Zeng Guofan's Family Precepts

Zeng Guofan, the foremost of the Four Great Statesmen of the Late Qing Dynasty, is renowned for his family precepts, which have been highly praised by later generations. His principles on self-cultivation, family management, military discipline, and governance continue to exert a profound influence to this day. Let us revisit these classic sayings and experience the charm of the Zeng family precepts.

Zeng Guofan's Ten Principles for Self-Cultivation

🌸 Respect - Be orderly and solemn, always mindful of your duties. When there is nothing to do, keep your mind focused; when faced with tasks, remain single-minded and undistracted. Clarity and integrity should be as constant as the rising sun.

🌸 Meditation - Each day, regardless of the time, sit in meditation for four quarters of an hour to cultivate compassion. Sit upright and steady, as firm as a tripod.

🌸 Get up Early - Get up at dawn. After waking, do not linger in bed.

🌸 Reading until it's done - Do not read another book until one is finished. Flipping through books haphazardly is merely superficial.

🌸 Reading History - In the year Bing Shen, I purchased three history books. I try hard to collect money for you to buy these books, and it's your basic way to show your respect for me to read them every day. If you can annotate the book once, you will not have wasted my effort. After that, annotate ten pages daily, without interruption.

🌸 Be cautious in speech - Pay close attention at all times; this is the first priority.

🌸 Cultivate your Qi - Keep your Qi in the lower abdomen. Be integrity and honesty, making sure there is nothing in you that you can not speak of to others.

🌸 Preserve your health - In December, I received the following instructions from the elder: “Practice moderation in labor, desires, and diet. Treat every moment as an opportunity to nurture your health.”

🌸 Know what you shortcomings each day - Read every day, record your thoughts, and seek deeper learning.

🌸 Do not forget what you can do each month - Write several poems or essays each month to test how much you have accumulated and how strong your energy is. Do not indulge yourself, as this is the easiest way to lose your heart and lose your will.

Zeng Guofan on the Way of Learning

📚 The way of learning should not involve hastily criticizing or judging the ancients.

📚 When we study, we must be humble. I have often seen friends with great talent who rely on their abilities to look down on others, always claiming that others are inferior to them.

📚 All things in the world, when subjected to repeated refinement, can transform their essence and give rise to new brilliance. How much more so is this true for human learning?

📚 The reason I cannot know everything is because I do not ask questions and do not ask them well.

Zeng Guofan on the Method of Reading

📖 When reading, if you encounter something difficult to understand, there is no need to seek a thorough understanding. If there is a single character you cannot remember, there is no need to force yourself to memorize it.

📖 Those who hear the truth must truly understand and firmly believe it. If we cannot trust ourselves and have no certainty in our hearts, how can we possibly hear the truth?

📖 When reading to explore principles, if you do not cultivate a mind that is completely free from obtacles, you will lose your way.

📖 When studying the classics, focus on one text at a time and do not be distracted. When reading the classics, focus on exploring their meaning and principles, and treat the verification of names and objects as secondary.