Chapter 9: Enlightenment

  Hesitation

  Wang Shouren, who had been wandering outside for a year, finally returned to Beijing with his wife. As soon as he came back, his father Wang Hua looked at him with vigilant eyes, fearing that he would continue to do those strange things, but after observing him for a period of time, he found that his son had changed, and after returning home, all he did was read books.

  He was very satisfied and finally put down the big stone in his heart.

  Wang Hua made a naive mistake because Wang Shouren only read Zhu Xi's books, and his motivation for reading was the same as before - to become a sage.

  Not long after, another strange thing happened.

  Wang Hua suddenly discovered that Wang Shouren had disappeared from the study, he was afraid of trouble, and hastily sent someone to find him. As a result, this strange person was found standing in his own garden, staring at a bamboo branch, motionless.

  He walked forward and asked strangely:

  "What do you want to do again?"

  Wang Shouren didn't even look at him, his eyes still fixed on the bamboo stick, he just waved his hand and said in a low voice:

  "Don't disturb me, I'm contemplating the Tao of the sages."

  Wang Hua was so angry that he couldn't bear it, and hastily walked away, shouting loudly as he went.

  "I don't care anymore, I don't care anymore!"

  Wang Shouren gazed deeply at the bamboo, in his world, only he and this unknown bamboo were left.

  Wang Hua did not understand Wang Shouren's behavior, but everyone should understand that with the previous philosophical lessons as a foundation, Mr. Wang Shouren is making great strides on the path of sainthood, and he is "restricting" himself in his own home among the bamboo.

  "Grid" bamboo is a very hard thing, Wang Shouren sits in front of the bamboo, regardless of wind and rain, not eating or drinking, staring blankly at this "reasonable" thing.

  "Reason" is among them, but how can we know?

  With a fervent and doubting heart to become a sage, Wang Shouren stood in front of the bamboo for several days and nights, without getting "reason", but got a cold.

  Wang Shouren fell ill and for the first time he had doubts: was Zhu Xi's words correct?

  This is the famous "Gourd and Bamboo" in Chinese philosophical history, but it's not just a story. Behind the story, there is also someone's persistence and exploration of the unknown.

  Wang Hua had had enough of his son's eccentric behavior, and he issued an ultimatum: you can study whatever you want, but you must pass the imperial examination to become a scholar-official; after that, do as you please.

  Wang Hua was helpless, after all, he himself was a top scholar, if his son couldn't even become a successful candidate, it would be really embarrassing for him.

  Wang Shouren thought for a moment and felt that the condition was not bad, so he agreed. From then on, he picked up the Four Books and Five Classics again and started preparing for the exam.

  A clever man is a clever man, Wang Shouren indeed inherited the excellent genetic genes of Wang Hua. At the age of 21, he passed the imperial examination for the first time and became a scholar. The old father finally showed a smile, after sending away the people who came to congratulate him, he happily patted his son's shoulder and said:

  "Good boy, you will surely be on the golden list next year!"

  But the fact is that not burning incense in daily life and holding Buddha's feet temporarily is unreliable after all. Mr. Wang Shouren has been doing those miscellaneous things for years, and cramming before the exam can only deceive provincial exam officials, but this trick doesn't work at the central level.

  In 1493 and 1496, Wang Yangming took the imperial examination twice but failed both times.

  His father Wang Hua was very anxious, and Wang Shouren himself was also very disappointed. He had not expected that he wanted to be a sage, but even the imperial examination could not pass, and his heart was very sad.

  If it were an ordinary person, at this moment, they would probably be piling up a large amount of dry rations in the study, hanging a rope from the beam, preparing a sharp blade, and then desperately studying for the exam.

  Unfortunately, Wang Shouren was no ordinary person, he went through painful thinking and finally gained some insight and made a decision.

  In order to get his father's support, he went to talk to his father again.

  "I was wrong indeed."

  Hearing this sentence, Wang Hua smiled with relief:

  "With your talent, you will surely achieve great things in the future. Don't worry about not passing this time, just work hard and study from now on, and you will definitely pass next time."

