Zeng Guofan, born on181year165438+1October 26th, died on1March 87212nd, and lived for 62 years. When I finished writing the above words, I had just browsed Zhang Hongjie's Biography of Zeng Guofan, but I just browsed and didn't read it intensively. Even so, in the face of this leader more than 200 years ago, I was still shocked and looked up.
First look at his title: China, politician, philosopher, writer, strategist, calligrapher, founder and commander-in-chief of Xiang Army in the late Qing Dynasty. The pioneer of China's modernization was once called "Zeng Hu" in Hu Linyi, and was also called "Four Famous Ministers of Zhongxing in the Late Qing Dynasty" with Li Hongzhang, Zuo and Zhang Zhidong. The official positions are Governor of Liangjiang, Governor of Zhili, University of Wuyingdian, First Class Justice, and posthumous title is "Zheng Wen".
After reading his biography, I dare not summarize his great life in my own language, because after reading a passage by Zhang Hongjie, I dare not sell myself short. The excerpt is as follows:
On the eve of the collapse of the Confucian spiritual world, Zeng Guofan, the last spiritual idol, appeared, as if he were the dead end of Confucianism, an old man with a long life. The traditional beauty of personality is concentrated on Zeng Guofan, who gave a farewell performance in the stormy last days, which was gorgeous and sad.
Zeng Guofan's merits and opinions have been achieved. As far as meritorious service is concerned, he started as a scholar, built an army and led wolves, saved the completely destroyed Chinese traditional culture, and extended the life span of the Qing Dynasty for another 60 years, which was not insignificant. As far as Lide is concerned, he always demands himself by the standards of sages, and his moral cultivation is almost pure. Fifty years later, he successively dominated China's two great men, Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong, and regarded him as his spiritual idol. Speaking of Li said, as the last great scholar in China, he practiced Neo-Confucianism, became a scholar and made great achievements. He left a million-word complete works, which can make scholars ups and downs all their lives. Even today, his "Family Quotations" has benefited ordinary people.
Zeng Guofan's success proves the strong vitality of traditional culture, which can partially offset the accusation that Confucianism is "empty and useless". Zeng Guofan's achievements in his life were all completed under the support of traditional culture. The strong sense of mission of taking the world as one's own responsibility, the grand ambition of self-cultivation, governing the country and leveling the world, and the broad mind for the people are the spiritual motivation to support Zeng Guofan's struggle in difficulties and hardships. The cognitive tradition of seeking truth from facts, being practical and self-reflective and sincere enables him to learn wisdom and experience from his predecessors, others and himself, and to deal with complex things with great margin. The moral principles of sincerity to heaven and loyalty and forgiveness to people enable him to be upright, not entangled in low tastes, accept people's fine dirt, become a great virtue, subdue people with his own personality, absorb people, make heroes work for us, and finally achieve great things.
The Confucian spirit in Zeng Guofan is full of vitality, flexibility and tolerance. Unlike those stupid and shallow bureaucrats, he mastered the true spirit of Confucianism. He said: "those who study the ancients should read more;" If you study today, you will find more examples. " "Don't talk big, don't hollow reputation, don't drive virtual things, don't talk big. "So, in the Qing Dynasty, he was the first scholar-bureaucrat to treat foreigners equally. He initiated the Westernization Movement, which initiated the spread of western learning to the East. In the atmosphere at that time, it was impossible to do this without big eyes and extensive knowledge. Later, when summing up his academic thoughts, the famous historian Chen said to himself: "Take the past as a mirror all his life, and his thoughts are limited to the world where Xianfeng was in the same position, and the discussion is almost between Zhangnanpi in Zengxiang Township. "This shows that he is an academic descendant of Zeng Guofan.
Zeng Guofan was very successful as an official. Good advance and retreat, a lifetime appearance. There is no big setback. It is rare to see such success in traditional officialdom. Zeng Guofan is loyal to the monarch and filial piety. For brothers, there is no bad blood between them. Between husband and wife, they respect each other as guests and have deep feelings. For children, he is kind and strict, can respect children's personality, and always gives priority to encouragement when educating children, without the condescending and unequal style of traditional parents. For several generations, the Zeng family still has many talented people, which is directly related to his good family style. Therefore, he is known as a "perfect man in ancient and modern times", and "he won the fame of Duke Zhou and Confucius and Mencius."
Of course, Zeng Guofan's life was also a failure in a sense. He is Kuafu in the daytime, the jingwei of the sea and the Nuwa of the sky. However, in his old age, he suddenly found that his life's struggle was like drawing a sword and drowning, which could not affect the east flow of water at all. He considers himself a saint. However, he followed the sage's way, assiduously studied and painstakingly managed, but failed to achieve the ideal of "standing for the world, standing for the people, continuing the past and not forgetting the past, and opening peace for all generations." He can't save the powerful decline formed by traditional society for thousands of years. He failed to realize the truth of saving the old world, nor did he realize the ideal of clarifying that the world benefits the whole people and creates a peaceful world under the guidance of Confucianism. On the contrary, he watched China keep going to Lu Chen, but he could do nothing.
This is not his failure alone, but the failure of the whole decadent regime.
In any case, Zeng Guofan spent his whole life defending and guarding the culture and beliefs he cherished, and he died on the road of mending the sky and filling the sea. Zeng Guofan used his life to prove the height that a person's willpower can reach, and also proved the limitations of a person's willpower. His hopeless efforts have erected a monument that people have to admire on the spiritual journey of mankind.
This great man was born more than 200 years ago. After more than 200 years, his achievements and elegant demeanor are still shining and become a monument!