Comments on Zeng Guofan's Letters 1 Zeng Guofan, as half of China's semi-perfect man since Confucius, has achieved almost three standards among the three traditional literati in China, which is really rare. Although it is derogatory to say that he is semi-perfect, it is an affirmation. Zeng Guofan was strict with himself all his life, managed his family well and managed his army well. It can be called self-cultivation. In Zeng Guofan's letters, these aspects are discussed in great detail.
In Zeng Guofan's letter, my first concern is a large number of contents about the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's revenue and expenditure involved in his letter. Zeng Guofan's letters are detailed and concrete, which are very good historical materials to guide him how to run the army and how to arrange it during the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. For example, Zeng Guofan recorded the battle of Xiangtan in detail in his letter on the fourth day of April in Xianfeng four years, and his deputy Taqibu defeated the Taiping Army. What is particularly rare is that he did not admit his failure, and the army he personally led was actually defeated by the enemy. Combined with the description in Zeng Guofan's letters and other historical materials, it has a more substantial and three-dimensional impact on this image.
Zeng Guofan avoided the front lines of Anqing and Tianjing because of defeat, but still showed concern about his ninth brother being trapped by his former enemy in his letters. Zeng Guofan's letters are of great significance to our understanding of the history of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, so we should read more.
In addition, since it is a letter from home, Zeng Guofan also wrote in his letter from home that he is not bored with the education of his children and getting along with his family. He taught his sons and how to study, and trained them into excellent Taoist talents. In addition, Zeng Guofan had a broad vision. He also instructed Ceng Jize to learn foreign languages and eventually became the first ambassador of China. These contents are of great practical significance for us to learn knowledge, educate children and even be human.
After reading "Zeng Guofan's Letter", reading "Zeng Guofan's Letter" is meaningful, and every word reflects Wen's unique knowledge and moral cultivation. Recalling when I decided to meet Wen, I just overheard him say that "smart people work hard", which makes sense. When I went to see his letter from home again, I was deeply moved.
It is said that Wen was a great Neo-Confucianist in Qing Dynasty, but every word in his family's books was not true. In teaching their children, brothers and sisters, including letters to their fathers, they have recorded their life of depression and entanglement without disguise, and most of these things are encountered in our lives. The mental journey in the book has nothing but the power to formally overcome depression and entanglement. What I feel most in the book is Wen's Confucianism, which is the wisdom of self-cultivation and family planning of China people.
Starting from his feelings about the wisdom of literary cultivation, he is indeed the representative of the inheritor of traditional culture in China. He once ordered a "daily lesson book" for himself, and his letters to his family contained a lot of introspection. He really achieved the goal of "saving my life three times a day", and he also learned "quiet" kung fu from his master and sat quietly every day, but what impressed me most was that Wen had to read ten pages of history books and classics every day. The letter from home says "Reading can change a person's temperament". I think about it carefully, it should be said that accepting the influence of classic traditional culture in the book can change a person's temperament. What is even more touching is that Wen insisted on reading classics every day until his death. Everyone says that simple things are not easy to repeat, and it is true. In his letter to his fourth brother, Wen also said that "learning is endless and perseverance is the main thing", which I admire very much in my heart. Isn't the word "constant" also the connotation of China culture?
I suddenly remembered something. I went to my uncle's aunt's house that day, only to find that my uncle's favorite classics of Chinese studies, Letters from Zeng Guofan, Caigen Tan and University, had been shelved. I was puzzled and asked my uncle, who replied, "I'm busy at work and my cousin doesn't like watching." I looked at the high supplementary books and laptops on my cousin's desk. Chinese classics should be the carrier of China traditional culture. In these classics, I deeply feel that China culture is different from modern fast food reading culture and foreign culture. Classics are not accepted by the younger generation, and they are gradually forgotten behind people who are in a hurry, which reflects a signal that China's traditional culture is facing an embarrassing situation of marginalization. I read Zeng Guofan's letter, in which he wrote that Mr. Zeng encouraged his younger brother to read more classics in order to cultivate his morality. I think that's true. I admire Ceng Laoshi's practice of writing every day and reading history without interruption even if something happens. This is really an example of his own inheritance of China culture.
