"After talking about the geographical environment of China, how to determine the spiritual characteristics of the Chinese nation, next, we will follow the example of the first major point, and talk about how the three typical countries around China, Mongolia (Northern Yuan), Korea, and Japan, are determined by the geographical environment."

Jiang Xinghuo pointed to the map and said.

"About Mongolia, we have actually talked about it before, and here is a simple way to say that the climate of the Mongolian plateau is cold, which determines that the people living here must bear hardships and stand hard work."

Well, those who can't endure hardships and stand hard work are frozen to death and starved to death.

"In the same way, this hardship and endurance has also formed its tenacity and consequent expansion."

"Examples of this kind of expansion almost abound, the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Turkic, Khitan, and Mongol all rose from the Mongolian Plateau, because they were unwilling to endure the cold climate and harsh living conditions, and with their hard-working and indomitable spirit, and with their stronger bodies due to eating meat, they invaded China in the south."

"And unlike these clichés, I actually want to point out one thing."

Jiang Xinghuo paused and said: "The peoples on the Mongolian plateau are accustomed to worshiping wild beasts and the heavens, which is completely different from the Chinese people's worship of ancestors. ”

"The Great River Civilization is inseparable from the blood clan, and the influence of the blood clan has penetrated into all aspects of society, politics, economy, and life.

This is because the foundation of Chinese culture is a self-sufficient small-scale peasant economy and the patriarchal order derived from it. The worship of ancestors provided social customary support for the maintenance and consolidation of the patriarchal order, which was inseparable from the Great River civilization. ”

Zhu Gaoxu was somewhat enlightened, and he remembered the economic foundation and superstructure that he had talked about in the first volume of "On the Fortunes of the Country" before.

Zhu Gaoxu said tentatively: "In other words, it is precisely because the nomadic people born on the Mongolian Plateau in the north did not have the economic foundation of the small peasant economy, so they did not give birth to the superstructure of strict patriarchal law. ”

Jiang Xinghuo said: "Because of the fragility of the nomadic economy, the nomads themselves identify with the tribe far more than with the clan, and this situation did not change until the foreign conquest of the Golden Family changed the economic foundation of Mongolia. ”

"Therefore, the Mongolian plateau, in its harsh environment, is more accustomed to worshipping beasts full of power and the heavens who have the power to control their fate."

Li Jinglong added: "The Chinese civilization is the complete opposite. ”

"The attitude of Chinese civilization towards wild beasts is that what can be domesticated is poultry, and what cannot be domesticated is livestock; As for the attitude towards God, in the life of the peasants, it is true that they have to look at the sky for food, but the construction of basic water conservancy facilities also makes the Chinese peasants not as afraid and worship of the heavens as the Mongolian nomads, but only a slight look up to the mentality. ”

"Even so." Jiang Xinghuo pursed his lips and smiled: "When the Chinese civilization is used to worshipping all the immortals in the sky, it is an equal exchange concept, I will give you incense and faith and money, you help me solve my difficulties, if I can't solve it, I will find the next immortal." ”

Hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu and Li Jinglong also laughed.

It's funny, but it's true.

If the common people want a child, send the son Guanyin, Taishan Niangniang, and Zhang Xian. Which one can't be worshipped? Anyway, everyone is in charge of a bunch of things.

After talking about Mongolia, Jiang Xinghuo continued to talk about the next country, North Korea.

"If you count the higher hills in North Korea, strictly speaking, eight-tenths of the country's land area is mountainous, so the agricultural conditions in North Korea are actually inferior to those of China, which has several large plains, and the people here are relatively barren, and it is difficult to create splendid art."

"As a peninsula surrounded by the sea on three sides, the only external influence that North Korea can accept is Huaxia, which borders on land, and it is precisely because China is extremely strong and North Korea is extremely weak, so for hundreds of years, North Korea has always regarded Huaxia as the right thing and implemented the doctrine of doing great things."

"And the so-called doctrine of big things is based on the strategy of small countries serving big countries in order to preserve themselves under the situation of strong and weak forces, well, this is also learned from China."

