Chapter 226 You seem to be talking about something very powerful

Chu Yian was stunned.

As a Confucian scholar, Dong Jingwen thought he had to talk about something related to Confucianism.

On the one hand, he wanted to show his profound knowledge, and on the other hand, he wanted to teach and answer questions for the Confucian students who admired him.

If it really doesn't work, it's not impossible to hold a symposium to criticize Dapeng.

But now it suddenly became a conference to interpret "Xiao Yao You", which really made her unable to react.

Dong Jingwen was too old and frail, so what he said could not be heard clearly by everyone present.

The manager of Zhuangyuan Building acted as his mouthpiece.

After Dong Jingwen finished speaking, he repeated it, trying to make sure everyone could hear it clearly.

"I wonder if you have read this article 'Xiao Yao You'?"

After he finished speaking, some students said they had seen it, while others said they didn't know what Xiaoyaoyou was.

Knowing that Dong Jingwen was coming to Zhuangyuan Building, they arrived early to reserve a seat.

Naturally, I didn’t see the latest content of The Great Qin Empire, and I also missed the topic that Dong Jingwen wanted to discuss today.

The students who knew about it immediately gave them a brief explanation, and some people directly handed the books to them so that they could read it themselves.

Although it was noisy for a while, the students soon quieted down.

There is order in the chaos, and no one needs to pay special attention to it.

Whenever he saw such a scene, Chu Yian couldn't help but sigh at the rules and self-awareness of the ancient students.

Dong Jingwen asked, "I wonder what everyone thinks of this poem, 'Xiao Yao You'? There's no distinction between teachers and students here today. Everyone is welcome to speak freely. Right or wrong is irrelevant."

As soon as the words fell, the whole audience fell silent.

Dong Jingwen waited quietly and was not in a hurry to speak.

The students sitting below looked at each other.

It would be somewhat embarrassing to speak rashly in front of such a great person, especially in front of so many great scholars, and say something wrong.

But they also knew that the opportunity to meet a great scholar of this level was rare.

If I could take this opportunity to show myself in front of him, even if I am not favored by Dong Jingwen, it would be an extremely rare and lucky thing if I could be favored by several other great scholars and accepted as a student.

No one spoke for a long time, and the students were obviously choosing their words carefully.

After a while, a young student stood up and saluted Dong Jingwen.

Then he said, "Master, I think that although the title of "Xiao Yao You" is "Xiao Yao", no matter who it describes, they are not actually free and unrestrained, and are all bound by constraints."

"For example, Kunpeng may seem to soar upwards, reaching a height of ninety thousand miles, but in reality, it relies on its wings."

"Without its wings, it would just be a piece of meat and would just fall off."

"Take Lie Zi for example. The text describes him as riding the wind, feeling incredibly free and unrestrained."

"Yet they say that Liezi cannot live without the wind, and without it he cannot fly."

"It's puzzling. Even Dapeng and Liezi weren't considered free and unrestrained in Zhuangzi's eyes. So what exactly is true freedom and unrestrainedness?"

"He felt that true freedom was not like the Peng bird being inseparable from its wings, or like Lie Zi being inseparable from the wind."

“It’s a state of waiting.”

“True freedom is having nothing to rely on, not needing anything to rely on, not needing to base one’s happiness on some external things.”

“If people in the world base their happiness on external things, they will never achieve true freedom.”

"So the students thought that throughout the entire article, Zhuangzi was actually reminding people of three words: 'Wait for nothing.'"

When the student finished speaking, Chu Yian couldn't help but open his eyes wide.

She found that she seemed to have underestimated the literati in this world. She always liked to look at them from her own perspective and imagination, which often made her underestimate their profound understanding of the articles.

As this student said, no matter what people do, they like to plan ahead and make preparations in advance, which is already putting a shackle on themselves.

Zhuangzi emphasized following one's heart and achieving freedom and transcendence from a spiritual perspective.

But even if we understand Zhuangzi's inner world and yearn for his spiritual world, many people often cannot achieve it.

Because everyone has too many constraints.

Looking at the student downstairs, Chu Yian couldn't help but admire him.

Not only her, many people looked at the student with admiration.

Even Dong Jingwen nodded repeatedly and waved tremblingly towards the student: "You, what's your name?"

The student bowed deeply again and said, "I am You Xuanyu."

Chu Yian:?

This name sounds so familiar, as if I have heard it somewhere.

After thinking about it for a long time, she was sure that she had heard it before, but she couldn't remember where she heard it.

It wasn't until she heard the students' chatter downstairs that she suddenly realized: "Isn't this the top scorer from last year? The top scorer is here too?"

Chu Yian: ...

No wonder it sounds so familiar, no wonder it can be understood in this way.

All I can say is that he is worthy of being the top student in high school, he is different from others.

But you set the angle too high as soon as you appear on stage, so how can you give the students behind you a chance to perform?

Dong Jingwen nodded repeatedly and motioned You Xuanyu to sit down.

Then he looked at the other students: "What about you? What do you think?"

Soon, another student stood up and said, "I agree with Mr. You's point of view, but I feel that the state of freedom that Zhuangzi understands is really difficult for people to achieve."

“So students thought Zhuangzi was just talking nonsense, boasting, and promoting a kind of romantic nihilism.”

When these words were spoken, everyone looked at them sideways.

Chu Yian also looked at the student.

The student continued, "I don't know if the "Xiao Yao You" in the book is the entire content of the article, but from the articles written so far, whether it's the Dapeng, the Cicada and the Xuejiu, or even those who are as virtuous as one village, and can conquer a country, they all have their own way."

"Then came Song Rongzi and Liezi."

"Zhuangzi's evaluations of them all depend on something."

"The sea travels to the South Sea, but strong winds are blowing, so the Peng bird can only leave and rest for six months."

"He called all of this something to be waited for. If your heart is waiting, you will be burdened and unable to be free."

"As for the article's final description of the supreme being having no self, the divine being having no merit, and the sage having no name, it sounds impressive, but the article lacks a good description or justification."

“So students think Zhuangzi is just talking big, beautiful words, and is out of reach.”

As soon as this was said, someone immediately stood up to refute it: "No, no, didn't the article already exist?"

"Wild horses, dust, living things blowing each other with their breath..."

"The Way of Heaven allows all beings to influence and connect with each other, rather than knowing and dominating each other..."

"Xiao means to dissipate, and yao means to shake. Xiaoyao means to dissipate and shake."

"Cut off the shackles and pursue true knowledge and great knowledge with a truthful attitude."

"I believe that Peng Fei Jiu Wan Li is to open up obscured vision, and it also means that only after we get rid of utilitarianism can we see the truth of this world."

"Above, I travel with the Creator; below, I experience life and death; I befriend the One without beginning or end; I respond to change and understand things."

"To communicate with the spirits of heaven and earth alone, without condemning the wrongs of the mundane world, is to be free and unrestrained."

Chu Yian: ...

She always felt like they were talking about something very profound. It was clearly an article she had memorized first, but why couldn't she understand it?

But this did not prevent her from thinking that these students seemed very capable.