The Family Precepts of Sima Guang
司馬溫公家訓
66 X 35cm
Click Image to Enlarge.
司馬溫公家訓
66 X 35cm
Click Image to Enlarge.
The Family Precepts of Sima Guang
(司馬溫公家訓)
66 X 35cm in Regular Script (楷書)
Original Chinese Text
English Translation
1. 積金以遺子孫，子孫未必守.
Amass wealth for your descendants, but your descendants may not be able to sustain it.
2. 積書以遺子孫，子孫未必讀.
Amass books for your descendants, but your descendants may not read them.
3. 不如積陰德於冥冥之間，為子孫長久之計.
It is thus better to amass "tacit deeds of grace (陰德)" (1) within this governed cosmos (冥冥) (2), for this is the lasting way to benefit your descendants.
4. 此先賢之格言，乃後人之龜鑑.
Such is an adage passed on by the ancient sages and a mirror with which future generations can reflect themselves (龜鑑) (3).
(translated by KS Vincent Poon Dec. 2015, revised Jan. 2024)
Remarks
(I)
Sima Guang (司馬光, 1019-1086) is often regarded as one of the greatest historians in Chinese history. His most influential work, Zizhi Tongjian (《資治通鑑》), details the history of ancient China between BC 403 and AD 958 (4). As a government official, Sima Guang was renowned for his principled opposition to Wang Anshan's reforms (王安石變法) during the reign of Emperor Shenzong (宋神宗, 1048-1085) of the Northern Song Dynasty (5). Upon his death, he was bestowed the title "Duke of Weng (溫國公)" by Emperor Zhezong (宋哲宗, 1077-1100) (6).
(II)
The term "tacit deeds of grace (陰德)" can be found as early as the 1st century BC in the book Shuo Yuan (《說苑》) by Liu Huang (劉向, 77-6 BC), a Confucian:
夫有陰德者必有陽報. (7)Alas, those who carry out tacit deeds of grace shall be awarded explicit and tangible rewards.(translated by KS Vincent Poon)
This idea can be regarded as an extension of a concept in the Book of Documents (《尚書》), the oldest book in Chinese history:
作善降之百祥，作不善降之百殃. (8)Those who do good deeds shall be granted many good fortunes, while those who do misdeeds shall be granted many misfortunes.(translated by KS Vincent Poon)
Good fortunes delivered by "tacit deeds of grace (陰德)" can even reach one's descendants, according to some:
A. 夏侯勝曰: "有陰德者必饗其樂以及其子孫." (9)Xiahou Sheng once said, "Those who carry out tacit deeds of grace will enjoy the resulting happiness, and so will their descendants."(translated by KS Vincent Poon)B. 于公曰："我治獄多陰德, 未嘗有所冤, 子孫必有興者." (10)Elder Yu once said, "I conducted many tacit deeds of grace as I administrated the prison, and there was never injustice. My descendants will thus bear prosperous ones."
(translated by KS Vincent Poon)
In the second instance above, Elder Yu's (于公, ?-? BC) tacit deeds of grace allowed his son, Yu Dingguo (于定國, ?-40BC), to learn his father's way of justice and compassion (11). Yu Dinggou eventually became the Chancellor (丞相) of the Han Dynasty (12).
___________
(1) "陰德" here means "tacit deeds of grace for others (暗中做的有德於人的事)", as in Huainanzi - In the World of Man (《淮南子·人間訓》)： "有陰德者必有陽報, 有陰行者必有昭名." See 《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.1035.
(2) "冥冥" here means "a cosmos governed by a higher power (主宰人世禍福的神靈世界)", as in 沈作喆’s《寓簡》： "豈人之禍福吉凶自有定數存於冥冥之中, 雖聖與智不可得而逃耶?" See 《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.452.
(3) "龜" here refers to "tortoiseshell (龜甲) ", which was used in ancient China "to tell fortune and misfortune (占卜吉凶)". "鑑" refers to "a mirror (鏡子)" that can "reflect whether something is beautiful or not (照見美醜)". "龜鑑" is thus a metaphor for "admonition and self-reflection (警戒和反省)", as in History of Song – Biography of Bao Zheng (《宋史∙包拯傳》)： "又列上唐魏鄭公三疏, 願置之坐右, 以為龜鑑." See 《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.1513.
(4) 司馬光, 《資治通鑑》, 胡三省注, 新校提要. Hong Kong: 世界書局, 1970, p.1.
(5) 脫脫, 《宋史》Vol.336, 司馬光傳. Taipei: 藝文印書館, 乾隆武英殿版, pp.4245-4246.
(6) Ibid., p.4248.
(7) 劉向,《說苑》Vol.5, 貴德. 欽定四庫全書子部說苑, 乾隆四十六年版, p.2b.
(8) 孔安國,《尚書孔傳》"商書伊訓". Taipei: 新興書局, 1964, p.024.
(9) 劉向,《說苑》Vol.6, 復恩. As in footnote (7), pp.5a-5b.
(10) 班固, 《漢書》Vol.71, 于定國傳. 香港: 中華書局, 1970, p.3046.
(11) Ibid., p.3042.
(12) Ibid., p.3043.
Calligraphy rewritten January, 2024
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