Zhuge Liang: The Three Heavenly Rules That Cannot Be Broken, Followed by the Wise, But Known Too Late
The destined must not resent fate, and the self-reliant must not blame others. This summarizes Goujian's wisdom for dealing with the world – fate is merely the justification of the successful, and the excuse of the failed!There are three inviolable rules, and those who follow them prosper; it's never too late to learn them now:
First: Cultivating oneself establishes one's destiny; each person creates their own fate.
Those who are stubborn and insistent invite misfortune, while those who are adaptable and rounded gain prosperity; those who are meticulous and focused have short lives, while those who are broad-minded and generous live long lives. A gentleman does not speak of fate; cultivating oneself establishes one's destiny, and a gentleman does not talk about heaven, doing one's own business is fulfilling fate!
Second: The divine intelligence of Heaven, and the cleverness and foolishness of people.
Virtuous people do not seek blessings, Heaven will provide for them naturally; treacherous people seek to avoid misfortune, Heaven will seize their very souls. This shows that Heaven's intelligence is the most powerful, while people's cleverness is of little use! To be faithful and diligent, a person seeks no blessings, and Heaven will provide; to be deceitful and evil, a person seeks to avoid misfortune, and Heaven seizes his soul. This illustrates that Heaven's intelligence is the most powerful, while people's cleverness is of little use!
Third: The path to destiny is narrow, while the path of Heaven is wide.
The wide path of Heaven is expansive, and the more one focuses on it, the wider one's mind and outlook become; the narrow path of destiny is full of obstacles and difficulties; the wide path of Heaven allows one to focus and develop a broad perspective and a bright future. In life, one should pursue pleasure or ideals - this is a matter of personal choice. However, pursuing ideals is a bright path, while pursuing desires ultimately leads to a dead end. It's like riding an oxcart to seek a (Junma - warhorse), even if one becomes a (Zhaixiang - State Councillor) with high office, one will not return to pursue wealth and fame, because one's desires will lead to ruin!
Editor's Summary: One controls one's own destiny, but one must understand the fundamental principles. Why is one's life still unsatisfactory? There are forces in the universe, and there is fortune. By following Heaven's will, one can utilize Heaven's forces to advance one's own fortune.
