Official: The Five External Virtues

Author: Zheng Duan et al. (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: The traditional culture of the Chinese nation has a long history, and historical records are vast as the smoke of the sea. As the long river of history rolls forward, the great waves wash away the sand, leaving behind the preserved documents as pieces of gold and silver, particularly precious. The admonitory and edifying literature passed down in Chinese society (private, family) directly reflects the moral ideals people advocated at the time, more directly and authentically embodying the characteristics of Chinese culture than those grand official Confucian classics. These educational texts for scholars and officials teaching their descendants comprehensively and thoroughly elaborate on a series of principles for conduct, ambition, handling family relationships, and interpersonal interactions. They also cover topics such as governing, ruling the state, studying, self-cultivation, nurturing one's nature, and reflections on society, nature, and life, serving as reference materials for the construction of our current spiritual civilization and moral norms. Such maxims and family precepts are often concise, vivid, straightforward, and easy to recite, possessing great aesthetic value. As products of history, they naturally contain some negative and backward elements. We adopt an attitude of promotion and rejection, conducting organization and elimination work, while hoping readers can make correct judgments and understandings.