Empress Dowager Cixi's 108 Teachings on Endurance and Wisdom

Author: Sima Liren
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-05-01
Features: Empress Dowager Cixi was an iron-willed empress. Her life was full of wisdom, and she always focused on the art of "endurance." As a result, she could always achieve what she wanted, albeit not without delay. From today's perspective, carefully studying Empress Dowager Cixi's wisdom in enduring is not without benefit; it can serve as a guide to success for others. To be honest, if one cannot practice "endurance," they will take risks in everything they do. A person's ability to endure often indicates their potential for achieving great things. Let's take a look at Empress Dowager Cixi! The Great Qing Dynasty she ruled was already at its twilight, with little left in its reserves. Various conflicts, struggles, blows, and tactics were all directed at her, to the point where she could hardly bear it. Yet she was an extraordinary empress, believing that "without endurance, one cannot succeed; with endurance, one can achieve greatness." Therefore, she constantly weighed the situation in the midst of various, enduring and finding solutions step by step. Even if immediate solutions were not possible, she patiently thought about them, enduring for a future resolution.
What aspects of endurance did Empress Dowager Cixi practice? In terms of seeking power, she went to great lengths to seize authority; in consolidating power, she outsmarted powerful officials and ruled behind a screen; in regentship, she adjusted policies to strengthen her position; in governance, she borrowed Western methods to reform Chinese practices; in deceptive politics, she secretly controlled the court while remaining at ease; in response, she demonstrated skill in advancing, retreating, and evading; in building her legacy, she persistently corrected her weaknesses; in new policies, she adopted the strengths of foreign nations to address China's shortcomings; in resistance, she knew when to advance and retreat in the face of frontier conflicts; in strategic retreat, she combined advance and retreat, knowing when to take profits and withdraw; in transformation, she adapted to change and won through transformation.
Clearly, Empress Dowager Cixi was not just a frail woman but a master of political strategy, who demonstrated the art of endurance in her manipulations. People might see her as weak on the surface, but she was actually strong at heart. Indeed, without a few points of wisdom in enduring, no matter who you are, your plans will likely be ruined prematurely. Here, what we want to say is that Empress Dowager Cixi's wisdom in enduring lies in hiding her true intentions. The moment she reveals a smile, she exudes an aura of coldness, her sharp eyes piercing through the inner and outer courts. Reading the 108 instances of Empress Dowager Cixi's wisdom in enduring will greatly benefit your conduct in life!