What kind of person can be called a "soldier"? (i)

The fifth chapter of the "Filial Piety Sutra" is about the filial piety of the soldier, and the soldier should serve the monarch and respect the chief with the love and respect of his parents, so that he can be loyal to the king, obedient in his deeds, and loyal to his duties.

"To love the same with the Father and with the Mother, and to respect the Same with the Father in the King." Therefore the mother takes his love, and the king takes his respect, and the father also takes it. ”】

From the Ninth Book of Filial Piety in the Qunshu Zhijiao.

A scholar is a reader, and the reason why a reader is called a "scholar" is because he is reading the book of the sages. According to the explanation of the White Tiger Pass, this "scholar" said: "Scholar, thing also." The name of the appointment is also. "A "scholar" is a person who does things for the country, and when he enters, he can do good to the world, that is, he can serve the country; when he retires, he can be alone. Retired can teach in their own countryside, pass on the teachings of the ancient sages, and promote the improvement of social atmosphere.

The ancients said "scholars, farmers, workers, merchants", "scholars" is to say that people who read the books of the sages have high moral character and are most respected by the public, so they are ranked first. This is what Mencius called "those who have perseverance without permanent production", and the heart of a scholar who learns to be a gentleman and learns to be a sage is constant and unchanging. It is precisely because he has this noble and noble character that he is especially respected by the public. This is because ancient societies revered morality and put morality first.

Now society is different. The ancients put the readers, the "scholars" in the first place, and the "business" in the last place. But now society is upside down, and the rich businessman is often the most respected, and the reader is often the last. This is the result of the emphasis on money and the emphasis on profit over righteousness.

What kind of person can be called a "soldier"? It is recorded in the "Sayings of Confucius" that the Duke of Lu ai asked Confucius for advice on how to appoint the lu people to govern the country. Confucius said that it is necessary to know how to distinguish between the "five instruments" (five types of people), that is, mediocres, scholars, gentlemen, sages and saints, and after discernment, they can be properly appointed, and the country can be governed well.

The so-called mediocre people do not have the principle of acting cautiously and cautiously in their hearts; what they say in their mouths is not the teachings of ethics and morality; they will not choose the wise people to entrust them with their lives; they will not practice ethics and morality to achieve themselves; they understand small things, but they are confused in big things; they go with the flow and have no opinion, this is the so-called philistine. It can be seen that there are many mediocre people in the world, and the average person does not know how to enhance his personal moral cultivation, the realm of life, short-sightedness, narrow-mindedness, mercenary intentions, going with the flow, talking about the length of the family all day, trivial things, mercenary is the map, this is the mediocre.

So what is a scholar? "The so-called scholars have a certain heart and a good plan. Although we cannot fulfill the essence of The Taoism, we will have a rate; although we cannot prepare the beauty of the hundred good, we will have everywhere. "There is a clear goal in the hearts of the people, and there is a principle in doing things. Although we cannot fully understand the fundamentals of moral learning, we must have standards to follow; although we cannot perfectly possess various virtues, we must have norms and principles for settling down.

"It is the reason why wisdom does not do much, and it is necessary to judge what it knows; it is necessary to judge what it is known; it is necessary to judge what it is called; it is not to do more to do more, and it is necessary to judge its reasons." His wisdom does not seek much, but must have a judgment, knowing right and wrong, good and evil; words are not much, but must be able to clearly express the meaning; his deeds are not much, but he must know the reasons for his actions.

"If wisdom knows, words are gotten, and deeds are done, then if life is not easy." Since there is wisdom to know good and evil, words to express clearly, to know his main points, and to follow them in deeds, they must not change like life and body. Here special emphasis is placed on having a master of the heart and not changing one's ambitions arbitrarily and arbitrarily.

