The author is Zhu Yongchun (1627 ~ 1698), whose real name is Zhiyi and whose real name is Egret, who was born in Kunshan County, Jiangsu Province in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. A famous philosopher and educator.
The full text of "Zhu Bailu's Motto of Managing the Family" is only over 500 words. However, it has profound thoughts and profound meanings. This is the most influential and detailed book on housing management in the past 300 years.
He deeply felt that the education method at that time made it difficult for students to learn real knowledge, so he wrote "Stop it", which was quite painful. Ming people, who lived in seclusion in the Qing Dynasty, taught and educated people in rural areas, and devoted themselves to their studies. Based on Cheng and Zhu's Neo-Confucianism, they advocated that knowledge and practice should go hand in hand.
He once wrote dozens of textbooks in plain code for teaching. He was quiet and strict with himself all his life, and regarded himself as a courtesy to the officials and gentry who were willing to associate with him at that time. He is the author of "Running a Family", "Integrity and Cleanliness Collection" and "University Doctrine of the Mean".
A Comparison between the Original and the Translation of Family Instructions
Original text:
Get up at dawn, sweep the courtyard, and be neat inside and outside. When you are unconscious, you will rest. If you close the door, you will behave well.
It is not easy to think about a porridge and a meal. It is difficult to keep thinking about material resources. It is better to prepare for a rainy day than to dig a well when you are thirsty.
Self-help must be frugal, and banquet guests must not stay overnight. The utensils are clean, wabi jinyu. A good diet is better than garden vegetables. Don't run fancy houses, don't seek fertile land.
Get up at dawn every morning, sprinkle water on the ground inside and outside the court before sweeping the floor to make it clean and tidy; At dusk, you should have a rest and check for yourself whether the door is locked.
For a porridge and a meal, it is hard to think about it; For half-silk or half-thread clothes, we should always remember that it is very difficult to produce these materials. Everything should be prepared first, like building a house before it rains. Don't "cram for the Buddha's feet": dig a well when you are thirsty.
Be frugal in your life, and don't dawdle when you get together for dinner. The tableware is simple and clean. Although it is pottery made of clay, it is better than jade. The food is both economical and exquisite. Although it is a vegetable grown in the garden, it is better than delicacies. Don't build gorgeous houses, and don't try to buy good countryside.