Lily Mei - Wisdom of China: The Value of Practical Knowledge

The Value of Practical Knowledge

Lily Mei

Wisdom of China

Copyright 2022 by Lily Mei

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN

978-1-957895-62-8 (Paperback)

978-1-957895-63-5 (eBook)

Contents

PREFACE

I thought about writing this book for a long time. Yet, I put it off for various reasons. Then I remembered a statement from a very prominent Chinese philosopher, A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This statement really inspired me. Yes, I must begin my writing journey now. No matter how long it may take to complete, as long as I never stop, I will certainly reach my destination. I began my journey. The book of my heart, Wisdom of China, was born.

The history of China is extremely rich and profound. Throughout its long history, there have existed many dynasties, and each dynasty recorded numerous proverbs. The proverbs in this book provide a detailed cross-section of important proverbs from various dynasties. These proverbs exhibit the accumulated wisdom of Chinese people in an interesting and comprehensive manner.

Wisdom is called zhi hui in Chinese language. The characters indicate knowledge and brightness in your heart. Wisdom is much more valuable than wealth, and there is nothing in the world can compare with wisdom. If you seek after wisdom persistently, you will find her.

Let us consider an example of wisdom from history. King Solomon was the wisest king who ever lived. The following passage from 2 Chronicles 1:12 of the Bible shows that God provided King Solomon with wisdom, wealth, and honor. Wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like. Based on the passage, we can see that wisdom originates from God.

The fact that God is the source of wisdom means that wisdom is universal. For this reason, I believe that every nation possesses unique wisdom. I wrote this book because I wanted to share Chinese wisdom with you. It is absolutely unique and interesting. Wisdom allows us to make correct decisions and it furthermore prompts us to take required actions.

You and I perhaps will not meet face to face; however, you may be able to understand me when you read this book because it represents my heart. Because my heart is here, I hope I can truly speak to you through this book. If I have actually accomplished that, then we can bond together via this book. You will know me; I also will know you. We become friends in the sense that we share and appreciate the same knowledge.

Before I put my pen down, I would like to tell you about myself. I was born into a very ordinary Chinese family. While I was growing up, I heard many of the Chinese proverbs which I wrote in this book. Many of the proverbs selected in this book are very dear to my heart, because I meditate upon them often. Wisdom can provide us with correct choices and can significantly strengthen our confidence. Chinese proverbs are very helpful guide to me, and I would like to express my heartfelt hope that you will appreciate them and find them helpful as well.

CHAPTER 1

Confidence