The full text of "The Book of Commandments" is translated as follows:

People with moral cultivation rely on inner peace to cultivate their body and mind, and they cultivate their noble character through frugality and saving money. If you are not calm and have few desires, you will not be able to clarify your ambitions, and if you do not eliminate external interference, you will not be able to achieve lofty goals.

Studying requires concentration and concentration, and talent comes from diligent study. If you don't study, you can't grow your talents, and if you don't clarify your ambitions, you can't achieve success in learning.

Indulgence and debauchery, negativity and neglect will not encourage the mind and spirit, and careless adventures and impatience will not cultivate one's temperament. Time flies by with time, and will gradually disappears with time.

In the end, they withered and fell into pieces. Most of them had no contact with the world and were not used by society. They could only sadly be trapped in their own poor and ruined homes. How could they regret it then?

Original text:

The author of "The Book of Commandments" is Zhuge Liang, who lived during the Three Kingdoms period.

As a husband and a gentleman, you should cultivate your character with tranquility and cultivate your virtue with frugality. Without indifference, there is no clear ambition; without tranquility, there is no far-reaching goal. 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 impatient, you will not be able to stimulate your essence, and if you are impatient, you will not be able to 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!

Creative background:

This article is dated to the twelfth year of Jianxing (234), the reign of Emperor Shu Han. It was a letter written by Zhuge Liang to his eight-year-old son Zhuge Zhan in his later years. Letters from home. Zhuge Liang served his country his whole life, dedicated himself to it, and died. He worked day and night for the cause of the Shu Han country and could not take care of educating his son himself, so he wrote this letter to warn Zhuge Zhan.

Character background:

Zhuge Liang (181-October 8, 234), courtesy name Kongming and nickname Wolong, was a native of Yangdu, Langya, Xuzhou (now Yinan County, Shandong Province). Prime Minister of the Shu Han Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period, he was an outstanding statesman, strategist, inventor, and writer in ancient China.

Zhuge Liang's representative works of prose include "Chu Shi Biao" and "Book of Commandments". He invented the wooden ox and flowing horse, the Kongming lantern, etc., and modified the repeating crossbow, called the Zhuge repeating crossbow, which can fire ten arrows with one crossbow. Zhuge Liang "dedicated his life to death" and was a representative figure of loyal ministers and wise men in traditional Chinese culture.

In his early years, Zhuge Zhan married a princess, became a riding captain, and became a Marquis of Wuxiang. In the fourth year of Jingyao's reign (261), he and Dong Jue, the general of the auxiliary state, served as Pingshang Shushi and took charge of central affairs. The emperor favored Huang Hao and Zhuge Zhan did nothing to correct him. When Wei general Deng Ai attacked Shu, Zhuge Zhan led his eldest son Zhuge Shang, generals Zhang Zun, Li Qiu, and Huang Chong to defend Mianzhu (now Deyang City, Sichuan Province). He did not listen to Huang Chong's advice to quickly seize the dangerous position, missed the opportunity, went out of the city to fight Deng Ai, was defeated and killed, and Mianzhu fell. Later Lord Liu Chan surrendered and the Shu Han Dynasty was destroyed.