Lessons from the Mingsim Bogam

Mingsim Bogam (明心寶監)

Along with <Cheonjamun> and <Dongmong Seonseup>, it's one of the representative introductory books for children during the Joseon Dynasty. It's a book that compiles good passages from Chinese classics that can serve as lessons. The original version consists of 20 chapters and 798 sections in two volumes (upper and lower), while the abridged version is composed of 19 chapters and 247 sections. The structure of the abridged version is as follows: Gyeseonpyeon, Cheonmyeongpyeon, Sunmyeongpyeon, Hyohengpyeon, Jeonggi, Anbunpyeon, Jonsimpyeon, Gyesungpyeon, Geunhakpyeon, Hunjapyeon, Seongsimpyeon, Ibgyopyeon, Chijeongpyeon, Chigapyeon, Anuibyeon, Junyepyeon, Eoneopyeon, Gyowoopyeon, and Buhaengpyeon. Depending on the edition, there are additional chapters such as Jeungbopyeon, Palbangga, Sokhyohengpyeon, Yeomuibyeon, and Gwonhakpyeon. The compiler of the original version is believed to be Beomibon, a figure from the Ming Dynasty in China, which is the prevailing theory in academia. However, the theory that it was compiled by Chujaek, a scholar-official during the reign of King Chungnyeol of Goryeo, has also been presented.

○ Blessings come to those who are generous. Being generous in all matters brings many blessings.

○ Be someone who knows how to humble themselves. There's a saying in Gyeonghaengnok: Those who know how to humble themselves can rise to important positions, while those who enjoy defeating others will inevitably encounter enemies.

○ Excessive thinking harms mental health. Excessive thinking merely hurts the mind, while reckless actions without any discernment bring misfortune upon oneself.

○ Don't readily believe what others say. Confucius said, "Even if many people hate him, one must investigate, and even if many people like him, one must investigate."

○ Excessive greed leads to many worries. There's a saying in Gyeonghaengnok: Knowing when to be content brings joy, while excessive greed leads to many worries.

○ You reap what you sow. If you plant cucumbers, you get cucumbers, and if you plant beans, you get beans. The net of heaven is vast and wide, seemingly loose, but it never fails to punish wrongdoing.

○ Don't miss opportunities. There's a saying in Gyeonghaengnok: Approaching calamities cannot be avoided by luck, and if you miss blessings, you cannot retrieve them even if you try to find them again.

○ Choose your friends carefully, and you won't regret it.

○ Wisdom is gained from experience. Without undergoing one thing, one's wisdom does not grow.

○ Don't boast about yourself. A nobleman said, "Those who think they are right cannot make sound judgments, those who are self-satisfied do not become prominent, those who show off lose their merits, and those who boast do not last long."

○ Slandering others is like spitting into the sky. If a wicked person slanders a good person, one should ignore them. If you ignore them and don't respond, your mind will be at peace, and only the mouth of the slanderer will hurt. It's like spitting while lying down – it falls back on oneself.

○ Don't be overly critical. Xun Zi said, "Don't engage in pointless talk or be overly critical."

○ There's something to learn from everyone. Confucius said, "When three people walk together, there is bound to be my teacher among them. From good people, learn their goodness, and from bad people, reflect on your own shortcomings by observing them."

○ No matter how angry you are, you must endure. Enduring a moment of anger can prevent a hundred days of worry.

○ If you intend to harm others, you will be the first to suffer. Duke of Zhou said, "If you want to judge others, first reflect on yourself. Words that harm others will eventually harm oneself. It's like holding blood in your mouth and spitting it out at others – your own mouth gets soiled first."

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

○ Don't make enemies. There's a saying in Gyeonghaenglok: Making enemies is sowing calamity, and abandoning goodness and not practicing it is harming oneself.

○ Don't casually talk about others. Lao Tzu said, "It's best not to do anything that shouldn't be known by others in the first place. And if you want to prevent others from gossiping about you, it's best not to speak in the first place."

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

○ A single word can repay a thousand debts. Mozi said, "Being skilled in speech can be more helpful than possessing a thousand gold, and committing a single wrong action can be more severe than being bitten by a venomous snake."

○ Don't look down on others. Duke of Zhou said, "Don't despise others because you think you are superior, don't neglect the small because you think you are great, and don't underestimate your enemy because you rely on your courage."

○ Don't try to conquer others through force. Mencius said, "If you try to conquer others through force, they will only feign obedience on the surface, but they will not truly submit because of their lack of strength. If you try to make others submit through virtue, they will be genuinely happy and truly submit."