  After finishing his emotional speech, Wang Hua happily looked at his good son. According to usual logic, Wang Shouren should thank him and then go to the study to read books, but something unexpected happened.

  Wang Shouren did not leave, but instead bowed to his father and said:

  "Father, you misunderstood me. I've thought about it for a long time and just realized that the matter of not being admitted to the imperial examination is actually unimportant. Yet, I was so worried and troubled by this unimportant matter, which is really a great mistake."

  Wang Hua was confused again, but Wang Shouren didn't care and continued:

  "I thought that studying in a study room was useless, learning military strategy and tactics is the real way to serve the country. From now on, I will read more military books and contribute to the country in the future."

  After saying these few words, he calmly bowed and floated away.

  Facing Wang Shouren's departing back, Wang Hua, who had just reacted, let out a final angry roar:

  "You're going to drive me crazy!"

  Wang Shouren was not joking. At the age of 26, he began to study military strategy and tactics, and even started practicing martial arts and learning archery on horseback.

  Of course, in the end he still gave his old man some face, and continued to read the Four Books and Five Classics, which was also a bit of comfort for his father.

  In the midst of this daily study, Wang Shouren gradually grasped the secrets of military affairs and extraordinary martial arts. At this time, what armed his mind was no longer just the Four Books and Five Classics, the words of the sages. With both literary and military prowess, he had quietly surpassed many people, for whom Wang Shouren had become too powerful.

  Two years passed in this way, and Wang Shouren, who was half-working and half-studying, welcomed the third imperial examination of his life. He was 28 years old that year.

  It's really not easy to say that Wang Shouren's IQ is not given in vain, he messed up for three years and still got on the list. According to his father's investigation, his paper was originally rated as first place, but someone went through the back door (admission scandal) and squeezed him down to second place.

  But it doesn't matter, Wang Shouren has become an official after all, and he didn't bring shame to his father. Unfortunately, he didn't get into the Hanlin Academy, but was directly assigned to the Ministry of Works (Ministry of Construction). According to the work log records, Wang Shouren is not a proactive official, he never makes reasonable suggestions, nor is he an expert in his position, but he got to know Li Mengyang and spent all day studying literary issues together.

  This is an enviable life, but under the dazzling appearance, Wang Shouren's pain is deepening.

  His suffering comes from his pursuit, because he gradually feels that what Zhu Shengren said seems to have no effect on him. Today, he "ge" one thing, tomorrow another "ge" thing, "ge" himself into a sorry state, but with no gain.

  But an accidental event made him discover that there were some major problems in Zhu Shengren's theory.

  Here's a key point in Zhu Xi's theory that is widely known and celebrated - "Preserve heavenly principles, eliminate human desires". The practical application of this phrase is even more famous: "Starving to death is a minor matter, losing one's integrity is a major matter."

  This sentence has been criticized and denounced countless times by countless people, so I won't join in the commotion. However, it's still necessary to explain the true meaning of this sentence, because many people may not know that it is also a profound philosophical principle.

  Everyone should know that Zhu Xi's world is different from ours. This philosopher's world is divided into two parts, one called "reason" and the other called "desire".

  Zhu Xi believed that "reason" exists in all things, but it has a great enemy, which is "desire". The so-called "reason" refers to the fundamental laws and principles of the universe and all things. As long as everyone follows "reason", happiness will come, and there will be many benefits, peace on earth, world peace, and harmony in the universe. If applied today, this thing can also reduce crime rates, stabilize society, and those who climb over walls to enter homes, snatch bags, and harass women, such as Zhang San, Li Si, Wang Er Ma Zi, will all disappear. Ultimately achieving a harmonious society.

  But "desire" has caused trouble, and people's minds are not as simple as they used to be. Humans have a tendency to think about all sorts of messy problems when they're full and idle, causing society to be unable to rest easy.

  So Zhu Xi's conclusion is that we should use the "reason" of the objective world to counteract the "desire" of the subjective human heart, and this is the origin of the world.

  In simple terms, it means that in pursuit of an idealized high moral ground, one can sacrifice everything human, including the most basic aspects of humanity.

