.One's own pain and itching, one must be able to know it, one must be able to rub it; once one knows one's own pain and itching, one must have to scratch one's own, this is what Buddhists call the "method of expedient means".It has to be considered by one's own mediation, and it is always difficult for others to do so, and there is no other way to set it up.

Two students, Wu and Zeng, came to our place and explained in detail your earnest aspiration to the Holy Way. I felt very relieved, and at the same time, I missed you very much.With your attitude, you can really be called a believer and eager to learn.Since I was in mourning for my father, I was unable to have an in-depth conversation with Wu and Zeng, but they are also ambitious and willing to work hard. Every time I see them, I can feel their academic progress.I really can't live up to their sincerity of coming from afar. For them, it can be said that I can't live up to their willingness to come from afar.On parting, they handed me the letter book you wrote to me, and asked me to write something based on it.At this moment, my heart is absurd and confused, and I have nothing to say. I will only briefly answer the few questions mentioned in your letter, and write them in haste.

You said in your letter: "Mr. said that 'ordinary effort is just aspiration'. Recently, I have observed and tested Mr.'s teachings from time to time, and it has become more clear. But I have always been a student and I can't do without my fellow students. If there are fellow students together when I study Discussion, the ambition in the heart is very broad and grand, and the thinking is also agile; if you don’t discuss with your fellow students for three to five days, you will feel that the ambition is weak, and you will be confused when encountering things, and sometimes you will forget the ambition. Now I am not When fellow students are discussing, they either sit quietly, read books, or browse scriptures, etc. They do not forget to cultivate this mind in every gesture, and feel a deep sense of peace and comfort. However, it is not as active as when they are lecturing with friends , more vitality. For those who leave their friends and live in seclusion, what better way to seek the Way?"

This passage is enough to show that your hard work is rewarding.The kung fu of determination is probably like this. As long as you persist every day and never stop, you will naturally feel different when the kung fu is pure and proficient.Probably the most critical foothold for those of us who want to learn is to be determined.The reason why there are problems of confusion and forgetfulness is only a lack of ambition, and it is not true and accurate.Just like a lecherous person, he will never feel confused and forgotten when the beauty is present, because the lust has penetrated into his bone marrow.I must know where it hurts and itches, and I should be able to scratch and massage it. Since I know the pain and itch, of course I have to rub it.Buddhists call this "convenience method".It must be adjusted and pondered by oneself, it is difficult for others to help, and there is no other method to learn from.

The beginning of this article explained the background of "Answer to Zhou Dao Tong Shu". Later, Mr. Yangming pointed out directly that the key to the shortcomings of fatigue and forgetting when doing learning lies in inaccuracy, and emphasized that the core of doing learning is determination.The ambition he said is the direction of the heart, which is to let people choose the good and abandon the evil. Lai Shuyun: "Shangcai asked: 'What does the world think and worry about?' Yi Chuan said: 'There is a reason for this, but it is too early. It is necessary to recognize the phenomenon of "how to think and worry", and take it as true together. If you do not understand this phenomenon, you will have the disease of "righteousness" and "encouragement". If you have something to do, you may fall into 'nothing' again. It is necessary not to stagnate in 'being', not to fall into 'nothing'. Is it not?"

The discussion is not far from the same, but the enlightenment is not complete.Shangcai's question and Yichuan's answer are just the meaning of Shangcai and Yichuan, which are slightly different from the original purpose of Confucius' Xici. "Xi" says "what to think and what to worry about", which means that what is thought and what is considered is just a natural principle, let alone thinking about other things, it does not mean that there is no thinking and no worrying.Therefore, it is said: "Going to the same destination but taking different paths, being the same but worrying a lot, what is the world thinking and worrying about?"The essence of the heart is the principle of heaven.The law of heaven is only one, so why should we think about it?The principle of heaven is originally silent and unmoving, and it is understood by self-induction. Although scholars work hard, although they think a lot, they just want to restore their original body and use, not arrange and think out of selfish intentions.Therefore, Ming Dao said: "The study of a gentleman is as simple as a grand prince, and he adapts to things as they come." If you use your selfishness to arrange and think, you are using your wisdom to be selfish. "What to think and what to worry about" is just the work. For a saint, it is natural; for a scholar, it is forced.Yi Chuan, on the other hand, looked at the effectiveness of the work, so he said that "it was too early".Since it is said that "but it is easy to work hard", it is already conscious that the preface is not exhaustive.This is also the meaning of Lianxi's theory of "mainly quiet".Although the words of today's Daotong are no longer invisible, there are still two things.

