Why is bamboo the most elegant thing in the eyes of scholars of all ages?

An interesting phenomenon in ancient times was that many plants were endowed with moral significance. Among them, the moral significance given to bamboo is quite rich, and it has also become the object of all kinds of literature and art. What is this?

Let's talk about why many ancient plants were endowed with moral significance.

There are two main reasons: First, the ancient society was ruled by courtesy, and ethics was very important in ancient times. The so-called ethics is to educate people with etiquette, so that people can abide by the law and obey the rule. Since education is necessary, it is natural to set a moral example. This kind of moral example is needed not only in people, but also in plants. Second, the ancients paid attention to the unity of man and nature, and thought that human life was actually a copy of nature's life. Man and nature are highly unified. So there are good people and bad people in human beings, and there are good and bad plants. Humans have moral models, so do plants.

So, what kind of moral model is bamboo?

As a moral model, bamboo is judged according to its shape.

First, be modest. Modesty was very important in ancient times. Because of modesty, I will not be complacent, and then I will actively pursue progress and keep making progress. At the same time, because we are open-minded, we will see the gap between ourselves and others, so we will actively learn from others, not jealous or proud.

There is also a word used to express modesty in ancient times, that is, "modesty is like a valley." Like a valley in my heart, I am not only modest but also tolerant. Tolerance was also a good quality in ancient times, which allowed people to unite and help each other. When we say that "the prime minister can hold a boat in his stomach", that is, the prime minister must be open-minded and tolerant in order to unite all the people.

Why is bamboo considered "modest"? Because the bamboo is empty in the middle. This "empty" form is attached to an open mind.

Second, honesty.

Integrity was also an excellent quality in ancient times.

"Right" means square, impartial and consistent. Confucianism attaches great importance to the word "positive". When Confucius practiced this word, he even used it in food and put forward the idea of "if you cut it wrong, don't eat it". You know, ancient material conditions were extremely scarce, and Confucius was able to put forward this point not because he was extravagant, but because he insisted on the quality of integrity. I would rather not eat than make do with it.

"Straight" means to say whatever you want. In ancient times, there was a kind of minister called Zhichen, that is, a minister who dared to admonish the emperor directly, such as Wei Zhi. Although such a minister may make the emperor unhappy, such a minister is respected.

Therefore, integrity is a noble quality in the personality of ancient ministers.

So, why is bamboo endowed with such quality? This is precisely because bamboo grows straight without bending, so the ancients gave bamboo such a meaning.

Third, there are festivals.

"Integrity" means integrity and moral integrity.

In ancient times, moral integrity was very important. When we say it today, we usually use the word "bottom line" to express it. In other words, we must have a minimum line in our hearts that we cannot cross. If you cross this line, you will lower your moral quality. Decreasing moral quality is not allowed.

Although the bottom line of modern people is equivalent to ancient moral integrity. However, in fact, this kind of moral integrity in ancient times was very harsh. This high bottom line allowed the ancients to ensure their moral standards.