16 classic sentences from Wang Yangming’s “Transmissions of the Heart,” the ultimate book for easily understanding the philosophy of the heart!

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2016-11-26 yjwa5tx6t... Excerpted from Read History, Views: 740, Shares: 124. Save to my library. WeChat share: | As is well known, Wang Yangming was a great philosopher, thinker, statesman, **ist, and educator in our country. Throughout his life, he was renowned for both his literary achievements and his military exploits; he was hailed as one of the truly immortal. His intellectual contributions were particularly outstanding, and his philosophical ideas had a profound influence during the Ming Dynasty. That influence extended beyond that dynasty to later generations, becoming popular and spreading both within China and abroad. Historically, Wang Yangming (the master of Mind Learning) is mentioned alongside Confucius (the founder of Confucianism), Mencius (the master of Confucianism), and Zhu Xi (the master of Neo-Confucianism) as Confucius, Mencius, Zhu Xi, and Wang. Wang Shouren (October 31, 1472 – January 9, 1529), also known as Yangming. Scholars refer to him as Master Yangming, or Wang Yangming. “The fundamental spirit of Neo-Confucianism in the Ming dynasty lies in Yangming, and the fundamental spirit of Yangming’s theory of the mind lies in ‘innate knowledge’. The work that best embodies Wang Yangming’s spirit of conscience is *The Record of Instructions*. ” Therefore, to understand Wang Yangming, one must first read The Record of Teachings to grasp the essence of his thoughts. 01: Keep a humble heart and a grand vision. Explanation: The Book of Changes states that the way of heaven involves a reduction of excess and an increase in humility; the way of earth entails a change from excess to moderation; spirits and deities bring harm to those who are full of excess and blessing to those who are humble; the way of humans is to detest excess and favor humility. The heavens and earth operate ceaselessly; for humans to keep moving forward, they must adhere to the way of “humility”. Modesty is not hypocritical courtesy, but an attitude of never being satisfied, always moving forward, and striving for self-improvement. A broad-minded attitude is not only a sign of a person’s maturity and magnanimity; it is also a wonderful way for us to handle interpersonal relationships. 02: It is not valuable to be faultless, but it is valuable to be able to correct one’s faults. Analysis: Everyone makes mistakes; this is an inevitable path to maturity and success. However, one must be able to recognize one’s errors and correct them. From Confucius to Wang Yangming, all emphasized the importance of recognizing one’s mistakes and correcting them. Confucius highly praised Yan Hui for never making the same mistake twice; it was already an extraordinary achievement not to repeat the same error. Therefore, one should be strict with one’s own mistakes, reflect on them in a timely manner, and make corrections. As for others' mistakes, as long as they are able to correct them in a timely manner, we should also learn to be tolerant. 03: In everyone’s heart there is a sage; it’s only because they lack confidence that they bring themselves down. Analysis: This sentence has three levels of meaning. First level: Everyone has a saint within them; everyone can become a saint, someone like Yao and Shun. It’s just that people feel ashamed of themselves and think they cannot be saints, so they withdraw ； The second level: The “sage” resides within us. To become a sage, one must turn to oneself, seek conscience in one’s inner self, and explore the principles behind all things ； The third level: The “sage” in our hearts is often buried and obscured by our own improper behaviors and beliefs. If one wishes to become a sage, it is necessary to get rid of those behaviors and beliefs that cover up the true nature of our heart. 04: There is no knowledge without action. Knowing but not doing is still equivalent to not knowing. Analysis: Why is it that sometimes we believe we’ve understood a very good principle, yet fail to put it into action? On this, Wang Yangming believed that there was only one reason: namely, one had merely understood this principle but had not truly comprehended it with the heart, and failed to realize the benefits that come from putting it into action. Coincidentally, the great Greek philosopher Socrates believed that no one intends to do evil; evil arises solely from ignorance. Although Wang Yangming did not use the term “evil,” his view is similar to that of Socrates. According to this view, if a person truly understands what is good and virtuous, he will definitely do it. If he did not take action, there is only one reason: he did not truly understand what is good, nor the benefits that such action would bring to himself and society ； Similarly, the reason why bad people do evil is their ignorance of goodness, or their failure to truly recognize the benefits of goodness. 05: One must be tested by circumstances in order to stand firm; only then can one remain calm both in stillness and in motion. Analysis: Someone asked Wang Yangming, \"When I am at peace and with nothing to do, I feel great and my thoughts are clear. But once things arise, I lose my composure and don’t know how to handle them calmly. Why is that?