Thousand Characters

Chapter 19

[Original text]

Like Lan Sixin, like a pine tree.The river flows endlessly, and Yuan Cheng takes reflections.

【Note】

Lan: This refers to bluegrass, not orchids.Xin: The fragrance that can spread far away, here refers to the virtue of a gentleman can last forever.Sheng: Lush and exuberant, pines and cypresses do not wither in winter, so it is called vigorous.Chuan: River.Abyss: A deep pool of water gathered where a river stops.Ying: to reflect, refers to the clear water like a mirror, which can reflect the appearance of people and things.What these four sentences say is that a person's good character can affect others and his own descendants, just like the fragrance of bluegrass can spread far away; it also tells us that true virtue is like a pine tree that can It can withstand the test of wind and snow, like a lotus that "comes out of mud but not stained", it can still maintain its own quality even in harsh environments.

【Interpretation】

One should let one's virtue and self-cultivation be as fragrant as bluegrass, like pines and cypresses that maintain vigorous vitality even in the cold winter, like an endless river, so that one's virtues can be passed on forever, and one's virtues should be like Like the crystal-clear pond water, it reflects the world and is a reference for future generations to learn from.

(End of this chapter)