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Qiuketang jiaxun 求可堂家訓

Jul 17, 2023 © Ulrich Theobald

Qiuketang jiaxun 求可堂家訓 is a book on private education written by Liao Jiheng 廖冀亨(1660-1711), courtesy name Yinghai 瀛海, from Yongding 永定, Fujian.

The short book is divided into five parts that are dedicated to different types of profession, with those ranking higher coming first, namely studying (Dushu 讀書), medicine (Yeyi 業醫), "geography" (i.e., administration?, Dili 地理), trade (Shanggu 商賈), and agriculture (Gengtian 耕田). Liao expresses his great disgust for the profession of astrologers (xingbu 星卜), but holds other practical professions not in high esteem (hukou er yi 糊口而已). He warns his sons against the for taboos (sijie 四戒) outburst of emotions (shixing 使性), gambling (dubo 賭博), drinking (tanjiu 貪酒), and negligence (youshou 游手), and urges them to keep to the four substantial aspects (siyao 四要) to work hard and live a frugal life (qin jian 勤儉), be respectful to others (qin gong 謙恭), to formulate one's words carefully (shen yan 慎言), and to keep one's spirit harmoniously (he qi 和氣). There were four fields in which men should act with care (sishen 四慎), namely social intercourse (jiaoyou 交游), daily life (qiju 起居), the female quarters (guimen 閨門), and sacrifices (jisi 祭祀)

The text is included in Liao's collected works Qiuketang liangshi yishu 求可堂兩世遺書.

Source:
Jiaoyu da cidian bianzuan weiyuanhui 教育大辭典編纂委員會, ed. (1991). Jiaoyu da cidian 教育大辭典, part 8, Zhongguo gudai jiaoyu shi 中國古代教育史 (Shanghai: Shanghai jiaoyu chubanshe), Vol. 1, 253.