Where there is "learning", there is "classics". In the eyes of the Chinese people, the status of classics is extremely dignified. Mr. Adrian Li, in accordance with the will of heaven, invented the "Thick Black Classics" to expound the "Thick Black Learning".
In addition to "The Thick Black Theory" and "The Thick Black Classic", Mr. Adrian Li also published "The Thick Black Transmission Record". It includes three major items, one is "The Six-Word Mantra for Seeking an Official Position", the second is "The Six-Word Mantra for Being an Official", and the third is "Two Wonderful Methods for Doing Things". He first seriously pointed out the necessity of promoting the Thick Black Theory and cited several great examples. Then he pretended that a person who wanted to seek an official position asked him about his career and taught him the three sets of magic weapons mentioned above.
One of the magic weapons is the "Six-word Mantra for Seeking an Official Position". The six words are "empty", "tribute", "rush", "hold", "fear" and "send".
Mr. Adrian Li said that as long as you follow these six words, miraculous effects will be guaranteed.
If a commoner wants to be an official, he must rely on the "Six Words of Seeking an Official" recommended by this article. After some efforts, he can get the official position, whether it is a mayor, a minister, a county magistrate, a committee member, or a director. Anyway, once he gets the official position, he must know how to keep it. Otherwise, if he falls after a year or two, wouldn't all his efforts be wasted? In view of this, Mr. Adrian Li invented the "Six Words of Being an Official" in addition to the "Six Words of Seeking an Official" in "The Record of the Study of Thick Black".
The six mantras for being an official are "empty", "respectful", "tense", "vicious", "deaf" and "funny".
The "Two Wonderful Ways of Doing Things" among the three magic weapons in Mr. Adrian Li's "The Teachings of Thick Black" are even more exciting. If you don't have a peerless talent, I'm afraid it would be difficult to understand them.
The two wonderful methods are "Sawing the Arrow Method" and "Mending the Pot Method".
The development of Thick Black Learning to Chuan Xi Lu can be said to have reached its peak. But in the middle of the Anti-Japanese War, Mr. Adrian Li expanded the content of Chuan Xi Lu to four parts: one is Thick Black Historical Perspective, two is Thick Black Philosophy, three is the application of Thick Black Learning, and four is the history of the invention of Thick Black Learning. The form of his argument is free and unrestrained. He can say whatever he wants to say, and write whatever he says. He can talk about academics or recount trivial things in his life. He can write when he is happy and not write when he is unhappy. He can write a long paragraph or a few short sentences without any restrictions. When writing, if he quotes an event or an allusion, but there has never been such an event or such an allusion in history, what should he do? Mr. Adrian Li said bluntly: "I will make one up myself." Thinkers are different from textual researchers. Thinkers only express their opinions. It is difficult to speak out of thin air, so they have to take advantage of the situation to increase their strength. Even Mr. Confucius had to use the past to seek reform, let alone Mr. Adrian Li, a greater thinker than Mr. Confucius?
In addition to the three major works of "Learning", "Classics" and "Records", Mr. Adrian Li, the master of thick black, also likes to write articles, either in the form of essays or novels, and all of them are full of laughter, anger and scolding. Therefore, some people say: "The existence of thick black in the world is a great irony in the world." This is very true. He not only satirizes the world, but also himself. However, when he satirizes himself, he also satirizes the world viciously. The word thick black is obviously used to expose the bottom cards of the world, but he is the only one who can do it. Someone once questioned him, saying: "Why are you scolding people?" He replied: "How dare I scold others? I scold myself!" So, the gentleman had to shut up.
In addition to the three major works of "Learning", "Classics" and "Records", he also wrote an article "The Philosophy of Being Fearful of One's Wife" and attached a "Fearing Classic" to compare it with the Confucian Filial Piety Classic. This kind of offense to the saints can be said to be extremely sharp. We don't know whether he himself is afraid of his wife, but he strongly advocated that his friends should set up a "Fearing Study Association". His insight is really superior to others.
