Motto" is the first motto in Chinese history. It is an inscription written by Cui Yuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The full text has 20 sentences and 100 words, which expresses the author's basic attitude and stance in life. Let @泽光书院 take you through its profound and profound words of self-discipline!
Original text
The shortcomings of those who do not know how to do things are the shortcomings of those who do not speak of their own strengths. ① Be careful not to remember when you give to others, and be careful not to forget when receiving donations. World reputation ② is not worthy of admiration, but benevolence is the guideline ③. What's the harm if you hide your mind ④ and then act? If you slander and criticize mediocrity ⑤? Don't let the name exceed its true meaning, and keep the holy place of fools ⑥⑦. In nirvana, it is precious but not zi, and it contains light. Those who are born with weakness, Lao's advice is to be strong. Qiang? I mean, it’s so long that it’s hard to measure. Be careful about your words and diet, contentment is better than bad luck. If you practice persistently, you will be fragrant for a long time.
Notes
①Shi: giving alms.
②World reputation: worldly honor.
③Ji Gang: legal code.
④Hidden mind: estimate.
⑤Yong: Qi, where?
⑥Stay foolish and clumsy.
⑦Zang (zāng): Praise.
⑧Nirvana: a mineral used as a black dye in ancient times.
⑨淄(zī): black; turn into black.
⑩暧暧(ài): The light is not bright enough. 硁灁(kēng): persistent, describing being shallow and stubborn. "The Analects of Confucius": "The Master said: He is a small man." Introduction: Solid.
Translation
Don’t dwell on other people’s shortcomings, and don’t boast about your own strengths. Don’t think twice about giving kindness to others, and never forget to accept kindness from others. The world's praise is not something to be envied, as long as benevolence is the guideline for one's actions. Hide your sincerity, don't act blindly, and consider whether it is in line with benevolence before taking action. What harm will other people's slanderous comments do to you? Don't make your reputation exceed your reality. Staying foolish is what the sage appreciates. The quality of pure white, which does not change color even if it is dipped in black, is precious. The surface is dull, but the inner things contain light. Weakness is the foundation of survival, so I must refrain from being strong and aggressive, for those who are strong will die. Being humble, stubborn and upright, the villain takes this as a virtue and persists. A gentleman is leisurely, reserved but not sharp, so it is difficult for others to figure him out! A gentleman should be cautious in his words, be restrained in his diet, and be content with what he has, so that he can eliminate bad luck. If you practice it for a long time, over time, it will be fragrant.
Appreciation
The two sentences at the beginning of the chapter, "The shortcomings of a Taoist man are the shortcomings of a Taoist, and the shortcomings of one's own merits" can be summed up as careful words. The "shortcoming of an unethical person" is not to speak out about other people's shortcomings. Confucianism divides people into two categories: gentlemen and villains. You can't talk about the shortcomings of villains because you will offend villains. But for gentlemen, because gentlemen can "examine themselves every day" and can constantly examine and correct themselves. , so there is no need to say: As the saying goes, "A gentleman seeks everything from himself, and a villain seeks everything from others" ("The Analects of Confucius Wei Linggong")
"Don't talk about your own strengths" is to remind yourself not to promote yourself. There is a saying in the "Tao Te Ching": "Those who are self-righteous will not achieve success, those who cut down on themselves will have no success, and those who are vain will not grow." "Speaking of one's own strengths" is to gain recognition and appreciation from others, and then gain benefits. This behavior is contrary to the concepts upheld by Confucianism.
There is a saying in "The Analects of Confucius·Xueer": "Isn't it a gentleman if a person does not know something but is not stunned?" Over-emphasis on one's own advantages will lead to overestimation.