What does "If you are destined to have only eight dou of rice, even if you travel all over the world, you won't have more than one sheng" mean?
The meaning of the sentence "If you are destined to have only eight dou of rice, even if you travel all over the world, you won't have more than one sheng" is very simple, which means everything is predestined and cannot be forced; one should follow the will of heaven. The original author of this saying is the Great Diamond Palm, from the novel "The Descendant of Maoshan."In fact, there is no matter that cannot be overcome, only a mindset that cannot move on. What is destined will eventually come, and what is not destined should not be forced. How much you are destined to have, you will possess, and eight dou of rice is already quite enough. You should be content. Life is not always smooth, life is not always satisfying, and career is not always glorious. Life always has bitterness, sweetness, and sourness. Don't demand others, don't be too demanding of yourself. Learn to let go, choose to be carefree, and then you can gain more opportunities in life.
Why is it said "Rather lend a dou of rice to someone than lend half a basket of firewood"
Why "rather lend a dou of rice to someone"? Because in the past, people often had a hard time making ends meet, relying on the weather for farming, and sometimes they had food for the current meal but not for the next. When a family with good harvests received a request for rice, they usually would not refuse. Because people helped each other to get through tough times.Why "not want to lend half a basket of firewood"? In the eyes of the elders, everything in the countryside could be borrowed, but some things could not be borrowed. For example, firewood. The word for firewood (柴) sounds similar to the word for wealth (财). Elders believed that lending firewood was like stealing wealth, which was considered unlucky. Moreover, firewood in the countryside did not cost money, and as long as one was not too lazy, it could be obtained easily, so people generally would not lend half a basket of firewood to others.