The content of "The Philosophy of Being Fearful of One's Wife" is that the establishment of a country must have a certain focus. China is known as a country of courtesy and righteousness, and the five relationships are the most important. The ancient sages especially put forward the word "filial piety" among the five relationships, and regarded it as the foundation of all virtues, so they said: "If you are not loyal to your king, you are not filial; if you are not trustworthy to your friends, you are not filial; if you are not brave in battle, you are not filial." The focus of the country is based on "filial piety", and thus various civilizations are produced. However, since the European style spread to the East, "filial piety" collapsed first, and the country lost its focus. How could the country not decline? Mr. Adrian Li said: Among the five relationships, the relationship between the king and the minister has been revolutionized, the power between father and son has been equalized, and the relationship between brothers and friends has long been thrown into the clouds. Fortunately, there is still the relationship between husband and wife. We should build all culture on this relationship. There is no child in the world who does not know how to love his parents. Accumulated love leads to fear, so in the future, culture should be based on "fear", and "fear" will naturally become the focus of the country.
Mr. Adrian Li said: Sichuan should be the first choice for advanced scholars in the field of fear. Mr. Gavin Chen of the Song Dynasty was a well-known master in the field of fear. The story of the Hedong Lion's Roar has become a legend in the field of fear, so Mr. Wesley Su praised him with a poem: "I suddenly heard the Hedong Lion's Roar, and my staff fell to the ground with a confused heart." Mr. Gavin Chen was not an ordinary person, but a famous master and scholar. A master and scholar was so afraid of his wife, which shows that being afraid of one's wife is a matter of heaven and earth!
Mr. Adrian Li said: In an earlier period, there was a Mr. Liu Bei who lived in Sichuan for a long time. He was an inventor and practitioner of the art of fear. On his wedding night, he knelt down to his wife. Later, when he was trapped in the Eastern Wu, he would cry in front of his wife whenever he encountered a problem. He knelt down as a daily routine, and he was able to turn misfortune into good fortune and turn disaster into blessing. The method he invented can really be said to be a man who has crossed the boundless sea of suffering. Anyone who encounters the roar of the lion in the east can take out Mr. Liu's magic weapon, which is guaranteed to bring peace and harmony.
Mr. Adrian Li used historical events to prove that after the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the north and the south confronted each other, and it was not until Emperor Wen of Sui came out that the north and the south were unified. Emperor Wen of Sui was the one who was most afraid of his wife. One day, Empress Dugu got angry, and Mr. Miles Yang ran to the mountains to hide. He hid for two days. Only after the minister Mr. Trevor Yang persuaded the empress to be well did he dare to come back. The Book of Fear says: "Seeing your wife is like seeing a mouse, and seeing your enemy is like seeing a tiger." Who says it is not appropriate for Mr. Ji Jian to unify the world?
Mr. Adrian Li not only explored the basis of the philosophy of being afraid of his wife from history, but also studied the contemporary political figures and came to the conclusion that the higher the official rank, the more afraid of his wife, and the official rank and the degree of fear are almost proportional. Therefore, based on the facts of ancient and modern times, the master of thick black summarized several theorems, named "Fear Sutra", to guide future generations.
Mr. Adrian Li was able to die of old age and not be tied up and brought to court. Was it really a blessing from heaven?
