Today I happened to see a very transcendent and philosophical poem: "A fish is in the water and forgets about the water, and a bird flies on the wind and does not know that there is wind." I couldn't figure it out, so I looked into its origin. It turns out that this sentence comes from the classic Chinese classic "Cai Gen Tan".
What does this sentence mean? Its literal meaning is: Only when fish have water can they swim gracefully, but how do they understand that they are in water? Birds rely on the power of the wind to fly freely, but they don't know that they are in the wind.
Just looking at the literal meaning, we still have a feeling of confusion. This sentence only describes the phenomenon of fish not knowing the water and birds not knowing the wind. So, what is the profound meaning of this common phenomenon in the author's writing? The profound meaning lies in the last sentence, "Knowing this can transcend the burden of material things and enjoy the joy of heaven." That is to say, if we can see the truth clearly, then we can be detached from the temptation of material desires, and only in this way can we obtain talents. The true joy of life.
In real life, many of us are often burdened by things. If we pay too much attention to external "things", we will inevitably lose our inner peace and tranquility. If you realize this, you will not be burdened by the environment, and you can live a relaxed and happy life, letting nature take its course.
Comparing fish and birds, in fact, why are humans the same? When you are living in an ordinary life, you don't know that this is a happy life. You always think that a life that has experienced storms is worth it and something you are proud of. When a fish is in water, it can forget about water, but when a person gets life, he cannot forget about life, so he pursues happiness, but after getting happiness, he has no idea at all, and works hard in a haphazard manner... If we don't pay too much attention to fame and wealth, and don't work for fame and fortune. No matter how much wealth we have, if everything goes as it should, we will definitely live a relaxed and happy life without any pressure.
Unfortunately, modern people’s fast-paced life does bring too much pressure. Work pressure, study pressure, financial pressure... If we could slow down, follow our own hearts, and let ourselves be full, without worrying too much about external things, as long as we are healthy and happy, wouldn't it be wonderful!
Chinese classics can be said to be a panacea for modern impetuous society. The ancient philosophy of life is still outdated today. It is a beautiful inheritance of Chinese civilization. It has incredible and subtle power in cultivating people's moral integrity and cultivating their moral character.
When I was young and impetuous, I found such ethereal and wise quotations from classical books bitter and difficult to understand, and I couldn’t bear to read them.
As I grow older and my mentality matures, I feel that the wisdom of life summarized by the ancients is so prescient. They have already understood the true meaning of life thousands of years ago, which makes modern people who think they are smart feel inferior. !