Wiping the Dust at the Five-Hundred-Stone Grotto Heaven, Vol. 1

...[those who] arise will follow him as a teacher. However, as it is said in the Book of Changes: "When a path is exhausted, it changes; having changed, it opens up; being open, it endures." original: 易窮則變變則通通則久 (yì qióng zé biàn, biàn zé tōng, tōng zé jiǔ). A fundamental principle of Chinese philosophy suggesting that transformation leads to continuity. Even if a Sage were to arise again, they would not change my words; this is something that can be trusted even today.

I Gu Yanwu, writing about himself in the cited passage. have used my humble views to compile the Record of Daily Knowledge. I consider myself fortunate that sixty or seventy percent of the discussions within it align with the Master's views. Based on this, in my later years, I not only have no desire to make a name for myself through poetry, but I am also willing to diligently pursue the study of phonology and epigraphy The study of ancient inscriptions on ritual bronzes and stone stelae.. These were all pursuits of my later "regretful years" original: 悔餘 (huǐ yú). Likely referring to "Huiyu Zhai," the name of his studio, implying a humble reflection on his life's work., and I am uniquely fortunate that the Record of Daily Knowledge has found a kindred spirit in the world. It is no wonder that Wengshan Qu Dajun. praised it so tirelessly.

Master Gu Ningren, given name Jiang, went by the art name Tinglin. Scholars refer to him as Master Tinglin. He died at the age of sixty-nine and left no sons. His writings, such as the Treatise on the Advantages and Disadvantages of the Prefectures and Commanderies under Heaven A massive work on geography and local administration intended for practical governance. and the Gazetteer of the Imperial Domains, are both essential and concise.

However, the Record of Daily Knowledge is his most refined work. The Imperial Annotated Bibliography of the Four Treasuries The authoritative catalog of the Emperor's library during the Qing Dynasty. records it, stating that his scholarship has a primal source, is vast and thorough, and although his citations are numerous, there are few contradictions. In recent times, Governor Zhang Nanshan Weiping of Panyu, in his work Biographical Sketches of Poets, held Gu in the highest esteem. He once said: "The Record of Daily Knowledge contains both Confucius's principle of 'broadening one's culture and restraining oneself through ritual' and Mencius's 'maintaining the legacy of the past to await the future.' original: 守先待後 (shǒu xiān dài hòu). Refers to preserving traditional wisdom for future generations. It is all found within this book." People said that Zhang truly understood Gu's words.

Since the era of the Three Dynasties The semi-mythical golden age of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou., the great affliction of man has been a craving for fame. A certain high-ranking official once claimed that throughout his life he uniquely disliked fame. For Yuan Suiyuan Yuan Mei (1716–1797), a famous poet and intellectual known for his hedonistic and individualistic lifestyle, often contrasted with the "practical" scholars like Gu Yanwu....