Shi Fan (Four External Types)

Author: (Song) Yuan Cai et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: The traditional culture of the Chinese nation has a long history, and historical records are vast as the sea of smoke. As the long river of history rolls forward, the great waves wash away the sand, leaving behind the preserved documents as scattered gold and silver, particularly precious. The admonitory and edifying literature passed down in Chinese folk (private, family) circles 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, family relationships, and interpersonal interactions, covering topics such as governing, ruling the state, academic pursuits, self-cultivation, and nurturing one's nature, as well as reflections on society, nature, and life. They can serve as references for the construction of our spiritual civilization and moral norms today. 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 affirmation and rejection, having done the work of organizing and removing them, while hoping readers can make correct judgments and understandings.