行高者，名自高，人所重，非貌高。 才大者，望自大，人所服，非言大。 出自《弟子规》泛爱众，清代山西新绛秀才李毓秀所作。

解释：德行高尚者，名声自然崇高；人们内心真正敬重的是德行，而不是那些表面上权势高，地位高的人。大德大才者，威望自然高大；人们内心真正信服的德才，而不是那些嘴上谈论的大官，大人物，大财商。

Today is 1st May, Labour Day Holiday in Singapore. Labour Day is to pay a tribute to all the people who work every day. All work is very important, so we wish you all a great day dear friends.

Quote from Albert Einstein - A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.

一年一度的清明节又到了。清明节与农历新年、端午节、中秋节并称为我们华族的四大传统节日。清明节是我们华族的古老节日，既是一个祭祖的肃穆节日，也是人们亲近自然、踏青游玩、享受春天乐趣的欢乐节日。

清明节气一般是在阳历4月5号前后，即春分后第15日。清明祭祖节期很长，有10日前8日后及10日前10日后两种说法，这近20天内均属清明祭祖节期内。

清明节，又称踏青节、行清节、三月节、祭祖节，节期在仲春与暮春之交。清明兼具自然与人文两大内涵，既是自然节气点，也是传统节日。清明节是传统的重大春祭节日，扫墓祭祀、缅怀祖先，是我们华族的数千年以来的优良传统，不仅有利于弘扬孝道亲情、唤醒家族共同记忆，还可促进家族成员乃至民族的凝聚力和认同感。

天地人合的思想概念最早是道家思想家庄子发展为天人合一的哲学思想体系，并由此构建了中华传统文化的主体。宇宙自然是大天地，人则是一个小天地。人和自然在本质上是相通的，故一切人事均应顺乎自然规律，达到人与自然和谐。《道德经- 道经第二十五章》老子曰：“人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。”译文- 老子说：“人们依据于大地而生活劳作，繁衍生息；大地依据于上天而寒暑交替，化育万物；上天依据于大“道”而运行变化，排列时序；大“道”则依据自然之性，顺其自然而成其所以然。”

天地人合的诠释：人以地为法则，地以天为法则，天以“道”为法则，“道”则纯任自然，以它自己的本来样子为法则。 “道”，是产生万事万物的本源，是无形无象的一切“物质”的根本，是“天地万物之母”。一切有形的物质形态，一切无形的物质形态，都从“道”中分离出来的。“道”，是有形物质形态和无形物质形态的混合体。老子对“道”的描述是这样的：有一个混然一体的东西，在天地产生以前就存在了。它无声又无形，独立长存永无衰竭，循环运行而生生不息，它可以算做万物的根源。我不知道它的名字，勉强叫它为“道”，再勉强给它取个名字叫“大”。它广大无边而周流不息，周流不息而伸展辽远，伸展辽远而返回本原。 从我们生存的这个时空来说，“三才者”，天、地、人。人是顶天立地的，“天、地、人”在“道”中运行。运行的规律是：人取法于地，地取法于天，天取法于“道”，“道”取法于自己的本然。“道”是总规律，总括整个宇宙物质形态运行的法则。而“天、地、人”，是仅仅从人类生存的这个“特定的”小时空而言的。 “道”的内涵，无量无边，在不同的生存时空中，不同的“生命形态的人”，对“道”的认识和理解是不相同的。这即所谓“横看成岭侧成峰，远近高低各不同。”高低不同的“生命形态的人”，智慧不一样，生活的空间、环境不一样，“道”的存在方式也不一样。 在佛、菩萨、缘觉、声闻，这四种圣人的眼睛中，看见的“道”，和我们凡夫所看见的、体悟到的“道”，是完全不一样的。老子是世间的圣人，他老人家对“道”的观察点，是站在“天、地、人”之间。所阐述的“道”，正是为人类社会服务的。我们要以圣人为老师，以天地万物为老师，成就自己的人生大智慧。

积善之家必有余庆，是古代俗语，出自《易传·文言传·坤文言》，指先代的遗泽。积德行善之家，恩泽及于子孙。原句是积善之家，必有余庆，积不善之家，必有余殃。指修善积德的个人和家庭，必然有更多的吉庆，作恶坏德的，必多更多的祸殃。

解释：修善的人家，必然有多的吉庆，作恶的人家，必多祸殃。所阐述的是一种事物由循序渐进、慢慢积累，最终量变引起质变的现象。同时也是警示人们，一些微小不良现象的萌生，应尽早看到及早警惕和采取措施。任其发展下去的危害和后果十分严重。