Let me talk about my feelings about Qi Jia's wisdom and wisdom in the document. The letter from home once wrote, "Nowadays, people have a wrong view of learning. They never ask questions about college, which is a problem between family and daily use." Wen's family has always upheld the word "harmony". When Wen got 1200 taels of silver, he suggested in his letter to his father to leave 620 taels to his family to pay off debts and 420 taels to improve their lives. After receiving letters from his two younger brothers, he still insisted on giving 220 Liang to his relatives at home, and later wrote "Shun Ji Xiang" to educate his younger brothers. All these reflect the overall concept of "harmony" when the writer is in charge of the family. I think this is one of the reasons why the Zeng family hasn't produced a dude for generations. Although the family style is rigorous, Wen Gong Zheng also "raises a group of spring", which is another word of "fun" in Wen Zheng's family. Although Wen strictly educates his children, he does not forget to let them experience the joy of life while working hard. In family education, Zheng Wen has created a relaxed and happy family atmosphere. And some of our parents today may be more concerned about their children's academic and career progress, which is not fair enough. This "harmony" and "interest" embodies the brilliance of China traditional culture.
The above is just a small part of my excavation of Zeng Guofan's letters. I not only lamented the greatness of Wen, but also realized the greatness of China traditional culture. This book must be worth reading repeatedly in the continuous enrichment of my life experience, and I believe there will be more insights. Inheriting and carrying forward the traditional culture of China is equally important and urgent for every Chinese descendant, and we must start now.
Comments on Zeng Guofan's Letters 3 Zeng Guofan, a native of Xiangxiang, Hunan Province, was born in the 16th year of Jiaqing in Qing Dynasty (18 1 1) and died in the 11th year of Tongzhi (1872). Posthumous title, also known as Zeng, is one of the most influential figures in the modern history of China.
Confucianism stresses "three stands", "virtue" comes first, "meritorious service" comes last, and "standing". Zeng Guofan has always been diligent in self-cultivation, old and unremitting, and paid special attention to educating his children. He believes that the prosperity of the family lies not in accumulating money to buy land, but in giving birth to virtuous children. He always writes 1600 letters of nearly one million words when political affairs are arduous and military affairs are tense. Its content involves social life, interpersonal communication, family education and other aspects. Reading Zeng Guofan's Letters not only helped me learn a lot about family education, but also increased my knowledge about family management, study, self-cultivation, determination and politics.
Household goods
Confucianism believes that "filial piety" is the foundation of governing the world, and from it derives "loyalty" and "friendship". Zeng Guofan, who was deeply influenced by Neo-Confucianism, regarded this as the criterion of self-cultivation, and also regarded it as the cohesion of family unity and prosperity. In his view, a rich official can't last long, and superior family conditions are a hotbed for children and grandchildren to breed arrogance. Only simple, hardworking, filial and friendly families will flourish and have a bright future. Zeng Guofan wrote in a letter to his younger brother, "In any family, the word" diligence and respect "can be maintained in a few minutes, and there is no disappointment. Without points, there is no unbeaten. Harmony can be maintained a little, there is no disappointment, and there are no invincible people. " Teach younger brothers to love and respect their elders, live in harmony among peers, and set an example in front of the younger generation. Everyone should abide by the words of harmony, diligence and respect for the elders, and establish a good family style. Children and nephews are required to work indoors and in the fields in addition to studying, and think this is an excellent thing. Brothers, like brothers, are bound to suffer from * * * and resist foreign aggression. So we must unite and live in harmony, protect each other, support each other, and share weal and woe with * * *. "A brother is worried about his brother's bad reputation, and a brother has a good reputation for him soon. My brother can't let his brother know that he is guilty of calling his brother, and my brother can't let his brother know that he is guilty of calling his brother. "
Times have changed. Today's people don't have to stick to the principles of monarch, minister and father, but should return "filial piety" to its true colors and give it a new meaning. A person who is filial to his parents is often a person who has a universal mind, pursues the cause of kindness and respect, and loves his brothers. It is hard to imagine that he is not a frank, sincere and cooperative person.
