The main content and author of ancient Chinese fables, as well as the benefits of reading
Confined diseases and taboos against medical treatment - "Han Feizi"
Bian Que (què) was a famous doctor in ancient times. One day, he went to see Cai Huanhou. After carefully examining Cai Huanhou's complexion, he said: "Your Majesty, you are sick. The disease is only on the surface of the skin. Treat it quickly and it will be easy to cure." Cai Huanhou said disapprovingly: "I am not sick, so you don't need to treat me!" After Bian Que left, Cai Huanhou said to his surroundings: "These doctors want to treat people who are not sick all day long, so that they can use this method to prove their medical skills." Ten days later, Bian Que went to visit Cai Huanhou again. He said anxiously: "Your disease has developed into the muscles. You must treat it as soon as possible!" Cai Huanhou tilted his head: "I am not sick at all! You can leave!" After Bian Que left, Cai Huanhou was very unhappy. . Ten days later, Bian Que went to visit Cai Huanhou again. He looked at Cai Huanhou's complexion and said anxiously: "Your Majesty, your illness has entered the intestines and stomach, we can't delay it any longer!" Cai Huanhou shook his head repeatedly: "What the hell, where did I get this disease!" After Bian Que left, Cai Huanhou Even more unhappy. Ten days later, Bian Que visited Cai Huanhou again. He only glanced at it, turned around and left. Marquis Huan of Cai was very puzzled, so he sent someone to ask Bian Que: "Why did you turn around and leave when you went to visit the king?" Bian Que said: "Don't be afraid if you are sick. As long as you are treated in time, ordinary diseases will gradually get better. If you are afraid, you will get better. If the disease is in the skin, you can use hot compresses; if the disease is in the muscles, you can use acupuncture; if the disease is in the intestines and stomach, you can take decoction. However, now the king's disease has penetrated deep into the bone marrow. When my illness reaches this level, I can only resign myself to fate, so I don’t dare to ask for treatment for your Majesty anymore.” Sure enough, five days later, Cai Huanhou’s illness suddenly broke out. He sent people to invite Bian Que quickly, but Bian Que had already gone to another country. Within a few days, Marquis Cai Huan died of illness.
[Tip] When dealing with problems, you must be as aware as Bian Que of guarding against subtle changes; you must not turn a blind eye to your own shortcomings like Cai Huan Gong. Since Cai Huan Gong has been invited When Bian Que sees a doctor, he must at least treat the doctor's advice with an attitude of trust, and by extension, all aspects of our life and work must also be treated with the principle of trust
Ji Changxueshe - " Liezi》
Gan Ying was a famous archer in ancient times. As long as he pulls the bow, the beasts will fall and the birds will fall. Fei Wei was Gan Ying's student. Due to his diligent study and practice, his archery skills surpassed his teacher's. There was a man named Ji Chang who came to worship Fei Wei as his teacher. Fei Wei said to him: "You must first learn not to blink under any circumstances. Only with this ability can you learn archery." When Ji Chang returned home, he lay on his back under his wife's loom , eyes fixed on the fast-moving parts. Two years later, even if a needle was stabbed into his eye, he would not blink. Ji Chang happily reported this result to Fei Wei. Fei Wei said: "Just having this ability is not enough, you also need to develop a good eye. You can see very small things very big, and you can see blurry things clearly. With this ability, Only then can you learn archery." When Ji Chang returned home, he caught a louse (lice, shī), tied it with a very fine ox tail hair, and hung it in the window. He stared at it from the window every day. More than ten days passed, and the louse, which shriveled up and became smaller, gradually grew larger in Ji Chang's eyes. After three years of training, the louse was as big as a wheel in his eyes. He then looked at the slightly larger things. They were all like hills, big and clear. Ji Chang drew his bow and arrow and shot at the louse. The sharp arrow went straight through the center of the louse, but the hair on the cow's tail was not broken. Ji Chang was very happy and reported this new achievement to Fei Wei. Fei Wei nodded repeatedly and said with a smile: "The hard work pays off, you have succeeded in learning!"
[Tip]
From the story of Ji Chang learning archery, we can realize It is extremely important to learn basic skills well. To learn any knowledge and skills, one must have tenacious perseverance, proceed from the shallower to the deeper, step by step, and lay a solid foundation before real improvement can be achieved. There are no effortless “tricks” or “shortcuts”. When we read fables, we mainly receive inspiration and education from the principles explained in fables. Don't imitate the specific practices described in the story, such as exercising your eyesight like Ji Chang did. If you don't do it well, you may get the opposite effect.
