Translation of "Zhu Xi's Family Instructions"

Get up at dawn every morning, first wet the ground inside and outside the courtyard with water, and then sweep the floor to make the inside and outside of the courtyard clean; Take a break and take a look for yourself at the portal to be locked.

For a piece of porridge or a meal, we should think about how hard it is to get it; for half a thread or half a thread of clothing, we should always think about how difficult it is to produce these materials.

Everything must be prepared in advance, such as repairing the house before it rains, and not "just improvising", like digging a well when you are thirsty.

You must be frugal in your own life, and don’t linger over meals together.

The tableware is simple and clean, even if it is made of clay, it is better than gold and jade; the food is economical and exquisite, even if it is vegetables grown in the garden, it is better than delicacies from the mountains and seas.

Don’t build gorgeous houses, don’t try to buy good countryside.

Improper women in society are agents of prostitution and theft; beautiful maids and charming concubines are not the happiness of a family.

Domestic servants and servants must not be handsome and beautiful, and wives and concubines must not be colorfully decorated.

Although our ancestors have been away from us for a long time, we still need to be pious when offering sacrifices; even if our descendants are stupid, their education cannot be neglected.

I live a frugal life and educate my children and grandchildren in the right way of life.

Don’t be greedy for money that doesn’t belong to you, and don’t drink too much.

When dealing with small business touts, do not take advantage of them. When you see poor relatives or neighbors, care about them and give them money or other assistance.

Those who make a fortune by being mean to others will never enjoy it for a long time. Those who act contrary to ethics will soon be eliminated.

Brothers, uncles and nephews should help each other, and the rich should help the poor; a family should have strict rules, and the elders should speak solemnly to the younger ones.

If you listen to a woman’s instigation and hurt your own flesh and blood, how can you be a real man? To value money and treat your parents poorly is not the way to be a child.

When marrying a daughter, you must choose a virtuous husband for her, and do not ask for expensive betrothal gifts; when marrying a daughter-in-law, you must choose a virtuous woman, and do not covet a generous dowry.

It is the most shameful thing to be fawning when you see rich people, and it is most despicable to be proud when meeting poor people.

When living at home, fights and lawsuits are prohibited. Once there is a fight or lawsuit, no matter whether you win or lose, the result will be unlucky. Don't talk too much in life, otherwise you will be misunderstood.

Do not use power to bully and oppress orphans and widows, and do not arbitrarily slaughter cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks and other animals for greed.

People with eccentric personalities and self-righteousness will surely regret doing wrong things frequently; those who are decadent, lazy, and addicted to addiction will find it difficult to start a family and build a career.

If you get close to a bad boy, you will inevitably be affected over time. Be respectful and humble, and humbly associate with those who have experience and are good at dealing with things. When you encounter emergencies, you can receive his guidance. or help.

Don’t trust other people’s gossip and think twice. Because how do you know that he is not speaking ill of others? When fighting over something, you have to calmly reflect on yourself, because how do you know that it is not my fault?

Don’t keep it in your heart when you show kindness to others; when you receive kindness from others, you must always keep it in your heart.

No matter what you do, you should leave room for it; after you are satisfied, you should be satisfied and should not go further.

Don’t be jealous when others have happy events; don’t take pleasure in others’ misfortunes.

If you do good deeds but want others to see you, you are not a truly good person. Those who do bad things and are afraid that others will know about them are truly evil people.

Those who have evil intentions after seeing beautiful women will have retribution on their wives and children in the future; those who hold grudges and secretly hurt others will leave a legacy of disaster for their descendants.

If the family is harmonious and peaceful, you will feel happy even if you are short of food and clothing; if you pay your taxes as soon as possible, you will be happy even if you have no money left in your pocket.

The purpose of reading books about sages is to learn their behavior, not just to pass the imperial examination; to be an official, you must be loyal and patriotic, how can you consider the enjoyment of yourself and your family?

We stick to our duties, work hard, and God has arrangements.

If you can behave like this, it is almost consistent with the principles of sages and sages.

Original text

Full text

Get up at dawn, sweep the courtyard, make sure it is clean inside and outside,

When you are faint, you will rest, lock the door , must check personally.

A porridge and a meal, when you think about the difficulty of getting there; half a thread, half a thread, always think about the difficulty of material resources.

It is better to be prepared before it rains and not to dig a well when thirsty.

You must be frugal in serving yourself, and don’t linger when entertaining guests.

The utensils are clean and earthenware, and the earthenware and pots are better than gold and jade; the food is simple and refined, and the garden vegetables are more precious than delicacies. (One work: Garden vegetables are better than delicacies)

Do not build a luxurious house or seek fertile land.

