When Shun was young, he used to farm in the "Lishan" area.
Lishan is believed to be near Jining, Shandong today or Yongji, Shanxi, and is a barren land.
When Shun was farming in Lishan, he was just an ordinary farmer. But he treated people fairly when farming, cared about his neighbors, helped the farmers around him improve their farm tools and farming methods, and gradually increased the harvest of the farmland. Not only was he hardworking himself, but he was also able to drive the people around him to make the fields orderly and the atmosphere harmonious and beautiful.
As time went on, people found that wherever Shun farmed, the environment would improve, the fields would become more fertile, and the neighbors would be more harmonious. Therefore, a year later, other farmers all scrambled to go to the place where Shun had farmed, hoping to be influenced by him and get a better harvest.
Shun fished in Lei Ze. Lei Ze has been mentioned many times in ancient books. It is generally believed that it is located in Heze and Jining, Shandong Province today. It was a vast lake wetland in ancient times, rich in fish, and an important survival resource for local fishermen.
When Shun came to Lei Ze to fish, he did not only care about his own fishing like other fishermen, but showed his fairness and benevolence, which changed the order of the entire fishing ground.
At that time, the fishermen in Lei Ze were fiercely competitive, and even fought for fishing territory, and conflicts often occurred. After Shun arrived, he abided by the rules of fishing, never robbed other people's fishing areas, and did not overfish. He arranged the fishing time reasonably and did not destroy the growth and reproduction of fish schools because of his own needs.
Seeing that disputes often occurred between fishermen, Shun took the initiative to give way to others, and did not argue with others even if he suffered losses. His words were gentle and he handled things calmly. Gradually, other fishermen were moved by his behavior and began to give way to each other. The originally chaotic Lei Ze fishing ground gradually became orderly.
Shun not only had superb fishing skills, but also often helped other fishermen improve their fishing tools. He taught people how to weave nets and how to find the right time to fish to improve fishing efficiency. When he met poor fishermen, he would also take the initiative to share his harvest so that everyone could have enough food and clothing.
Shun's behavior of fishing in Lei Ze deeply touched other fishermen. They found that Shun not only had superb fishing skills, but also treated people with generosity and fairness. Under Shun's influence, the atmosphere of the entire fishing ground changed. Everyone began to abide by the order and stopped fighting, and fishing activities became more harmonious and orderly.
Gradually, fishermen all rushed to the place where Shun fished, because there, they could not only learn better fishing techniques, but also avoid disputes and harvest more fish.
Shun made pottery by the Tao River. The specific location of Tao River has different historical accounts. It is generally believed that it is in today's Shandong area, because the area was a place where pottery making was more developed in ancient times.
At that time, pottery was an important tool for people's lives and was widely used to store grain, cook food, etc. However, there were many problems in the local pottery industry, such as fierce competition among potters, competing for the market with each other, and even cheating and damaging the reputation of the industry. The quality of pottery was uneven. Some potters cut corners in order to reduce costs, which made the pottery easy to break, and the people suffered. The market order was chaotic, there was a lack of fair trade, prices were not transparent, and fraud occurred from time to time.
Shun was very particular about craftsmanship when firing pottery. He carefully selected clay and strictly controlled the firing temperature to ensure that each piece of pottery was strong and durable. His pottery was not only beautiful, but also of much better quality than the utensils made by other potters.
His approach gradually made people realize that although high-quality pottery was slightly more expensive, it had a longer service life and was more cost-effective. As a result, more and more people were willing to buy his pottery.
Shun clearly marked the price when selling pottery and never deceived customers. He also told buyers how to use and maintain pottery correctly to extend its service life. This honest business approach won the trust of the people, and people came to buy his pottery.
His approach made other potters realize that deceiving customers could not make long-term profits, and only honest business could truly gain a foothold in the market. Therefore, many potters began to follow his approach, and the market order gradually became better and better.
Shun not only made pottery himself, but was also willing to share his skills. He patiently taught other potters how to improve the method of firing pottery, how to improve the selection criteria for clay, and how to control the kiln temperature to improve the quality of pottery.
Originally, some potters were reluctant to learn because they thought Shun was just a competitor, and some even envied him. But as Shun's pottery became more and more popular, these potters had to admit that Shun's skills were indeed superb, so they gradually put aside their prejudices and learned from him.
Shun never spared his skills, but hoped that the entire industry could improve. His behavior improved the overall level of the local pottery industry, the quality of pottery became better, and the market competition changed from vicious competition to benign competition.
Shun noticed that the potters at that time had a bad working environment, were smoked and burned all year round, had high labor intensity, and were in poor health. He tried to improve the kiln to make it more energy-efficient and efficient, and reduce the damage of smoke to the health of potters.
In addition, he also advocated a reasonable division of labor so that potters could work in shifts to avoid overwork. Such changes significantly improved the working conditions of potters and their production efficiency.
Shun's arrival brought about fundamental changes in Taohe's pottery industry:
People no longer bought inferior pottery, and the entire industry began to pay attention to product quality.