\" ” Wang Yangming said, “This is because you only know how to rest in stillness, but have not made the effort to overcome your own desires.” Only by honing oneself through specific tasks can one remain calm both in stillness and in action. Therefore, you must hone yourself through practical experiences, gain more knowledge and experience, so that you won’t panic when faced with problems and will be able to handle them calmly. And if you merely enjoy peace and daydreaming, that is like Ye Gong who pretended to love dragons; you will still panic in the face of challenges and will never make any progress. That practice of meditation appears to be about restraint on the surface, but in reality it is one of indulgence and downfall. ” 06: Learning requires self-reflection. If one only blames others, they see the faults in others but not their own. Only by reflecting on oneself can one realize there are many areas for improvement; how then can one have the time to blame others? Analysis: A friend of mine often blames others when he gets angry. Wang Yangming advised him that in learning, one should reflect on oneself. If one only focuses on blaming others, they will only see their mistakes and fail to recognize their own shortcomings. If one can reflect on themselves and realize that there are still many shortcomings, where would the time come from to blame others? Wang Yangming gave an example: as is well known, Shun had a brother named Xiang, who had very bad morals and repeatedly tried to kill Shun. Yet Shun never blamed him; instead, he continued to care for and show concern for him. Why did Shun do this? Wang Yangming said that if Shun were determined to correct Xiang’s wickedness, he would only see Xiang’s faults. Tell me, would a proud person like Xiang be willing to admit his mistakes? On the contrary, he will only intensify it. And it was because Shun repaid hatred with kindness that he had the opportunity to influence him. Upon hearing these words, the friend felt very ashamed. 07: The spiritual essence remains unobscured; all principles are present and from them all things arise. There are no principles outside the mind, and no matters outside the mind. Analysis: \"Xu Ling\" originally refers to the initial chaos and primordial state of the universe; in a broader sense, it denotes a return to simplicity and authenticity by humans, reflecting their true nature, goodness, and beauty. For Wang Yangming, \"xuuling\" seems to have the same meaning as \"conscience\". What this sentence means is that one should be careful when reaching a state of \"purely natural principle,\" \"pure spirit without obscurity,\" or \"realization of conscience\" – that is, when a person’s mind becomes extremely calm, focused, and serene – for then the principles behind all things will manifest on their own. Therefore, there is no principle outside the mind, and no objects outside the mind. Everything lies within our “inner self”; all those who seek things externally are trying to catch fish in the trees. 08: There is no goodness or evil in the nature of the mind; there is goodness and evil in its actions. Knowing what is good and what is bad is conscience; doing good and avoiding evil is the study of things. Explanation: The heart originally has no thoughts of good or evil. When there are thoughts of good and evil, that is your mental activity. If we have a conscience, we will know what is good and what is evil; we will only do good deeds and abstain from evil actions. Wang Yangming condensed the essence of the \"School of the Heart\" into these 4 sentences containing 28 characters. He believes that \"conscience\" is the essence of the heart; a state free from good or evil represents a heart unobscured by selfish desires and materialistic interests. This is what is known as \"the principles of heaven.\" In a state where emotions have not yet arisen, there is neither good nor evil – and this is the state we strive to attain. However, when we generate mental activities, we attach such thoughts to things, and these thoughts then take on differences between good and evil. When evil thoughts arise, a person’s judgment often becomes flawed; in other words, there is an error in the “movement of the mind.” This means one fails to distinguish between good and evil properly—taking evil as good and good as evil. Consequently, their “conscience” also becomes faulty. At this point, one must turn to oneself and strive to bring one’s mind back to a state of neither good nor evil. Only by returning to a state of neither good nor evil can one have a proper conscience and conduct proper inquiry into things. As long as one pursues knowledge through careful investigation to attain a heart free from selfish desires, the principles within that heart are in fact the same as the principles that govern all things in the world. 09: Holding aspirations is like heartache. With the heart filled with pain, how can there be time for idle talk or meddling in others’ affairs? Explanation: Having in one’s heart the belief in conscience and the pursuit of perfection is like a pain that constantly reminds one to reflect on oneself, to cultivate good thoughts and do good deeds; as a result, one can focus without distraction. 10: Good thoughts arise from awareness, and through it they are fulfilled ； When evil thoughts arise, one becomes aware of them and represses them. Explanation: When a good thought arises, one should recognize it and then work to expand it ； When evil thoughts arise, one should realize it and suppress them. To recognize, to expand, and to restrain – this is the will, the wisdom bestowed upon us by heaven. The ancients said that following the path of goodness is like climbing a mountain, while pursuing evil is like an avalanche – in other words, acting in accordance with one’s good intentions is as difficult as climbing a mountain, requiring persistent confidence and determination ； But it’s easy to act on one’s evil impulses; it’s like an avalanche that erupts all at once. Therefore, Wang Yangming said that when good thoughts arise within one, it is important to recognize them in a timely manner and amplify them, so that they can ultimately turn into good deeds ； And when evil thoughts arise, it is even more important to detect them promptly and suppress them as early as possible. Wang Yangming said that this is the way for sages to cultivate themselves. The principle is simple, but it’s not easy to put into practice. 