His father was a poor private school teacher and lived a frugal life. In his later years, my father wrote a "Family Instructions Coupon" as a warning to Lin Zexu. Among them, he also placed his parents' ardent expectations on him. This couplet is: "Coarse clothes, simple food, and some tea, this blessed old man enjoys it; to regulate the family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world, you can do this." Read and appreciate this couplet, a simple and upright old scholar's words Be open-minded and come to life on paper. As an old man, he is old and frail, and his son has reached a "frail" age. At this moment, what should I tell my son? This old man, who was willing to live in poverty and lived a frugal life, first made himself clear in the above couplet: He is almost 60 years old and has worked hard all his life. Now he can no longer do anything important, so he should enjoy peace and happiness. The old man used extremely concise pen and ink to outline the entire content of this "happy" life: wearing coarse clothes, eating light meals, and sipping a cup of light tea at leisure. Don’t ask for much, that’s all. What this first couplet expresses is such a calm and calm state of mind, what a simple and unpretentious pursuit! However, this kind of calm life content is by no means a passive attitude towards life in which everything is done and nothing is done. It also contains the old man's profound hope, which is the entrustment to his son expressed in the second couplet: "If the family governs the country and the world is peaceful, you can do this." The ambition that I adhere to needs to be upheld by my son; I need my son to uphold it. The unfinished business needs a son to continue it. What are your ambitions and career? "A harmonious family governs the country and brings peace to the world." Since the Confucian teachers Confucius and Mencius proposed and elaborated on this idea many times, scholars for thousands of years have unanimously regarded it as their unswerving ambition and lifelong goal. Lin Zexu's father also placed this expectation on his son. As the saying goes, a son is the continuation of one’s life! To continue life, the most important thing is to continue the ambition and career of our predecessors. If the younger generation only swaggers through the market under the banner of the older generation, but abandons the ambition of the older generation and deviates from the career of the older generation, wouldn’t such younger generation be rebellious and unworthy descendants? What is mentioned above is the "Family Instructions" written by Lin Zexu's father. What this article wants to "appreciate" is not this couplet, but a "Family Instruction Couplet" written by Lin Zexu to his children. The day Lin Zexu was appointed as the governor-general of Guangdong and Guangxi was at the height of his prestige and power. What is commendable is that at this moment, Lin Zexu's mind is as clear as ever. He recalled his father's teachings and entrustments to him, and from there he considered how he should educate his children so that the good family tradition could be passed down from generation to generation. After careful consideration, he imitated the way his father taught him, and with a stroke of his pen, he wrote such a "Family Instruction Couplet" and hung it in the study room of his government office. Not only do I often visit and be alert to myself, but I also let my family and children understand my good intentions. The full text of this "Family Instruction Couplet" written by Lin Zexu is as follows: "If my descendants are like me, what will they do with money? If they are virtuous and rich, it will harm their aspirations; if their descendants are not as good as me, what will they do with money? If they are stupid and rich, it will benefit them. This couplet is about asking and answering questions, and talks about whether a senior official should leave more money for his descendants. What’s rare is that what was originally a complex issue that “continues to be cut and rationalized remains chaotic”, which is difficult to describe, has divergent opinions and cannot agree on, but through the hands of Lin Zexu, it is concise, outlined and clear through the form of couplets and just over 30 words. , said it to the point. It is as clear as words, and it is from a high level. One cannot help but feel sincere admiration and admiration for this outstanding national hero who is a politician, general, and poet. The first couplet of this couplet imagines a situation where "descendants are like me." That is to say, if the descendants of future generations are like me, versatile and knowledgeable, and can completely carve out a world and make a career by relying on their own abilities, then as seniors, we will try our best to gather money and leave it to them. Is there anything else necessary? Of course, it's completely unnecessary. Leaving a large amount of money and inheritance to capable, promising, and accomplished descendants not only does not help and care for them, but also causes endless harm. Where does this harm mainly manifest itself? Lin Zexu summed it up in eight words: "If a virtuous man has a lot of money, his ambition will be damaged." That is to say, even for a junior with good qualities and high potential, his talents, wisdom and abilities must be developed and tempered through his own hard work. If their seniors in high positions leave them a large amount of money and inheritance, they don’t need to work hard and forge ahead on their own. They can easily obtain the huge amount of property left by their seniors and enjoy great comfort and prosperity. Life is full of sensuality and debauchery. This way of life is bound to wear away their fighting spirit day by day; disintegrate their enterprising spirit day by day; and suffocate their intelligence day by day. A young man who was originally virtuous, intelligent, and full of potential will inevitably transform into a dandy and imbecile who gets something for nothing, sits back and enjoys his gains, has no moral character and few talents, and "can reach out for clothes and open his mouth for food." Just like those giant pandas that have been kept in captivity for many years, they do not need to go to the mountains and forests to find food by themselves. They can live a comfortable and stable life relying on the food delivered on time by the dedicated breeders. As a result, all their wild life skills gradually degenerated and disappeared, turning into a group of powerless parasites.

