Today, we will discuss the idea of thrift leading to national prosperity.

Here's a story from “A New Account of the Tales of the World,” a collection of ancient anecdotes and tales from the Southern Dynasty (420-589).

Today, let’s hear a story — “Lord Ye loves dragons.”During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.), the State of Lu’s ruler, Duke Ai of Lu, often told others about how much he desired talents and how he appreciated people with knowledge and skills. There was a man named Zizhang who heard about the duke’s eagerness to welcome capable individuals, so he traveled a long way to arrive at the State of Lu and requested an audience with Duke Ai. Originally named Zhuan Sunshi, Zizhang was a famous student of Confucius. With a cheerful personality and a broad-minded character, Zizhuang was diligent in his studies and had achieved remarkable academic accomplishments.

Today, let’s hear a story about diligence and frugality. In “Shang Shu” (“Classic of History”), it is said, “Be diligent in serving the state and frugal in managing the household.” This means that ancient sages demonstrated their virtues by working diligently for the country and practicing thriftiness at home. According to the Buddhist text “Wu Deng Hui Yuan” (“A Compendium of the Five Lamps”), it states, “If one doesn’t work, one shall not eat.”

One day, Confucius was at home with his disciple Zeng Shen. Confucius said: “Those who hold high positions in society only hear ordinary remarks.

Chinese classics reflect wisdom of life. Today, let’s hear the story of “Three persons make a tiger.” The story is about cross-checking and how only by examining carefully can one know the truth.

​Han Feizi believed that when selecting and employing people, we need to follow objective criteria, and see whether a person’s true qualities align with his or her reputation, without being deceived by superficial phenomena.

Study is significantly emphasized in Chinese culture. Let’s hear a story from “The Yan Family Instructions” in the late 6th century.