Letter: New Small Five Classics and Four Books

Author: Zhao Guohua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Letters home were a type of reading material used by ancient people to teach children, manage households, and conduct family education. Letters home can be understood in both narrow and broad senses. In a narrow sense, it refers to letters exchanged between family members. However, ancient Chinese letters home were centered around family precepts. Family precepts formed the core content of letters home, giving them enduring vitality. Letters home, in the form of correspondence, reflect the content of family precepts, with their primary value lying in the precepts themselves, which is essentially the same as the role of ancient works that specifically discussed family education and household norms. Based on these reasons, in a broad sense, letters home should also include works on family precepts. This book includes selected excerpts from several representative ancient works on family precepts, such as The Family Precepts of Yan Shi and The Worldly Norms of Yuan Shi.
Letters home, a unique cultural work, are called the "art of tenderness" by Westerners, and they have a long history in China. Amidst earnest admonitions and heartfelt encouragement, they embody the timeless insights into life that have been passed down through generations, as well as the unwavering ideals and aspirations. They reflect the life experiences marked by hardships and the noble moral character of integrity. They carry the superior art of teaching children and managing households, as well as the wisdom and enlightenment for navigating the world. A single word of care from family members surpasses a hundred remedies, washing away countless worries. A simple greeting from loved ones brings warmth and comfort, making one feel the boundless love of family. The way of conduct and interaction of the sages and virtuous ancestors, as well as the self-cultivation and motivational reading for family education—this is what is meant by "a letter home is worth ten thousand gold."