Modern Liang Qichao s The Most Bitter and the Most Pleasant;
1August, 922 12 《 Current Affairs News, Learning Light 》
What is the most bitter thing in life? Poor? Not depressed? No. Old? Dead? Neither. I said that the most bitter thing in life is to carry an unfinished responsibility on my back.
If people can be satisfied, they are poor and not bitter; If you can be quiet (don't make unnecessary hopes), although frustrated, it is not bitter; Old age is an inevitable thing in life, and suffering is nothing to a philosophical person.
It's just that as long as people are born in the world, they will do it one day. If you don't finish what you should do, it's like having a few thousand pounds on your shoulders and no more pain. Why? Because of conscience, there is nowhere to escape.
Promise people not to do one thing, owe people money, accept people's kindness, and offend people without making amends, which makes even this person almost afraid to see him himself; Even though I can't see his face, it seems that his shadow haunts me in my sleep.
Why? Because I feel sorry for him, because my responsibility to him has not been lifted. This is true not only for one person, but also for family, society, country and even for oneself.
I am responsible for anyone who belongs to me and benefits from him. I have the responsibility to do whatever I should do and what I can do with my strength. No matter what I want to do, I will make a contract between myself now and myself in the future, that is, add a layer of responsibility to myself.
With this responsibility, conscience will always be behind, and there is no end to one day's due responsibility, and the evening is a painful day; If you don't fulfill your responsibilities in life, you will die and go to the grave with pain. This kind of pain is not comparable to ordinary poor and old people, but can be solved by philosophy. So, I said that life is not painful. If there is pain, of course there is nothing worse.
Turn it over, what is the happiest? The end of natural responsibility is the first pleasure of life. There is an old saying: "Relieved"; As the saying goes, "a stone falls to the ground."
People at this time are so relaxed and happy that words can't describe them. The greater the responsibility, the longer the days of taking responsibility. When the responsibility is over, you will broaden your horizons and feel comfortable, and that kind of happiness will multiply! Generally speaking, the happiness that comes from the sufferings in the world is the real happiness. Life must know the pain of responsibility in order to know the happiness of responsibility. This cycle of bitterness and joy is an interest in this dynamic world.
However, I failed to fulfill my responsibility and was condemned by my conscience. These hardships are all found by themselves. Once you turn over the past and do your duty everywhere, you will be happy everywhere; Always do your duty and you will be happy forever. The right to happiness is in your own hands. This is why Confucius said, "There is no progress without complacency".
But why did Mencius say: "A gentleman has lifelong worries"? Because the more heroes there are, the greater the responsibility he bears; Moreover, he often takes all these responsibilities on himself, and the burden on his shoulders has never been put down.
Ceng Zi also said: "The road is long and its Xiu Yuan is awkward", "Is it not far to die?" Benevolent people are concerned about the country and the people, while saints and Buddhists are merciful, even if they suffer all their lives. But he does his duty there every day and suffers there every day. He is really happy, so he is still happy, not bitter!
Some people say, "since this suffering is born of responsibility, if I shirk my responsibility, won't there be suffering forever?" This is not the case, and the responsibility will not be lifted or exempted. If life can always be like a child of two or three years old, there will be no pain without responsibility.
When you grow up, the responsibility naturally falls on your shoulders. How can you hide? But there is a difference in size. You will be happy if you do a great responsibility; Do a little responsibility, and you will get a little happiness. If you want to hide, you throw yourself into the ocean of pain and you will never get rid of it.
Introduction to Extended Data Content:
Pain and happiness are eternal topics for human beings. Philosophers have many wonderful expositions, and ordinary people also have many feelings and thoughts. Liang Qichao's Bitterness and Happiness is profound in thought and elegant in style. It has both the enterprising spirit of Confucianism and the extraordinary wisdom of Buddhism. As we all know, it is refreshing to read.
It talks about the responsibility of life from two aspects: the most bitter and the most happy, and warns us that we must do our due duty to our family, society, country and ourselves in life, so that we can be truly happy.
The most bitter and joyful embodies a far-reaching value orientation. The author's idea of happiness and happiness is "due diligence", which is extraordinary. It is vulgar to regard "promotion and wealth" as happiness; It seems noble to say that "the happiness of others is your own happiness", but in fact it will fall into a circular argument.
"No one has died in life since ancient times, but the special realm of facing death is noble and heroic, but it is not universal in time and situation."
The idea of "doing one's duty faithfully" is noble, profound, simple and eternal, and has strong universality. No matter when and where, everyone can do his duty-to his relatives, friends, society and himself.
At the beginning of the article, a series of parallel questions are used, and many answers are put forward to the greatest pains in life, such as poverty, frustration, old age and death, and they are denied one by one, and then their own views are put forward: "The most bitter thing in life is not to assume a future responsibility."
Why not put forward your own views directly, but deny other answers first? Because it is the idea of many people to regard poverty and old age as the greatest pain in life. Deny these answers, and readers will look for new answers and reasonable answers. At this time, it is not abrupt to put forward your own views, but there is a natural beauty.
Next, the author further points out all kinds of situations in which the responsibility has not been lifted and the resulting painful state. As for the specific situation of "unreleased" liability, this paper points out that no promise has been made, no money has been paid, no human feelings have been returned, and the offender has not given a gift. These situations are very common in life and are easily understood and accepted by readers.
The resulting painful situation is that you dare not meet each other, and there are shadows in your dreams. Then this situation is extended to family, society, country and even oneself to make the discussion deeper.
About the author:
Liang Qichao (1February 23, 873-1929 65438+1October19), with outstanding personality, was named Ren Gong, owner of an ice house, ice drinker, mourner, citizen of New China and owner of Free Zhai. Han nationality, from Xinhui, Guangdong.
China is a representative figure and scholar of modern reformists. China is a famous political activist, enlightenment thinker, bourgeois propagandist, educator, historian and writer in modern history. 1898 one of the leaders of the reform movement. He is the famous author of Moon Hee at home and abroad, and most of his works are included in the book Drinking Room.