It’s strange that saints like Emperor Xi and above burned paper candles all day long. How do you understand this?

If explained alone, there is no specific meaning. Because those words were used by Liu Xie to make fun of others. Because someone said: "If God had not given birth to Confucius, the world would have been the same for thousands of generations. In the dark night." So Liu Xiecai said: "No wonder the saints before Emperor Xi always walked with paper candles all day long!" He meant to make fun of the man's stupid thinking: Could it be said that the saints before the ancient king Fuxi I walk with paper candles all day long, is it because God has not yet given birth to Confucius?

For the specific situation, I suggest you read the original text to understand.

Original text of the work

There is a Taoist scholar who wears high sandals and big shoes, long sleeves and wide belts, a crown of regularity, clothes of human relations, picks up one or two pieces of paper and ink, steals three or four lips and kisses, and calls himself a true disciple of Zhongni. When I met Liu Xie. Liu Xie, a smart man, saw it and said, "You don't know who I am, brother Zhongni." The man suddenly got up and said, "'Heaven did not give birth to Zhongni, and the eternity will be like a long night.' Who is this son?" , Dare you call Zhongni your brother?" Liu Xie said, "It's strange that a saint like Emperor Xi would burn paper candles all day long to walk!" The man stopped silently, but An An knew what he said was true!

Li Sheng heard this and said kindly: This is a simple and accurate statement, and it can break through the net of doubts and reveal the truth. People can understand what he said. Although it was made out of a momentary joke, it is still true. The best thing can never be changed easily.

Translation of the work

There was a pedantic man who wore wide and high-soled wooden clogs and wore long sleeves and wide belts. Guan, wearing human ethics as his clothes, picked out a few words from the pile of old papers, and stole some clichés, so he thought he was a true follower of Confucius. At this time, he met Liu Xie. Liu Xie was a smart and knowledgeable scholar. He smiled and said, "This is because you don't know that I am Confucius's brother." The Taoist gentleman suddenly changed his face angrily, stood up and said, "If God had not given birth to Confucius, the world would have been in darkness for eternity. .Who are you? You dare to call Confucius by his name and call yourself your elder brother?" Liu Xie said: "No wonder the saints before Emperor Xi always walked with paper candles all day long!" The man answered silently, but he also How can we understand the profound truth of Liu Xie's words? After hearing this, Li Zhi praised him: "This sentence is concise and appropriate, general and thought-provoking. It can break away the obstruction of clouds and make the sky clear. With his remarks like this, we can know his character. Because although it was a temporary joke, the profound truth behind it is unchangeable for thousands of years."