If you are sick, you must follow the doctor's instructions. , treat honestly. If you have shortcomings and mistakes, you must listen to everyone's criticism and make corrections conscientiously. Otherwise, if you make one mistake after another, your condition will become more and more serious, your mistakes will become more and more serious, and it will develop to the point where it is irreversible.
Monkeys are carved on the tips of thorns - "Han Feizi"
King Yan posted notices everywhere, seeking skilled craftsmen with special skills. A Weiguo man came to apply, claiming that he could carve vivid monkeys on the thorns of thorns. King Yan was very happy when he heard that he had such outstanding skills, and immediately gave him extremely generous treatment and supported him. After a few days, King Yan wanted to see the artistic treasures carved by this skillful craftsman. The Weiguo man said: "If the monarch wants to see it, he must comply with two conditions of mine: first, he will not enter the harem to have fun with his concubines within half a year; second, he will not drink alcohol or eat meat.
Then I choose a rainy day with sunrise, and in the half-dark light, I can see the monkey I carved on the tip of the thorn. "When King Yan heard these conditions, he could not comply with them. He could only continue to support the Weiguo man in the inner palace with fine clothes and fine food, but he never had the opportunity to appreciate the treasures he carved. A blacksmith in the palace heard this He couldn't help but laugh secretly. He said to King Yan: "I specialize in making knives. Everyone knows that no matter how small an engraving is, it must be carved with a carving knife. Therefore, the engraving must be larger than the blade of the carving knife. If the point of the thorn is too thin to accommodate the smallest blade, it will be impossible to carve it. Ask the king to check the craftsman's carving knife, and you will know whether what he said is true or false. When the king heard this, he woke up as if from a dream. He immediately found the Weiguo man and asked, "What tool did you use to carve the monkey on the thorn tip?" The Weiguo people replied: "Carving knife." King Yan said, "Please show me your carving knife." "When the people of Wei heard this, they panicked, and on the pretext of going to their residence to get a carving knife, they slipped out of the palace gate and ran away.
[Tip]
Bullshit, lies, made up No matter how clever it is, it cannot withstand serious inspection and careful analysis. According to this fable, people often call lies "the theory of thorns". It should be noted that the bragging of the Wei people in the story should be compared with today. With the development of the times and the advancement of technology, people can carve on hair with extremely fine knives, magnifying glasses, and microscopes. But one or two thousand years ago, people's skills were not up to par. To such a high level. The analysis and judgment of the blacksmith in the story was based on the level at that time.
The cunning bat - Feng Menglong in "The Laughing Mansion"
Phoenix is ??a hundred The King of Birds. When Phoenix celebrated his birthday, all the birds came to congratulate him, but the bat did not show up. Phoenix summoned it and scolded it: "How dare you be so arrogant under my jurisdiction!" The bat kicked his feet and said, "I have animal feet and am a citizen of the Kingdom of Beasts." Can your bird country control me? "After a few days, Qilin celebrated his birthday. Qilin is the king of beasts. All beasts came to pay their respects, but the bat still did not show up. Qilin summoned it and reprimanded: "You are under my jurisdiction, how dare you be so presumptuous! The bat flapped its wings and said, "I have wings and am a citizen of the Bird Kingdom." Your country of beasts has too much control! "One day, Phoenix and Qilin met. When they talked about the bat, they realized that it was lying on both sides. Phoenix and Qilin shook their heads and sighed, sighing with emotion: "The current atmosphere is too bad. It just happened to give birth to such guys who are neither birds nor beasts. There is really no way to deal with them! ”
[Tips]
People still often regard double-faced characters as bats. These people adapt to the situation, play both sides, constantly change their principles and positions, and come to speculate. Seeking personal gain. However, they can only succeed for a while, and one day their ugly faces will be revealed and they will be spurned by people.
Cut off the pole and enter the city - "Laughing Forest" Handan Chun
A man from the State of Lu carried a thick and long moso bamboo into the city. When he got to the city gate, he held the moso bamboo upright and was stuck by the city gate. He held the moso bamboo horizontally and got stuck by the city walls on both sides. After struggling for a long time, he was panting from exhaustion and still couldn't get into the city. An old man next to him watched and laughed: "You are such a big idiot!" There is only one string in my head! At my age, I have crossed more bridges than you have walked. Why don't you ask me for advice? The bamboo seller quickly bowed to him and said, "Please give me more advice!" The old man stroked his white beard and said, "This is a simple matter." If you saw the moso bamboo into two pieces, wouldn't it go in? "If the moso bamboo is cut, it will be useless." "That's better than being stuck outside the city!" "The moso bamboo seller borrowed a saw, cut the moso bamboo in pieces, and took it to the city.