Once they lose the meticulous care of humans, they will have no descendants. On the contrary, those tigers running in the mountains and lions roaming the vast wilderness, because they do not receive gifts from outside, they can only survive by relying on their own perseverance, bravery and wisdom to catch prey with great hardships. . It is this way of survival that has cultivated and created their strong limbs, sharp claws, super running ability, and ability to adapt to the harsh environment of nature. These abilities are something that giant pandas who rely exclusively on human gifts will never possess. Don't you see, those "Eight Banners disciples" of the late Qing Dynasty are lying in the shadow of their predecessors, sitting and eating. As a result, the fighting spirit left by our ancestors was worn away; the riding and archery skills our ancestors relied on to conquer the world were wasted. In addition to being a caged bird, wild whoring and gambling, he is useless and has nothing to do. He can only degenerate into the dregs of human beings day by day. You see, some of the "second generation officials" and "second generation rich" in contemporary society have inherited the huge wealth of their predecessors, but have abandoned all the hard work and enterprising spirit of their ancestors and indulged themselves in sensuality, sex, and sensuality. In the luxurious life of living and drinking, apart from spending a lot of money, being dissolute, cheating, and bullying others, there is really no ability. At best, they are just a bunch of losers. Whether it is the "Eight Banners" in the late Qing Dynasty or the contemporary "second generation officials" or "second generation rich", there are certainly many "good seedlings" with excellent potential and outstanding qualities. Later, the reason why these "good young talents" lost their talents, deteriorated their morals, and became a bunch of dandy scoundrels cannot be solely blamed on them. It was those short-sighted fathers who left them huge fortunes, laying a hotbed for them to enjoy their gains and become corrupted. If those fathers who were once rich and powerful had foresight and foresight and did not leave so much property to their children and grandchildren, and allowed their children and grandchildren to start their own business from scratch, set sail in the rapids and shoals of life, and be beaten and tempered in the wind and rain; Children from ordinary families compete fairly and increase their talents. Maybe many outstanding talents with great ambitions and outstanding talents will emerge among these younger generations. At least it won't be like this! The second line of this couplet imagines another opposite situation, "My descendants are not as good as me." In other words, descendants do not have the talents and potential of their predecessors at all. With their own abilities, they cannot stand out at all and can only blend in with the crowd. Is it necessary to leave a large fortune to these descendants with average or even low quality? Lin Zexu also gave a clear answer in his second line: "Foolishness and wealth will increase its faults." A group of "sages" with excellent potential, after receiving a large amount of property left by their parents, may degenerate into idlers who enjoy their gains, do nothing, squander everything, and squander wantonly; then, those "sages" with low quality, low potential, and corrupt morals will "Fool", once he obtains a large amount of property left by his father's generation and becomes "the richest person", what will be the result? Lin Zexu said: "If you are stupid and have more wealth, you will increase your faults." These eight words provide us with huge space for imagination and speculation. For those "fools" with low quality, low potential, and corrupt morals, huge wealth can only become the engine and booster for them to run rampant in the countryside, commit all kinds of evil, bully men and women, and commit illegal crimes. People have seen and heard too many such examples, such as "Ya Nei", "Kuo Shao", "Evil Barrage", "Evil Shao", "Hunter", etc., and "My father is Li Gang". Too many. In this famous couplet, Lin Zexu imagined two opposing situations: "My descendants are like me" and "My descendants are not as good as me", and bluntly answered the question "What to do with the money?". "If my descendants are like me", leaving money will "damage their ambitions"; "If their descendants are not as good as me", leaving money will "increase their faults". That is to say, regardless of whether the descendants are "virtuous or unworthy", have great or small abilities, or have high or low intelligence, if their parents leave them a large sum of money, it is a stupid move that will do all harm without any benefit. Our fathers with far-sighted vision must not make such a bad