  This is a theory that had a great (or bad) impact on later generations. By the Ming Dynasty, this theory had become a common textbook for educational institutions at all levels and was also the guiding principle and ideology of officials at all levels in the Great Ming Empire. At that time, Zhu Xi's words were considered truth, and few people dared to question this theory.

  But Wang Shouren began to suspect, which originated from an incident.

  In the 14th year of the Hongzhi era (1501), Wang Yangming was transferred to the Ministry of Justice, at a time when national security was poor and crime rates were high, with major cases occurring frequently. He thus bid farewell to his sedentary life in the office and began traveling all over the country to hear cases.

  However, Judge Wang also had a hobby, which was to climb mountains and visit temples to chat with monks and Taoist priests, because he "ge" came and went, always "ge" couldn't get out of the way, so he could only change to read Buddhist scriptures and Taoist books, wanting to find some inspiration.

  Not long after, he arrived in Hangzhou and met a Zen master at a temple there.

  According to the people in the temple, this Zen master has been practicing Buddhism for a long time, his practice is very deep, and he has already understood the truth of life and death, and seen through the worldly affairs, and is an object of consultation by monks from all sides.

  Wang Shouren immediately paid his respects to the Zen master, hoping to gain more enlightenment.

  But he was disappointed, the Zen master seemed to have nothing special, just discussing some Buddhist scriptures and Zen principles that he already knew well. He gradually lost interest. The Zen master also became speechless, and both sides fell into silence.

  In this long silence, Wang Shouren suddenly had an idea.

  He broke the silence with his question.

  "Do you have a family?"

  The Zen master opened his eyes and replied:

  "Yes."

  "Is there anyone else at home?"

  "Mother is still alive."

  "Do you miss her?"

  The question did not receive an immediate response. The empty hall fell silent once again, with only the fierce wind outside the window remaining.

  After a long time, a sigh finally sounded:

  "How can I not miss it!"

  Then the master slowly lowered his head, in his view, this answer did not match the identity of a monk.

  Wang Shouren stood up and looked at the ashamed person in front of him, saying seriously:

  "It's nothing to be ashamed of to miss one's own mother, it's human nature!"

  The Zen master who heard this sentence did not respond, but silently shed tears.

  He solemnly bid farewell to Wang Shouren and left. The next day, he packed his bags, abandoned his identity as a Zen master, and returned home to visit his mother.

  The abbot of the temple never thought that this person who came to seek Buddha would actually persuade his own Zen master back home, wanting him to stay for a few more days, fearing that he would have to close the door here, so he hastily invited Wang Daren out of the temple gate.

  Wang Shouren was not angry, because here he finally grasped a truth of human society:

  At any time, in any place, for whatever reason, humanity will never be extinguished, it will stand forever between heaven and earth.

  Turning point

  It was from that day on that Wang Shouren realized: Zhu Xi might be wrong.

  He began to understand that separating heavenly principles and human emotions was wrong, people have all sorts of desires, but that's normal and reasonable, forcibly using so-called heavenly principles to suppress them would not have any effect.

  Wang Shouren did not know that, after more than a decade of contemplation and exploration, he had unconsciously broken through Zhu Xi's system and was making great strides towards his own magnificent and glorious goal.

  To reach the end of this road of sages, he must find the last and most crucial answer - "reason".

  Although he did not agree with Zhu Xi's "preserving heavenly principles and eliminating human desires", nor did he acknowledge the separation of human heart and heavenly principles, yet "principle" still existed after all; only by finding this mysterious "principle" could he thoroughly defeat Zhu Xi's system and achieve his own path to sagehood.

  But where is the reason?

  This is not pork ribs, which can be bought for a few cents at the butcher's shop opposite. Although rare treasures are not easy to get, there is still hope. But this "reason" cannot be seen or touched, and there is no direction to strive for, where can I find it?

  So the only way left was to "kuai". Wang Shouren could only believe in Cheng Yi's words, today "kuai" one, tomorrow "kuai" one, believing that one day he would be able to "kuai" out a result.

  The days passed by, and nothing "worked out", Wang Shouren was very worried. He began to realize that the method might be wrong, but he had no other way, so he could only think about it every day, but no matter what, he still firmly believed that as long as he persisted, he would succeed.