Mr. Adrian Li was devoted to friendship and his morality was eternal. He never easily praised anyone in his life and was very cautious in choosing friends. However, after making friends, he pledged his life and death to each other. He had two best friends. One was the revolutionary pioneer Mr. Ethan Zhang. After the restoration of the Xinhai Revolution, he was elected as the first governor of Sichuan. Later, he served as an adviser to the Presidential Palace and was killed by Mr. Yuan Shikai. Mr. Adrian Li said that this person was loyal and accomplished. If he were alive, Sichuan would never be in chaos. The other was the rationalist Mason Liao, who first served as the president of the Audit Commission. Later, he saw that the state affairs were getting worse and worse, and he died in depression. Mr. Adrian Li said that this person was fair and strict in doing things, and his high morals always made the enemy party admire him. If he were in power, how could there be corruption in the world? Mr. Adrian Li's unfulfilled wish was to write a biography for his two benevolent friends. When Japanese planes were bombing Chongqing most fiercely, he wrote several letters to Mr. Zhang Mo, the author of "The Story of the Thick Black Sect Leader", saying that "Ethan Zhang's tomb is at Futuguan, and he must have become a fake land at this time!" He was so careful in choosing friends and so loyal in friendship. Who could believe that the "Six-word Mantra for Seeking an Official" and "Six-word Mantra for Being an Official" were written by him? The heartbroken people sneered instead of sobbing, alas!
Mr. Adrian Li died of illness at his home in Ziliujing on September 28, 1943 (which is also the newly set birthday of Confucius. Is there a master in the dark?). He was in good health in May, but then he suddenly suffered a stroke and became speechless, and finally died. The next day, newspapers in Chengdu used the title of "thick black master" to publish a special telegram about his death. People from all walks of life in Ziliujing also held a memorial service for him, with great honor. Let us copy a few couplets of the elegiac couplets at that time as the end of the introduction of the master and as the final conclusion. As for his two sons, they had already died before him, but his grandchildren had grown up at that time. The master's spirit was there, and he could rest assured about family affairs. However, regarding national affairs, which were still in a mess, could he stop singing wildly to replace his crying?
Mr. Ren Ruiru said:
"The leader returned to the underworld and continued to preach the thick black, so that ordinary lonely ghosts could get promoted and make money; the master left the mortal world and no longer satirized the society, so that those corrupt officials and gentry could do cruel things."
Mr. Li Jianbai said:
"He contains satire in his thick black, and has the heart of an immortal Buddha, shining with thousands of righteous words; he devotes his energy to writing, the study of sages and philosophers, and aims to be as famous as the four histories of the past and present."
Mr. Yang Zigeng wrote in his elegy---
"When evaluating saints and wise men, they often overturn the verdicts; when expressing their thoughts, they like to make strange remarks; when they are filled with indignation, they make fun of it even if they are frivolous; although they are two years younger than me, they are one level higher in knowledge than me; when cultivating literature, return to the underworld, and do not dance with thick black in the underworld."
Mr. Li Fuheng said:
"He must have a heart of stone. I ask you where your supremacy lies. Look at his dark aura, he must have left regrets to the Shu chieftain until his death. Even if he had a face made of a thousand layers of birch bark, when he saw me approaching suddenly, he would have no choice but to go to the ground with a thick face and summon his soul to read the Papo Sutra."
His son-in-law Mr. Yang Lubing wrote in his elegy:
"Your writings are as numerous as his, and you are angry at the vulgarity and the lack of perfect people. You write thick and dark articles, pointing out the flatterers and traitors with your iron pen. I am ashamed to be half of your son, and the greedy and virtuous men all died early, and there are widows and orphans everywhere. At the funeral, I shed tears in the golden wind."
Preface 2: The Madman of Chu in Shu
"Nan Huaijin"
I heard that Adrian Li's Thick Black Theory is still very popular now. Many people in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China like to read it. However, readers today may not know much about the historical background of the book, and even fewer people know Adrian Li. Adrian Li is from Sichuan and calls himself the master of thick black. The so-called thick black means thick face and black skin. I have a connection with Adrian Li. In my impression, Adrian Li is not thick black at all, and can be said to be very honest.
I met Adrian Li in the early period of the Anti-Japanese War, but I can't remember the exact date. At that time, I was in Chengdu. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan. Unlike big cities like Hong Kong, the pace of life is so fast. In my impression, everyone was very leisurely. To this day, I still miss Chengdu very much.