The concept of "big things" has existed in the Spring and Autumn Period, "Mencius, King Hui of Liang", King Qi Xuan asked: What is the way to make friends with neighbors? Mencius said: Yes, but the benevolent person can use big things and small things, so Tang Shi Ge, King Wen Shi Kunyi. But the wise man can do big things with small things, so the king is a big thing, and the sentence is Wu. With big things and small things, those who are optimistic are also; Those who are big in small things are also afraid of the sky. Those who are optimistic protect the world, and those who fear the sky protect their country.

This means that a small country can only be stable if it fears the destiny of heaven.

To put it more bluntly, follow the heart when you should be in the heart.

"So what is this geographical environment that determines the national spirit of North Korea?" Li Jinglong asked with a wink.

"Low self-esteem."

Jiang Xinghuo said succinctly: "Inferiority is something engraved in the bones of North Korea, and inferiority inevitably derives from false arrogance. ”

"North Korea is different from Japan next, Japan's attitude in the face of inferiority is to pick up the sword and fight, fight with the strong, if you lose, then kill yourself by disembowelment, die the glory, anyway, Japan is not afraid of death, their usual geographical environment determines that they often die inexplicably. And if Japan defeats the powerful, it will immediately swell from inferiority to arrogance without anyone in its eyes, like a toad inhaling it. ”

"As for North Korea, it has neither the ability nor the courage to swing a knife at the strong, so its only way to entertain itself is to use the pen in its hand, which is a typical half bucket of water, North Korea, as a student of China, has not learned the good things of Confucian culture, and has learned a good one."

"The Spring and Autumn brushwork disguises history and creates a history of nothingness, which is the arrogant way of North Korea."

At this point in today's lesson, it seemed to become more and more joyful, and the two of them burst into laughter again.

Li Jinglong remembered that in the Hongwu and Jianwen dynasties, when he saw the Korean mission as a noble representative, the North Koreans cowered and pretended to be in private, and he couldn't help but smile.

"The last one is Japan."

Hearing this, Li Jinglong cheered up his spirit.

For him, the highlight came.

"Geographical conditions, first of all, the land area, we said that Japan has fewer local resources, and there are few plain areas suitable for agriculture and they are all along the coast, so once Japan becomes strong, it will like to invade foreign countries to obtain land and resources, Japan's storage of goods is relatively famous, and it is also related to their small land area and small living space."

"In terms of mental traits, this manifestation of being heavily influenced by geographical conditions is even more obvious."

"It is mainly summarized into three points, the first point, self-improvement; The second point is collectivity; The third point is life and death. ”

"The first point is self-improvement. It is precisely because of Japan's long and narrow terrain, lack of resources, and many natural disasters that the Japanese living here inevitably have a pessimistic mood, but they can survive tenaciously in the harsh environment and feel the comfort of self-improvement, which is different from the national spirit of North Korea only with inferiority. ”

"In terms of learning, Huaxia has always been the object of Japanese learning, and most of Japan's etiquette comes from Huaxia."

"Why the hell is that?"

Zhu Gaoxu was also a little curious, he had never been to Japan, and he had never met a Japanese.

Jiang Xinghuo said solemnly: "Have you ever made a long trip alone?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu shook his head, but he seemed to remember something.

In Zhu Gaoxu's memory, when he first tried to rescue Jiang Xinghuo from prison by stealing beams for pillars, he drank a lot of wine with Jiang Xinghuo in order to get Jiang Xinghuo drunk.

At that time, Jiang Xinghuo confided in him a few heartfelt words.

"I'm like a traveler across the ocean, the sea is boundless, a lonely boat passes through one scenery after another, it is still a little fresh at first, and then there is helplessness."

"I've been too far from shore in my life, and I don't know if I'll be able to return to my hometown, so that occasionally I lose control of my emotions and cry out hoarsely for help in front of the sea, which is like saying goodbye to ......"

Mr. Jiang, you must have experienced a long, long lonely journey.

