For a thousand readers, there are a thousand Hamlets. Different reading objects will have different feelings. Therefore, the same text and video can always have different feelings after reading. Below, I will bring you "Reflections after reading "Dongpo Zhilin"". More content is here, and everyone is welcome to read it. Thoughts after reading "Dongpo Zhilin" 1
Many years ago, when I was visiting a bookstore, I saw a copy of "Dongpo Zhilin" in the discounted book corner. It was a 36-format book with a simple binding.
I know "Dongpo Zhilin" because of the famous article "Night Tour of Chengtian Temple". The moonlight is as bright as water in the article, the elegant and free figure in the moonlight, and "Why?" There is no moon in the night, there are no bamboos or cypresses anywhere, but there are few idle people like my two ears." The complex emotions of helpless melancholy and tranquility and open-mindedness left a deep impression on me.
Opening the book "Dongpo Zhilin" at random, the first article is "Travel to Hepu". In the third year of Yuanfu, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty came to the throne. Su Dongpo was ordered to move inland. He crossed the sea from Danzhou, Hainan, where he was relegated, to the north. The journey was difficult and tortuous. When the sixty-five-year-old Su Dongpo was stranded on the vast sea with his child, he looked at the scene of "the sky and the water meet, and the sky is full of stars" and sighed: "Why do I encounter such dangers so many times?" Touching the "Book of Changes", "Book of Books" and "The Analects of Confucius" that he carried with him, which are his painstaking efforts in studying Confucian classics, he sighed: "God doesn't want me to suffer from this, we will definitely get through it!" read At this time, I felt that my soul was shaken. The emotion of going through many vicissitudes of life and the belief that there is no perfect way for everyone deeply attracted me. I immediately bought this book "Dongpo Zhilin". For more than ten years, I have read it from time to time, always reading it, and never getting tired of it.
"Dongpo Zhilin" is a collection of essays by Su Shi, a writer in the Northern Song Dynasty. "Zhi" means record. A year before his death, Su Shi once mocked himself and summed up his life: "Ask you about your life achievements, Huangzhou, Huizhou, and Danzhou." Huangzhou, Huizhou, and Danzhou were the three places where Su Shi was relegated that influenced the direction of Su Shi's life. "Dongpo Zhilin" is a collection of five volumes and 203 essays written by him during the more than 20 years since he was relegated to Huangzhou until he returned to the mainland from Danzhou, Hainan after receiving the pardon and the imperial edict. The articles have a wide range of contents and talk about everything. They are all written in a letter-writing style, regardless of length or length, and they are written freely. Most of them are short articles.
Su Dongpo is a rare all-rounder in the history of ancient Chinese literature and art. He is a scholar who knows everything about learning. He has studied Confucianism, history and even various schools of thought. He is proficient in Confucianism and Taoism. He is an essayist, poet, lyricist, calligrapher, painter, proficient in medicine, and a gourmet. He can be called a "mixed family". Just by looking at the table of contents, you can see how extensive the content of "Dongpo Zhilin" is: Volume 1 is about travel, nostalgia, cultivation, illness, dreams, knowledge, fate, and farewell; Volume 2 is about sacrifices, military strategies, and current affairs , official positions, career, seclusion, Buddhism, Taoism, and strange events. In other volumes, there are technology, monuments, jade, characters, ancient discussions, etc.
The articles about Buddhism and Taoism in "Dongpo Zhilin" are quite interesting to read.
For example, the article "Zhuo Qishun's Zen Talk". A layman named Zhuo Qishun who worked as a handyman in Dinghuiyuan in Suzhou traveled thousands of miles across the sea to visit Su Dongpo, who was living in exile in Huizhou. Dongpo asked him: "What local products did you bring?" Zhuo Qishun spread his hands. Dongpo said: "It's a pity that you came thousands of miles away empty-handed." Zhuo Qishun made a gesture of carrying a burden and walked away. Buddhist Zen language is sometimes expressed using actions instead of words. Zhuo Qishun's action means that he comes with a load, not empty hands. Yes, Zhuo Qishun walked thousands of miles to Huizhou with Su Dongpo's concern for his two sons who were far away in Yixing and his full affection. Dongpo humorously recorded Zhuo Qishun's Zen saying, You must have been moved by the warm heart and deep affection of this ancient road.
