Go Do - The Philosophy of Conduct in Go Games

Author: Li Zhimin / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features:
3. Those who are steady and frugal gain more, while those who are reckless and greedy suffer losses. The principle of chess states: "Those who are steady and frugal gain more, while those who are reckless and greedy suffer losses. Those who avoid conflict and protect themselves naturally win more, while those who pursue killing without regard often lose. Those who reflect on their defeats improve their position; those who become arrogant after victories decline. Those who seek their own flaws rather than others' flaws benefit, while those who attack their enemies without knowing that the enemy is attacking them suffer losses."
This means: Those who are self-respecting and not greedy often have unexpected gains, while those who are frivolous and always looking for free rides often suffer losses. Those who avoid initiating fights and think carefully before moving usually win, while those who are overly aggressive in pursuit of kills often fail. Only by carefully analyzing the causes of defeat can one improve; those who become complacent and unaware of caution after a victory only decline. If one is (), they must pay a high price, and the result is often that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Sometimes, even when your success conditions are not yet ripe, but because your desires are too strong, you exhaust yourself trying to achieve it, yet still fail. Meanwhile, what you didn’t expect—because you gradually accumulated it—suddenly finds its conditions ripe when you least know it.
In the short span of a few decades of life, character determines success or failure. The saying goes, "A single misstep can ruin the entire game," and this mistake is often influenced by one's character. Faced with the myriad temptations of the world, one must strive to suppress their desires—this is, in fact, a psychological test for a person. Steadfastness and patience are the roots of frivolity, while calmness and composure are the masters of restlessness. To act hastily is to lose control, and to act recklessly is to lose mastery. The more steady one is, the greater the chance of becoming a victor; those who are too eager to win and cannot restrain their desires often become losers.
There was once a ascetic who practiced self-denial and was preparing to leave his village to live in seclusion in a uninhabited mountain. He carried only a piece of cloth as his clothing and set off for the mountain. Later, he realized that when he needed to wash his clothes, he would need another piece to replace them. So he went back to the village and begged the villagers for a piece of cloth to use as a spare. Knowing he was a devout ascetic, the villagers gave him a piece of cloth without hesitation.
After returning to the mountain, he found a mouse in his hut that would often gnaw on the clothes he had prepared to wash while he was meditating. Having vowed to never harm any living creature, he was unwilling to harm the mouse but had no way to drive it away. So he went back to the village and asked for a cat to keep. After getting the cat, he thought, "What does a cat eat? I don’t want it to eat the mouse, but I can’t just feed it fruits and vegetables like I do." So he asked for a cow’s milk from the villagers, so the cat could live on milk.
However, after living in the mountain for some time, he found that he had to spend a lot of time taking care of the cow. So he went back to the village again. In the end, he found a poor beggar and brought him to the mountain to help take care of the cow. After living in the mountain for some time, the beggar complained to the ascetic, "I’m not like you. I need a wife and a normal family life." The ascetic thought it made sense—he couldn’t force others to live the same ascetic life as him.
And so the story continued to evolve. As you might have guessed, perhaps six months later, the entire village had moved to the mountain.
Desire is like a chain, one link pulling another, never truly satisfied.
P8-9