Alternating use of tautness and relaxation.(一張一弛)
Confucius's real name was Kong Qiu. 'Kong
Fuzi' was the respectful title used for him.
He was an exceptional educator. He is one
of the most influential thinkers in Chinese history.
He had over 3,000 students, 72 of whom were
particularly outstanding. One of these students, Duanmu Ci, is the subject of a
story recorded in history books.
One year, Confucius took many of his
students to observe a grand year-end sacrificial ceremony. The ceremony's main
purpose was to thank the gods for their blessings during the previous year and
celebrate the abundant harvest.
This sacrificial ceremony was the most
important of the year and was very grand. Afterwards, people would drink lots
of Chinese rice wine and hold a grand banquet. Everyone would stop working and
gather together to enjoy themselves.
Afterwards, Confucius asked Duanmu Ci,
'What are your thoughts on this sacrificial
ceremony? Did you enjoy taking part in it?'
Duanmu Ci replied. 'I think this
sacrificial ceremony was very grand, and taking part in it moved me deeply.'
However, during the banquet afterwards,
everyone drank Chinese rice wine and indulged in wild revelry. I think this
part should be restricted and managed.'
Confucius smiled and replied after hearing
Duanmu Ci's words. 'Your profession is not farming, so you cannot understand
the hardships farmers endure.
Most people in our kingdom are farmers.
They have to get up very early every day; they have no holidays; and they work
hard in the fields every day.
If you put yourself in their shoes and
imagine working hard for 100 consecutive days, you will finally be able to
relax after the harvest. Therefore, this unrestricted banquet is very important
to them.'
Seeing that Duanmu Ci seemed somewhat
confused, Confucius paused for a moment before continuing, 'I have taught you
how to draw a bow and shoot an arrow.' Before you pick up the bow and shoot,
the bowstring is slack. When you raise the bow, draw the arrow and aim at the
target, you pull the bowstring taut.
A leader of a nation is like someone
drawing a bow and shooting an arrow." A skilled archer knows that a
constantly taut or slack bowstring cannot produce a successful shot. Only by
alternating between tautness and slackness at the right times can you fire many
successful shots.
According to historical records, the two
most important kings who founded the Zhou dynasty in China governed their
people in a similar manner to a skilled archer. They knew that sometimes they
needed to discipline the people and sometimes they needed to relax them. This
alternating use of tautness and relaxation kept the people physically and
mentally healthy.
This idiom translates directly as
"alternating use of tautness and relaxation.".
It is used to describe a government's
approach to governance that alternates between leniency and strictness.
It can also be used to describe a person
who maintains a balance between tension and relaxation when dealing with
issues.
Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts
did you gain from this story?
Which country in the world do you think has
the best governance? Are you currently maintaining a balance in your life and
mind?
I
hope this story gives you some new insights.
一張一弛(Alternating use of tautness and
relaxation.)
孔子的名字是(孔丘)。孔夫子是人們對他的尊稱。
他是一位傑出的教育家。他是為中國歷史上最有影響力的思想家之一。
他的學生超過3000人，其中特別傑出的學生有72個，這72個學生中，有一個學生的名字叫做(端木賜)，歷史書上記載了一個他的故事。
有一年的，孔子帶著許多學生一起去觀摩一場盛大的年末祭祀活動，舉辦這場祭祀活動的主要意義是為了感謝神靈保佑在過去的一年的保佑，同時慶祝過去的一年有著豐厚的農穫物。
這場祭祀活動非常的盛大是一整年中最重要的祭祀活動，當人們結束祭祀活動之後，會喝很多中國米酒與舉辦盛大的宴會，所有的百姓們都會停止工作，所有人民聚集一起開心地玩樂。
這場活動結束之後，孔子問端木賜。
針對這場祭祀活動，你有那些想法嗎?參加這場祭祀活動，你感到開心嗎?
端木賜回答。
我認為這場祭祀典禮很隆重，參加這場典禮讓我覺得很感動。
但是舉辦活動後的宴會活動中，所有人都瘋狂地喝著中國米酒與瘋狂的玩樂，我認為這的部分應該要加以限制與管理。
孔子聽完端木賜的話後微笑的回答。
你不的職業不是農夫，你無法理解農夫們的辛苦。
我們的王國中的大多數人都是農夫，農夫每天都要很早起床，農夫沒有假日，他們每天都要去農地中辛苦地耕作。
你如果站在他們的角度去思考，你辛苦地連續工作了100天，好不容易等到收成之後可以徹底的放鬆，因此對他們而言，這場沒有限制的宴會活動是很有必要的。
孔子看到端木賜的表情似乎還有一些迷惑，他停頓了一下繼續對端木賜說。
我有教過你們拉弓射箭，當你拿起弓尚未射箭之前，你手上的這把弓的弓弦是處於一種鬆弛的狀態，當你舉起弓拿出箭並且瞄準目標後，你就會把弓弦拉到最緊繃的狀態。
一個國家的領導者就像一個要拉弓射箭的人，一個善於拉弓射箭的人知道如果弓弦一直維持緊繃與放鬆都無法順利的射箭，只有在適當的時機讓弓弦可以處於一種一會兒緊繃然後一會兒鬆弛的狀態下，這個人才可以順利地連續發射出很多命中目標的箭。
根據歷史書的紀載，建立中國的周王朝的最重要的兩個國王他們管理百姓的方式就像是一個很擅長射箭的人，他們知道有時候對人民要約束，有時候對人民要放鬆，約束與放鬆兩者交互運用之下，人民的生理與心理才會保持在一種健康且平衡的狀態。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是一會兒緊繃然後一會兒鬆弛。
這句成語被用來形容一個國家的政府的施政方式採取一種寬鬆與嚴厲交互使用的方式。
這句成語也可以被用來形容一個人處理事情保持著一種在緊張與放鬆之間取得平衡的狀態。
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。
你認為現在的世界上的哪一個國家的治理效能最好呢?你的生活與心靈現在是否保持在一種平衡狀態呢?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為禮記-雜記下
https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E7%A6%AE%E8%A8%98/%E9%9B%9C%E8%A8%98%E4%B8%8B