Wu family motto

The body is given by parents, from the conception of the child to the growth. The kindness of our parents is especially great, and it is not just a matter of raising us for three years. It is natural to serve and support our parents. Before something happens, we should be obedient to our parents' wishes; When something happens, we should also be obedient to our parents' wishes and try to do so. If you were not filial to your parents during their lifetime, it would be futile to grieve deeply after their death. All of you, as children of parents, should do your best to do this!

The so-called “elders” refers to the uncles and brothers who come from the same lineage. I am filial to my grandfather, so how dare I not be filial to my “elders”? The story of Kong Rong giving up the bigger pear to his older and younger brother shows that this is the truth that should be understood since birth. Even if you are not a gifted person, you can understand it through study. As a younger brother and nephew, you should know how to respect the elders.

The proverb says: “When yin and yang are in harmony, only then will the wind and rain flow smoothly; when husband and wife are in harmony, only then can the family prosper.” When suspicion accumulates day by day, couples will turn against each other, and some couples even fall apart because of their poor families or ugly appearance, which is too unlucky. Husband and wife should respect each other, love each other, share the hardships, peace and happiness, this is what couples should know to get along.

A friend is a person who can persuade oneself to be good, to correct one's mistakes, and to achieve one's virtue. Do not be friends with those who behave improperly or who are inferior to yourself. One should be friends sincerely with those who are not evil in their intentions and those who are upright. Those in the world who turn against each other for petty gains are naturally far worse than those who are dishonest. One should not be like those whose actions and words do not match.

The King has made us successful as ministers by granting us official positions to practice what we have learned, and by giving us salaries to cultivate integrity. Our family has been blessed with loyal subjects who have done their best for the King until their death. Although fewer people have won the imperial examinations in recent generations, there are still a few who have been blessed by their ancestors, so that they do not become extinct. Those who are officials among their sons and grandsons should follow the example of Duke Kangsu and Duke Zhoneke.

Behavior should be in accordance with the rules. Do more cautiously what you should do. To let go of your guts, or dig a hole in the wall, or climb the wall, or steal like a rat, or reject people outside the walls, such kind of behavior, at the lowest level, means that you do not know shame, and you may inevitably die; at the highest level, it means the collapse of the clan and the severance of sacrifices. Therefore, you must not do what you cannot do.

Strength is for doing things, not for fighting for power. If you bully the weak because you are strong, or bully the few because you have many people, these are morally corrupt actions. What's more, if the family members fight against each other, where Ji Zha’s kind of courtesy of the family style is gone! Be aware of this kind of behavior.

It is not right to throw down thousands of money at a bet when gambling, just like the generous and impassioned warriors of Yan and Yue in ancient times. A grain of rice or a penny of silver is hard-earned with blood and sweat, and to lose it so easily would be very foolish! Even if the family is well-off, and they have more money and property than they need, once they are involved in gambling, it will not take long for them to lose everything. Every person who wants to have a family should know this.

Wine can bring joy together, but it can also mess up virtue. There is indeed a reason why Dayu distanced Yi Di, who made wine. Beauty can confuse people's hearts. Aren’t Meixi and Daji two obvious examples? It is important to know to abstain from debauchery.

A lawsuit is out of necessity, so if it is tolerable, it should be tolerated. There are people who like to file lawsuits, but they make exaggerated statements through minor matters, which finally lead themselves to shackles and damage to their bodies. Moreover, once you start a lawsuit, you have to go back and forth in the court, which delays time and what should be done. You must avoid this.

When handling a funeral, one should express one's condolences and do one's best, and make sure to use fine clothes and quilts for the coffin of the deceased, so as not to regret. However, it is not necessary to advocate a meaningless system, nor should one be ridiculed for lack of etiquette. As for the Buddhist service for the dead in the funeral, it is just a matter of following the general rules of the common world so as not to be looked upon with disdain. The monks say that this is useful for the deceased to walk in the underworld, but I say that this is also ridiculous.

It was a great event for the wise and wealthy families to do all these things according to their actual ability to train those for free who were weak in the clan, giving free graves to bury those who had no home in the clan with coffins, establishing a free sacrifice for those who had no incense in the clan, opening the warehouse to help those who had no food in the clan, and buying a field to support those who had no source of income in the clan. It is really grand for the virtuous and wealthy families to do these things according to their actual ability.

Be true to your heart, keep your word, and always be grateful. When you are satisfied, you should not be insensitive, and when you are in trouble, you should not lose your fighting spirit. Do not refrain from doing good deeds because they are small, and do not do evil deeds because they are not big. Don't forget to examine yourself every day, meditate and look within, and the truth and falsehood will be clear.

Know virtue, know integrity and shame; attain benevolence, be humble and non-contentious; revere propriety and justice, be more cautious when living in idleness; harmonize with people in the clan, honor parents, manage the relationship between king and minister, father and son, husband and wife, brothers and friends; serve the country faithfully; rejuvenate the nation with morality and justice.