Wei Zheng, the famous Chinese prime minister, "Ten Thoughts of Emperor Taizong"

Wei Zheng, the famous prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, is a great loyal minister who is upright and loyal to admonish the king, and deserves our respect and worship---- Zhuge Changqing

To understand Chinese history, we must study the prime ministers in history, the prime ministers in history, and the Wei Zheng in history. His knowledge, his life and his wisdom are really worthy of our eternal imitation and admiration. His "Ten Thoughts of the Emperor Taizong" always makes people think a lot and gain a lot.

Wei Zheng (580-643), whose character is Xuancheng, was born in Quyang (now Jinzhou, Hebei) under the giant deer, and later moved to Xiangzhou Neihuang (now Henan Neihuang). He lost his parents when he was young, and his family was poor, but he loved reading and ignored his family business. He once became a monk. At the end of the Sui Daye period, Wei Zheng was appointed Secretary of the Sui Wuyang County (now located in the northeast of Daming, Hebei Province). After the surrender of Yuanbao Zangyu County to Li Mi, he was appointed by Li Mi as the marshal's office literature soldier and was in charge of the document files. Later, the Tang Dynasty came down. During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, he served as a counsellor and a school inspector, leading the compilation of the histories of Zhou, Sui, Chen and Qi. Later, he was granted the Duke of Zheng as the Crown Prince.

In history, Wei Zheng was famous for his ability to express his remonstrance. More than two hundred things about Chen's remonstrance were adopted by Taizong. Wei Zheng advocated "no face, no retreat", "love and know its evil, hate and know its good". It is suggested that Taizong open his mouth and believe that "listening to both sides will make it clear, and listening to one side will make it dark". After the death of Wei Zheng, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty deplored the "death of a mirror". He wrote the preface of Sui Shu, the general introduction of Liang Shu, Chen Shu and Qi Shu, and the chief editor of Qunshu Zhiyao, as well as the Collection of Poems of Duke Wei Zheng and the Collection of Official Documents of Wei Zheng. The comments are scattered in the Minutes of Zhenguan.

He left us with the profound "Ten Thoughts of the Emperor Taizong", which is still meaningful today.

Ten Thoughts of Emperor Taizong [text]:

When I hear that seeking the elders of wood, I will strengthen its root; Those who want to flow far away must dredge up their springs; Those who think about the security of the country must accumulate their virtue and righteousness. The source is not deep and the stream is far away, the root is not solid and the tree is long, the virtue is not thick and the country is safe. Although the minister is stupid, he knows that it is impossible, let alone wise? It is the most important thing for a man to be a divine weapon. He is so big in the region that he does not want to be prepared for danger in peace. He abstains from extravagance and frugality.

All hundred heads of state inherit the fate of the sky. Those who do well at the beginning are numerous, and those who overcome the end are few. Is it easy to take, but difficult to keep? Cover with worries, and you will be willing to wait for them; If you are ambitious, you will indulge in pride. With sincerity, Wu and Yue become one; Pride is the way to go. Although Dong Zhi was severely punished, he was shocked by his anger, and finally he was spared without benevolence. He was respectful but not convinced. The resentment is not great, but the fear is only human. It is advisable to be careful when carrying a boat to recover it.

Sincerity can see and desire, then thinking and knowing are enough to abstain; When there is work to be done, we should think about it and stop it; If you think of high risk, you should be modest and self-motivated; If you are afraid of overflowing, you will think of all rivers under the river and sea; If you are happy to travel, you will think about three drives; Careful and slack, thinking carefully at the beginning and respecting the end; If you think about blocking, you should be modest to accept it; If you are afraid of slander, you should think about rightness to eliminate evil; If you add grace, you will think without reason and enjoy falsehood; If the punishment is enough, you will think of no abuse of punishment due to anger. The total ten thoughts, the grand nine virtues. If you can do it simply and follow the good, the wise will do their best, the brave will do their best, the benevolent will spread their benefits, and the faithful will be loyal. Both civil and military forces should be used to govern the country. Why bother to work hard, and serve as a hundred divisions!

