Let's look at a pair of Mr. Chen Hongshou (1768-1822): "Gu Jian doesn't stay for nourishment, but reads more different books as a supplement."
read the second part of the book, "read more different books as a meal".
this sentence means that reading should be miscellaneous. The author of this couplet is said to be Zuo Zongtang (1812-1885), an important official in the late Qing Dynasty, and Zuo Zongtang's reading characteristics are wide-ranging interests and extensive involvement.
At the age of 21, Zuo Zongtang failed in Sun Shan for many exams (it is his highest academic ability to raise people). So disheartened, concentrate on practical learning. His children's in-laws Tao Shu (1779-1839, the official to the governor, a famous minister in the Qing Dynasty) had a rich collection of books, which just satisfied his desire. "Reading more different books as meals" can be said to be a vivid portrayal of Zuo Zongtang's reading life.
The Bible says, "When God closes a door for you, he will open another door for you." Later, when the situation changed, Zuo Zongtang took the opportunity to come out of the mountain and made full use of his life's knowledge. In the end, he worshipped Hou and became a very important minister. Can have such a result, and he pays attention to the study of practical accumulation has a lot to do.
It's just that Zuo Zongtang has always had a heart disease, that is, posthumous title can't be called a "scholar" after his death (because of his lack of academic ability)!
The ancients attached great importance to the word "Wen" in posthumous title. It is estimated that Zuo Dashuai, who is arrogant, has been howling over and over again in his heart-"If I can't get this word' Wen' after my death, then I, who claims to be Zhuge Liang in the present, can't compete with Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang?"
Therefore, after Zuo Zongtang became the governor, he told Empress Dowager Cixi that he would take the Jinshi examination in the examination room, which made Lafayette laugh and cry. In the end, the imperial court gave Zuo Zongtang a "scholar background" as a personal favor. So after the old man died, he finally got a "Wen Xiang" posthumous title.
Let's look at the "Gu Jian doesn't grind and stay healthy".
Why don't you sharpen a good sword? Why not "try with the front and see what the old man does"? Isn't it a waste to idle there?
In order to answer this question, please take a look at this widely circulated inscription of Gu Jian:
If you use its awn lightly, you will get hurt if you move it, which is the murder weapon; If you hide it deeply, it depends on the occasion. It is a sharp weapon.
I don't know who said these words, but they do convey a point of China culture-the "sword" can't be used casually, and once it is used, it will definitely solve big problems.
Next, let's take a look at Qi Junzao (1793-1866), the prime minister of the Qing Dynasty, who said, "Only with self-cultivation can you learn, and uninterrupted work is hard work".
This couplet can be regarded as talking about reading. ?
The bottom line "Continuous is Kung Fu" means perseverance, not fishing for three days and drying the net for two days;
The first part of the book "Only with self-cultivation can you learn" talks about the method of reading-reading more, pondering more, experiencing more, and combining with practice.
With regard to this "self-restraint", let's take a look at a passage from Zeng Guofan's letter to his son Ceng Jize:
You have little experience in reading the Four Books, so you can't "swim humbly and observe yourself". Zhu Xi taught people how to read, and this second language is the most accurate.
the word "culvert swimming" is the most difficult to understand, and I have tried to guess it: culvert is like moistening flowers in spring rain, like irrigating rice in a clear canal. Rain moistens flowers, if it is too small, it will be difficult to penetrate, if it is too large, it will be detached, and if it is moderate, it will be moist and nourishing. Irrigation of rice in the clear canal, if it is too small, it will wither, if it is too much, it will hurt the waterlogging, and if it is moderate, it will be cultivated and prosperous. A swimmer is like a fish swimming, like a human foot. Cheng Zi said that he jumped into Yu Yuan and splashed on the ground. Zhuang zi said that watching fish from a bright beam, knowing what he knows is not fun? This fish and water are fast. Zuo Taichong has the phrase "Wan Li flows with his feet", while Su Zizhan has the poem "Sleeping at night with his feet" and the poem "Bathing", which is also one of the people who enjoy water. A good reader must regard books as water, and regard this heart as a flower, rice, fish, and foot, then it contains the word swimming, which can be expressed by words.
as you can see, the secret of reading taught by Mr. Zeng Wenzheng to his son is "swim with an open mind and observe yourself", "swim with an open mind" means to abandon prejudice, learn with an open mind and ponder repeatedly, and "observe yourself" means to appreciate feelings in personal practice.
When it comes to "swimming with an open mind", you can't help thinking of the old adage "Read a book a hundred times, and you will see what it means". Qian Zhenqian (1875-1944), a scholar in the south of the Yangtze River in modern times, has a pair of ink marks, which is also quite impressive: "Reading a thousand times to see what is right, drinking a deep cup and punishing me."
The following couplet changes Zuo Zongtang's previous couplet, from "reading more different books as meals" to "rereading old books as meals." It is also necessary to read a good book repeatedly, and only by reading it repeatedly can we understand the author's profound meaning. This was written by Sun Jianai (1827-199), the top scholar in the Qing Dynasty.
The following is a pair by Zekai Yan (1889-1948), a famous modern Yan Kai writer. "Every time you read old books, you gain new insights, while Gu Mo grinds them with extraordinary fragrance." After repeated reading, thinking and swimming with an open mind, you will gain more insights.
Deng Shiru (1743-185), a great calligrapher in the Qing Dynasty, wrote a pair of words, "When guests go to tea, they leave their tongues behind, and the smell of books after sleeping is in their chests." This is a poem written by Mr. Lu You, which is very beautiful and comfortable.
I fell asleep, and the smell of books still lingered in my chest for a long time. For scholars, this "swimming" is not only painful to ponder, but also happy to ponder.
Let's take a look at a pair of words from Sun Guoting's Book Score, "It's the third month after a good book is realized, and four springs when a good friend comes".
I didn't understand some words when I was reading. These words lingered in my heart for a long time, which really made me "eager to toss and turn" and "exhausted for Iraq". A quiet night in the moonlight, "suddenly looking back, that person is in the dim light", finally figured it out! -the joy of reading is probably nothing more than this!
(to be continued)