You said in your letter: "Xie Liangzuo (one of the four major disciples of the Cheng family) once asked 'what does the world think and worry about'. Mr. Cheng Yi said: 'It makes sense, but it's too early to express emotion.' This is for scholars to work hard on. Said, although it is "you must never forget something", but you must also understand the phenomenon of "how to think and worry" and put it together to see it. If you do not understand this phenomenon, you will have the disadvantage of counterproductive; If you only know what to think about and what to worry about, but forget the skill of "something must happen", I am afraid that you will fall into nothingness again. You must neither be stagnant in existence nor degenerate into nothing. Is this right?"

What you said is basically correct, but the depth is not enough.The dialogue between Xie Liangzuo and Cheng Yi is only the meaning of the two of them, which is slightly different from the purpose stated in Confucius' "Book of Changes: Xi Ci Zhuan". "Xi Ci Zhuan" says "what to think about and what to think about" means that what is considered is only a natural principle, and there is nothing else to think about. It does not mean that there is no thought.That's why Xici said: "Go to the same destination but have different paths, agree with each other but have a lot of worries, what does the world think and worry about." Saying "different paths" and "hundred worries" is saying "no thoughts and no worries"?The essence of the mind is the Heavenly Principle, and there is only one Heavenly Principle. Are there more Heavenly Principles that can be obtained through thinking?The principle of heaven is originally silent and unchanged, and it can be understood after induction.Scholars work hard, even if they have thousands of thoughts, but they only want to restore the original mind and body, which is not arranged and thought out by their own will.That's why Cheng Hao said: "The study of a gentleman is nothing more than an outline, but a great man, and things come and go." "What to think and what to worry about" is the skill of learning. It is natural for the sage, but it must be worked hard for the student.Cheng Yi regarded it as the effect of kung fu, which is why he said "sent too early".Immediately afterwards, he said: "It's easy to work hard." It means that he himself has realized that what he said before is still lacking.This is also what Zhou Dunyi said about "being quiet".Now your view, although a little insightful, still can't help but treat kung fu as two different things.

Wang Yangming once advocated that scholars should achieve the "I Ching Xici Zhuan" said "the world is the same but there are different paths, the world is consistent but there is a lot of worry, what the world thinks and what to worry about" through meditation, so as to restore the nature of conscience.The method of keeping nothing to worry about and comprehending in peace is to make the conscience manifest the principles of heaven at all times. If the conscience always responds to the principles of heaven, the heart will naturally follow the principles without stagnation. Lai Shu said: "All scholars know how to do kung fu, and they must know the appearance of saints. If you know the appearance of saints, you must do kung fu on the ground, so that you will not miss it, and you are doing holy work. I don't know if it is? " "Recognize the image of a sage first." People in the past sometimes made mistakes in their words, but they were also lacking in thinking. The image of a sage is naturally the image of a sage. Where do I recognize it?If you don't truly understand your own conscience, so there is no star, but the power is important, and the unopened mirror shows beauty and beauty, it is really the so-called using the belly of a villain to save the heart of a gentleman.How can a sage recognize the weather?My own conscience is like a saint.If you realize that your conscience is clear, that is to say, the image of a sage is not in the sage but in me.Cheng Zi tasted the cloud: "Look at Yao and learn from him. He doesn't have as much wisdom and wisdom as him. How can he be as moved and courteous as him?" where?Where does wisdom and wisdom come from? You said in your letter: "All scholars who have just realized that they need to work hard must know the aura of the sage. Only when they understand the aura of the sage, use it as a guideline, and work hard on the ground, will they not go wrong. The root of being a saint. Is that right?" First understand the aura of a sage. Many people have said this before, but it lacks the essentials. The aura of a sage is naturally that of a sage. Where can we recognize it?If you don’t really experience it from your own conscience, it will be the same as weighing the weight with a scale without a front sight, or using a bronze mirror without a light to illuminate beauty and ugliness. This is really judging the belly of a gentleman with the heart of a villain.How can one realize the weather of a sage?The conscience of