Cai Yuanding(蔡元定) (1135 AD - 1198 AD)
His surname is (Cai), his parents gave him
the name (Yuan Ding) and when he grew up his friends called him (Jitong). He
was born in Fujian Province, China.
蔡 |
It means weed. It is also one of the
Chinese family names. |
元 |
It means head. It means head of state. It
means beginning. It is also a Chinese surname. |
定 |
It means fixed meaning. It means
stability. It is also one of the Chinese surnames. |
季 |
It means the youngest of several
brothers. It is also one of the Chinese surnames. |
通 |
It means understanding. It means smooth flow.
It is also one of the Chinese surnames. |
He was a famous scholar in China's Southern
Song Dynasty and his story is recorded in history books.
His father was also a famous scholar. His
father hung many portraits of people with high moral standards in ancient China
and famous loyal and intelligent people in ancient China in his house.
After his mother was pregnant, his father
once said to his mother with a smile.
If you often look at the portraits of these
people when you are pregnant, and if you are often exposed to some ancient
Chinese classics, I think it will have a good effect on our unborn children.
After he was born, he showed that he had a
smarter mind than others. He could write many good poems by the age of eight,
and he could memorise the books he read almost immediately.
His father was happy to teach him to read
many famous ancient Chinese classics, and he also showed great interest in
these classics.
When he became an adult at the age of 19,
he moved to a small house on a mountain near his home in order to study more
quietly.
In just a few years, he learnt several
subjects, including astronomy, geography, martial arts and mathematics.
Later, he met a good friend called Zhu Xi,
who was 5 years older than him.
Zhu Xi once said to him.
You really are the smartest person I know.
Those difficult classical books in ancient China have become so simple and
interesting under your explanations.
When he was 34 years old, he felt that he
should not be complacent and should relearn more of the knowledge he did not
understand.
He went back to the little house on the
mountain where he had lived when he was 19.
He got back to work and studied more
seriously the subjects that interested him.
His good friend happened to be living in
seclusion on another mountain at the time.
There was a valley between his house on the
mountain and Zhu Xi's house on the mountain.
At night, as he was lighting a lamp and
reading, he looked out of the window and saw a small light on another mountain
in the distance.
He knew that the small lamp was the lamp
lit by Zhu Xi. The two of them were separated by a valley and each studied his
favourite knowledge.
He and Zhu Xi also made an agreement. They
agreed that when they encountered difficulties that were difficult to overcome
in the process of studying the knowledge, they would go to each other's hut to
discuss it together.
When they met, they would share their
reading experiences of the previous weeks and discuss the difficulties they had
encountered.
Their friendship lasted a lifetime and they
were each other's teachers and best reading partners.
Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts
do you have after listening to this story?
How long have you known your best friend
for? Do you have a good friend like your teacher?
I hope this story can give you some new
insights.
(蔡元定) (Cai Yuanding )(西元1135年-西元1198年)
他的姓是(蔡),他的父母給他取的名字是(元定),長大後朋友稱呼他的名字是(季通),他出生地位於在中國的福建省。
蔡 |
意思是野草的意思。也是中國人的姓氏之一。 |
元 |
意思是頭的意思。意思是元首的意思。意思是開始的意思。也是中國人的姓氏之一。 |
定 |
意思是固定的意思。意思是安定的意思。也是中國人的姓氏之一。 |
季 |
意思是幾個兄弟中,年紀最小的那一位。也是中國人的姓氏之一。 |
通 |
意思是通達的意思。意思是暢通的意思。也是中國人的姓氏之一。 |
他是中國的南宋王朝有一個著名的學者,歷史書上記載了一個他的故事。
他的父親也是一個著名的學者,他的父親在他家中掛了很多中國古代的道德水平很高的人與那些中國古代著名的很忠誠又聰明的人的肖像畫。
他的母親懷孕後,有一次他的父親有一次笑著的對他的母親說。
妳在懷孕的時候如果經常看這些人的肖像畫,妳常常接觸一些中國古代的經典書籍,那麼我認為會對我們尚未出生的小孩有著很好的影響。
他出生之後就顯露出比別人更聰明的頭腦。他八歲就可以寫出很多很好的詩,他看過的書幾乎就能夠立刻背下來。
他的父親很開心的教導他唸很多中國古代的著名的經典書籍,他對這些經典書籍也都展現出很高的興趣。
當他19歲成年後,他為了讓自己可以更安靜地念書,他一個人搬到他家附近的一座山上的一個小房子中去住。
他在短短幾年內學習了對於天文與地理還有兵法和數學等各種專業的知識。
他後來認識了一個名字叫做朱熹的好朋友,朱熹年紀比他大5歲。
朱熹曾經這樣對他說。
你真的是我認識的人中最聰明的人了,那些中國古代的很艱澀的經典書籍在你的解說之下,竟然都變得如此的簡單與有趣。
他34歲那一年,他覺得自己不應該自滿,他應該要重新學習更多他不理解的知識。
他再次到了他19歲時住的那間山上的小房子中住。
他把自己重新歸零並且更加認真的研究他感興趣的一些專業的學問。
他的好朋友那個時候剛好也隱居在另外一座山上。
他在山上的房子與朱熹在山上的房子中間隔著一個山谷。
當他晚上點燈念書時,他從窗戶向外望,他可以看到遙遠的另一座山上有著小小的燈光。
他知道那個小小的燈光就是朱熹所點的燈,他們兩個人就這樣隔著一個山谷然後各自專研自己喜歡的學問。
他與朱熹之間還做了一個約定,他們約定好,如果自己在專研學問的過程中遇到了難以突破的難關時,就相互到對方的小屋中去一起討論。
當他們見面之後,他們就會分享自己這幾個禮拜中的讀書心得與針對自己遇到的困難進行討論。
他們的友誼維持了一輩子,他們是彼此的老師也是彼此的最好的讀書夥伴。
親愛的朋友,你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
你最好的朋友跟你認識多久了呢?你有這種像是你的老師一樣的好朋友嗎?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為宋史-卷35-蔡元定傳
https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E5%AE%8B%E5%8F%B2/%E5%8D%B7434
出處為劉爚-西山先生蔡公墓誌銘
https://baike.baidu.hk/item/%E8%94%A1%E5%85%83%E5%AE%9A/3846333