Liao-Fan: What is meant by "persuading others to practice kindness"? As humans, we all have a conscience, but chasing after wealth and fame has kept us constantly busy and forgetful of our good conscience. We have become willing to stoop very low as long there is something to be gained from it. When a friend is about to ignore his good conscience to do something unworthy, we must remind and wam him, hoping to wake him from his muddled state of mind. It is like waking up someone when they're having a nightmare, it is up to us shake them into reality. When a person is undergoing a long spell of depression, we have to pull him out of it and help him clear his mind. You are most virtuous if you can treat your friends with such kindness. A scholar named Han once said:
Scholar Han: By word of mouth, one can only persuade and influence another momentarily. It is easily forgotten with the passing of time and events. No one else would have heard what you have said. If you can persuade and influence others through written works, your words can be passed on for hundreds of generations around the world. Therefore, writing to promote virtue is an act of great speech, and is a most virtuous deed.
Liao-Fan: Here we talked about how we can persuade others by word of mouth and by writing books to promote virtue. Compared with the previous category of helping others to succeed, this is much more direct and obvious. However, the treatment of an illness with the right medicine sometimes proves to have special effects- therefore, we should not give up. It is also important how we do it. For instance, if a person is too stubborn, you should not persuade him with words. If you do, then you are wasting both your words and energy. If a person is gentle and willing to listen, but you fail to persuade him, then you have just missed a golden opportunity to do good. Either way is because you are not wise enough to tell the difference. You should then reflect to see what you did wrong so next time you will do it right and won't waste any more words or lose another opportunity.
Liao-Fan: What is meant by "helping those in desperate need"? During one's lifetime, a person often will suffer from serious problems, financial troubles, or separation from loved ones. If we meet someone like that, we should help that person as if we are the one who is experiencing the suffering. We should immediately come to his aid. If a person has been wrongly accused or convicted, we should plead for this person's innocence as well as aid him in any way we can. Scholar Suai once said,
Scholar Suai: It does not matter whether a favor is big or small-, what counts is that it's done at a time when others need it most.
Liao-Fan: What humane words!
Liao-Fan: What is meant by "developing public projects for the greater benefit of the people"? Small construction works are needed for villages and big construction jobs are needed for cities. Public projects are anything that needs to be constructed for the public welfare, such as: irrigation systems for farm lands, dams, bridges, or giving food and water to those who are hungry or.thirsty. Whenever you have the opportunity, you need to persuade others to put out their share of effort as well. Even when others slander or talk behind your back, you should not be deterred. Don't be afraid of what others might say about you, and don't get scared when the job gets tough. You should not let people's jealousy and hatred shake your resolve to do kind deeds.
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