Volume 1 "Cultivation" records a story about Bai Juyi's alchemy, called "Lotte Burning Pills". Taoism has the art of refining elixirs to seek immortality. When Bai Juyi was demoted to Jiangzhou Sima, he once set up a furnace to make elixirs. He was almost finished, but the alchemy furnace broke down. The next day, the imperial edict appointing him as the governor of Chungju arrived. Dongpo sighed with emotion: Becoming an official in the world and refining elixirs in the world cannot have both ends. I have long had the ambition of refining alchemy, but I could not succeed because of unfinished business in the world. But now that I have completely failed in the officialdom, I can finally realize my ambition of refining alchemy.
There is a bit of sadness that cannot be concealed in the words, but at the end of the article, I quoted a sentence from "Shangshu" "What the people want, God will follow it", which means that whatever the people want to do, God will definitely comply with their wishes. , and made fun of himself again.
Su Dongpo also did a lot of research on Taoist health preservation. For example, he said, "Eat only when you are hungry, and stop before you are full." This means eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are not full; he is still here Practice sitting quietly on an empty stomach, watching your nose with your eyes, your heart with your nose, and count your breaths until your body and mind are both calm.
He also has his own insightful insights into the skillful hands and benevolence of doctors. He believes that between two doctors with similar medical skills, the one with a calm personality and pure and kind conduct will be far better than the other because he is more attractive. If you get close, you will also focus on treating illnesses and saving people.
He also has many unique insights into history and comments on the ancients. For example, he said that Liu Ling of the Jin Dynasty was not broad-minded enough. Liu Ling has always been famous for his liberal drinking. He often rides in a deer-drawn cart with a jug of wine and has people follow him carrying a digging shovel, saying: "If I die, bury me." Su Dongpo said that he was not a broad-minded person because he still wanted to be buried after his death and had not completely forgotten his body. He criticized Li Yu, the later leader of the Southern Tang Dynasty, saying that when the country was overthrown, he should have cried outside the ancestral temple, apologized to the people and then returned to the Song Dynasty. How come he only knew how to shed tears to the palace ladies and listen to Li songs in the temple!
When reading "Dongpo Zhilin", you can not only read the word "miscellaneous", but also the word "interesting". The witty sayings of Dongpo popping up from time to time in the book will always make you laugh.
Dongpo was not a devout Buddhist. The article "Changing Sutras" wrote that Su Dongpo recited Buddhist sutras after eating meat. Someone said: "You are not allowed to recite sutras like this." So Dongpo rinsed his mouth with water. , someone also said: "How can you rinse a bowl of water cleanly!" Dongpo said: "Ashamed, ashamed, Jalli will get it (--an eminent monk can understand me)." There is a saying that "wine and meat pass through the intestines, in the heart of the Buddha "Stay" state, you can't help but laugh at his true cuteness.
In the second year of Yuanfeng, Su Dongpo was impeached just a few months after he arrived in Huzhou to serve as the governor. He was accused of writing poems to slander the court, so he was imprisoned in the Yushitai prison and subject to strict questioning. This is the famous Wutai Poetry Case. The article "Shu Yang Pu Shi" writes that Su Dongpo was arrested in Huzhou on the charge of "composing poems to slander the imperial court". His wife and children all cried sadly when they saw him off. But he said to his wife: "Can't you write a poem to see me off like the wife of Yang Chushi?" This is a story he heard. The hermit Yang Pu was summoned by the emperor. The emperor asked him: "Can someone write a poem before leaving?" "A poem for you?" Yang Pu said: "My concubine gave me a poem: Don't drink wine when you are down, and don't indulge in poetry. If you go to the general's office today, you will lose your life." He laughed and let Yang Pu go back. At this time, Su Dongpo was imprisoned unjustly, but he was still able to use Yang Pu's story to relieve his family. When his life and death were uncertain, he was still full of witty words and full of life, which shows his broadmindedness. "The wife couldn't help but laugh." There must be tears in the laughter. After the readers laugh, they may also feel a kind of sadness.
