Tao Yuanming is a miracle in the history of China. From ancient times to the present, Li Bai, Du Fu and Meng Haoran in the Tang Dynasty, Su Shi, Zhu and Ouyang Xiu in the Song Dynasty, and Lu Xun, Liang Qichao and Lin Yutang in modern times all admired him. Why is this?
The first is his literary achievements. He is the first scholar to describe rural life in the history of China, and created a new type of poetry-pastoral poetry. His poems are grounded, simple in language, easy to understand and far-reaching in artistic conception.
Then there is his attitude towards life. He resigned, stayed away from the noise of the world, lived in seclusion in the countryside, returned to nature and was carefree. The Peach Blossom Garden in his works is the "Xanadu" that China people dream of. He is the representative of China's reclusive poet, which is fascinating.
Another point is his "clank of iron". The Book of Jin says: At that time, Tao Yuanming was the magistrate of Pengze County, and his superiors sent Du You to inspect it. A petty official advised Tao Yuanming to dress up before going to see Du You. Tao Yuanming sighed and said, "I can't bend over for five buckets of rice." Boxing is a matter for the villains in the village! " Then he resigned and left his job.
"Five buckets of rice don't bend over", and there is a lot of backbone!
However, after a little analysis, there are many problems. 1, Du You came to inspect the work, as long as Tao Yuanming dressed up and met to talk about business. Du, you didn't do anything too much. What can Tao Yuanming complain about? 2. What is "50 meters"? Why can't he bend down for "five dou meters"? Du You is an official, at least higher than the county magistrate. Why do you say he is a "village man"?
1, n generation of officials who are unwilling to be officials.
To answer these questions, we must understand Tao Yuanming's life.
In 365, Tao Yuanming was born in Chaisang County, Jiangzhou, Eastern Jin Dynasty, which is now Lushan Mountain in Jiangxi Province. His great-grandfather, Tao Kan, used to be the head of military power in the imperial court, and his position was very prominent. His grandfather and father were both county magistrates. Grandfather Meng Jia was a celebrity at that time and was deeply appreciated by the powerful minister Huan Wen. Obviously, Tao Yuanming is an official N generation, and his family conditions are quite good.
In 393 (at the age of 28), Tao Yuanming became a chieftain in Jiangzhou, but soon resigned and went home. Later, he was asked to be the master book, but he also refused. The state is one level higher than the county, and "drinking ceremony is divided into Cao Bing, thief, warehouse, household, water and armor" (Song Shu), which is a real power position, equivalent to the deputy governor. As far as official positions are concerned, he is obviously much better than his grandfather and father.
In 398 (at the age of 33), Tao Yuanming once again became an official and served as the staff of Huan Xuan (son of Huan Wen), the secretariat of Jingzhou. Three years later, due to the death of his mother, he resigned and went home to attend the funeral. During the three-year mourning period, Huan Xuan invaded the capital, took control of the state affairs, and forced the Eastern Jin Emperor to abdicate and become the emperor. Later, Emperor Wu of Song, the general of the Northern Government, rose up and defeated Huan Xuan, and the Eastern Jin Dynasty was restored.
In 404 (39 years old), Tao Yuanming became an official for the third time. He joined the army in Jiankang (now Nanjing, Jiangsu Province) and served as the general of Zhenjun, Liu Yu. Soon, in 405 (at the age of 40), he joined the army as general Jianwei and Jiangzhou secretariat Liu.
In August of the same year, he served as the county magistrate of Pengze. According to the official position, this is obviously a big downgrade. But this is Tao Yuanming's voluntary, because pengze county is close to his home and it is convenient to go home. 1 1 month, my sister who grew up together died suddenly. Tao Yuanming was deeply moved. After only 80 days as a county magistrate, he resolutely resigned and never became an official again.
When he got home, he lived with the field and enjoyed his family. Although his living standard has declined, he is very happy. He wrote many pastoral poems and drinking poems. In 420 (55 years old), Emperor Wu of Song proclaimed himself emperor and changed his country name to Song. Tao Yuanming refused to admit it and insisted on using the title of Eastern Jin Dynasty. In 427 (63 years old), Tao Yuanming died.
This is Tao Yuanming's life. It seems that there is nothing too strange.
2. What exactly is five measures of rice?
Looking back, let's discuss the above problems.
Let me start with a simple one. What is "50 meters"? "Han Shu" records: "30 Jin is the king, and four kings are the stone." One stone is 10 bucket, so five buckets = half stone = second gentleman =60 kg. According to the measurement of ancient unearthed cultural relics, the Han Dynasty 1 kg was only about 250 grams, which is equivalent to half a catty now. In other words, five buckets is about 30 Jin today.
Then, what does "five-bucket rice" mean in "don't bend over for five-bucket rice"? Some people say that it represents the official position of the county magistrate, and five buckets of rice are salaries, that is, salaries. However, the monthly salary is only 30 Jin meters. How can a ghost be a county magistrate?
