Strong Military Forum | A Clear and Tranquil Mind, A Vigorous and Flourishing Inner Strength

Studying the exemplary deeds of Wang Ji, a researcher at the College of Computer Science of the National University of Defense Technology, one is always moved by his purity. We all know that Wang Ji is engaged in high-assurance software research and naturally understands algorithmic principles. In his professional work, he always strives to achieve the optimal solution. But in him there is also a higher-order algorithm for life itself: "reduce complexity to its minimum, raise purity to its maximum."

Chairman Xi has pointed out that one must "forge the political character of absolute loyalty to the Party, hold high the spiritual disposition of idealism, maintain a clear and tranquil mind (心境澄明) and a vigorous and flourishing inner strength (心力茁壮), so that people can sense at first encounter the clarity and purity that young cadres should possess." What is purity? It means that, having been tempered by wind and rain, one's heart remains singularly focused and undistracted—faith unmixed with impurities, pursuits free of vainglory, work free of self-interest—striving to be untainted by a single speck of dust, wholeheartedly devoted to the public good, and upright in every respect, pouring all one's thoughts and energy into one's work and undertakings. The higher the degree of purity in military scientific research workers, the more they are able to serve the greater public good, uphold the greater righteousness, and seek the greater self, always placing the interests of the Party, the state, and the military first, and striving to achieve the maximum value and optimal solution in both worth and accomplishment.

Struck down by illness, losing both legs, at the darkest moment of his life, Wang Ji nonetheless saw "another side": "Fortunately my brain is intact and my hands can still move—from now on I can free up more time for research." In Wang Ji's mind, he arrived at a new "algorithm" for disability: "I've cut out the commute, filtered away irrelevant socializing, and in return gained a purer academic time and space." In his students' eyes, Wang Ji has turned his life into a minimalist system, treating every obstacle as a bug to be debugged and thus converting it into "a solvable problem." This is Wang Ji's purity.

The facts prove that for scientists like Wang Ji, the higher the degree of purity, the stronger the sense of vocation, and the richer the achievements become.

Chen Liquan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Physics and a recipient of the State Supreme Science and Technology Award, made a cross-field career change at the age of 36 and ran hard down the track of lithium battery research, for the reason that "this is of great significance to China's future energy development." He believes that "as long as the state needs it, no matter how arduous the road, one must keep walking." Ben De, an academician at the No. 14 Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) and a recipient of the State Supreme Science and Technology Award, devoted his entire life to the research and development of radar technology. When the state urgently needed airborne radar, Ben De resolutely accepted the mission. As the technical lead, Ben De flew on nearly every test flight. He said: "If you don't go up yourself, you'll never know where the problem really lies." After the mission was completed, Ben De's health collapsed, and it took him several years of illness before he gradually recovered. It is precisely because these scientists are indifferent to fame and gain, pure and clear in character, vigorously carry forward the spirit of scientists (科学家精神), and "join the surging torrent of those who dedicate themselves," that our country has been able to continuously scale the world's peaks of science and technology.

"Do earth-shaking deeds, be a person whose name goes unrecorded." Yu Min, a "Two Bombs, One Satellite" (两弹一星) meritorious figure whose name disappeared from public record for 28 years, said: "A person's name will sooner or later fade away. To be able to merge one's meager strength into the cause of a strong nation is satisfaction enough." Indeed, scientific and technological innovation is arduous work, a pioneering undertaking, requiring effort a hundred or a thousand times greater than that of ordinary people. Without lofty ideals and convictions, and lacking a pure and noble character, it is very difficult to lead and stay ahead. Scientists like Wang Ji are able to endure what ordinary people cannot endure, do what ordinary people cannot do, and achieve what ordinary people cannot achieve—the most powerful engine is the force of patriotism, and the most solid support is the constant preservation of one's own pure heart. Especially today, when the scientific-technological revolution and the military revolution are advancing with tremendous speed, possessing more innovative results requires all the more that military scientific research workers preserve their original aspiration for research (科研初心), resolve to forge a shield for the nation, and continuously raise their own degree of purity.

To raise the degree of purity to its highest, the most fundamental thing is to learn to calculate accounts, and to be skilled at calculating the big account. Wang Ji often says, "Calculating the small account is easy to get stuck; calculating the big account is what brings good fortune," and "Calculate the big account, think about big matters, and a person becomes purer and more focused." Wang Ji's students evaluate him this way: "He carries in his heart a world far larger than himself—that is why those hardships never swallowed him." For military scientific research workers to learn from Wang Ji is to follow his example: calculate more with the big abacus and the big account, less with the small abacus and the small account; think through problems and advance work from the standpoint of the interests of the Party, the state, and the military; cultivate more of the magnanimity of "success need not come in my time" and the sense of responsibility of "success will certainly come with my contribution"; genuinely produce "hard-core" (硬核) achievements; and ensure that the mission is not dishonored and the trust is not betrayed.