World Model

Author: Yuan Cai (Song Dynasty)
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 smoke of the sea. As the long river of history rolls forward, the great waves wash away the sand, leaving behind preserved documents like scattered gold and silver, which are particularly precious. The didactic and admonitory 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, handling family relationships, and interpersonal interactions. They also touch upon various aspects such as governing, ruling the state, pursuing scholarship, self-cultivation, and nurturing one's nature, as well as reflections on society, nature, and life. These can serve as references for the construction of our current spiritual civilization and moral norms. Such maxims and family precepts are often concise, vivid, straightforward, and easy to recite, making them highly appreciable. As products of history, they naturally contain some negative and backward elements. We have adopted an attitude of promoting the positive while discarding the negative, conducting and elimination work. At the same time, we hope readers can make correct judgments and understandings.