2月12日

司馬溫公家訓
宋 司馬光 ( 1019~1086 )

積金以遺子孫，子孫未必守；
積書以遺子孫，子孫未必讀。
不如積陰德於冥冥之間，
為子孫長久之計。
此先賢之格言，乃後人之龜鑑。

──選自《古今圖書集成》

February 12th

Family Teachings of Sima Guang
Sima Guang (1019 - 1086, Song Dynasty)
English translation: John Balcom

Accumulate gold for your descendants,
And your descendants might not save it.
Accumulate books for your descendants,
And your descendants might not read them.
It would be better to privately accumulate merit
    for them in this life
To make long-term plans for them.
This is a maxim of the ancient sages
And something for later generations to think upon.

── from Gujin Tushu Jicheng (Complete Collection of
Illustrations and Writings from the Earliest to Current Times)