3月13日

訓兒歌
明 王陽明 ( 1472~1529 )

幼兒曹，聽訓示；勤讀書，敦孝弟。
學謙恭，循禮義；節飲食，戒遊戲。
毋說謊，莫貪利；毋任情，莫鬥氣。
勿責人，但自治；能下人，謙受益。
能容人，是大器；凡做人，在心地。
心地好，福可冀；心地惡，禍莫避。
譬樹果，心是蒂；蒂若壞，果墜地。
吾教汝，即此意；諦聽之，須切記。

──選自《王陽明全集》

March 13th

Instructions for My Sons
Wang Yangming (1472 - 1529, Ming Dynasty)
English translation: Miao Guang and Sasha Lyapina

My young sons, hear these instructions:
Study with diligence, be filial and kind-hearted.
Be humble and modest, abide in justice.
Control your diet, abstain from leisure.
Do not lie, never be greedy for profit.
Do not be capricious, never throw a tantrum.
Do not challenge others, only be in control of oneself.
Learn to be modest, humbleness is beneficial.
Tolerate others, for it makes you big-hearted.
Everything about being a man lies in the heart.
With a kind heart, blessings will be within reach.
With a wicked heart, misfortune will be inevitable.
In the metaphor of a fruit, the stalk is the heart;
When the stalk rots, the fruit will fall to the ground.
My teachings for you holds such intentions,
Listen attentively, and remember them well.

── from Wang Yangming Quanji (Complete Works of Wang Yangming)