The Difference Between Ancient and Modern Times

Introduction
According to the records in “Strategies of the Warring States,” Su Qin, a strategist during the Warring States period, was in a miserable state when he was at his lowest point. His wife did not treat him as a husband, his sister-in-law refused to cook for him, and even his parents were unwilling to talk to him. However, Su Qin did not blame others; he believed it was his own fault. Later, Su Qin found a book called “Yinfu Jing” at home and studied it day and night. After a year, Su Qin felt that he had mastered the “Yinfu Jing” and exclaimed, “I can finally persuade the kings of various states!”

Many people today, after reading Su Qin’s story, are curious about the magic of “Yinfu Jing.” So, they buy a copy of “Yinfu Jing” to read, but unfortunately, most of them throw it aside after reading it for a couple of days because it seems useless. The question is: why could Su Qin use “Yinfu Jing” effectively, while people today cannot?

The Difference in Cultural Characteristics
The most fundamental reason for this difference is the change in the cultural characteristics of the times. The biggest feature of traditional Chinese culture is “the unity of body and mind, and the integration of knowledge and action,” also known as “inner sage and outer king.” However, it is difficult for people today to achieve the unity of body and mind, and the integration of knowledge and action is slightly better but still not easy.

For example, Su Qin was said to be a disciple of Guiguzi. In the past, masters would usually teach their students the mind method, which was basically a secret. The mind method is the part of the inner sage, also known as the root. If we read “The Seven Techniques of Yinfu in the Basic Classic” in “Guiguzi,” we can discover some clues. The core of “The Seven Techniques of Yinfu in the Basic Classic” is “the heart can obtain one, then it has the technique.” In other words, if your mind cannot be settled and cannot independently guard the spirit, you will not be able to use the technique.

The Importance of Cultivating the Mind
So, how can we “obtain one”? “The Seven Techniques of Yinfu in the Basic Classic” mentions many methods, and one of them is cultivating the will:

Cultivating the will means that the thoughts of the mind and qi do not reach. If there is a desire, the will exists and thinks about it. The will is the messenger of desire. If there are many desires, the mind will be scattered; if the mind is scattered, the will will decline; if the will declines, the thoughts will not reach. Therefore, if the mind and qi are one, the desires will not wander; if the desires do not wander, the will and intention will not decline; if the will and intention do not decline, the thoughts will reach. If the will is not cultivated, the thoughts of the mind and qi will not reach.

In other words, if we cannot focus our mind on one thing and are led by various desires, our mind and qi will not be pure. If the mind and qi are not pure, it will be difficult to cultivate qi. If qi is not abundant, the spirit will not be strong. If the spirit is not strong, we will not be able to make decisive decisions when encountering situations.

Conclusion
In summary, the main reason why people today read “Yinfu Jing” but cannot use it effectively is that they have not achieved the unity of body and mind and the integration of knowledge and action. “Yinfu Jing” is worth a thousand gold per word, and every sentence needs to be comprehended with the heart. Without the cultivation of the inner sage, it is difficult to put it into practice.