It means that people all over the world flock together for the sake of profit, and go their separate ways for the sake of profit. It refers to the fact that all living beings in the world are running for their own interests.
It comes from Chapter 129 "Biographies of Huo Shi" in "Historical Records" by Sima Qian, a famous historian and writer in the Western Han Dynasty.
There is a saying in Chinese studies: "If you have enough food and clothing, you will know the etiquette. If you have enough food and clothing, you will know the honor and disgrace." Etiquette is born from existence and discarded from non-existence. Therefore, if a gentleman is rich, he will practice his virtue; if a villain is rich, he will be able to live up to his abilities. If the abyss is deep, fish will live in it; if the mountain is deep, animals will flock to it; if people are rich, they will be benevolent and righteous. If the rich gain wealth, they will be prosperous; if they lose wealth, they will have nothing to offer, and they will not be happy. Yi and Di benefit greatly.
As the proverb goes: "A son with a lot of money will never die in the market." This is not an empty statement. Therefore, it is said: "The prosperity of the world is all for benefit; the hustle and bustle of the world is all for benefit." The king of thousands of chariots, the prince of thousands of families, and the king of hundreds of houses are still suffering from poverty, and how about the people who have a single household? !
Translation:
Chinese traditional Chinese saying: "Only when there is a solid warehouse can you know the etiquette; only when you have enough food and clothing can you know the honor and shame." Etiquette is born and discarded when it is not. Therefore, if a gentleman is rich, he is willing to show kindness; if a villain is rich, he uses appropriate power. When the water is deep, fish will grow; when the mountains are deep, animals will disappear. When people become rich, benevolence and righteousness will follow them. The rich gain power more obviously. If they lose their advantage, they will have nothing, and they will not be happy if they use it. Yi Di is even more serious.
As the saying goes: "A man with a rich family will not die on the street." This is not empty talk. Therefore, it is said: "The bustle in the world is all for profit; the hustle and bustle in the world is all for profit." The king of thousands of chariots, the princes of ten thousand households, and you from a hundred families are worried about poverty, let alone ordinary households. Common people!
Creative background:
The imperial power of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty was weakened, and the Qin Dynasty destroyed ancient cultural classics, resulting in the precious books and classics in the Mingtang and stone chambers being scattered and disordered. After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Xiao He revised the law, Han Xin affirmed the military law, Zhang Cang established the charter, Shusun Tong determined the etiquette, and literary men with both good character and learning gradually began to use it, and the destroyed ancient books such as "Poetry" and "Book" also continued to be used. It was searched for and donated by literature lovers everywhere.