Get up at dawn every morning, sprinkle water on the ground inside and outside the court before sweeping the floor to make it clean and tidy; At dusk, you should have a rest and check for yourself whether the door is locked.
2. It is not easy to think about a porridge and a meal; It is difficult to keep thinking about material resources.
For a porridge and a meal, it is hard to think of it; For half-silk or half-thread clothes, we should always remember that it is very difficult to produce these materials.
It is wise to prepare for a rainy day instead of digging a well with thirst.
Everything should be prepared first, like building a house before it rains, instead of "cramming for the Buddha's feet", like digging a well when you are thirsty.
4. Self-help must be frugal, and banquet guests should not linger.
Be frugal in your life, and don't dawdle when you get together for dinner.
5. The utensils are clean and clean, and Wabi Jinyu; The more exquisite the diet, the more delicious the vegetables in the garden.
The tableware is simple and clean. Although it is pottery made of clay, it is better than jade. The food is both economical and exquisite. Although it is a vegetable grown in the garden, it is better than delicacies.
Extended reading:
Zhu Xi's family precepts are also called Zhu Bailu's family precepts. The author is Zhu Yongchun in the late Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yongchun was born in Kunshan, Jiangsu.
Full text and interpretation:
Article 1: whole family
Get up at dawn, sweep the courtyard, and be neat inside and outside. When you are unconscious, you will rest. If you close the door, you will behave well.
It is not easy to think about a porridge and a meal. It is difficult to keep thinking about material resources. It is better to prepare for a rainy day than to dig a well when you are thirsty.
Self-help must be frugal, and banquet guests must not stay overnight. The utensils are clean, wabi jinyu. A good diet is better than garden vegetables.
Don't run fancy houses, don't seek fertile land.
translate
As soon as it is dawn, you should get up and clean the courtyard steps at once. Be sure to clean them up inside and out. Since it is already dark, you should stop working and rest, close the door, lock the door and have a look in person before going to bed. Whether it is a bowl of porridge or a bowl of rice, it is hard to think of it; Similarly, even if it is half a silk or half a thread, we should always remember that it is obtained through hard work. In our daily life, no matter what we do, we must have detailed plans and careful preparations, just like repairing doors and windows in advance before it rains, and don't try to solve them in a hurry at the last minute, just like digging wells to get water when we are thirsty, it is too late. Personal needs must be frugal. When entertaining guests, remember not to be unrestrained. Daily necessities should be durable, clean and hygienic. Even rough jars are better than luxurious utensils made of jade. The food you eat and drink every day should be simple in design, exquisite and delicious. Even the vegetables grown in the garden are better than the precious exotic food. You don't have to spend a lot of money to build a luxurious house, and you don't have to go to great lengths to seek rich land.
Article 2: Reading.
Although the ancestors are far away, the sacrifice must be sincere. Although children and grandchildren are stupid, they must read classics. The life cycle is simple, and the godson should have an upright side. Don't covet unexpected wealth and drink too much.
translate
Although our ancestors lived a long time ago, we should be sincere when offering sacrifices. Even if sons and grandchildren are ignorant and clumsy, they should be supervised to read the four books and the five classics frequently. In daily life, we must be honest and simple. To educate children, we should have proper morality and correct methods. Don't covet unexpected wealth and don't drink too much.
Article 3: Residence
Don't take advantage of trade with your shoulders. When you meet poor neighbors, you must be more considerate. Being stingy and getting married won't last long.
Lun Chang is a good boy and will die soon. Brothers and uncles, you must be more generous. Young and old, both inside and outside, should be strict with the law.
Listen to the woman, dear flesh and blood, is it a husband? If you value wealth and ignore your parents, you can't be the son of human beings. Marry a wife and choose a husband, not seeking re-employment.
Marry a wife and want a lady, regardless of thickness.
translate
You can't take advantage of those vendors who walk all over the street with goods on their shoulders; In the face of poor relatives and neighbors, we must give sincere condolences and pensions. People who get rich by dishonest means cannot enjoy this wealth safely for a long time. The absurd mistakes in human ethics will soon be seen to decline. Between brothers and uncles, when distributing property and daily necessities, we should give the surplus to the insufficient people. Members, old and young, both inside and outside, should strictly and consciously abide by the norms at home. Listen to a woman casually, thus deviating from the blood relationship. Is this what men should do? Paying attention to money and goods is not good for biological parents, and it is not what a child should do. To marry a daughter, you should choose a good son-in-law who is virtuous and enterprising, and you can't ask for a lot of money; When you marry a daughter-in-law, you should find a virtuous woman, regardless of the dowry.
Article 4: the rich party.
Seeing wealth is not shameful, the most shameful. Being arrogant when you are poor is nothing more than meanness. Avoid litigation at home,
The lawsuit was ultimately fierce. Don't talk too much in life, you will suffer. Do not bully widows by force or kill birds by greed.
If you are partial, you will regret many mistakes. Laziness and self-indulgence are hard. If you show kindness to a young man, you will get bored for a long time.
Qu Zhi is old, but if you are in a hurry, you can rely on each other. Listen to the speech lightly, realize the unreasonable accusation, be patient and think twice before you act.
If you argue about something, you must calm down and think about it. Don't forget to give help, but don't forget to accept it.
Leave room for everything and be proud of it. People are happy, not jealous. People should not be happy when they are in trouble.
You want to be seen by others, which is not true. Fear of being known is a great sin. Seeing the color, I reported it to my wife and daughter.
Hide resentment with arrows in the back, delaying future generations.
translate
It is the most shameful thing to see a rich and powerful person with a flattering expression; When I met a poor and humble person, I showed a rude attitude and was humble to the extreme. Try to avoid disputes and lawsuits at home on weekdays. It is unlucky to go to court after all. Don't talk nonsense when dealing with people, it is inevitable to make mistakes. You can't bully helpless orphans and widows just because you are rich and powerful. You can't slaughter livestock and poultry at will for the enjoyment of appetite. A strange self-righteous person must have many regrets and mistakes. A decadent, lazy person who doesn't know how to work hard can't succeed. The impolite intimacy with bad teenagers will inevitably be dragged down by them for a long time; A modest and prudent gentleman can rely on their help in an emergency. Believe what others say easily, how do you know that person is not framing others and speaking ill of others, so you should be patient and think again and again. How do you know that you are not wrong when you have an argument with others because of trivial matters, so you must calmly reflect on yourself. Don't forget to be nice to others, but remember to accept others' kindness. No matter what you do, you should leave room. Once you are satisfied, you shouldn't force yourself to keep asking. Others have something to celebrate, don't be jealous; Don't be happy when others have disasters and difficulties. You do good things to let others know that it is not really good; It is the greatest sin to be afraid of others knowing when you do something bad. Seeing beautiful women have evil thoughts will be repaid to their wives and daughters in the future; Hiding hatred and stabbing people in the back will definitely bring trouble to future generations.
Article 5: Summary
The family is smooth sailing, although it is embarrassing, but it is also enjoyable. The Chinese class ended in the morning, but there was nothing left. I was complacent.
Reading is aimed at sages, serving officials and serving the country. Keep quiet and listen to the weather forecast. If you do this, you will be very close.
translate
Family members can live in harmony, even if they are too poor to eat three meals, they will enjoy endless family happiness; Pay taxes early, and you will immediately feel the joy of "being light without debt". The goal of reading is to imitate the lofty aspirations of the sages, not just to seek fame; An official should focus on the king and the people. How can he care about his own interests? Do your duty, be content with your fate, keep pace with the times and follow God's will. If you can be like the above, you are almost close to a saint.