  Because he vaguely felt that he had approached the final mystery of the puzzle.

  Success is indeed just around the corner, but Heaven doesn't do business at a loss. Before revealing the truth to Wang Shouren, it will give him one more heavy blow, testing his endurance to confirm whether he has enough qualifications to know this greatest secret.

  This is the aforementioned incident of the six ministries and nine courts presenting a memorial, which proved that the philosopher Wang Shouren was not just a person who indulged in empty talk all day. He had a strong sense of justice and courage. When the Nanjing official Dai Xian presented a memorial and was punished with flogging, everyone else presented memorials to rescue him. Due to Liu Jin's overbearing attitude, many people's memorials only discussed lenient treatment. However, this gentleman not only wanted to save the person but also gave the Director of Ceremonial Affairs a loud and clear title in his memorial - "usurping official".

  Liu Jin was furious, and among the many people who had submitted memorials at that time, he particularly targeted Wang Shouren, not only beating him with forty rods, but also demoting him to be the postmaster of Longchang Posthouse in Guizhou.

  This position, in modern terms, is the director of the Guizhou Longchang Reception Center. Longchang is located within the borders of today's Xiuwen County, Guizhou Province (under the jurisdiction of Guiyang City). In the 21st century, after reform and opening up, that place was still considered an underdeveloped area, let alone during the Ming Dynasty. There were hardly any people there, not to mention ghosts, who would go to stay at the reception center.

  Wang Shouren was originally a sixth-rank official, but suddenly became the head of Wang's department. What rank is the head of the Longchang Reception Center?

  The answer is that there is no such rank. In other words, in the official ranking system of the Ming dynasty, this person does not exist at all and is basically eliminated from the high-ranking civil servant team.

  Thus, the talented and erudite scholar Wang fell to the lowest point in his life, but this was not the end, for an even more severe test of life and death awaited him.

  Liu Jin was a man of high efficiency and resolute action. He not only removed Wang Shouren from office, but also had him flogged, yet he did not rest content with this. To vent his pent-up anger, he specially hired an assassin to get rid of Wang on his way out of the capital to take up his new post.

  This move was indeed unexpected, and generally speaking, it's hard to defend against. Unfortunately, Liu Jin didn't truly understand Wang Shouren. Although this gentleman studied philosophy every day, looking foolish on the surface, he actually had another side that people didn't know about.

  Wang Shouren was not a docile person since childhood, he should be considered a personal genius, even his father who passed the imperial examination as a top scorer was driven to desperation by him, let alone Liu Jin with only junior high school education.

  He had long expected that Liu Jin would not let him go, so when he passed through Hangzhou, he played a trick, throwing his hat and shoes into the Qiantang River. In order to achieve the purpose of "no silver three hundred taels", Wang Zhe, the scholar, also made a complete set of plays and left a letter, which meant that I was framed by others and the pressure was too great, so I jumped into the river to commit suicide.

  This move is ruthless, the killers heard that the man had taken his own life and went back to report, what's even more ridiculous is that even the officials in Hangzhou believed it to be true, and they specially sent someone to the riverbank to summon his soul.

  At the same time, Wang Shouren, whose soul was intact, had escaped to Fujian. Although he had saved his life, he faced an even more troublesome problem - what to do next?

  Can't go back to Beijing anymore, and don't want to go to Guizhou either. Thinking about it over and over again, there's no way out, looks like can only continue drifting as a vagrant.

  Blindly flowing is also necessary to have a direction of flow, go south or go north?

  In Wuyi Mountain, Wang Shouren found the answer to his problem because he met an old friend here. After being delighted at meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land, Wang Shouren asked him for advice on what to do next.

  His friend thought for a long time and gave him a brilliant suggestion:

  "Let's just calculate it then." (Déjà vu)

  Then, more than a hundred years ago, Comrade Zhu's pre-revolutionary scene was re-enacted under Wang Shouren's tense gaze. The divination result came out: the advantage lies in the south.

  Then let's go south.

  Wang Shouren bid farewell to his friends and set out on a new journey, but he was still unwilling to go to Guizhou, so he chose another destination - Nanjing.