In Volume 1 "Diseases" there is an article "Zizhan suffered from red eyes". Su Dongpo suffered from pinkeye. Some people said that if you have this disease, you should avoid eating fish and meat. What's interesting is that Su Dongpo actually performed a dialogue between eyes and mouth. The mouth refused to comply with the taboo, and said: "I serve as your mouth, and it serves as your eyes. Why do you treat it well and treat me poorly? It's not okay to not let me eat delicious food because it is sick." Poe couldn't decide for a while. The mouth then said to the eyes: "If one day I am ill for a long time, you can watch whatever you want. I will never stop you." This reminded me of the group mouth of Ma Ji, Zhao Yan and others. Crosstalk "Five Senses Competing for Merit", it turns out that the imagination of dialogue between the five senses existed as early as Su Dongpo more than a thousand years ago. Of course, Su Dongpo was not just a random thought, he contained profound thoughts. He quoted Guan Zhong's words: "Those who fear the majesty of laws and regulations as if they are afraid of illness are the superior among the people; those who indulge their emotions like flowing water are the inferior among the people." Guan Zhong also said: "If you indulge in Living in ease and enjoyment is equivalent to committing suicide by drinking poisonous wine." Dongpo quoted a quote from the Book of Rites, which means: A gentleman who is solemn and respectful will become stronger day by day, but if he is relaxed and indulgent, he will become content with each other day by day. seek temporary ease. Su Dongpo knew that people's desires sometimes cannot be satisfied casually, and they must strictly demand themselves and not indulge.
Su Dongpo had a friend named Li Tao. He was honest and slow to respond, so another friend Liu Gongfu gave him the nickname "Li Mengzi". At that time, they didn't know the truth. There is a kind of fruit called "Li Mengzi". In Volume 1, "Travel Notes", an article "Li Mengzi" recalled the scene when several of them went on a horseback trip together: When I heard someone really shouting "Li Mengzi" in the market, I couldn't help laughing and almost fell off the horse. . The endless friendship and the fun of getting along are vividly remembered in Dongpo's writings. At the end of the article, Dongpo said, Now I am living in Hainan. There is this kind of fruit tree where I live, and it is full of fruits. However, my two friends have passed away. Sitting here, thinking about the style and charm of my old friend, how can I see such a person again now? My words reveal my sincere appreciation and deep remembrance of my friend.
Reading "Dongpo Zhilin", you will definitely be able to pronounce the word "da". Su Dongpo's life was full of ups and downs. The ups and downs, ups and downs, and hardships also cultivated his optimism, understanding, and detachment. This attitude towards life can be seen almost everywhere in "Dongpo Zhilin".
When he was exiled to Huangzhou, he once went to Shahu to see the fields he bought. He got sick. Because of his treatment, he met Pang Anchang, a good local doctor who was deaf. Pang Anchang was very smart. Su Shi understood what he meant without writing a few words on the paper. Su Dongpo joked: "I use my hands as my mouth, and you use your eyes as your ears. We are all special people in this era!" This joke contains a lot of emotion. Pang An Changying was enlightened, but lived in seclusion in the countryside as a village doctor. Although he was deaf, he had a clear mind and eyesight. Dongpo was convicted of poetry and was demoted to Huangzhou. Although he was in adversity, he was still willful and independent. He was "a strange person for a moment." The ridicule contained a kind of optimism and confidence. After recovering from the illness, Su Dongpo and Pang An often visited Qingquan Temple together. When they saw that the water of Lanxi River was not flowing eastward but westward, they composed a poem:
At the foot of the mountain, the orchid buds dip in the stream, and the sand among the pines The road is clean and muddy, and the rain is singing in the evening. Who said there is no less in the world? You see, the flowing water can still reach the west! Don't sing the yellow chicken with your gray hair.