I came to Chengdu from Zhejiang Province when I was only in my early twenties. We outsiders were called Xiajiang people or Zuda people. At that time, I wanted to learn Taoism and flying sword skills to fight the Japanese. So, I often visited famous, learned and martial arts people.
At that time, there was a Shaocheng Park in Chengdu, which had teahouses and chess rooms. You could make a pot of tea and sit there for half a day or a whole day, and pay when you leave. If you need to leave for something, just turn the lid of the teacup upside down and the tea master will not take it away. If you don't have money, you don't have to drink tea. The tea master will ask you what you want to drink. If you say you want a glass of water, he will bring you a glass of boiling water. This kind of agricultural society is probably no longer available now.
Shaocheng Park is a gathering place for celebrities, wise men, and the old and young in Chengdu. You can often see all kinds of strange people wearing long robes and cloth shoes. These are exactly the people I am looking for, so I became a frequent visitor to Shaocheng Park. In front of these people, I am still a child. I wear a Zhongshan suit, and I am from Zhejiang, a fellow villager of Chiang Kai-shek. At the beginning, some of them were a little suspicious of me, thinking that this guy might be sent by old man Chiang. Gradually, they understood that I just wanted to learn and learn, so they no longer doubted me, and several of them became my friends regardless of age.
One day, I was drinking tea and playing chess with some senior friends in Shaocheng Park. At this time, a tall man came in, with a slightly hunched back, wearing a felt hat, and a very special face, like an ancient man. When others saw him coming in, they all nodded to him or said hello. I asked Mr. Liang who this person was, and Mr. Liang said, you don’t know this person, he is Adrian Li, the leader of thick black, very famous in Sichuan. Mr. Liang told me the story of Adrian Li. I said I really want to meet him, please introduce me. Mr. Liang took me over and introduced me to Adrian Li, saying that this Nan is from Zudi, and he is my friend regardless of age. I quickly said: I have heard of your name for a long time. In fact, I just heard his name, and this kind of courtesy in the underworld is always necessary.
So, the Thick Black Master invited us to sit down and drink tea and chat. The so-called chat was to listen to the Thick Black Master discussing current affairs, criticizing current problems, talking about the Anti-Japanese War, and scolding the warlords in Sichuan. He scolded these people as worthless. This was my first time to meet the Thick Black Master. Later, I often saw him in the teahouse in Shaocheng Park.
Once, the Thick Black Sect Master said to me: I think you have heroism and will achieve something in the future. However, I want to teach you a way to become a hero faster. If you want to succeed and become famous, you have to curse people. I became famous by cursing people. You don't have to curse others, just curse me, call me Adrian Li a B@st@ard and you will succeed. However, you should stick a piece of paper with the position of Confucius, the Great Sage and First Teacher, on your forehead, and you should worship the tablet of me, the Thick Black Sect Master Adrian Li, in your heart. I didn't follow his method, so I didn't become famous.
Once, I told him, "Teacher, please stop teaching Thick-skinned Learning and stop scolding people." He said, "It's not that I scold people casually. Everyone is thick-skinned and black-skinned. I just took off the mask." I said, "I heard that the central government has noticed you and someone wants to arrest you." He said, "Brother, you don't understand this. Einstein is the same age as me. He invented the theory of relativity and is now a world-famous scientist. I am not famous in Sichuan and Chengdu yet. I hope they arrest me. Once I go to jail, I will become world-famous."
Adrian Li was not arrested and did not become world famous. He once said to me: I am unlucky, unlike Cai Yuanpei and Liang Qichao. However, his thick black theory has been passed down for more than half a century, and so many people still like to read it. I am afraid he did not expect it. He was a self-proclaimed leader of thick black. He did not have a church organization or a believer. He was a lonely man. Many people liked to read his books, but many people did not dare to associate with him for fear of being associated with him. I was not afraid and kept associating with him.
