To determine the authenticity of goodness, we must look at what a person does. If their actions are good, then we consider them to be good. If they only think or talk about doing good but never actually do it, then it doesn't count.
Things that seem useless may unexpectedly have a purpose at some point.
Time
Loyalty
Individuals can only avoid being treated cruelly by the majority if they go along with the group. If an individual is too outstanding or independent, they are more likely to be persecuted by the group.
If an outstanding individual is too exceptional, they must be prepared to pay a painful price to the group as an "offense fee."
Groups are forgetful, indecisive, ungrateful, and cruel.
He said that he had experienced hardships for a long time and understood the world and the national situation. He knew that this battle should not be fought and had already warned everyone not to fight. But everyone insisted on fighting, saying that it was necessary and anyone who didn't fight was a traitor. As a result, they fought and lost, and now everyone blames him for not winning and calls him a traitor. So he said that he was not responsible for this defeat.
Offside
墀 (a type of stone pavement)
Golden palace
Our country is not unchanging either. It started changing more than thirty years ago.
Only one person can rule the world; why should the world serve one person?
The belief in Buddhism is idealistic, but the temples themselves are materialistic. Is there a need for temples when we can find spirituality within ourselves?
Ego is what people subjectively believe to be "me," while dharma is what they believe to be the objective universe.
Buddha has three bodies: Dharma body, reward body, and response body.
In terms of time, a moment is not short, and an eon is not long. All things are born and die in one lifetime, whether it's a short-lived creature or a long-lived pine tree.
Knowing the world is like a dream, with no desires. A mind without desires is universally empty and silent, like being in a dream, achieving dream-like merits. - Wang Anshi's "Dream"
The spirit of Buddhism is to first transform oneself into illusion. After transcending illusion, there is nothing to be attached to or regret. Then, one can turn illusion into reality. This is the correct solution. After leaving the world, one can return to it, from "seeing through the mundane" to returning to the mundane. At this point, a person in this state truly has a sense of self but no attachment to self.
Xu Jiatang repents with an open heart, willing to turn into bones and ashes.
The true meaning of Buddhism tells us that the appearances of people, self, and sentient beings are all unattainable. However, we still exist in the world due to the vastness of our nature, the unity of all sentient beings, compassion as the measure, and the absence of a moment of self.
Cai Genyin
Pu Wenxuan
Unless we have a way to expel the black crows, we should not miss the opportunity if there are some that are not so black and may become a little whiter. This is truly beneficial for the people.
Do you remember the story of Gong Sun Chou and Ju? Those who stay and sacrifice are also doing something, doing something positive. Those who leave and do not sacrifice are also sacrificing, but it is a long-term sacrifice that is unknown. So according to Gong Sun Chou, what those who stay and do not sacrifice do is actually easier. Those who leave and do not sacrifice do something more difficult.
When a person is about to die, their words are good. What is goodness? Goodness is a kind of virtue, a kind of honesty.
A person's pain can only be fought against with enemies, not with friends. Or a person can only fight against friends, not against themselves.
Generally speaking, those who willingly sacrifice their lives are more straightforward and have a simpler belief. Because of their simplicity, they are more courageous and not indecisive.
I mentioned earlier that there are two types of Chinese Bushido. One type is the Zhuan Zhu type, and the other is the Jing Ke type. The Zhuan Zhu type of warrior sacrifices themselves for personal goals, while the Jing Ke type sacrifices themselves for the greater goals of the nation.
Fish intestine sword, stolen tiger talisman.
The difference between heroes and ordinary people lies here. What you feel is the fundamental difference between a hero and an ordinary person.
In fact, this is life. You can't have everything. You have to make choices and accept the losses that come with it. And when you have losses, you will cherish what you have.
Reincarnation is not reliable. Believing in an afterlife after death is cowardly and selfish. To die without any hope of an afterlife is truly living and dying with dignity.
The golden sword cannot penetrate, and guns cannot harm them. They say, "Don't wear foreign cloth, don't use foreign fire... Promote the Great Qing, destroy foreign religions." They kill foreigners and those who believe in foreign religions, burn churches and trains. The Qing court, including the Manchu officials, believed them, and even the Empress Dowager believed them. This led to the Eight-Nation Alliance invading China, and now they have reached Beijing. The Boxers cannot resist.
After seventeen months of fleeing, the chaos subsided. China apologized to the Eight-Nation Alliance, punished the culprits, and paid reparations.
Empress Dowager Cixi used the Boxers to create a cultural catastrophe. This catastrophe brought challenges and disasters to Chinese culture. The advanced culture of the foreigners posed a new challenge and confirmed the fragility of Chinese culture and national strength.
Looking for a place to settle, thinking of Zhang Jian. Willing to endure death, waiting for Du Gen. I laugh at the sky with a horizontal sword, with no fear in life or death.
It is easy to die for a just cause, but difficult to die with composure.
Time only has meaning for life. Once it materializes, whether we live for the same number of years or not, what matters is not how long we exist, but whether we exist or not.
Don't forget, they are a large group, a group that thrives on oppressing others with inequality and protecting their own privileges. The whole group cannot be changed, and an individual's awakening, in the end, is just a tragedy. A person who leads a large group to do evil, which benefits the group, may receive support even if it goes against justice. However, a person who leads a large group to do good, which harms the group, may face opposition even if it is in line with justice. Empress Dowager Cixi represents leading a large group to do evil.
In short, China is a nation that is most resistant to reforms. When trying to reform China, even great heroes and brave individuals cannot succeed.
When a regime is rotten to the core, it cannot talk about reform. When it is willing to reform, it is already too late. It's like a person who only does good when they have no other choice, but by then, it's often too late.
Sentient beings come to sow seeds, and the fruits are produced according to the land. Without emotions, there are no seeds. Without desires, there is no birth.
Everything that moves on the ground turns to dust and lies down. Only the still ancient temple stands in the cold wind, in the northern land, standing mournfully. Ah! Beijing Fayuan Temple, Beijing Fayuan Temple!
The play "Beijing Fayuan Temple" uses the concrete and still-standing ancient temple as the main theme, and uses the abstract and dispersed historical figures from various dynasties as the cross-section. It discusses important themes such as life and death, ghosts and gods, monks and laypeople, entering and leaving, serving and hiding, court and people, family and country, loyalty and treachery, barbarians and civilization, domestic and foreign, strength and weakness, group and self, public and private, emotions and reason, change and constancy, staying and leaving, cause and effect, economy (benefiting the world and the people), etc.