Buddhism teaches people not to get angry; Taoism teaches people to be quiet and neutral; Confucianism teaches people to forgive others.
The ancients regarded punishing repressed desires as the key to health preservation. Punishing anger is to be less angry; Be thrifty and stingy. It is also a desire to be too cautious because of good reputation and competitiveness. Zeng Guofan studied Confucianism all his life and naturally knew the way of keeping in good health, so he was strict with himself and determined to quit anger. Not only that, he also wrote letters to educate his younger brother and children to practice according to this regimen, to be less angry, frugal and peaceful. In his letter to his younger brother, he wrote: "There are not many books for my younger brother, but there are two kinds of books: the imperial teachings of the Holy Father (there are still a few at home) and Zhang Gongzhi's intensive vegetarian language (Zhai Mo You, Shen Fu Engraved in Anqing), and every sentence comes from the heart. In the future, you will grow flowers and bamboo at home, go out to see the mountains and rivers, and visit Jinling for hundreds of miles. Never read math books again. Read his books for half a day. Have a proper rest after you finish carving. The ancients regarded punishing repressed desires as the key to health preservation. Punishing anger means that I believe in the so-called less anger; Killing a person's desire means that I believe in the so-called knowledge and restraint. Too much attention and desire for fame and competitiveness. Although medicine is beneficial, it can also cause harm, so we should not treat it lightly. Dear! "
He educated his brothers to keep in mind the sage's motto in health care, and advocated that flowers and plants should be cultivated, mountains and rivers should be traveled, life should be enriched, and body and mind should be comfortable. Reading is not the length of time, but the amount of harvest. The key to health care is to be less angry, thrifty and complacent, not to be brave and cruel, and not to indulge. Although medicine can cure diseases, it also hurts the body. Take as little as possible.
From the contents of this letter, we can know that Zeng Guofan's internal requirements are very high, and there are many ways to cultivate one's morality and cultivate one's character, from ideological temperament to daily temperance. This can't help but make people think that there are only so many ways to maintain health in today's society, not half. It is important to cultivate the heart, followed by the nature, and finally the body.
Now more and more people do the opposite and only do superficial work. As we all know, mental fatigue and aging are the most unacceptable. In daily life, when interacting with people, due to different personalities, different education levels and high moral cultivation, different attitudes and ways of life will be produced. Be kind to like-minded people; For those who neglect themselves and have no concept of fitness, you can persuade them to study, but don't get angry.
Luxury and waste, so do people who don't know how to cherish it.
Zeng Guofan has always been kind to others in the process of self-cultivation. He doesn't talk much, he's not angry and he's not afraid. This is also what contemporary people need to learn.