Yong Meng Ying. Encircling the Hearth Night Chats

Author: Zhang Chao (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: Flowers cannot be seen falling, the moon cannot be seen sinking, beautiful women cannot be seen in their natural state. To plant flowers, one must see them bloom; to wait for the moon, one must see it full; to write books, one must see them completed; to appreciate beautiful women, one must see them at ease—only then is there substance; otherwise, it is all empty. Hui Shi had many talents and wrote books that filled five carts, but Yu Qing wrote books out of hardship, and none of them are preserved today. I do not see the ancients, how can I not be resentful. To live on pine flower as food, pine nuts as fragrance, pine branches as flywhisks, pine shadows as screens, and pine wind as music—living in the mountains with over a hundred pine trees is truly inexhaustible joy. The way to appreciate the moon: when it is bright, look up; when it is hazy, look down. Children, knowing nothing, cannot distinguish beauty or ugliness, cannot judge clarity or obscurity, cannot differentiate scents or odors. As for sweetness and bitterness in taste, not only do they know it, but they can also take it or discard it. Gao Zi said that the nature of a person is to enjoy sweet food and pleasing colors—perhaps he meant this? Everything should not be done hastily, but reading must be done diligently; everything should not be greedy for, but buying books must be greedy for; everything should not be obsessed with, but doing good must be obsessed with. Wine can be enjoyed but not used to insult others; beauty can be appreciated but not harm life; wealth can be loved but not deceive the heart; anger can be controlled but not go beyond reason. Literary fame can replace official rank, frugality can replace wealth, and tranquility can replace longevity. Not only reading their poems and books but also admiring their calligraphy and paintings is a way to befriend the ancients. The most useless charity is feeding monks; the most useless poetry is writing birthday wishes. A beautiful concubine is not as good as a virtuous wife; having more money is not as good as having a smooth life. Building a new temple is not as good as repairing an old one; reading new books is not as good as reviewing old ones. P40-41