Academic articles
Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the system of selecting scholars in imperial examinations has become increasingly corrupt, which has suppressed talents, wasted youth and done great harm. Zeng Guofan's participation in the imperial examination was smooth sailing, but he clearly realized that "it was a lifelong mistake." His expectation for his younger brothers is not the existence of subject titles, but filial piety, immortal articles, the need for real talents and practical learning, and the absence of a name in the imperial examination. These insights reflect his ideological style of doing great things, far-reaching and pragmatic.
In his letter, he also told his younger brothers about the way to cultivate one's morality in academic research, with witty remarks, such as "Teachers and friends are at loggerheads, even cowards have ambition", "Learning is like cooking meat", "Diligence is like digging wells" and "The benefits of a famous teacher don't hurt friends", all of which are very pertinent and profound.
Self-cultivation articles
Confucianism advocates "self-cultivation, keeping the family in order, governing the country and leveling the world", among which "self-cultivation" is the starting point, which is also the basis for Zeng Guofan's saying in his letter to his younger brother that "people in the world must have ambition first, knowledge second and perseverance third". If you are ambitious, you will never be dirty. If you have knowledge, you will know that knowledge is endless. You dare not use only one knowledge, such as Hebo's observation of the sea and the frog's observation of the sky. Nothing is impossible if you have perseverance. These three are indispensable. "These are the principles and methods of self-cultivation. He believes that people should be ambitious first, knowledgeable second and persistent third, so as to be eloquent and full of vitality, and list their own self-cultivation courses, correct their mistakes every day, increase their knowledge and skills, and cultivate good psychological quality. Not only did he do it himself, but he also hoped that his younger brothers could follow suit.
It has always been human nature that all bets are off, modesty is beneficial, modesty makes people progress and arrogance makes people fall behind. All proud people always compare their own strengths with others' weaknesses, so they are complacent and don't make progress. Or feel incompetent and full of complaints. These are all factors that affect progress. Zeng Guofan's letter, by summing up the positive and negative lessons, earnestly warned his younger brothers not to be complacent, which will also have a profound lesson for future generations.
A definite article
Desire is one of the most important factors for success. Any successful person is a persevering person; Any mediocre person is a person with no ambition or short ambition. To achieve outstanding achievements in our career, we must have lofty aspirations and strong character at the same time. Because of dealing with military affairs, Zeng Guofan had to deal with the powerful Taiping Army, which was rejected and attacked by local forces and distrusted by the court. However, he was able to proceed from the overall situation, "bear the burden with humiliation, bend his heart and suppress his ambition", and use the word "forbearance" to deal with the sinister environment, thus winning the final victory in the war with Taiping Army and creating a miracle in China's modern history.
Political articles
Since ancient times, the officialdom has been sinister, and the gentleman is like a tiger. Most of the officials are corrupt and corrupt, and it is rare to find one who is not honest and clean. Zeng Guofan, on the other hand, dared to correct the shortcomings of the times when the new king ascended the throne, bluntly remonstrated, put aside personal gains and losses, ignored personal interests, ignored the country and family, and did not care about all the ideas of promotion. His spirit is really commendable.
With the development of the times, people's ideas are constantly updated. Under the condition of market economy, we should continue to read Zeng Guofan's letters, understand Rong Ming's shame, punish evil and promote good, strive to practice the socialist concept of honor and disgrace, and create a good political, ideological and economic environment for Socialism with Chinese characteristics's construction, so as to build a harmonious socialist new China that enriches the people and strengthens the people!
After reading Zeng Guofan's letter, we live in an era of great material wealth. There is no shortage of food, no shortage of skills, and no shortage of gods. Every homo sapiens is his own "wise god", and the worship of God has already turned to the worship of people. But I still feel that something is missing in our time.
After reading Zeng Guofan's letter, I found the answer: we lack the courage to make waves in the times, but we lack the persistence of excellent cultural traditions.
Zeng Guofan's letters to his parents and younger generations all show his deep affection for his family, adhering to the teachings of his ancestors, his gentle and honest family style and practical and effective family instructions, which have enabled him to stand firm in the complicated modern society. His persistence and responsibility for the family prompted him to think about how to make the family prosperous and continuous, and constantly examine himself in such thinking, so that he not only retained the stubborn character of China traditional literati, but also well conformed to the development trend of the times.