[Tip]
If the moso bamboo seller is stupid and ridiculous, then , that old man with a white beard who likes to show off his seniority and teach others is even more stupid. Some "veteran seniors" always like to act according to old experience and old rules. They are not good at flexibly considering very simple or even ordinary things based on the actual situation. Questions within the scope of common sense have resulted in many bad ideas.
Golden Hook and Gui Bai - "Que Zi"
There is a man in Lu who likes to talk about ostentation. Hobby. He used gold to make fish hooks, inlaid with bright silver wire and green gems as decoration; he used emerald bird feathers to twist into thin threads, and used fragrant osmanthus wood as fishing bait. His fishing rod was of the highest quality. Yes, he is very particular about the position he chooses and the postures he takes when fishing, but he catches very few fish.
[Tip]
Be practical and one-sided. The pursuit of form can only achieve the opposite effect. The man fishing with golden hook and osmanthus bait in this fable provides us with a very vivid example.
A brief introduction to the author of ancient Chinese fables.
1. Han Feizi
Han Fei (about 233 BC), also known as Han Feizi, was an outstanding thinker, philosopher and scholar from Xinzheng, South Korea (now Xinzheng City, Henan Province) at the end of the Warring States Period. Essayist and representative figure of Legalism. His thoughts and theories have always been the basis for the application of China's feudal ruling class. His profound literary foundation has left a large number of famous sayings and masterpieces for later generations.
Han Fei's articles are exquisitely conceived, bold in description, and humorous in language. They find wonder in the ordinary and have the artistic effect of being thought-provoking and warning the world. The most famous ones are "self-contradiction", "waiting for rabbits", "hiding diseases and avoiding medical treatment", "using tricks to make up for it", "an old horse knows the way" and so on.
2. Liu Zongyuan
Liu Zongyuan, also known as Zihou, was a litterateur and essayist during the Tang Dynasty. He has more than 600 literary works, and has made great achievements in poetry, poetry, prose, etc. At the same time, he and Han Yu were the advocates of the ancient prose movement in the Tang Dynasty. Together with Su Xun, Su Shi, Su Che, Wang Anshi, Ouyang Xiu, and Zeng Gong in the Song Dynasty, they were called the Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Dynasty (prose). His representative works include "The Donkey of Guizhou" and so on.
3. Mencius
(372 BC - 289 BC), whose name was Ke and whose courtesy name was Ziyu, was from the Huaxia ethnic group in Zou (now Zoucheng City, Shandong Province). He was a great thinker and educator during the Warring States Period and a representative figure of the Confucian school. Together with Confucius, he is also called "Confucius and Mencius". His representative works include "What I Want to Fish", "Many Helps for the Right, Little Help for the Bad", "Born in Troubles, Dies in Peace", and "What I Do to a Country".
4. Zhuangzi
Zhuangzi’s original name was Zhuang Zhou. His ancestors were from the royal family of the Song Dynasty. He was born in Mengcheng, the Song Dynasty in 369 BC. He inherited Laozi’s Taoist ideas and created a unique Zhuangzi's philosophy is recognized by later generations as one of the two representatives of Taoism.
Zhuangzi not only had profound research in Taoism and philosophy, he was also a famous thinker and writer during the Warring States Period. Representative classic fables include "The Cook and the Cow", "The Frog at the Bottom of the Well", etc.
5. Zhang Yanyuan
Zhang Yanyuan (815-907), named Aibin, was born in the Yi family of Puzhou (now Linyi County, Shanxi Province). Tang Dynasty minister, painter, and painting theorist, great-great-grandson of Zhongshu Ling Zhang Jiazhen, and son of Zhang Wengui, the imperial censor.
Born in the third generation of prime ministers, he is knowledgeable and literate. He is good at calligraphy and painting, and good at appreciation. He was originally Zuo Buque. In the early years of Dazhong (847), he moved to be a member of the ancestral hall, Wai Lang. In the third year of Xiantong (862), he was appointed governor of Shuzhou. In the early years of Qianfu (874), he was appointed Minister of Dali.
In the fourth year of Tianyou's reign (907), he died at the age of ninety-three. He wrote "Records of Famous Paintings of Past Dynasties", "Records of Dharma Books", "Collection of Poems on Colored Notes", and "Records of the Stele Yin of the Third Patriarch" ", "Mountain Poems", etc.
