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The ancients said: "A word prospers the country, and a word loses the country", this sentence vividly interprets the power of words.
In this era of information explosion, we inadvertently say countless words every day. But have you ever thought that these seemingly ordinary words can have a profound impact on our lives?
There is a wise saying in the ancient classic "Zhou Yi" in the mainland: "The words of the auspicious people are few, and the words of the restless people are many." "
This quote tells us that truly wise people tend to be concise in their words, while impetuous people like to talk rhetorically. Do our words and deeds also unconsciously affect our own destiny?
1. The double-edged sword of words: the fork in the road of life between complaining and gratitude
In the journey of life, we will inevitably encounter setbacks and difficulties. In the face of adversity, some people choose to complain, while others choose to face it positively. These two very different attitudes often lead to very different life trajectories.
The story of Zeng Guofan is a typical example. This great Confucian, who later became an important minister in the late Qing Dynasty, also encountered setbacks when he first entered his career. During his tenure in the Hanlin Academy, he complained about the behavior of his boss Zhao Ji.
However, when Zhao Ji took malicious revenge on him, Zeng Guofan did not choose to complain or fight back, but endured it silently and continued to focus on his work.
This attitude of not complaining not only reflects the wisdom of Zeng Guofan, but also lays the foundation for his future success. In just nine years, he rose to ten levels in a row and eventually became a generation of famous ministers.
Zeng Guofan once said a thought-provoking sentence: "There are things that can be done in life, and there are things that cannot be done." What can be done, should be done with all your might, this is called exhaustion; What cannot be done, you should follow it with all your heart, this is called knowing your fate. This sentence profoundly illustrates his state of mind in the face of adversity.
Echoing the story of Tsang Kuo-fan is the wisdom of a Zen master who taught his disciples. One day, a disciple complained to the Zen master about the unsatisfactory things in his life. The Zen master did not give a direct answer, but asked the disciple to do an interesting experiment. He asked his disciple to put a spoonful of salt in a glass of water and taste it. The disciple frowned after tasting it and said that the water was too salty.
Then the Zen master took his disciples to a lake and asked him to put a spoonful of salt in the water again and taste the water. This time, the disciple was surprised to find that the lake water had not become salty.
The Zen master smiled and said, "The pain of life is like salt, and its saltiness depends entirely on the container in which it is contained. When you face a difficult situation, be like this lake and embrace it with a big heart. "
This enlightens us that in the face of life's difficulties, we should choose to expand our hearts instead of complaining. Complaining not only does not solve the problem, but can lead us into a quagmire of negative emotions and lose the motivation to move forward.
On the contrary, if we can face life with gratitude and positivity, we can see hope in the face of adversity and find the strength to change.
2. The Reaction of Evil Words: The Cause and Effect Revelation of the Buddha and Honey Sheng
Words can not only affect our mindset, but they can also have a profound impact on our destiny. There is a story in Buddhism about Misheng Bhikkhu that vividly illustrates this.
In the Acropolis, there was a monk named Mi Sheng, who had a peculiar ability: whenever the monks were thirsty, he could always easily get molasses. This ability may seem miraculous, but it actually stems from his good deeds in his previous life.
It is said that in his previous life, Misheng once generously gave molasses to the Buddha and his disciples. This act of kindness was rewarded in his present life, allowing him to obtain molasses easily.
However, there is a thought-provoking twist in Misheng's story. The Buddha told his disciples that Misheng was reincarnated as a human because he had been an ape in an earlier life. And the reason why he became an ape is precisely because he once spoke ill words and used apes to mock others.
This story vividly demonstrates the power of words and the inescapability of karma. Every word, whether benign or malicious, is like a seed, planted in the soil of our lives.
Good words are like seeds that sow good fruits, and will eventually bear sweet fruits; Bad words, on the other hand, are like sowing seeds of bitter fruit, which will eventually lead to a painful end.
In modern society, we often see similar situations. Some people like to make vicious remarks on the Internet, but they don't know that these remarks will not only hurt others, but also end up eating themselves.
