围炉夜话

by 王永彬, 刘莹 (Translator)

此书所谈及的人生处世理念影响和造就了很多中国人的处世文化，而中国人的处世文化中既有积极的一面，也有消极的一面，书中对原文一句句加以注释、译义和评析。

Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Barack Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

481-Wei Lu Ye Hua-Wang Yongbin-Philosophy-1854

Barack
2023/10/01

"Weilu Night Talk" was written in the second month of Jiayin, Xianfeng, Qing Dynasty (1854). The book is divided into 221 items, with "settling down and establishing a career" as the general topic, covering aspects such as morality, self-cultivation, reading, educating children, loyalty, filial piety, diligence, and thrift, etc., revealing that "establishing morality, meritorious service, and establishing a reputation" are all based on "establishing a career". The profound meaning of this book. The whole book is short and insightful, rich in philosophy, the diction is simple and clear, the language is concise and comprehensive, the feelings are sincere, and the artistic conception is profound. "Weilu Night Talk", "Cai Gen Tan", and "Xiao Chuang You Ji" are collectively known as the "Three Sutras on the Standing of the Body".

Wang Yongbin was born in Zhejiang, Jingzhou, Hubei (now Yidu, Hubei) in 1792 and died in 1869. Because he was deeply influenced by Confucianism, in teaching, he first taught students to cultivate themselves and then taught them to study. The only purpose was not to take the imperial examination. And be able to lead by example, cultivate yourself, and then teach. At the same time, the villagers will be rewarded if they see good deeds; if they see them, they will be warned repeatedly and they must be completely corrected.

Table of Contents
1 a
2. Two
3. three
4. Two Nineteen
5. Two Twenty
6. Two Two One

We have been taught many so-called "truths" since childhood. But when we grow up, we will find that many of the actual operating rules of society conflict with the principles we learned as children. People who adhere to those principles and principles are sometimes seen as too rigid and rigid. In this case, why not teach us the real laws of how society works when we are young? In this way, the pain of conflicting values can be avoided in adulthood. Sometimes people say, "Good people don't live long, but evil people live for thousands of years." In this case, why not teach people how to become a "disaster"? This made me think deeply: What is the true value of benevolence, justice, and morality? Are we pursuing it because it brings real benefits? If not, then why do we need to learn it? Perhaps, these so-called morals and principles are just like religious beliefs, to give people psychological comfort and help us avoid greater pain caused by lack of faith.

The book mentions that a real man should clearly distinguish between right and wrong when dealing with things, regardless of good or bad fortune. But in real life, doing so may encounter many difficulties. Those who are famous for their high moral writings may not be as outstanding as people think if they look closely at their actual political achievements. And those who have made remarkable achievements in reality and left behind breathtaking trajectories may not entirely conform to traditional moral norms. When something succeeds, future generations can always find various reasons to justify it; but when something fails, no matter how good the parties involved are, they may be criticized. Do values such as benevolence, justice, and morality really contribute to success? If they don't contribute to success, what's the real purpose of pursuing them?

The author believes that people's ambitions must be lofty, but their mentality cannot be too grand. If the ambition is not noble enough, it is easy to be influenced by the world and become a mediocre person. If the mentality is too grand, it may be too high-spirited and ignore the actual situation at hand. So, what is ambition and what is mentality? There is a subtle relationship between the two. Sometimes, being too ambitious can lead to a high-spirited mentality; being too cautious can lead to losing the pursuit of greater things. It is very difficult to truly have lofty ambitions and maintain a stable mentality. The same applies to interpersonal interactions. Being blindly strong or being too soft are relatively easy strategies, but being able to flexibly adapt to different situations and be both tough and soft is the real art. Therefore, we should pursue a balance that is neither too hard nor too soft. This may be the so-called "golden mean."

As I grew older and experienced more and more setbacks, I began to have doubts about the concepts of benevolence, justice, and morality. Can even the most noble morals truly solve the practical problems in life? For example, can we secure our livelihoods and protect our families? When we are young, we may not know much about these problems, but as our understanding of the world deepens, we will find that relying solely on morality cannot solve all problems. Even back in ancient times, one needed to understand the operating mechanisms and rules of society in order to avoid getting into trouble. One of the principles of self-cultivation is to "be happy in poverty", but in reality, this seems more like a kind of self-comfort. Whether it is ancient wise men or modern predecessors, if their teachings cannot solve problems in real life, then these suggestions will lose their meaning to us.

I actually don't like people who advise people to "do what you can". The world itself is unequal. Although we all say we want to pursue equality, in fact, because everyone’s conditions and environments are different, we are divided into different classes. So, what is "act within one's ability"? Who defines this standard? Some people enjoy abundance, some barely survive, and some live in poverty. Those who are doing well tell those who are slightly worse off to "live within their means", while those who are slightly worse off tell those living in poverty to be content. I don’t think anyone has the right to tell us to “act within our capabilities.” The key is whether we ourselves are willing to accept this reality. We cannot change the objective conditions, but we can choose whether to accept them. If we don’t accept it, then we should pursue what we want at all costs. Only when we have truly achieved our goals can we be qualified to talk about the future and continue the family lineage. If we can't do that, then we should give up on the biological instinct of reproduction.

[Kevindreamfly · Rating 5 out of 5]

大多是实在话，有些是糟粕，强排这句：孔子何以恶乡愿，只为他似忠似廉，无非假面孔；孔子何以弃鄙夫，只因他患得患失，尽是俗心肠。大快人心啊！

[Rachel Zhong · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Confucian philosophy of conduct. Second try. Well-deserved. Shed light in darkness. Worth keeping beside pillow.

[Jessica Shing]

A bit outdated...