I have heard that if a tree is required to grow, it must strengthen its root; If you want the river to flow for a long time, you must dredge its source; If you want to make the country stable, you must accumulate your own morality and righteousness. Although I am very stupid, I also know that it is impossible, let alone a wise man? The monarch holds the great power and responsibility of the emperor, and is in the supreme position between heaven and earth. He does not consider thinking of danger in a comfortable environment, abstaining from luxury and practicing frugality, which is just like cutting the root of a tree to make the tree grow luxuriant, blocking the spring and hoping the water will last for a long time!

All ancient emperors, bearing the fate of heaven, did a lot of good things at first, but few could persist in the end. Is it easy to win the world, but difficult to defend it? Perhaps when they are in deep trouble, they must try their best to treat their subordinates with sincerity. Once they succeed, they will indulge their passions and look down on others. With all sincerity, even hostile countries like Wu and Vietnam can form a whole; If you look down on others, your closest relatives will be alienated like passers-by. That is to say, use harsh punishment to supervise people and intimidate people with prestige and anger. The result is that people can only hope to get away with the punishment, but they will not miss the kindness of the monarch. On the surface, they are respectful, but they are not convinced. Resentment is not big or small. It is only the people who are terrible. Like water, people can carry ships or overturn them, which should be particularly cautious.

If you can do it: when you see what you want, you will think of contentment to warn yourself; When we are going to start construction, we should think of stopping at a moderate pace to make the people peaceful; Considering that the emperor's position may be dangerous at any time, we should be modest and strengthen our self-cultivation; Afraid of complacency, I think that the river and sea are in the downstream of all rivers; If you like hunting and recreation, you can think of the limit of three times a year; Worried about slackness of will, we should always be cautious in doing things; Worried that they will be deceived, they think of accepting the opinions of their subordinates with an open mind; Afraid of calumny and treachery, he thinks of correcting himself to repel evil villains; When you bestow kindness on others, you should think that you should not reward them inappropriately because of temporary happiness; When carrying out punishment, we should not abuse punishment because we are angry. To fully accomplish the above ten aspects and expand the cultivation of the Nine Virtues will certainly benefit a lot. Select talented people and appoint them, choose good opinions and listen to them, then the wise people will do their best, the brave people will do their best, the benevolent people will do their best, and the honest people will give their loyalty. After all the ministers and generals are appointed, they can hang their clothes and bow their hands and govern safely. Why bother to act as an official!

Namo Amitabha. Namo Amitabha. Namo Amitabha.

Nanwu Master Sakyamuni Buddha. Blessed life is limitless. Confucius. Jesus. Mohammed.

All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the three generations in ten directions.

All immortals in the three realms and ten directions.

All sages at all times and in all countries.

Don't do any evil, and do all good. Persistence and responsiveness.

Zhuge Changqing wishes all the people who are destined to respect their parents and do good deeds and accumulate virtue rich and auspicious!

        中国名相魏征:《谏太宗十思疏》

  唐代名相魏征，是刚正不阿、忠义谏君的大忠臣，值得我们敬仰与崇拜！                     ----诸葛长青

    要了解中国历史不能不研究历史上的宰相，研究历史上的宰相，不能不研究历史上的魏征。他的学问、他的做人、他的智慧，真是值得我们永远效仿的和敬仰的。他的《谏太宗十思疏》，每每读来，总是让人思绪万千、收获甚深。

    魏征（580—643），字玄成，巨鹿下曲阳（今河北晋州）人，后迁居相州内黄（今河南内黄）。从小丧失父母，家境贫寒，但喜爱读书，不理家业，曾出家当过道士。隋大业末年，魏征被隋武阳郡（治所在今河北大名东北）丞元宝藏任为书记。元宝藏举郡归降李密后，他又被李密任为元帅府文学参军，专掌文书卷宗。后降唐。唐太宗时拜谏议大夫、检校侍中等职，领导周、隋、陈、齐诸史的撰修工作。后封郑国公，任太子太师。