  At that time, his father Wang Hua was an official in Nanjing and a high-ranking cadre - the Minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel. However, Wang Shouren did not go to Nanjing to join his father, but rather went secretly, because he had already been listed as wanted by the central government, and if he was not careful, it could also implicate his father. The reason he went to Nanjing was that there was still one more thing he needed to take care of.

  Wang Shouren was well aware that his father was a traditional, conservative scholar who didn't have any grand dreams, only hoping that his son would follow in his footsteps, study hard and become a good person, and make a name for himself in the future. But reality was cruel, and he had been restless since childhood, not to mention that it took him over a decade to finally pass the imperial examination and become a jinshi, only to be dismissed from office now.

  Now that things have come to this, there is no future left. If I want to avoid disaster, it seems that I can only go to the deep mountains and old forests to hide, but before that, I must give my father an explanation.

  He set off overnight and rushed to Nanjing, where he saw his father.

  Father is old.

  After more than 20 years of tempering, the middle-aged man who was serious and stern in training people has become an old man with white hair and a weathered face.

  When Wang Hua saw his son, he was extremely excited. He had previously thought that his son was really dead and was grief-stricken. Now seeing him alive, he was overjoyed to the point of tears streaming down his face, unable to utter a word, and could only keep wiping away his tears.

  Wang Shouren then spoke in a tone of remorse for the first time and apologized to his father:

  "I was so focused on doing things that I forgot about my career and reputation, I'm sorry, Father."

  But what he heard was an unexpected answer:

  "No, you did the right thing in this matter."

  Wang Shouren looked up in surprise, watching his father nodding with a pleased expression. Only then did he understand that the father who had been strict and unyielding when he was young, seemingly without emotions or reason, was actually a kind and tolerant person.

  After more than a decade of relentless "struggle" with the "inferior son", Wang Hua finally understood his son's nature and pursuit, he began to believe that this "inferior son" would achieve even greater things than himself, his future was boundless.

  After the conversation between father and son, Wang Hua asked a key question:

  "What do you plan to do from now on?"

  Wang Shouren sighed:

  "I'll only bring trouble to Father if I stay here, and it's too late to return to the capital city, so I can only find a place to hide."

  It seemed like this was the only way, but Wang Hua shook his head.

  "You'd better go and take up your post."

  Take office? Where to take office? Go be a director?

  "After all, you are still a court official, since you have been entrusted with this task, you have a responsibility to fulfill it, so go ahead."

  Wang Shouren agreed, he is a responsible person.

  Thus, bidding farewell to his father, Wang Shouren led his entourage and set out on the road to Guizhou Longchang Station. There, he would undergo the most severe suffering of his life and finally learn the answer to that secret.

  Enlightenment

  Director Wang moved towards his new post, and because his father was a high-ranking official, he was given a few attendants to accompany him on the road. However, these people did not know their destination, only that they were following Young Master Wang to take up an official position.

  Everyone was in high spirits with such a good errand, and the journey was filled with laughter and chatter all along, except for Wang Shouren who remained expressionless, because only he knew where they were going and what they were doing.

  As they walked and walked, the followers found something was wrong. They had passed by all the good places, but kept going further and further away. Where are you taking us, brother?

  Wang Shouren is still relatively honest, he told the truth:

  We're going to Longgong in Guizhou.

  The attendants' faces immediately turned white. Lord Wang, you are too unrighteous! That is usually a place where prisoners are sent to be punished!

  Facing the whispers of his attendants, Wang Shouren was very calm:

  "If you don't want to go, then just go back."

  Looking at the hesitant attendants, Wang Shouren didn't say much, but silently picked up his luggage and walked forward.

  Under the sunset, Wang Shouren's lonely figure was getting farther and farther away. Suddenly, a loud recitation came from afar:

  Traveling every day with a myriad of peaks, mountains and rivers coming from the south is also a wonderful journey.

  The village is veiled in misty rain, the cicada's cry is faint, the thorny paulownia flowers are dimly lit on the quiet stone brook.