The vicious competition among potters decreased, and everyone focused more on improving their skills to win customers.
Fraud and cutting corners were greatly reduced, and the pottery market became more transparent and fair.
The quality of pottery improved, the price became more fair, and the quality of life of the people improved.
Thanks to Shun's efforts, Taohe's pottery was not only popular locally, but also gradually spread to more distant places, forming a well-known pottery center.
If you are captured by a thief, do not have evil thoughts, and be compassionate to all.
This sentence comes from Buddhist scriptures, emphasizing that when facing difficulties or being captured by evil people, you should not have evil thoughts, but treat all living beings with compassion. Specifically, "If you are captured by a thief" means that even if you are caught by an enemy or evil person, you are in danger; "Do not have evil thoughts" warns us not to have hatred or revenge thoughts; "Show compassion to all" encourages us to treat everyone with compassion, including those who hurt us.
This too shall pass. Neither our joy nor our pain will last forever.
In ancient Persia, there was a king who wanted a phrase that would remind him to be humble when he was proud and comfort him when he was frustrated. So he summoned wise men and asked them to give the wisest advice. Finally, a wise man gave the king a ring with the words "This too shall pass" engraved on it.
In Jewish culture, this phrase is often associated with King Solomon. Legend has it that one day King Solomon asked his ministers for advice: "Is there a word that can calm me when I am happy and cheer me up when I am sad?" A wise man told him: "This too shall pass."
Roman emperors also said similar things. Marcus Aurelius wrote in Meditations: "All things are changing and disappearing like meteors and clouds."
"If you suffer, it is because you think you suffer. Change your perspective and everything will pass. ”
Seneca, the mentor of Roman Emperor Nero, also said: "Nothing is eternal, neither pain nor happiness." "Most of the pain we suffer is due to our view of it, not the pain itself." "We are accustomed to complaining about the short life, but the problem is not that life is too short, but that we waste it."
In 1860, Lincoln mentioned this motto in a speech and said it was full of philosophy.
J.R.R. Tolkien: In "The Lord of the Rings", Gandalf's wisdom is similar to Stoic thought, and also contains the meaning of "this too shall pass." "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
Things in the world cannot be done intentionally or artificially, but can only be explored by following the natural nature of things; the changes of all things cannot be explored by human wisdom, but can only be grasped according to the development trend of things. Mirrors and water can reflect the shape of objects, without deliberate tricks, but square, round, curved, and straight cannot escape reflection. Echoes are not sounds that want to respond, and shadows are not objects that are deliberately set up. These echoes and shadows follow the sound and shape and appear naturally. Human nature is born quiet, which is also the nature of heaven. When people have feelings, their hearts will be moved, and their nature will be damaged. When people come into contact with external objects, their spirits will be induction, which is caused by their intellectual activities. After intellectual thoughts come into contact with external things, likes and dislikes, love and hate will arise. Once likes and dislikes, love and hate are formed, it means that people's intellectual thoughts have been confused by external things, and people can no longer return to their nature, and their pure nature will be annihilated. Therefore, people who understand this principle will not change their pure nature because of worldly desires. Their appearance will change with things, but their heart will not lose its original nature. - Liu An
The nature of Bodhi is originally pure.
This is the same as what the Sixth Patriarch said.
For a virtuous man, great wealth will damage his mind; for a foolish man, great wealth will make his mistakes worse. - Shu Guang, Han Dynasty
Zhao Dun, born in the Spring and Autumn Period, was a senior minister of Jin. His father, Zhao Shuai, had been exiled with Duke Wen of Jin for 19 years. After Duke Wen of Jin ascended the throne, Zhao Shuai became a senior minister and assisted Duke Wen of Jin in dominating the vassal states. During the reign of Duke Xiang of Jin, Zhao Shuai died. Zhao Dun was recommended by Taifu Yang Chufu to continue to serve as a senior minister and manage state affairs. He revised the government orders, which pleased the people and maintained the hegemony of Jin.
After Duke Xiang of Jin died, Duke Ling of Jin ascended the throne. Duke Ling of Jin was tyrannical and cruel. He built a high platform in the garden and enjoyed shooting people with a slingshot. Duke Ling of Jin also killed the chef because the chef did not cook bear paws well. Zhao Dun always advised Duke Ling of Jin, who was very disgusted with Zhao Dun. So, Duke Ling of Jin adopted the strategy of the flatterer Tu Angu and ordered the assassin Chu Ni to assassinate Zhao Dun.
Chu Ni sneaked into Zhao's mansion around 4:00 a.m. (3-5 a.m.) and saw that several gates were open and carriages were waiting outside the gates. Chu Ni was very confused. Chu Ni sneaked into the middle courtyard and saw from a distance an official in the hall, wearing court clothes and hats, holding a court tablet in his hand, sitting upright with his eyes closed. Chu Ni went forward and saw that it was Zhao Dun preparing to go to court. Chu Ni was shocked and retreated out of the door. Chu Ni sighed, "He doesn’t forget to be respectful to our Duke, he’s a loyal minister of the country! Killing loyal ministers is unjust, but disobeying the order of the monarch is disloyalty. How can disloyalty and unjust stand between heaven and earth?"
