2025.02.24 - Breaking Free, Seeking the Ideal Path
Ping Xia
2025.02.24 – Breaking Free from Constraints, Seeking the Ideal Path
Reading Picks:
The Master said: “He is enlightened by poetry, established by rites, and perfected by music.” — Analects
Be a Long‑Termist
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/TXKnNPJZpk-dxqgaEkLc1g
Some say that no step in life is wasted—every footfall counts. In the endless climb, long‑termism is precisely a path that may seem slow but is actually highly efficient. For both individuals and regions, it requires the steadfastness of a long‑termist to do the hard but right things. Especially for a place, we must create conditions and provide an environment that leaves no room for short‑term opportunists while giving genuine long‑termists room to thrive.
Breaking Free from Constraints, Seeking the Ideal Path
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/NB8-zJo_8I2DpTn8voYfog
When an ideal becomes a shared belief, it rises above the forces of commerce and wealth. That passion and zeal are the crucial energy and motivation for changing the world, a source of life’s meaning and a lasting imprint on humanity.
Taiyi Zhenren and Shen Gongbao: The Cultivation Level of Educators and the Fulfillment of Life
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/lEq4Bjqru3yCKuxBR2eTdQ
The educator’s practice ultimately returns to the “Bodhi Tree” and the “Bright Mirror Platform.” The Shen‑Gong‑Bao‑style diligent polishing represents a craftsman’s fidelity to the original purpose of education; the Taiyi‑Zhenren‑style quest for authenticity reflects a sage’s reverence for the laws of life. In an era where “small‑town test‑takers” coexist with “Buddha‑like youths,” perhaps the highest educational wisdom is to guard the possibility of authenticity through the skill of polishing—much like Prometheus in Greek myth, who must endure daily eagle‑torn liver pains while forever yearning to bring fire to humanity.
Xu Zhuoyun: Why Do We Have Experts but No Public Intellectuals Today?
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/aXOP7EpFD9NV1-mkYzjZYA
“Establish the heart for heaven and earth, set destiny for the people, inherit the lost teachings of the sages, and open peace for all ages.” These four lines encapsulate the expectations for Chinese intellectuals and outline the four dimensions they should embody. I’ll slightly twist them, turning Zhang Zai’s four directions into four types of intellectuals. Chinese intellectuals generally fall into these categories, and the types can intersect: some combine two or more, some excel in only one while neglecting others, and most belong to a certain type but may not meet either their own or others’ expectations.
On the Essentials of Technique
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/lRyhJA6V3mrPVk5IKQOIGA
“Technique” refers to a posture or movement that influences the opponent’s qi and blood, providing a better platform for them. All techniques are grounded in the principle of not causing the other person pain. If a particular action can affect the opponent’s qi and blood, it can be called a “technique.” It isn’t limited to the hands—we may use elbows, knees, hips, feet, etc. So I don’t single out the hand; any movement or posture that influences qi and blood qualifies.
Originally written by Ping Xia (平侠) and published in Chinese on 拾一集 (Weekly Reflections). Translated and adapted for DriftSeas with permission.