Gewu, Zhizhi, Righteousness, Sincerity, Self cultivation, Qi Family, Governing the Country, and Leve

Gewu: Investigate the principle of error.

Enlightenment: Acquisition of knowledge.

Righteousness: Correct mind.

Our teacher has just finished ......

Gewu Zhizhi, sincerity and righteousness, self-cultivation and Qi family rule the country and level the world" mainly expounds the eight stages of life training, known as the "eight articles", and the main interpretation is as follows:

1. Gewu. It is to require people to experience things and manage their things, that is, to increase their knowledge.

2. Enlightenment. It is to seek true knowledge, to discover the knowledge of the heart from the reason that leads to things.

3. Sincerity. It is to be honest in thought.

4. Righteousness. It is to get rid of all kinds of uneasy emotions, not to be blinded by material desires, and to keep the soul quiet.

5. Self-cultivation. It is to constantly improve one's moral cultivation.

6. Qi family. It is to tidy up your family.

7. Governing the country. It is to govern with virtue, implement the rule of virtue, and govern the country with benevolence.

8. Flat world.

It is to be benevolent in the world, so that the world is peaceful.

The practical significance of "learning from things, sincerity and righteousness, self-cultivation and self-cultivation to govern the country and level the world":

1. The principle of the development of things should be understood by scientific inference, and then you will have profound knowledge and understand things thoroughly. Possess a great knowledge and understand things thoroughly, and then the mind will be honest. If your thoughts are honest, your heart will be upright and free from evil thoughts.

Have a good heart, and then you can improve your moral cultivation.

2. If your own moral character is improved, the family will be rectified. The family was put in order, and then the country was settled. When the country is stable, it can be extended to the next level, and then the world can be peaceful.

This is a process from a person's inner moral and intellectual cultivation to the completion of the outward career, which constitutes a consistent and continuous process.

Translation: Knowledge can only be gained through the knowledge and study of all things; After acquiring knowledge, ideas can be sincere; Only when the mind is sincere can the mind be correct; Only after the mind is correct can we cultivate character; Only after cultivating character can we manage the family and clan well; Only when the family and clan are well managed can the country be governed; Only after the country is well governed can the world be peaceful. Interpretation:

What is shown here is the pursuit of the three outlines and eight purposes of Confucianism. The so-called three outlines are to indicate virtue, new people, and perfection. It is not only the purpose of the program of the "University", but also the goal of Confucianism's "establishment of education for the world."

The so-called eight eyes refer to the study of things, enlightenment, sincerity, righteousness, self-cultivation, family, governance, and peace in the world. It is not only an item designed to achieve the "Three Guidelines," but also a ladder of life that Confucianism shows us. Looking at the Four Books and Five Classics, we find that all the doctrines of Confucianism actually follow these three outlines and eight objectives.

Therefore, by grasping these three outlines and eight objectives, you are tantamount to grasping a key that opens the door to Confucianism. Step by step on this ladder of study, you will enter the hall and appreciate the mysteries of the cowardly classics. As far as the ladder itself is concerned, it actually includes two major aspects: "internal cultivation" and "external governance".

The first four levels of "Gewu, Zhizhi, sincerity, and righteousness" are "internal cultivation"; The latter three outlines of "Qi family, governing the country, and leveling the world" are "external governance". The "self-cultivation" link in the middle is the hub that connects the two aspects of "annual cultivation" and "external governance", which is connected with the previous "internal cultivation" project, which is "self-cultivation"; It is linked to the "external management" project that follows, and it is "doing good to the world." For more than 2,000 years, generation after generation of Chinese intellectuals have laid the course of their lives on this ladder by "being poor and being good to the world" (Mencius: Wholeheartedly Under the Heart).

Therefore, in essence, it is no longer just a series of doctrinal steps of further study, but a ladder of life pursuit with a strong practical color. It has forged the personality psychology of generations of Chinese intellectuals, and it still plays a subtle role in us today. Regardless of whether you are conscious or not, whether you are positive or negative, the concept of "character, sincerity, sincerity, righteousness, cultivation, harmony, governance, and peace" always influences your thoughts and influences your actions implicitly or explicitly, so that you will eventually discover that your life course is only near or far on the ladder of Confucianism.

As a matter of fact, as Chinese intellectuals, how many of them are the wild cranes and hidden masters who really talk about Lu Shudao's entry into the Buddha? In the end, it's still ten people and nine Confucians, that's all.