When the writer Chen Jingruo talked about Zhuangzi, he once said this:
To sum up Zhuangzi's philosophy in one word, it is "forget". In the book "Zhuangzi", the word "forget" appears in a total of 87 places. In Zhuangzi's view, only by forgetting external objects, forgetting death and life, and forgetting oneself, can one achieve the realm of freedom and transcendence.
In the world, the shackles of trivial matters, the entanglement of material desires, and the troubles of the world are like vines that bind you and me firmly.
If you are too persistent, you can only live more and more tired;
Knowing how to be relieved, sweeping away all unnecessary burdens, those disputes and troubles will naturally dissipate.
Let go of everything that should be put and forget what should be forgotten, so that you can be physically and mentally smooth and live freely.
Forgetting external objects is a kind of sobriety
"Zhuangzi · Getaway" says: "Wrens nest in the deep forest, but only one branch; The squirrel drinks the river, but it is full. ”
The thirst for material things is a human instinct.
But if you are always thinking about external objects and letting your desires go beyond the limit, you can only go lost and fall into pain.
In this life, people actually need very little, forget the temptation of material desires, and live a simple life in order to obtain physical and mental liberation.
Zhuangzi lived a life of pure heart and few desires all his life, and once only made a living by weaving straw shoes.
In fact, with his profound knowledge, he wanted to obtain wealth and fame as easily as he searched for things.
King Chu Wei once sent someone to invite him to be the prime minister with a generous gift, but he flatly refused.
He would rather live in a grass hut and wear patched clothes than drag himself down with worldly materialism.
Without the shackles and fetters of material, he can live a detached and comfortable life.
As Zhuangzi said: "Things are things but not things." ”
This means that one should control external objects, not be enslaved by external objects.
Peking Opera actor Wang Peiyu won various awards in her twenties and became the deputy head of the Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe.
With fame and fortune comes her ever-increasing desire.
She began to buy big-name bags, luxury houses, luxury cars, and various high-end hotels......
In order to meet her inflated material needs, she kept taking on commercial performances, attending various events, and was busy every day.
As a result, she became materially rich, but her heart became more and more tired.
Later, her teacher warned her: "Don't just sing for a living, without material desires, people will be free." ”
She woke up from a dream and got rid of the things she didn't need.
After that, she began to pursue material simplicity, cooking three meals a day, and only buying affordable clothes on weekdays.
After letting go of her desires, she shifted the focus of her life to Peking Opera, and eventually became a generation of famous artists.
Huang Zongxi, a literati of the Ming Dynasty, said: "Less desire feels light." ”
In fact, there are thousands of things in the world, and excessive pursuit of material things and constantly expanding desires will only lead to getting lost in them.
People's time and energy are limited, and the more material things are valued, the more barren the inner world becomes.
To subtract more desires is to add to the spirit.
Learn to forget about greed, reduce your needs, and keep things simple, and your life will naturally be comfortable.
Forgetting worries is a kind of wisdom
It is recorded in "Zhuangzi · Dasheng" that once the Duke of Qi Huan took a carriage to hunt in the mountains and forests.
On the way, he suddenly felt a flower in front of him, as if something flashed.
He thought he had met a ghost, and he was very frightened, so he hurriedly stopped the car, and then asked Guan Zhong next to him: "Father Zhong, did you just see something strange?" ”
Guan Zhong shook his head and said, "There is nothing, I haven't seen anything." ”
Hearing this, Qi Huan Gong was even more convinced that he had met an evil spirit, otherwise why couldn't others see it, but he did?
After returning to the palace, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became, he couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep well, and soon fell ill.
Zhuangzi said: "For those who are punished externally, gold and wood are also; For those who are punished internally, they are also moved and passed. ”
Outward pain comes from punishment, and inner pain comes from inner conflict.
Too much worry is exacerbating your inner conflicts, overwhelming your mind and causing you pain.
Li Ruzhen, a novelist of the Qing Dynasty, depicted a country called Bo Xi in "Mirror Flowers".