  The barbarian smoke has passed through the green and lush forest, homesickness and sorrow have been lingering in the fragrant Peach Blossom Island.

  Though I live in a barbarian land, far from home, The five clouds are still in the northern sky of China!

  "The world is so vast, even if you are thousands of miles away from home, where can't you go? What can't you do?" Wang Shouren laughed loudly.

  In this thunderous laughter, the followers began to gather their luggage and quickly caught up with Wang Shouren's footsteps.

  Wang Shouren's revolutionary romantic sentiment is admirable, but what really counts is revolutionary realism. When he arrived at his post, he finally understood why this place was called Longchang - a place where dragons can live.

  This place is a poor mountain and evil water, thorns and brambles are dense, within several miles it's still a no man's land. Dragon field dragon field, whether or not dragons have lived here before is unknown, but in any case it's not a place for humans to stay.

  But soon after, Wang Shouren discovered a more serious problem - the postal station.

  When he arrived here and was about to take over the relay station position, he only saw an old and weak old man. He was very surprised and began to ask questions:

  "Is this Dragon's Lair?"

  "Returning to Lord Wang, this is indeed Dragon's Arena."

  "Where is the post officer?"

  "It's me."

  "What about the station staff?"

  "Me too."

  "What about others?"

  "There is no one else, only me."

  Wang Shouren was anxious:

  "How can it be just you? According to imperial law and regulations, there should be posthouse soldiers here!"

  The old man spread his hands:

  "Lord Wang, according to regulations, it should be here, but in fact, there really isn't."

  Looking at the old man in front of him with an innocent face, Wang Shouren helplessly sat on the ground.

  I thought it would be bad, but I didn't think it would be this bad.

  It's still a good world after all, the old man walked back soon after he left:

  "Mr. Wang, if you encounter a Han person here, be extremely careful!"

  "Why?"

  "This place is treacherous, if it weren't for fugitives or extremely evil people, who would dare to come here!"

  "What about the local Miao people?"

  "Oh, don't worry about this, they only occasionally cause some trouble, burn a house or something, and the rest of the time they won't come to disturb Mr. Wang, their problems are basically all resolved internally."

  "Why?"

  "Because they don't understand Chinese!"

  Wang Shouren almost fainted, he finally understood what kind of situation he was facing.

  The old man left, and before he went, he left behind a very "heartwarming" sentence:

  "Please take good care of yourself, Master Wang. If anything happens, remember to send someone to inform me, and I will find a way to report it back to your family."

  Alright, Director Wang, this is your current situation. You have no subordinates, no official uniform, no position, and not even an office space. You don't have a secretary or translator, the people here can't understand what you're saying, and those who can are not good people.

  Born into an official family with a bright future, Wang Shouren finally fell to the lowest point in his life. All the wealth and beautiful dreams he once had have been shattered, and now he is facing a turning point in his life.

  Persevere or retreat?

  Wang Shouren rolled up his sleeves, gathered his followers, and began to search for wood and stone. To stay here for a long time, they had to build a house.

  Then he personally went deep into the mountains and forests, found the local Miao people, patiently explained to them with gestures again and again, got their recognition, let them live around him, set up a school, taught them to read and write, told them about the principles of the world.

  When his attendants were feeling homesick and uncomfortable, he went to comfort them and shared their workload.

  Wang Shouren made his choice with his own actions.

  A gentleman cannot but be strong and resolute, for his burden is heavy and the journey is long! Is it not a heavy responsibility to take benevolence as one's own duty? And is it not a long journey to die only after fulfilling that duty?

  In the face of all difficulties and hardships, still firmly move forward, calmly deal with it, only those who have the qualifications to be called saints.

  Wang Shouren has already qualified for this.

  But he still had one last question with no answer - "reason".

  One must find and comprehend this "principle" in order to understand the secrets of the universe. There is no other way besides this.

  But where is the "reason" after all? More than a decade of uninterrupted searching, contemplation, and constant "reflection", traveling all over the world, yet never seeing its shadow!

  In order to break through this last barrier, he made a special stone chamber. Every day, except for working and eating, he sat inside, meditating deeply, searching hard for the whereabouts of "reason".

