: A Gathering by the Hearth by Night

Author: Jiang La
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: "Evening Talks by the Hearth" lives up to its name, as it gently bids farewell to the noisy daytime and brings a sense of tranquility when sitting around the hearth. In such a peaceful and warm atmosphere, the various frustrations of the muddy and congested world during the day unconsciously transform into profound insights into life and existence. The night is already wonderful, and what more when sitting around a warm hearth? Sitting alone by the hearth on a quiet night, savoring Mr. Wang Yongbin's "Evening Talks by the Hearth" from the Qing Dynasty, one experiences the author's plain yet elegant words that subtly reveal the principles of life in the trivialities of daily existence. It is like drinking a cool plum juice on a scorching summer day, leaving one refreshed and enlightened.
Traditional Chinese scholars were either joyful and transcendent or filled with pain and suppression, but it is now difficult to say clearly. Even when living comfortably or achieving success in their careers, these scholars often harbored a sense of responsibility to uphold the values of heaven and earth and to advocate for the people. When suddenly faced with misfortune or losing everything, they could still maintain a composed and blameless attitude. This is the essence of traditional Chinese culture. Due to its vastness, the Chinese scholars nurtured by it have broad and magnanimous minds, and their spiritual worlds are rich and diverse.