Meaning: Everything should be planned and acted from both the "big" and "small" aspects, so that mistakes can be reduced or avoided and things can be done smoothly and successfully.
In daily work, we must adhere to our principles, be upright, and be strict with ourselves. First of all, we must not say anything that violates our principles or our conscience. Secondly, do not talk about other people's rights and wrongs, do not brag about personal trivial matters, do not blame others for minor mistakes, do not seek people's privacy, and do not dwell on people's past evil deeds.
From: A gift couplet by Zeng Guofan [Qing Dynasty].
"Keeping one's heart" means guarding one's inner moral bottom line, value bottom line, and personality bottom line. And when you are alone, it is the opportunity and test to keep your heart. Zeng Guofan also regarded "being careful about independence" as the first priority in self-cultivation. He must keep a diary every day to check and reflect on his words and deeds throughout the day to see if there are any violations of the rules, whether he is honest, and whether he is dedicated to his work.
It can be seen that being intolerant of loneliness is a regret in life, and not being able to keep one's heart is a flaw in life. Therefore, when you are alone, you might as well learn knowledge and improve your cultivation; look at your life insights, learn to cherish what you have, and care for your relatives and friends; do some exercise and realize the value of health. When living alone, you must guard your heart, keep a kind heart, keep a hard-working heart, keep a heart that is indifferent to fame and fortune, and keep a normal heart.
Extended information:
Think big, the big picture is the strategy, which means having a big picture; start small, the small thing is the tactics, which means to be careful in doing things. Here we are reminded that everything should be planned and acted from both the "big" and "small" aspects, so that mistakes can be reduced or avoided and things can be done smoothly and successfully.
Zeng Guofan’s life practice proves that it is necessary to "do the right thing" and more importantly, "do things correctly". Those with high ambitions and low hands are often those who boast, and those with high hands and low eyes are often those who have difficulty in achieving great things.
Keeping one’s mouth when living in groups and keeping one’s mind when living alone are the concrete manifestations of a person’s level of self-cultivation. Zeng Guofan's way of self-cultivation is also of great reference significance today. "Living alone and guarding the mind" is the essence of self-cultivation and the state of life. What exactly does "guarding the heart" mean? It means guarding your inner moral bottom line, value bottom line, and personality bottom line.
When you are alone, it is the opportunity and test to keep your heart. Only by persisting in learning, improving yourself, and learning to cultivate your mind will you be able to keep your mind. Because keeping the mind is not a temporary thing and cannot be achieved overnight. It requires self-examination from time to time, comparison of everything, and perseverance.
Zeng Guofan devoted himself to learning in his early years. His academic research ranged from history and ancient Chinese literature to calligraphy, Neo-Confucianism and various regulations and systems.
He was eager to learn more and be comparable to famous scholars such as Mei Zengliang and He Shaoji. However, he did not become a prolific scholar in the end. The main reason was that he had not had time to write a book. Said that he had been promoted to a second-rank official, and he was busy with officialdom disputes, and later devoted himself to military campaigns, which made it impossible for him to stick to the book garden and study knowledge.
Nan Huaijin, a famous contemporary scholar, said in "The Analects of Confucius": "Zeng Guofan, a famous official in the Zhongxing Dynasty in the Qing Dynasty, had thirteen sets of knowledge, and two sets have been handed down, one of which is the "Zeng Guofan Family Letter"." People today can study and study "Zeng Guofan's Family Letter". It records the main activities of Zeng Guofan's life and his main thoughts on politics, family affairs, scholarship, and military affairs. It is a valuable material for future generations to study Zeng Guofan's thoughts.
After Zeng Guofan conquered Tianjing, he became extremely powerful and accomplished, and the Qing Dynasty was extremely worried about him. Emperor Xianfeng once sighed when the Hunan army conquered Wuhan: "Half of Hong Xiuquan left, but Zeng Guofan came." Zeng Guofan had rich political experience and historical knowledge, and was familiar with the anecdotes of the past dynasties. The family letters were published to show that they were loyal to the Qing court and to silence the jesters.
Zeng Guofan’s family letters have been popular since then and have endured for a long time. After many selections and adjustments, various versions were formed. In total, there are more than 1,400 of his family letters, which lasted for 30 years from the 20th year of Daoguang to the 10th year of Tongzhi. Their contents include self-cultivation, educating children, running a household, making friends, employing people, conducting business, managing finances, studying, and running the army. In terms of politics and other aspects, these family letters are true and detailed, ordinary and profound. They are a real and vivid guide to life.