This is Zheng Banqiao

It is rare to be confused, it is the maturity and calmness of a person after many vicissitudes of life. This kind of confusion is completely opposite to the true confusion that does not make sense. It is a portrayal of the peaceful state of mind after a great enlightenment in life.

The second chapter of "A Dream of Red Mansions" writes that Jia Yucun saw an old monk named Longzhong in a ruined temple on the outskirts of Weiyang, who was "deaf and comatose, his teeth were speechless, and his answers were not what he asked." This is the appearance of the old monk. . What is his real image? Symbolism is used in the novel - the old monk is "cooking porridge". "Porridge" is a pot of "muddleheadedness", that is, using "porridge" to say that the old monk is confused is an allusion. In fact, this old monk is not ignorant and ignorant, he is the kind of wise and enlightened person who has gone through "somersaults"! This kind of person can see through the world and see everything in a dream. You can tell at a glance that there is no interest in it, so the answer is not what the question was asked.

There are not a few foolish people in the world who do foolish things, and it is reasonable. But what is surprising is that smart people often do stupid things, and this kind of people is not uncommon. The scary thing is that there is a kind of person in the world who is confused in small things and shrewd in big things, who can "take action when it's time to take action"! "Dream of Red Mansions" writes that Xue Baochai is "satisfied at all times, self-conscious and humble". She looks confused on the surface, but in fact she is Not confused at all. Various descriptions in the novel prove that her "confusion" is an act, an illusion rather than the real thing.

The people referred to by confusion are completely different from the three types of people mentioned above. They are true wise men who have read the rise and fall of the human world. From the bitter, spicy, sour and sweet tastes, they have experienced the boredom of striving for power and the shamelessness of striving for fame and fortune. Therefore, they are indifferent to fame and fortune and do not care about personal success or failure. Take everything in stride and calm your mind. This is what the predecessors said: "Tranquility leads to distance, indifference leads to clear ambition."

It is rare that confusion is a kind of "enlightenment". There are few people who have sudden enlightenment, but many people who have gradual enlightenment. From being smart in the world to being "confused" in life is a choice, which means giving up something. For most people, giving up (fame, status, money, etc.) is a painful process. But only after a period of "painful" washing and tempering can one's spirituality be sublimated. That's why it's called "rare".

It is impossible to verify whether the old monks in "Zhitong Temple" have actually turned somersaults. What this symbolic life of "breaking the temple" and "cooking porridge" tells Jia Yucun (and all readers) is: "I forget to shrink my hands when I have more left behind, and I have no way to turn back."

If you can truly cultivate to the point of being "rarely confused", it will be a great blessing in life!