Chinese Idiom: 人给家足 (Ren Ji Jia Zu)
English Translation: People Enjoy Abundance at Home
pīn yīn: rén jǐ jiā zú
Idiom Meaning: Everyone is well-fed and warm, and every family is prosperous and comfortable. “给” and “足” imply affluence and abundance.
Historical Source: “Records of the Grand Historian” (Shǐjì) – “The Preface by the Grand Historian.”
Idiom Story: During the Warring States period, the “Hundred Schools of Thought” flourished, and among them was the Mohist school, founded by Mozi (墨子), whose real name was Mo Di. Originally from the State of Song, Mozi spent much of his life in the State of Lu. Although he founded a major philosophical school, Mozi was not from a scholarly background but from an artisan background, skilled in mechanical inventions and military strategies.
Mozi, who considered himself a humble individual, was well-versed in the classics, having studied Confucianism before rejecting its elaborate rituals in favor of his own ideas. Unlike other schools of thought during that era, the Mohist school primarily consisted of commoners from lower social strata who led simple lives. They lived in modest homes with thatched roofs, ate basic food, and used simple utensils. They wore coarse clothing and animal skins, reflecting their austere lifestyle.
Mohists adhered to principles of mutual assistance, strict discipline, and obedience to their leader. They practiced frugality and simplicity, advocating for a more equitable distribution of resources. This included policies such as “节用” (frugality) and “节葬” (simple funerals), which aimed to combat the luxurious and wasteful lifestyles of the nobility. They stressed the importance of productive labor, asserting that only those who worked diligently should prosper.
Over two hundred years after Mozi’s death, Sima Qian, a historian of the Western Han dynasty, praised the Mohist principles in his “Records of the Grand Historian.” In his preface, Sima Qian’s father, Sima Tan, recognized the value of the Mohist emphasis on frugality and productive labor, noting that these principles contributed to the idea of universal prosperity and well-being.
Sima Tan highlighted that, among the various philosophical schools, the Mohists’ focus on practical measures for ensuring everyone’s basic needs and promoting general affluence was particularly notable and effective. This idea of ensuring “人人饱暖，家家富裕” (people enjoy abundance at home) became a celebrated principle, representing a vision of societal prosperity and equitable distribution of resources.
