It means: "Without indifference, there is no clear ambition, without tranquility, there is no way to reach far."
It means: If you don't see worldly fame and fortune clearly, you can't clarify your ambitions, and if you don't have peace of mind and body, you can't Realize lofty ideals.
From: Zhuge Liang's "Book of Commandments".
Original text: The journey of a husband and a gentleman is to cultivate one’s character through tranquility and cultivate one’s virtue through frugality. Without indifference, there is no clear ambition; without tranquility, there is no far-reaching goal.
Study requires tranquility, and talent requires learning. Without learning, there is no way to expand talents, and without ambition, there is no way to achieve learning. If you are shy and slow, you will not be able to stimulate your energy; if you are impatient, you will not be able to cultivate your nature.
The years go by with the times, the thoughts go with the sun, and then they become withered, and they are not able to take on the world. They stay in the poor house with sadness, what will happen again!
Interpretation: Those who have moral cultivation This is how people practice self-cultivation and exercise. They use inner peace to perfect themselves, and they use frugality to save money to cultivate their noble character. If you don't have a clear mind and few desires, you won't be able to make your ambitions clear and firm, and if you don't have stability and tranquility, you won't be able to realize your lofty ideals.
To learn true knowledge, one must study and explore in tranquility, both physically and mentally. People’s talents are accumulated from continuous learning; if you don’t work hard to learn, you won’t be able to grow and develop your talents; if you don’t have determination and perseverance, Academic success cannot be achieved without a will to change. Indulgence and dissipation, negativity and neglect cannot encourage the mind and spirit; careless adventure, impatience and restlessness cannot cultivate the temperament and ennoble moral conduct.
If your years and years are wasted and your time is wasting away, you will eventually grow old like dead branches and leaves. Such people will not be used by society and benefit society. They will only be sadly trapped in their own poor family and ruins. By then it will be too late to regret. Extended information
Zhuge Liang used the "double negation" in logic to emphasize that he wanted to express "indifferent to clarify one's ambition, tranquility and far-reaching". This is a philosophical statement. This is the same as "if you want to get it, you must first give it to it" and "if you want to achieve your goal, you must first take detours". "Indifferent" and "tranquility" are not about seeking purity and not wanting to achieve anything, but about learning " "Clear ambition", establish lofty ambitions, and when the time is right, you can "reach far" and do something vigorously.
This is not only a summary of Zhuge Liang’s life experience, but also a request for his son. Here Zhuge Liang uses a "double negative" sentence pattern, expressing his teachings and unlimited expectations for his son in a strong and euphemistic tone.