move! Everyone has the love for their children. However, the way to love a child must be observed! The thoughts expounded by Lin Zexu in this famous couplet can be said to have a long history in the intellectual history of the Chinese nation. In the ancient Chinese historical book "Warring States Policy", there is an article "Touch the dragon and talk about the Queen Mother Zhao". Chu Long, the minister of Zhao State, put forward an important idea: "Parents who love their children have far-reaching plans." That is to say, if parents cherish their children, they must be foresighted and have a long-term vision. They cannot only take into account the temporary safety and comfort of their children. They must let their children go through various dangerous situations, undergo training, become independent, and make achievements. Luo Yin, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote in a poem as a gift to a friend: "The national economy has been advanced, and the family wealth is not for future generations." He even bluntly warned officials at all levels to dedicate themselves to the country and never to amass wealth for future generations. Wang Shizhen, a minister and scholar of the Qing Dynasty who preceded Lin Zexu, also wrote a "Family Instructions Coupon" to teach his younger generations. The couplet says: "Following the true inheritance of our ancestors, we should be diligent and thrifty; we should teach our descendants the two right paths, only reading and farming." Reading this couplet, it is deeply touching to see an incorruptible and upright minister and scholar who longs for a frugal and upright family tradition to be passed down from generation to generation. The older generation of proletarian revolutionaries also viewed this.

They focus on the grand background of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and out of the foresight of cultivating generations of reliable successors for revolution and construction, they pass on the honest and simple family tradition of the Communists from generation to generation, educate their children and grandchildren, and do not love money. , do not admire vanity, be proud of diligence and thrift, be ashamed of extravagance, be down-to-earth, work hard, and serve the country. Zhu De, the founder of the Republic of China, once wrote a five-character poem to his children: "It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality. Building a country through diligence and thrift will always be a motto." The respected old man Wu Yuzhang also wrote a "Family Motto": "It is difficult to start a business, but it is even harder to keep a business. Knowing that material resources are difficult, do not strive for dignity in everything; it is easy to stay at home, but it is not easy to run a family, so you should set an example and do what you do. Set a good example." The great leader Chairman Mao even set an example by his own example. Not only is he honest and impeccable, but he also strictly demands that his children be "happy to go along with others" in everything and must not be special in any way: they cannot enjoy undeserved treatment, and they cannot use their father's position, connections and reputation to seek improper personal gain. . Before his death, he did not leave any property to his children. The descendants of the old man still live an ordinary life like ordinary people. Under the strict teachings of the older generation of revolutionaries, the children have no desire to sit back and enjoy their success, and are full of enterprising spirit. They adhere to their ethics in good times and do not lose their integrity in adversity. They gradually train and grow into outstanding talents in their respective industries, and they are aboveboard and qualified. Citizens are naturally respected by the people. I would like to advise those leading cadres who are racking their brains and deliberately trying to create a "comfortable nest" and "golden nest" for their children, if you still have some "party spirit" of Communist Party members, or at least the "conscience" of being a human being, you can In your busy schedule of "talking about clean government on stage and making 'black money' offstage", have you ever taken a moment to calm down and read the "Book of Commandments" written by Zhuge Liang, a famous statesman and military strategist during the Three Kingdoms period? "Exercise Jian and Show Kang" by Sima Guang, a famous historian of the Song Dynasty. In their short essays, these two sages explained the principle of educating children through frugality in such a concise, thorough and vivid manner, with so much heart and soul! If you are busy socializing, drinking and drinking, and really can't spare the time to read these two short articles of several hundred words, then you might as well read Lin Zexu's 