In Bai Juyi's poem "Drunken Song", he used "white hair" and "yellow chicken" to lament that time is passing and life is easy to grow old, but Su Dongpo did the opposite in this poem "Huanxi Sand" Sing: "Who said that there is no age in the world? You see, the flowing water can still flow to the west! Don't sing about yellow chickens with gray hair." It means: Who said that people can't be young anymore? Look, the flowing water can still flow to the west! Don't lament. Time flies, and life grows old! There is a positive and enterprising spirit between the lines, which expresses Dongpo's optimistic and open-minded life feelings.
After the Wutai Poetry Case, Su Dongpo luckily escaped the death penalty and was demoted to Huangzhou as a futile deputy envoy of the regiment. He first lived in Dinghuiyuan, a Buddhist temple, where he wrote " Bu Suanzi's "Residence in Dinghuiyuan, Huangzhou" expresses the lonely situation at that time and the noble self-confidence and unwillingness to drift with the crowd. He left behind the famous sentence "Pick up all the cold branches and refuse to live on them, the lonely sandbank is cold". Later, Su Dongpo was taken care of by the local prefect and moved to Lingao Pavilion.
Lingao Pavilion was originally a post station on the bank of the Yangtze River in Huangzhou, and was used as a temporary residence for officials and servants passing by the river. Su Dongpo was very fond of this residence surrounded by mountains and rivers, and built a small cabin next to the house as a study. In the article "Lingao Leisure Questions", he wrote: More than 80 steps below Lingao Pavilion is the river. Half of the river water comes from the snow water on Mount Emei, my hometown. I eat, drink and bathe with water from the river, so why bother? What about returning home? There is no fixed owner of the country and the moon. Whoever has time to appreciate it will be the owner of the country. I heard that Fan Zifeng built a new garden. I wonder who is better than my place? What I can't compare to is that I can't pay taxes. There was quite a sense of self-satisfaction in his words, and at the end he did not forget to ridicule Wang Anshi's new method.
In fact, half of the beauty of Lingao Pavilion’s scenery comes from the natural scenery, and the other half comes from the person who appreciates the natural scenery—Su Dongpo himself. The days when Su Dongpo lived in Lingaoting, Huangzhou, were not the fairy-like days of leisure and ease as he said. In order to support himself and his family, he began to open up wasteland and farm on the east slope. To facilitate farming, he built several thatched huts on the edge of the land. He painted snow scenes on the walls of the huts and named them "Snow Halls". He grew rice, wheat, mulberry and hemp, and became a real farmer. His face turned dark due to the sun and wind, so he simply used the "Dongpo" he cultivated as his own nickname, "Mr. Dongpo". From then on, his name became famous all over the world.
Such days, although hard, allowed Su Dongpo to enjoy the life state of Tao Yuanming, the pastoral poet he most admired. In such mountains and rivers, he was far away from the dark and cruel officialdom. Although he was helpless and unwilling, he gradually found his inner self. To appreciate the tranquility and peace of the country and the moon in this state of mind, the country and the moon will also give him beautiful rewards. His famous "Pre-Chibi Ode", "Post-Chibi Ode", "Nian Nujiao·Chibi Nostalgic", and "Night Tour of Chengtian Temple" were all written during this period.
In the early years of Shaosheng's reign, Su Dongpo was demoted to Huizhou, Guangdong. He lived in Jiayou Temple in Huizhou and often walked near Songfeng Pavilion. "Journey to Songfeng Pavilion" tells the story of his reborn epiphany: one day when he was walking near Songfeng Pavilion, he felt his legs were tired and wanted to take a rest, but he saw that the pavilion for people to rest was still far away, and he thought to himself When can we get there? After a long time, I suddenly realized: There is nothing to rest here! Do I have to go to the pavilion? When I thought about it, it was like a fish that was hooked and suddenly found relief, and I felt extremely relaxed. Su Dongpo's understanding can be described as free and easy, just as he said at the end of the article: Even on the battlefield where soldiers are in close combat and the drums are beating like thunder, if you advance, you will die at the hands of the enemy, and if you retreat, you will die by military law. No matter what kind of difficult moment you are in, You might as well let go and take a rest. At this time, the fifty-nine-year-old Su Dongpo's understanding of life has reached a level that is difficult for ordinary people like us to achieve. It is not only broad-minded, but also a kind of detachment, getting rid of the fetters, not thinking about the past and the future, and just enjoying the present to the fullest. With this understanding, Su Dongpo could feel a kind of beauty in Huizhou and later Hainan Danzhou, a place with poor mountains and rivers. From the helpless leisure in Huangzhou in the past, he rose to the initiative to enjoy life in leisure. This kind of detachment and freedom is also clearly reflected in "Farewell to Zizhi" and "Dan'er Night Book". Here we talk about "Dan'er Night Book".