Some people say that five buckets of rice is the daily wage, five buckets a day, one month 15 stone, which is 900 Jin today. Is that enough? You know, the level of the Han dynasty chief is called two thousand stones. Although it may be illusory and the Eastern Jin Dynasty will change, there are really too few stones in 15. Moreover, the salary composition of officials is more complicated, including public land, money and food. To calculate the daily salary, it is estimated that Tao Yuanming's mathematics level is terrible! Besides, when did China have the tradition of paying by the day?
Others say that five buckets of rice is Tao Yuanming's monthly ration, which means he doesn't want to bend over and eat his stomach. Calculate, a catty of rice a day, for Tao Yuanming's appetite, may be really similar. However, before Tao Yuanming, I didn't see any literature, using "50 meters" to mean "rations"! Is this word originated by Tao Yuanming?
In fact, the word "five measures of rice" has long existed, that is, "five measures of rice". About 200 years ago, as early as the Three Kingdoms period, Zhang Lu, who had lived in Hanzhong for 30 years, ruled Hanzhong with the "Five-Gate Rice Road" (also known as Stone Heaven Road). Zhang Lu claimed that his grandfather Zhang Daoling created the "Five Mi Dou Knives" and named it "Zhang Tianshi", which was handed down from generation to generation. Later, Zhang Lu was destroyed by Cao Cao, and Wudou Rice Road spread to the Central Plains and Jiangnan, which was very popular.
However, is it possible that in ancient times, information was blocked and Tao Yuanming had never heard of the "five-door meal"? The answer is impossible!
When Tao Yuanming offered wine in Jiangzhou, his immediate boss Jiangzhou Secretariat was Wang Ningzhi, the son of the famous calligrapher Wang Xizhi. As we all know, the Wangs have believed in the Five Mi Dou Road for generations. Even the official position of "offering wine" originated from "Five Mi Dou Roads". Later, when Tao Yuanming was Huan Xuan's aide, Wang Ningzhi was transferred to Huiji (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang). As a result, Sun En, who also believed in five doorways, rebelled, invaded Huiji and killed Wang Ningzhi (399).
Sun En ravaged Jiangsu and Zhejiang for several years, almost shaking the foundation of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Huan Xuan, who was in Jingzhou, tried to send troops to help, but was rejected by the court. Emperor Wu of Song, a soldier of the Northern Government, made some achievements in the process of crusade against Sun En and was promoted. As Huan Xuan's chief of staff, Tao Yuanming later joined the army as Emperor Wu of Song. He has no reason not to know the "five-door rice" that shook the country.
So it is obvious that "five measures of rice" is "five measures of rice"!
Why didn't Tao Yuanming pay homage to the Five Mi Dou Knives? History books don't mention it. Guess, there are three possibilities.
The first possibility is that when he served as Jiangzhou's drink offering, he had a conflict with Wang Ningzhi, the boss who believed in the "Five Mi Dou Road" and would rather resign than bow his head. The second possibility is that Wudou Midao is a rebel that brings disaster to the country and the people, and it is reasonable not to bow to the rebels. The third possibility is that Du You, who came to visit, is probably a believer of Wumen and Midao.
3. Dare to surrender.
Either way, confronting your immediate boss shows that Tao Yuanming lacks some kind of "officialdom wisdom". However, if he dares to "not bend over", he must rely on something. Where does his confidence come from?
This should start from the special historical background of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
At the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, due to the chaos in the Central Plains, a large number of northern aristocratic families crossed the Yangtze River to establish a new emperor and the Eastern Jin Dynasty. These large families, known as gentry, made great contributions to the establishment of the new court. In particular, the four families of Wang (director), Yu (Ming), Huan (Wen) and Xie (An) controlled the political affairs of the Eastern Jin Dynasty from generation to generation, and their authority was greater than that of the emperor. In fact, like the Eastern Jin Dynasty, it is extremely rare for imperial power to stand aside and aristocratic families to control domestic politics.
The nobles got a lot of special treatment. They don't have to pay food and taxes, and they are not subject to local jurisdiction. By virtue of their origins, they were able to obtain senior officials at the county level and passed down from generation to generation. In fact, they were the ruling class of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the top aristocrats.
The big family in the south of the Yangtze River is a second-class aristocrat, called the Han family or Buyi. Don't be confused by the name "Han nationality". They have money and leisure to study, but they are not poor. Ordinary civilians and slaves in big families work day and night, and even dare not think about reading, which is the bottom of society.
The society in the Eastern Jin Dynasty was obviously characterized by three classes: the gentry, the Han nationality and the common people. Since Cao Pi, the official selection system of "Nine Grades and Right System" has been implemented. The original intention of this system is to divide talents into three grades and avoid arbitrary appointment. But as a result, under the control of the gentry, they went astray, that is, "there is no poverty in the top grade and no gentry in the bottom grade." In this way, the boundaries between classes are clearer, and in today's words, classes are solidified. As the top of the pyramid, the gentry proudly despised the superiority of other classes, which is obvious.