    魏征在历史上以能犯颜直谏著称，前后陈谏二百余事，多被太宗采纳。魏征提倡“无面从退有后言”，“爱而知其恶，憎而知其善”。建议太宗广开言路，认为“兼听则明，偏听则暗”。魏征病卒后，唐太宗痛惜“遂亡一镜矣”。作有《隋书》的序论，《梁书》、《陈书》、《齐书》的总论，主编有《群书治要》，还有《魏郑公诗集》、《魏郑公文集》等。言论散见于《贞观纪要》。

   他给我们留下的内涵深深的《谏太宗十思疏》，今天读来仍感意味无穷。
   《谏太宗十思疏》【正文】：

    臣闻求木之长者，必固其根本；欲流之远者，必浚其泉源；思国之安者，必积其德义。源不深而望流之远，根不固而求木之长，德不厚而思国之安，臣虽下愚，知其不可，而况于明哲乎？人君当神器之重，居域中之大，不念居安思危，戒奢以俭，斯亦伐根以求木茂，塞源而欲流长也。 
   凡百元首，承天景命，善始者实繁，克终者盖寡。岂取之易，守之难乎？盖在殷忧，必竭诚以待下；既得志，则纵情以傲物。竭诚，则吴、越为一体；傲物，则骨肉为行路。虽董之以严刑，振之以威怒，终苟免而不怀仁，貌恭而不心服。怨不在大，可畏惟人，载舟复舟，所宜深慎。 
   诚能见可欲，则思知足以自戒；将有作，则思知止以安人；念高危，则思谦冲而自牧；惧满溢，则思江海下百川；乐盘游，则思三驱以为度；忧懈怠，则思慎始而敬终；虑壅蔽，则思虚心以纳下；惧谗邪，则思正身以黜恶；恩所加，则思无因喜以谬赏；罚所及，则思无因怒而滥刑。总此十思，宏此九德。简能而任之，择善而从之，则智者尽其谋，勇者竭其力，仁者播其惠，信者效其忠。文武并用，垂拱而治。何必劳神苦思，代百司之职役哉！ 
   【译文】我听说过，要求树木生长，就一定要加固它的根本；想要河水流得长远，就一定要疏通它的源头；想使国家安定，就一定要积聚自己的道德仁义。水源不深却希望水流得长远，根不牢固却要求树木生长，道德不深厚却想使国家安定，我虽然十分愚笨，也知道那是不可能的，更何况明智的人呢？国君掌握着帝王的大权重任，处于天地间至尊的地位，不考虑在安逸的环境中想到危难，戒除奢侈而厉行节俭，这也就象砍断树根却要树木长得茂盛，堵塞泉源却希望流水长远一样啊！
    凡是古代的君主，承受上天的大命，开始做得好的确实很多，但是能够坚持到底的却很少。难道是取得天下容易，守住天下就困难吗？大概是他们在忧患深重的时候，必然竭尽诚意对待下属，一旦得志，便放纵情欲，傲视他人。竭尽诚意，那么即使象吴、越那样敌对的国家也能结为一个整体；傲视他人，那么骨肉至亲也会疏远得象过路人一样。即使用严酷的刑罚督责人们，用威风怒气恫吓人们，结果只能使人们图求苟且以免于刑罚，却不会怀念国君的恩德，表面上态度恭敬，可是心里并不服气。怨恨不在大小，可怕的只是百姓。百姓象水一样，可以载船，也可以翻船，这是应该特别谨慎的。
   果真能够做到：见了想要得到的东西，就想到知足以警戒自己；将要大兴土木，就想到要适可而止以使百姓安宁；考虑到帝位高随时会有危险，就想到要谦虚，并且加强自我修养；害怕骄傲自满，就想到江海是居于百川的下游；喜欢打猎游乐，就想到每年三次的限度；担心意志懈怠，就想到做事要始终谨慎；忧虑会受蒙蔽，就想到虚心接纳下属的意见；害怕谗佞奸邪，就想到端正自身以斥退邪恶小人；加恩于人时，就想到不要因为一时高兴而赏赐不当；施行刑罚时，就想到不要因为正在发怒而滥施刑罚。完全做到上述十个方面，扩大九德的修养，一定会得到很多补益。选拔有才能的人而任用他，选择好的意见而听从它，那么，聪明的人就会竭尽他们的智谋，勇敢的人就会竭尽他们的气力，仁爱的人就会广施他们的恩惠，诚实的人就会奉献他们的忠诚。文臣武将都得到任用，就可以垂衣拱手，安然而治了。何必劳神苦思，代行百官的职务呢！