each of us is originally the same as that of a sage. If we can recognize our own conscience, then the image of a sage is not in the sage but in ourselves.Cheng Yi once said: "Looking at Yao to learn from him, he is not as clever and wise as him, can he be as moved and courteous as him?" He also said: "The heart is connected with the Tao, and then you can distinguish right from wrong." Can you tell where you can "pass through the Tao"? Where does "smart and wise" come from? Here, Wang Yangming believes that the sage's atmosphere is the unique spiritual state of the sage. If a scholar just "recognizes the sage's aura first" without grasping the reason why the sage becomes a sage, it means that he has not grasped the essentials.As for the reason why a sage becomes a sage, he believes that his own conscience is the basis of a sage, and he cannot realize the image of a sage without grasping the essence of conscience. Lai Shuyun: "Through training on things, within a day, no matter what is happening or not, just focus on cultivating the original. If you feel something when you encounter something, or if you feel it yourself, since you feel it in your heart, you can say that there is nothing wrong with it? But because of things After concentrating on it for a while, Da Duan felt that this should be the case. It was just as if nothing had happened, just doing my best. However, there were still things that were good and not good, why? Because of the lack of talent, I am often trapped. Although I try my best to help, my spirit is already weak. When I encounter this, I have to retreat very much. It is better not to be troubled, but to be cultivated. How?" The said kung fu is only used in this way in terms of Taoism, but there are some discrepancies.Ordinary people study and spend their whole lives on this matter.From young to old, from dawn to dusk, no matter whether there is something to do or not, just do this one thing, the so-called "something must happen".If it is said that "it is better not to be troubled than to be cultivated", it is still two things. "There must be something, but don't forget and don't help."Things come, but I should do my best to respond to them. The so-called "loyalty and forgiveness are not far from the way".All the patients who are good but not good, and those who have difficulty and loss, are all involved in the loss of reputation and loss, and cannot really appeal to their conscience.If one can truly develop one's conscience, then one can see that the so-called good people are not necessarily good, and the so-called unkind people may be the ones who lead to the loss of reputation and reputation, and steal their own conscience. You said in your letter: "Mr. said that 'self-cultivation should be tempered by things'. Every day, no matter what is happening or not, just cultivate the body wholeheartedly. , how can we say it’s okay? If we follow these things and think carefully, we will feel that it should be so, just as if nothing happened, and do our best. But even so, there are still good and bad things to deal with. Why? Or maybe there are too many things that need to be dealt with in a priority order. I often find it difficult to deal with it because of my lack of intelligence. Although I try my best to support me, my spirit has long been exhausted. When I encounter this kind of In this situation, it is inevitable to step back and reflect frequently, and would rather not deal with the matter than cultivate the ontology. Is this right?" Kung fu, as far as you said, it can only be done in this way, but there are inevitably some discrepancies.Anyone who does learning is devoted to this one thing all his life, from childhood to adulthood, from day to night, no matter if he has something to do or not, as long as he does this thing, this is what Mencius said, "There must be something to do."If, as you said, "it is better not to finish the work, but also to cultivate the body", it means that doing things and maintaining the body are regarded as two different things.Mencius said: "If something happens, don't correct it, don't forget it, and don't encourage it." When something happens, we just need to deal with it with our conscience. This is "loyalty and forgiveness are not far from the way."But anyone who is afraid of doing things badly or who is worried about gains and losses when encountering difficulties is only affected by gains and losses of reputation and reputation, and cannot really satisfy his conscience.If you can truly develop your conscience, you will find that the so-called good handling of things is not necessarily good. If you do not handle it well, you may be burdened by external reputation, gains and losses, and you will lose your conscience! Wang Yangming believes that judgments about good and evil are usually based on interests, which is not true conscience.If you really judge from conscience, the answer may be completely different.It is easy to harm one's conscience if one only considers interests.Therefore, he emphasized that the real skills