  Investigate things and exhaust their principles! Investigate things and exhaust their principles! But the facts disappointed him. How to "investigate", this principle just didn't come out. In failure after failure, he gradually became impatient, angry, and his temper got worse and worse. His followers saw him and had to take a detour.

  Finally, on that fateful night, his discontent reached its peak.

  Darkness has shrouded the quiet valley, looking at the dilapidated houses and desolate mountains. A man in his late 30s, who has accomplished nothing and indulges in empty fantasies every day, has finally collapsed under the weight of his own disillusionment. He is no longer the brilliant young man he once was, with a promising career, a glorious birth, and the envy and admiration of all.

  All of this is now gone from him.

  The most painful and desperate form of torture is to give first, then take away one by one.

  For over a decade, the only thing that had been sustaining him was his desire to become a sage. But reality was cruel, and it seemed like years of effort had gone down the drain, leaving him with nothing but a dwindling amount of hair. What had gone wrong?

  Persevere in pursuit of sagehood, is it wrong?

  Speak out for justice and stand up for what is right, is it wrong?

  No mistake, I believe everything I did was right.

  Why did Heaven take away my glory and humiliate my dignity, bringing me to this destitute and hopeless state?

  Since you were determined to take everything away from me, why did you give me everything at that time?

  Take away everything from you, just because I want to give you more.

  Bestowing upon you wealth and glory, fine clothes and delicious food, all for the sake of letting you understand the various phenomena in the world.

  To make you feel embarrassed and helpless, stuck in a desperate situation, just to let you understand the ups and downs of life.

  Only by taking away everything you own can you get rid of all the distractions and temptations in the world, go through a thousand hardships, calm your mind like still water, and understand the universe.

  What I am about to give you is not the wealth of one side, nor is it the power that commands the world, but the most precious and mysterious treasure in this world - ultimate wisdom.

  Wang Shouren struggled in agony, everything was lost, but "reason" still had no trace.

  There isn't in bamboo groves, there aren't in gardens, there aren't in famous mountains and rivers, Nanjing doesn't have, Beijing doesn't have, Hangzhou doesn't have, Guizhou also doesn't have!

  Store heaven's principle, eliminate human desire!

  Heaven's principle, human desire!

  Reason! Desire!

  Eating, drinking, urinating and defecating are all desires. Desire is in the heart, where is reason? Where is reason?!

  Wang Shouren was plunged into extreme anxiety and madness, in this desolate mountain valley, on this dead quiet night, his calm exterior hid the fact that he was being tormented by the fierce flames of hell.

  The answer is right in front of you! Just one more step! Only one step away!

  Suddenly, a loud laughter burst out, shattering the tranquility of the mountain valley at night, shaking the world, and lingering on for a long time.

  After wandering on the road of suffering for nineteen years, Wang Shouren finally learned the secret answer at the most painful moment in his life.

  The mountain is empty and uninhabited, the water flows and the flowers bloom.

  Eternal vastness of heaven and earth, a brief moment of wind and moonlight.

  This moment is eternity.

  I have gone through countless hardships and wasted nineteen years of my life, searching all over the world, but I still can't find that mysterious "reason".

  Now I finally understand that the answer has always been by my side, so clear and simple. It never left me, but quietly waited for my awakening.

  Reason is in the heart.

  I am so foolish, the way of heaven and sages is not in all things, nor does it need to be in all things. Heaven and man are originally one body, when can they be separated? And why must they be separated?

  Act according to your heart's desire, move with your own free will, and all things will naturally fall into place - this is the way of the sages!

  Store heaven's principle, eliminate human desire?

  Heavenly principle is human desire.

  This is a moment that will go down in history, and almost all historical books use the same words to describe this moment - "enlightenment", and the great philosophy of Chinese civilization, "Xin Xue" was born.

  It was born on this quiet night, in a secluded and unknown valley, silently, but its light will eventually illuminate the entire world, and its wisdom will become the guide for countless people to move forward.

  Wang Shouren succeeded, and history finally recognized him. His name will transcend all emperors and be on a par with Confucius, Mencius, and Zhu Xi, forever immortal.