Fan Zhongyan\’s \”Letter to the Family\”: The secrets of prosperous family education are hidden in these four words

A family is like a tree, only if the trunk is straight can it grow tall; a family is like a house, only if the foundation is stable can it live long; a family is like a river. Only when the river is long can it flow far. There are many tricks to a thriving family. The real secret is only four words. If you keep these four words, you can keep the happiness of your family. People need to be \”pure\”. Fan Zhongyan said in \”Books from the Family\” that \”the person I hate the most is the one who endures orders and enjoys the happiness of wealth and honor.\” He once warned his descendants, relatives and friends to \”be an official with a pure heart and refrain from seeking personal gain.\” For a family to thrive, the most important thing is to stay on track. The heart must be pure and the road must be clean. If your heart is not pure and clear, you will always go down the wrong path. You may gain temporary glory, but it will never last long. \”Good and evil will be rewarded in the end, it\’s just a matter of whether they come early or come late.\” Only by being clean and down-to-earth can you go far and your family can prosper for a long time. Things need to be done with caution. \”When you see important issues, don\’t discuss the merits. Taking a nickname will lead to great regrets.\” This is a famous saying left by Fan Zhongyan to his descendants. You don’t have to stick to trivial matters when doing things, but you must have a sense of justice and a long-term perspective. You must not only see immediate benefits, but you must be cautious in making decisions. Fan Zhongyan\’s son went to Suzhou to buy grain. On the way back, he met Fan Zhongyan\’s good friend Shi Yannian. Shi Yannian was poor and had not enough to eat. Fan Zhongyan\’s son gave all the grain he bought to Shi Yannian. After returning home, he told his father Fan Zhongyan everything about it, and received repeated praise from Fan Zhongyan. Be cautious in doing things and don\’t be dazzled by temporary benefits. A family cannot thrive without the joint efforts and careful planning of the whole family. For a family to thrive in the long term, family members must take a long-term view. The family is a whole, and every decision requires careful discussion among family members. The body needs to be \”cherished\” We all say that the body is the capital of revolution. For a family, the health of its members is the greatest blessing for the family. Fan Zhongyan\’s son was frail and sick, and he advised his son to take good care of his body. When Fan Zhongyan was young, in addition to studying, he also spent time practicing swordsmanship every day to maintain good health. Many families have fallen into the abyss due to illness, once happy families have become broken, and once prosperous families have become impoverished overnight. For a family to thrive, family members must take good care of their bodies. No matter how much money you have, it\’s not as important as your health. Don\’t work too hard. What you spend on staying up late now is your future health. Family members should also pay attention to each other\’s psychological conditions and emotional changes, communicate in a timely manner, and relieve stress for their loved ones. Fan Zhongyan was diligent and thrifty throughout his life. When he was young, he went out to study and devoted himself to reading. He cooked brown rice into porridge every night. In the morning, the porridge was frozen. He cut the porridge into four pieces and used it as food for the day. After getting old, Fan Zhongyan turned frugality into a family tradition. A matchmaker arranged for Fan Zhongyan\’s eldest son to marry him. The matchmaker thought that the Fan family must have a lot of wealth and luxurious food and accommodation, but when he went to the Fan family, he was dumbfounded. The furnishings of the Fan family are very simple, they wear coarse clothes and eat simple food. Only by being diligent and thrifty can the family prosper. It is easy to spend money but hard to make money. Don\’t have the habit of spending money. Material desires should be reduced and impulsive consumption should be reduced. Don’t be extravagant when eating out. Order as much as you can, and take away whatever you can’t finish. Maybe you think saving a dime or two doesn\’t mean much, but over time,Being tired is a big deal. The prosperity of the family is not the result of God-given luck, but the result of hard work. Keeping your heart \”pure\”, making sure you are \”prudent\” in doing things, protecting your body \”healthy\”, and keeping your family \”frugal\” will keep your family prosperous.