After Su Dongpo was demoted to Danzhou, Hainan, the local state official respected Dongpo and allowed his family to live in the official residence and provide them with official food regularly. However, they were later kicked out by the state official’s superior. Homeless and in a very desolate situation, local officials and people helped them build three thatched huts in the palm forest. Su Dongpo felt the simplicity and kindness of the local people and formed a deep affection with them. This "Dan'er Night Book" records a night trip he took on the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month two and a half years after he came to Danzhou. Daner is Danzhou.
"That night, several old scholars came to visit me and said, 'Sir, can you come out for such a beautiful moonlit night?' I readily agreed and followed them. Strolling to the west of the city, I entered the Monk Walking through the alley, I saw Han people and ethnic minority people mixed together. There were many small vendors selling meat and wine. It was already midnight when I returned from a night trip. The family members had closed their doors and were asleep, snoring loudly. Again and again. I put down my crutches and laughed, what is gain and what is loss? Ask yourself why you laugh? I am laughing at myself, but I am also laughing at Han Yu fishing. He wants to walk away if he can’t catch a fish, but he doesn’t know that the fisherman "You must catch big fish."
Han Yu once wrote a poem that he couldn't catch big fish when fishing. He complained that the water was too shallow and wanted to find a better place for fishing. In fact, it was an allusion to his poor situation and lack of ambition. Here Su Dongpo uses this allusion to mock those who care about fame and fortune, expressing his thoughts and feelings of being detached and free, abandoning fame and fortune, and enjoying himself.
I couldn’t help but think of a poem he wrote in Huangzhou, "Linjiang Immortal·Returning to Lingao at Night". In the poem, it is also about returning at night, but instead of returning from a night trip to Yuandeng Market in high spirits with the old scholars, it is returning from drinking in the snow hall of Dongpo. "Drinking at Dongpo at night will wake you up and get drunk again." After you wake up, you will continue to drink. , and got drunk again. In this case, it is most likely that the person is depressed and depressed, and is drinking to drown his sorrows. He was also locked out, but instead of "laughing" in a detached and free way like in "Dan'er Night Book", he was alone "leaning on his stick and listening to the sound of the river", and what filled his chest was "I will always hate this body" "Not everything, when will we forget about the camp", which produces the yearning that "the boat will pass away from now on, and the river and the sea will leave the rest of my life", expressing a kind of confusion and sadness in life that cannot be relieved but longing for relief, and embodies the elegance and broad-mindedness and sadness. Intertwined complex moods. In "Dan'er Night Book", we can see that Su Dongpo has given up his unreasonable pursuit, forgotten the "camping" that had been bothering him before, and faced his own situation with a normal heart.
"Gai is laughing at himself." Why is he laughing at himself? He is laughing at the joy of his night outing on the Lantern Festival. He is laughing at the bustle of the Dan'er market and the simple folk customs. He is laughing at the fact that he was rejected after returning from his night outing. , he smiled because he could enjoy life to the fullest - he had completely realized the freedom of his soul and gained spiritual liberation. Perhaps, outsiders see him as being in "adversity," but he himself regards it as a normal situation, takes it calmly, and is able to fully enjoy the joy of life. This kind of pure broad-minded detachment is the wealth of life that Su Dongpo gained after decades of ups and downs.
