If a man’s wealth, rank and reputation spring from the cultivation of lofty virtue, they are like wild flowers growing profusely in the mountains and forests; they will flourish naturally and freely.
If they are a result of his accomplishments, they are like flowers cultivated in flowerpots or growing on wooden frames; they have a time to bloom and a time to wither. If they are the fruits of naked power, they are like flowers placed in vases and bowls; their roots are not deeply planted, and they will fade away in no time.
富贵名益，自道德来者，如山林中花自是舒徐繁衍；自功业来者，如盆槛中花便有迁徙兴废；若以权力得者，如瓶钵中花，其根不植，其萎可立而待矣。
Notes
Moral roots: Wildflower prosperity
Wealth and honors born of virtue grow organically like mountain wildflowers — effortlessly resilient and self-renewing.
Achievement’s fragility: Potted plants
Merits from accomplishment resemble potted plants — dependent on external care, vulnerable to change.
Power’s illusion: Vase cut flowers
Gains seized by force are rootless cut blooms — doomed to rapid decay without ethical grounding.
Ultimate wisdom:
This passage from Cai Gen Tan – Tending the roots of wisdom warns people that true value lies not in possessing wealth or honors, but in how they are cultivated.
- Virtue breeds sustainable dignity;
- Force harvests certain ruin.
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