Wen Yu Zhonglian(Doctor of Philosophy, poet, writer, calligraphy theorist, trustee and professor of many universities in Wuhan).
Photography by the Chinese Imperial Gardens film crew
According to the Creator's design, man and life are perfect. But why is it often said that "how can life be perfect", and the poem "ten regrets in life, it is rare to have one or two wishes"? Why can't life be perfect? In order to understand these questions, we need to first understand what it means to be perfect in people and in life.
Our ancestors have long told us clearly that the perfection of man and life is to walk between heaven and earth to survive "according to the will of heaven and earth", that is, the unity of heaven and man. Man and life cannot be perfect, that is, man and life have not achieved or achieved the unity of nature and man. In other words, the number of perfections we achieve in life is as much as we achieve or achieve the unity of heaven and man. On the contrary, how much imperfection our lives have, how much is still far from the unity of heaven and man.
Winter view of East Lake in Wuhan, specially made a trip to shoot the article with pictures.
As individual human beings, how can we achieve the unity of man and nature?
First of all, we must understand that Chinese culture, Chinese philosophy, and Chinese civilization are the reasons why Chinese culture has lasted for 5,000 years.
Secondly, we must understand that these three are all in nature, and in the process of naturalizing people and humanizing nature, our ancestors used the six senses and instincts that people have to observe, feel, understand, and summarize the laws of nature. For example, Dong Zhongshu discovered the correspondence between man and heaven and earth, "Heaven is the number of years old, the body of **, so the subsection is three hundred and sixty-six, and the number of days is also; The festival is twelve minutes, and the number of sub-months is also; There are five treasures inside, and the number of the five elements is also; There are four limbs on the outside, and the number of vices is also four; At first glance, day and night; At first glance, it is just soft, and it is also winter and summer; At first glance, the joy of sorrow, vice yin and yang; The mind is scheming, and the sub-degree is also; There is ethics in the line, and there is also heaven and earth. Dong Zhongshu believes that man is a small universe, which corresponds to the natural universe of heaven and earth.
Finally, we must understand that Chinese characters are the bearers of Chinese culture, civilization, and philosophical thought. In other words, if you understand Chinese characters, you will understand Chinese civilization, culture and philosophical thoughts, and you will know the natural laws corresponding to each Chinese character, and you will know the natural password corresponding to each Chinese character.
Next, I will briefly explain from the natural laws or natural codes contained in Chinese characters how we can achieve the unity of heaven and man, how to achieve the perfection of man and life, or closer to the unity of heaven and man and the perfection of life.
In order to grow crops well, our ancestors discovered the law of the influence of heaven and earth on different crops through long-term observation, practice and summary, that is, there are four major changes and twenty-four small changes in a year.
According to these changes, our ancestors defined the four major changes as the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, and the twenty-four small changes as the beginning of spring, rain, stunning, vernal equinox, Qingming, Guyu, Lixia, Xiaoman, mangzhong, summer solstice, small heat, great heat, beginning of autumn, summer heat, white dew, autumn equinox, cold dew, frost fall, beginning of winter, light snow, heavy snow, winter solstice, small cold, and big cold 24 solar terms a year.
The four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter in a year, the six solar terms in a season, we understand them, we know when to loosen the soil, when to sow seeds, when to fertilize, when to weed, when to water, when to harvest, when to store in winter. We have mastered the six solar terms of the four seasons of the year and one season, and we have guaranteed our survival.
Therefore, the number of four and six solar terms in a year and six solar terms in a year has become a knowledge that we need to understand, and we must remember the natural code, otherwise we will not be able to survive.
Human beings are animals that live between heaven and earth, and they are animals that depend on heaven and earth for survival. If there were no heaven and earth, there would be no man and no human being; Even with humans and humans, it is impossible to survive; Therefore, we must obey the will of heaven and earth, revere the majesty of heaven and earth, and be grateful for the benevolence of heaven and earth.
How can we be obedient, fearful, and thankful to heaven and earth?
Our ancestors have long informed us of the password, which is in our Chinese characters "天" and "地". How do you write the word Tianzi? The word "sky" is four paintings. Xu Shen said in "Shuo Wen Jie Zi": "The sky, upside down." Supreme. From a large one. "Heaven reigns above the heads of us human beings, and is supreme. How do you write the word for land? The ground character is six paintings. Xu Shen said in "Shuo Wen Jie Zi": "The earth, the beginning of the vitality. Light and clear sun for the sky. Heavy turbidity yin for the ground. All things are on display. from the soil. Also sound. "The earth is formed by the sinking of the heavy yin energy, and is the mother of all things.
When we understand the four and six numbers of "heaven" and "earth", we understand the importance of heaven and earth to man and mankind, we understand that man and man should conform to and follow the laws of heaven and earth, and we understand the righteousness of heaven and earth, the heart of reverence for heaven and earth, and the benevolence of gratitude to heaven and earth that our ancestors have inherited from us.
