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Exercise Self-restraint, Leave Benefits to Others
(Clearwisdom.net) Emperor Guangwu Di (6 B.C.-57 A.D.), the first emperor
of the Eastern Han Dynasty, established an advanced institute for the teachings
of Confucianism. The institute's principal learned teachers were called Boshi.
Among these teachers was Zhen Yu, a clean-hearted, upright scholar who had few
desires and who often modestly declined personal benefits. At the end of every year, the emperor routinely issued an order to award each
Boshi with a lamb. The official in charge of distributing lambs hesitated
about how to get the job done because the lambs varied greatly in size: some
were big, some were small, some were fat, and some were thin. So he suggested to
either kill the lambs to divide the mutton or to draw lots on the lambs. Hearing his words, Zhen Yu stepped forward, and directly asked for the
smallest and thinnest lamb.All the other teachers felt ashamed about themselves
on seeing this. Since then, there was never an argument about how to divide
lambs. Emperor Guangwu Di heard about this, and he appreciated Zhen Yu's manner very
much. Once, he inquired specifically about Zhen Yu at the royal court.
"Where is that thin-lamb Boshi?" he asked. From then on, Zhen
Yu got the nickname, "Thin-lamb Boshi," and was highly praised among
government officials and citizens alike. Not long afterwards, he was promoted to
the position of Teacher to the Princes, due to his virtue and talent. It is virtuous and good self-cultivation to be willing to lose benefits or to
restrain oneself and let others gain. Only those with upright spirits and clean
behavior could do this. Later generations of Chinese have called those who can
restrain themselves and let others gain benefits over themselves,
"Thin-lamb Boshi." |