Zhuangzi summarizes this rule for us: "Together will lead to separation, to success will lead to destruction, to be honest will lead to defeat, to respect will lead to discussion, to do something good will lead to loss, to be wise will lead to conspiracy, and to be unworthy will lead to deception."

As the saying goes, there is no eternal banquet in the world. Where there is gathering, there must be separation; Criticism; if you make a difference, you will definitely lose something... This is the law of the world.

If we can abide by this rule in our conduct and are not stubborn about one party, we can reduce the harm caused by outside people and things to ourselves, thus preserving our detachment from the world.

Zhuangzi: Master this law and no longer be trapped by the world and external things.

Zhuangzi: Master this law and no longer be trapped by the world and external things.

1

Don’t be biased towards one side and know how to be flexible.

The "Tao Te Ching" says: "Existence and non-existence complement each other, difficulty and difficulty complement each other, long and short complement each other, high and low They lean toward each other, the sounds harmonize with each other, and the front and back follow each other. "If there is long, there will be short. If there is high, there will be low. If there is sound, there will be sound. If there is front, there will be back. If there is success, there will be failure." They always appear as two, they are always two in one. Your life contains all the opposites, it is opposite and unified.

The world we live in is the universe, heaven and earth, men and women, success or failure, right and wrong, gains and losses, blessings and misfortunes, presence or absence...the Tai Chi world where yin and yang are in opposition, interdependence, and mutual transformation. The duality of Tai Chi means the main theme of the unity of opposites. When we understand this law, we can understand the state of the world and human relationships.

When you fail to do something, don't be discouraged, but see that "failure and success" are a pair of mutual transformation. Keep working hard, follow the right people, do the right things, use the right methods, and you will succeed sooner or later. will come.

When someone criticizes you, don’t get angry blindly. As the saying goes, if you look at others as a mirror, you can know the gains and losses; you can see that either you are not virtuous enough, or you are showing off too much and making others jealous, so you can adjust yourself. After all you are the source of everything.

When you are very successful, you cannot get carried away, because "good fortune and misfortune depend on each other." The current good fortune may be lurking another misfortune; and the current misfortune may be the cause of another good fortune.

This world is the law of the unity and transformation of dual opposites. After understanding this law, people will not be attached to one party, because what they are attached to will always transform over time and events, but Know how to follow the rules, wait for opportunities to change, and respond flexibly. Such people are not trapped by the world and external things.

Zhuangzi: Master this law and no longer be trapped by the world and external things.

2

Remain in a state of "emptying yourself", and nothing can harm you

Lao Tzu wrote in the "Tao Te Ching": "Han De It is thicker than a child. Bees, flies, and snakes cannot sting [zhē]. Birds cannot bite [jué]. The bones are weak but the muscles are soft and firm."

The meaning of this sentence is: A person with profound moral cultivation is like a newborn baby without any scheming. Poisonous insects and snakes will not bite her, birds and beasts will not attack him, and all dangerous poisonous insects and beasts will not harm him, and they will not bring disaster to his head. The muscles and bones are soft but the vitality is extremely abundant, and the foundation of life is very strong.

A person with deep morals maintains a baby-like innocent heart, is simple and conforms to nature, has no harm or attack power, and has infinite wisdom. When you have cultivated to this state of "emptying yourself", nothing can harm you.

Zhuangzi gave a classic example: Two boats are crossing a river side by side, and an empty boat collides with it. Even a narrow-minded person will not be angry. If there is a person in the boat, the people here will shout: "Hurry up and get out of the way!" The other party doesn't hear you if you shout once, and the other party still doesn't hear you if you shout again, and you will definitely curse the third time. The reason why I was not angry just now but is angry and swearing now is that there was no one on the boat just now and there is someone on the boat now. If a man can swim in the world in vain like an empty ship, who can harm him?

The example of Zhuangzi makes people wake up. Further illustrate the importance of "emptying yourself". For modern people, the most important thing about "emptying yourself" is to be humble and not take yourself too seriously, and finally reach the state of selflessness. If you take yourself too seriously and care too much, you will get angry and feel that others have offended or insulted you. If you do not take the world and external things too seriously, you will not be trapped by the world and external things. There is nothing in the first place, so where is the dust?

If you can reach the state of "selflessness and altruism", nothing can hurt you; if you can see through the essence of things, you can let go and gain freedom in life. This is Zhuangzi's "empty oneself" ” realm.