"Restrain oneself and guard one's heart" means to restrain one's selfish desires, restrain one's behavior, and keep one's heart pure and clear.

Source

This sentence comes from "The Doctrine of the Mean" in the Book of Rites.

Excerpts from the original article

A gentleman should be cautious about independence, do not bully the dark room, humble himself as a pastor, and be chaste with the rules. A true man stands between heaven and earth. He should nourish the righteousness of heaven and earth, do things aboveboard, and be self-restrained. , be cautious in independence, guard your heart, be clear about your nature, restrain yourself with the same attitude of restraining others, and tolerate others with the same attitude of tolerating yourself.

Translation

When a gentleman is alone, even if others cannot see or hear him, he must be cautious and meticulous, do not do anything that violates moral laws, live up to his conscience, do not deceive his heart, and accept Baichuan is strict with self-discipline. Self-denial, caution, guarding the heart, and clarity of nature, in order to restrain one's own selfishness and greed, and tolerate the shortcomings and differences of others, so as to achieve the purpose of being a true gentleman.

Appreciation

This article mainly wants to tell us that as a cultivated person, we should always maintain self-discipline, not do anything that violates conscience and moral laws, and be strict with ourselves at all times. We must also tolerate the shortcomings and differences of others. Only in this way can one be a true gentleman.

Creative background

"The Doctrine of the Mean" is an ancient classic and one of the important documents of the Confucian school in the pre-Qin period. It mainly talks about human cultivation and the principles of governing the country. . Among them, "self-denial, caution in independence, guarding the heart, and clarity of nature" are part of it and are regarded as an important part of Confucian thought.

Notes

Self-denial: Restrain one's own selfishness and greed.

Be cautious and meticulous, do not do anything that violates moral laws, live up to your conscience, and do not deceive your heart.

Keep your heart: Maintain a good inner state and be strict with yourself at all times.

Mingxing: Understand your own nature and principles, and use this to guide your behavior.

Life Enlightenment

In modern society, to be a cultured person, we need to constantly improve our own quality, maintain strict requirements on ourselves, and at the same time understand and tolerate The shortcomings and differences of others. Only in this way can you become a truly outstanding person.

In life, we also need to always remind ourselves to be self-denial and keep our hearts. For example, when we face some temptations, such as eating too many sweets, overspending on shopping, etc., we need to restrain our desires and stay rational. At the same time, when getting along with others, you must always restrain your behavior, respect the feelings of others, and do not do anything that goes against public ethics and morality. Only in this way can we become gentlemen in the true sense, possessing noble moral character and values.