I can accompany the Jade Emperor, and I can accompany the beggars of Beitian Courtyard. There is no bad person in the world before my eyes.
These few sentences are excerpted from Lin Yutang's "The Biography of Su Dongpo". These few sentences describe Su Shi's life-long character, which was bold, open-minded and kind.
Throughout the entire book, almost all of them praise Su Dongpo. Starting from the preface, there is a summary of his life:
Su Dongpo was an optimist whose temperament is hard to change. A compassionate moralist, a good friend of the common people, a prose writer, a new-school painter, a great calligrapher, an experimenter in brewing wine, an engineer, an opponent of false Taoism, and a practitioner of yoga. He is a Buddhist, a scholar-official, the emperor's secretary, a drinker, a compassionate judge, a political stickler, a wanderer under the moon, a poet, and a person who loves to talk and joke. . But these may not be enough to outline the whole picture of Su Dongpo.
If I say that mentioning Su Dongpo always arouses warm and admiring smiles from people in China, perhaps this sentence can best sum up everything about Su Dongpo.
Because Lin Yutang admired Su Dongpo as his idol, he could only speak of the depth of his love with laudatory words.
Without further ado, let’s talk about some of the touching points of Lay Buddhist Dongpo today.
1. A good tutor is one who teaches through words and deeds
Su Shi’s grandfather’s influence on him was subtle and deeply rooted in his heart. Although grandpa Su Xu did not read many books, he was warm-hearted and righteous.
The purpose of storing so much food at home is to help relatives, neighbors, and more people around us in times of disaster. Su Xu himself is an ordinary person, but he has such a philanthropic mind, which is so great.
Also, in the conversation between his mother and him about Fan Pang, we saw his mother's righteousness and open-mindedness. The actions of his grandfather and mother were deeply rooted in his heart like roots. Later, Su Shi's character grew and he saw the source.
A good tutor teaches by words and deeds. This is why people need a good family tradition and the shaping of our three outlooks by our parents and elders.
2. The good or bad influence of the original family should be chosen by one's own heart
It is true that although the influence of family education and the original family is very important.
However, what you will become in the end is determined and chosen by your own heart.
Su Shi's native family gave him an upright side. He has always hated treacherous officials and strived to be a good official. It's a pity that the country's leaders listened to the slander and sent him to a remote area.
In fact, it is okay if he can be a little softer in the officialdom. It is just that he has chosen to be upright and it is difficult to change, not that he cannot change. For example, Zeng Guofan will learn his own lessons and become gentle instead of being so stubborn. After changing, the road will be easier.
I think the influence of the original family is like this. We should absorb the good things, but we should discard the bad things. For example, when dealing with bad people in the workplace, you shouldn't be so straightforward. It's easy to offend people and you can't display your talents.
As for the pros and cons, you can actually weigh them in your heart, instead of focusing on using uprightness to deal with the workplace and all kinds of people, which will not be beneficial to you.
3. We look at the influence of the original family with dialectical thinking
Almost everything in the world has pros and cons and cannot be generalized.
But what is certain is that we need to be a positive person, but we must have an edge.
The best is like water, but water also turns into a sharp ice knife, so what you have to learn is to be gentle when you should be gentle, and be sharp when you should be sharp.
4. Fake friends add insult to injury
After Zhang Wei became prime minister, he first attacked his former friend Su Dongpo and demoted him to Lingnan, Guangdong. Former friends, for the sake of their own interests, no longer care about friendship.
True friends provide help in times of need, while false friends add insult to injury. Some people's jealousy is so strong that the boat of friendship can capsize at every turn. It's even more difficult to be more talented than him, and even less powerful than him. If one day his friend falls, he will rub it on the ground with all his strength.
This is not considered a friend, just a villain.
5. No matter how life treats you, your psychological quality should be better
At that time, it was rumored that the mountains and forests in Lingnan were so turbulent that nine out of ten people in the past would die. As the first person to be demoted to Lingnan, Su Dongpo was free from worries and fear, and with a peaceful and tranquil mood, he carefully appreciated the mountains, rapids and clear pools along the way.
It can be seen from this that Mr. Dongpo’s calmness and open-mindedness may not be tolerated by ordinary people. This requires a high level of psychological quality. Eat three hundred lychees a day, and you will grow up to be a Lingnan native. Su Dongpo's bold and free spirit returned. Su Dongpo also forgave his uncle Cheng Zhicai. This tolerance was probably inseparable from his usual mentality and his study of Buddhism and Taoism.
Wang Guowei once commented on four poets, including Su Dongpo: If there is no literary genius, his personality will be self-sufficient throughout the ages. Therefore, there is no noble and great personality, but there is no noble and great article. There is. ?
Many people appreciate and even worship Su Dongpo because of his charisma reflected in the ups and downs of his official career.
Dongpo had ups and downs throughout his life, but it never stopped him from being an upright and kind-hearted person.
This year has been very difficult for everyone. We have been carrying the burden all the way for a better life, no matter how hard it is.
If you are frustrated and down, it doesn’t matter, just wipe the dust off, we still have a chance to make a comeback.
6. A generous man will be protected by God
When his political opponents who once persecuted him lost power, he did not add insult to injury, but wrote a letter of comfort. This shows that Mr. Dongpo is very atmosphere.
His magnanimity and welfare for the people caught the attention of the two empress dowagers, and in the end he still had a chance to be reused.
Maybe God saw this and gave him opportunities to come back again and again. However, due to the hardships of life and his old age, he could no longer afford it.
His dedication was seen by the people, he was greeted by people along the way, and he was reused by two empress dowagers. God gave him a chance to start over. His open-minded and broad-minded character also protected his own safety throughout his life.
Lin Yutang said that Su Shi is like a breeze blowing, and his spirit will last forever.
Conclusion:
To be honest, this biography is not objective enough. Lin Yutang loved Su Dongpo so much that when he saw people who had different political views from him, he dismissed them as useless. .
It’s a bit like today’s star chasers. My idol is the best and cannot be argued with. It is said that everything has two sides, and people are multi-faceted. You must be objective when evaluating a person.