of scholars should also be used on the basis of "enhancing one's conscience", that is, "being able to actually develop one's conscience". Lai Shuyun: "The theory of extension of knowledge, and the benefit of learning again in the spring, I already know how to use force, and I feel that it is easier than the old one. But the contempt is that it is said for beginners, and it must also have the meaning of 'investigating things', so that they know where to start. .Originally, "Zhizhi" and "Gewu" were used together, but when I started to learn Unknown, I worked hard and said "Gewu", so I knew "Zhizhi" and so on." "Gewu" is the skill of "extending knowledge". If you know "extending knowledge", you will know "gewu".If you don't know "Gewu", then you don't know the work of "extending knowledge".Recently, there is a book that discusses this with a friend, and I am quite familiar with it. If you look closely at it in the past, you should see it for yourself. You said in your letter: "About the theory of extending knowledge, thanks to your teaching again in spring, I already know the point of learning, and I think it is much easier than before. But I think in my heart that for beginners, it is best to talk about gewu , so that they know the entry point for their efforts. Originally, Zhizhi and Gewu are one, but when beginners don’t know where to start to work, it is still necessary to tell them about Gewu, so that they can understand Zhizhi.” and so on. Investigating things is the kung fu of extending knowledge, and knowing how to know is also knowing Gewu.If you don't know Gewu, it means that the kung fu of extending knowledge has not been understood.I recently wrote a letter to a friend discussing this issue in detail, and I am sending it to you now, so you will understand it all if you read it carefully. Gezhicheng is the one-piece kung fu of accumulating cultivation, investigating things is the source of kung fu, and rectifying the mind is the result of knowing the mind.To rectify one's mind, one must see things clearly and act accordingly, only sincerity can rectify one's mind and things, and lead to one's conscience.In Yangming's philosophy of mind, the noumenon is just the noumenon of "conscience", and the realization of "conscience" is the realization of "conscience of noumenon".If you can recognize this point, you will go straight to it without any hindrance. The letter said: "There is no end to the debate between Zhu and Lu today. Every time I talk to my friends, I don't know the truth for a long time, and I don't need to waste my energy to argue for right and wrong between Zhu and Lu. Just rely on the two words of Mr. People, if they can discern this aspiration and are determined to know it, they will understand it in a big way. Although Zhu and Lu don't know it, they can feel it. I have also seen some friends discuss Mr.'s words. In the past, Mr. Zhu and Lu Er, who left behind a lot of discussions in later generations, also saw that Mr. Er was not proficient in kung fu, and clearly also had the disease of anger. If you understand the way, there is no such thing. Look at it and Wu Sheli On Jiefu's study, it is said: "To reach all Jiefu for me, it will not benefit him, but it will benefit me." How calm the weather is! I have seen this sentence quoted in the books of Mr. and others. I hope all my friends are like this. how?" This section discusses extremely extremely.I hope that the Tao will spread to all comrades, and each will discuss his own right and wrong, not Zhu and Lu's right and wrong.To slander others with words is to slander others.If you can't practice it yourself, but only hear it in your ears and talk about it, you will slander it with your body, and the slander will be deep.All those who talk about me in the world today, if they can take it as good, they are all trying to learn from me, and I am nothing more than a place for vigilance, self-cultivation and virtue.People in the past said that "the one who attacks my shortcomings is my teacher", but is the teacher hateful? You said in your letter: "At present, there are still many people arguing for Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan respectively. I often tell my friends that the days of orthodox Confucianism have been obscured for a long time, and there is no need for you to waste your time arguing for Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan. Just rely on Mr. "Aspiration" to enlighten people. If this person can really understand this ambition and is determined to understand your academics, then he has taken a long way to brighten his mind. Even if you don't deliberately argue Zhu and Lu are right and wrong, and he can feel it himself. I have also seen some of my friends who criticized Mr.'s remarks, and they were very angry. The reason why Mr. Zhu and Lu left the posterity There was a lot of controversy. It can be seen that the two gentlemen are not yet proficient in kung fu, and they clearly have the problem of being impulsive. Mr. Cheng Hao is not like this. When he