So Chu Ni shouted at the door of the hall: "My name is Chu Ni. I would rather disobey the order of the monarch than kill loyal ministers. I am going to commit suicide now, but I am afraid that someone will come to assassinate you again, so you must be careful, Prime Minister!" After saying that, Chu Ni hit a big tree with his head in front of the door and died.
When Jin Linggong saw that the assassination failed, he pretended to host a banquet to entertain Zhao Dun, and secretly ambushed warriors to kill Zhao Dun. Chef TiMiMing knew Jin Linggong's conspiracy, so when the warriors had not yet gathered, TiMiMing shouted in the hall: "When Minister accompany the monarch to a banquet, he should not drink more than three cups of wine." Zhao Dun suddenly realized it after hearing it, and stood up to say goodbye. Duke Ling of Jin immediately released Ao Quan dog to attack Zhao Dun, and TiMiMing rushed forward to kill the Ao Quan dog. Duke Ling of Jin ordered the warriors to chase Zhao Dun, and TiMiMing alone resisted the warriors' pursuit, so Zhao Dun was able to escape.
When Zhao Dun escaped from the court gate, Zhao Dun was very puzzled and asked TiMiMing why he risked his life to save him. TiMiMing only said: "I am the man who was starving to death under the mulberry tree."
It turned out that five years ago, Zhao Dun was hunting in Shoushan Mountain and saw a man starving to death under a mulberry tree. Zhao Dun felt pity and gave the food he brought with him to the man. Unexpectedly, the man was a filial son and refused to eat it himself. He insisted on leaving the food for his mother. Zhao Dun then gave the meat jerky brought by his followers to the man, fulfilling the man’s wish. Unexpectedly, the man later became a chef in front of Duke Ling of Jin. This time, by chance, he risked his life to save Zhao Dun.
Zhao Dun, advising the monarch, being dedicated to his work is loyalty, and compassion for the poor and helping others to be filial is benevolence, which is why he was rescued later.
The Book of Changes says: "Do good and you will be blessed with a hundred blessings." God blesses people with morality, and the cause and effect are not obscured.
Prosperity and decline are cyclical, so why should we pull the sails to the full when the wind is favorable? The dust in the East China Sea will happen one day, and the white clouds in the sky will turn into dark clouds like black dogs in just a moment. - Ming. Ling Mengchu
A large lake is fifty yojanas long, wide and deep (50 yojanas ≈ 50 × 21.336 km = 1066.8 km). Use one end of a hair to dip into the lake water. Then compare the water dipped by the hair with the remaining water in the lake. It is like a person who has gained wisdom and realized the truth. The remaining suffering is like the water dipped by the hair, and the suffering that has been eliminated is like the remaining water in the lake. - Agama Sutra
Kasaya
The early Buddhist monks were hardworking, not engaged in production, and not hoarding money. In order to solve the problem of the source of monks' clothes, they were allowed to find discarded clothes in desolate graves. In short, they pulled clothes from corpses and wore them after washing, sewing and dyeing. This can also eliminate the monks' fear of death and show the principle of impermanence of all things. This is called "rag-sweeping clothes" and "(hundred) patched clothes".
At that time, lay believers in ancient India generally wore white clothes. To distinguish them, Buddhist monks' clothes were stipulated to be dyed not "normal colors", such as pure white, pure black, pure red (red), etc., which are called normal colors. Kasaya must be "non-normal colors", which can also eliminate greed for gorgeous clothes. This is the origin of the names "bad color clothes", "non-normal colors", "dyed clothes", "dyed clothes", and "polluted clothes".
After the size of Sakyamuni Buddha's monastic community grew, the Buddha also allowed monks to accept new cloth offerings from believers, but the whole cloth had to be cut into pieces and then sewn together. This was done because it was difficult for ordinary people in ancient times to obtain clothing materials, and complete cloth was precious. Monks wearing it outside might attract thieves to steal it and cut it to make clothes; secondly, destroying the clothes first can break the monks' attachment to clothes and distinguish them from outsiders. This is the origin of the names "cut clothes" and "mixed clothes".
According to the "Four Part Vinaya·40" and "Four Part Vinaya·Supplementary Karma Commentary", the Buddha once saw paddy fields in pieces, and asked Venerable Ananda to teach the monks to cut the Kasaya into the shape of the fields and sew them. In this way, the fields are used to grow food to support life, and the Kasaya is used to support wisdom. At the same time, it is used to show that the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are the field of blessings for the world and the gods. When sentient beings see the Kasaya, they know that it is a monk, and they feel happy and are willing to make offerings to cultivate the field of blessings. This is the origin of the names "Futian Yi(Blessings field Clothes)" and "Tian Xiang Yi(Field-shaped clothes)”.