How Tang Seng managed his three apprentices (study notes)

First, Tang Seng’s charisma and firm belief in leading by example are fundamental. As the saying goes: To strike iron, you must first be strong yourself. Confucius said: "If his body is upright, he will act without being told; if his body is not upright, he will not follow orders even though he is told." This is the truth. On the way to the west, we slept in the open air and traveled through mountains and rivers. No matter what kind of difficulties and obstacles he encountered, he never retreated, never gave up, and never had any regrets. Even when the monster wanted to put him in the pan, he was equally persistent. The most commendable thing is that whether it is the sincere promise of the king of the daughter country or the charming temptation of the banshees, he is as determined as iron and is determined to go westward, unmoved. Some people say he is stupid, some say he is crazy, but if you want to lead a group of people to achieve something, can you do it without a little bit of this stupidity and crazy?

In addition, Tang Seng's noble personality charm also has the side of him correcting his mistakes when he knows them. When he misunderstood Wukong, when he realized that he was wrong, he could always admit his mistake frankly: "Master, I wronged you!" This is also commendable - Tang Seng is a holy monk and a good person, but he will also make mistakes. This is normal.

Second, the combination of soft emotional penetration and rigid institutional management, Tang Seng is very particular about paying equal attention to kindness and power. He sewed a tiger skin skirt for Wukong stitch by stitch under the lamp; when the master and apprentice were suffering, he always tried his best to protect the apprentice (even though he did not have the ability): "If I don't do their things, it's because I don't teach strictly." "; When any of his disciples did not return for a long time, he was always worried and worried. It can be said that he not only has a bodhisattva's heart but also a mother's mind. But he also pays attention to the art of criticism. In their free time, master and apprentice chat and joke. But when it comes to issues of principle, he always insists on it and even resorts to rigid systems. Take Sun Wukong's three fights against the Bone Demon as an example. After the first beating, Monk Tang scolded Wukong for "killing innocent people indiscriminately" because he didn't recognize humans and monsters; after the second beating, he became furious and gave a stern warning; after the third beating, he couldn't stand it anymore, but he finally couldn't bear it anymore. While reciting the tightening curse loudly, he issued an order to expel the guests. Although his disciples begged him repeatedly, he still refused. This section is the most controversial, because "Tang Monk has mortal eyes, cannot distinguish between human beings and monsters, and complains about good people", which makes people look down upon him. But the art of educational criticism that he displayed was very admirable - even though he was sometimes wrong, it was a matter of personal ability.

Thirdly, Tang Seng is very particular about the art of employing people, making full use of their talents and knowing them well. Sun Wukong has an active personality and is very capable, so he is the one to take the lead in defeating demons; Zhu Bajie is good at eating and lazy, but he can't be idle. He helps with chores and makes some vegetarian meals occasionally, so he should be able to do the job; Sha Monk carries luggage and has nothing to do with a "blue-collar" job. explain. There is a clear division of labor, mutual cooperation, everyone doing their best, and the same goal. In this way, a master with superb management skills and three apprentices with different characteristics jointly performed a legendary story of seeking scriptures from the West.