Campfire Conversations: A Treasury of Chinese Classics

Author: Jiang La Translated and Reviewed
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: "Evening Talks by the Hearth" lives up to its name. As it bids farewell to the noisy day, sitting around the hearth, one suddenly feels how tranquil the world can be. In such a serene and warm atmosphere, the various frustrations caused by the muddy and congested "red dust" of daily life unconsciously rise to a profound understanding of life and existence. The night is already wonderful, let alone 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 beautiful words that subtly reveal the principles of being a person in the trivialities of life, just like drinking a cool and refreshing plum juice on a scorching summer day, bringing clarity and enlightenment.
Traditional Chinese scholars were either joyful and transcendent or suffering and suppressed, 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 establish a heart for the world and to speak for the people. When suddenly facing 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.