Wu Shu - New Edition Xiao Wu Jing Si Shu

Author: Gu Shuguang / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: In a complex society, how can one establish oneself and act wisely to ensure a smooth life and successful career? How can one handle relationships to avoid setbacks and misfortune? The ancients offered us advice, which is to emphasize strategic wisdom: "Act when you must act, speak when you must speak." This means to be cautious in speech and prudent in action. "Do not easily show joy or anger, do not excessively favor or dislike; restrain your own desires, forgive others' desires." This suggests learning to control oneself. "To be superior in dealing with others, yield one step; retreating is the foundation of advancing; to be benevolent to others, gain one step; benefiting others is the root of benefiting oneself." This explains the dialectical relationship between advancing and retreating, and between benefiting others and benefiting oneself. "In a stable era, be straightforward; in a chaotic era, be flexible; in an era of decline, use both straightness and flexibility. To treat the good, be lenient; to treat the evil, be strict; to treat the mediocre, be lenient and strict in alternation." "To be a person, be like a divine dragon, flexible and adaptable." "Hide skill in clumsiness, use yielding as extending." This means in different eras, facing different people, one must adopt flexible strategies and methods, adapt to the times, and vary according to the person. One must not be foolish, stubborn, or rigid like a drumstick hitting a drum. "Hear the words that slander you, but do not inquire about the slanderers." To be a person, one must be "muddled" but fair; "Even without status, wealth, or knowledge, a flexible person must act with dignity and stand tall." "When things go well, think of retreating." "When advancing, think of retreating; when starting, plan to let go." One must know when to stop, take profits when they come, leave room for the future, to avoid joy turning into sorrow, or extremes leading to reversal. Do not easily show joy or anger, do not excessively favor or dislike.
[Original Text] A learned and refined person in the world should not lightly show joy or anger toward others, for if joy or anger is shown lightly, their inner thoughts will be fully exposed to others; toward things, they should not heavily favor or dislike, for if they show excessive favor or dislike, their will and spirit will be controlled by external things.
— Ming Dynasty, Hong Yingming, The Root of Vegetables
[Translation] A person of learning and cultivation, when standing in society, should not easily reveal joy or anger toward various people, because if joy or anger is revealed lightly, their thoughts and feelings will be completely seen by others; toward external things, they should not excessively show favor or dislike, because if they show excessive favor or dislike, their will and spirit will be controlled by external things.
[Original Text] Relying on outstanding talent to play with the world, be wary of hidden envy; wearing a thick mask to deceive others, be afraid of the mirror that reveals the truth.
— Ming Dynasty, Hong Yingming, The Root of Vegetables
[Translation] To rely on exceptional talent to play with the world, be cautious of hidden envy behind you; to wear a facade of kindness to deceive others, be afraid of the mirror that exposes your false face.
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