There is a saying in the Analects of Yang Goods: "Give birth for three years, and then be free from the arms of your parents." The husband's three-year mourning, the world's mourning, and the three-year love for his parents! "Every family has parents, everyone has parents, and without parents there is certainly no you and me; Therefore, we must respect, honor and love our parents.
How can we respect, honor, and love our parents?
Our ancestors also told us the password long ago, in our Chinese characters "father" and "mother". How do you write the word father? Four paintings. Xu Shen said in "Shuo Wen Jie Zi": "Father, Juye." Parents lead the way in teaching. and lifted the rod again. "The father is the head of the family, the representative of the rules, and the one who teaches the children. The mother's mother character was six paintings in ancient times, and now it is five paintings, and there are six paintings written in the art of calligraphy. Xu Shen said in "Shuo Wen Jie Zi": "Mother, shepherd." From female. Elephant in the shape of a sheath. One is like a breast. "Mother, raise your children like cows.
When we understand the number of "father" and "mother", we understand the grace of our parents for childbirth and nurturing, and we know how to honor and repay our parents.
"University of the Mean" has a saying: "Those who want to be clear and virtuous in the world will rule the country first; Whoever wants to rule his country, he must first gather his family." Every family is a small country, and countless small countries form a country called a country, and the harmony of the family as a small country is closely related to the chaos of the country as a family.
Who is the family made of? Two people. Two people form a family first, so that the family can continue to burn incense and the national honor can be extended.
These two people, we called husband and wife in ancient times. How do you write the word husband? Four paintings. Xu Shen said in "Shuo Wen Jie Zi": "Husband, husband also." From the cave one. One elephant first. "Fu" refers to a man who has a hairpin tied to his hair as an adult. How to write the word "woman"? Six paintings. Xu Shen said in "Shuo Wen Jie Zi": "Women, serve also." From the woman holding a broom. Sprinkle Si also. "A wife of a husband and wife is a woman who serves a man and carries a broom and sweeps at home.
When we understand the number of "husband" and "wife", we understand the responsibilities of husbands and wives. When there is harmony between husband and wife, there will be harmony in the family; When the family is harmonious, the society will be stable and united; When society is stable and united, the country will be prosperous and strong.
Therefore, the number of "husband" and "woman" is the most important in our human affairs.
There is a saying in the Analects of Gongyechang: "The old man is safe, the friend believes in it, and the young man cherishes it." "Confucius made it his ambition to make the old comfortable and the young nostalgic. There is a saying in "Confucius's Family Sayings: The Correct Treatise": "Abandoning the old and taking the young is ominous". Confucius believed that abandoning the elderly is not the duty of a son, and over-doting on children is unlucky for the family.
How can we respect the elderly and love the young?
Our ancestors also told us the password long ago, in our Chinese characters "old" and "young". How do you write old words? Six paintings. Xu Shen said in "Shuo Wen Jie Zi": "Old, test also." Seventy years old. From human hair daggers. Words must be whitened also. "Old refers to a person whose beard has turned gray and who has reached the age of seventy. How do you write less words? Four paintings. Xu Shen said in "Shuo Wen Jie Zi": "Less, not more." From a young man's voice. "Less refers to a person who is younger.
When we understand the "old" and "young", we will know that respecting the old and loving the young will enable the old to be dependent on the young, and to make the family harmonious, the continuation of the family, and the harmony of society.
Zhou Yi Zhizhi said: "It is easy to have Tai Chi, and it is to give birth to two instruments." Two rituals give birth to four elephants, and four elephants give birth to gossip. Gossip determines good fortune and evil, and good luck and evil give birth to great causes. "After knowing the good and bad of everything, the great cause of the world can be accomplished. In the life encounters between people and human beings, we all want to encounter auspicious things, happy things, happy things, happy things; And don't want to encounter unlucky things, unhappy things, unpleasant things, evil things.
How do we try to avoid evil?
Our ancestors also told us the password long ago, in our Chinese characters "吉" and "fierce". How do you write the word murder? Four paintings. Xu Shen said in "Shuo Wen Jie Zi"; "Fierce, evil. Like the ground piercing and trapping in it. "Fierce is the opposite of auspiciousness, like being trapped in a sinking earth. How do you write auspicious characters? Six paintings. Xu Shen said in "Shuo Wen Jie Zi": "Ji, good also." From Shikou. "Ji means auspicious and beautiful.
If you understand the number of "auspicious" and "fierce", you will be able to turn evil into auspiciousness, and everything will be fine.
I don't know if it's providence and destiny, or it's a coincidence, the four seasons of the year and the six solar terms of one season.
Four. 6. Heaven and earth.
Four. 6. Parents'.
Four. Sixth, couples.
Four. Sixth, young and old.
Four. Sixth, the four and six of the good and evil together are ten.
As long as we understand these four or six numbers, and follow the laws of nature, revere heaven and earth, honor our parents, live in harmony with husband and wife, respect the old and love the young, and seek good fortune and avoid evil, our life will not be realized, but it will definitely be closer to perfection, closer to the unity of heaven and man.
July 10, 2022.
Yu Xun Shanju. 
From a distance, it is the Xunshan residence by the East Lake.