Three aunts and six wives are matchmakers for adulterers and thieves; beautiful maids and coquettish concubines are not the blessings of a boudoir.

Slaves should not be handsome, and wives and concubines should not use colorful makeup.

Although the ancestors are far away, the sacrifices must not be dishonest; although the descendants are foolish, they must read the scriptures.

You must be simple in your home life and teach your children in a righteous way.

Don’t be greedy for unexpected wealth, and don’t drink too much wine.

When trading with Jian Tiao, do not take advantage; when you see poor relatives and neighbors, you must show warmth and compassion.

If you are mean and have a family, you will not be able to enjoy it for a long time; if you have a bad relationship, you will soon perish.

Brothers, uncles and nephews must be divided into many to benefit the few; elders and younger ones, both internally and externally, should be strict in their speech.

How can he be a husband if he listens to his wife’s words and behaves well to his own flesh and blood? He cannot be a good son if he values ??his property but neglects his parents.

When you marry a daughter and choose a good son-in-law, don’t ask for a generous offer; when you marry a daughter-in-law, don’t ask for a generous dowry.

It is most shameful to be flattering when seeing wealth; to be arrogant when seeing poverty is nothing more despicable.

It is advisable to argue and litigate at home, and litigation will lead to disaster; to talk too much in life is to lead to mistakes.

Do not rely on power to bully the orphans and widows; do not be greedy for food and drink, but arbitrarily kill animals and birds.

If you are eccentric, you will have many regrets and mistakes; if you are lazy and resigned, your family fortune will be difficult to achieve.

If you have a bad relationship with others, you will suffer from it for a long time; if you are old and mature, you can rely on each other in times of crisis.

Listen to what is said lightly, be aware of the inhuman accusations, and be patient and think twice;

When you argue over something, you know it is not your fault, so you must think about it calmly.

Don’t think about giving favors, and don’t forget the favors received.

You should leave room for everything, and you should not continue to be proud.

When people are happy, don’t be jealous; when people are in trouble, don’t be happy.

It is not really good to be kind if you want others to see you; to be evil if you are afraid of others seeing it is great evil.

If you see lust and have lustful thoughts, you will repay it to your wife and children; if you hide your grudges and use hidden arrows, you will bring disaster to your descendants.

The family is harmonious, and although the food is not good, there is still happiness;

The national classes are finished early, and there is nothing left in the bag, so I am happy.

Studying aims at being a sage, not just a scholar; serving as an official only cares about the country, not about wealth.

Keep your peace and order, and listen to God. If you behave like this, you will be close to common people.

Extended information

Guiding ideas

"Zhu Xi's Family Instructions" talks about safety, hygiene, thrift, preparation, food, housing and land from the perspective of family management , marriage, beauty, ancestor worship, reading, education, money and alcohol, abstaining from sex, caring, modesty, non-controversy, making friends, introspection, doing good, paying taxes, serving as an official, adapting, staying calm, accumulating virtue, etc. The core is to make people become a person who is upright, knowledgeable, rigorous in life, tolerant and kind, and has lofty ideals. This is also the consistent pursuit of Chinese culture.

If we truly practice this, we will not only become a person with noble sentiments, but also build a happy family and then build a harmonious society. The reason why "Zhu Xi's Family Instructions" has had such a great influence in China over the past three hundred years is that it not only embodies the Chinese people's ideals and pursuits of self-cultivation and family harmony, but more importantly, it uses a language that is both easy to understand and sophisticated. Parallel couple form.

If it is easy to understand, it will be easily accepted by the general public, and if the language is parallel, it will be catchy and easy to remember. Parallel prose refers to the combination of two horses. Parallel prose is an article written in the form of couplets. Each sentence is opposite to each other. It pays attention to the contrast between levels and obliques, and has sonorous and rhyme. It is a style that best displays the unique charm of the Chinese language. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, It is the most prosperous, and there is no shortage of masterpieces in later generations.

"Zhu Xi's Family Instructions" is written in parallel prose, with each sentence antithetical. Family mottos are not strictly monastic books. They are usually hung in halls and rooms to serve as a warning to family members, especially children. However, "Zhu Xi's Family Instructions" has a huge influence and is so popular that it is almost a household name. Naturally, it has become one of the Mongolian books that everyone must read in the old days.

Today, "Zhu Xi's Family Instructions" is placed at the top of "Lecture Notes on Meng Shu" to let everyone know that family education is the most important enlightenment education, and the education of children must start from everything at home. Teach from small things.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Zhu Xi’s Family Instructions