As Zeng Lao said: "The power of the curse is quite large, but if you curse right, others will be hurt, and if you curse wrong, you will be hurt." "
This tells us that in our daily lives, we should be careful in choosing our words. Every sentence should be carefully thought out to ensure that it does not hurt others or negatively affect yourself.
Only in this way can we sail more smoothly in the sea of words and avoid the fate of a shipwreck that runs on the rocks.
3. The price of arrogance: Tang Bohu "can be the champion"
Arrogance, a seemingly innocuous character trait, is often the source of many failures. There is no shortage of examples in history of failures due to arrogance, and these lessons are still profoundly revelatory to this day.
Let's first take a look at the story of Tang Bohu, a genius of the Ming Dynasty. When he was young, Tang Bohu was talented and full of self-confidence. When taking the imperial examination, he boasted in front of other candidates that he was "the champion". This seemingly unintentional ostentatious statement of ostentation has led to a series of unexpected consequences.
Soon, rumors of fraud in the imperial examination began to circulate among the government and the opposition. Although the results of the later investigation proved that Tang Bohu did not cheat, the imperial court still punished him and banned him from being hired for life.
The impact of this blow on Tang Bohu was enormous, causing him to be impoverished in his later years, in stark contrast to the talent and ambition of his youth.
Tang Bohu's story teaches us that even if you are talented, you should not be overly conceited. Humility is not only a virtue, but also a wisdom to protect oneself.
As it is said in the Tao Te Ching: "The weak are better than the strong." "
Staying humble and low-key often helps us avoid unnecessary trouble and jealousy.
Fourth, the danger of being sharp: from the wisdom of ancient generals to the modern workplace
In a competitive society, it seems natural to show off your talents. However, both history and reality tell us that being too sharp can lead to unintended negative results.
Let's first take a look at the stories of two famous generals of the Han Dynasty. Zhang Liang and Han Xin were both important generals under Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, but their endings were very different.
Zhang Liang was low-key and modest, and he advanced and retreated in front of the Son of Heaven, so he was appreciated by Liu Bang and finally died well. In contrast, although Han Xin was talented, he did not know how to restrain his edge because of his high merits, and was finally executed by Liu Bang.
This tells us that even with extraordinary talents, we need to learn to rein in the edge at the right time.
As the old saying goes: "When the wood is beautiful in the forest, the wind will destroy it".
In the workplace, showing one's talents too much may cause jealousy and rejection from others, which is not conducive to one's long-term development.
5. The power of integrity: stay away from the trap of rumors and deception
In this era of information explosion, rumors and disinformation spread like viruses. However, do we realize that these seemingly innocuous "little lies" and "gossip" can cause irreparable harm to others and even ourselves?
Some people often boast about their abilities in order to satisfy their vanity. However, this behavior is often counterproductive. When lies are exposed, not only do you lose the trust of others, but you can also lose valuable opportunities.
Similarly, some people like to spread unverified information that can cause serious harm to others without even knowing it. Like a sharp knife, rumormongering can drag others into the abyss of despair. We should always remember that the power of words is immense, and a casual word can change a person's life.
Honesty is not only a virtue, but also the foundation of interpersonal relationships and social trust.
As it is said in the Analects: "If a man has no faith, he does not know what he can do." "
If a person loses his integrity, he loses his foundation in society.
Summary:
In fact, the power of words is so great. Complaining, vicious cursing, rampant arrogance, sharpness, rumor-mongering and deception can not only hurt others, but also have a profound impact on one's own destiny.
As the ancients said, "Words are the voice of the heart, and the mouth is the door of good and evil." In our daily lives, we should always keep these lessons in mind, be careful with our words, and be kind to others. Only then can we truly take control of our own destiny and make life easier.
Let's work together to warm the world with kind words, inspire others with words of wisdom, and earn respect with humility. I believe that as long as we treat every word with our hearts, we will be able to create a better life. What do you think differently about this?
Resources:
[1] Shanbai. Citizen and Law (Comprehensive Edition),2022(11):41-43.
[1] Qian Zhonghui. On Zeng Guofan's "resistance" word[J].Friends of the Secretary,2023(08):15-18.
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