"Brief Analysis Series" "Mencius" (Part 2 of Gaozi) Section 15

Foreword: In this section, there are two well-known sayings, namely: God will give great responsibilities to this people... and then we will know that we will be born in sorrow and die in happiness. Just because women and children know it, it is necessary to broaden the understanding of its connotation, so as to make people feel refreshed.

Appreciation (Heaven will give great responsibilities to this people...and live in sorrow and die in peace and happiness):

For these two proverbs, no matter the content of the great responsibilities, , or the essence of sorrow and happiness, behind it is just the practicality of the word "governing the country". On the basis of hereditary system, no country's national destiny can continue to this day. Even if it has a perfect sense of worry and a complete abandonment of the sense of peace and happiness, a country's national destiny will end due to changes in the world.

Therefore, the examples of the six people cited by Mencius are actually just products of the times and have very great limitations of the times. Precisely because these six people come from different countries in different periods, they are It can be reflected from the side: even if the sage came to the monarch's side and assisted the king through his heart and forbearance, and the royal family prospered during the sage's period, the country inherited by the king will eventually be lost to the next dynasty in the hands of his descendants. Replacement (concession system: looking for a suitable national manager (only) nationwide; hereditary system: the king's son is the best national manager. In other words, in the abdication system, the king has the so-called recognition, and the recognition degree It is the proportion among the people in the country; in the hereditary system, the king has no so-called recognition, it is only promoted by the dragon fetus).

In other words, from the time when heaven will confer great responsibilities on the people to the time when they live in sorrow and die in happiness, it actually refers to the entire process of a country from prosperity to decline - the sage and the king are in harmony, and When the king appoints and obeys the sages' governance strategies, the country begins to prosper; when the country becomes stable, the king firmly holds the power to govern the country, and the Legalist whiskers no longer have actual influence on the king, and when the country is strong When it is able to develop its internal affairs stably, it is also the time when it is invincible against foreign patients (because it is strong and there are no foreign invasions). At this time, the country has reached its peak period, and it is actually the day when it begins to decline.

Therefore, in fact, the helplessness of the family and the invincibility of foreign troubles are not caused by the unkindness of the king. Rather, it is because of the good cooperation between the sages and the king, which has led to great domestic rule and a prosperous age. In the Datong society, there is no need for the Legalist whiskers to appear at this time, and the surrounding foreign environment does not exist in the face of an absolutely powerful country.

However, then why is "the country still destroyed"? First, it is easy to understand the principle that prosperity will inevitably decline, which remains unchanged throughout the ages; second, it is not the sages or the kings who control the destiny of the country, but the hereditary system. A country controlled by the system will only face changes in the future. The misfortune of coming changes; thirdly, if we look at it from now on, the country has not been destroyed, it is just changed. For example, the Li family is replaced by the Liu family. As for the entire unified Chinese nation, it is just one of their own people beating their own people. By today's people Read the joke.

It is true that the two sayings in this section really give people a grand momentum. Regardless of the country, scholars, or sages, they are all arranged properly, but if they are placed In the context of the times, it has been unable to escape the long river of history and is being used again today.

Extension:

The whole section from top to bottom reveals a feeling that only through suffering can one achieve nirvana and only through sorrow can one survive.

Perhaps it is true that for people, those character flaws or human weaknesses require some motivation and momentum to move forward, otherwise they will regard themselves as "salted fish" in the so-called peaceful and prosperous age. People who live in a corner without great ideals and ambitions, as well as strong thinking ability and action ability to complete their missions.

However, if we can sum it up in one sentence, that is, no matter what kind of world we are in, after learning what we need to learn, mastering what we need to master, and doing what we need to do, we can formulate correct rules. direction and goal, and moving forward is all that you have to do at the moment.