Jiang Xinghuo didn't know Zhu Gaoxu's thoughts, and he continued.

"Japan, like a traveler hovering on the edge of the civilized world, must pay attention to etiquette, even if it is inexplicable, stubborn, and unreasonable, because the meaning of this etiquette is not in the etiquette itself, but in using this etiquette to remind itself that it is a member of civilization, so as to maintain spiritual independence."

Of course, this kind of spiritual independence is also reflected in the culture, although Japan learned Confucian culture and Han Buddhist culture from China, but it has a kind of isolated self-esteem, although it is under the influence of Chinese culture, but it has never really surrendered to China. Once there is a strong man who surpasses the Chinese to influence it, then it will not hesitate to cut off the culture it has learned from the Chinese and learn its culture from the new strong people, and this is the aspect of Japan's self-improvement that I said earlier. ”

"So the inferiority complex and self-improvement I just said sounds quite screwed." Li Jinglong sighed.

"Yes, it's a twist, and this twist will continue to be reflected."

"This embodiment is the second and third points, or rather, the culture of shame that the collective consciousness has spawned."

"I call it two things, the chrysanthemum and the knife."

The two didn't quite understand, Jiang Xinghuo said slowly.

"The second point, collective." Jiang Xinghuo said, "also because of the geographical environment of frequent natural disasters, Japan recognizes the vulnerability and limitations of the individual, in order to survive, the individual must be attached to the collective, for a long time ordinary Japanese people have lived a collective life, pursuing the principle of collectivism of the supremacy of collective interests, this collectivism, according to the Japanese proverb, it is difficult for a chrysanthemum to show its own beauty, but when many chrysanthemums bloom at the same time, it is brilliant and beautiful." ”

Li Jinglong nodded and said, "It's not that this is incomprehensible. ”

"The third point, life and death."

Jiang Xinghuo continued to talk along the way: "I just said that Japan has been influenced by Chinese Confucianism and Han Buddhism, so Japan attaches great importance to etiquette, righteousness, honesty and shame, and has a deeper 'shame culture' than Chinese Confucianism, and even needs people to disembowel. But at the same time, they are extremely cruel to themselves and their enemies, cruel to the point of shamelessness, not afraid of the death of the enemy, nor of their own death. ”

"Japan and China have very different attitudes towards death."

Jiang Xinghuo looked at the leaves falling from the tree with a crooked neck and said, "Chinese Confucianism believes that if you don't know life, you can't know death. Zilu asked Confucius about ghosts and gods, and Confucius's answer was as light as a weight, transferring mysterious questions such as ghosts and gods, life and death, to the value of life in this world. ”

"But Japan does not shy away from death, since the Tang Dynasty cherry blossoms were introduced to Japan, Japan likes to bloom and wither in an instant, which is the same as their view of life and death, thinking that death is the flash of life in an instant."

Zhu Gaoxu was a little incredulous: "It's really some. Odd. ”

It is indeed strange, if you look at it according to the standards of Chinese culture, there is a very classic saying that can be described.

It's better to die than to live.

"The reason why Japan has a poetic downplay of death, as I said when I talked about North Korea just now, is because of its geographical environment, the monsoon climate leads to unstable returns from farming, the frequent storms in summer and autumn lead to the risk of fishing, and the frequent earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions, all of which have led to a high probability of accidental death in Japan, which is actually a kind of helplessness."

"In this geographical situation, it is easy to create a sensitive, suspicious and capricious character of the Japanese, because they are extremely insecure, and this insecurity gives rise to the second point I just mentioned, which is a strong sense of collectivity, and at the same time, a distorted sense of self-esteem due to the high regard for the opinions of others and their own reputation."

"From our general point of view in China, suicide is sometimes a sign of cowardice, and Japan believes that suicide embodies the fearless courage of the samurai to face death without hesitation and without nostalgia, and can purify and transcend the soul of the disgraced person This is because Japan believes that the soul exists in the belly of the person, so suicide by cutting the abdomen with a knife can release and sublimate the soul."

