"San Huai Talks -- Millennial Eye Literature Series"

Author: He Manzi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The Chinese have a tradition of valuing history, including official histories, private histories, miscellaneous histories, unofficial histories, as well as notes and commentaries on historical events and current affairs, which are too numerous to count. The purpose of studying and reading history is to "learn from the past to understand the present," or as Sima Qian said, "to observe the changes of ancient and modern times." Throughout history, many upright and noble individuals were indeed moved by historical events or the grandeur of past and present, which inspired them to strive and even achieve noble deeds. Of course, there were also those who learned cunning and worldly wisdom from historical precedents. In reality, it doesn't have to be scholars, erudite individuals, upright and noble people, or fierce and eccentric characters who have a connection with history; ordinary people can also learn from the past or develop a sense of history. Otherwise, Ah Q would not have boasted, "I was much wealthier than you before," and the old lady would not have sighed and lamented, "Each generation is worse than the last." The author's writings on history are likely between scholars and Ah Q and the old lady in tone, lacking profound meanings or revelations, but rather simple and sincere reflections on the world that evoke historical memories. What can be confidently said is that they are based on genuine feelings rather than pseudo-melancholy, and they do not boast of scholarly knowledge or flaunt bookishness. If they did, they wouldn't have accumulated enough to do so. Compared to ancient teachings, they align with the principles of "expressing oneself with sincerity in rhetoric" and "clarity in language is enough," without contradiction. The discerning reader should be able to recognize this. The essays collected in this book are from the past decade or so, some of them personal reflections but all focused on history.