南无阿弥陀佛。南无阿弥陀佛。南无阿弥陀佛。

南无本师释迦牟尼佛。福生无量天尊。孔子。耶稣。穆罕默德。

十方三世诸佛菩萨。

三界十方一切神仙。

古今中外一切圣贤。

诸恶莫作，众善奉行。持之以恒、有求必应。

(This article is an original article by Zhuge Changqing, and the pictures are selected from the Internet. Welcome to forward it, and please indicate the source for forwarding)

Introduction to Zhuge Changqing: Zhuge Changqing, the inheritor and promoter of traditional Chinese culture, is willing to "learn from sages, promote virtue, revitalize China and benefit the world" together with people with the same ideals in the world.

(Zhuge Changqing: zhuge8031@163.com ）

Zhuge Changqing mailbox：

zhuge8031@163.com

Zhuge Changqing's Chinese Dream

Learn from sages and carry forward virtue

Revitalizing China for the benefit of the world

 （本文是诸葛长青原创文章，图片选自网络。欢迎转发，转发引用请注明出处）

诸葛长青简介：诸葛长青，中国国学传统文化传承弘扬者，愿与天下志同道合者一起“学习圣贤、弘扬善德、振兴中华、造福世界”。

（诸葛长青：zhuge8031@163.com）

Zhuge Changqing mailbox：

zhuge8031@163.com

  诸葛长青中国梦  

学习圣贤 弘扬善德

振兴中华 造福世界

Selected Articles in Previous Periods

Click the article title to view

往期精选文章

点击文章标题查看

1The wisdom of traditional Chinese culture changes the destiny: filial piety to parents+five in one+self-improvement

1 国学智慧改命运：孝敬父母+五合一+自强不息

2Zhuge Changqing's Three Golden Keys to Changing Destiny

2诸葛长青改命运三把金钥匙诸葛长青施食仪轨 （十五步简洁版）

3Zhuge Changqing's Greeting Ritual (15 Steps Concise Version)

3 诸葛长青施食仪轨 （十五步简洁版）

4How to repent: the ritual of repentance and the method of repentance (full version)

4   如何忏悔：忏悔仪轨忏悔方法（完整版）

5How to read the Dizang Sutra: Methods for reciting Dizang Sutra (complete version)

5 如何念地藏经：念地藏经仪轨方法（完整版）

6How to release? The ritual of releasing life

6怎样放生？放生仪轨

7Zhuge Changqing's Repentance Culture: A Case Study of Repentance Methods for Changing Destiny

7诸葛长青忏悔文化：改变命运忏悔方法案例

8Free Life Culture: Free Life Culture in Ancient China

8放生文化：中国古代的放生文化

9Shocking photo of feeding: Buddha, Bodhisattva and Dharma Protector come to the scene

9施食震撼照片：佛菩萨护法神亲临现场

10Feeding Rite Return: the return is changed to simple return

10施食仪轨回向：回向修改为简洁回向