Zeng Guofan educated his descendants. "Scholars should be ambitious first, knowledgeable second, and persistent third." This is a reinterpretation of Confucianism's "cultivating self-cultivation, keeping the family in order, governing the country and leveling the world" at that time. He warned his descendants to be ambitious and have a strong ambition to serve the country; Knowledgeable, looking at the world and learning extensively; Be persistent, don't be impetuous, and don't be obliterated by the western thinking trend of advocating efficiency. This is not only Zeng Guofan's insistence on the spirit of traditional scholars, but also the embodiment of the spirit of the times. It can be said that this is a kind of cultural self-confidence that conforms to the changes of the times, and it is also a kind of moderate and peaceful wisdom that is not arrogant and arrogant.
Looking back at Zeng Guofan's era, it was an era in which pain and hope coexisted like childbirth; Gazing at our own times, isn't it also an era of transcendence and crisis? How should we treat history, how can we not be trapped by the times and "transcend this era from ourselves"? This is a question worth pondering by every contemporary.
I think that is to adhere to the excellent cultural tradition, adhere to and inherit it with an innovative and pedantic attitude, never forget the past and keep pace with the times, so as to achieve your ultimate goal.
Yuval Hulali said in A Brief History of the Future: "The best reason to study history is not to predict the future, but to get rid of the past and imagine another fate." This statement shows that human beings are eager to surpass the past, but perhaps when we look back at history, we need to precipitate something as precious as gold and live with a grand view of history in order not to be submerged or buried in the torrent of the new era.
Only by reading Zeng Guofan's letters, looking back at history, standing on one's own feet and adhering to excellent cultural traditions can we find our own value and position in an infinitely extended era and live up to the times and the country.
Comments on "A Letter from Zeng Guofan" 5 Zeng Guofan is a legendary figure in the history of China, and later generations hold him in high esteem, such as "one of the four outstanding ZTE figures in the late Qing Dynasty" and "the first perfect man in ancient and modern times". His works have not been passed down to later generations, but they are very weighty and people can benefit a lot from reading them. We can learn something from Zeng Guofan's Letters.
It's called "letter from home", but it's not. The works are in the form of letters, which are easy to understand and meaningful in content. After careful reading, I feel that it is like food, which can maintain the continuation of spiritual life; Like a hospital, it can heal the wounds of the soul; Just like a supermarket, there are plenty of things at your disposal.
First, about reading and self-cultivation.
Zeng Guofan thought that a scholar should have ambition first. People with lofty ideals are not willing to be inferior; The second is to be knowledgeable. If you have knowledge, you will have endless knowledge, and you dare not be self-sufficient. For example, Hebo watches the sea, and the well frog peeps into the sky. "My life is limited and my knowledge is limited", which is the truth. Third, there must be perseverance, perseverance, nothing is impossible.
In the process of reading, you should read one book at a time. If you haven't finished reading a book, don't read other books. This is all because of the outside world. In addition, the scholar also pays attention to nourishing qi, that is, being calm, telling people everything, and being frank. Pay attention to health, that is, abstinence, labor and diet. Excessive desire will only bring trouble to people, while excessive fatigue will make people physically and mentally exhausted and hopeless. Third, be careful. Scholars should always pay attention to what they say. The so-called "disaster comes from the mouth."
Second, about fame.
In the traditional culture of China, the fame of scholars is an enduring topic. Thousands of years of official career history can be said to be the ultimate evaluation of literati's "winner is king, loser is enemy", but Zeng Guofan also has his own views on this evaluation standard. He was disappointed to learn from letters from his family that his fourth and sixth brothers failed the exam. He believes that the name of a family is predestined in a previous life and cannot be forced at all. Scholars have two purposes: first, to strengthen moral cultivation, to stress sincerity, integrity, self-cultivation, family harmony, and not to humiliate their ancestors; The second is to achieve a career by becoming famous through reading, thus prolonging your life. And the biggest thing to continue life is to support yourself. Farmers, craftsmen, businessmen and laborers support themselves, and scholars work hard to support themselves, all of which are the same. If a scholar passes the exam, he will receive a salary in the DPRK. If he fails, he will either teach in the countryside, be a waiter for diners, or be a guest in the curtain. These all need to calculate his own skills to eat well.
