Lin Zexu\’s ten useless family mottos explain how to behave in the world

Lin Zexu, an important official in the late Qing Dynasty, was once praised by the people as \”the first honest official\”. He was upright and strong-willed. He lived in a cowardly and dark court and acted against orders many times, but he still managed to end well. His ability to deal with the world is evident. At the age of 50, he combined his life experience and wrote an article called \”Ten Useless Things\” as a family motto. These \”ten useless things\” are not only Lin Zexu\’s own standards of self-cultivation, but also his principles for educating his children. 01 If you have bad intentions, Feng Shui will be useless. There is a saying: \”Character is the best Feng Shui.\” An old Chinese saying also says: \”If you are good, you will not be bullied by God; if you are evil, you will not be afraid of God.\” Good character brings good popularity. People with good character are more likely to be loved, respected and grateful by the people around them, so they accumulate popularity. With good popularity, they will be able to do things like a fish in water. Good character brings good mood. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the most important factor that determines the length of a person\’s life is not food and exercise, but mood. If you have good character, you can feel at ease internally, and you can gain warmth from the world externally, how can you not be in a good mood? A good mood brings happiness and longevity. Therefore, character is not only the best Feng Shui, but also the real Feng Shui. 02 It is useless to serve God if you are not filial to your parents. \”The Analects of Confucius\” says: \”Filial piety is the foundation of human beings.\” An unfilial person is definitely not a good person, and cannot even become a human being. Filial piety is the root and foundation of goodness. When evil people worship God, there is no sincerity. They just seek psychological comfort. To be a good person, we must focus and foundation on being filial to our parents. Regarding this point, throughout the ages, there has never been any discussion. 03 When brothers are at odds, it is useless to make friends. There is a saying in \”The Book of Songs\”: \”No one is better than a brother.\” In a family, parents are the foundation and brothers are the branches and leaves. Only when brothers and sisters support each other can the family business flourish. It is said that \”all things prosper when a family is harmonious\”; the most important thing about \”family harmony\” and the one that is most likely to cause problems is the harmony between brothers and sisters. Recommended books on scientific parenting: The Complete Collection of Harvard Family Instructions, 2 volumes, ultra-clear pdf. Many people seem to be polite and honest with friends when making friends abroad, but they find it difficult to get along with their brothers and sisters at home, and even speak harshly to each other. Such people must be hypocritical. The cultivation of human beings should start from being harmonious with brothers and sisters. 04 If you behave inappropriately, reading is useless. Confucius said: \”In ancient times, scholars did it for themselves, but today\’s scholars do it for others.\” This means that ancient people studied for themselves, while modern people study for others. What\’s the difference between the two? Studying for others means to win others\’ approval, which is superficial and vulgar behavior. For your own study, you should cultivate your energy, cultivate benevolence internally, and cultivate etiquette externally. To put it simply, studying is for self-cultivation. 05 Acting eccentricly, being smart is useless. What does it mean to act erratically? It refers to people who are paranoid and extreme and do not follow the rules. In life, there are many people who act erratically, do not follow the rules, and think they are unique. In the end, it turned out to be a big mistake because of being clever. \”Lu Shi Chun Qiu\” says that to make a circle, we must use rules, to make a square, we must use a moment, and to make it straight, we must use a yardstick. In fact, following the rules is the simplest and most efficient way to do things. Because following the rules is not rigid and stubborn, but a clear and clear wisdom in doing things. Doing things without adding drama or going off the rails will be your safety belt for steady progress. 06 Being arrogant and arrogant is useless. \”Shangshu\” says that \”fullness invites losses;\”Humility benefits\”, the way of a humble gentleman has always been appreciated by the world. What is the purpose of reading and erudition? It is just to cultivate one\’s moral character through understanding the past and the present, and enlightening the world. The more knowledgeable a person is, the more humble he can be. If you use erudition as the basis for boasting, your heart will If you are arrogant and aggressive, you can only say that you have not yet understood the true realm of ancient people\’s learning. Only by lowering your heart can you become a container to hold more teachings and wisdom in the book. 07 If you have bad luck, it is useless to seek in vain. \”Zhouyi\” once said Said: \”A gentleman keeps his weapon in his body and waits for the time to move. \”The road of life cannot be smooth sailing, and you must learn to wait when it fails. If the time is not right, no matter how hard you try, it will be in vain, and it is likely to be counterproductive. As the saying goes, the great power is hidden in the body, and you can control others by attacking later. Only the weak are anxious. As long as you prove yourself, the strong will settle themselves quietly. When the time is right, you only need to show your strength to be a blockbuster. 08 Taking people\’s wealth indiscriminately, giving away is useless. Confucius said: \”Being rich and noble unjustly, in I am like a floating cloud. \”A gentleman loves money and acquires it in a proper way. Taking other people\’s wealth indiscriminately is unjust. Receiving money without merit, enriching one\’s own pockets, and taking advantage of others are all unjust acts. Giving away ill-gotten wealth is actually just hypocrisy. The only thing is to gain your own reputation. No matter how much you give, what merit does it have? Doing good deeds sincerely is not about the amount, but the real merit lies. A kind heart is the heart of merit. 09 If you don’t hesitate to give, medicine is useless. Hidden in the kidney essence, it will be slowly released to maintain normal physiological functions and a hundred-year life. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that \”if vitality is sufficient, there will be no disease.\” Vitality is the foundation of the human body. If vitality is sufficient, you will be healthy, and if vitality is damaged, you will get sick. , death occurs when vitality is exhausted. Another important characteristic of vitality is that it is easy to consume but difficult to replenish, and most of the damage is acquired. Therefore, the key to health care is to maintain vitality; medicine is useless if vitality is not spared. To maintain vitality, you should Do: have a peaceful mind, get enough sleep, do not indulge in sexual desires, and eat a light diet. 10. Sexual and unbridled desires are useless. Sexual and unbridled desires are indulgences in luxury and debauchery. The so-called \”all evils of sexual intercourse are the first\” in \”Ancient and Modern Sages\” means That\’s the truth. If a person doesn\’t understand restraint and allows his desires to wreak havoc on his mind, he will harm others and himself. Wang Yangming said: \”When we work hard, we only seek to reduce it every day, not to increase it. If we can reduce one\’s desires, we will Get some justice. \”The greatest sorrow in life is to use limited energy to chase unlimited desires, and finally sink and miss the most precious things in life. When people walk in the world, please try to abandon all kinds of temptations and give up the obsession of asking for something but not getting it. Really The merit of Lin Zexu is not the amount of income, but the spiritual wealth after experiencing the world. The famous historian Fairbank once commented on Lin Zexu: His life was pure and flawless, his conduct was smart and skillful, and he was a model for the people. This article \”Ten Useless\” \”, short and concise, is the result of his lifelong practice. When you learn to be kind to your family, keep your character, and cultivate your heart. No matter how difficult the road of life is, you can still see the bright future at the corner. Read these ten sentences of Lin Zexu, Help you understand the fundamentals of the world, and live with ease in this complicated world. I am willing to encourage you together. Click [Like], share the article to your circle of friends, and promote the excellent traditional Chinese culture!