Among the students below, many who had thoroughly studied the Doctrine of the Mean immediately raised their doubts.
The Doctrine of the Mean, in its twenty-fourth chapter, states: "The way of utmost sincerity allows one to foresee the future; when misfortune or fortune is about to arrive, one will know beforehand whether it is good or bad. Therefore, utmost sincerity is like that of a god."
The general idea is that those who have grasped the essence of sincerity can foresee good and bad fortune, and can detect and avoid misfortune in advance.
Isn't that interesting?
In Wong Fei-hung's world, the highest level of internal martial arts is the Way of Sincerity, which allows one to foresee danger and avoid it before it arrives. Li Boyang did not comprehend this level.
This was also a problem that had been troubling Li Boyang. After his trip to the Quanzhen Sect, he finally gained some insight into the Way of Sincerity.
"Good question."
"It is true that sincerity can lead to foresight."
"impossible."
“It has never been mentioned.”
The students immediately erupted in discussion, and Zhang Junbao stared wide-eyed. He had thought the class would be boring, but he never expected it to be like this. It was not a lecture, but a demonstration of boxing.
He gently tapped the table twice with the ruler, and the classroom immediately fell silent.
Another student asked:
"Sir, since you say this is true, how can it be done?"
Li Boyang smiled mysteriously and said slowly, "Actually, the Doctrine of the Mean has already told you how to do it."
"Who can recite all twenty chapters of the Doctrine of the Mean?"
"I will, I will."
Shen Rong immediately stood up, her red lips parted, and she began to speak eloquently. The text in the twentieth chapter was flawless, clearly indicating that she could recite the entire Doctrine of the Mean from memory.
“…Study extensively, inquire carefully, think prudently, discern clearly, and practice diligently.”
"stop."
Li Boyang suddenly interrupted him when he got to this part of the recitation.
Shen Rong asked in astonishment, "Mr. Boyang, did I recite it wrong?"
"No, you memorized it very well, you can sit down now."
"My last words were to teach you how to achieve utmost sincerity."
The meaning of this sentence is actually quite simple when taken literally.
"Extensive learning" refers to the methods of learning; "careful inquiry" refers to the attitude towards learning; "prudent thinking" refers to the skills of learning; and "clear discernment" refers to the ability to distinguish right from wrong.
The most crucial aspect is diligent practice, which is also the core of the path of utmost sincerity. This is a summary of the methods mentioned above, and its main idea is...
If I don't do it, I don't do it at all; but if I do it, I won't stop until I've done it perfectly. If others learn it in one go, I'll learn it in a hundred; if others learn it in ten go, I'll learn it in a thousand.
If we do this, even the foolish will become wise, and even the weak will become strong.
The students were all bewildered after hearing Li Boyang's words, not understanding what he meant. Zhang Junbao and Liu Bowen, on the other hand, had a thoughtful expression, having vaguely grasped the meaning, but not yet understood it clearly.
Li Boyang continued to explain:
"The way of utmost sincerity—what is it based on?"
Actually, this sentence is the key point. Different people will have different understandings of it. It doesn't matter if others don't understand it, as long as two people can understand it.
"I am sincere in martial arts."
Zhang Junbao muttered to himself, feeling a sense of sudden realization.
Liu Bowen, however, frowned deeply, and after a long while, he also clarified his ambition.
Then Li Boyang continued, "After knowing what sincerity is, how do you put it into practice?"
In fact, the way of sincerity does not mean predicting the future. Knowing whether what you are about to face will be good or bad is not necessary. It is enough to infer from every action you take.
Just like when everyone is about to do something, they have probably thought about the good and bad outcomes after doing it.
The true meaning of sincerity refers to everyone's pursuit. Once you understand your pursuit, how should you achieve it? The method taught in the Doctrine of the Mean is: study extensively, inquire carefully, think prudently, discern clearly, and practice diligently.
For an hour, Li Boyang spoke eloquently about his understanding of the Way of Sincerity.
The class time passed quickly.
When the students left the school, some understood what they were hearing, but most were completely confused.
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Chapter 109 Taking Zhang Junbao as a Disciple
The past ten days or so have flown by.
Inside a three-courtyard building near Songyang Academy.
Li Boyang gently raised his hands in the courtyard, drawing one circle after another.
In the courtyard, there were two other people. Liu Bowen was sitting in a grand chair, reading a book in the morning.