Whether it is "miscellaneous", "interesting", or "da", in fact, when we read "Dongpo Zhilin", in the final analysis, what we read is the word "true", which is a true word. The temperamental Mr. Dongpo, this is a real world of Su Dongpo. Of course, the real Su Dongpo was not an immortal who did not eat the fireworks of the world. He also has moments of indignation, and he also has simple, extreme and wrong judgments. In "The Story of Yan Shu Yan", Su Dongpo was indignant at the injustice that wise men died early due to poverty, while thieves lived long lives. In the article "Distinguish Xun Qing's Saying that Youth Comes from Blue", he refutes Xunzi's proposition that "green comes from blue and is better than blue", and opposes Xunzi's "evil nature theory", saying that others are "talking in a drunken dream", which seems simplistic and one-sided. , the language is too extreme. However, isn't this kind of Su Dongpo more real and more lovely?
With this kind of "Dongpo Zhilin" by your pillow, you can flip through a few articles at any time, read and think about it, Sometimes you smile knowingly, sometimes you sigh, sometimes you think for a moment... It will not make you forget to eat and sleep like a suspense novel, nor will it be as serious or even boring as a textbook. Of course, it will not be like some fashionable books. Simple and superficial, you can understand it at a glance. "Dongpo Zhilin", like its author, is calm, free and easy, full of wisdom and thought-provoking. It has passed the test of thousands of years of history and can withstand repeated readings. Readers of every era and age can find something in it that touches their hearts. Thoughts after reading "Dongpo Zhilin" 2
It was night, I read "Dongpo Zhilin" again, and I was deeply moved.
Most of the articles contained in this book have dates of writing. The earliest one is in the Yuanfeng period, and the later one is in the fourth year of Yuanfu (1099 AD). It lasted more than 20 years, starting from the Qing Dynasty. He was demoted to Huangzhou and moved inward when he was pardoned in the fourth year of Yuanfu. Two hundred and three articles in total. The content is quite rich. As Zhao Yongxian said in the "Xiaoxu of Engraving Mr. Dongpo's Zhilin" in the 22nd year of Wanli (AD 1595): "All the events that Yuanyou (should be regarded as Yuanfeng) and Shaosheng experienced in the 20th year of their lives are recorded, and some of them were famous officials. His achievements include governance, politics and geography, dreams and ghosts, magical tricks, phrases and jokes, all of which are reflected in his life of exile and hardship.
However, the outline of the frame is bright and the wind is shining. Although the crowd is jealous and the day is about to die, it is easy to adapt to its own situation, so there is another self who is not a body. Wan Ran is just a stickler." Zhao described it in great detail, and I felt the same way.
An overview of "Dongpo Zhilin" is enough to get a glimpse of Dongpo's academic upbringing, thoughts and worldview. Dongpo is worthy of being a great scholar who has learned everything. Hundreds of schools of thought have done extensive research, and they attach great importance to the practical application of knowledge and taking history as a mirror. Needless to say, although Dongpo's comments are sometimes biased and not worthy of reference, it shows that he has good intentions and intends to serve as a warning to future generations.
Su Zi was not a pure Confucian, but he was compatible with Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. This can be seen in the chapters of "Buddhism" and "Taoism" in "Zhilin". "Things" can also be seen. He has a profound knowledge of Buddhism, because he has close contacts with monks and Taoist priests, and has read many Buddhist scriptures. He is very familiar with Buddhist scriptures and has many treasures in his family. However, Su Zi was not a devout Buddhist. His talk about Buddhism and Taoism sometimes came close to joking. For example, in "On Self-cultivation and Tie Ji Zi You", you can catch a glimpse of the whole story! "Zhilin" involves Taoists, and the main content is non-Taoist philosophical views. , but Taoist health preservation, guidance, elixir refining, fasting, etc. Su Zi also studied the "Book of Changes" quite a lot. He not only wrote nine volumes of "Dongpo Book of Changes" handed down to the world, but was also proficient in divination. Yu Zeng bowed down and read it several times, which left a deep impression on him. He memorized many of his eloquent remarks by heart. In particular, the third volume of "Recording the Gua Gua" was written by his disciple You. He believed that he had "extremely detailed examination of this hexagram", and he personally taught it to his second son Su Guo and "hidden it in books".
Looking at Su Zi’s essays on Yi, it seems that he is very superstitious and believes in fate. This is evident from the three articles on "Fate".
