Mingsim Bogam (明心寶監)

Along with <천자문> and <동몽선습>, it is one of the most representative introductory books for children in the Joseon Dynasty. It is a book that compiled good verses from Chinese classics that could be used as lessons. The original version consists of 20 volumes and 798 articles in two volumes, upper and lower, while the abridged version consists of 19 volumes and 247 articles. The system of the abridged version consists of 계선편, 천명편, 순명편, 효행편, 정기, 안분편, 존심편, 계성편, 근학편, 훈자편, 성심편, 입교편, 치정편, 치가편, 안의편, 준례편, 언어편, 교우편, and 부행편. Depending on the edition, there are additional volumes such as 증보편, 팔반가, 속효행편, 염의편, and 권학편. It is believed in academia that the compiler of the original version was Beom Ib-bon, a person from the Ming Dynasty of China, and there is also a theory that it was Chu-jeok, a scholar-official during the reign of King Chungnyeol of Goryeo.

○ Blessings come to the generous. If you are generous in everything, you will receive many blessings.

○ Become someone who knows how to humble oneself. There is a saying in Gyeonghaengnok: “Someone who knows how to humble oneself can rise to an important position, while someone who likes to win over others will inevitably make enemies.”

○ Excessive thinking harms mental health. Excessive thinking only hurts the mind, while reckless actions done without any discernment will bring harm to oneself.

○ Don't easily believe what others say. Confucius said, “Even if many people hate him, you must look into it, and even if many people like him, you must look into it.”

○ Too much greed leads to worry. There is a saying in Gyeonghaengnok: "If you know how to be content, you will be happy, but if you are too greedy, you will worry a lot."

○ You reap what you sow. If you plant cucumbers, you will get cucumbers, and if you plant beans, you will get beans. Heaven's net is wide and vast, though it may seem loose, it does not miss any wrongdoing and punishes accordingly.

○ Don't miss an opportunity. There is a saying in Gyeonghaengnok: "An approaching disaster cannot be avoided by luck, and if you miss a blessing, you cannot recover it even if you try to."

○ Choosing friends carefully will save you from regrets.

○ Wisdom is gained through experience. You won't gain wisdom without experiencing something.

○ Don't brag about yourself. The gentleman said, "Someone who thinks they are right will not make clear judgments, someone who is self-satisfied will not stand out, someone who shows off will lose their merit, and someone who boasts will not last long."

○ Insulting others is like spitting in the sky. If a wicked person insults a good person, you should pretend not to know. If you ignore it and don't answer, your heart will be at peace, and the person insulting you will only hurt their own mouth. It's like spitting while lying down, it will fall back on yourself.

○ Don't be too picky. Junja said, "Don't engage in useless talk or be overly critical."

○ There is something to learn from everyone. Confucius said, "If three people walk together, there is surely a teacher among them. From the good, you can learn their goodness, and from the bad, you can reflect on your own shortcomings."

○ Even when angry, you must endure. If you endure one moment of anger, you can avoid a hundred days of worry.

○ If you try to harm others, you will be the first to suffer. Taekong said, "If you want to judge others, first consider yourself. Words that harm others will ultimately harm yourself. If you hold blood in your mouth and spit it out at someone else, your own mouth will get dirty first."

○ Be wary of those who praise you. Confucius said, "Those who speak ill of me are my teachers, and those who only praise me are my enemies."

○ Don't make enemies. There is a saying in Gyeonghaengnok: "Making enemies with others is like planting disaster, and abandoning good deeds and not doing them is harming yourself."

○ Don't talk about others carelessly. Lao Tzu said, "It is best not to do something that others should not know, and if you want to prevent others from saying this and that, it is best not to speak in the first place."

○ Don't believe only one side of the story. Listening to only one side of the story will lead to separation.

○ One word can repay a thousand debts. Muso said, "Being good with words can be more helpful than having a thousand gold, and one wrong action can be more painful than being bitten by a viper."

○ Don't belittle others. Taekong said, "Don't look down on others thinking you are better, don't despise the small because you think you are big, and don't take the enemy lightly because you trust your courage."

○ Don't try to win over others with force. Mencius said, "If you try to win over others with force, they may outwardly pretend to obey, but they won't truly obey, because they are lacking in strength. If you try to make others obey with virtue, they will be happy in their hearts and truly obey."