Yes, this sentence is both an attitude towards life and a life story. Mr. Yangming was a thinker, military strategist, and writer of the Ming Dynasty. He was the master of Lu Wang’s philosophy. He was one of the few people in China who established moral integrity, meritorious service, and established the “Three Immortals.” However, in China’s directionless public opinion field, his life experience and Qingyu has also experienced ups and downs on a large scale. It once reached the top of the waves and was also left in the mud at the bottom of the water.
In the seventh year of Jiajing (1528 AD), when the 57-year-old Wang Yangming was governor of military affairs in Guangdong and Guangxi, his old cough and dysentery suddenly worsened. He had a very bad premonition, so after Shangshu "asked for resignation" (requested to resign), he made his own decision without waiting for the "court report" and took a boat from Wuzhou via Shao and Xiongbei, Guangdong. I plan to rush home while waiting for the court's approval. When he left Guangdong, his disciple Wang Dayong was afraid that something might happen on the way, so he prepared a coffin for the teacher and followed him in the boat.
On November 25, the boat crossed Meiling and arrived at Nan'an, Jiangxi. Zhou Ji, the official of the government, heard that the master had arrived and came to see him. Yangming sat up, coughing and wheezing, and said, "The illness is critical, and the only survivors are my vitality ears." Due to the sudden onset of his illness, Yangming stayed in Nan'an for five days and was unable to move forward. On the 29th, he summoned Zhou Ji into the boat and could no longer speak. After a while, he opened his eyes and said, "I'm leaving."
Ji cried and asked, "Sir, what are your last words?"
Yang Ming muttered slightly: "This is my intention. What else can I say about the brightness?"
It passed away in a blink of an eye. ("Mr. Yangming's Chronicle")
The above record is very touching. Yangming knew that he could not afford it, so he summoned his disciples to see him, and he thought he had something to explain. Unexpectedly, when the words came to his lips, he couldn't help laughing to himself ("slightly"). He didn't want to say a word, but opened his mouth with a bright heart. The enlightened mind leaves.
Extended information
Before his death, Yang Ming may have predicted what will happen after his death. A slight smile, but it was actually a silent bitter smile.
Yangming had been idle at home for seven years before he was reinstated in May last year (the sixth year of Jiajing reign).
Since "Jin Shang" came to the throne, courtiers have continuously recommended him, some recommended him to the cabinet, some recommended him to be governor of the three sides, and to be in charge of the military department, but the emperor refused. This time he was ordered to conquer western Guangdong, but he had no choice but to do so. Geinsien and Tianzhou were repeatedly attacked by native officials, and the imperial court mobilized officers and soldiers from four provinces to encircle and suppress them, but in the end they failed. It was only then that he was recommended by the bachelors Zhang Cong and Gui E to leave the mountain and go thousands of miles to the southwest to deal with this difficult and troublesome matter.
Yangming knew that the emperor had a prejudice against him, but he may not know the crux of the prejudice. He and the young emperor in his early twenties had never met once. How could he make the supreme ruler of the Forbidden City hate him?
In the past few years, the current situation has been turbulent, and there has been an uproar over the title issue of the biological parents of Emperor Jiajing, who ascended the throne from a foreign vassal. In this wave of political disputes called the "Great Rituals Conference", Yang Tinghe, the former chief academician, resigned, conservative cabinet ministers were demoted or expelled, and the emperor's supporter Zhang Cong, known as the "Elite Conference" , Gui E's generation entered the cabinet forcefully, and the "Zanli faction" jumped to high positions one after another.
Most of the active figures participating in the Dali discussion were Yangming’s disciples and friends, and their attitudes towards Dali were not consistent. For example, good friends Xi Shu, Huo Tao and disciples Fang Xianfu, Huang Wan, Huang Zongming, etc. "were lucky by discussing etiquette." For this reason, Wang Si, the editor of the Hanlin Academy, publicly declared that he was "ashamed to be associated with his fellow disciple Fang Xianfu"; Zou Shouyi, Wang Shike and other disciples also participated in the famous Zuo Shunmen crying and admonition incident in the third year of Jiajing period. Beaten to death!
When the courtiers were divided over the discussion of etiquette, the "Prince's Master", who held lectures in Vietnam and became increasingly famous, adopted a deliberately evasive attitude - ministers Huo Tao, Xi Shu, Huang Zongxian, Zong Ming and others "all asked questions with great courtesy, but did not answer."
At that time, the Zanli movement encountered fierce opposition, was in a difficult situation, and was in urgent need of theoretical support. Yangming didn't say anything, and they found the basis from Song Confucian Ouyang Xiu. When the "big ceremony" was settled, Ouyang was carried to the Confucius Temple to accompany the sacrifice, and received a huge reward in this world.
We might as well imagine that if Yangming takes advantage of the opportunity, publicly expresses his praise, and supports the emperor who is eager to be a filial son, what will he gain? Thinking about it on the other hand, he was so famous for his lectures, but he didn't say a word when everyone was arguing. What kind of impression would he leave on the emperor?
After Yangming was ordered to recuperate, in his letter to Huo Tao, he responded to his question of "not saying anything": "In the past year, I accepted your instructions in the article "The Great Rites". At that time, we During the funeral, although I agreed in my heart, I couldn't reply to the letter. The messenger had to get a reply before leaving.
I had no choice but to give a hasty answer, generally agreeing with what he said, but I just thought, At that time, the ceremony has been completed, and those involved (i.e., the conservatives) may not be able to change it. If they say it, it will only lead to disputes. It is better to make it clear for now and wait until there are more people who believe it, and then delay it."
Huo and Xi are both good men of praise and good friends of Yangming. It can be seen from Yangming's reply that he was sympathetic to the former. The reason why he didn't speak out was not only that the ceremony had been completed and any further words would only lead to disputes, but also because "since the discussion was already happening, I live in a place where I don't believe what I said, so I dare not speak publicly to the court."
Yangming stayed out of the matter and saw it more clearly than the people involved: the two factions were fighting for ethics, but actually for rights. His statement will not help "enlighten the truth", it will only help one group of people defeat the other group of people, and in any case, some of his disciples and friends will be harmed. He hoped that the dispute over Dali could "be reconciled and gradually seek recovery" without breaking up and causing serious damage to the government.
In the struggle for power, reason often loses to power, and Yang Ming feels this personally. As a victim, he describes himself as "living in a place of disbelief."
China Youth Daily-Wang Yangming’s last words: “My heart is so bright, what else can I say!”