It means: cultivate yourself without external influence, and cultivate your moral character with thrift. If we don't take a weak attitude towards fame and fortune, we can't make our ambitions innocent, and we can't make progress to achieve our lofty goals without excluding external interference.
from: Zhuge Liang [Three Kingdoms Period], The Book of Commandments.
the original sentence: a gentleman's trip is quiet to cultivate one's morality and frugality to cultivate morality. If you don't stay in the park, you won't have a clear ambition, and if you don't be quiet, you won't be far away. If you study quietly, you must learn. If you don't study, you can't learn widely. If you don't have ambition, you can't succeed. You can't work hard if you are slow, and you can't cure if you are dangerous. Years go with the times, meaning goes with the days, and then they become withered, and they don't meet the world, and they are sad to stay in the poor house. What will happen?
Interpretation: A gentleman's conduct is to improve his self-cultivation from tranquility and cultivate his moral character from frugality. You can't make your ambition clear unless you are quiet, and you can't achieve your lofty goals without excluding external interference. Learning must be quiet and single-minded, and talent comes from learning. Therefore, if you don't study, you can't grow your talents, and if you don't have ambition, you can't make achievements in learning.
Indulge in idleness can't cheer you up, and impatience and adventure can't cultivate your temperament. Time flies at any time, and the will passes with the years. In the end, most of them are out of touch with the world and are not used by society. They can only sit in the poor house sadly. How can they regret it at that time?
Extended information:
Background of article creation
This article was written by Zhuge Liang to his eight-year-old son Zhuge Zhan in the 12th year of Jianxing in Shu Han Dynasty (in 234). Zhuge Liang devoted all his life to his country and died. He worked day and night for the national cause of Shu and Han, and neglected to educate his son personally, so he wrote this letter to warn Zhuge Zhan.
The Book of Commandments is a letter from Zhuge Liang, a statesman in the Three Kingdoms Period, to his son Zhuge Zhan before he died. From the text, we can see that Zhuge Liang is a noble and knowledgeable father, and his earnest teaching and infinite expectations for his son are all in this book. Through the words of wisdom, rationality, conciseness and preciseness, the full text expresses the love of fathers all over the world, which has become a famous piece of students' self-cultivation and determination in later generations.
The main purpose of "The Book of Commandments" is to encourage my son to study hard and be determined, and to cultivate self-cultivation should work hard from indifference and tranquility, and avoid laziness and rashness. This paper summarizes the experience of being a man and doing research, focusing on a word "quiet", and at the same time attributing failure to a word "mania", which is in sharp contrast.
In the Book of Commandments, Zhuge Liang taught his son to be "quiet" and "quiet", encouraged his son to study hard and inspire himself, and made great efforts in his quiet self-cultivation. He said, "If you study quietly, you have to learn. If you don't learn, you don't have a wide range of talents. If you don't have ambition, you don't have a chance to learn."
It means that you can't study hard for a long time in order to realize your lofty ideals without stability and tranquility. To learn true knowledge, you must study and discuss your body and mind in tranquility, and people's talents are accumulated from continuous learning. You can't grow and develop your talents without hard work; You can't succeed in your studies without firm will.
Zhuge Liang teaches his son not to be impetuous and behave absurdly. In the second half of the letter, he earnestly taught his son in a fatherly tone: if the young don't work hard, the old will be sad. This seems to be a cliche, but it is taught by a loving father to his son. Every word is the truth in his heart and the summary of his life, so it is particularly cherished.
Zhuge Liang (October 8, 181 -234), born in Wolong, Xuzhou Langya Yangdu (now yinan county, Linyi City, Shandong Province), was the prime minister of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period, an outstanding politician, strategist, diplomat, writer, calligrapher and inventor.
In his early years, he went to Jingzhou with his uncle Zhuge Xuan. After Zhuge Xuan's death, Zhuge Liang lived in seclusion in Longzhong. After Liu Bei visited the cottage, Zhuge Liang was invited, and Sun Lian resisted Cao, and Cao Jun was defeated in Battle of Red Cliffs. Formed the trend of the three kingdoms, and seized Jingzhou. In the 16th year of Jian 'an (211), Yizhou was captured.
Then he defeated Cao Jun and won Hanzhong. In the first year of Zhangwu in Shu Dynasty (221), Liu Bei established the Shu-Han regime in Chengdu, and Zhuge Liang was appointed as the prime minister to preside over the state affairs. Liu Chan, the late ruler of Shu, succeeded to the throne, and Zhuge Liang was named the marquis of Wuxiang, who led Yizhou as a shepherd. Diligent and cautious, big and small political affairs must be handled personally, and rewards and punishments are strict; Alliance with Dongwu to improve relations with all ethnic groups in southwest China; Carry out the policy of reclaiming farmland and strengthen combat readiness.
Six northern expeditions to the Central Plains, mostly with grain. Eventually, due to overwork, he died in Wuzhangyuan (now in Qishan, Baoji, Shaanxi Province) in the twelfth year of Jianxing, Shu, at the age of 54. Liu Chan made him a loyal marquis of Wu, and later generations often called Zhuge Liang by marquis of Wu. Because of its military ability, the Eastern Jin regime made him the King of Wuxing.
representative works of Zhuge Liang's prose include "A Teacher's List" and "A Book of Commandments". He once invented the wooden ox, the Kongming lantern and so on, and transformed the crossbow, called Zhuge Liancrossbow, which can hit all targets with one crossbow. Zhuge Liang, a representative of loyal ministers and wise men in China traditional culture, devoted himself to his life and died.