Ancient fables
Disregarding medical treatment
Bian Que (què) was a famous doctor in ancient times. One day, he went to see Cai Huanhou. After carefully examining Cai Huanhou's complexion, he said: "Your Majesty, you are sick. The disease is only on the surface of the skin. Treat it quickly and it will be easy to cure." Cai Huanhou said disapprovingly: "I am not sick, so you don't need to treat me!" After Bian Que left, Cai Huanhou said to his surroundings: "These doctors want to treat people who are not sick all day long, so that they can use this method to prove their medical skills." Ten days later, Bian Que went to visit Cai Huanhou again. He said anxiously: "Your disease has developed into the muscles. You must treat it as soon as possible!" Cai Huanhou tilted his head: "I am not sick at all! You can leave!" After Bian Que left, Cai Huanhou was very unhappy. . Ten days later, Bian Que went to visit Cai Huanhou again. He looked at Cai Huanhou's complexion and said anxiously: "Your Majesty, your illness has entered the intestines and stomach, we can't delay it any longer!" Cai Huanhou shook his head repeatedly: "What the hell, where did I get this disease!" After Bian Que left, Cai Huanhou Even more unhappy. Ten days later, Bian Que visited Cai Huanhou again. He only glanced at it, turned around and left. Marquis Huan of Cai was very puzzled, so he sent someone to ask Bian Que: "Why did you turn around and leave when you went to visit the king?" Bian Que said: "Don't be afraid if you are sick. As long as you are treated in time, ordinary diseases will gradually get better. If you are afraid, you will get better. If the disease is in the skin, you can use hot compresses; if the disease is in the muscles, you can use acupuncture; if the disease is in the intestines and stomach, you can take decoction. However, now the king's disease has penetrated deep into the bone marrow. When my illness reaches this level, I can only resign myself to fate, so I don’t dare to ask for treatment for your Majesty anymore.” Sure enough, five days later, Cai Huanhou’s illness suddenly broke out. He sent people to invite Bian Que quickly, but Bian Que had already gone to another country. Within a few days, Cai Huanhou died of illness.
Monkeys are carved on the tips of thorns
King Yan posted notices everywhere, seeking skilled craftsmen with special skills. A Weiguo man came to apply, claiming that he could carve vivid monkeys on the thorns of thorns. King Yan was very happy when he heard that he had such outstanding skills, and immediately gave him extremely generous treatment and supported him. After a few days, King Yan wanted to see the artistic treasures carved by this skillful craftsman. The Weiguo man said: "If the monarch wants to see it, he must comply with my two conditions: first, he will not enter the harem to have fun with his concubines within half a year; second, he will not drink alcohol or eat meat. Then choose a day with rainy weather and sunrise. , in the half-dark light, you can see the monkey I carved on the thorn tip." When King Yan heard these conditions, he could not comply with them, so he could only continue to support this Weiguo man with rich clothes and fine food. Palace, but never had the opportunity to appreciate the treasures he carved. A blacksmith in the palace heard this and couldn't help laughing secretly. He said to King Yan: "I specialize in making knives. Everyone knows that even the smallest carvings can be carved with a carving knife, so the carved things must be larger than the blade of the carving knife."
If the point of the thorn is too thin to accommodate the smallest blade, it will be impossible to carve it. Ask the king to check the craftsman's carving knife, and you will know whether what he said is true or false. When the king heard this, he woke up as if from a dream. He immediately found the Weiguo man and asked, "What tool did you use to carve the monkey on the thorn tip?" The Weiguo people replied: "Carving knife." King Yan said, "Please show me your carving knife." "The people of Wei panicked when they heard this, and on the pretext of going to their residence to get a carving knife, they slipped out of the palace gate and ran away.
Ji Chang learned archery
Gan Ying was a famous god in ancient times As long as he pulls his bow, he can shoot animals down and birds down. Fei Wei is a student of Gan Ying. Because of his hard work, his archery skills are better than those of his teacher. There is a man named Ji Chang who comes to worship Fei. Wei is the teacher. Fei Wei said to him: "You must first learn not to blink under any circumstances. Only with this ability can we talk about learning archery. "When Ji Chang returned home, he lay on his back under his wife's loom, staring at the fast-moving parts. Two years later, even if he stabbed his eyes with a needle, he would I can no longer blink. Ji Chang happily reported this achievement to Fei Wei. Fei Wei said: "This is not enough. You also need to develop a good eye." You can see very small things very big, and you can see blurry things clearly. Only with this ability can you learn archery. "When Ji Chang returned home, he caught a louse (lice, shī), tied it with very fine ox tail hair, and hung it in the window. He stared at it intently at the window every day. More than ten days passed. However, the louse, which shriveled up and appeared smaller, gradually grew larger in Ji Chang's eyes. After three years of practice, the louse was as big as a wheel in his eyes. He looked at it again. The bigger things were like hills, big and clear. Ji Chang drew his bow and shot at the louse. The sharp arrow went straight through the center of the louse and was as thin as a hair. The cow's tail hair was not broken. Ji Chang was very happy and reported this new achievement to Fei Wei. Fei Wei nodded and said with a smile: "The hard work paid off, you succeeded!" ”
Author of Ancient Chinese Fables by Jiangsu Phoenix Science and Technology Press
Introduction to Ancient Chinese Fables
Editor
Merged Picture Volume (2 photos)
Ancient fables can be summarized into three categories according to their ideological content.
