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Being Thrifty and Helping Those in Need
(Clearwisdom.net) Liu Yan was born in Caozhou Nanhua, which is
present-day Southeast Dongming County in Shandong Province. He was very good at
financial management. During the reigns of Emperors Suzong and Daizong in the
Tang Dynasty, he was in charge of important responsibilities such as
transportation, taxation, salt and steel, fundraising, and other related
endeavors. During the reign of Daizong, he held the position of prime minister.
As such an important government official, who had power over all matters of
finance, he was indeed incorruptible and honest. He honored thriftiness and
liked to help others in need. Once, in the middle of the winter, Liu Yun was on his way to the official
morning meeting. He saw some stores selling sesame seed cake on the side of the
road and decided to buy some hot cakes to eat. He went inside one bakery but
quickly came back out again. When his servant asked him why, it turned out that
the bakery was expensive. In the end, Liu Yun found a less expensive bakery and
bought his cakes there. Other officials on their way to the gathering all passed by the less
expensive bakery. When they saw Prime Minister Liu Yun gnawing on its sesame
seed cakes, they ridiculed him. Liu Yun only smiled and told them that the cakes
were delicious. His servants were all embarrassed, but Liu Yun said, "It is a virtue to
live thriftily. Only by losing one's virtue can one lose his or her status, and
a virtuous person will always be thrifty." Another look at Liu Yun's clothes revealed that, underneath the royal robe
for officials, he only wore a homespun cotton shirt, while other officials all
had leather and rich fabric wrapped around their bodies. Liu Yun's house in Chang'an was located in a small alley on the southeastern
side. It looked just like any other ordinary house, without any beautifully
carved ceilings or pillars, towers or gardens. The furniture was old, and meals
were also very simple. He did not have many servants or maids, and his wife and
children did the household chores. Liu Yun often said to others, "Human beings need shelter, so there is no
need to worry about the beauty of the house. Meals are for fulfillment, so there
is no need to worry about the variety of dishes. Horseback riding is for
reliable transportation, so there is no need to worry about whether the horse
has a beautiful mane." Liu Yun was very thrifty, but he very much liked to help others. Most of his
income was used to help others in need. Many poor students received his
financial assistance, as well as his less fortunate relatives and friends. One day Liu Yun went to a relative's house for a visit. He saw that the door
of the house did not have a curtain to block the wind, so he secretly told his
servant to write down the measurements of the door. Not long after, the relative
received a brand new curtain. For Liu Yun, this was a typical episode. Posting date: 3/18/2006 |