The Six Maxims of Ming Taizu is a simple list of rules to live by. The list is attributed to Ming Taizu, also known as Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor, the founder and first emperor of China's Ming dynasty. This list also appeared earlier in Zhu Xi’s exhortation to villagers on how to manage their lives, as mentioned here. The Six Maxims are mentioned in Asian Values and Human Rights: A Confucian Communitarian Perspective by William T. De Bary and Sources of Chinese Tradition, Volume 2, by William Theodore De Bary.
Here is the list:
1. Be dutiful to your parents.
2. Be respectful to your elders.
3. Live in harmony with your neighbors.
4. Instruct your children and grandchildren.
5. Be content with your calling.
6. Do no evil.
They are as pertinent today as they were then.
Robert