The first category uses vivid metaphors to express profound philosophy, which not only gives people To enjoy beauty and give people wisdom. Since the pre-Qin Dynasty, many philosophical fables have appeared in China, forming a major feature of ancient Chinese fables, many of which shine with the brilliance of simple materialism or dialectics. "Unfounded Worry about the Sky" explains that the sky is nothing but accumulated gas, and there is no gas anywhere; the earth is just made of clods, and the clods are filled in all directions, and there is no place without land. Therefore, the idea that the heaven will collapse is based on thin air. It is groundless.
The second category is of the nature of "encouraging good and punishing evil", and many of them also give people positive inspirations to illustrate the evil intentions and self-interest. It is despicable to hurt a benefactor. There are also some negative elements in this type of story, such as advocating the outdated views of keeping oneself in mind and retribution. We should be good at identifying these and give necessary analysis and criticism.
The third category. It has a satirical meaning of "exposing hidden treasures and showing its evils". Some of them are aimed at current affairs and denounce bad customs. To a certain extent, "Taking Human Clothes by Force" reveals the world. "The Cat Wish the Rat a Happy Birthday" mocked the hypocrisy of hypocrites; "Struggle for Wild Geese" denounced the culture of advocating empty talk and engaging in meaningless arguments; "The Pedant Fighting the Fire" showed the The pedantry of adhering to feudal ethics is ridiculous
The ancient Chinese fables included in this book can be summarized into three categories according to their ideological content:
"Zhuangzi" included in this book. "The Frog in the Canal" shows that the world is vast, and people cannot be arrogant because of their narrow knowledge. "The Unfounded Worry about the Sky" in "Lieh Tzu" shows that the sky is just accumulated gas, and there is no place without gas; "It is easiest to draw ghosts." 》It shows that it is the most difficult to start from objective reality and act according to objective laws, and it is easy to talk nonsense away from reality.
There are more fables from the opposite side. It satirizes the various manifestations of idealism and metaphysics, and vividly depicts the various ugliness of those who cling to metaphysics. "Pluck the seedlings to encourage growth" tells people how ridiculous it is to act in violation of objective laws; "It shows that when conducting investigations and research, relying only on hearsay and subjective inferences will inevitably lead to errors; as for Zheng Ren in "Zheng Ren Buys Shoes", he is a typical example of dogmatism.
The second category is those with dogmatism. Many of them are of the nature of "encouraging good and punishing evil", which also give people positive inspirations. "The Law of Bite" shows that it is despicable to harm a benefactor for one's own selfish interests; Advise people to correct their mistakes and not to make excuses or make mistakes knowingly; "Centipede Arrogant" and "Relying on Victory and Being Unprepared" educate people not to be proud and complacent and blindly underestimate the enemy.
The third category is "exposing the hidden secrets and showing their evils", which is ironic.
"Taking Human Clothes by Force" and "Gao Xin's Bloodthirsty" reveal the plundering and extreme cruelty of evil people in the world; "More Time" and "The Cat Wish the Rat a Happy Birthday" mocked the hypocrisy of hypocrites; "Zhengyan" reprimanded It reveals the culture of advocating empty talk and engaging in meaningless arguments; "Sly Rubbing the Tiger" and "Mountain Charming Lacquered Mirror" point out that those who like flattery and hate criticism will suffer consequences; "Pedant Confucianism Puts Out Fires", "Fu Xian" "It shows the pedantism and ridiculousness of adhering to feudal ethics.
In addition, there are also articles that talk about learning attitudes, learning methods and the art of struggle. There are especially a few stories about Bole Xiangma, which I feel have new meaning when I read them today.
Catalog of ancient Chinese fables
Authors of ancient Chinese fables
There are many famous fables in ancient China, such as Zheng Renmai in "Han Feizi" Lu, self-contradiction, etc.