Master Wang Xianglu | 2018-06-23 | Download | AI assisted translation
| （一）观人 | I. Observing People |
|---|---|
| 观相不如观气，气清而厚者为上，清主贵，厚主寿。观气何如观心，心浑厚者虽愚必有后福，心伶俐者虽慧未必有寿。然有愚而诈，外薄而心地厚者，当察其行。 | Observing a person’s appearance is not as good as observing their vital energy. Those whose energy is clear and substantial are superior: clarity indicates nobility, and substance indicates longevity. Observing one’s energy is not as good as observing one’s mind. Even if a person of deep and substantial mind is dull, they will surely enjoy blessings in later life; though a clever-minded person may be intelligent, they may not necessarily live long. Yet some are dull and deceitful. As for those who appear slight outwardly but are deep-hearted within, one should examine their conduct. |
| 平时观其所好，贪虚荣者必是贱相，以贵者不必求贵，惟其贱是以求贵。贪富财者必是贫相，义亦如是。如功利者必喜侵轧而忌才，贪者必量小，量小者必福薄。凡自奉厚者必薄待于人，不足交也。 | In ordinary circumstances, observe what a person likes. Those who crave empty prestige surely have a base appearance, for the noble need not seek nobility; it is precisely because they are base that they seek it. Those who crave wealth surely have the appearance of poverty; the principle is the same. Those who pursue profit and gain will surely delight in oppressing others and be jealous of talent. The greedy are necessarily narrow-minded, and those who are narrow-minded are necessarily scant in blessings. Anyone who lavishes upon themselves while treating others poorly is not worth associating with. |
| 豪富之家，且先观其穷苦戚族，能厚相结者，其家必昌，交友其次之。中产之家，且先观其子弟有礼貌能读书者，其家必昌。贫苦之家，且先察其勤惰，能勤者其家必昌。 | In a very wealthy household, first observe its poor and suffering relatives. If the family can generously maintain ties with them, that household will surely prosper; its treatment of friends is secondary. In a middle-income household, first observe whether its children are courteous and able to study; if so, that household will surely prosper. In a poor household, first examine whether its members are diligent or lazy. If they are diligent, that household will surely prosper. |
| 富贵之家人无骄气，中等之家人无暮气，贫寒之家人无陋气，不得分贫富，皆是昌大之象，为国家之宝。 | If people in a wealthy and eminent household have no arrogant air, people in a middle-class household have no dispirited air, and people in a poor household have no vulgar air, then, regardless of wealth or poverty, these are all signs of flourishing greatness and treasures of the nation. |
| 入其室，先看其地下，往往打扫不净者，其人必懒，不久即堕落矣。 | Upon entering a person’s room, first look at the floor. Those who often fail to sweep it clean are surely lazy, and before long they will decline. |
| 贫寒之家，其子女衣服破旧无碍，若不洁净者，其家必懒。 | In a poor household, it does not matter if the children’s clothes are worn and old; but if they are not clean, the household is surely lazy. |
| 家庭不论贫富，最忌者有七事：一不早起，二无礼貌，三眠食无定时，四蓄赌具，五闲，六收支无预算，七借债而不还。但诸病皆从闲字起。 | Regardless of wealth or poverty, there are seven things most to be avoided in a household: first, not rising early; second, lacking manners; third, having no regular hours for sleeping and eating; fourth, keeping gambling implements; fifth, idleness; sixth, having no budget for income and expenses; seventh, borrowing debts without repaying them. Yet all these faults arise from idleness. |
| 一、不早起者，一切奸恶隐蔽等事自然而发生。 | 1. When one does not rise early, all manner of illicit, evil, and secretive acts naturally arise. |
| 二、无礼貌者，永不得向上与有道人相交接，自然堕落。 | 2. Those who lack manners can never advance or associate with people of integrity, and will naturally decline. |
| 三、眠食无定时者，有无形浪费，抑且多病。 | 3. Those who have no regular hours for sleeping and eating incur unnoticed waste and are also prone to illness. |
| 四、蓄赌具者，必招恶友，且伤感情，男女混杂，伤财、伤德、伤时、伤精神，为无形之盗贼。 | 4. Those who keep gambling implements will surely attract bad companions. Gambling also harms human feelings; men and women mingle indiscriminately; it harms wealth, virtue, time, and spirit, and is an invisible thief. |
| 五、闲则精神颓惰，养成懒习性，做无聊事，是最丧志者。 | 5. Idleness causes the spirit to become listless and sluggish, fosters habits of laziness, and leads one to do pointless things. Nothing is more destructive of one’s aspirations. |
| 六、收支无预算，则于收入每存希望心，于支出漫无限止，自然贫苦，而前恶皆从贫而丧志起。 | 6. Without a budget for income and expenses, one constantly entertains hopes regarding income while allowing expenditures to run without limit. Poverty naturally follows, and all the preceding evils arise from poverty and the loss of aspiration. |
| 七、借钱并非坏事，人有通财之义，本无所谓，惟不还成习是最危险，顶好不借，借则必时时警惕。 | 7. Borrowing money is not in itself a bad thing. People have a duty to assist one another financially, so there is nothing inherently wrong with it. But making a habit of not repaying debts is most dangerous. It is best not to borrow; if one does borrow, one must remain vigilant at all times. |