"Riches are not enough to gain, poverty is not enough to lose, and this is also a gentleman." Wealth is not enough to make him more arrogant, and poverty is not enough to make him worry, this is the scholar. It can be seen that it is not easy to be a scholar. The scholar has a clear goal, and he perseveres in fighting for his goal, and can be flattered.

The gentleman's requirements are higher than those of the scholars, and the gentleman must be faithful and trustworthy in his speech, have no complaints in his heart, and act in accordance with benevolence, but he does not boast of his demeanor. Thinking clearly, but not arbitrarily speaking, firmly believing in morality, and practicing what he preaches, self-improvement, what he does is natural, others seem to be able to surpass him, but in the end they can't catch up, this is a gentleman.

The sage, whose virtue does not exceed the law of etiquette, behaves in a proper manner. His remarks are enough to become the standard for the world to imitate, and they do not harm themselves. His morality can enlighten the people without harming the fundamentals. If he is rich, he will not accumulate wealth and lose his way. If he gives to the people, there will be no sick and poor people in the world, and this is the sage.

The sage is in harmony with heaven and earth. He does not do things in a proper manner like a wise man, and does things without attachment. He will do things flexibly with time and karma. Just as Mencius commented on Confucius, saying that Confucius was "the one who is holy in the time." "It can be fast and fast, it can be long-lasting, it can be everywhere, it can be shi shi". He can exhaustively study the laws and principles of all things, make all things naturally harmonious, and be able to spread his avenue to the world, so that the people of the world can naturally change their disposition and form a certain moral character. His light is as bright as the sun and the moon, and his indoctrination affects the speed of god and the effect is magical.

Ordinary people do not know that his virtue is so tall, even if they see a saint, they do not know that he is unfathomable. This shows that the saint does not mean to behave differently, he looks like an ordinary person, but in fact his virtue and enlightenment are very extensive, and such a person is a saint.

There is a passage in the Analects devoted to the "scholar." Confucius's disciple Zigong once asked: "He Rusi can be described as a man." Confucius replied, "It is a shame to do one's own deeds, to be in the four directions, and not to dishonor the king's orders. "The gentleman, very ashamed, his actions are completely moral. Like "filial piety and faithfulness, courtesy, righteousness, and shame", etc., are fully in line with and have not been violated. If a person has no shame and does not care what he does, over time, he will fall not far from the beast. Therefore, the word "shame" of "doing one's own deeds" is very important.

Mencius emphasized: "Shame is great for people." The word "shame" is too important for man, "with what he gains is a sage, and what is lost is a beast." Especially as a teacher, learning to be a teacher, behaving in a worldly manner, the word "shame" is more important. If they are shameless, such a person cannot be called a teacher. If you have shame, you can become a sage, and it is also a gentleman to retire.

"Do not dishonor the king's orders in all directions." The scholar accepts the task of the state, and no country will lose face to his own country. Zigong may feel that this standard is still very high, so he asked: "Dare to ask second?" Confucius said: "The clan is called filial piety, and the township party is called brother." "In the clan, everyone called him a filial piety; in the neighborhood party, everyone praised him for respecting the elders and loving the young. This kind of behavior, this kind of virtue is very rare, and this kind of person is called a scholar.

Zigong asked again, "Dare to ask second?" How about taking a step back? Confucius said, "Words must be believed, deeds must be fruitful, and the little man is clear." "Speak with integrity, do things resolutely and decisively, never know but do nothing, and know what you know must be done." Therefore, to study the teachings of the sages, we must really do it and really implement it. "硁硁然" is a description of the sound made when stones collide with each other, indicating that it does not change. It is unswerving and perseverance. "Little man", "little man" is a small person in the sense of virtue, although he does not do great things, but he can do morals and benevolence, so that he is also a scholar.

Confucius said that the three levels of scholars, even the third class of scholars, have the spirit of adhering to the truth, perseverance, and the practice of unity of knowledge and action. Even if you can't do the world well, at least you can be alone. Such talents are qualified for "scholars" and the standards of "scholars".