Zeng Guofan: Heed Heaven’s Will, Do All in Your Power
The ancients said: 'Do all in your power, and heed the will of heaven.'
Confucius once said: 'Misfortune and good fortune are determined by heaven; virtue and vice depend on human rulers.'
Misfortune and good fortune are determined by heaven, and human effort has no recourse;
Virtue and vice depend on human action; virtue and vice are determined by human action, and people should strive diligently.
Good and evil outcomes, misfortune and happiness are all attributed to virtue and vice.
The saying goes: 'The wind cannot be predicted, and fortune favors man.'
These are all things beyond human control.
However, the choice between good and evil is made by people themselves.
Virtue and vice are uncertain, and they seek them themselves; misfortune and happiness are not fixed, and they seek them themselves.
Confucius once said to Guo Songtao:
'A gentleman's conduct and actions should only seek tranquility of the heart. Love and hate depend on people's opinions.'
Those who have something that does not belong to me will be judged fairly by heaven, and there is no long-term, clear-cut reason.
Life is just one lifetime, don't think too much, just do things with a clear conscience.
No matter what the world says, regardless of human feelings, focus on doing what you should do.
Misfortune is attributed to heaven, and praise is attributed to posterity.
'The surplus and deficit are inseparable, misfortune and happiness are interdependent.'
Some people don't know this way, they are too greedy and seek perfection, they don't understand that life always has gains and losses.
Confucius often said to his disciples: 'When the times are prosperous, contemplate the times of hardship; when the battlefield is open, think of the consequences.'
The descendants of a wealthy family should not forget these two sentences.
The long-term prosperity of a family does not depend on momentary official titles, but on the long-standing family reputation; it does not depend on the sudden rise of a few people, but on the self-reliance of the family.
He told his brothers, 'If the descendants of the Zeng family have a long-lasting family fortune, they must maintain it with virtue.'
Old relatives and old friends, poverty and hardship, do not look down upon the poor, and treat the poor as you would treat the rich.
The brothers followed his advice, and even later when Confucius resigned from his post and returned to his hometown, the Zeng family continued to prosper for a hundred years.
'The heavens want to harm a person, they must first give him a little virtue to make him complacent; if the heavens want to bless a person, they must first give him a little misfortune to arouse his vigilance, to see if he can save himself.'
People's efforts can overcome all difficulties, and there are always more ways to achieve success than obstacles.
Zhang Heng argued: 'A heart that embodies one's nature, and a person who promotes the way.'
Although the will of heaven is deep and unknowable, the human heart is also full of infinite power.
People with great talent can save the world in times of crisis, correct mistakes, and restore public opinion.
This is what is meant by 'Do all in your power, and heed the will of heaven.'
That is, to persevere and strive diligently in accordance with the will of heaven.
This is the same as what Confucius said: 'A person can promote the way, and the way cannot promote a person.'
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