talked with Wu Shili about the mistakes of Jiefu (Wang Anshi's character) learning, he said to Wu Shili: 'Please convey all my views to Mr. Jiefu for me. If it is not beneficial to him, it must be beneficial to me.' What a calm and calm demeanor! I have seen this remark often quoted in letters written by Mr. Jiefu, You want your friends to be like this, right?" Your words are very good.I hope you tell all like-minded people that everyone should first reflect on their own right and wrong, and don't talk about Zhu and Lu's right and wrong.Slandering others with words is not a serious slander; if you can’t practice it yourself, but just enter your ears and immediately come out of your mouth, chattering all day long, you are slandering yourself, and this kind of slander is very serious!All the people in the world who talk about me now, if their starting point is to do good, then they are learning from me, and for me, it is nothing more than a place to be more vigilant, reflect on myself, and improve my character.Xunzi said, "The person who picks out my faults is my teacher." Is there anything hateful about a teacher? At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Xue was in the dominant position. After Wang Yangming’s theory of mind came out, on the one hand, it became another banner of Confucianism and opened up a new style of Confucianism;For the objections and accusations of others, Wang Yangming was tolerant and magnanimous.At the same time, he further emphasized practice, and when talking about the debate with Zhu and Lu, he warned his friends and students not to repeat the argument but to emphasize "physical practice". Lai Shu said: "There is a quote from Chengzi, 'Life is quiet, and the above cannot be said, and sex is no longer sex'. Why can't it be said? Why is it not sex? Hui'an replied: 'Those who cannot be said, there is no sex at all. Those who are not sexual, can no longer be without temperament.' The words of the two gentlemen have not been understood, and every time I read the book to this point, I am always confused, so please ask." "Sheng is Xing", the word "Sheng" is the word "Qi", just like saying "Qi is Xing".Qi is nature, "human beings are born in a state of tranquility and cannot be said above", and if we say "qi is nature", we have already left it aside, and it is not the origin of nature.Mencius is good by nature, speaking from the root.However, the end of a good nature must first be seen in the breath.If there is no breath, there is nothing to see.Compassion, shame, resignation, right and wrong are all Qi.Cheng Zi said, "When discussing nature regardless of qi, one cannot be prepared; when discussing qi regardless of nature, one cannot be clear." This is also because scholars agree on one side, so they have to say this.If one sees and understands the self-nature, then the qi is the nature, and the nature is the qi, there is no division of the nature and qi. You said in your letter: "Someone quoted Mr. Cheng Yi's saying 'People are born to be calm, and the above realms are not allowed to be said, so that sex is no longer sex' to ask Zhu Xi why it is not allowed to be said, and why it is not sex. Zhu Xi replied: "It can't be said because there is no sex at all; it's not sex, it means that after you say it, you can't have no air mixed in it." I don't quite understand what the two gentlemen said. Every time I read this, I feel doubts. There will be confusion, and I would like to ask Mr. to explain to me." The word "birth" in "Sheng is Xing" is the word "Qi", just like saying "Qi is Xing".Qi is sex. "Human beings are born with the ability to be calm" cannot be said above. When we first say "Qi is sex", sex is already biased to one side, and it is not the original face of sex.Mencius believed that human nature is inherently good, speaking from the source.But the beginning of goodness in nature can only be found in Qi, if there is no Qi, it will be nowhere to be seen.Compassion, shame, humiliation, right and wrong are all signs of qi.Cheng Yi believes: "It is not comprehensive to talk about nature without qi; it is not clear to talk about qi regardless of sex." This is because scholars insist on their own opinions, so he can only say so.If people can clearly recognize their own sex, then Qi is sex, and sex is Qi, and there is no distinction between sex and Qi. Starting from the ontology of sex, Wang Yangming put forward the idea of ​​the unity of sex and qi, and opposed the separation of sex and qi.His so-called qi refers to the popularity of conscience, and qi is the manifestation of the popularity of conscience. It has no independent status, but is subordinate to conscience.He believes that good nature is the origin, that is, sex is the origin, and the four emotions emanating from sex are qi.In his view, it is unnecessary to divide sex and qi into two, and it is helpless for Er Cheng to distinguish sex and qi in this way. But as long as one understands the principle that sex is one from the source, one will understand that sex is qi, and qi is sex.