The common people of Bo Wei country like to worry about the sky on weekdays.
They are always worried that once they fall asleep at night, they will never wake up again.
So at night, they began to be afraid, and they endured their sleepiness, not daring to let themselves sleep to death.
Therefore, the people of Bo Xi have not slept well or enjoyed a good day since they were born.
Due to excessive anxiety and chronic sleep deprivation, Bo Wei people generally do not live to be 40 years old.
In reality, there are many such people, who are always suspicious and suspicious, worried about imaginary things, and end up torturing themselves in vain.
As the old saying goes: life is a passerby, so why bother with thousands of knots.
People live for only a few decades, and if they are always worried and worried about everything, it is like putting a shackle on themselves.
Instead of consuming yourself in excessive thoughts, you might as well relax and take things lightly.
As the saying goes, if there is nothing to worry about, it is a good time in the world.
Learn to forget your worries, don't get entangled or worry about everything, and all your internal friction and anxiety will be healed.
Forgetting gains and losses is a kind of realm
"Zhuangzi" has the story of Sun Shuao, the minister of Chu.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, Sun Shuao served as the prime minister three times, but he never saw any joy on his face.
He was also deposed three times, but never showed any resentment.
My friend Shouwu was very puzzled by this, so he asked Sun Shuao: You took office three times and was deposed three times, don't you care at all?
Uncle Sun smiled and replied:
"You don't have to shirk what you should come, you can't get back what you should leave, how can you control the gains and losses, why bother?"
After hearing this, I was greatly impressed.
Life cannot be left to people everywhere, and gains and losses are difficult to measure.
People who suffer from gains and losses will inevitably be entangled and distressed; Forget about gains and losses, don't care about losses, and nothing can disturb your heart.
During the reign of Tang Gaozong, Lu Chengqing, the secretary of the Ministry of Officials, was responsible for the inspection and assessment of officials inside and outside the court.
At that time, there was a transshipment envoy who was supervising the transportation of imperial court materials, but the ship encountered wind and waves on the way, and lost some grain and rice.
Lu Chengqing gave him an evaluation instruction as "losing grain in temporary transportation, and being in the middle and lower part of the examination".
Seeing the evaluation, the official was very calm, and turned around and retired without saying anything.
Lu Chengqing was very surprised, you must know that the level of assessment is directly linked to promotion and earnings.
After thinking about it carefully, he felt that this person was very elegant, so he changed the performance appraisal to "out of his power, in the examination".
Unexpectedly, after the official found out, he was still as calm as last time.
Lu Chengqing appreciated this very much, and finally changed his performance appraisal to "pampered and humiliated, and the middle and upper grades were examined".
Whether fortunate or unfortunate, this official has always been calm and calm, showing a detached realm.
I agree with a sentence: What can torture you is nothing more than what you care about; What can bother you is nothing more than your care.
Life is a journey of gaining and losing.
The more you take many things, the more you put a stone in your backpack, the more you accumulate, the heavier it gets, and it will eventually crush you.
In the face of the actual gains and losses, the best attitude is: I am fortunate to win, and I am sorry to lose my life.
You don't have to be complacent when you have it, and you don't have to be depressed when you lose it.
Forget about gains and losses, everything can be accepted and given up with a normal heart, and life will naturally be less entangled and more free.
There is a sentence in "Zhuangzi · Dasheng":
"Forget your feet, and you can do it well; Forget to (waist), belt is also suitable; Forget right and wrong, and the heart is suitable. ”
Meaning, forget the size of the foot, whatever shoe is suitable; Forget the thickness of the waist, any strap is suitable; Forget right and wrong, and your mind will always be at peace.
If people want to live a transparent life, they must know how to forget, be open-minded, and look down on everything.
Learn to streamline desires, reduce thoughts, and let go of gains and losses.
Look down on external objects, let go of utilitarianism, and forget what should be forgotten, so that you can unload your mental burden and live unrestrained.
Encourage your friends.