36-character couplet "What do you do with your money?" There should always be time for this, right? Listen to the teachings of the sages, soothe your mind late at night, and think about why some Communists talk plausibly and loudly about the "Three Represents", but in fact, their vision and mind are "not as far ahead" as compared to the feudal scholar-bureaucrats? Have you kept pace with the times, or have you fallen back? Can you still afford the sacred title of "Communist"? Can't you hear the people angrily denounce you as "capitalist Party members"? In recent years, whenever some leading cadres in high positions talk about their children, they can't help but sigh that they are "not like me." "You are not like me" was the helpless sigh that Liu Bang, the great ancestor of the Han Dynasty, made more than 2,000 years ago when faced with his unsatisfactory son. Today, this sigh is the turn of a considerable number of leading cadres. Which of these "big leaders" in high positions did not have a history of hard work when they were young? Through studying hard and working hard, I have climbed to a high position step by step. However, my own children are all "not like me": they have poor ambition but strong vanity, they have no ambition but love money as much as life, they pursue pleasure but are too lazy to start a business, they neglect real talents and practical learning but are good at " Hidden rules" and "thick black science". These leading cadres are often puzzled by the fact that their children's talents are mediocre and difficult to achieve success. As everyone knows, these characteristics of children show traces of their daily influence. Children have never seen or know very little about their diligent study and hard work, their hard work and unremitting progress before reaching high positions. Their children are influenced by their words and deeds after "living high in the temple" and feel the same. All the problems in children are, on the one hand, caused by various viral infections in society; on the other hand, they are copies and clones of the actions of their powerful parents. “Like father, like son”! At the same time, the parents’ way of loving their children like raising birds in a golden cage or feeding fish in a glass tank itself suffocated their vitality of hard work and created their inertia without ambition. "Whatever saplings you plant will bear the same fruit, and whichever seeds you sow will bear the same flowers." Some "big leaders" allow their children to enjoy various privileges from an early age and have material conditions that are far superior to their peers. They also plan their future life paths early and accumulate a lifetime of enjoyment. Endless riches. In the minds of children, it seems that the sun will always be shining, and there will never be any dark clouds or storms; it will always be a straight and smooth road, smooth sailing, and there will never be any bumps and setbacks; it will always be "take the wind to get the wind" "If it rains, it will rain." There is absolutely no need to endure hardships and work hard. It is this way of loving children, raising birds in a golden cage and feeding fish in a glass tank, that cruelly suffocates their motivation for life to be determined and courageous, and ruthlessly kills their enterprising spirit of being ambitious and entrepreneurial. , gradually created their short-sightedness and laziness of sitting back and enjoying the gains. Faced with children who are incompetent and shameless, leading comrades should neither "blame God" nor "excuse others." Let’s look for the reason within ourselves.

You spend all day squandering public funds and living in debauchery, but you imagine your children to be diligent and frugal; you spend all day frivolous, but you imagine your children to work hard; you all day long indulge in "hidden rules" and "thick and black learning", but you imagine your children to be law-abiding; You cheat and deceive your superiors and subordinates every day, but you imagine that your children are seeking truth from facts; you deliberately use your power for personal gain, amass huge amounts of property, and put your children above the pile of money, but you imagine that your children are hard-working and simple. Isn't this just a fool's dream? To cure the "paranoia" of these leading cadres, the "Family Training Coupon" hung by Lin Zexu in his hall is a good prescription. Our leading cadres at all levels might as well ask someone to write it down and hang it in a conspicuous place. From time to time, they will call their wives and children to read it several times and carefully savor the truth in their minds and hearts. For the parents and younger generations, Maybe everyone will benefit a lot. Of course, one cannot expect that one dose of medicine will instantly solve all problems.