Examples Illustrating Actual Realization

Question: On my birthday, friends came to congratulate me. Friend A gave me 100 yuan, Friend B gave me 100 yuan, and Friend C gave me 50 yuan. Having forgotten how much money I originally had in my pocket, I took it out to count and discovered: after removing the 250 yuan from others, I originally had not a single penny. Does this situation count as empirical proof that I had no money in my pocket originally?

Answer: This certainly counts as empirical proof that there was originally no money in my pocket. Because I witnessed it firsthand, I directly observed it with my own eyes—it is an undeniable fact, so vivid and real that no one can refute it. One cannot help but believe it, as this truth was not obtained through reasoning, imagination, speculation, or estimation. For example, when doing business, every evening upon returning home and counting the money, one empirically verifies the exact amount earned. This amount is not estimated or imagined, nor is it deduced or speculated—it is counted out coin by coin, seen with one's own eyes. This is what is called empirical proof and personal realization.