Fan Zhongyan mentioned in Yueyang Tower that "what you don't like is that you don't like yourself." This is the highest state of life. No matter what ups and downs the outside world or ourselves have, we should keep a calm heart.
Yu, founder of New Oriental, said, "I spend two years doing what others do in one year, ten years doing what others do in five years, and twenty years doing what others do in ten years. Really can't. I will keep a peaceful mind every day. When they died, I was still alive happily. "
Since ancient times, life is inevitably full of material desires, otherwise Fan Zhongyan would not have written the poem "Don't be happy with things, don't be sad for yourself". How much happiness does matter bring us? When we see that others are rich and we have lost something, are we confused inside? Are we satisfied with things? Have we ever felt sorry for ourselves?
During the Warring States Period, an old man lived outside the Great Wall. One day, an old man's horse got lost for no reason. In the cold, the horse is the main tool for carrying loads. Neighbors come to comfort him, but the old man casually says, "This is not necessarily a blessing!" " "A few months later, the lost horse actually brought back a good horse from the Hu people. I really made a profit this time, and the neighbors came to celebrate. The old man said, "This is not necessarily a disaster! "A few months later, the old man's son broke his thigh riding this Huma. Neighbors admired the old man's unexpected events and came to offer their condolences, but the old man said casually, "This may not be a blessing! "After half a year, the conference semifinals invaded, and the able-bodied men in the village were recruited as soldiers. Nine times out of ten, those who died on the battlefield, but the old man's son saved his life because he broke a leg.
Sai Weng's way of thinking, which runs through the present and pays equal attention to both advantages and disadvantages, will naturally have an agreement of "not being happy with things, not being sad for oneself" This calm attitude adds a harmony to life and is the great wisdom of life.
In life, material is not the only criterion to evaluate happiness and happiness. It is important to have a calm heart, not to be burdened by fame and fortune, not to be disturbed by the secular world, not to be happy with things, not to be sad for yourself, and to take every step of life easily.
In detail, "things you don't like" are money, house, car, position and power, that is, fame and profit. To put it bluntly, "things" are your wealth, your achievements and what you think is worth showing off.
"Don't take pleasure in things" not only means that you are not tired of material fame and fortune, but also means that you have got what you have got, so why be complacent. Today's wealth and fame only prove the value of the past. Never take yourself too seriously at any time. No matter how brilliant you have achieved, even if you stand on the brilliant waves, you should still keep a calm heart. We must remember that we still have a long way to go, and more opportunities and challenges lie ahead of us. If we only appreciate the present "things", then we may lose a broader and better future.
"Don't feel sorry for yourself" means that as long as people are alive, they should not take themselves seriously at any time. Don't deny themselves easily when they see their weaknesses or failures, and let themselves fall into depression, which may completely limit their free mentality and completely bury themselves.
People face too many gains and losses in their lives. The so-called "gain and loss" may really have gains and losses, and the so-called "willing" may really be the first!
In fact, the loss in life is not terrible, what is important is to turn sadness into strength. When you are unhappy, put all your troubles behind you and don't worry about those unhappy things. Let those lonely past events settle down slowly, and let us fully appreciate the happiness and light of life. In the face of failure or success, we should "not rejoice in things, not grieve for ourselves", keep a calm mind, don't be carried away by temporary achievements, and don't sell ourselves short because of temporary setbacks. Everything in the world is just passing by, and we can laugh it off.
Zen master Jin Lang loves to grow orchids and regards orchids as friends. One day, Master Jin Lang was invited to give a lecture, and before he left, he told his disciples to take good care of orchids.
Disciples all know that Zen master loves orchids, so he takes good care of them. However, the more careful he is, the more mistakes he makes. When watering the flowers, he accidentally knocked over the orchid frame, and the earthen pot broke and the flowers and leaves were scattered all over the floor. Looking at the flowers and mud on the ground, the disciple was frightened and didn't know what to do.
When the Zen master came back in the evening, his disciples reported the incident, thinking that the Zen master must be very angry and asked the master to punish himself. Unexpectedly, Zen master Jinlang said calmly, "You didn't mean it, and you know it's not a good thing to ruin Dongtong. You will be more careful in the future. What else should I punish you for? " I really like orchids and regard them as my friends. But the purpose of planting orchids is to offer fragrant flowers to the Buddha and beautify the public mood of the temple, not to get angry and upset! "
The reason why Zen master is so calm is that although he likes orchids, he doesn't regard orchids as his lifelong concern (because "concern" is an obstacle to losing his calm mind). Therefore, the presence or absence of orchids does not affect the sadness and joy in his heart.
★ Positive Energy Revelation: Everything in the world, whether we think it is beautiful or ugly, like it or not, is born and died. We should not let external things or temporary emotions change our inner peace.