唐代王昌龄诗作《出塞》首句“秦时明月汉时关”七个字，即展现出一幅壮阔的图画：一轮明月，照耀着边疆关塞。诗人只用大笔勾勒，不作细致描绘，却恰好显示了边疆的寥廓和景物的萧条，渲染出孤寂、苍凉的气氛。尤为奇妙的是，诗人在“月”和“关”的前面，用“秦汉时”三字加以修饰，使这幅月临关塞图，变成了时间中的图画，给万里边关赋予了悠久的历史感。这是诗人对长期的边塞战争作了深刻思考而产生的“神来之笔”。面对这样的景象，边人触景生情，自然联想起秦汉以来无数献身边疆、至死未归的人们。“万里长征人未还”，又从空间角度点明边塞的遥远。这里的“人”，既是指已经战死的士卒，也指还在戍守不能回归的士卒。“人未还”，一是说明边防不巩固，二是对士卒表示同情。这本是一个问题的两个方面，前者是因，后者是果。这是从秦到汉乃至于唐代，都没有解决的大问题。于是在第三、四两句，诗人给出了回答。“但使龙城飞将在，不教胡马度阴山”两句，融抒情与议论为一体，直接杆发戍边战士巩固边防的愿望和保卫国家的壮志，洋溢着爱国激情和民族自豪感。写得气势豪迈，铿锵有力。同时，这两句又语带讽刺，表现了诗人对朝廷用人不当和将帅腐败无能的不满。有弦外之音，使人寻味无穷。

《出塞》原文:

秦时明月汉时关
万里长征人未还
但使龙城飞将在
不教胡马度阴山

《出塞》白话译文: 依旧是秦时的明月汉时的边关，征战长久延续万里征夫不回还。倘若龙城的飞将李广而今健在，绝不许匈奴南下牧马度过阴山。

王昌龄 (公元698 - 公元757)，字少伯，汉族，河东晋阳（今山西太原）人，又一说京兆长安人（今西安）人。盛唐著名边塞诗人。王昌龄早年贫苦，主要依靠农耕维持生活，30岁左右进士及第。初任秘书省校书郎，而后又担任博学宏辞、汜水尉，因事被贬岭南。 开元末返长安，改授江宁丞。被谤谪龙标尉。安史乱起，被刺史闾丘晓所杀。王昌龄与李白、高适、王维、王之涣、岑参等人交往深厚。其诗以七绝见长，尤以登第之前赴西北边塞所作边塞诗最著，有“诗家夫子王江宁”之誉，又被后人誉为“七绝圣手”。王昌龄诗绪密而思清，与高适、王之涣齐名，时谓王江宁。有文集六卷，今编诗四卷。代表作有《从军行七首》《出塞》《闺怨》等。

One more day to Year 2019, a fresh new year is once again upon us. It is the time to be thankful for the blessings of the past year and to take stock of all our achievements. At the same time, Year 2019 is a brand New Year to start afresh, to start strong, and yet another chance to do everything we wanted to do.

We wish you a Happy New Year with the hope that you will have many blessings in the year to come.

Today is the Chinese Dongzhi Festival 冬至. In the Western calendar, the Dongzhi Festival 冬至 falls on around December 21 to December 22 when the night is longest and the day is shortest in the northern hemisphere.

The Dongzhi Festival 冬至 started as early as the Spring and Autumn Period 春秋 ( 771BC - 476BC ). During the reign of the Han Dynasty 汉朝 ( 206 BC – 220AD ) the festival grew in importance. It was even more important during the Tang Dynasty 唐朝 and Song Dynasty 宋朝 when the Emperors officially proscribed it as a day to give offerings to the Deities and Ancestors.

In past imperial eras, the Dongzhi Festival 冬至 was more important, but now it became a day of family gathering for most Chinese Families.

On the day of Dongzhi Festival 冬至 many Chinese Families they would gather together to eat eat a meal of Tangyuan 汤圆, symbolizing family unity and prosperity. Shenist and Taoist Family would also set up altars outside their homes to give offerings to their ancestors and Tangyuan 汤圆 will be part of the offerings.

Tangyuan 汤圆 are specially cooked balls of rice flour that might have a filling of bean paste, peanut powder or meat. Tangyuan 汤圆 is usually pink or white colored and it is often served in a bowl with a sweet soup or broth. In Singapore frozen ready-made Tangyuan 汤圆 is available in the supermarkets, mothers will simply prepare sweet soup with coconut sugar and pandan leaves to boil the frozen Tangyuan 汤圆.

值此冬至岁末，冬至之日，新年伊始之际，祝福您和您的家人：吉祥、如意。

General Yu Dayou 俞大猷 (1503AD – 1579AD) was a Chinese General and Martial Artist best known for countering the Wokou 倭寇 pirates along China's southeastern coast during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor 嘉靖 (1521AD - 1567AD) in the Ming Dynasty 明朝.

