Chapter 13 Tian Xingjian, a gentleman strives for self-improvement

"Xiang" says: "Heaven moves vigorously, and a gentleman strives for self-improvement." ——"Book of Changes·Qian·Xiang Zhuan" (excerpt) "Xiang" said: "The terrain is Kun, and a gentleman carries things with virtue." ——"Book of Changes·Kun·Xiang Zhuan" (excerpt) On April 6, 2006, when Premier Wen Jiabao, who was visiting New Zealand, met with representatives of local overseas Chinese, he said earnestly: "Heaven's movement is healthy, and a gentleman strives for self-improvement; the terrain is good, and a gentleman carries virtue. Our Chinese nation has The noble qualities of self-improvement, unity and tolerance, hard work, and hard work can not only start a business in one's own country, but also work hard and create fruitful results in all parts of the world."

The opening quotation comes from the "Xiang Zhuan". "Xiang Zhuan" is the elucidation and interpretation of the symbolic meanings of some hexagram names and lines in the middle of the Warring States Period by scholars.The Qian hexagram is the first of the sixty-four hexagrams, which symbolizes the way of heaven and nature that conceives all things. It is eternal, endlessly changing and endless. "Qian" is synonymous with "Heaven" and "Yuan", and is connected with "Kun". It is one of the basic categories with the most abundant connotations in ancient culture. "Xiang Zhuan" said "Heaven is moving vigorously, and a gentleman strives for self-improvement", which is an extension based on the meaning of "dry".According to Kong Yingda's "Justice" records, "'Heaven Xingjian' is the name of the movement of the walker, the name of the strong man of the exercise, and the training of all health. Today's elephants do not take Yu Jian as an explanation, but say 'Heaven' In other words, all things are strong and healthy, and there is decay, but the sky moves once a day, because the movement is muddled, and there is no rest, so it is said that "Heaven is healthy". "Tian Xing" means "the Way of Heaven", and "Jian" means being strong and constantly exercising. "A gentleman strives constantly for self-improvement" is the manifestation of humanity inspired by the way of heaven.That is to say, in the author of "Xiang Zhuan", praising the way of heaven is to shape and promote an ideal personality.The way of heaven is moving forward, and no force can stop it.As a human being, one should imitate the way of heaven, give full play to one's vitality, and establish a life attitude of striving for progress and striving for self-improvement.

The gentleman's self-improvement spirit shows the fearless spirit of human beings to forge ahead, pioneer, and declare war on their own inertia, and it has different manifestations in different fields and levels of human society.On the level of social development, it is reflected in the reform spirit of actively negating and reforming the past. "Book of Rites University" praised "Gou Rixin, day by day, and day by day", and "Book of Changes: Revolution" also affirmed: "The revolution of heaven and earth is formed in four seasons, and the revolution of Tang and Wu follows the sky and responds to people. The revolution Time, it's too big."In the development process of Chinese history, whenever there are "long-standing evils", there will always be reform or revolution movements, such as the Wang Anshi Reform in the Northern Song Dynasty and the Kangliang Restoration in the late Qing Dynasty.These are the concrete manifestations of the vigorous, promising and self-improving innovative spirit.From the perspective of national progress and social development, "self-improvement" is reflected in a vigorous, heroic and indomitable spirit of struggle.

The soldiers of the Han and Tang Dynasties actively guarded the border and raised their voices, the bloody battles of the people with lofty ideals when the nation was in peril and foreign invasions, and death as home, the heroic spirit of "the Huns are not destroyed, why should the family be?" The lofty aspirations of the country... Throughout the dynasties, countless heroes, sages and sages have thrown their heads and sprinkled their blood for national independence and national prosperity. They have written this spirit with their blood and even their precious lives. beautiful chapter.Finally, as far as the independence of personal personality and the realization of life value are concerned, "unceasing self-improvement" may be manifested as a person with lofty ideals insisting on justice in the face of violence and swearing to the death;The former is like Dong Hu, who is known as "historical pen" and never bows to power; the latter is like Sima Qian, who endured humiliation and made great achievements through the ages.They have all completed in their own way the image footnotes of the spirit of vigor and self-improvement.

As a spiritual force, self-improvement has penetrated into the spiritual blood of the Chinese nation and has become an indispensable spiritual factor of Chinese culture.Zhang Dainian believes that the basic spirit of Chinese culture has four points, one of which is vigorous and promising. In 1914, when Mr. Liang Qichao gave a speech titled "Gentlemen" at Tsinghua University, he centered on "self-improvement" and encouraged Tsinghua students to strive for strength: "A gentleman is self-motivated like the sky is constantly moving, and there must be no storms and ten colds." Disadvantages, and scholars must be tenacious and determined, even in the face of ups and downs, unyielding; if one advances in the face of benefits, and retreats in the face of difficulties, it is not a matter of great achievements. Like the sailing of a boat, there are favorable winds and adverse winds, which vary from time to time. If the wind must be smooth, then sail, and there will be no day to land." Then, he mentioned the "good virtue and carrying things" in the "Kun" hexagram, thinking that "Kun Xiangyan A gentleman takes care of things, measures generously and magnanimously, judging from the vastness of the land, and contains everything, a gentleman is very responsible for himself, but very light for others.”Through the analysis of these two hexagrams, Mr. Liang Qichao required the students not only to have a vigorous and enterprising spirit like the movement of celestial bodies, but also to have an inclusive and broad-ranging spirit like the earth encompasses all things.

"Self-improvement" and "virtuousness" are the two spiritual lifelines of traditional Chinese culture, and they are also the source of spirit and strength for the Chinese nation to thrive and stand proudly among the nations of the world.Premier Wen Jiabao has repeatedly quoted these two lines on many occasions to emphasize the importance of this spirit for national independence and prosperity.