Zhuge Liang's "Book of Commandments"
The journey of a husband and a gentleman is to cultivate one's character through tranquility, and to cultivate virtue through frugality. If it is not indifferent, it will not clear its aspirations, and if it is not tranquil, it will not reach far. Learning 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 arrogant and impatient, you cannot stimulate your essence, and if you are dangerous and impatient, you cannot cure your nature. Years go with the times, thoughts go with the sun, and they become withered and withered. Many people do not take on the world, and they stay in the poor house with sadness. How will they be able to get back to you!
——This article is selected from "The Collection of Zhuge Liang". The title was added by later generations.
ⅠOriginal text and translation, annotations, appreciation tips
Original text;
The conduct of a gentleman is to cultivate one’s character through tranquility, and to cultivate virtue through frugality. Without indifference, there is no clear ambition; without tranquility, there is no far-reaching goal. The husband must be quiet to study, and the talent must study. Without learning, there is no way to expand talents; without ambition, there is no way to achieve learning. If you are arrogant and slow, you will not be able to stimulate your essence, and if you are dangerous and impetuous, you will not be able to cultivate your nature. Years go by with the times, thoughts go with the sun, and they become withered and withered. Many people do not take on the world, and they stay in the poor house with sorrow. How will they be able to come back!
Translation:
A man with both ability and political integrity. Good character relies on inner peace and concentration to cultivate body and mind, and relies on frugal style to cultivate character. If you don't look down on worldly fame and wealth, you won't be able to clarify your ambitions. If you don't have peace of mind and body, you won't be able to realize your lofty ideals. You must concentrate on learning, and you must study hard to increase your talents. If you don't study hard, you can't increase your intelligence, and if you don't clarify your ambitions, you can't achieve success in learning. The pursuit of excessive pleasure and laziness cannot inspire the spirit, and frivolity and irritability cannot cultivate the temperament. Time passes by, and will wears away with time. In the end, it is like a dead branch and a leaf, (becoming a person who does nothing) of no use to society. (At that time,) staying in a broken house, sighing in sadness, so what? Is it too late?
Notes:
Contempt: Excessive enjoyment and laziness.
Accepting the world: contacting society and taking on things.
Encourage: work hard and make progress.
Dangerous: impetuous.
Cultivating one’s character: cultivating one’s temperament.
Appreciation Tips:
Most of the ancient family mottos condensed the author’s lifelong life experience, life experience and academic thoughts. Not only did his descendants benefit a lot from them, but also People today can learn a lot from it. Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of the Shu Han Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period, was hailed as the "incarnation of wisdom" by later generations. His "Book of Commandments" can also be said to be a family motto full of wise words and a famous family motto in ancient times. The article is short and concise, expounding the profound principles of self-cultivation, academic study and conduct. It is thought-provoking.
Ⅰ Thoughts of the article
"The Book of Commandments to Sons" is a famous article about self-cultivation and determination. When working hard, the most important thing to avoid is absurdity and impetuosity.
ⅠAbout "Without indifference, there is no clear ambition, and without tranquility, there is no far-reaching goal."
"Without indifference, there is no clear ambition, and without tranquility, there is no clear ambition. Zhiyuan." comes from the "Book of Commandments" written by Zhuge Liang to his 8-year-old son Zhuge Zhan when he was 54 years old. 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. In modern terms: "If you don't take the fame and fortune in front of you lightly, you won't have clear ambitions. If you can't study calmly and concentrate on it, you won't be able to achieve lofty goals."
Through the above analysis, we can see that Zhuge Liang used the "Law of Negation of Negation" in "Logic" to emphasize that he wanted to express "indifferentness to clarify one's ambition, tranquility and ambition". This is a philosophical statement. This is the same principle as "if you want to get it, you must first give it" and "if you want to achieve your goal, you must first take detours." The current "indifferent" and "tranquil" pursuit of purity does not mean not wanting to achieve anything, but through Learn to "clear your mind" and establish lofty ambitions. When the time is right, you can "reach far" and do something vigorously.