In 1555AD, General Yu Dayou led Ming forces to attack the Wokou pirates who were raiding near Zhejiang 浙江 and defeated about 2,000 of them. In the following year, he was promoted to garrison commander of Zhejiang and was ordered to eliminate the Wokou threat. He led Ming forces to attack the Wokou base in Zhoushan in northeastern Zhejiang. In 1562AD, General Yu Dayou was reassigned to serve as the garrison commander of Fujian 福建. In the following year, he joined Qi Jiguang 戚继光 and other Ming generals in attacking the Wokou at Putian 莆田 and successfully seized back the city from the enemy. By 1566AD, most of the Wokou who had terrorised China's southeastern coast had been largely driven away.

General Yu Dayou was known for being an honest and upright official but in his later years he was being framed on false charges and imprisoned by the Ming Court. Although he was saved by Qi Jiguang and Hu Zongxian, he nonetheless felt disappointed with political corruption within the Ming government and died in frustration.

General Yu Dayou was not only a famous Chinese General, he was also a well-known Martial Artist. According to the historical records of Shaolin Temple 少林寺, Shaolin Temple had sent out its best Warrior Monks 武僧 to join forces with the Ming Military to fight against the Wokou pirates and many of its top Staff Pole 棍法 warrior monks had lost their lives in battle. After a visit to the Shaolin Temple in 1561AD, General Yu Dayou offered to help the Shaolin Abbot train a few of his warrior monks into accomplished staff pole practitioners and they in turn could train the other warrior monks.

General Yu Dayou selected two promising young warrior monks under his tutelage, Zong Qing 宗擎 and Pu Cong 普从, for three years in an effort to improve their pole/staff combat ability. Zong Qing and Pu Cong learned well from General Yu Dayou and they also served in his forces. When they returned to the Shaoiln Temple they trained hundreds of Shaolin warrior monks in General Yu Dayou's staff pole combat methods. Hence, today General Yu Dayou's Pole Methods or Yu Family Pole Methods 俞家棍 continued to live on in the training grounds of Shaolin Temple.

现今，由于武当武术的传播，太极拳或“太极”二字可谓家喻户晓，脍炙人口。说到太极拳，大家都知道是道家所创，还知道练太极拳可以养生; 但说到“无极”与“太极”二字的含义或由来，可能不少人就模糊不清了。要了解“无极”与“太极”，我们必须先谈谈《易经》。

《易经》是中国第一经，它是群经之首、也是群经之始。所有古代中华理论都是从这里发源出来，它是中华文化的总源头、它是诸子百家的开始。大约在新石器时代就诞生了，是中国进入文明社会的重要标志。它不但是最早的文明典籍，同时也对中国的道教、儒家、中医、文字、数术、哲学、民间信仰等产生了重要影响。

《易经》认为世间万物的来源是：“无极生有极，有极生太极，太极生两仪（即阴阳），两仪生四象（即少阳，太阳，少阴，太阴）。“无极”一词在文言文中是表示"没有中心"的意思，延伸为无边际，无穷尽的意思。无极是先天的，没有变化的。太极是后天的，是阴阳二气互动的。宇宙大爆炸产生了物质宇宙（太极）。

《易经》影响最深的是道家，在道家的观念里，老子提出了“复归于无极”，这是道家第一次出现无极的概念。用无极指称道的终极性的概念。所以无极的原义就是道，道是不可穷尽的。庄子在《逍遥游》中说“无极之外，复无极也。”意思是世界无边无际，无穷之外，还是无穷，无极便是无穷。无极是无，太极是有，有无相对。无极是古代哲学范畴。指派生万物的本体。以其无味、无臭、无声、无色、无始、无终，无可指名，故曰无极。无极代表着华夏民族祖先对世间万物诞生之前的理解，即宇宙大爆炸之前状态的抽象理解，物质来自于“无极”的思想既是易经的观点，也是老子“有生于无”的观点，同时也完全符合当代科学关于宇宙大爆炸理论，还符合科学实验关于粒子特征的描述。

民间信仰由《易经》延申出了无极生太极，太极生两仪，两仪生四象，四象生八卦。民间风俗的观念里描述了天地初开，一切皆为混沌，是为无极；阴阳交合，阴阳二气生成万物是为太极；清者上升为天，浊者下沉为地，分为东，南，西，北四方，每方各有一神兽首镇守，东方青龙，西方白虎，南方朱雀，北方玄武，是为四象；智者伏羲，凭日月升降悟出乾坤之奥，从而创出八卦，分为乾、坤、艮、震、巽、坎、兑、离。民间信仰也从《易经》探索出在自然界的本身变化生成中有一种有序化的秩序，这种有序化包涵着生命的目的性，而天地间的万物都是由天地即自然界给予的，这种没有终止，不断地生长及繁殖，天地造化就是自然界的本来面目。生命是一个连续不断的生成过程，没有一刻停息，并没有由一个上帝或主宰者来创造生命，而是由自然界本身来不断地生成，不断地创造，而天地本来就是这个样子，以“生生之谓易”为基本的存在方式。