Master Nan Huaijin believes that there are three basic mistakes that people cannot make: first, having poor virtue but having high status; second, having small wisdom but having big plans; third, having small strength but having heavy responsibilities!

The first mistake: having weak virtues but having a high position

"Having little cultivation but holding a high position" and having "poor virtues" does not necessarily mean a lack of virtue. Or maybe he has good personal qualities - gentle, courteous and thrifty, but he just lacks the qualities that match his position.

For example, after Wang Anshi became prime minister, he implemented a series of reform measures, which is known as the "Wang Anshi Reform" in history. In the name of "riching the country", they all used state machinery to forcibly intervene in the economy, and eventually evolved into disguised taxation with cleverly designed names. The privileged class competed with the people for profits in the name of the country...

Wang Anshi's cultural accomplishment is nothing to say. , one of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties. However, in the reform process, we only consider political achievements - "enriching the country" (how to make the country generate income), but ignore the injustice and harm suffered by the majority of disadvantaged groups in the reform. This is a typical example of "poor morality and high status".

Second mistake: Small intelligence but big plans

“Limited intelligence but planning big things”, we continue to talk about Wang Anshi’s reform. The failure of reform is due to Wang Anshi’s reform plan being based on fantasy. It is seriously out of touch with reality and is exactly the same as the decision-making thinking of some "three-beat officials":

First, make a decision with a pat on the head, pat your chest to ensure it beforehand, and then pat your butt and leave.

For example, Wang Anshi’s “Green Crop Law” was originally intended to provide small loans to farmers who were struggling to make ends meet. Due to wrong performance assessment, officials forced loans to farmers, and the interest rates were extremely high, turning support into a burden. There are also "market transactions laws" and "universal laws" that allow the government to transform into "official merchants", directly monopolizing the market, manipulating prices, and taking money from the pockets of the people. Therefore, the people of the Northern Song Dynasty deeply hated the monopoly economy.

Wang Anshi ranks high among the prime ministers and is the initiator of the reform plan. However, it failed to curb power rent-seeking and abuse of public power. This can not but be said to be "small wisdom but big ambitions." Reform is carried out with only enthusiasm, without considering the overall consequences, and without listening to criticism. The final result is that the whole people pays the bill. If you don't see, half of the heroes in Liangshan will not be able to survive.

The third mistake: small power but heavy responsibility

"Insufficient ability but big responsibility", comparing the famous Shang Yang's reform and Wang Anshi's reform in history, Shang Yang encountered greater resistance, almost The whole country opposed it, but Shang Yang's reform succeeded (Shang Yang died, but the system was preserved), but Wang Anshi's reform failed. Investigating the root cause, Wang Anshi's lack of political allies made him have "little power but heavy responsibilities."

Radical reforms caused Wang Anshi to lose almost all his allies, and the opposition gathered stars-Sima Guang, Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi... almost all the literate people opposed him. Even Wang Anshi himself admitted that the reform was radical and "it would be a great benefit to do it slowly, and it would be a great harm to do it hastily."

He only identified one goal, but ignored that a series of problems would inevitably arise in the process of achieving this goal. In just a few years, more than a dozen reforms were comprehensively rolled out, which completely offended supporters from all walks of life. As a result, the reform fell into a dilemma.

A poem written by Yuan Shikai's second son when he was trying to persuade Yuan Shikai not to become emperor is very good: "The mountain spring surrounds the house and one knows the depth, and the slightest thought of the Cang waves makes one feel the unevenness." Mountain springs all want to turn into Cang waves, but since then Knowledge is more important, not to mention that some fame is just a false name.

Extended information

In 1918, Nan Huaijin was born in a scholarly family in Yueqing, Wenzhou, Zhejiang. He received strict traditional Montessori education since childhood. By the age of seventeen, Nan Huaijin, in addition to studying the Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism, had dabbled in hundreds of schools of thought, as well as boxing and swordsmanship. At the same time, he painstakingly studied literature, history, calligraphy, poetry, music, medicine, divination, astronomy and calendars. Every time I get the essence of learning, I feel happy. I have been a diligent and studious young man since I was a child.

In line with the saying in The Analects of Confucius, "The scholars of ancient times are for themselves, and the scholars of today are for others." Although Nan Huaijin has a profound family background, his grandmother and fathers have There was no requirement that this "only son of Nanmen" would be famous or rich and glorious in the future. On the contrary, his grandmother also said to him: "It is okay to study, but don't be an official." His father had very low requirements, as long as he could support himself and be safe. You can go through life without studying.

These seemingly ordinary tutors should have had a positive influence on Nan Huaijin, who always looked down on fame, wealth and glitz. Later, when Nan Huaijin was in the prime of his book business and leaping on the frontier, he responded to every call. "At this moment, he can suddenly wake up. This ability is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

So later, when someone asked Nan Huaijin how to educate children, Nan Huaijin only answered with four words: "outstanding", which means to "teach students in accordance with their aptitude and talents according to their different temperaments and talents". Take advantage of the situation." ?

Nan Huaijin, as a master of the generation, combines "the three major teachings of Confucian classics and theory, and comes from hundreds of schools of thought", spanning ancient and modern times, and integrating Eastern and Western learning, but he doesn't even have a decent diploma, and what's worse? , there used to be many internationally renowned universities that wanted to name Nan Huaijin as an honorary professor or doctoral supervisor, but they were all declined.

Nan Huaijin smiled and said, "I won't be deceived by this." Therefore, some so-called academically educated scholars often use this opportunity to question Nan Huaijin's writings and scholarship, and there are also those who find fault. Of course, for some "flaws" in the writings, according to Professor Zhu Qingshi's recollection, Nan Huaijin was able to criticize and correct them in a timely and responsible manner. Therefore, Nan Huaijin has a famous saying: "Those who are willing to show their true colors to others must have a Zen mind and concentration, so a fake Confucian is not as good as a real famous prostitute."

Nan Huaijin shows his true character. Nan Huaijin said in his book that traditional Chinese culture has three schools of thought: the way of the king, the way of the minister, and the way of the teacher. In ancient times, during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, emperors, princes, and scholar-bureaucrats all had the task and status of being the king, the teacher, or the relative of a teacher. However, the way of being a teacher transcended the above two and existed independently. It happened after the middle period of Zhou Dynasty.

This is its obvious "watershed", which should be the difference in essential meanings (Gongtianxia and Jiatianxia). Let’s start by appreciating some of the results of Nan Huaijin’s academic research and talk about their practical value and significance.

Since Nan Huaijin’s works, I have re-understood the Analects; it makes Confucius closer to reality, ordinaryness and loveliness. "The Analects" is a record of Confucius and his students' daily study and life conversations, as well as the handling of current affairs. It is divided into upper and lower chapters. Decades ago, someone suggested that there was a problem with the arrangement order of "The Analects of Confucius" and wanted to invite Nan Huaijin to participate in the re-ordering.

After careful and repeated research, Hou Nan Huaijin found that there was no problem of order. On the contrary, its coherence was very "artistic", and thus a "farce" was stopped in time.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Nan Huaijin