To say the least, even if you get on the list and become an official in the DPRK, you should count your talents and virtues to avoid being a vegetarian in the future. However, whether all this is won or not depends entirely on providence, and whether you are proficient or not depends on yourself. People who are not proficient in industry and have no food and clothing are like farmers farming. Even if there is a famine year, there will be a bumper year, just like a merchant's goods are overstocked and unsalable, and they will certainly sell well. Then a scholar, if he is good at his work, will eventually gain fame. Even if he can't, there must be other ways to support himself. In Zeng Guofan's view, fame is not the main thing, but making a living is the key.
Under his educational philosophy, his son Ceng Jize is not only proficient in China's poetry, calligraphy and painting, but also interested in western mathematics, physics, chemistry and linguistics. He has many academic monographs, taught himself many languages, and became a famous diplomat in Qing Dynasty. Political corruption and cheating in the imperial examination were very common when older people took part in the imperial examination. Zeng Guofan just sealed the marquis. He is worried that his son will go astray. Before the exam, he deliberately told his son "don't associate with counties before the exam, and have a sense of self-respect." Before the announcement, he told his son to respect himself again. He failed many times, and later became a famous mathematician in modern China by self-study. A mathematical monograph was handed down from generation to generation. These two sons embody Zeng Guofan's thought of fame and fortune, that is, "fame and fortune depend on God's will, but mastery is their own way", which is the great vision.
Third, the worry of a gentleman.
The ancients once said that "a man with a culture can rest on his reputation", which means that once he can read and write, the troubles and frustrations of life begin. Zeng Guofan believes that people's worries include the worries of gentlemen and ordinary people. A gentleman's heart has the ability to tolerate everything, all ethnic groups, introspect and help the monarch outside, and then let his parents not be ashamed of their own commitment, so that they can be worthy of people in heaven and earth. Therefore, a gentleman is not as good as Shun, not as good as Zhou Gong. If you don't make progress in your studies, you will worry about the stubbornness and cunning of the people and the distance between the villain's position and the gentleman. Of course, this is a gentleman's worry and compassion. In Zeng Guofan's view, ordinary people are worried about their daily trivial food and clothing, secular honor and disgrace, fame and fortune. Come to think of it, it's true. A person's life is only three meals a day, and his life is only seven feet. "Even if there is an iron threshold for a thousand years, it will eventually be a bunch of bumpkins." Why worry about small fame and small profits?
Fourth, rich in knowledge.
Everything has its ups and downs, and it has its own destiny. In Zeng Guofan's letters with his family, there is one thing: Zeng Guofan sent 1200 taels of silver to his family, and explained that 600 taels were used to pay off debts and 400 taels were used as gifts for relatives and friends. The Zeng family is not rich. As the eldest son of the family, Zeng Guofan himself often borrowed money to live, but in this case, why did Zeng Guofan squeeze out money to help relatives? The reason, in his own words, is that the family is too rich and has to be extra careful, thinking that he is the way to protect Thailand.
Zeng Guofan was the fastest person to rise to the rank of official in history of qing dynasty, setting a record of "moving seven times in ten years". Such a miracle is related to his political talent, but on the other hand, it is also inseparable from his high political insight. Zeng Guofan was born in a civilian, without any background or backer. But he is familiar with the dangers of officialdom, and the experience of officialdom makes him be careful step by step. For the sake of his career economy, he is not only strict with himself, but also strict with himself, for fear that his official position will change the financial situation of his family and form their bad habits. Therefore, he should support his relatives in his own difficult situation and pay his debts with extra care. "If the old debts are paid off, then if the debts are not paid off, it will be a good thing and a happy way." Too poor to get carried away.
Besides the above four points, there are many points in Zeng Guofan's letters, such as family harmony, making friends and running the army. Read a letter from home, read Zeng Guofan's eternal romance, read a letter from home, watch the rise and fall of a family, read a letter from home, if you are calm, why bother!