In ancient my country, there were some ancient books that were called strange books, evil books, and mysterious books, and were not recommended to the public, such as: Lu Ban Shu, Qi Men Dun Jia, Tui Bei Tu, Tong Sheng, etc. . Today we are going to talk about a strange book, the Book of Heaven, which is said to be incomprehensible to most people. What book? This book is "Su Shu".

1. What is "Su Shu"?

"Su Shu" has been regarded as a strange book and a heavenly book by the people since ancient times. This is a book in the style of "Quotations", which is widely circulated and has great influence. "Su Shu" is also known as "Jade Seal Sutra", the word Seal means "Book of War". The author of "Su Shu" is Huang Shigong, a hermit in the late Qin Dynasty. He is as famous as Guiguzi, the famous strategist at that time and the teacher of Zhang Yi and Su Qin.

According to "Historical Records: The Liuhou Family": In order to avoid the turmoil in the late Qin Dynasty, Huang Shigong lived in seclusion in Xiapi, the East China Sea. At that time, Zhang Liang failed in his attempt to assassinate Qin Shihuang and was exiled to Xiapi. Suddenly he met an old man from the countryside. They agreed to meet at Duqiao at night. The old man deliberately dropped his tattered shoes under the bridge. He asked Zhang Liang to pick them up and put them on for him. In this way, he tested Zhang Liang's character.

Seeing that Zhang Liang was open-minded and could tolerate things that others could not tolerate, he passed the "Su Shu" to Zhang Liang. At the same time, he told him that in ten years the world would be in chaos and asked him to replace it. Follow the road, destroy Qin and prosper Han.

Zhang Liang obtained this book and became more powerful, so he assisted Liu Bang to conquer the world. Liu Bang said that he was strategizing and winning a battle thousands of miles away.

More than 400 years later, during the Western Jin Dynasty, the world was in chaos. Tomb robbers excavated Zhang Liang's tomb and found a book in the jade pillow, with a spell written on it: Do not pass it on to those who are not Taoist or not. God is neither holy nor virtuous; if you are not the person you are, you will suffer disaster; if you win someone but do not pass it on, you will also suffer disaster. From then on, this "Su Shu" was able to see the light of day again.

The content of "Sushu" is based on principles and advocates Tao, morality, benevolence, righteousness and etiquette as the foundation for governing the country. The whole book has only 1336 words. It attempts to explain the natural laws of movement of all things in the universe and restore the origin of all things in the world.

After this "Plain Book" came out, it was called "a book from heaven, a strange book". In fact, despite the small number of words, the content it involves is extremely rich, resulting in many people not being able to fully understand it. Therefore, this book was later called the Book of Heaven!

2. Why is it called plain script?

Many people may wonder why a good book is called "Su Shu"? What does "Su" mean?

As for the word "Su", it contains many meanings: white (white is the true color); original, primitive, simple, not gorgeous.

I think the reason why this book is called a "Su" book is mainly because the theoretical methods it uses to explain are the simplest. "Su" here should mean "simple and plain". Use the simplest and simplest principles to explain the most complex problems in the world.

Of course, some people think that "plain script" is a book written on white silk, which can be understood as the simplest book. During the Tianqi period of the Ming Dynasty, someone explained the word "Su": "Su means the innate veins, combined with the body of Xuanyuan. In people, it is the heart, in things, it is the machine, dark and without image, subtle. It is difficult to see, secret and unpredictable. When the pen is written on the book, the secrets of heaven and earth are revealed."

Translated into vernacular: the elements in "Su Shu" are in line with the innate context and the relationship between heaven and earth. The system is the heart for people, and chance for things. There is no appearance in it. It is so small that it is difficult to see, and it is so secret that it is difficult to measure. If it is written down with a pen, the secret between heaven and earth will be revealed. .

The ancients believed that the heaven and earth are governed by the two qi of yin and yang as their root cause. All visible things are created from the invisible.

The heaven and earth were also created in this way, starting with Taiyi, then Taichu, then Taishi, and after Taishi, Taisu.

At Taisu, the tangible Qi continues to change and becomes something qualitative. With Qi and quality, Qi and quality have not yet differentiated and are in a state of chaos. The so-called chaos refers to the state in which all things are mixed into one and undifferentiated. Chaos continues to change, and the clear air rises and becomes the sky. The turbid air, which is quality, descends and becomes earth. After the birth of heaven and earth, the two qi of yin and yang merged to continue to create all things. This is how everything in the world was born. From this point of view, element refers to all things with form and quality. It is the most primitive, original and most refined state of all things.

So the "Su" in "Su Shu" refers to the most fundamental principles in the world that have not yet been known by humans.

3. The main content of Su Shu

Although the "Su Shu" written by Huang Shigong is short, it is concise and comprehensive, covering a wide range of ideas, including Confucianism, Taoism, etc. . "Su Shu" has only 1336 words, but every word is precious and every sentence is famous.

It integrates Tao, morality, benevolence, righteousness and etiquette, and explores the principles that people should follow in dealing with the world and making achievements from the perspective of Taoism. It explains the methods of stabilizing the country, military strategy, and self-cultivation. Teach wise men and gentlemen that they must see current events clearly and understand the laws of success and failure. At the same time, the literary nature of "Su Shu" is not low. It fully embodies the unique writing style of the Qin and Han Dynasties. It can be said that the context is clear and logical, the structure is smooth, the past is connected with the future, and the sentences are true. It's really amazing.

Therefore, whoever can deeply understand this book can reach the ideal and peak of life.

In ancient times, "Sushu" has always been regarded as a strange book containing great wisdom. The six chapters in the book cover five aspects of issues.

First, it clarifies the author's ideological system, that is, the five-in-one of Tao, virtue, benevolence, righteousness, and etiquette is the foundation of being a human being and the principle of establishing one's reputation. As long as a gentleman can truly possess the five qualities of Tao, virtue, benevolence, righteousness, and etiquette, he will definitely be able to achieve success and achieve his goals in life. The second is to elaborate on the principles of employment. According to people's respective talents and learning, talents can be divided into three categories: handsome, heroic and outstanding. If a person wants to be successful, he must be open-minded, lenient to others and strict to himself, and strictly keep his word.

The third is how to strengthen personal cultivation in doing things for others. A gentleman should be knowledgeable, thrifty, humble, approachable, forgiving and sincere, and be kind and friendly to others. Abstaining from asceticism, suppressing non-harm and harming evil, making changes to achieve power, being content with humiliation, being content with being contented, etc. This not only highlights the moral consciousness of Confucianism, but also promotes Taoist ideas. The fourth is to summarize some experiences and lessons in governing the country safely. In the military aspect, emphasis is placed on establishing power and making decisions. The fifth is to explain the author's way of life. How to handle interpersonal relationships well to ensure the success of your career. Sixth, rewards and punishments must be clear and reasonable; the legal system formulated must be simple and easy to operate, which is also the basis for ensuring social order and stability.