Indeed, let alone suicide, even Xiang Yu, who had a chance to turn the tables but didn't run away, wasn't he the same person who wrote a poem, and came with a sentence "Jiangdong's children are talented, and the comeback is unknown"?

And Han Xin's "humiliation under the crotch" is even more popular, and very few people who read this story laugh at Han Xin's lack of courage as a husband. If Han Xin killed someone or committed suicide in a fit of rage at that time, how could there be a story of the great Han soldiers and immortals in later generations?

Chinese people generally do not choose to commit suicide unless they are in a desperate situation.

The suicide of the Japanese, on the other hand, was clearly based on a certain custom.

This kind of suicide is not necessary in many cases.

"If they are insulted, ridiculed, and criticized by others in public, they will feel that they have suffered a great shame, and there are only two ways to wash away this shame, one is to use ridicule as a source of motivation to constantly improve themselves, and the other is to belittle or bully others, and cutting off one's abdomen with a knife is the highest manifestation of despising oneself."

Li Jinglong was a little sluggish, co-authored, Japan's disembowelment with a knife is caused by shame, then you have to laugh at the Japanese every day, are the Japanese all disemboweling with a knife?

No, maybe people will ask for a duel with a knife.

Li Jinglong secretly noted this in his heart.

INTERVIEWER When you go to Japan, don't laugh at the Japanese.

After all, he still wants to come back alive, and if he is too presumptuous in other people's territory, the probability of coming back alive is not great.

For Li Jinglong, life comes first, glory and wealth come second, and cheekiness comes third.

"Gone?"

Zhu Gaochi was slightly stunned.

"Maybe not." Zhu Di rubbed his eyebrows and said with some doubts, "Although what I said today is very good, I always feel it."

"Not all fun." Zhu Gaochi empathizes.

"yes, it's just not fun."

Zhu Di probably recalled the feeling of being repeatedly shocked by theories such as 'dynastic periodic law', 'apportionment into acres', 'silver treasure money' and so on, but he was a little less of that feeling.

Strange, am I addicted to this feeling?

Zhu Di shook his head and threw this ridiculous idea out of his mind.

And Gu Cheng beside him was thoughtful, since the emperor had decided to comprehensively adjust the strategy of the Ming Dynasty, gradually shifting from land to sea, then the information obtained from the lecture was still very useful.

Knowing oneself and knowing one's opponent will not be defeated in a hundred battles.

At the same time, the theory of the 'World Island War' also greatly inspired Gu Cheng, and the old general suddenly felt that his past gaze was only limited to the surroundings of the Ming Dynasty, which seemed to be a little narrow.

Unlike these three people, Dao Yan shook his head slightly.

Dao Yan was very sure that Jiang Sheng would not only analyze these superficial things, or things that only had a little depth.

Since Jiang Sheng dares to talk about it, it must be a new theory that breaks the earth.

Sure enough, Jiang Xinghuo did not live up to the expectations of this believer.

Under the tree, Jiang Xinghuo rested for a moment and continued to speak.

"Just now we talked about the spiritual characteristics of the country, and what I want to say is that it is the geographical environment that determines the formation of the country and the spiritual character of the country. And it is the spiritual character of the state that determines the formation of the future nation-state. ”

Hearing this, Dao Yan raised his eyebrows.

Nation-state?

I'm afraid this is what Jiang Sheng really wants to talk about!

Here it is, after unfolding such a long map, this ghostly dagger finally shows its edge.

The previous ones are all prologues.

——————

Although every mind originally shone with the brilliance of morality, like a brand new knife, it can rust if it is not sharpened regularly. As they say, this rust on the body is just as bad as the rust on the knife.

Therefore, one must pay equal attention to both the knife and the nature, and sharpen it from time to time. Even if it is rusty, the mind is still shining under the 'rust', and it just needs to be re-polished.

- Ruth Benedict, "The Chrysanthemum and the Knife"

15,000 words for a monthly pass!!

(End of chapter)