It means: Regardless of whether human nature is inherently good or inherently evil, the two views have not been clearly discussed from ancient times to the present, but each school holds its own views.

Original text:

In fact, the distinction between humans and animals does not need to be so strict.

What is the difference between humans and animals? Doesn't seem too big. When animals are hungry, they know how to find food to eat; when they are cold, they know how to find places to hide and avoid the cold; they also know how to avoid attacks from natural enemies and protect themselves and others of their kind. This shows that animals have consciousness and feelings just like us humans, and they are also sentient. Perception and feeling are the most basic characteristics of all sentient beings.

What is the difference between humans and animals? People have wisdom and awareness, and wisdom and awareness are the most transcendent qualities of people. The intelligence and consciousness of animals cannot be compared with humans. All behaviors of animals are basically instinctive reactions.

Animals can also do things: thousands of ants can move in an organized manner on a large scale, bees have division of labor and cooperation in their group life, swallows and pigeons fly out neatly, and ducks swim in a queue in the river. , they all have team spirit and can rely on each other. However, the problems they solve are very limited. In most cases, they are still passive and helpless and can only be manipulated by others.

They are animals, fallen into the three evil realms. They are originally in the painful retribution, unable to extricate themselves because they have no wisdom and cannot realize. For example, the "Mahayana Jataka Mind-earth Contemplation Sutra" says: "There may be Bodhisattvas who are horrified when they look at the way of animals, and suffer the retribution of ignorance and delusion in the world of rebirth, and have escaped through countless tribulations."

If we don't have wisdom, Without enlightenment, there is no difference from animals. If you can only eat and sleep, you are no different from an animal. As stated in "The Lamrim of the Path to Enlightenment": "For the purpose of inducing ultimate happiness, if one does not practice the Dharma in a pure way, and only works hard to bring about happiness and eliminate suffering in one's life, there will also be side effects. Therefore, even if one is born in a good destination, "It's the same thing as side effects."

So, where do people's wisdom and awareness show up? Confucianism talks about "inner sages and outer kings" and "cultivating one's moral integrity, harmonizing one's family, governing the country and bringing peace to the world". It advocates improving one's own virtues internally, and when conditions are met, one can then promote oneself to others and govern the country and bring peace to the world. This is their outlook on life. In fact, only a few people can govern a country and bring peace to the world, and serve as emperors and prime ministers. Most people cannot do it.

But their efforts to pursue the improvement of inner life and perfect their own morality do have positive significance and value. For example, in "The Analects of Confucius·Xue Er Pian" it is said: "Isn't it also true to learn and practice from time to time? Isn't it a joy to have friends from afar? If a person doesn't know but is stunned, isn't he a gentleman?" These three sentences The words describe the meaning of the three stages of life: youth, middle age, and old age.

Extended information:

In 1925, when Lu Xun was a university lecturer in Beijing, he was attacked and ostracized by rumors and ostracism by the so-called "gentlemen" at the time for supporting the student movement. In 1926, the Beiyang warlord government shot dead progressive students and caused the "March 18th" tragedy.

The author Lu Xun wrote a series of articles such as "In Memory of Mr. Liu Hezhen", enthusiastically supporting the students' just struggle and accusing the brutality of the Beiyang warlord government. As a result, he was wanted by the authorities and had to flee to Xiamen for refuge. Although the works in "Morning Blossoms Plucked at Dusk" are all about reminiscing about the past, they are also "using themes" to allude to and satirize the social reality at that time.

"Picking Up Flowers in the Morning and Evening" was written from February to November 1926, with 10 chapters in total. The first five articles were written in Beijing, and the last five were written in Xiamen. They were published in the bimonthly magazine "Mangyuan" under the general title "Revisiting Old Things". When it was collected into a collection in May 1927, it was renamed "Morning Flowers Plucked at Dusk" and a "Small Introduction" was written. In July, a "Postscript" was written, which was published by Beijing Weiming Publishing House in 1928.

The ten essays in "Picking Up Flowers in the Morning and Evening" outline several social life styles from the late Qing Dynasty to the Revolution of 1911. They are pictures of the world and customs. Although it is a retrospective prose, it is realistic in its struggle and profound in thought, and contains the author's deep thinking about history and his persistent attitude towards reality.

Reference material: Baidu Encyclopedia - Picking up flowers in the morning and evening