It is better to go back and build a net than to envy the fish in the river; it is better to draw fuel from the bottom of the cauldron to stop the boiling water.
The original meaning of this sentence is that when you stand by the river pond, instead of eagerly looking forward to it Thinking and imagining that if you get the fish, you might as well go back and work hard to build a fishing net, so that you won't have to worry about not getting fish. This sentence "If you are envious of fish in the depths, it is better to retreat and build a net." This sentence is found in "Hanshu Biography of Dong Zhongshu" , the book says: "Therefore, since the Han Dynasty conquered the world, those who have always wanted to govern but have not been able to govern well so far have failed to change when they should be changed. The ancients have a saying: 'It is better to retreat and build a net if you are envious of fish in the abyss. '" This means that the Han Dynasty hoped that the country could be well governed, but it failed to achieve this goal. The reason was that it "should be reformed but not reformed", that is, it did not make necessary reforms and reforms in concepts and systems. Therefore, he used the ancient saying "It is better to retreat and build a net than to fish in the abyss" to warn the rulers that in order to govern the country well, they must grasp the fundamental concepts and systems.