11: The greatest illness in life is pride. Analysis: Arrogance is the greatest flaw in our lives. The arrogance of being children inevitably leads to unfilial behavior ； The arrogance of being parents inevitably lacks kindness ； The arrogance of being friends inevitably leads to a lack of faithfulness. “Arrogance is the opposite of humility; once a person becomes arrogant, they disdain to interact with others and to be in their company. Academically, they look down on others, as if they are far superior to them. Therefore, Wang Yangming warned the world: “Modesty is the foundation of all virtues; arrogance is the root of all evils.” ”12: This conscience is possessed by everyone. A sage simply maintains a state free from any obstacles, acting with diligence and care, striving unremittingly – and in that, too, lies learning. Explanation: Whether sage or fool, everyone possesses conscience and innate abilities. The difference is that the sage merely preserves it, preventing it from being deceived in any way; by being diligent and conscientious, conscience remains intact at all times, and this is also part of the practice of cultivation. Anyone can learn it. 13: The human heart is an abyss. The essence of the heart encompasses everything; it is, in truth, heaven itself. If hindered only by selfish desires, then the true nature of Heaven is lost. The principles of the heart are endless; they are, in essence, an abyss. If it is blocked by selfish desires, the true nature of the abyss is lost. Now, by focusing on one’s conscience and eliminating all such obstacles, the true nature is restored, and that is the state of heaven and abyss. Analysis: The human heart is like an abyss. The human heart and nature are one; everything that exists in nature is also what exists within the heart. The attributes of heaven are the essential contents in people’s hearts. The essence of the heart is capable of encompassing everything; it is originally like a heaven, but its true nature is lost due to the obscuration by selfish desires. The principles in the heart know no bounds; it is originally an abyss, only blocked by selfish desires, which causes it to lose its true nature. Today, by constantly keeping one’s conscience in mind and sweeping away all obscuration and blockage, the true nature of the heart can be restored, and the heart once again becomes like the heavens and the abyss. 14: As long as you know it, how do you remember it? One must understand that this is already of a secondary meaning. As long as one understands one’s own true nature. If one only tries to remember, they won’t understand ； If one merely seeks to understand, they will fail to comprehend their own true nature. Analysis: A friend asked Wang Yangming, “What should one do if they can’t memorize what they read?” ” Wang Yangming said, “Once it has been understood, why bother to remember it?” You must understand that it’s not enough to merely remember; even understanding is secondary. The most important thing is to illuminate one’s own inner self. If one only seeks to memorize, they cannot understand ； If one only seeks understanding, the true nature of one’s mind cannot be illuminated. ” In short, the purpose of reading is to enlighten our innate nature and bring forth our conscience; it is about using the principles taught in books to inspire ourselves, rather than about memorizing words or sentences. 15: Conscience is the spirit of creation. These spirits, born and raised, turning into ghosts or emperors – all originate from here; they are truly unmatched by anything else. If one were to regain it in its entirety, without any loss, they would involuntarily dance with joy, not knowing of any other pleasure in the world that could compare Analysis: Conscience is the spirit of creation. These elves created heaven and earth, gave birth to demons, gods, and deities; everything was born from them, and nothing can compare to them. If a person can fully restore their conscience to be flawless, they will surely rejoice with great joy; what else in the world could compare to that pleasure? 16: He who plants trees must nurture their roots; he who cultivates virtue must care for his heart. Explanation: In a letter to his son, Wang Yangming said, “In being a person, one’s heart is of utmost importance.” ； A kind heart makes one a good person ； A wicked heart belongs to the evil category. Just as in a tree, the fruit has its stem in the heart ； If the branch is rotten, the fruit will surely fall. ” This has been expressed very vividly: the heart is our foundation, just like the stem of a fruit; if the stem is damaged, the fruit will surely not mature and fall off ； If the heart is damaged, our conscience will also be impaired. In a word, the heart is the foundation for cultivating virtue and carrying out actions. The most important thing in life and in handling tasks is to nurture one’s heart and discover one’s true nature. Once evil thoughts in one’s heart outweigh good ones, bad things will happen ； If a person’s mind is unstable, they are also unable to get things done.