Thrift, the original meaning is self-restraint and non-indulgence in life, and it is extended to saving and saving. Diligence and thrift is an important part of China's ancient traditional morality. Many sages put forward this view from different angles. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, although a hundred schools of thought contend, frugality is the ethical proposition of all schools. Among the five virtues put forward by Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, frugality is an important one. Laozi, the ancestor of Taoism, also pointed out that there should be "three treasures" in dealing with people: "One is kindness, the other is frugality, and the third is not daring to be the first in the world. Among them, "frugality" is also regarded as an indispensable "treasure" Mozi promoted frugality and luxury to the height of national survival. He said, "Thrift leads to prosperity, while fornication leads to death. "With the propaganda, education and advocacy of thinkers of various schools, advocating thrift and opposing extravagance and waste has become a fine tradition of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, which has been further enriched with the development of history and played an important role in the prosperity of the Chinese nation.
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interpret
Cultivating Self-cultivation is a family instruction written by Sima Guang to his son Sima Kang, warning him to advocate frugality. The article shows that he is not in cahoots with the world, but only thrifty. The article cited the examples of Lu Gong and Zhang Wenjie participating in politics. Finally, the article points out that thrift is the characteristic of all virtues and luxury is the root of evil. In "Training for Health", Sima Guang can put himself in others' shoes, whether talking about other people's experiences or lessons, which is very touching. Sima Guang lived in a stable era in the Song Dynasty, and all literati were proud of extravagance, which almost became a fashion for literati. Sima Guang deeply disagreed with this. Sima Guang believes that thrift is not only a virtue, but also related to the long-term interests of individuals and countries. It is meaningful for Sima Guang to advocate frugality. In today's society, material life is increasingly pursued by people. After reading this article, you should get more enlightenment.
original text
Thrift (1), the virtue of * * *; Waste is great, so is evil.
-Excerpted from Sima Guang's "Training with Diligence and Health"
To annotate ...
1 thrift: thrift.
2 luxury: luxury.
3 evil: evil deeds.
translate
Thrift is the great virtue of good deeds, and luxury is the great evil of evil deeds.
82
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For most of us, the name Sima Guang is associated with smashing cans. Besides, what we know is his masterpiece, Zi Tongzhi Sword. In fact, what really made Sima Guang win great prestige in history was his integrity throughout his life.
Sima Guang's father, Sima Chi, was an honest official, diligent and loving the people, and lived a very simple life. His family has always been frugal and never luxurious. Even for first-class officials, only local wild fruits and local vegetables are used, and it is limited to three or five courses. Father's frugality influenced Sima Guang's life.
Sima Guang has been an official for more than 50 years. He was an official and a prime minister in the Song and Four Dynasties. He only has three hectares of land in Luoyang. Sima Guang's wife Zhang accompanied him for 46 years. After the death of his wife, there was no money for funeral at home. His son Sima Kang and his relatives advocated borrowing some money to make the funeral a little extravagant, but Sima Guang disagreed, and educated his son that thrift should be the most valuable thing in life and he should not borrow money easily. Finally, he pawned his land and held a funeral in a hurry. His moral character, even his political opponent Wang Anshi admires him and is willing to be his neighbor.
original text
It is easy to be frugal, but difficult to be frugal.
-Excerpted from Sima Guang's Zi Zhi Tong Jian
translate
It is easier to change from frugal life to luxurious life, but it is more difficult to change from luxurious life to frugal life.
83
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The ancients associated frugality with people's moral cultivation, and thought that frugality and abstinence helped to cultivate mindfulness. Excessive pursuit of material consumption and sensory enjoyment will lead to rational loss, ambition expansion and personality damage. Mencius said, "It is better to cultivate the mind than to be greedy." That is to say, the best way to cultivate one's morality and cultivate one's sexuality is to be pure in heart and lack of desire, in which lack of desire means frugality and extravagance. On the surface, he didn't talk about the relationship between self-cultivation and thrift. What he actually said is that thrift is conducive to the cultivation of good moral character. Zhuge Liang further put forward the idea of "frugality and moral cultivation". "frugality" is a virtue, and "virtue" refers to noble personality, lofty aspirations and lofty spiritual realm. The deeper meaning of "frugality and moral cultivation" is to dilute people's material desires through rationality, control people's excessive pursuit of material enjoyment, and make this pursuit ethical, reasonable and ethical.
original text
A gentleman's trip (1) be quiet to cultivate one's morality, be frugal to cultivate one's morality, be indifferent to ambition, and be quiet to do nothing.
-Excerpt from Zhuge Liang's Ten Commandments
To annotate ...
1 line: conduct.
2 it doesn't matter: it doesn't matter.
translate
The character of a gentleman depends on inner peace to cultivate body and mind, and on frugal style to cultivate noble character. Only indifference can clarify his ambition, and only physical and mental peace can realize his lofty ambition.
84
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"Look at the former sages and their families, they became thrifty and were defeated by luxury." This is a famous epigram written by Li Shangyin, a great poet in the Tang Dynasty, when summing up the historical lessons of the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to decline.
Throughout ancient and modern times, a nation and a country flourished because of thrift and declined because of luxury. In the past, Qin Mugong, adhering to the concept of "living frugally, living extravagantly", managed the country diligently, and solved the problem of "how to deal with the loss of the country when the ancients knew Ming Di", which was a great wish of the world. The famous "Rules of Culture and Scenery" in history would not have been realized if Emperor China had not advocated frugality and prohibited extravagance. Although Shang Zhouwang conquered Dongyi and expanded its territory to the southeast of China, it was so drunk that people complained bitterly that Shang Tang Jiangshan was ruined. However, in the later period of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, he was addicted to debauchery, pleasure and extravagance, which led to the "Anshi Rebellion" and the prosperous Tang Dynasty was gone forever. The words "frugality" and "extravagance" lead to a completely different fate of a country, which makes people sigh and think deeply.
original text
Looking at the country and home of the former sages (1), it changed from thrift to extravagance.
-Excerpt from Li Shangyin's Poems on History.
To annotate ...
1 sage: a sage in history.
translate
I have met countless people of insight, countries and families in history. Their success is due to thrift. When they are extravagant and corrupt, they are ruined.