Four sentences from Zeng Guofan’s family motto: Good family tradition is the best inheritance of a family

There is an old saying: \”Morality can be passed down to a family for more than ten generations, farming and reading can be passed down to a lesser extent, poetry and books can be passed down to a lesser extent, and wealth can be passed down to a family for only three generations.\” The rise and fall of a family depends on virtue. Good virtue comes from good family tradition. The family of Zeng Guofan, a famous official in the late Qing Dynasty, is a typical representative of this kind of \”ancestors left a good family tradition and a good family legacy from generation to generation.\” Under his influence, the Zeng family produced more than 200 talents within 10 generations, including mathematicians, artists, and educators in various industries. There was no prodigal son in the family. Among the many family mottos of the Zeng family, the four last words Zeng Guofan left to his descendants before his death are the most insightful. [Collection] Libo Baijia Lecture Forum Zeng Guofan\’s Complete Works 27 Lectures MP4+MP3 Being cautious and independent leads to peace of mind. Gorky said: \”Reflection is a crystal clear mirror, which can reveal the dirt in the soul.\” The most difficult thing in self-cultivation is to cultivate the mind. , and the most difficult thing about cultivating the mind is to be cautious and independent. The so-called \”Be cautious in being alone\” means that you can always reflect on yourself when you are alone, so that your words and deeds do not violate the rules or deviate from the norm. Zeng Guofan often offended people when he first entered the officialdom. Later, he heard that keeping a diary could reflect on oneself, so he wrote to his brother and said that he also wanted to \”write down every thought and incident every day in a book so that it can be recalled and cured.\” From then on, he kept a diary every day. It has become an indispensable part of his life. The reflection and introspection between the lines have benefited him a lot and inspired his family deeply. He also learned to meditate. From the beginning, \”I fell asleep and my mind was turbid,\” to later, \”I can absorb the true essence of silence.\” The whole process was perseverant and patient, which greatly infected his family. Once, he had an argument with his friend Zheng Xiaoshan, so he reflected on his mistakes in front of his family, put down his dignity, and took the initiative to ask Xiaoshan to admit his mistakes, and also summarized his three major mistakes in this matter. Throughout his life, Zeng Guofan was \”immortal in virtue, meritorious service, and a perfect man as a teacher, general, and prime minister.\” However, he had no intention of being complacent. On the contrary, what he left to his family was always thinking about his own faults and being strict with himself. There is a saying on Keep: Self-discipline gives me freedom. Being cautious and independent is a higher level of self-discipline. In addition to being self-disciplined and disciplined, one must also accept and change oneself with an open mind. When you learn to be cautious and restrain yourself at all times, you will stand at the highest point of your soul. Zhu Xi said: \”Everything must be done with respect before it can be established. Only by being arrogant will things tend to go bad day by day.\” No matter what you do, you must be in awe and concentrate, only in this way can you succeed. The true skill of respect is to \”be focused, quiet and unified on the inside, and orderly and solemn on the outside\”. Only by being calm and focused on the inside and neat and serious on the outside can we truly achieve the \”main respect\” that combines the inside and outside. Zeng Guofan occupies a high position, but he often harbors \”an abyss of worry\”. In a letter home to his son Zeng Jize, he warned: \”With respect, there is no arrogance and no laziness.\” He knew that every bit of it is hard-won, and every moment The children are required to be frugal and run the household. As the head of the family, he sets an example. His daily diet always consists of meat and vegetables, and he does not add any meat unless guests are visiting. He was notoriously simple in his clothing. He had worn an ordinary blue satin mandarin jacket for thirty years. After a lifetime of military service, physical problems will naturally arise. Zeng Guofan also attached great importance to physical health issues and took good care of himself. He also specially summed up a \”six things to do to maintain health\”: 1. After mealsThousands of steps, one day is about washing your feet when you are about to fall asleep, the other day is to keep your chest free of anger, the other day is to sit quietly for a long time, the other day is to practice shooting, and the other day is to eat a bowl of white rice at dawn without touching any vegetables. The ancients often said that if you are afraid, you will not dare to do anything, and you will achieve virtue; if you are fearless, you will do what you want and cause disaster. Only with a heart of respect for the Lord can you be successful at work, have a prosperous family, achieve success in personal affairs, and be physically strong. Seeking benevolence will make people happy. Wu Jingzi once said: \”To convince others with benevolence and righteousness, why not?\” Benevolence and righteousness are the most powerful weapons in heaven and earth. Treating people with benevolence and righteousness will eventually make you invincible. Zeng Guofan had his own set of ideas in teaching his children to be benevolent and righteous. He often tells his children: \”When dealing with relatives, we should pay more attention to feelings than things.\” The two words of love and justice are worth a thousand pieces of gold, and attaching importance to love and justice is the foundation of one\’s life. His principle of life is: Only by relying on benevolence and righteousness can one stand in the world without being poor, humble, weak or clumsy. Zeng Guofan led his troops in wars all year round and achieved great success. The secret of his military leadership was just a few words: \”Like a father and brother taking care of their children.\” Soldiers are not seen as tools in life-and-death struggles, nor as subordinates who obey orders from above. They are just like fathers and brothers taking care of their children through life and death, closely guarding the homeland where they live together. How could one not be moved by such benevolence and righteousness? Naturally, his subordinates became loyal to him and loyal to him to the death. Living in a benevolent and generous family environment since childhood, the children naturally follow their father\’s example and set strict demands on themselves. Wang Jianyou, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, said in a poem: \”A gentleman embraces benevolence and righteousness, and is not afraid of the heaven and earth.\” Benevolence and righteousness are not a term that flaunts one\’s nobility, it is a kind of practice, and it is a kind of brilliance that is born as a human being. People with benevolence and righteousness are not only broad-minded and not afraid of changes in the world, but also feel comfortable physically and mentally, and can appreciate the happiness in the world. Xi Lao Ze Shen Qin has a saying that goes well: With the low level of effort of most people, it is simply not their turn to strive for talent. Most people are indolent by nature, so diligence is valuable. Zeng Guofan highly praised the word diligence. In his letters at home, he warned his descendants: \”Be diligent and frugal, and you will never be unfavorable; arrogance, luxury, and fatigue will never be invincible.\” In addition to his words, he also paid attention to teaching by example. No matter how busy he was with official duties, he would personally review every official document. Diligence and conscientiousness are the main themes of his work. Even in his later years, when he was ill and blind in his right eye, he still insisted on staying up late at work and reading a little after finishing all the official documents. Sometimes his eyes hurt too much, so he would close his eyes and recite. Zeng Guofan\’s personal actions were to set an example for his descendants. As the proverb goes: \”Where there is diligence, there is success.\” In life, there is no casual success, nor is there easy luck. We all admire the beauty and beauty of flowers when they bloom. Little did he know that its buds were soaked in the tears of struggle. Cai Yuanpei said: \”Family is the first school in life.\” Good family education plays a vital role in a person\’s growth. Times are changing and things are changing. However, the sincere teachings of those who benefited future generations and the family tradition that has been passed down for centuries will never change. They have always shined in the long river of history, pointing the way forward for future generations.