In the long history of ancient China, there are always some names that have been remembered by future generations for various reasons.
Today, we are going to talk about such a name - Buddha.
You might say that the name sounds so weird and the pronunciation is different. That's right, that's the beauty of history, it's always full of unexpected stories.
Buddha Di, the retainer of Zhao Ying (Zhao Jianzi) of Jinqing in the late Spring and Autumn Period, was originally just a small county magistrate in Zhongmucheng County. But the wheels of history often change dramatically because of seemingly small choices.
Buddha is one such example. He chose to take refuge in the Fan family and the Zhongxing family, and was labeled as a "traitor" by history.
At that time, the various vassal states were constantly fighting with each other, and the choices of the retainers could often determine the fate of a country.
Buddha's "rebellion" may have been just a personal strategy for him to survive in the troubled times, but this choice has left him a unique mark in history.
When Buddha rebelled, he even wanted to invite Confucius to his territory. This is reminiscent of the old saying: "The Tao is not the same".
Confucius was the founder of Confucianism, emphasizing loyalty and morality, while Buddha was a traitor. Such an invitation is simply a dramatic collision.
Unsurprisingly, Confucius's disciple Zilu was the first to stand up against it.
He quoted Confucius as saying, "A gentleman will not be allowed to be a gentleman who is not good at his own body." This means that a gentleman will not be in the same league as those who do bad things in their own hands. This is simply a public slap in the face of the Buddha!
But Confucius himself thought much more about this.
He did not directly refuse the Buddha's invitation, smiled slightly, and explained, "Yes, I did say something like that.
But I also said that what is really hard is not thin by grinding; What is truly pure white cannot be dyed black.
Am I just a gourd that I don't like? How can it just hang there and not give it to people? Confucius's words not only reflect his confidence in his character, but also reveal his willingness to reach out to different people, even controversial figures, to spread his ideas.
This story not only shows the wisdom and tenacity of Confucius, but also allows us to see the complexity and multifaceted nature of a historical figure.
He may have been a traitor, but who could tell what absolute loyalty and morality were in those turbulent times?
History is always woven with countless choices and decisions, and each choice may change a person's destiny or even the direction of an era.
Buddha's choice made him a "traitor", but it also made him leave his name in history.
Confucius's response demonstrates the importance of upholding principles and wisdom in complex environments.
So, the next time you hear the name "Buddha", "Buddha" is not pronounced as "fóbì" or "fúxī", and the correct pronunciation is Buddha (bì xī).