"Tranquility" is an ancient Taoist thought. "Laozi" once said that "tranquility is the best, winning but not beautiful." Later generations have continued to appreciate this artistic conception of "peace of mind and soul". For example, in Bai Juyi's poem "Asking about the Autumn Lights", "the body and mind become peaceful, and the smoke and scenery are indifferent". He reflects the author's long-term and broad realm of having no distracting thoughts, being focused and at ease, and not limited to immediate gains and losses.
ⅠThe warnings in Zhuge Liang’s letter to his son
Let’s take a look at how the famous Zhuge Kongming taught his son:
Lesson 1: The power of tranquility "Quietness is the only way to cultivate one's body. Without tranquility, one cannot go far. One must learn to be still."
Zhuge Liang advised his children that only by tranquility can they cultivate their body and mind and reflect quietly. If you cannot calm down, you cannot effectively plan for the future. And the first condition for learning is a peaceful environment. Most modern people are busy all day long. Should you calm down and reflect on the direction of your life?
Lesson 2: The power of frugality "Frugality cultivates virtue"
He told his children to be frugal in order to cultivate their own virtue. By managing your finances prudently and living within your means, you can not only get rid of the trouble of debt, but also live a disciplined and frugal life without becoming a slave to material things. In a civilized society that encourages consumption, have you ever thought about the benefits of frugality?
Lesson 3: The power of planning "Without indifference, there is no clear ambition, and without tranquility, there is no far-reaching goal."
Tell your children to plan their lives and not to pursue fame and wealth in everything, so that they can understand their own destiny. ambition. Only by calming down can we carefully plan for the future. Do you have ideals for the future? Do you have a sense of purpose? Do you have your own values?
Lesson 4: The power of learning "You must be quiet to learn"
Tell your children that a quiet environment is very helpful for learning, and of course it must be combined with a focused and calm state of mind. , and get twice the result with half the effort. Zhuge Liang is not a believer in the theory of genius. He believes that talent is the result of learning. Do you study with all your heart? Do you believe that hard work leads to achievement?
Lesson 5: The power of value-added "Without learning, you can't expand your talents. Without ambition, you can't learn."
He advised children that if you want to increase the value of your investment in life, you must first be determined. If you are willing to study hard, you will not be able to increase your talents. But in the process of learning, determination and perseverance are very important, because without willpower, you will give up halfway. Have you ever thought about the principle that if you work hard, many people will be strong, but if you stick to it, there will be few people?
Lesson 6: The power of speed "If you are slow, you will not be able to work hard."
He warned the children that if they procrastinate, they will not be able to grasp the key points quickly. The popularity of computers represents the advent of the age of speed. Unexpectedly, the intelligence of more than 1,800 years ago coincides with today's. Being one step ahead of others not only makes it easier to achieve your ideal, but also gives you more time to correct and improve!
Lesson 7: The power of character "You cannot cultivate your temperament if you are impatient"
Zhuge Liang advised his children that if they are too impatient, they cannot cultivate their temperament. A psychologist said: "Thoughts affect behavior, behavior affects habits, habits affect character, and character affects destiny." Zhuge Liang understood that in life, he must make various balanced choices, "encourage energy" and "train his nature." Do you want to improve the quality of your character?
Lesson 8: The power of time "As the years go by, so will the time."
He warned the children that time flies by, and willpower will be worn away by time. If you don’t work hard, you will be sad.” "Time management" is a modern concept. If you think about it carefully, time cannot be managed. It is twenty-four hours a day, no more, no less. The only way is to manage yourself and make the best use of every minute and every second. Please think about it, have you wasted your time?
Lesson 9: The Power of Imagination "How will it be possible to become a withered man without taking over the world?"
Tell the children that time flies, and when you become like the world Out of touch, only lamenting the wasted years will not help. Only by knowing how to be prepared for danger in times of peace can we remain calm in the face of danger. Imagination is more powerful than knowledge. Have you ever thought big, started small, and planned your life down to earth?
Lesson 10: The power of simplicity
The above letter written by Zhuge Liang to his son uses only 86 words to convey the message concisely. I believe that concise expression comes from clear thoughts. Long speeches are easily boring, and concise communication is more effective.