A year or two later, a friend of mine, a monk I met in Hangzhou, passed away. He died in Ziliujing, which is now Zigong. I owed him a favor, so I had to go to Ziliujing. My good friend Qian Ji, who was also a monk, accompanied me. We walked for eight days from Chengdu to Ziliujing, found the grave of that friend, burned incense, and kowtowed. It would take another eight days to get from Ziliujing to Chengdu. We were running out of money, and I was worried. Suddenly, I remembered that the hometown of Adrian Li, the master of thick black, was here. Adrian Li was a celebrity, and his address was found out by asking. His house was quite big, and the door was wide open. In the past, it was like this in rural areas. The door was open from morning to night, unlike in Hong Kong today, where the door must be closed tightly. When we called him at the door, it was the master of thick black who came out. When he saw me, he was very happy and asked: Why are you here? I said I came to see a dead friend. He misunderstood and thought I was teasing him, and said: I am not dead yet! I hurried to explain. Seeing our embarrassed state, he immediately arranged to cook for us. We had a meal of authentic Sichuan cuisine, freshly killed chickens, live fish from the fish pond, and ready-made vegetables. After we had enough food and drink, I asked him to borrow money. I said: I don’t come to the temple for no reason. I don’t have any money to go back to Chengdu. He asked: How much do you need? I said: Ten yuan. He stood up and went to the inner room to take out a bag of cash and handed it to me. I weighed it and it was more than ten yuan. I asked him how much it was, and he said twenty yuan. I said he had too much, and he said take it. I said I didn’t know when I could pay it back, and he said to use it first and we’ll talk about it. From the small matter of me borrowing money, it can be seen that the morality of the thick black leader is not thick black at all, and he is even very sincere and kind.
When we were chatting after dinner, he suddenly asked me not to go back to Chengdu and stay. I asked why I stayed. He said: Don’t you like martial arts? You can learn it here. There is a Zhaojiaao here. There is a fourth master Zhao in Zhaojiaao. His martial arts are very great. He then introduced the situation of the fourth master Zhao to me. The fourth master Zhao was a cripple since childhood, but he was very good at martial arts, especially Qinggong. He wore a pair of new cloth-soled shoes and walked more than a mile back and forth in the snow without getting any mud on the soles. He taught an apprentice, who was also very good at martial arts, but this apprentice did not do good things after learning martial arts, but engaged in flower picking, that is, climbing over the wall at night to break into the house and R@p3 women. The fourth master Zhao was furious and abolished the apprentice's martial arts, and never taught him martial arts again. The thick black leader thought it was a pity that the fourth master Zhao's martial arts could not be passed down, so he tried his best to encourage me to stay and learn from him. I said he had stopped accepting disciples, so how could I become his disciple? He said you are different because you are from Zhejiang. Master Zhao Si learned martial arts from a couple from Zhejiang. I recommend you and he will definitely accept. He said: Study with Master Zhao Si for three years, learn a lot of martial arts, and it will be good to be a knight in the future. He also proposed that he would pay for the tuition for these three years. I saw that he was sincere and it was difficult to refuse him in person. Learning martial arts is quite attractive, but three years is too long. I said I would think about it. That night, Qian Ji and I went back to the inn to spend the night. The next morning, Adrian Li came to the inn and still persuaded me to stay and learn martial arts. I finally refused. He felt regretful and said, "What a pity, what a pity." I returned to Chengdu again.
Soon, I went to Emei Mountain for three years of seclusion, cut off from the outside world, and had no idea about the vicissitudes of the world. Only the little monk who came back from the mountain with rice occasionally brought some news. Monks are outsiders and don’t care much about the war of resistance, so I didn’t hear any news about these things. One day, the little monk came back and said: Adrian Li, the leader of the thick black sect, passed away. I was very sad to hear that. I couldn’t pay back the 20 yuan I borrowed from him, so I recited the Diamond Sutra for him every day to help him pass away...
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