Honoring the Will

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

2.8

Word count: 1.4K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

No lack of soldiers is cause for deep worry, nor lack of provisions cause for bitter tears; what is truly rare is to look out upon this world and seek one who does not scramble for profit first or lag behind in rushing to righteousness, one loyal and indignant with integrity—such a person is hard to find. Even when found, he is bent low and humiliated, often depressed and unfulfilled, thwarted, driven away, or dead, while the greedy and the退缩者—the covetous and the退缩者—instead prance upward, gaining wealth, fame, and a hale old age without dying. This is what calls for deep sighs!

Editor's review

The passage quoted in *Shangzhi* concerns the rarity of talent and the rise and fall of the world's ways: a lack of soldiers or provisions is worrisome but not fatal; what is truly lamentable is that the custom of scrambling for profit first and lagging behind in righteousness prevails, while the loyal and indignant are bent and suppressed and the greedy and退缩者 gain wealth and fame. Through sharp contrast the passage expresses deep feeling about the ways of the world; its language is concise and forceful, its emotion bitter, and it carries the dual power of warning and self-examination. This small book, published by Bashu Press in 2024, is suitable as an entry point to the spirit of traditional scholars and questions of how to conduct oneself. Readers may grasp what the ancients cared about when discussing talent and integrity, and may also use it to reflect on personal choices between profit and righteousness. When reading, one should understand the background of the argument in context and not treat the fragment as an isolated maxim; if used for discussion or writing, first sort out its contrastive structure, then connect it to real situations.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the spirit and integrity of traditional scholars
Students needing argumentative classical Chinese short passages as writing material
Readers who like to think about the ways of the world through classical fragments
Chinese teachers using it as a teaching text for classical argumentative prose

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking systematic historical research or institutional analysis
Readers hoping for complete narratives or character stories
Readers impatient with classical argumentative prose who prefer easy vernacular reading

Reading tips

First read the whole passage, mark contrastive phrases such as “not scrambling for profit first, not lagging behind in righteousness,” and sort out whom the author praises and blames.
Look up the meanings of key words and phrases, then return to the whole argument to avoid understanding by impression alone.
After reading, write a short commentary connecting phenomena around you to the relationship between the rarity of talent and integrity.
If used for teaching, have students discuss in groups how contrast enhances the author's emotion and judgment.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
卷三尚志

FAQ

What is the core argument of this passage?

The core is that what is most lamentable in the world is not a lack of soldiers or provisions but an inverted climate of talent: those who scramble for profit and shrink from righteousness gain power, while the loyal and upright are suppressed. The author thereby expresses deep concern over the rarity of talent and the decline of public morals.

Is this passage the only text in the book?

The material provides only this quotation as a content overview and cannot confirm the book's full table of contents. Readers should rely on the book's contents and main text; the quotation may serve as an important clue to the book's main idea but should not be equated directly with the whole book.

Can I read this book without any foundation in classical Chinese?

You can try, but you will need annotations and reference tools. It is advisable first to understand the literal meaning sentence by sentence, then grasp the overall argumentative structure; do not seek deep understanding at the outset—first grasp the contrasts and the author's attitude, then gradually appreciate the feeling beyond the words.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.