He believed that "life has its own destiny." Han Yu took the Mo Scorpion star as his body official, and he also regarded his own Mo Scorpion as his destiny. Therefore, "if you get slandered a lot in your life, you are probably suffering from the same disease." It was also said that Ma Meng was born in the same year and month as him, and his birthday was eight days later. "There are no rich and noble people among those born in this year, but servants and meng are the poorest." Dongpo is also quite knowledgeable in medicine. "," "Disease" and "Technology", there are many records of this. From the book "Zhilin", it is clear that Su Zi is a miscellaneous scholar! If you are interested, you may wish to read it, and you will definitely benefit a lot. Thoughts after reading "Dongpo Zhilin" 3
I recently read "Dongpo Zhilin" with great interest. I particularly loved his article "Remembering a Night Tour of Chengtian Temple", which made me forget myself while reading it. There are only eighty-three words in the whole article, which is extremely concise, yet it has a soul-stirring exquisiteness and transparency. I was fascinated by it several times - classical Chinese writing can be so elegant and sexy. In the current era of fast food culture, the precision and purity of language have been devalued again and again, and may disappear in the near future; there is a saying that "dust boils and disturbs the heart, while grass and trees moisturize the nature", and those who can "moisten the nature" Just like vegetation, occasionally wandering around in ancient books can be regarded as a spiritual journey back to nature. From this point of view, "burying your head in a pile of old papers" is not necessarily a bad thing sometimes.
However, when I turned to the chapter "On Ancient Times", I was a little surprised: a great writer like Su Dongpo could be so childish when writing political commentaries! Just read the article "King Wu is Not a Saint" and you will know Its "circumstantial". After all, he has a scholarly constitution and is too popular with scholars. Whenever idealists in ancient times encountered a wall in reality, they would inevitably resort to writing to complain. However, the complaints were substandard and made future generations laugh.
Since the pre-Qin Dynasty, most Chinese classical literature has aesthetic achievements comparable to those of the West (and even surpasses the West in some fields, in my humble opinion), but it still lacks some magnanimity and style. The reason for this is that it always revolves within the Confucian worldview and value system. Even among the most strategic and insightful group of Homo sapiens, there are very few who break through this limitation (except for figures in the Wei and Jin Dynasties). It’s all about “loyalty to the emperor,” “patriotism,” and “ruling the people,” but they lead to the same goal through different paths. Although the expectation of "To King Yao and Shun" is great and beautiful, it is ultimately a mirage. This dream has been dreamed for thousands of years and is still unbreakable. The sincerity of the Confucian scholars can be appreciated - let me say, "Utopia" This concept (Utopia) should have originated in China.
The ancients have had a "view of the world" since ancient times, but the scope of this "world" seems to only cover the land of China and some of its surrounding vassal countries. As for the arrogant and pragmatic China outside the distant territory, People must not bother. This trend has been passed down consistently for a long time, making it impossible for our spiritual soil to breed literature with "cosmopolitan" significance; and generations of scholars who have been nurtured by the Confucian "official-oriented" culture have long been inseparable. Consciously becoming a tool of cooperation within the monarchy system. In his early years, Zhou Zuoren once examined Chinese classical literature to see how many works were worthy of "human literature". As a result, among the vast sea of ??classics, there were only a handful of them ("A Dream of Red Mansions" should be counted as one). The poverty of humanistic spirit has always been the Achilles heel of Chinese civilization. In modern times, it was under the observation and comparison of Western civilization that we suddenly became aware of the decline in our interest.
Su Zi can be said to be a man of great virtue and talent, but he is not exempt from vulgarity. Reading his article "Xue Tang Asks Pan Binglao", it is clear that he is wavering between "entering the world and becoming an official" and "renouncing the world and returning to seclusion", and it is still difficult to make a decision on his own. "Cultivation of both Confucianism and Taoism" is just a decent way of saying it. The real situation is: if you want to be "Confucian" but can't, you can only practice "Tao" to relieve your nostalgia. Fortunately, there have been many such people for thousands of years, otherwise our literary history would have been too bleak.
I highly recommend