Tao Yuanming's ancestor was from Jiangxi, and he should be Han nationality. However, Tao Kan, his great grandfather, became the supreme leader of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, with a very prominent position, which was a unique exception in the Leng family. At that time, the marriage was very particular about the right family, and extremely despised cross-class marriage, while Tao Yuanming's mother came from a noble family; Moreover, Tao Yuanming's first official position was Jiangzhou Wine Festival, which was a senior official equivalent to "Deputy Governor". It can be seen that Tao Jia has been accepted by the cremation and is a member of the cremation.
Tao Yuanming is a gentry and a top aristocrat, and he simply looks down on the poor, let alone the common people. It is obvious that Tao Yuanming dares to offend his boss's "confidence". He is not afraid to resign. His family has a large area of land, money and food, so it is not a problem to solve the family's life. In society, the status is very high, and it is easy to be an official again. What is he afraid of?
Unfortunately, however, his era was the era of the rise of the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty defeated Huan Xuan and saved the Eastern Jin Dynasty. A large number of generals of the Han nationality left their names with military exploits. It is almost certain that you must be a cold family. Therefore, it is not Du You's turn to bully Tao Yuanming. Instead of dressing up to see him, Tao Yuanming said disdainfully, you hillbilly!
4. It's not just poetry, wine and countryside.
If Tao Yuanming has only a trace of aristocratic pride, is despised by everyone, and lives a carefree pastoral life with superior treatment from the nobility, how can he win the admiration of so many great men in past dynasties? I believe that Li Bai, Du Fu, Zhu and Lu Xun have no reason to be deceived.
Tao Yuanming became an official three times and resigned three times. From his behavior and his poems, it can be clearly seen that he has been struggling to be an official. Being an official is the natural best choice for gentry, with rich salary and bright circle of friends. However, Tao Yuanming doesn't like (and certainly isn't good at) mixing in this circle. He prefers quiet, drinking, writing poems, digging the ground, and Doby children. ...
He struggled until he was 40. He was shocked when he learned that his sister who grew up with him had died suddenly. Life is alive, and death is inevitable after all. Why do you want to wronged yourself? Do you want to be wronged to death? He finally figured it out, "don't bend over for five buckets of rice" and resolutely resigned and went home. Since then, he has been "picking chrysanthemums from the east fence", "reclaiming land in the south", "planting beans in Nanshan" and "returning home with the moon lotus" ...
Has Tao Yuanming become a "village man" he despises? Of course not! He just keeps close to nature and exercises his muscles occasionally. What he is really interested in is drinking with friends, writing poems, enjoying family happiness with his family, being free and flying freely. ...
Tao Yuanming's "willfulness" comes at a price. Without a generous salary, the living conditions at home have dropped sharply and there are few friends. Later, there was a fire at home, and life was even worse. Although it is thousands of times stronger than the real poor peasants, it is far worse than other gentry. But he doesn't care. He drank bad wine mixed with water, ate rough food and covered himself with a tattered quilt.
There is no doubt that he is an alien among the gentry, and it is inevitable that he will be judged by other gentry, but he will ignore it. After Emperor Wudi proclaimed himself emperor, the treatment of the gentry declined day by day, and Tao Yuanming's life became more difficult. But he refused to recognize the new court of Emperor Wu of Song, and he also resolutely refused the money and food sent by officials. He insists on staying in his own world and enjoying himself!
This is the reason why countless cattle people admire Tao Yuanming for thousands of years: he really knows what he wants, and is willing to bear the price, without hesitation and live his life contentedly!
Bottom line: Know yourself and stick to yourself, live high!
5, rivers and lakes that are difficult to give up
Know yourself and stick to yourself, live high! These three sentences are simple to say, but how easy are they to do?
The hardest thing is probably knowing yourself. People are floating in the rivers and lakes and are disturbed by various factors. What do they really care about? Even in the middle of the night, I'm afraid I can't say clearly. Some things could have been compromised, but they persisted inexplicably, fighting for their heads and adding to their troubles; Some things should have insisted, but they compromised. I regret it when I think about it, complaining about others.
Buddha said that "pointing directly at people's hearts and treating nature as Buddha" is actually a question of "knowing yourself". "Knowing yourself" is similar to "becoming a Buddha", which shows that it is difficult.
People are floating in rivers and lakes, even if they know themselves, it is also difficult to stick to themselves. Tao Yuanming wrote a poem "Poetry of Responsibility": "Although there are five people, they are always not good at writing. Shu is twenty-eight years old, lazy and horseless. A Xing Xuan Tzu Chi scholar, not Wen Shu. Duan Yong is thirteen years old. I don't know if he is six or seven. Tung Tzu is nine years old, but he misses pears and chestnuts. Heaven is so lucky, it is all in the cup. "
In this poem, none of his five sons is successful. It can be said that he is a little self-deprecating, and from another angle, he has a happy family. Unfortunately, this is also a fact: his five sons really have no future. There is no story about them in history. Only because of Tao Yuanming, they reluctantly left five names. Although the son is promising, it may have nothing to do with the father. However, if you are Tao Yuanming, can you say "it's a lucky day, it's all in the cup" with peace of mind?
I'm afraid it's not easy It is not easy to make Tao Yuanming of "live high" so enviable.
Friend, do you also want to be Tao Yuanming? I think, I'd better drink this glass of wine first, wash and sleep.